“What about the aurai?” Juliet asked. She glanced to the doorway where Aria was leaning as she listened to the conversation.
“They won’t trust us,” Samantha replied. “But their help is going to be important in preventing the dark breeds as well as the demons from taking over our city.”
“We’ll need a liaison and since you’re becoming one of them, you’ll have to do it,” Alice said.
“Me? I’m no diplomat,” Juliet exclaimed quickly.
“That’s for damn sure,” Aria murmured and Juliet heard her voice in the soft breeze that blew around the room.
She glared in her direction.
“Alice is right,” Samantha told her. “They’ll contact you. Each city has a head which is the storm nymph and those under her are the wind nymphs. Declan thinks the storm nymph was at the party last night. She killed Morgan which means he must be a dark breed.”
“Which means the entire coven is,” Alice said. “They’ve been lying to us. Callie is dating one of them and so is her mother. How are you going to convince them to stop seeing them?”
“We’re not. Declan and Trinity believe members of Whiteall are demons, and they’ve infiltrated our world, so we’re going to allow them to stay and return the favor. Callie and her family aren’t to know anything about this conversation, Juliet. In fact, only a small number of the coven and Council are aware of what we’re about to do. Everyone will be made aware of the seer’s predictions, but that’s it.”
“Callie’s my best-friend. How am I supposed to keep this from her? They might try to kill her!” Juliet exclaimed.
“And they might try to kill you again,” Alice snapped. “It was Callie and her mother who suggested you go out with Morgan. They might already even know what they’re up to which is still a mystery to us.”
“Did you want me with Morgan to infiltrate their organization?” Juliet asked.
“I had hoped we’d get you, but I changed my mind last night after Declan confirmed something I suspected,” she said. “I couldn’t take the risk of losing you and your wind stones falling into dark hands.”
“But Callie could be killed,” she snapped.
“They might be compromised, and we can’t risk exposing our plans,” Samantha cut in. “So, you need to focus on your duties, and you’ll have to convince them to work with us again.”
“They helped twenty-two years ago,” Alice said. “Why wouldn’t they now when Kryto could be after them too?”
“They didn’t technically work with us,” Samantha replied. “They worked in defense of the wood nymphs Kryto had attacked. So it wasn’t a matter of trust.”
“I’ll try to convince them.” She glanced at Aria not sure if Aria would be willing to get past the hurt and betrayal that had kept the aurai separate from the witches for so long. But it did explain why Aria wouldn’t let her get too close.
“You also have to protect the grimoire,” Samantha told her. “It holds the secrets of making the aurai mortal.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Juliet’s jaw dropped and her hands flew to her lips. A chill slammed into her, rocking her to her core. Her gaze drifted to Aria as she sought not only support but a denial.
“I—it can’t be true,” she stammered.
“It is,” Samantha told her. “If they’re mortal, they aren’t going to have their powers,” Samantha told her.
Juliet shook her head, limbs trembling. She saw the truth on Aria’s face just before her expression closed up. No one wonder Aria was so dogmatic about her safety.
“And they won’t be of much help against the dark ones or the demons,” Alice murmured. “They could overpower us or twist us against each other.”
“Exactly, what they tried to do before,” Samantha said. “But the aurai that became known as the renegades weakened them at Crecy, though the dark ones fought on. They started the Inquisition and witch trials later in an effort to round up all renegade Knights, aurai, fire and earth nymphs who were working with witches behind the scenes to bring down the then current regime of the underworld.”
“And now?” Alice asked.
“Now, who knows where the aurai stand,” Samantha said. “But if the aurai quietly close ranks around the marked, and demons can’t get to them, they will likely go after good witches of powerful families who won’t be turned, including our family.”
Alice swallowed tightly. “I’ll make sure our union with Vesta and Spring stay strong.”
“Good, because part of this fight will be in the hands of the young—the maidens and the lords.”
“How do we fight an enemy we can’t identify?” Alice demanded.
“You’ll know them, but in the meantime, just be aware of Whiteall and all their coven members. Some among them aren’t what they seem.”
****
“We have to use a little caution here,” Necron said and lifted his cup to his lips. “The key players are all coming to the table with guns. Declan has sources that are unknown to me who have told him about the aurai rising and the plans to thwart the Joint Congress.”
“He doesn’t know our plans,” Voltaire murmured and took a sip of his own coffee. The country club dining room was mostly empty this morning with its few diners reading papers and carrying on conversations about mundane issues like work.
The head of the Congress was here meeting with Declan, the head of the Council. They were two tables away having a discussion behind a silence screen, too, a shield that prevented others from picking up their conversation.
“They look upset,” Voltaire said.
“Sam is going to New York, and one of our moles is taking her place. I’ve already ordered Declan’s death so that another of our people can be put in place.”
“We have to be careful there,” Voltaire warned. “Declan’s reach stretches into the covens we don’t want to alert. Maybe he should be left alone for now.”
“No, Volt. It’s a risk that has to be taken. We need contingencies in case we can’t get to the marked,” he said. “The coroner’s report indicates that Morgan’s murderer was an upper level aurai. So, the seer was right. They’re rising, which means we need our people in the right places. I have no doubt Storme is mobilizing her girls for the future battle against us.”
“There aren’t enough and without their knights they don’t have direction or leadership.”
“Tucker was right,” Necron said tightly. “You are underestimating them. They didn’t survive this long without being able to work independently of men.”
“With the grimoire, we’ll gain the knowledge to steal their immortality.”
“You’re as short-sighted as always, my friend,” Necron told him. “If a senior level aurai killed Morgan, they’re already closing ranks around Juliet, and a single battle won’t get us the prize. We’ll be going to war.”
“Not without witches,” he said with a shrug. “And they aren’t inclined to side with aurai. We’ll play on the old grievances to keep them from joining forces, starting with Silken Cord and those allied with them. Can you do your part there?”
“I already am and so are the others,” Necron told him. “We’ll have to use our moles to turn others against her and get Silken Cord to oust her. Alone, she won’t be a threat.”
“True, but you’re the one making miscalculations now. Samantha won’t go quietly and being ousted by her coven won’t get her kicked off the Joint Congress. Her family has always managed to pull a fucking rabbit out of the old hat.”
“Which is why we might have to consider Juliet a lost cause,” Necron told him. “She’s proving difficult to kill, and devoting more resources to her will be to take unnecessary risk of exposure.”
“Her great-grandmother annihilated my family,” Voltaire hissed. “I want her blood to spill, I want her power, and I want her family savaged the way mine was.” He clenched his hand on the table, aware that he was allowing his emotions to overrun him. However, even demons had the capacity to feel kinship,
though it wasn’t love as humans knew it.
“Don’t let your need for vengeance start controlling you now,” Necron told him coldly. “There is more at stake than your petty grievances. Both of our families knew what they were doing, knew war was a risk of loss of life, even their own. So, screw your fucking head back on straight and take a look at the big picture.”
Power. With it he could control the entire underworld and send people after Juliet’s family until they were all dead. Then, he could go after the other three families.
Voltaire pushed out a rough breath. “Everything you just said sounds good in theory, but that grimoire will give us the knowledge we need to destroy all aurai for good.”
“It’s best to concentrate our efforts on another of the marked,” Necron told him. “Let them think we’ve stepped back. That will leave them off balance and guessing, trying to anticipate our next move. Then, we’ll strike.”
“We can’t just pull back even if we don’t go after the stones, Necron,” Voltaire said in an irritated tone. “We need her grimoire. The old crone was one of the four guardians of the information stole from the aurai by my great-great-grandfather. It’s what he was killed for. He said it would enable us to make the harpies, the aurai, and the venti extinct.”
“The book wasn’t in the house, so it must be on her,” Necron told him. “We’ll give retrieval one last try and then let things die down before we go after it again.”
“Very well,” Voltaire said. “I’ll bow to your advice on this. We’ll have to dump some dead weight to prevent discovery. Tucker and all those loyal to him will have to go. He’s just waiting to stab us in the back.”
“It’s already being taken care of.”
“Then, let’s talk about the vacation we’re going to take. Two days of nothing but you and me.”
****
Juliet sat at her desk after the meeting, still reeling from what she’d heard. She’d had no idea how important the books really were. Her death could leave them without a protector and the information could be accessed.
Right now, the books were in good hands, and she would leave them with Aria. Her only fear was of the future. What would happen to her mother, to Alice?
She had never dreamed the wars of the past would come back to replay over again in her lifetime. Then, she’d never realized just what a pivotal role she could play in those wars either.
Juliet got up and went to the window to stare at the cars passing on the street. Her life had taken a dramatic turn between last week and now, and she was only sure of one thing. She wanted Aria, and she wasn’t going let her go easily.
Juliet went to her desk and picked up the phone. Luckily for now she had the guise of business to conceal her true motives for contacting her.
“Brees Design, how may I help you?”
“Is Aria in?” Juliet asked.
“One moment,” the woman said congenially.
She drummed her fingers on her desk after sitting down. Aria wasn’t easy to get close to, and she might not even trust anything she said after this morning.
“Who’s calling?”
“Juliet Hart,” she said.
“Hello, Juliet,” Aria said a moment later. Her voice was heat and sex in her ear.
“Are you free? I need to see you.”
“Jasmine is on her way with your car, so she can bring you here, or we can meet someplace.”
“My apartment.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Aria replied.
“We really need to talk about what my mother said.”
“I guessed as much,” she answered. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye.” She replaced the phone and leaned back in her chair with a sigh. Just a week ago, she’d been craving more responsibility, but this wasn’t what she’d had in mind.
Chapter Twenty-Four
A rap on her door drew her attention from the upheaval that her life was about to become. Juliet didn’t expect this to be much better given her luck with clients lately. However, it was ordinary, a respite from the paranormal she’d been drenched in the last several hours.
“Come in.”
The door opened and an average-height man stood there in black. His cool blue eyes took her in and his lips pulled into a frown. He stepped in leaving the door ajar as he walked to her desk.
“Miss Hart, I’m Cordell Watts with the Witch’s Congress, investigative division.”
She studied him not sure what he expected her to say to that. “Have a seat.”
He removed a small pad from his back pants pocket and detached a pen from the leather holder. “I’d like to ask you a few more questions about last night.”
“I told the constable everything last night.”
“Now, tell me,” he ordered in an authoritative tone that made her sneer at him.
Juliet recounted what she’d seen. As she told her story, she recalled the sensual melody she’d heard. At the time, she’d thought it was part of the music playing from inside, but now that she thought about it, it was what had ensnared Morgan.
She hadn’t been affected by the tune or the enchanting scent of fresh rain.
“You didn’t see anyone running out? A woman?”
“No one came out,” she said.
“I get the feeling you’re not telling me something,” he said. “So, you need to start talking, Juliet, before I arrest you as an accessory.”
His tone was hard and his eyes even harder. The airy energy inside her wanted to suffocate him. The power whistled inside her mind, ferocious and eager to pounce. Juliet fought it, clenching her hands into fists and wishing she knew how to contain a power that was trying to pull spill from her palms to get to the investigator.
A soft breeze rustled around the room, and she knew she’d lost the battle. Her hands heated and her breath exhaled on a rough hot gust. A low howl whispered on the air.
He looked around, and her nails bit into the soft flesh of her hand.
The door of her office creaked slowly open, and he turned all the way around this time.
“Hello, Juliet.” The woman standing in the doorway was an inch taller than Aria, but she had that same haunting beauty. Her high cheekbones and wide mouth gave her a sex appeal all her own.
“Hi,” she said trying to contain her relief at the interruption.
“We should get going,” she said. “Aria is waiting for us.”
“I was just finishing up,” Juliet replied. “Investigator Watts is following up on the murder at the club last night.”
“And I’m not done with you,” he said coldly. “Your social engagement will have to wait.”
“You can’t make me stay,” Juliet said more out of nerves than anger. “I answered your questions.”
“And I have more still,” he said. “You are the only witness to a brutal crime, and I find it odd that you didn’t even scream when it could have saved your date.”
“He wasn’t my date,” she snapped. The air didn’t seem too happy with the thought of anyone but Aria being with her.
“That’s not what I was told.”
“I can’t help that,” Juliet muttered. “I don’t have any control over what other people say.”
“Let’s go, Juliet,” the woman said. “If you want to talk to her again, you’ll need to contact our attorney.” She crossed the room and held a card out to him. “Now, Juliet.”
Juliet stood up and rounded her desk. She didn’t know the woman, but she felt familiar just like the fog last night.
“This isn’t the end, Miss Hart,” he told her angrily. “We will talk again.”
“I’m sure,” she said, frowning and wondering why he was being so dogmatic. The air didn’t care and like a vicious dog it watched him, waiting for him to give it an opening to lash out.
That confused and scared her, but not quite enough she realized as she began unclenching her hand.
The woman moved then, keeping distance between Juliet and the investigator. He sneered
at her, and she stared him down. Juliet felt the urge to lash out at him, wipe that look off his face but allowed the other woman to take point.
Juliet backed up and the investigator followed. At the front door, her mother waylaid him as she came in.
“You weren’t supposed to speak to Juliet without me present,” Samantha chastised him.
“I was doing my job,” he retorted.
“Badly.”
“I’m not done with her,” he said.
“I’ll bring her to the station later,” Samantha replied coldly. “In the meantime, I want a word with you.”
Juliet sighed as they headed to her car. “Jasmine?”
“Fortunately for you, I am,” she answered humor in her tone. “Aria is meeting us at your place. I called her before I came in to let her know I was here.”
“Great.” She climbed in on the passenger side while Jasmine got in on the driver’s side.
“You certainly smell like Aria’s,” she commented.
“I do?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she agreed. “Her scent has changed, though, to an annoying, delicate rose, but I guess we’ll get used to it.”
She threw Jasmine an amused look. “I rather like the way she smells.” And tastes.
Jasmine chuckled. “I imagine. “Are you going to continue working for your mother?”
“I don’t know, will that be a problem?” She supposed it could be. She was still a witch, raised with the enemy of the aurai.
“Not unless you plan to betray us,” she drawled.
Anger whistled through her. “I would never betray, Aria,” she retorted.
“The south wind is integrating into it, changing you,” Jasmine said giving her a curious look.
“How do you know? We’ve never met.”
“I’ve seen you at the club a few times and you smell different today than you did last night,” Jasmine answered. “I guess you’ve accepted your new destiny, embraced your power.”
“I’ve accepted what I have to do to survive,” she said. “I’m not shirking my responsibility. I don’t really want to.” The moment she’d realized Callie could have been in her place, could be the one getting close to Aria even as a friend, she’d rejected that notion and embraced her new destiny.
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