“I am not. The vampire Dorian paid me a visit at the restaurant. He was attacked tonight as well.” She allowed Lucian to digest the information and they sat in silence for some time.
“Ryder is now convinced that Storm Sullivan is the Emerald Seer.” Lucian blurted the statement and fell silent, gauging her reaction.
Angeline feigned shock. It was not time to show her full hand yet. “So, the Emerald Seer is found.”
“Aye, and I believe you were well aware of that, fairy girl.” Lucian stared her down. Angeline jutted her chin out and met his eye without wavering. “Come now, Ang. You were Trin Sullivan’s assistant. She clearly educated you in all things supernatural. Her knowledge and power were renowned among all supernatural circles. Many believed Trin to be the Emerald but I always knew better of it. She would not have made herself so visible were it true.”
Well bloody hell. Angeline shifted uncomfortably. Something in her trusted Lucian, something in him, in spite of the untamed fire was more aware of their world than any supernaturals she’d met. “Fair enough. Yes, I am aware of many things related to the Sullivans and the whole supernatural community. I knew Storm to be the Emerald.” How much to tell? He trusted her with his secret or Lucian would have killed her already. “Lucian, how much has Ryder told you of his time with Trin, what they were researching together?”
“He said the Immortals’ prophecy on the Emerald is incomplete.” Lucian shrugged.
“This is true. Trin Sullivan foresaw a relationship between Ryder and Storm’s. Without Ryder’s love Storm will never unlock her full potential.” Angeline bit her tongue, forced down the rest of the story and opted to watch Lucian’s reaction.
“So Ryder does love her.” He started to chuckle again. “How poetic. To say nothing for the cruel twist of fate. Eh, well. I guess there is not as much to tell as I expected. I still want to know about the were-hybrids though. Would you mind calling the Seraphs to see about getting those blood samples?” Lucian stretched and yawned. “I am going to catch a few hours of sleep.”
Angeline hesitated. No, she did not want to call the Seraphs. She didn’t have Shane’s number which meant dealing with Dan. Still, she forced a nod as Lucian bowed out of the room. Sighing, Angeline withdrew her cell phone from her pocket, scrolled the contacts and dialed Dan’s number.
The next morning
Lucian strode into the kitchen the next morning looking refreshed. Angeline had barely slept. No matter how hard she tried sleep was unattainable. Dan and Shane were also disturbed by the strange hybrids – even moreso after she relayed Dorian’s warning.
“Morning, fairy girl.” Lucian smiled and helped himself to a mug of coffee. Lounging against the counter he sized her up. “Did you sleep at all?”
“Not so much.” Angeline forced a half smirk and went back to her own mug. The front doorbell rang through the house.
“Angeline!” Rosalee’s voice carried through the intercom. “Could you get that, please? I am changing the laundry over.”
The bell sounded again, ringing through her head like a warning. Lucian gestured toward the clock on the wall. “The Scots are unusually early, eh?”
“Kell and Pollux are already here; they arrived last evening shortly after you retired. I let them in.” Angeline frowned. “We aren’t expecting anybody.” She pushed off the stool with a groan. The doorbell rang at least three more times before she made it to the door. Angeline flipped the deadbolt and opened the door. She backpedaled some and bowed her head. “My liege, my apologies but Ryder is not feeling well.”
Roane stared down at her, a frown creasing the subtle lines of his face. “I wish to speak with him now.”
“He is not well, perhaps later this afternoon would be better.” Angeline refused to open the door any further. She heard Lucian walk up behind her as the Scots bounded down the stairs. Drawing courage from their close proximity, Angeline stood her ground. “I will tell him you came and wish to see him as soon as possible.”
Roane placed a hand on the door. “No, you will tell him now or I will force my way into his room and make him treat with me.”
“Come now, we have no need for such hostilities, Roane.” Lucian walked up behind her, dropped a hand to the small of her back and peered into the morning light. “Angeline, go ahead and wake Ryder. We will entertain Roane in the study in the interim.”
Angeline nodded and slipped away from Lucian. “Tell him he has ten minutes.” Roane’s eerie voice followed her.
She swept past the Scots and up the stairs to Ryder’s room. Angeline knocked lightly on the door. No response. She knocked again a bit louder and heard a groan. “My liege, Roane is without requesting to see you. I said you are not well and he refuses to accept that. If you do not present to him in ten minutes he intends to enter your suite. Lucian is trying to pacify him now but he is adamant about speaking with you.”
A brief silence followed by another groan and Ryder’s response. “I will be there in five minutes. Thank you, Angeline. Perhaps you and Rosalee should go shopping for a while.”
Not likely. Shopping with Rosalee? Angeline made her way back to the kitchen, withdrew her cell phone and texted Jess Blanchard, the best supernatural real estate agent, in town to confirm Kell and Pollux’s appointment. Angeline was supposed to accompany them but that did not seem possible now. Jess would just have to make due without her. Somehow she suspected her friend would not be disappointed by the new clients. A quick text to Pollux with the details of where to meet Jess left her with only Dan to deal with. Angeline glanced at her watch. He said she could get the blood samples but she’d have to meet him near Willow Wood as they could not leave Storm unprotected after the attack. Angeline grabbed her purse and briefcase, texted Dan, and made for the Jag.
It took the entire drive to Willow Wood for Angeline to prepare for seeing Dan. She pulled up as the gates opened inward for her. She pulled part way in and rolled her window down as Dan emerged from behind the wall. Angeline greeted him woodenly, forcing her face into a mask of indifference. He handed over two vials of blood and crouched down to look her in the eye. “This is all we could get. I hope it helps.” His eyes roved over her making Angeline grateful for the pantsuit.
“Thank you, Dan. Is she alright?” Angeline faced the house to avoid his gaze.
“Yes. Are you going to Dorian with this?” Pain laced Dan’s words. Angeline suppressed a cringe.
“Of course. Who else would I take this to? There are few we can trust, Dan.” Angeline placed the vials in her purse. “I will probably be gone two days. Will you tell Lucian and Ryder when they show? Oh, and I convinced the Scottish Immortals to stay in town. They are loyal to Ryder.”
Dan nodded and backed away from the car. Ignoring the pain in his eyes, Angeline backed out of the drive and took off toward town. She stopped off for a coffee and bagel at the Whiskey Mystic, owned by a few local fairies who performed various services and often hosted mystics out of their back room. Angeline knew one particular gypsy happened to be in town doing readings this week.
Clementine greeted her at the counter, a tiny fairy with affinities for earth and water. Angeline met her just after moving in with Trin and counted the younger fairy a friend. “The usual today, Ang?”
“Could I get a latte today, Clementine? Triple shot with a bit of caramel please?” Angeline smiled and leaned in. “I need to see him, too.”
Clementine nodded almost imperceptibly toward the back. “I’ll have that ready for you when you come out.”
“Thanks.” Angeline walked down the hall, beyond the restrooms to the employee lounge. The door creaked open into a generic appearing back room. She whispered “Whiskey Mystic” and the façade melted away to reveal a beaded doorway to her left.
“Hello, fairy girl. I knew you would seek me out sooner than later.” The familiar voice wrapped around her attempting to fog her mind.
“Enough. No games, no tricks, you know why I am here. Sit and read.” Angeline settled in
a rickety wooden chair as the figure materialized across the table from her. Sage and lemongrass assaulted her nose, the air thick with both. She fought off a cough.
“So we meet again. How do you feel about your decisions, fairy girl?” He looked much the same as before, perhaps another line or two but the dim light could be playing tricks.
“I said, enough. What say you of my sister?” Angeline leaned forward and deposited two golden discs on the paisley-clothed table.
“Very well. Your sister fares well yet her fate remains unchanged.” The bored drawl ended in an expectant silence.
Angeline inclined. “I understand. Is there more?”
“She will not see her twenty-fourth year, fairy girl.”
“I have heard that before.” Angeline stood to leave.
“You cannot save her, fairy girl. Her time is near. She will unleash the Unseen. Now the Emerald has risen so shall the Unseen rise to meet her. You have only bought your sister time, fairy girl. Tell me, was it worth it?”
Angeline turned back to the mystic, tears burning in her eyes. “Every minute.”
“Even if you can never have him?” The voice wrapped around her mind in thick layers of doubt and frustration.
“Even then.” Angeline pushed through the beads and bolted for the front. She paid Clementine, collected her latte and bagel in a flurry, and flew to the jag. Once inside she let loose, all the tears, all the frustration. Yes, Olivia was worth it. But, dammit, why couldn’t she save her sister or have Dan? Why did she end up with neither?
“Child, you do not know what life holds for you. Still you doubt after all you have seen?”
Angeline startled, spilling a bit of coffee on her suit. Sitting in the passenger seat was a woman bearing strong resemblance to Storm Sullivan, smiling innocently and expectantly. “Who are you?”
“I am Damarra, goddess of old and grandmother of the Emerald Seer. You are Angeline Corsova, a charming young fairy. Now we are introduced and can move past pleasantries to important things.” The goddess smoothed her emerald dress apparently giving Angeline a moment. “You can wrap your mind around this later, dear. For now you must know what lies before you. Do not fret your sister’s death; she will be reborn in another life as is the way of a fairy. We can talk more of that later, dear. You must focus. Really, did Trin Sullivan teach you nothing?”
Indignant, Angeline opened her mouth to protest but Damarra waved her off. “It matters not. My Storm is head strong. You must befriend her so she does not know you as a protector. I also know what Trin asked of you. Sophia will be saved but not in the way Trin expected, be ready for whatever may come, Angeline.” Damarra opened the passenger door but turned back, her swirling eyes intense, “You will know love, I have seen it.” She stepped out and shut the door softly behind her leaving Angeline staring at the empty seat, lightly coated in shimmering dust.
Angeline’s cell phone broke her trance. “Hello?”
“Master Dorian insists you drive to his loft and lock it down. A contingent will stay with you until he wakes. That is all.” The connection died.
“What in bloody hell is up with everyone today?” Angeline tossed her phone onto the passenger seat and started the car. The passenger window shattered inward and a hand reached in for her. Angeline threw herself against her door to avoid the swipe.
“You thought I forgot about you, didn’t you fairy bitch?” Jaiden’s face appeared, a sardonic grin on his face, “You still haven’t figured it out, have you? I win. I always win. No Seraphs, no vampires, no Immortals coming to your aid now, fairy. Just you and me. Now get out of there before we ruin more of your sweet ride.”
“Jaiden, get over yourself.” Angeline glared at the fire sprite working out the chance of her throwing the car in drive without him touching her when her cell phone rang again. They both looked at it but Jaiden was closer. He swiped for the phone but missed it somehow and hit the back of the seat instead. Angeline did not question her split second advantage and threw the car into drive peeling out of the lot. She caught a glimpse of Jaiden in her review mirror, fury etched on his face. Exhaling without letting up on the gas, Angeline staved off the questions whirling around her head, now was not the time.
Two large, black SUV-like vehicles blocked the drive to Dorian’s complex. She wondered for a moment what the neighbors thought. They backed up enough to allow Angeline room to pass but quickly returned to position behind her. Four armed guards stood at the entrance and they too parted ways. The lights were on and the loft smelled of some sort of pasta.
“Hello, Miss Angeline. Dinner will be served momentarily.” A smallish man with rimless glasses and a tweed suit stepped onto the foyer. “Are you well, miss?”
“I am well enough, Watson. Why the heavy armor outside?” Angeline raised an eyebrow, one expression sure to coerce a response from the walking stereotype.
“I should think you are well aware, Miss Angeline.” Watson raised his bushy eyebrows knowingly, “Or did you think us unaware of your encounter with that little beast, Jaiden? Who do you think called to give you the advantage?”
“Oh, Watson, Dorian would not call in the arsenal to protect me from Jaiden. What is really going on?” Watson abruptly turned and walked toward the dining room. Angeline had no choice but to follow. Something clearly had Dorian in fits to go to such extremes. “Watson? Level with me, you know Dorian will ‘fess when he wakes.”
“Miss Angeline, you should not underestimate the fire sprite.” Watson gestured toward an empty seat at the end of Dorian’s long dining table. “Please, eat something and we will talk more after Master Dorian arrives.” Before she could argue, Watson turned on his heel and walked away. Angeline knew him well enough to know he was done talking. She reluctantly slid into the chair and plucked a bunch of red grapes from the plate. Sunset had to be an hour or so off. What could Jaiden be involved in to make him a threat all of a sudden? How did he break her window so easily but miss her cell phone on the seat? Angeline continued to ponder while picking at the food on her plate, tolling away the moments until Dorian walked through the doorway.
“Angeline? Are you unwell?” Dorian slid casually onto the table before her, deftly shifting the now empty plate out of his way.
“I am fabulous. Are you trying to tell me something, Dorian?” Angeline smiled coyly up at him.
“Indeed.” Dorian stood, straightened his jacket and smirked down at her. “Shall we share a drink? Watson tells me you were full of questions earlier. I can only assume those questions have multiplied since your arrival.”
“Indeed.” Angeline slipped out of the chair, tucked a stray hair behind her ear and followed Dorian down the hall to his study. “Why the heavy guard? What has Jaiden gotten himself into? Why did he attack me in broad daylight? What –“
“I can see I was correct. Hm. So many questions one wonders where to start.” Dorian settled behind his oversized desk and propped his feet on top of it. “Angeline, Jaiden is a pawn, it was mere chance he attacked you today. My people were following you because of the hybrids.” His voice softened, “I was unwilling to risk your life to those creatures.”
Angeline felt the blush rise to her cheeks. Not just his words but his expression – lust, hunger, and affection all rolled into one handsome package. She looked away, making a show of walking across the room to look out the window. “I did not realize you employed so many bodyguards.”
“Normally I do not. They are for you.” Dorian’s voice did not waver but served to mask his approach. A cool hand appeared on her cheek sending a small chill down her spine.
Angeline refused to look at him, “Dorian, you know I cannot do this.” Her words came out breathlessly and with less conviction than she intended. Cool fingertips traced invisible lines along her jawline, down her neck and slid behind her ear. Angeline’s head turned with very little pressure, much to her chagrin.
“Do what, Angeline?” Dorian stood so close she could feel the chill of his torso through his white
silk shirt.
“You know what, Dorian.” Angeline mentally reinforced her resolve but held the vampire’s gaze. She knew better than to look away again or he would never believe her. “What happened to our relationship being purely physical? What about Gregoire?”
“Angeline, I want you to be mine, even if it is purely physical. I will wait as long as it takes, until you are free to be with me. You know I have the time and patience.” Dorian pressed closer. He brushed his lips lightly across hers. “I will wait for you, fairy girl.” A feathery whisper tickled her ear and then the vampire was opening the study door for Watson. Angeline fought the urge to touch her lips. She watched her host’s reflection in the glass, amused for the umpteenth time that he had one. Silly myths. And what of Gregoire?
“Miss Angeline, a glass of wine?” Watson headed her way with a silver tray bearing a three wine goblets, “Red, white or a rose?”
Angeline reached out and took the white, “Thank you, Watson, tonight I do not mind if I do.”
“No sign of the hybrids and I have dispatched a team to collect the fire sprite.” Watson bowed and excused himself.
“Dorian, why are they going after Jaiden?” Angeline asked casually, semi-afraid of the answer.
“He is a problem.” Dorian shrugged nonchalantly. “The spriteling is a fool but a dangerous one. I intend to put an end to him.”
“I do not think that is the best idea, Dorian.” Angeline whipped around. “His father is powerful. Trin warned me against that family before. Do not do this.”
Dorian bared his fangs. “I do not fear a sprite, half or whole, let alone one in a suit hiding behind his money.” His pupils completely disappeared. Angeline crossed the room and gently placed a hand on his arm.
“Do as you see fit but do not let pride rule you, not now. We need you, Dorian.” Dropping her voice to little more than a whisper, Angeline added, “I need you.” She meant it. Probably not the way he hoped but did that really matter? The pinhole pupils re-emerged as Dorian focused on her.
The Storm Sullivan Saga: The Emerald Seer Series Box Set Page 38