"Her date," I guess. "They're going to brunch and taking a tour of the building."
"That's her date?" Gage glanced over his shoulder. "That guy?"
"So?"
"Stella, have you met him?"
"No, I can't even see him, you huge wall of muscle!"
"Look over my right shoulder. Tell me what you see."
Astra gave me a puzzled glance, but I simply shrugged and we probably looked pretty comical as we both peeped from either side of Gage. Fortunately, no one was paying us any attention. Astra drew back. "He's cute," she said. "Go, Kitty."
"I know him," I said, looking up at Gage as he nodded. "I've seen him before. So have you. In Rockford."
"That's what I thought. He was in the car when we got picked up."
"Yeah. That's him. He was your driver. I only saw him for a few seconds but... I saw him at Kevin Wyatt's house too. He's Kitty's date?" I pulled a confused face and Gage ushered us back around the corner.
"I don't think we should be seen," he explained, as he propelled us away. "What has Kitty told you about this guy?"
"Not much. Just that she's known him a little while; and that he was really interested in taking a tour since he's here doing errands for the delegation. I don't think she even mentioned his name."
"He's with the delegation?" Gage frowned.
"He's not?" I shot back.
"News to me if he is."
"Do you know everyone at the delegation?" Astra asked. "Just playing devil's advocate," she said when we both looked at her.
"No, I don't," Gage admitted. "But what I do know is that it's damn strange some guy from the Rockford ranks, someone Tobias Grigg trusts, shows up here, now, and says he's doing some lowly job for the delegation, then makes a play for Kitty and gets her to give him the all-access tour to the building right before Étoile is due to be attacked."
I gulped. "When you put it like that..."
"If anyone wanted to plant a bomb without looking suspicious, wouldn't you pretend to be on a date with a cute, little Kitty?" asked Gage.
"I'd definitely do that," agreed Astra, "or at least, I'd use the tour as a way to recce the site."
"Étoile said she'd have her eyes on Kitty the whole time," I pointed out. "She thought Kitty might get some information from him about Noah."
Gage gave a thoughtful nod and ran a hand over his face, finally resting it on his chin. "We need to know exactly where they've been and when, as well as what he did while they were there."
"We need to get Kitty away from him!" I protested.
"Don't tip her off. He might be alerted too."
"He could be dangerous!" I pointed out, my heart thumping at the thought of Kitty being in danger. Again.
"What do we do?" Astra asked.
"I'll take point with security and make sure nothing happens to Kitty," Gage decided. "I don't believe he saw me. Now I think about it, I'm pretty sure he deliberately made sure I never saw him. Just now was an accident. Stella, you can't be seen by him either. If he thinks his cover is blown, there's no telling what he might do."
"So what shall we do?" Astra asked again.
"Alert Étoile of what we've seen and tell him I think this guy is our assassin. Go. Go now!"
"Gage..." I called after him, but he'd already vanished, charging along the hallway before I could even ask how he was so sure that The Amethyst’s security would take orders from him. Unless he already had Étoile's approval, I thought, more pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Just how closely were Étoile and Gage working together? And did it have something to do with the package I delivered from her to him?
"Étoile is still in that meeting," Astra pointed out as I gazed along the now empty corridor. "We can't interrupt without the other parties wanting to know why."
"You're right. We can't draw attention to ourselves. We need to find Clare."
It was easy enough to find Étoile's assistant. All we had to do was locate the meeting room, where she was waiting alone outside, her cell phone pressed to her ear. She waved for us to wait until she was done; and a moment later, she hung up, turning her attention to us. "You found something?"
"Yes," I told her, taking the seat next to her and leaning in so I could speak softly, "but not in the paperwork, though that has some interesting stuff too. Étoile needs to know this right away."
"Shoot," said Clare.
"Poor choice of words," quipped Astra, reminding me once again of her sister. But we did just that, we told Clare everything we saw, and a moment later, she waved us away as she opened the meeting room door. Walking away, we heard her asking if everyone was ready to take their coffee along with the sounds of scraping chairs.
"How do we tell Kitty?" I asked Astra as we made our way, coffeeless, to the office. "How do we tell her that guy was using her to get to Étoile?"
"Maybe we don't. Maybe we let the evidence speak for itself."
"Shouldn't she hear it from a friend first?"
"You know her better than I. What do you think we should do?" Astra asked as she reached for the handle to Étoile's office. "Hey, it's unlocked. I swear I locked it." She pushed the door open and blinked.
"Is someone there?" I asked.
"Just me," called Kitty. "Where have you two been? I have things to tell you. Big things. That rat bastard date of mine! Ugh! Where do I start? Oh yeah. I think he's trying to kill Étoile!"
Astra looked over to me. "Problem solved," she said as we stepped through the door and I closed it behind me.
Kitty ranted and wailed her fury that she quickly realised he wasn't all that interested in her as soon as he began asking far too many questions about the High Council. If she hadn't been on extra alert, she told us, she might have brushed all his questions aside as just a curious, small town wolf excited to be in the city. But when she realised he swiped her security pass, and returned it without her knowledge, she could only come to one conclusion: she was being duped.
"How do you know he took your security pass?" I asked, watching it swing from her belt loop. "You've still got it."
"See here?" Kitty pointed to it. "—I never attach it to this loop. I'd have to detach it every time I wanted to access anything because the lanyard isn't long enough. It jumped a loop, Stella! Joel thought I was too dumb to notice when he put it back."
"Then he underestimated you," said Étoile from the doorway, arriving unobtrusively. Clare was a step behind, looking considerably more harried than her boss.
"Oh, Étoile, I'm so sorry! Joel had me totally hoodwinked. I thought he really liked me, but he was just using me. I don't think he suspects that I know. Who's smart now, huh?" She looked around and I gave her the fastest, reassuring nod I could.
"Security tells me you didn't make a scene, so let's hope he thinks you're still hoodwinked. Don't worry, Kitty." Étoile placed her hand on Kitty's arm and smiled. Kitty exhaled, her lip wobbling as she sniffed. "He cloned your pass and we have a team watching his every move. The moment he steps out of place, we'll get him and whoever he's working with."
"You didn't find out what he's doing?"
"My team is searching everywhere you went, and we haven't found anything... yet."
"What if they don't?" Kitty asked. Her jaw stiffened and she breathed deeply, then furiously.
"Reinforcements will be here at sundown."
"You sent for the bloodhounds?" asked Astra.
"Our vampire brethren really aren't happy at being called that... but... yes. If my team can't find something, Matthias will." Étoile turned as Clare cleared her throat. "My time is up. Clare told me what you two found. Keep searching. There has to be more information in there. Even if we won't need it now to foil this plot against me, we might need it sometime in the future."
"And if Athene Chapman is right about her visions, we might be able to find this super witch," Astra said.
Étoile frowned and Clare asked, "Athene Chapman?"
"I didn't mention her to Clare because it was too much to
go into," I explained to them both, "but we have Athene's notebooks. We think she's related to Ariadne Chapman and she appears to be a clairvoyant. She had lots of visions about the Brotherhood."
"Obviously, I want to know more, but keep focused on the task in hand. Everything needs to be directed on containing this attack. Even you, Clare."
"What? Me? Why?" Clare mumbled. "Of course, I'm focused on..."
"Clare is Athene's granddaughter. Ariadne's daughter," Étoile explained as she interrupted Clare's protestations. "She didn't think I knew."
"What? But..." Clare stopped as we stared at her.
"You're our star sister?" Astra asked, glancing over to me. I knew exactly what that glance meant. Was Clare the super witch Athene saw in her visions? My magic never gave me any indication that Clare had any strong abilities, but I was wrong in the past. "You're the one that completes the prophecy?"
"Oh? I..." Clare broke off, looking toward Étoile in panic.
Étoile simply shook her head. "We'll discuss this later. I have to get back to the meeting. Clare is much better at taking dictation than keeping secrets. Every effort needs to be focused on holding those responsible accountable. Georgia Thomas. Noah Wilde. Hunter, and his lackey, Irina. Find me information about them." Étoile turned towards the door, then paused, "I don't need to remind you to act normal. Or as normal as you can be until the High Council is sworn in tomorrow. Tomorrow, everything changes." With that, she was gone, Clare hurrying behind her.
"So what did I miss? Athene who?" Kitty asked, reaching for a tissue before bursting into tears.
Chapter Nineteen
I was in this room only once before, during Étoile's election, and on that occasion it was packed too. Today, even more people squeezed in, and those that couldn't be seated stood shoulder-to-shoulder around the walls, several bodies’ deep. I could see Seren and Astra, standing together, and a little further off was Kitty, but there was no way to reach them through the crowd. I thought I saw Anders and Daniel too, but their backs were to me; and it could have been any two males as I lost them when the crowd shifted. There was a frisson in the air, a nervous prickling on the skin that something tremendous was about to happen, and I felt sure I wasn't the only one whose heart was beating a little faster, or whose palms were beginning to perspire.
On the stage in front of us stood Étoile. Beside her was Hunter, and a step behind him, Irina, who appeared viciously striking in a black silk dress that clung around her calves. Evan was there too, his face blank. Noah Wilde, representing the werewolf contingent, was all broad smiles and casual bonhomie, his hands thrust deeply into his pockets as he conversed with a man I didn't know. Not far behind them, I caught a glimpse of Georgia Thomas, my first sighting of her in months. She hadn't changed one bit, but it was still a surprise to see her; and I chanced a glance to see what Étoile thought. If my friend were perturbed by Georgia's sudden appearance, she didn't show it.
We were all waiting, of course, for the last ray of sun to fade away, allowing the night to settle over the city. Without the vampires present, the supernaturals couldn't convene the meeting and seal our union. Not that the waiting deterred anyone from arriving early. Instead, it provided a good opportunity to take a look at the other teams, as it were. Everyone, that is, except me. I was doing my best not to stare at Irina, or make too frequent glances towards Evan, even though I sensed exactly where he was. Similarly, I knew exactly where Gage was positioned, off to the side of the stage with several other werewolves. Instead of allowing myself to focus on the men, I tried to find the source of my uneasy feeling that something was about to happen, something that would change everything.
Just as my watch hand clicked onto the hour, the doors on the left of the stage opened wide, and several vampires spilled into the room, a cool breeze accompanying them. The assembly grew quiet as we looked toward them, waiting as they greeted the others. Eventually, half a dozen took the chairs allotted to them, while two more joined the other leaders onstage. One, I noted was Matthias. Just as I recognised him, he raised his eyes and fixed them on mine, then smiled, inclining his head politely, but barely noticeable to anyone except me. I smiled in return. Truth was, he intrigued me and I wondered if I would ever know him well. Perhaps, once the High Council was sworn in, I would make the effort. The other vampire with him was clearly a few years older than Matthias when he turned, but there was no telling his true age.
"Meeting is called to order!" boomed a loud male voice and silence settled over us as all eyes turned toward the stage. The leaders of the five factions took their seats behind a long table, allowing us a good view of them all. Behind them, stood their assistants... or in some cases, their bodyguards. It was hard to tell, and despite the protestations of trust and unity, I wasn't entirely sure anyone’s trust was one hundred percent from any faction.
Finally, only Étoile remained standing. "My fellow citizens," she began, "thank you for joining us on this auspicious evening. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our esteemed brethren, allow me to make introductions. I am Étoile Winterstorm, elected president of the Witches’ Council, and your host for this evening. With me is Hunter, head of the demon faction. Next to him is Noah Wilde, leader of the werewolves. Our vampire representative is Luke Fellows, and finally, the shapeshifters are represented here by Arnie South." One-by-one, each representative rose and gave a shallow bow or nodded to the audience.
"As you are all aware,” Étoile continued, “this is an historic evening of maximum proportions for our world. Lying invisibly alongside the human one, whose laws and dictates we share and follow, is our supernatural world, shared by you all and many more outside these walls. Instead of operating separately, and leaving us at the mercy of such evil entities as The Brotherhood, your representatives this evening have been working together to secure an alliance by which we might all live together peacefully from this day on." Again murmurs, and not all of them very supportive.
"Yesterday, we finalised our ultimate laws, and this evening, we will take the final vote before swearing them into law." This time, Étoile paused for a smattering of applause. "First, however, we have a small matter to attend to. Representatives, if you'll indulge me for a moment?" She smiled at the confused table, obviously, no one expected an unrehearsed detour from Étoile's speech. She didn't give anyone a chance to question her motives as she continued. "I am supposed to die right here in only a few minutes’ time."
Instead of polite applause, now there was an uproar from the audience and confusion on the stage, but Étoile calmly waved a hand, rendering the outrage into a low rumble. "This podium has a bomb in it," she announced in a cool voice.
Several people leapt to their feet, dashing away from the front row while the crowd buzzed with confusion and fear. In front of us, the prospective High Council were now on their feet too, looking utterly bewildered.
"Sit!" shouted Étoile, her voice steely above the cacophony. Somehow, people still listened to her, settling uncomfortably in their chairs, although the High Council did not. As I looked around, I realised why the congregation remained calm. Empaths were situated around the room, sending calming waves without anyone seeming to notice. I didn't doubt Étoile's good intentions, but I did send up a mental block, ensuring they couldn't sense my emotions... or influence them. Just as Étoile had previously predicted, the crowd settled down quickly despite the eager, confused whispers that rippled through. "You are all safe," she assured them in a more measured tone as she waved for two stewards to remove the lectern in front of her. They did so, lifting it carefully upwards and over before it was gone. All eyes were on what appeared to be a small brick and a tangle of wires, now open for all to view. "This bomb was made safe several hours ago. It's just strong enough to kill the person at the podium, and anyone else standing in the immediate area. As I have already told you... that person was supposed to be me."
"Who would do such a thing?" cried someone in the audience.
"Where was our security?"
asked another, and on and on the questions went, ranging from suspicions to outraged disbelief, until Étoile waved them quiet again.
"Rest assured, there will be an investigation into all the points you have raised tonight. Most pressing, however, is why someone would choose to kill me on the same night the High Council is to be sworn in. I could tell you, but I'd rather ask my would-be assassin," she said, turning to the small group on the stage behind her.
"Étoile, what is going on?" asked Hunter, his deep voice vibrating through the room. If he were afraid, I couldn't tell. His expression was perfectly blank. Behind him, Irina didn't wear the same mask. She looked worried as her gaze darted from Hunter to Noah.
"Let's adjourn for this evening. We'll reconvene another day," said Noah, stepping forward, studiously ignoring Irina. "We should clear the room."
Étoile turned. "Why, Noah? Do you have other plans?"
Noah half-laughed, shaking his head. "No, but let's not make a..."
"What, Noah? Let's not make a what? A bomb threat into something other than it is? Maybe we could make it an excuse not to swear in the High Council?"
"Now is not the time to..."
"Noah Wilde, sit down!"
"I will not sit... what's going on? Étoile? What is...?" Noah stuttered as two guards appeared at his flanks, their hands deftly folding over his wrists. I turned my attention from him, searching for Gage. No guards stood near him, so I scanned the room again, looking for the Rockford wolves I'd seen earlier. Guards had already appeared at their rear, but with their gazes fixed on the stage, they didn't notice. Yet. "What are you doing?" Noah yelled, struggling against his unmovable restraints as his face contorted with the futile actions of his bones. The anger emanating from him was immense, and I noticed the strain on the empaths' faces as they strove to calm the crowd. I wasn't sure why Étoile was determined to keep everything so calm. Surely, the assembly deserved their anger at that moment?
"Étoile, answers please," said Hunter, rising from his seat where he previously sat passively watching the scene unfold before him as if it were his own personal entertainment. Even now, he only seemed mildly bored.
Arcane Magic (Stella Mayweather Series) Page 22