"That was a test. I knew it," Elias said, a broad smile spreading across his face, "you fancy the pretty witch."
"Isn't there something you should be doing?" Alaric grumbled. He took back his earlier observation. Elias was nothing but irritating. "Doesn't Madalena have some assignment for you?"
While Casimir handled electronic surveillance for their group, Elias was a Tracker, someone who handled in-person surveillance, tracking down suspected members of the Order.
"Naomi is with us now, so I think you've fulfilled your obligation," Elias continued, as if Alaric hadn't spoken at all. "The rest of us can protect her. I can certainly protect her."
His voice dropped with meaning, and Alaric's annoyance shifted to anger. Elias was irritatingly handsome, even amongst vampires, who were on average more attractive than most creatures, with his lean muscular frame, dark hair, mischievous brown eyes, and strong jaw. Elias drew female attention wherever he went; it was something he relished in.
"Down, buddy," Elias said, holding up his hands. "I was just teasing you. That was another test, by the way. How have you lasted as a Watcher this long? You're not very subtle."
"How's the surveillance going, Casimir?" Alaric asked, pointedly changing the subject. "Do we have any updates on the Order's movements?"
Casimir was the most serious of their group, but his mouth twitched with amusement over Elias' teasing.
"From their chatter, they're scattered all over Europe. I'm not finding any hint of them in Athens," he replied.
"Were you able to identify the two witches who tried to abduct Naomi?" Alaric asked, frowning.
"Yes. You were right about them being related. They're brother and sister. Hamish and Scarlett Gregor. They were both mild mannered accountants according to anything I could find. The Order conceals the activities of its members well."
Alaric clenched his fists in frustration. The members of the Order were an elusive group. There were at least several hundred members—perhaps even more—but the Alliance had only been able to identify fifty of them. They also hadn't been able to identify a single leader of the group, though there had to be at least several, considering how coordinated their movements were, though they were scattered all over the world.
"Any trace of Order members here?" he asked, bristling with alarm.
"No. Trust me, if they knew Naomi was here, they'd have come by now," Casimir replied.
Before Alaric could respond, Naomi's angry raised voice penetrated the walls of the study.
"She sounds pissed," Elias helpfully observed.
"How could she not have known something was off?" Casimir asked, gesturing in the direction of Naomi's voice. "You don't walk around your entire life with all that power and not—“
"Her parents put a Locking spell on her," Alaric interrupted, feeling defensive on her behalf. "Imagine what that must have felt like."
Casimir fell silent. A brief look of shame flickered across his face; as a witch, he must have known exactly what it felt like.
"I told Madalena we should've used a different approach. We could've had Alaric get to know Naomi—wine and dine her, which I think he would've been happy to do," Elias added, with a teasing wink at Alaric. "And then . . . gradually tell her about all of this."
Alaric glared at Elias, but he had to acknowledge that he was right. Alaric would have enjoyed the wine and dine approach.
"Well, it's too late for that now. Naomi's here, and she knows everything," Alaric said, turning back to the doorway. "And give Madalena a break. She only took over for her father a year ago."
"This from the vampire who gave Madalena a hard time the entire time he was in Athens," Elias retorted.
"Yes, and I regret that now," Alaric muttered.
Now that he was back in London, he could see the toll Madalena's position had taken on her. Her father Henrik had been one of the most prominent members of the Alliance, and one of the more vocal opponents of the Order. Henrik had been a strong and intimidating witch, but he was kind and compassionate, determined to unite witches and vampires. Several Order members had murdered him two years ago in an ambush; his killers remained at large. Madalena had taken his place in the Alliance, a request Henrik had made in his will, setting aside her grief to finish what her father had started. She'd had her own life as an artist in London and had only worked peripherally for the Alliance as a Tracker when Henrik died.
Even if Alaric didn't always agree with her decisions, she was doing the best she could under the circumstances.
"Now that the Order knows we have her, they'll keep coming for her. We may have to keep moving her until we can defeat them," Elias said.
"That could take years, " Alaric protested.
"She's the only living creature we know of who can activate the most powerful spell in the world. Her parents were right to keep her hidden away," Elias said, shaking his head, "a life on the run will be her life from now on. She—“
Elias stopped. Alaric stiffened, scenting them before he even turned around.
Naomi and Madalena stood by the doorway. Naomi's face was ashen; she'd heard Elias' words.
"Naomi needs to get some air," Madalena said, giving Elias a scolding look. "When she gets back, will you give her the blood test?" she asked Casimir, who nodded. Madalena turned to Alaric. "Please go with her. She can't be out there on her own."
Naomi remained silent as they stepped out of the building.
"Try not to worry too much about what Elias said," Alaric said, as soon as they cleared the building. "We'll keep you safe, and you may not even—“
"Oh my God," Naomi gasped. "Where did it go?"
Alaric turned. She was facing the empty bakery shop that now stood in place of Madalena's building. It had unnerved him the first time, but he'd gotten used to it.
"Madalena uses a Cloaking spell on the building. The building's quite old; it's been in her family for generations. It's a security measure. Only our group has access to it. Once you've settled in, she'll give you access to it."
Naomi let out a strangled laugh. "Cloaking spell," she echoed, looking dazed. "Right."
She started down the street, her arms wrapped protectively around her body, as if to shield herself from the onslaught of information she'd just learned. He trailed her, giving her a few feet of space, scanning the bustling street for anything or anyone out of the ordinary as they walked. He had done this dozens of times before, albeit from a greater distance, it now seemed odd that she knew he was following her. Not that she acknowledged him in any way; she kept her gaze trained on the ground, lost in her thoughts.
Alaric glanced behind them. Elias followed them from a half block behind. Madalena wanted extra security on Naomi just in case.
Naomi slowed her pace, pausing to wait for him. As he drew up next to her, her hazel eyes roamed his face. He was used to being appraised like this, especially by women, but it was unsettling when Naomi did it. He almost wanted to blush.
"So. You're . . . a vampire?" she whispered.
"Yes."
Naomi halted mid stride, ignoring the annoyed looks of passersby as they were forced to walk around them. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it again.
Alaric took her arm, pulling her into the shadow of an adjoining side alley. It was quieter here; there were hardly any passersby. She blinked up at him, startled.
"What are you doing?"
"Madalena gave you her proof. I'll show you mine," he said. He hadn't meant for his phrasing to sound sexual, but an attractive blush spread across her cheeks. A jolt of desire went through him at the sight, but he reigned it in, focusing on what he had pulled her aside for. Her academic mind craved more proof; that's what he would give her.
He opened his mouth, allowing his fangs to descend. Naomi gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Her gaze remained on the fangs for several long beats before she reached out to touch them. The act was surprisingly intimate, and he again had to suppress the rush of desire that filled him.
>
They held each other's eyes for a long electric moment, before she removed her hand.
"In—in Athens," she said, "when you were trying to convince me to leave with you . . . you did something to my mind. Madalena told me it's something called a thrall. Like hypnosis."
"Yes," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry . . . I had no choice. There were other Order members coming. They would have killed us both."
"Right. Because I'm this powerful witch," Naomi said, shaking her head in disbelief.
A couple stepped out of the building behind them, giving them curious looks, before continuing on their way.
Alaric looked around. He'd been so consumed by Naomi that he'd forgotten to pay attention to their surroundings. At the far end of the alley, Elias hovered, giving him a knowing grin.
Alaric ignored him, stepping back from Naomi.
"It's not safe out here for you. We should head back."
Chapter 8
Naomi sat at the dining room table with the others, trying to concentrate on her food. Just your average dinner with otherworldly creatures, she thought.
Earlier, Madalena had formally introduced her to Casimir, who'd taken her blood sample when she returned from her walk with Alaric. She learned that Casimir, who spoke with a trace of a Hungarian accent, was also a witch, and Elias was a vampire. She'd tried not to stare too much as Madalena introduced them. They looked human to her, albeit incredibly handsome humans. Elias had the tall dark and handsome thing going on, which he seemed to be very aware of, while Casimir was blonde and silver eyed, with finely chiseled features. She wondered if all male supernatural creatures were better looking than humans.
No one had invited her to take part in the conversation, for which Naomi was grateful. She suspected Madalena had told the others to leave her be. She still needed breathing room to sort this all out.
Their conversation was almost comically light, which she also assumed was for her benefit. They discussed the meal of lamb chops and steamed vegetables Madalena had prepared, and the lack of rain London had received the last few days.
Madalena had told her they'd all been holed up here for the summer, conducting surveillance on her, trying to track down the Incantation Stone, and monitoring the movements of Order members. She could sense the camaraderie of the three, with their light banter and easy conversation.
Elias was the jokester of the group, teasing Madalena about the precise way she'd roasted the vegetables. Casimir was quiet and seemed more cerebral, frequently glancing down at his tablet and tapping on the keyboard. Madalena was volleying back teasing jabs of her own at Elias while periodically giving Naomi a gentle smile. Madalena seemed nothing but kind, and a brief stab of guilt pierced Naomi for assuming she wanted to harm her.
Alaric was harder to read. She was far more aware of him than the others, but he didn't speak as much, and his blue eyes often settled on her before flitting away again. His expression remained blank; she wondered if this was something he'd mastered a long time ago; it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.
She noticed that Alaric and Madalena seemed close. Every once in a while, Madalena would lean in close to Alaric and murmur something in his ear, and Alaric would smile. This irritated her, which made no sense. She'd just met Alaric and had no claim on him. And even though he looked like a human male—a stunningly beautiful one—he was not human. Could humans and vampires even—
She shuttered away the thought when Alaric's eyes met hers, as if he knew what she'd been thinking about. She hastily lowered her gaze. Could he read her mind? If he was capable of hypnosis, it wasn't that far fetched.
"Naomi?"
Several sets of vampire and witch eyes rested on her. Madalena studied her with concern.
"I'm sorry," Naomi apologized. God, what if they all knew what she'd been thinking about? A flush burned her cheeks. "What did you say?"
"I said that I hope you'll help us. But the decision is up to you. We'll protect you from the Order no matter what. If you decide not to help us, we'll move you to a safe house tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"The Order is moving fast. They're probably looking for you as we speak. We need to be faster. We can get word to your aunt to tell her where you are, but that's it. It's imperative that we don't leave a trail."
"And if I help?"
"Then you stay here while I train you. We'll keep looking for the Stone. If I can help you hone your magic to help us track it down, it could save a lot of time."
Naomi looked down at her plate, her heart thudding wildly in her chest. Neither option sounded attractive.
"Take the night to think it over," Madalena said, giving her a reassuring smile.
After dinner, Naomi escaped to her room, everyone's gazes following her as she left.
She moved over to the large windows, studying the London skyline. She could say no and remain in hiding under their protection. Her instincts told her they were right about her life being in danger. She'd felt it when that person—that witch—had put her arms around her. Something told her that if the witch took her, she would die.
Her mind drifted to the Incantation Stone. Her academic curiosity was buzzing; a part of her wanted to learn more about it, something she could do if she helped them. But that would mean joining the Alliance for a cause she didn't understand, using magical abilities she still couldn't fathom she possessed.
If she stayed out of the conflict and went into hiding, maybe she could have Madalena place her under another Locking spell. She could just resume her normal life when this was all over. A life in which magic, vampires and witches didn't exist.
But did she ever have a normal life? And did she want to return to the way her life was before, with her magic trying to burst free and that continual sense that something was missing? Back to the isolation she'd imposed upon herself because she'd always known, somehow, that she was different?
On her bedside table, her cell shrilled, pulling her from her thoughts. Naomi didn't need to look at the screen to know it was Kat. Kat had called at least a dozen times, but she wasn't ready to talk to her. She knew Kat had just been honoring her parents' wishes, but it still wounded her that she'd kept all this from her. How many times had Naomi bemoaned her mental state to her aunt? And she had known all along.
The cell's ringing ceased, and Naomi moved towards it, checking the time. It was almost midnight. Once again, her thoughts had sucked her in for hours. But she wasn't tired, and she had another urge to get fresh air.
Naomi made her way to the living room. The penthouse was silent. Do witches and vampires have regular night hours? she wondered. She realized she had a million questions about the mythical creatures she now knew to exist. Did vampires sleep in coffins? Did witches fly on brooms? She tried to imagine her parents flying on brooms and stifled a hysterical laugh.
Making her way onto the balcony, she took in much needed air, leaning against the railing. She needed more time for all she'd learned to sink in. No, she needed an eternity for all she'd learned to sink in.
"I can leave if you want to be alone."
She whirled around, startled. She hadn't noticed Alaric on the far end of the balcony, leaning against the railing. Her breath quickened at the sight of him; in the darkness he resembled a dark angel.
"I scented you before you came out . . . I was just about to leave to give you your space," Alaric continued. When her eyebrows widened in surprise, he added, "Vampires have an enhanced sense of smell."
"That's one thing our myths got right," Naomi said, trying to keep her voice light as he approached, "we got the staying out of the sun thing wrong."
"Their myths," Alaric gently corrected her. "You're not human, Naomi."
"So everyone keeps telling me," she muttered. He moved towards the balcony doors, and she shook her head. "No . . . it's fine. Please stay."
"Humans have gotten a lot of things right about us," he said, turning back to approach the railing, "we drink blood. Many of us are s
tronger at night. And believe it or not, I know several vampires who sleep in coffins."
"Really?" Naomi asked, genuinely surprised.
Alaric smiled; it made him even more beautiful. She turned away from him to focus on the skyline; sometimes looking directly at him was like looking into the sun. "Can you read minds?"
"Yes and no," Alaric replied. "When performing a thrall, yes. But not while we're just going about our days. Constantly hearing the thoughts of other creatures would drive anyone mad."
"I see," Naomi said, trying to keep her tone neutral, though relief flooded her. That meant he hadn't gleaned her thoughts during dinner. "What about garlic? Crosses? Mirrors?"
"All myths, I'm afraid. But I do hate garlic," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "It's a culinary thing for me. I hated it when I was a human."
She looked at him. His face shuttered as soon as he uttered the word 'human'. He doesn't want me to know about his past, Naomi realized. This disappointed her.
"Tell me about this Alliance," she said, hoping to keep him from retreating into his shell. "Madalena told me some things, but I'd like to know more."
Alaric relaxed. "There's a hundred and eight of us," he said, "scattered in groups all over the world with about a dozen leaders. Madalena is one of them. Witches and vampires have a rocky history—we were once at war with each other. The Alliance was created centuries ago to create and establish a peace between us. There are always one hundred and eight members in the Alliance. Fifty-four witches, fifty-four vampires."
"Why one hundred and eight?"
"It's a magical number among our kind," Alaric replied, "once the Order gained power, it's become the Alliance's top priority to stop them."
Naomi nodded, mulling this over.
"Naomi . . . I took away one thing while I watched you in Athens."
"What?"
"You're searching for a purpose. I think you always have been . . . you just weren't aware of it because you've never known who you are. Now you do. You're more powerful than you realize."
Shadow Descendant (Descendants Book 1) Page 5