The withering glance I gave her in return wasn't altogether sarcastic, but she had a point. With Evan as my ex-boyfriend, crying could be a natural reaction; and also a way of preventing me from having to answer any pointed questions in that regard.
Étoile continued, "When you're finished, you're free to carry on as you like. Stella, if you want to go home afterwards, that's fine. Astra, you should return here, or to Seren's, if you'd prefer."
"I have Annalise and Beau's baby naming tonight," I informed them. "Apparently, it's a full moon. So I must get home in time."
Étoile tapped her palm to her forehead. "Another event I'll have to miss. Beg their forgiveness for me?"
"Beg it yourself! You already missed their housewarming." I pulled a face just to remind Étoile how much she had missed lately, but surely, she must’ve expected that to be the case when she ran for Council. She knew it would take over her life and it did. At once, I felt guilty and mean for pointing it out.
"I'll send an extra large gift. Have they settled on a name yet?"
"Not that I know of. I think they plan on sharing tonight."
"I'm sorry I'll miss it." Étoile's mouth frowned in true disappointment and she looked down, seeming to remember the package in her hands. She handed it to me. "Guard this."
"With my life?" I asked flippantly, but Étoile simply sighed. "Seriously?" I enquired.
"Just don't lose it," Étoile replied. "Are you both ready?"
"As I'll ever be." I glanced at Astra, who nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm just here as your battery charger," she said, smiling, which lit up her face. For a moment, it struck me that she looked the best I'd ever seen her. She seemed healthy and strong; and her face had even taken on some colour. Her hair was a little longer, though not quite as long as Seren's yet, and she had highlights woven in that further enhanced her healthy appearance. Although I wasn't exactly following Astra's movements, I knew she now worked for Seren and David after spending a lengthy time in the care of her family, recovering from her uneasy past. After being manipulated by a murderer, and having her magic abused, her mind verged on the brink of insanity. I’d spoken to her a little during some of the Council elections, but rarely since then. Now I thought about it, this trip (of sorts) would be the first time Astra and I spent any time together alone. A year or two previous, that revelation would have made me deeply uncomfortable; but now? I wasn't sure what to feel. I certainly wasn't worried. She seemed so poised and fully in control, which was more than I could say for myself.
I remembered the Winterstorm parents once mentioning they hoped Astra and I could be friends. It was something to do with an old spell our parents cast together long ago, and then forgot all about until Georgia, of all people, raised the issue. Perhaps this was a good time for me to start making the effort? After all, one could never have too many friends. Speaking of which, I realised I had to go if I wanted to make it home in time for the naming ceremony.
"Don't forget to send me the list of names," I reminded my old friend. "And about my other problem?" I added, remembering another purpose for my visit.
"I'll make discreet inquiries," said Étoile. "Keep me informed."
Astra was listening to our exchange, but said nothing. Instead, she extended her hand to me. "Shall we?"
Taking it in mine, I tucked the envelope into my shoulder bag, and nodded. I was ready to extract the large amount of power I needed for our trip by fueling myself in conjunction with Astra. "Let's go."
~
It seemed strange to be standing at the gates of the house that doubled as Evan's home and the base for his business. It was a blend of something between a supernatural delivery and bounty hunting service. Evan’s business, however, was approximately one hundred percent more dangerous than either profession separately. The key I'd never returned nestled in my jacket pocket, and I had the code for the numbered keypad mounted on the pillar to the right of the gates memorised, but it seemed wrong to use them now. Plus, it occurred to me, as Evan never asked me to return the key, perhaps he simply changed the code, as well as the locks. I wondered if he also increased the magic wards surrounding his home to protect against me. With those thoughts in mind, I decided it was better for us to wait and introduce ourselves at the gates, like regular guests. Albeit, unwelcome guests, quite possibly. No, it wouldn't do for me to think like that. Étoile said Evan was expecting the package, so I had to assume he'd be glad to get it, despite the method of delivery. Would Evan be surprised that I was the delivery agent? A sinking feeling hit my stomach as I thought about his disinterested reaction to seeing me only days before, and gulping hard, I pressed the flat, silver intercom button. Evan wasn't rude to me, but neither was he overjoyed during our last encounter. Would this be how it stayed between us now? Awkward. Stifled. Would I always feel so broken whenever I saw him?
"This is not forever," I murmured.
"What's that?"
I looked up, blinking at the sun in my eyes before I focused on Astra. She had her head cocked to one side as she looked curiously at me. "Oh, nothing. Just mumbling to myself."
Astra opened her mouth as if to say something, but just then, a familiar voice swam through the speaker grill. "Yes?"
"Micah? It's Stella."
"Stella... who?" came Micah's obnoxious reply. I could almost hear the smile in his voice as he teased.
"Ha-ha," I said, ignoring his question. "I'm here with Astra Winterstorm. We have a package for Evan. He's expecting it. May we come in?"
I'm fairly sure Micah intended for us to hear the sigh that whispered through the intercom. He was just that kind of guy: mildly obnoxious, terrifically handsome; and, as far as I knew, still had a huge crush on Étoile that she didn't exactly discourage. "Enter," he said, and the gates started to open, giving us just enough space to slip through before they began closing again, almost catching Astra's sleeve in the process. She had to jump sideways to avoid them with an annoyed yelp.
Micah was waiting at the door. A full-blooded demon, he'd been Evan's right hand man - although I was sure he'd sniff at the species descriptor - for longer than I'd known either of them. He was a stunning demon to behold. Tall and slim with chocolate skin that was neither black, nor white, but something else, shaved-short hair and sideburns that were expertly trimmed into points, capped by lethal-looking eyes. Today, Micah was dressed in an elegant black suit, offset by a crisp, white shirt and a blood-red tie accented with thin, black diagonal stripes. He cut a fine figure as he waited in the shade of the doorway. Although he once claimed to not be overly fond of witches, we managed to come to some sort of friendship that was partly affinity and partly mutual toleration. His huge crush on Étoile meant more than my life was worth to mention. It was just Micah's bad luck that Étoile had an on again/off again arrangement with Matthias. Put the two otherworldly males in a room alone, and it's hard to say whom I would place my bet on.
"Stella." He nodded to me as he opened the door wider, allowing me to step into the air-conditioned entryway. "Witch," he added, barely even snarling, by way of acknowledging Astra.
"You know her name," I whispered, jabbing him with a friendly poke to the ribs.
"I can't be bothered to use it," he faux-whispered back. "Please don't feel I'm not pleased to see you... or that I care in any way, but what do you want?"
I opened my bag and pulled out the envelope. "Étoile asked that we deliver this to Evan."
"I'll take it," Micah said as he held his hand out.
"To Evan," I repeated. "She forbade me from releasing it until it was safely in his hands."
Micah gave me an eye roll and shook his head. "Fine, my little masochist. Evan is in his office. I will ask whether he wishes to see you. Don't hold your breath. Either of you," he finished, glancing with a scowl at Astra. As he turned his back, she stuck her tongue out at him, and I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to stop from laughing.
"Aren't you curious what's in it?" asked Astra. She gave the packag
e a nod as I turned it over in my hands. There were no markings on either side, but it felt flat and solid at only half an inch thick.
"Yes, but not enough to risk opening it."
"I doubt Étoile would ward it with any magic that would harm you."
"I know." As it happened, I did know that for certain. I allowed a little of my magic to trail over the package as I extracted it from my bag, and certified that the magic was, indeed, harmless to me. Actually, I could have even opened it without any negative consequences, but I heeded Étoile's words and promised to obey her. Whatever it was, she didn't want me to know about it; and even I had to admit that was probably safer. I could weep my way out of being interrogated for our visit, but I might not as easily be able to hide what I found out. That concept was what kept my curiosity at bay. "It's more the knowledge of what's inside that bothers me," I tried to explain. "I don't want to know anything that could put anyone else at risk."
"Exactly right," came the deep, smooth voice I knew so well. Spinning around, my breath caught as I looked into the eyes of my ex-lover. I would have liked it if he seemed a little more pleased to see me, now we were on his turf, and unobserved, but just as before, his face remained impassive. He might have been overjoyed, or thunderously enraged, but I couldn't tell. Putting my emotions to one side, I remembered Étoile's words about making sure it was Evan. Of course, with his house so heavily guarded, I was ninety-nine percent sure already, but one could never be too careful in our world. I let my vision shift as my eyes slid over him until I was sure he wasn't an impostor, dressed up in Evan's skin. The heavy silence surrounding us made it feel like hours that I gazed at him, but it could only have been seconds later that, with absolute surety, I handed him the package.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
Ignoring his comment, I chose instead to get straight into the issue at hand. "Étoile said you were expecting this."
Evan ripped off the seal and puffed the envelope open at the top as he glanced inside. "She's right. I've been waiting for this." He glanced from me to Astra. "You came here directly from the Council?"
"No." I shook my head. "We collected it from Étoile's apartment and she told us to take an indirect and unobserved route here."
"Could you have been followed?"
"We weren't," said a decisive Astra. Before he could ask, she added, "I'm certain of it."
For a moment, silence descended again until Evan motioned with his head for us to follow as he walked deeper into the house. We went past the living room where we'd spent many happy hours, and through the kitchen, to find Micah waiting, seated at the island. A coffee pot stood there, along with mugs. As we approached, Micah rose and busied himself with the refreshments while I tried not to act surprised. I was expecting a curt dismissal, not coffee.
Evan indicated for us to sit as he moved around the table, shaking his head when Micah placed a mug in front of him. "I heard you had some trouble at home," Evan said unexpectedly, surprising me. His face revealed nothing yet, offering no clues and I could only wish for a hint at what was running through his mind.
"If you mean the dead werewolf on my doorstep, I found it more perplexing than troubling," I replied as Astra looked my way, showing her shock and surprise. Of course, she didn't know about that, and I didn't want to get into another explanation right then. "I don't know what to make of it."
"Finding anything dead on one's doorstep is a bad thing," chipped in Micah as he passed the next mug to me, then poured another for Astra.
"Micah has a good point," agreed Evan.
"Do you wish it disposed of?" Micah asked, baring his extremely sharp teeth.
"It's gone," I said, refusing to allow him to intimidate me one bit. Micah might have been dangerous, but he never posed any danger to me. I think he just enjoyed a visible reaction. However, I did know where the body had gone, even if all else was a mystery. Gage took on the responsibility of making all the funerary arrangements while I was too stunned to do anything. "To the country morgue, I think."
"Do you know who the wolf is?" Evan asked.
I shook my head. "Not yet. Étoile says she thinks he's probably low level."
"Do you know what he was doing at your house?" Evan persisted.
"He had an envelope with my name on it, so I guess he was delivering a message, but whoever killed him probably took it. It's all a mystery to me."
"What about you?" Evan turned his attention to Astra. "Are you staying with Stella?"
Astra gulped her coffee and gave him a puzzled look. "No. I have no plans to. Do I?" she asked, glancing at me. "I'm staying with my sister."
Evan returned his gaze to me. "You're home alone?" he asked, his face still impassive.
"Yes, it's just me." That wasn't an outright lie. He didn't need to know about Gage staying over, and I didn't feel obligated to offer any explanation either.
"You're alone in a secluded house where dead things are turning up."
"What's new?" I replied, taking a sip of the warm, sweet liquid as I thought about what to say. The truth wouldn't hurt if I kept to the basics. "Besides, Gage is right across the street. If anything happens that I can't handle, I can holler."
Evan didn't flinch at Gage's name. It was no secret that the two never got on well; but if Gage's close proximity to me annoyed him still, he definitely didn't show it. All the same, again, I thought better of mentioning Gage staying overnight in my spare room. "And if he's not home?" he persevered.
"My magic is well under control."
Evan drummed his fingers lightly against the countertop and I could only assume that he was itemising the possible ways my life might end before I could do a damn thing about it. It wasn't like that idea never crossed my mind. Yes, my house was secluded, and perhaps, that wasn't the best place for someone who found herself the target of witch hunters, witches, and who knew what else? At least, it was mine. Plus, what was the alternative? Move into town, putting innocent people in danger, just so I could feel more secure by having them around me as witnesses? No, it was best I stayed put. Plus, if things got too dangerous, I could shimmer as far away as necessary. Just as I was deciding whether or not to explain all that, as if Evan didn't already know, the doorbell rang. Micah glanced at Evan, then wordlessly departed. He returned a moment later, gave a slight bow, and announced, "Your appointment is here. I'll show the witches to the door."
Astra set her cup down and I followed her lead. I barely touched mine, I thought regretfully as we followed Micah to the door. Evan was only a couple of steps behind me, but his presence made my skin tingle by sheer proximity. I faltered slightly, almost tripping over my feet as my heart told me to turn around, while my head told me to keep going. I was glad I didn't turn back to him when I saw who awaited him in the lobby.
The woman who stood there was out-of-this-world beautiful. An inch or two taller than me with a tightly toned frame, she had hair that hung in a glossy, black sheet to her elbows. She looked past us, obviously fixing her attention on Evan. Clad in a long, yellow dress, made from a silky material, with a plunging neckline that would have appeared inappropriate on anyone else except her, she seemed strangely enthralling. Perhaps, I decided, she was on her way to a function, but as I closed the gap between us, and her attention turned towards me, I noted the otherness about her, as well as the ferocity in her eyes. This was a full-blooded demon and she appeared to recognise me, not quite disguising her surprise before her face took on the same impassive look all the demons seemed to wear.
"Darling," she said, brushing past us and winding her arms about Evan's neck. His hands settled on her hips and she kissed him on both cheeks, taking her time about it as her lips brushed his skin in a way that chilled me to my core. "I didn't know you had visitors. Shall we go somewhere more comfortable since this is pleasure, and not business?" She spoke loud enough for us to hear her emphasis. Without a backwards glance, she sidestepped Evan and walked with obvious familiarity towards his living room as he followed her path with his
eyes.
With a tight feeling in my chest, I simply turned, pulled the door open, and left, abandoning Astra, who had to hurry after me. Behind us, the door slammed shut.
Chapter Seven
Slipping through the unlocked, red-painted, front door of Annalise and Beau's narrow, two-story house on Oak Street, I edged my way through the standing crowd. In front of the two dozen or so gathered werewolves stood the family we were honouring on this full moon. Sitting on the couch, Annalise beamed with the essence of motherhood as she gazed down at her baby, her blonde curls falling and catching in the baby's tiny hands. Behind them stood Beau. He rested one hand on Annalise's shoulder as he craned over her, clearly besotted.
"I don't think he's ever going to let her out of his sight," said a familiar, low, voice against my ear. I glanced up and gave Gage a smile as he edged his way into the narrow space next to me.
"Which one?" I asked.
Gage huffed and beamed. "Neither."
I took a moment to look around me, and noticed that while the small assembly faced the new family, they all seemed engaged in small talk. Then, it struck me that the celebration was a very low key one. All the same, I was glad for taking the time to stop at my house and change my clothes into clean jeans and a pretty, pink top. "Did I miss anything? Did the speech happen already?"
"Nope. Just the snacks. You should never arrive after a pack of wolves if you want to eat."
I had to laugh. "Fair point."
"The ceremony starts in a moment."
"And then we’ll learn the baby's name?"
"Yep. Where've you been all day anyway? I came by your house to see if you wanted a ride, but you weren't home."
"After my visit to Étoile, I had to run an errand," I said. That was an understatement, given the day I'd had. Astra and I had only returned home barely an hour ago, and she took off almost right away, insisting that she had enough power for one more shimmer. I wanted to ask her who she thought Evan's visitor was, but later thought better of it. After an awkward moment or two, I simply thanked her. In return, she laid a hand on my shoulder, gave me a sad, little smile that told me she could see right through me, just like her sisters could, and vanished.
Arcane Magic (Stella Mayweather Series) Page 7