His gaze lingered on her face, allowing a moment for his words to settle, before he headed back inside.
When Naomi awoke the next morning, a certainty that she'd never experienced before filled her gut. Alaric's words from the night before rang in her ears.
She left her room and found Madalena in her study, flipping through a file. Madalena looked up with a smile, getting to her feet.
"Perfect timing," she said, gesturing to the file. "We got the results back from our private lab. You have the ancient genetic marker, Naomi. It confirms you're a direct descendant of the First Witches."
Naomi stilled; it took a moment for her words to sink in. Not only was she a witch; she was a pureblood witch. It seemed fitting, now that she'd made her decision.
"I'll help you," she said. "I'll help you find and destroy the Stone."
Chapter 9
When Alaric entered the drawing room the next morning, he saw Naomi seated alone on the balcony. She was facing away from him, cross-legged, her hands folded in her lap. Madalena stood in the center of the room, watching her.
"I'm teaching her calm," Madalena said, answering his silent question as he approached. "It's the first thing she needs to learn. Her magic overwhelms her when she's in a state of anxiety. I'm starting her off slow."
"She's agreed to help us?"
"Yes, thank goodness," Madalena replied, smiling. "I was afraid she'd refuse."
Alaric knew he should feel relief; his words to her last night may have pushed her towards her decision. His motivation in convincing her to help them was partially selfish; if she went to a safe house, he wouldn't have a valid reason to be around her. The Alliance safe houses already had guards; Madalena would send him off on another assignment.
But now he felt divided. By agreeing to help them, Naomi had put herself in danger. The Order would stop at nothing to get to her now that they'd found her.
"We have another assignment for you," Madalena said, "there's a witch in the States who may be a Descendant. We've just begun surveillance on her. We'd want you to fly out to— "
No." The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. It was the same knee jerk reaction he'd had when Elias suggested he take on another assignment. Madalena looked at him with surprise. "I apologize. Naomi needs a great deal of protection. She's the first Descendant we've been able to find. Elias and Casimir have their own tasks to focus on."
Madalena studied him with her perceptive green eyes. He tried to keep his expression stoic under her appraisal. Finally, she nodded, turning her attention back to Naomi.
"Fine. But if you're staying here, we'll need your help to track down members of the Order."
"Of course."
Madalena started towards the balcony, and glanced back at him.
"Elias and Casimir are in the study. Try to stay out of sight while I'm training Naomi."
"Why?"
"You seem to distract her," Madalena said, waving him away. "Now go."
A wave of pleasure filled him at this knowledge, and he lingered to take in Naomi for a moment. Even beyond the glass doors of the balcony, her sweet scent hit his nostrils: honey, flowers, the hint of rain. He turned to leave when Madalena scowled, again gesturing for him to leave.
In the study, Alaric found Casimir and Elias gathered around his laptop.
"Shouldn't you be on a plane?" Casimir asked, his eyebrows raised.
"No. Naomi needs protection," he said, avoiding Elias' probing gaze. "In the meanwhile, I'll help you track down the Order. What are you working on?"
"I've located a witch who might be working with them. His name is James Evans. He's here in London," Casimir said, his focus returning to his screen. "I was doing intel on those two witches you encountered in Athens. I found out that one of them met up with James last month. It could have been innocent; James is an antiques dealer, so they may have just needed information and he had no idea who he was talking to. Or they've recruited him to their cause. We should talk to him—but we shouldn't scare him away."
"I'll do it," Elias said, straightening.
"I'll come with you," Alaric added. Though he was reluctant to leave the penthouse with Naomi here, her training would probably last for the remainder of the day, and Madalena would keep shooing him away. Because I distract her, he thought, with another rush of pleasure.
Later, as Alaric and Elias headed towards the Tube, Elias kept his intense gaze on Alaric.
"You are drawn to our witch, aren't you?" he asked.
"She's not our witch."
"Is she your witch?"
"Elias . . . "
"I'm teasing you. I haven't seen you this preoccupied with another creature in . . . " he thought for a moment. "Ever."
"You've only known me for two years," Alaric grumbled. "Did it cross your mind that perhaps I don't talk about my personal life with you?"
Elias fell silent, but he kept that irritating smirk on his face as they descended into the Tube. Alaric didn't like knowing that his attraction for Naomi was so obvious; attraction he had no intention on acting upon. Finding and destroying the Stone was the priority, along with keeping Naomi safe from the Order; he couldn't afford to be distracted.
Elias' attention had now turned towards two attractive young women who eyed them with appreciation as they took their seats across from them on the train. Now Alaric could see why Elias insisted on taking the Tube when they could have used their speed to get to James' home in Notting Hill. Elias liked using any opportunity he could to flirt with human women. He winked at them both and they blushed.
Alaric shook his head. He sometimes wondered why Elias chose to work with the Alliance; his main focuses in life seemed to center on food and seducing human women. He'd asked him once why he worked for the Alliance, and the usually loquacious Elias had given him a vague response about it being the right thing to do. He suspected there was more to it, much more, but he didn't pry. Alaric was also reluctant to discuss his past.
They arrived in Notting Hill twenty minutes later at the Victorian townhome of James Evans. The witch must have sensed their presence because he opened the door before they could even knock. James was wiry thin, pale and freckled. He adjusted his glasses as he peered up at them.
"James Evans?" Elias asked. James gave them a jerky nod. "We're from the Alliance. May we come in?"
James hesitated. Alaric heard his heart rate increase. The witch was hiding something.
"Of course," James stammered, but he wore a forced smile as he stepped back to wave them inside. From the entry way, Alaric could see that the house was sparsely furnished. Alaric's suspicions increased. This was the home of someone who was leaving. In a hurry.
"We won't be long. We only have a few questions," Elias said politely, as James led them into the drawing room. If Elias thought that anything was off with James, he hid it well.
"Of course," James repeated. Alaric could now scent the musky hint of sweat from his palms. He was definitely hiding something.
"We have reason to believe you've been in contact with a group who call themselves Primo ordo Malejicis—the First Order of Witches. Heard of them?" Elias asked.
“I—I’ve never heard of any group with that name," James said. Alaric didn't need to use any of his heightened senses to tell that the witch was lying.
"James," Elias said. He smiled, revealing his fangs; a universal threat amongst vampires. "We just want to know if—"
"Elra ascium!" James shouted. The spell took both Elias and Alaric by surprise, lifting them off their feet and slamming them against the wall as James darted towards the window.
Alaric was on him at once, grabbing James before he could vanish. He held him by the throat, slamming him against the wall.
James closed his eyes and whimpered. Alaric tried to probe his mind, but he felt a mental block. James must have expected their visit and performed a spell to make himself immune to the vampiric thrall.
"What are you hiding?" Alaric demanded. His words ca
me out as a growl as he thought of Naomi's fear that night in Athens. This witch was working with the Order, the group that wanted to kill her. He was certain of it. He tightened his grip on Evans' throat, a dark satisfaction slithering through him as the man's face grew white. "Tell me!"
"Jesus, Alaric—you're killing him! Let him go!" Elias shouted, but he ignored him. A black rage swirled through his veins, consuming every part of him.
The witch's face was completely white now, and Alaric could hear his heart rate decrease. Words from his past flickered through his mind. The seconds right before death . . . that's when the blood is the sweetest. He bared his fangs, rearing down towards the man's throat, when Elias gripped his arms, tearing him off of James.
Alaric blinked, coming back to himself. James sank to the floor, clutching his throat and gasping for air. Elias stood above Alaric. He didn't look angry, just concerned.
"Take a walk."
Alaric stumbled to his feet. He had almost lost himself. Again. Using his vampiric speed, he left the house in a flash, consumed with guilt and horror.
Chapter 10
"We'll practice something us witches call Silentium. It just means stillness. It's like the practice of meditation in the human world—only deeper, if that makes any sense," Madalena said.
After Naomi told Madalena she'd work with the Alliance, Madalena led her out to the balcony. For one panicked moment, Naomi thought Madalena wanted her to fly. Madalena laughed when she confessed her concern out loud.
"We're not there yet. You have more to learn first."
Naomi looked at her in astonishment. Witches could fly? She didn't know why she was surprised. Now that she knew vampires and witches existed, the sky was the limit to what was possible.
"Not all witches can fly," Madalena said, as if reading her mind. "Only the powerful ones. You are, of course, one of them. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Today is just about centering yourself. Your emotions are too entwined with your magic. Learn to control and separate your emotions, then you control your magic. Just focus on your immediate surroundings and the present. If you feel your magic—I believe you know what magic feels like by now?" Madalena asked, raising an inquiring brow.
Naomi nodded. Now she did. It felt like a surge of electricity that raced through every part of her body.
"If you feel it, just acknowledge and accept it. Focus on remaining calm."
With one last kind smile, Madalena left her alone. Naomi found a comfortable position on the balcony, closing her eyes.
Sitting in stillness was more difficult than it seemed. She'd tried meditation many times over the years, failing each time; her racing thoughts often seized her mind. Now, she tried to focus on the air around her, her breathing, the sounds of the city below. She relaxed.
At one point, she sensed Alaric's presence behind her. She didn't know how she knew it was him . . . she just did. She had to fight the urge to open her eyes and turn to look at him. But his presence vanished; Naomi felt strangely bereft at his absence.
Around midday, Madalena brought her lunch, leaving her alone to eat. Naomi ate quickly, then returned to her cross legged position. She had lost herself in peaceful silence when she heard a familiar voice inside the penthouse.
She stumbled to her feet, leaving the balcony to hurry into the living room.
Aunt Kat stood there, opposite Elias and Madalena. Kat whirled to face Naomi, her shoulders sinking with relief.
"Oh thank God," Kat whispered.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Naomi asked Kat, as soon as they both entered Madalena's private study and she'd closed the door behind them.
Naomi had asked the others for some alone time with her aunt. Kat, who was in her late forties, had aged little since the day she took in Naomi. There was the long brown wavy hair shot with a few strands of grey, the warm brown eyes which lit up at the sight of Naomi. Kat even smelled the same; lavender, from the perfume she always wore, and lemon, from the sweet lemon tea she was fond of.
"You couldn't know—it was too dangerous. Your parents insisted. They must have been right . . . Madalena told me you were nearly abducted in Athens."
"So ignorance was better?" Naomi asked, drawing a ragged breath. "Do you know how long I've thought something was wrong with me?"
"I'm so sorry. Really," Kat said, her eyes shining with tears. "I desperately wanted to tell you—but I wanted you to be alive and safe even more."
Naomi moved over to the couch, sitting down. She leaned forward, rubbing her temples. Kat sat down on the armchair opposite her.
"My parents." Naomi forced herself to say the words. "Madalena said they were murdered."
Kat flinched, her hand flying to her heart. Tears spilled onto her cheeks, and she closed her eyes.
"No," Kat whispered. "I suspected that . . . but I thought I was being paranoid. Oh my God. Poor Liz and Sam."
A small flicker of relief went through her. At least her aunt hadn't kept this from her. She took in Kat's grief stricken face with sympathy. Kat had taken on an enormous burden when she stepped in to raise Naomi, and she'd never made Naomi feel like one. Not once had Naomi felt anything less than loved.
She gave Kat a tentative smile, holding out her hand. Kat stood, taking her hand and sinking down onto the couch next to her.
"I'm glad you came," Naomi said, wiping away her tears. "How'd you know I was here?"
"Madalena called me . . . she must have known how worried I was. She paid for my ticket here."
A sliver of annoyance filled her. Madalena hadn't told her this. But maybe it was for the best; she was so angry yesterday she may have insisted that Kat stay away.
"We can stay here for another day or so if you want. Then I'm coming with you to the safe house. I don't want you to be alone," Kat continued.
"Safe house?" Naomi frowned. "I'm staying here. I'm helping the Alliance."
Naomi filled Kat in on the Alliance's mission to locate and destroy the Incantation Stone. When she finished, Kat had gone pale.
"Madalena’ll train me to—“
"No," Kat interrupted, "you're not. I though the Alliance was protecting you. Instead they're using you as a bloodhound. The Order murdered your parents, and now they're after you. You can't be serious!"
Her previous goodwill towards her aunt faded. She got to her feet, glaring down at her.
"Last time I checked, I was an adult. I can make my own decisions. I can't go back to living like I was—do you have any idea what that was like? To feel like you're teetering on the edge of madness? I need to learn how to control my magic. If you can't accept that, you can go back to Seattle."
They faced off for a few tense seconds. Kat’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
"You're right, I can't stop you," she said with a sigh, "but I'm not going anywhere."
Naomi hesitated. She wasn't sure how safe it was for Kat to be here. She started to argue this point, but Kat silenced her before she could speak.
"I took an extended leave of absence from school; there's an excellent substitute teaching my students. And I told my friends I'd be visiting you in Europe for a while. All my ducks are in a row. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need someone who loves you here," she said, "those people almost abducted you. I'll go crazy with worry if I leave you here. I'm not going anywhere."
"Fine," Naomi said. "I can't live in the shadows anymore, Kat. You understand that, right?"
Kat met her eyes. She gave her a grudging nod.
When they left the study, Madalena led them to an empty guest room for Kat. As Naomi watched Kat set down her suitcase on the bed, she realized just how glad she was that her aunt was here. It made everything that was happening seem . . . less crazy.
Madalena had a meal prepared for Kat, and when they sat down to eat, Kat didn't seem at all discomfited in the presence of otherworldly creatures. But it made sense. As the sister of a witch, Kat had grown up knowing about witches and vampires. Naomi made a mental note to ply her with the millions of
questions she had.
Elias nor Alaric ate dinner with them. When Naomi asked about their whereabouts, Madalena told her they were on an assignment. She periodically glanced towards the entrance of the dining room, hoping for Alaric's arrival. But he didn't show, and disappointment settled in her chest. What if his assignment was in a different city—a different country? And why did she care so much? She barely knew him.
"You put my niece into any danger . . . " Kat's words drew Naomi out of her reverie. Kat was leaning forward in her chair, pointing her fork at Madalena and Casimir. "Human or not, I will kill you."
"Kat," Naomi hissed, embarrassed. This reminded her of an incident that occurred when she was sixteen; a group of mean girls had teased her about an incident in class during which she couldn't stop shaking. She'd thought it was one of her 'episodes'; she now knew it was her magic, desperate to get out. She'd cried as they taunted her while she waited for Kat to pick her up from school. Kat had gotten out of her car and leaned in close to the group of girls, promising that she would humiliate them in ways they couldn't imagine if they came near her again. The girls had pretended not to be intimidated, but they'd never bothered her again.
Neither Madalena nor Casimir deserved the same censure as those girls, but they didn't seem perturbed.
"We'll defend Naomi with our lives," Madalena replied, her expression serious as she met Kat's gaze, "you have my word."
After dinner, Naomi followed Kat to her guest bedroom, plying her with questions about growing up with a sister who was a witch and what she knew about the supernatural world.
Kat's parents had sat her down and explained the existence of the supernatural world to her when she was eight, emphasizing the importance of keeping this knowledge a secret. Few humans knew that supernatural creatures truly existed. Since witches and vampires had far lesser numbers than humans, the unveiling of their existence would put them in danger. Kat had gotten used to this knowledge, and secretly longed to be a witch herself; she thought magic was cool, especially when she was a teenager and had to deal with bullies.
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