The Rainmaker (Saga of the Chosen Book 2)

by Petra Landon

  “What?”

  “Meet SivoTar and explain all this to him. He’s been very kind to me and I’d like to square matters with him before I join you.”

  “I understand.” Raoul did understand. “Have SivoTar call Faoladh for any clarifications. Faoladh will vouch for us and the investigation.”

  “Once I’m done, I’ll meet up in San Francisco with you.”

  “No” he said bluntly. “Call me when you’re ready, and I’ll send an escort for you.”

  “Is that necessary?” She looked skeptical.

  “You’re crucial to your mother’s plans, Nandini. She won’t rest until she has you back with her. Sienna is currently protected by my Shifters for the very same reason.”

  Nandini’s eyes searched his expression. “Give me a few days and I’ll send word, Alpha. I had to leave my phone behind, but I’ll use the Northern California Consortium’s official contact, like before.”

  Raoul nodded. Before they could continue the conversation, his cell trilled urgently, demanding his attention. It was Faoladh. In the back, Jason turned to Nandini to draw her into conservation.

  “What’s this about Roman Durovic, Raoul?” Faoladh asked without any preamble.

  Raoul smiled to himself. Trust Faoladh to know the latest gossip. It had been barely twelve hours since Roman’s dramatic rescue, but Faoladh already knew about it.

  “Lady Bethesda’s leeches held him hostage when he went to meet Nandini.”

  “They roughed him up?” Faoladh asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What is she playing at?” Faoladh wondered aloud. Raoul, who had been wondering the same thing, said nothing. He had no answers for Faoladh yet.

  “How’d he get free?” Faoladh inquired, after a short pause.

  “We got him out, Faoladh. He had Nandini send me a message. We went in last night.”

  For a moment, there was silence. Raoul realized that he had surprised Faoladh.

  “Nandini” Faoladh said slowly.

  “Yes. She’s with us now. We helped her get away this morning.”

  “This is very good news, Raoul” Faoladh was quietly jubilant. “Good work.”

  “She had a lot to do with it. She’s agreed to join us in San Francisco, and I’ve asked her to have SivoTar call you for any clarifications.”

  “Good. TorElnor reached out this morning. As you can guess, he’s furious about Roman.”

  “It’s time to start building an alliance, Faoladh” Raoul suggested.

  “Yes, she’s getting bolder, and I suspect very close to leaving the shadows” Faoladh agreed.

  “Ideally, I’d like to wait until we locate the third sister. But we’ve had no luck so far.”

  “Agreed, Raoul. I will start my outreach.”

  There was a pause before Faoladh spoke again. “I called to give you some news, Raoul. A date for Anderson’s trial has been set. It is to be soon.”

  Chapter 19

  Lady Bethesda drops a bombshell

  Tasia emerged from a steaming shower to give a heartfelt sigh. The two ladies in the room broke off their animated discussion to glance at her.

  “Thank God for that.” Tasia sighed blissfully. “I felt filthy — I thought I’d have to wait for San Francisco to feel clean again.”

  Someone, Tasia didn’t quite know who, had made the decision to move them into plush accommodations for a few hours before heading back to San Francisco. She sent fervent thanks to whoever had made the decision.

  Sara smiled. “Come join us, Tasia. Sienna’s been seething with impatience this past hour.”

  They were lodged in a hotel in downtown Portland. After delivering Nandini, at her request, into SivoTar’s safe-keeping, Luis had driven them to the hotel. Everyone else had checked in while Atsá, Luis, Jason and the Alpha had continued on to the local Lair. Conscious of the hotel’s thin walls, Tasia had poured out a condensed version of the story to Hawk, her eyes silently assuring him that more details would follow later. With Elisabetta and Stefan Simeonov in the vicinity, she had been extra cautious. They had ordered room service, and a famished Tasia had finally fed her complaining stomach. Then, Duncan had accompanied Hawk and her to a nearby store to buy clothes, even as customers had gawked openly at the enormous English Shifter with the bloodied and torn attire.

  “Hiking accident” Duncan had muttered with self-deprecation to the salesgirl who’d rung up their purchases.

  An hour later, the rest of their party had joined them at the hotel. Sienna and Sara had made a beeline for Tasia’s room, but she had begged off further explanations until she could take a long, hot shower, and clean up what felt like the grime of a lifetime.

  “What is she like, Tasia?” Sienna asked eagerly. “Jason said you spent time with her this morning, when you guys helped her get away.”

  “I did” Tasia acknowledged. She reflected on the Ancient girl. “She reminds me of Caro in some ways, Sienna” she said thoughtfully. “Self-composed and very sure of herself. She thinks fast on her feet. I don’t think she ever gave up this morning, even when she lost her senses. There was no sense of panic or excitement when she came upon us in the woods, just a quiet determination. When the Alpha offered his assistance, she accepted it readily. More than that, she’s hard to read. It could be that we’re strangers to her, but I don’t think that’s it.”

  Sienna leant back against her chair, relief on her face. “At least, she’s away from … Lady Bethesda.”

  “You’ll meet her soon, Sienna. She’s to join us in a few days.”

  “And she asked about you” Tasia added. “She’s curious and wants to meet you.”

  Sienna opened her mouth as a knock on the door interrupted her.

  Sara jumped up to open it and returned with Hawk and Jason.

  “Alph says we leave in a few hours” Hawk informed them.

  “Good. I had to call in sick today” Sara explained. She’d taken a day off yesterday and been stranded in Portland, when the Alpha and the others had rushed off to rescue Roman Durovic.

  In one of the adjacent rooms, Roman lay sprawled on a couch, with Duncan keeping him company. Across them, the Alpha huddled with Atsá and Luis, until his cell trilled to interrupt the conversation. It was a local number, one Raoul did not recognize. Wondering if it was Nandini trying to get in touch, he answered the call.

  “Wyr Lord” greeted an unfamiliar feminine voice.

  “This is Merceau” he acknowledged. “Who’s this?”

  “You know me as Lady Bethesda” she said.

  The Shifters around him, able to overhear the voice on the other end with their phenomenally sharp hearing, flashed their eyes to the Alpha. Roman, warned by the Shifters’ stiffness, moved his head gingerly to raise an eyebrow at Duncan.

  “Lady B” mouthed Duncan, and Roman turned his head to watch the Alpha.

  “It’s time we met, Wyr Lord” the Wizard continued.

  “I agree. I’m leaving Portland in a few hours, so the sooner the better.”

  There was an instant of silence. Raoul realized that he had surprised her. Perhaps, she was unaware of his presence in Portland. That would mean her leeches had not informed her yet of either Roman’s or Nandini’s disappearance from the mansion in the woods.

  “I can make that work” she said agreeably. “Are you near downtown?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sending you an address. Please meet me in forty minutes.”

  She hung up, and in a matter of minutes, the Alpha received the address on his cell.

  “Why does she want to meet you, Raoul?” Duncan narrowed his eyes, his suspicions aroused.

  “Beats me.” The Alpha shrugged.

  “It could be a trap, Alpha” Luis warned.

  “How does an assault on me help her cause?” Raoul countered.

  “Luis has a point, Alpha” Atsá chimed in unexpectedly. “Going after Roman was not a smart move. And yet, she didn’t hesitate to order her Vampires to do so.”


  Raoul glanced at the others. “There’s no downside to hearing her out. In fact, I’m mighty curious to know what she has to say.”

  “Perhaps, she realizes what a formidable opponent you are, Merceau” Roman said slowly.

  “Perhaps. Or maybe, she just wants to size me up.”

  “In any case, Raoul, don’t go alone” Duncan interjected, for once blunt with his warning. “Not with her. She’s canny as they come.”

  For a moment, Raoul said nothing. Duncan’s words had given him pause.

  “I’ll take Atsá and Luis along” he said. “That should be sufficient backup, if I need any. Hold down the fort here” he reiterated, as Duncan opened his mouth again. “For all we know, this is a ploy to get Sienna … or Roman” he added blandly, with a pointed glance at the injured Ancient.

  “Up yours, Merceau” Roman retorted good-naturedly, before flopping back on the couch.

  Duncan subsided immediately. There was also Tasia to watch over, he knew. She’d already braved one batch of leeches today.

  Forty-five minutes later, the three Shifters stood outside a large two-storey house. They were ushered promptly into a drawing room where an elegant lady waited to receive them. Her eyes moved over the three men in turn, sizing them up before zeroing in on the Alpha.

  “You’re Alpha Merceau?” she asked.

  Raoul nodded. “These are Were-Alphas Atsá and Luis Beltran.”

  She greeted them politely, inviting them to seat themselves with a sweeping gesture. Two pasty-faced Vampires remained standing on either side of her, like silent and brutish bodyguards. She ignored their presence, like they didn’t exist. The Shifters remained on their feet too, a little behind but flanking the Alpha who strode forward to greet her. Raoul noted that she looked younger than the First Wizard, but with a rather hard look around the eyes. The stripping away of her powers by the Stone had given her a more youthful appearance. Otherwise, the two sisters looked alike, not in their coloring but in their features.

  “It’s time we put our cards on the table, Alpha” she said in a business-like manner.

  “Let’s” he agreed.

  “You have something of mine, and I have something you want” she said briskly. “I suggest a trade.”

  “If you mean the locket that once hung around Sienna’s neck, it’s not mine to trade” the Alpha countered smoothly.

  Her eyes contemplated him shrewdly. “You’re saying you had nothing to do with getting the locket off Sienna?”

  “No, I helped get it off her” he admitted readily.

  “I thought so. The Wizards wouldn’t know how to go about it.”

  She paused, but the Alpha remained silent, clearly waiting for her to continue.

  “Then, why is the locket not yours to trade?”

  “I gave it away.”

  “Gave it away?” She looked astounded for just a moment, before getting her emotions back under control. The Lady was justified in her consternation. Why would the Alpha give something that held such bargaining power away, she wondered?

  “At Faoladh’s request, I bet” she said shrewdly, an expression in her eyes that Raoul had difficulty interpreting. It almost looked like amusement to him, but that could not be. Why would she be amused by his obeying of Faoladh’s diktats, he wondered. She didn’t know it, of course, but she was wrong, in this instance.

  “The Chosen think very highly of you, Wyr Lord. I wasn’t surprised when Faoladh picked you amongst the many he commands to work with the Wizards. But now that I’ve been made aware of your history with the Wizards, I cannot help wonder why Faoladh forced you to work with them.” The words were said deliberately, with a world of insinuation in them.

  “You should ask Faoladh when you meet him next, Lady Bethesda” Raoul said calmly, quite enjoying this game.

  Her eyes flashed to him. “I will, Wyr Lord, I will. There’s much I intend to ask Faoladh” she said cryptically. “But perhaps you’d care to hazard a guess. You are, I’m told, a faithful follower of your Alpha.”

  “Faoladh knows I’ll get to the bottom of this. Perhaps, his decision was as simple as picking the best person for the job” Raoul offered suavely.

  “Hmm.” Her eyes searched his face. “You’re definitely a worthier opponent than the ones Esmeralda has sent after me over the years.”

  “Those were Wizards” the Alpha countered impassively. “Now, you’re dealing with me.”

  “But you’re a Wizard too, Wyr Lord” she pointed out. “By the Primogeniture Canons, you could claim Wizard status.”

  “Forgive me” Atsá said quietly from behind the Alpha. “But I fear you’re wrong about this, Lady Bethesda. Wyr status takes precedence over any Wizard blood or abilities. The Canons clearly lay that out. Once the Alpha developed the ability to shift, he could not walk away from his Wyr heritage.”

  “I stand corrected, Atsá” she conceded graciously. “Though, it is rather a shame, Wyr Lord.” She turned back to Raoul. “That despite the illustrious Wizard blood that runs through your veins, you cannot take your place amongst us.”

  “I’m a Shifter, Lady Bethesda” Raoul said easily. “I made my choice a long time ago.”

  “Did you?” Her voice held a hint of insidious suggestion. “Or was your choice made for you?”

  Raoul merely stared at her, giving her no quarter. She was trying to score a point here, he was almost sure of it, but for the life of him, he couldn’t see where she was going with the conversation.

  “You don’t favor the Charbonneaus, Alpha.” She directed a smile at him that didn’t quite reach the rather wintry expression in the blue eyes that reminded him of Sienna.

  And suddenly, Raoul was on his guard. This was about old history, he realized. Bianchi had briefed her on the whispers about him, and she was attempting to gain the upper hand by exploiting what she probably presumed was his Achilles’ heel. Once upon a time, that might have been true, but after Russian Hill, Raoul’s confidence about the past did not hinge on a mix of iron-will and grim resolution. Now, he was confident of his armor. He would not break.

  “Genetics can be strange” he countered. “For example, you resemble your sister, Lady Bethesda. Rather, your features are similar. On the inside though, where it counts the most, the difference is night and day.”

  She blinked once, those hard eyes recovering quickly.

  “And how is Esmeralda these days? Still having trouble reining her Guardians in, I hear.”

  “The First Wizard is well, I believe” the Alpha said imperturbably. “She seems eminently capable of putting her Guardians in their place, when they deserve it.”

  Silence descended on the room. Behind the Alpha, Luis’ lips quivered suspiciously. Atsá, older, experienced, and more attuned to the threat the ruthless Chosen confronting the Alpha posed, kept his unwavering eyes on the Wizard.

  “You haven’t asked me how I know your mother’s family, Wyr Lord?”

  “The matter doesn’t interest me” Raoul answered equably.

  “How can it not? Your Wizard heritage has placed you in danger before, has it not?”

  Raoul merely gazed back at her, with none of his complicated emotions on display. He was a master at this. She’d find out soon enough. So, she knew more about his past than what the salacious rumors whispered about. Or, had guessed enough. If she thought to keep him off balance by throwing the past in his face, she’d soon realize her mistake.

  She chuckled softly, amused by the Alpha’s defiance. It’d been a while since she had such a worthy opponent to play with, she mused. He would fall in line soon; she was confident about it. She had a prophecy on her side. He was just a powerful Wyr Alpha fighting his destiny.

  “Let me tell you a story, Wyr Lord. One that goes back many years, to when I was at the Academy, with dreams in my eyes of one day leading the Guardians. I met a Wizard, a student like me, of my age with a similar sense of our glorious history and dreams of an illustriously bright future. She was ambitious, smart, powerful,
articulate, and unafraid to voice ideas unpopular with other students. It wasn’t long before we became comrades, of a sort. We agreed on many things, but there was one major issue that divided us. She believed vehemently in the purity of Wizard blood, while I’ve always believed that injecting other Chosen blood into the gene pool serves to expand our alliances with other Chosen, broaden the depth and versatility of our magic and keep alive our ambitions to one day become the pre-eminent faction. But she was obsessed with this. To her, keeping Wizard lineage pure from being infected was paramount. Intermingling with the First Ones was desirable, of course, especially with certain Ancients who retained their old mystical powers. But the other factions, she considered beneath us. This was the only truly emotive issue that seemed to drive her. Otherwise, by nature, she was cold and disengaged from others, even her rather illustrious family. Proud of the noble Wizard blood in her veins, she was determined to forge her own path. But there was a younger sister she talked of occasionally, one she seemed fond of. One day, she received some rather disturbing news. The younger sister had run off, to be with a local Shifter. At first, she believed it was a simple mistake, a youthful indiscretion to be fixed easily. The young sister had merely had her head turned by an older man of the world. Her family, rather prominent in their part of the world, called in favors to turn the screws on the Shifter. But he was a Were-Alpha and not without influence or allies of his own. He refused to give the sister up. By all accounts, the local Chosen started taking sides on this. In the end, it didn’t matter. The sister refused to leave her lover, and the Were-Alpha was too powerful to be compelled to do what he did not want. When the semester ended, my friend went home, intent on drumming some sense into her sister’s head. But it did not take. She was quieter and more introspective when she returned to the Academy, but also more vociferous about keeping Wizard blood untainted. Slowly, over the next two years, she withdrew into herself. The old shared ideals of celebrating the Wizards’ magnificent past and taking the lessons of history into a glorious future fell by the wayside, while she obsessed over the matter of Wyr blood mingling with that of her illustrious family. Three years from the fateful news, she returned to the Academy after a trip home, to pack her bags and leave us for good. Her sister was pregnant. She called the child an Umrajid brat.”