I caught Teryl’s gaze from across the grounds. He made his way over to me with a glass of punch. “Here, drink this.”
“Thanks. Is it spiked?”
“No, I didn’t think you should have alcohol until after. Once we make it through the party, I’ll bring you all the alcohol you can drink.”
I sipped the tart punch. I spoke around the rim, keeping my voice low enough so only Teryl could hear me. “He saw the mark and got really excited.”
Teryl waved the news away. “Of course he did. Power is like crack to him. What’d you expect?”
“He also said he’s been protecting me from the people who really want me dead because I’m a threat. And he’s planning something with my powers.”
Teryl stared at me, running the possibilities through his head. “Do you think he’ll make you thread a soul today?”
I’d considered and rejected the idea already. “No, he wouldn’t want me screwing it up in front of everyone. He’d want to run me through a few trial runs. As in a few dozen. If I’m going to perform for an audience, he’d want me to represent him well.”
Teryl shifted from foot to foot. “I don’t know what he wants, then. We can’t give him a reason to exploit you today.”
Before we could talk more, Jax returned to my side. “Have you seen MacLean yet?” I leaned in to whisper. He gave a quick, negative shake of his head.
Faces and names ran together as I fielded introduction after introduction. Council members and old family lines blurred in my head. I stopped trying to keep them all straight and focused instead on their eyes. Paranoid, maybe, but I was watching for any sign they wanted to hurt Jax or me.
A small stage and podium had been set up, sending my nerves into overdrive. No one had mentioned giving a speech. Most likely, Maxim would be designated the task. He enjoyed prostrating himself before powerful groups of people. He’d done it in some of the meetings this past week.
I was surprised when my father eventually stepped up to the podium. Luke stood behind him in his usual place. Jedren adjusted the microphone before looking out at the crowd. The ward on my arm began to glow. It must be close to three thirty.
“Welcome everyone. As you know, we’re here to celebrate my daughter’s birthday.” His gaze cut across the crowd, pinning me to the spot. “Elleodora, please join me up here.” It wasn’t a request.
My legs refused to move. Jax gave me a gentle nudge and walked with me toward the stage. The closer we got, the more my wards began to vibrate. My body hummed with energy. Or maybe I was shaking so badly, it only felt that way.
Luke sneered down at me as I set my foot on the first stair. I grabbed Jax’s hand before he could step away from the stage. “You’re coming with me,” I muttered under my breath.
My father took it all in stride. “I’d like to officially introduce my daughter, Elleodora, and her mate Jaxon West. We’ll hold a formal reception at a later date.” I doubted I was the only one to notice the rebuke in his tone.
I stared out at the sea of faces. The sense of dread grew, but I couldn’t decipher if the source was internal or external. I shifted closer to Jax and tried to keep from looking as sick as I felt. Movement in the back of the crowd caught my attention. MacLean and Brenin were here.
With effort, I tuned back in to my father’s carefully prepared words. “…turning twenty-eight today. Many of you have heard rumors about her bid for the Council seat and also questions about her bloodline. I’d like to put those rumors to rest.”
I wanted to yell, My bid for a Council seat? I don’t want it! But I waited quietly, gripping Jax’s hand as if he were my life preserver. In a sense, he was.
“Elleodora would like to enter a formal petition for a seat on the Council, representing the shadow elves.” A murmur rippled through the crowd, and my father held up his hands like a well-trained politician. “Her bloodlines are not in question. She is very much my daughter.”
I tried not to let my surprise show. People were questioning his paternity? That was news to me.
“Her mother’s bloodlines, while more complicated, are also not in question. Emmaline was a goddess. We fell in love nearly thirty years ago.” His voice had the perfect pitch to pull off sorrow, love, and tragedy. I wanted to throw up. My hands itched to grab my dagger and end the farce.
“Our union was not meant to be. Rarely are goddesses allowed to mingle with shadow elves. All of our lines were created by the gods for a specific purpose or punishment.” The slight smile on his face encouraged the crowd to side with him. “Fortunately, we were blessed with Elleodora. You’ll notice the golden mark on her arm. It’s the symbol of the weaver goddess. Her position on the Council will offer us an advantage not only with her abilities, but also as a bargaining chip to petition the gods to strengthen our lines. If that fails, she has the ability to restore souls to their former selves, only with greater power.”
I locked eyes with Teryl, who stood no more than thirty feet from the stage. I wondered how the guests would react to the news.
Jax must have had similar thoughts, because he shifted to gargoyle in anticipation, ripping his beautiful tux. I put my hand on the hilt of my dagger and turned my head just enough to watch my father, while keeping the crowd in my peripheral vision. Falon had taught me that. Maybe a few days’ worth of training would actually come in handy, if anyone tried to go for my head. Hopefully, no one would believe my father.
My father gestured to me. “Of course, she’ll—”
An ear-curdling screech drowned out the rest of my father’s words. I hardly had time to register the noise before Jax stepped in front of me. If I had blinked, I would have missed the image of Maura rocketing toward me, stone arms outstretched. One hand held her dagger, and the other was curled as if ready to grab my throat. An inarticulate roar tore from Jax’s throat. The sound startled me into action.
I moved behind Jax as his wings flared out.
Time seemed to slow down as the energy in front of us wavered. The effect reminded me of heat wafting from asphalt on a hot summer day. I couldn’t see much over Jax’s wings, but I heard the crash of stone as Maura hit him with enough force to make the ground shake. The stage cracked beneath my feet. I cried out, reaching for anything to hold on to. The noise of stone hitting stone with such force was gruesome. It sounded like a wrecking ball smashing into Jax. Chunks of stone flew through the air, pelting everyone. The stage shuddered and cracked under my feet. I jumped off the stage before the splintering wood could swallow me.
My ears were ringing, but I could hear people screaming and yelling. People moved around me at a frantic pace. Hands tugged me in different directions. I hadn’t realized I’d hit the ground until I looked up to see a number of faces peering down at me. “Are you okay?” Teryl held my head, but his voice sounded muffled. Too many people surrounded me. I couldn’t see Jax or Maura.
“Jax!” I tried to scramble to my feet but didn’t get far.
Teryl forced me back. “He’s okay; settle down.”
“But Maura—”
“He’s okay, I promise you. Do you remember us telling you that a gargoyle can shield? Jax did, and Maura ran into him.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. Fear scraped along my spine. “Let me sit up and see him. Right now.” I grabbed his hands and tried to pull them off my shoulders.
“Okay, okay. Just a second.” He slid a hand under my shoulders and helped me up to more of a seated position. “Move,” he ordered the people in front of us.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Jax kneeling on the ruined remains of the stage. My first thought was that he was injured. “Oh, my God.”
He turned at the sound of my voice. His silver eyes stared at me in his angular stone face. He stood and walked toward me. I was farther than I expected. Someone had pulled me a few feet away from the stage.
Jax crouched in front of me. “Are you hurt?”
I blinked at him, and then looked over his shoulder at the stage. “Wh
ere’s Maura?”
“She tried to kill you.”
His explanation didn’t answer my question. I held out my hand, and he pulled us both to a standing position. My cheek stung. I put a hand to it, and it came away streaked with blood.
“Here, put this on it.” Teryl handed me a napkin. “You have a few superficial cuts, but nothing that requires stitches.”
The mark on my arm burned so hot, it was painful. I checked to make sure my dagger was in place. My dress was ruined. Jagged tears and dirt covered the front. A little numb, I looked at Teryl and repeated, “Where’s Maura?”
He pointed toward the stage at a pile of rubble next to what used to be the podium. “She hit him and exploded.”
“Exploded,” I repeated, trying to make sense of the mound of stone pieces.
Teryl’s brown eyes showed more life than I’d seen in days. “It was crazy. When she hit, it obliterated her. Dust and rocks went everywhere. Jax doesn’t even have a scratch.”
I tore my gaze away from the pile and looked Jax over to verify Teryl’s claim. His shirt was gone and his pants were in tatters, but no chunks of stone were missing anywhere on him. Relief coursed through me.
“Maura’s dead,” I said.
“Yes. She was going to kill you.”
Protect your mate’s soul. The danger will come after the chaos. Was this after the chaos? It didn’t look like any of the guests were seriously injured. I saw a few cuts and scrapes like mine, but no one was in hysterics.
Maura’s death should have upset me more, but I’d known since our first run-in on the way to Scotland that it would be her or me. I couldn’t feel distraught about it. The crushed stone was macabre, but nothing that resembled a person. Without blood and severed limbs, it was easier to deal with, I guessed.
It could have been Jax. I wondered if many gargoyles died that way, but then quickly squelched the thought. I wrapped my hands around his stone waist and hugged him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He rubbed my back, but I could feel his anger and adrenaline through the bond.
My chic up-do was a complete mess. I stepped back and brushed locks of hair out of my face. “My father must have paid her to do that. He pulled me onstage to give her better access to me.”
Judging by the look on Jax’s face, the thought had already occurred to him. I saw my father speaking to his guards, his gestures uncharacteristically angry. My brain was beginning to clear, though adrenaline was coursing through my system, too.
Behind me, I heard Maxim hiss, “Listen to me before you say anything.”
I whirled around. He stood a safe distance away, looking more disheveled than I’d ever seen him. His tie was askew, his pants were torn in a few spots, his jacket was gone, and he had a few cuts on his face. He’d been standing close to the stage at the time, so he must have been hit with multiple rocks of…what used to be Maura.
Maxim raised a shaky hand and brushed the hair out of his forehead. “Don’t confront him. He didn’t contract her.”
Jax looked at Maxim. “What do you know about this?” His words were rough and deliberate. Which meant he was seething mad.
“She was given a contract on Elle.”
“The Council? I thought they had removed the price on her head.”
“No, not them. Luke. After you…after your display the other day, Luke decided you were too much of a threat to Mr. Warlow’s business and life.”
My display? It was an interesting way to word my punch to his nose, but whatever. “I think Luke’s a little slow on the uptake. I’ve been a threat to both of them from day one.” They hadn’t wanted to take me seriously until now.
“Where is Luke?” Jax asked, scanning the crowd with an unnerving intensity.
Maxim watched my father handing out orders to security. “No idea. He ought to be right behind Jedren, but he’s sort of disappeared.”
I had to get ahold of my nerves. Jax was safe. I was safe. This was the perfect opportunity to show the collective guests that I wasn’t the docile, happy daughter Jedren wanted to portray me as. I marched over to my father, ignoring Maxim’s plea to stop. “Where did you send Luke?”
Jedren’s pale eyes cut to me. “I don’t have time for your dramatics right now.”
My voice rose as genuine anger erupted. “The attempt was on my life. I think I’m entitled to dramatics. Maura was paid to kill me in front of all of these people, despite your promise of safety.”
My father’s eyes blazed with his ire. “This is neither the time nor the place for this conversation. Remember who you are.”
Incredulous, I pointed to the stone rubble. “That could have been me. I know who I am. I’m the one who was almost assassinated. I have a right to be upset.” The guests were all staring at us, which was exactly what I wanted. “You promised me safety.”
Maxim cleared his throat, but he hadn’t moved. “Mr. Warlow, Luke contracted Maura.”
My father didn’t move. He had better control than that. “I see,” he said.
Brenin walked up, looking stoic and severe at the same time. “Jedren, the Council is open to considering Elleodora’s bid for a seat, but it’s clear she’s not safe here. If she is who you claim, she needs to be under protection. The snake’s den you operate here is not in her best interest. If she can restore the lines, she’s a valuable asset. More care needs to be taken to prevent future issues.”
My father didn’t react defensively to Brenin’s blunt words, as I expected. Instead, he nodded in acquiescence, which put me on high alert. “You’re right, of course. Where do you suggest she stay?”
That wasn’t the direction I wanted this to go. Nor would my father ever calmly fold his hand at this point in the game. “Wait a second, I get to pick where I want to live. And it’s not up for discussion. Luke is unaccounted for right now. Why hasn’t he been arrested yet?”
“We’ll send a couple of hunters out to track him on behalf of the Council.” Brenin’s faceted orange eyes considered me. Now that my senses were more accustomed to reading energy, I was shocked at the level he kicked out. It was as powerful as Elion’s but had a heavier feel. Not oppressive, but he packed a punch. It wasn’t comfortable to stand too close to him. “Elle, may I see the mark?”
I turned so he could better see my arm, but I refused to get closer. The mark continued to glow, flaring in erratic beats.
My father’s proximity didn’t help. I could sense his soul. The threads were a horribly woven mess. I wondered how my mother could have gone so wrong.
Brenin’s soul, on the other hand, was a tightly knitted pattern that appeared strong. Nothing felt wrong about him, but something still made me uneasy.
“She’s a ward thief.” Brenin stared at the small marks on my left arm. “Jedren, you should have told the Council.”
I took a big step back. The speculative gleam in Brenin’s eyes bothered me. My father wasn’t the only manipulative, power-hungry freak in the group. I was a tool, nothing more. “I’m a ward thief, not a soul thief.” The Council needed to know I wasn’t responsible for the as-yet-unsolved thefts.
One of my father’s staff members walked up to our group, obviously reluctant to intervene. “Mr. Warlow, sir, the microphone is ready.”
My father didn’t acknowledge him. “Brenin, if you’ll allow me to finish what we started, I’d like to get Elleodora’s party back on track. I wouldn’t want a tragedy to mar the festivities.”
I should have known he wasn’t done. A single death wouldn’t deter him. He tapped the microphone and offered the crowd a sympathetic smile. “Please accept my sincere apologies for such an unfortunate incident. Additional security has been called in, but I don’t want us to forget why we’re really here. My daughter.” He stared at me.
The entire crowed turned to stare at me, too.
I let my gaze fill with my hatred for him. A few guests gasped as the gold threads on my arm began to glow. I could easily imagine taking my dagger and cutting down the center of
his threads. My fingers itched to curl around the handle.
He smiled at me.
Jax moved closer and put a hand on my lower back. We waited for Jedren to continue with whatever game he was playing.
“The birthday girl is a weaver goddess and a ward thief,” he announced.
Excited murmurs ran through the crowd. I took hold of the dagger but never took my gaze from his pale eyes.
“You can imagine how proud I am of my daughter. If only her mother had survived long enough to see her abilities manifest.”
Jax wrapped an arm around my waist, preventing me from lunging toward the stage. “No, Elle. Wait and see what he does,” he whispered against my hair, making it look like a lover’s embrace. He remained in gargoyle form.
Jedren nodded at the crowd. “Yes, it’s a shame that Emmaline is no longer with us, but I plan to guide my daughter through the transition. She’ll help us restore the lines to what they used to be. No more declining powers. No more weak magic. With Elleodora’s abilities, we’ll strengthen the family lines.” The crowd hung on his every word.
Teryl appeared on my left side, looking as sick as I felt. “What in the hell is he doing?”
“Very few of you know this, but for the past ten years, I’ve had a team of geneticists working on the virulent DNA defects our families have struggled with. New, problematic symptoms are showing up in each subsequent generation. My team has had no luck discovering a cure.”
I couldn’t look at the concern on his face a second longer. The expressions of the partygoers were worse. Rapt fascination. Greed. Skepticism. By far, the worst was the tentative hope. He knew exactly how to play off their fears, desires, and dreams. With the Council here, he didn’t think he could lose.
“When I discovered the full extent of Elleodora’s gifts, it was nothing short of miraculous. As a weaver goddess, she can rethread a soul to its original form.” He paused for effect, waiting for the crowd to take the next step a split-second before he said, “She can rethread our DNA so these abnormalities don’t exist. The souls will be stronger than before.”
“Why should we believe you?” someone in the crowd called out. I couldn’t see who, but I guessed it was a Council member. Not many others would have the nerve to publicly question my father.
Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two) Page 25