Aconite (The Elektita Series Book 1)

by Alvarez, Christine

  "Yes, your car is fine." Hell yes, his car was fine. I wanted to compare it to the Maserati I had borrowed from Sebastian last night. I highly doubted Jonathon would let me drive the Jag. So, my assessment would have to be done as a passenger. I could relate as the pretty car purred its excitement at being driven.

  "Shot gun!" I hit the front seat running. There was no way anyone would steal my joy at being in one of these babies. Sitting in the low backed seat I had a moment of clarity. These cars would be the reason I jump head first in the trend that is ’taking selfies‘. If I wouldn't have abandoned my cell phone days ago I could have two selfies in two of the nicest cars I have ever been in, in my entire life.

  Jonathon slid in next to me while Jo took the back. Neither of them seemed even remotely as excited about this car as I was. Yes, this week has turned me into a car junky. I could always sell the house of my nightmares and buy one of these. That actually wasn't a bad idea.

  "Hey, let me see your phone." Jonathon quickly shot me a puzzled look.

  "What do you need my phone for?" His confusion at my request was cute in a way.

  "If I am going to die tonight I want to take a selfie in this car." I thought I had covered the wide range of emotions this week but apparently I hadn't covered nonchalance. I had watched everyone else around me exercise that quite well, so what the hell, I figure it was my turn. Jo had her phone out, waiting for me to take it before Jonathon could even process what I was talking about.

  "This is how you process danger?" The shock in his question was further emphasized as I leaned over in his space making a duck face while simultaneously working the angle just right, to include him in the picture. Jo's laughter was contagious which made it difficult to get the perfect picture. I thumbed through the three work related pictures he had to check out the few I had taken. They were all shaky and wouldn't make good background pictures.

  "What else would you like me to do? I could freak out and create a storm that would send your car, with us in it, careening into a twenty foot ravine or I could act like none of this was happening. Which do you prefer?" His silence gave way to his answer.

  "Exactly." I handed Jo back her phone resigned that I wasn't going to get a good picture out of this drive.

  "There is something you must know before we arrive." He didn't sound like I was going to like whatever he had to say very well.

  "What?" I turned to look at Jo but she didn't seem to know what he was about to reveal and that made me nervous. She normally had an idea of what was about to happen.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  "Tonight is a full moon." His declaration was blunt and to the point. It took me a moment to find the significance in that. I looked to Jo to see if she was going to weigh in on that fact. But her passiveness told me I wasn't getting anything out of her.

  "Does that mean you will change...into...a wolf tonight?" Did Jo and I have to chain up all three men in the basement after the meeting? I didn't think I was good for that. I hadn't exactly had time to read “What to Do In Case You Spend the Night with a Werewolf”. They hadn't covered that in school either.

  "No, not for us—anymore at least. We have not been bound by the moon for quite some time."

  "Then why tell me?" If the moon didn't make them change like the wolves of legend what was so important that I needed to know that tonight was a full moon?

  "Our change may not be affected by the moon but it still affects our wolves greatly."

  I couldn't push out the onset of mass problems while he talked like that.

  "Please, just spit it out already. I cannot take much more of the roundabout before getting to the actual issue." He gave me a wry smile at my demand. If I read him right he actually liked that bit of insistence. I just may need to exert myself more often.

  "If I must. Our temper and moods are hit hardest. We have control but it is easily broken. You must not use that fire of yours to ignite a blaze."

  "In other words tread lightly tonight."

  "Yes, Alexis, please. Wolves are nothing to mess with especially on a full moon. They have a hair trigger and even the smallest things can cause them to change. Jonathon and yes, even Sebastian and Rich, have stellar self-control. But even the most controlled of the Lupo can be broken." Jo said trying to explain the situation further.

  They both where deadly serious, I had to try to be good. This group hated each other coming in I could not do anything to provoke and all-out war. All I could do was pray that I could reign in and use what little control I had mastered to keep my own freak outs to a minimum.

  I watched out the window unaware of what else to say. I didn't want to ask all the question I had been burning to ask. Too afraid of what my own reaction would be. We had left town going the opposite direction as Halo—go figure.

  "How far out does the ward extend?" It felt like we'd driven forever or maybe it only felt that way from the weight of the conversation.

  "Far enough that we didn't just create our own personal prison."

  That was a hell of an answer. So I went back to my silent observation. The scenery was beautiful out here. Trees only extended along one side going this direction out of town. The road had curved just enough to bring the ocean into view on the other. I wish I had time to enjoy it. Even with the chilled temperature I was sure that curling my toes in the sand would be a blessing in itself.

  The lights of the small town where long gone by the time we turned down a road labeled PRIVATE DRIVE, a private drive usually had no outlet so that must be it.

  "Are you ready to see your gorgeous new house?" Jo was still overly excited even after finding out about my doomsday dream I had about the house. The one thing I couldn't argue with was how gorgeous it was.

  The road wound around two large bends putting a large log cabin in its own little cul-de-sac. Yellow lights illuminated the large wrap around porch even though in broad daylight there was no need. Great tree trucks stood as the pillars that sat on each side of the unfinished marbled steps. The whole house seemed to have grown from the ground instead of being built by man.

  "This is far too big for just me." The gravel of the drive crunched to a stop directly in front of the massive oak doors that made up the house's entrance.

  "Maybe someday it won't just be for just for you," Jonathon said as he came around to open my door. That was something I didn't think I would ever get used to. Even though Jo had come from the same time, she didn't wait to receive the same treatment. Her door was open and she was bounding up the great stairs before Jonathon had time to close the doors.

  "I could stay here with you if you want." His offer was bold and didn't hold any of the hesitation that it would have if I were to offer.

  "I don't even know if I want to keep it yet." I made sure to keep my eyes averted as I said it. I knew my refusal would hurt, and I didn't want to see that hurt on his handsome face. Each and every one of my lives had refused him one way or another. I heard the beep of the car alarm before Jonathon was behind me. I took my time going up the stone steps. They too were rough and unfinished. It felt like Mother Nature had made her own stairway into the house. When I reached the top I ran my hand along the tree trunks. The massive roots where rough and natural, holding the house up in all their glory. A small hum of power pulsed against my fingertips. It felt amazing quieting my restless self. Jo and Jonathon stood at the great entrance letting me take it all in. Even in a time of urgency they knew when it was time to wait and let me soak in as much as I could. They had seen me many lifetimes before it was understood just how fragile I was.

  "There is energy in this house. It feels alive." I didn't phrase it as a question because I already had my answer. This place was alive. But I received two happy nods in response.

  "You are sensitive to the earth and everything that she provides life. It is one of the many gifts of your blood." It was a marvelous gift. Finally something out of all of this I was thankful for.

  "Here, I think you should be the one to go in firs
t." He placed a large iron key in the palm of my hand. I wrapped my hand around the cold metal and felt nothing. The key was silent and lay dead in my hand. There was no warning pains or pulses of energy but I still didn't want to be the first one in. I already knew what I would see and the pending evil that would eventually find me here. But I did it anyway. Reaching towards the door, I twisted the key in the lock and with a click I pushed the door open and stepped into the house Jonathon had bought for me. It was baffling to even think that a man I barely knew would have bought me such an extravagant gift.

  The house was open and inviting. I could tell that this cabin was authentic to its name. The same log walls stood tall spanning at least ten feet up into the vaulted ceilings of the living room. Two more tree trunks flanked the real fire place that glowed bright from an already lit fire. The space even held the faint aroma of spruce and pine. I purposely tapped my shoe against the wood floors. They were beautiful, raw and expanding throughout every room in the house.

  Old, timely furniture filled the space. The same Victorian couch that I had shoved Richland in sat in amongst the rest of the furniture.

  "You have got to be kidding me. You all hate each other but you will shop at his store?" I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the irony of that.

  "It is the only business in town that carries any decent furniture. It is not my fault that the owner is a bastard." There was something going on there that I would find out eventually. I scanned the rest of the space for any signs of more furniture from Antiques and Oddities, but that was the only piece that I could remember anyways.

  "What about Interior Designs?" Jo had said it was the best.

  "That is Jo's idea of nice furniture, not mine."

  I looked to Jo standing just behind him. She rolled her eyes and shot me a smile. I coughed to cover my laugh at her antics. It was nice to see she wasn't a sheep when it came to some things.

  He had gone to great expense to leave little for me to have to do. The living area opened up to the kitchen and a large formal dining room. The walls each had their own colors. The living room had been painted a deep crimson and with that it faded into a burnt orange. The space felt like sun set. On the other side of the room stood large wooden doors of the same make closing off another space.

  "That is your master suite," Jonathon explained noticing my questioning look. Jo was no longer in the room no doubt exploring the rest of the house. A large hallway sent you further into the house.

  "It is a true masterpiece." I ran my hand across a table that was clearly meant for mail and other notes that sat next to the free standing coat stand. I was scared to go further, scared that if I did I would make it all real, the present and the future.

  "Yes, it is far more modern than the original."

  "The original?" He had to rebuild? I couldn't image what would have stood here before something like this. The wood seemed far too old for something modern. I finally gave in, venturing further into the house. Whatever would happen has already begun whether I stood here or further into the house. I headed straight for the kitchen. All the rooms lit up from the yellow lighting that extended inside but the kitchen shined the brightest. The lights that hung from the ceiling reflected brightly off the stainless steel appliances. Out of habit I opened the fridge to check out its contents. It was stocked with fruits, vegetables, meats, and more varieties of cheeses than I had ever seen outside of a cooking show.

  "When will you learn, my old friend, that building her a house will not keep her at your side?" Sebastian's condescending voice caused me to slam the refrigerator door harder than I had intended. The sound of it rang out through the tension that Sebastian had caused with his arrival.

  "I thought there were wards?" For some reason the thought of him here now with Jonathon scared me more than a faceless monster from a dream. Sebastian gave me the same slitted look I had left him with frozen in his own house. I knew how my question sounded but with my fear already ramped up farther than ever the fact that anyone could get passed them caused my fear to border panic.

  "I took them down. I told you it had to be done." Jo came in behind Sebastian. So that is where she had gone. Not to explore but to tear down the safety measures they had built.

  Richland came in behind her and I could tell by her stiff movements she didn't like the thought of being surrounded by them. Someday I would find out if there was a more personal reason that she disliked Richland so much or it was simply because he had chosen the side of the woman stealing murderer. Richland, I wasn't as scared of so I offered him a warm smile in way of greeting, keeping the warning that Jonathan had given me in mind. They are wolves on the crest of a full moon. I didn't want to chance pissing anyone off; not tonight. It seemed Sebastian had that job covered already.

  "The home is where the heart is. To be fair, at least I have given her something that at least resembles normalcy all you have ever done is bring death." He stepped forward with his words. I knew this could go bad quick.

  "Let’s all just calm down. The house is of no importance right now. We are all here to share information and figure out how to stop whoever is testing your wards from coming after me." Finally I was being the voice of reason. It felt pretty good too. Jo came up to stand next to me, lacing her arm into mine.

  "I agree," she said, pride filling her voice.

  "Of course you would, cat. You have to." The sneer came from Richland which rather surprised me. He was one of the few that I actually hadn't wanted to hate.

  "Richland, I'll blame your little outburst on the moon. I don't want to have to entertain the idea that I had gotten you all wrong from the start. So can we all keep our history at bay for now and focus on me not dying, again?" I added in the again because apparently I had done it quite a few times while none of them could stop it.

  "Yes. I can behave if they will." That was probably as good of an agreement as I was going to get. Jonathon had tensed at his insult and Jo looked as though murder was the only thought in her mind.

  "Can you all agree to those terms as well? Think of me as Switzerland. There will be no war between you while I am still breathing."

  Sebastian gave Jonathon a knowing smile, and it was then I realized the error in my words. I did not have a great track record of living very long and I had just given them permission to start a war upon my death. Well let’s all hope this time around I didn't die.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  The sun shone high in the sky by the time we all got settled in. Jonathon had retrieved a bottle of wine from a butler’s pantry that came off the kitchen while Jo supplied the glasses. I had never liked wine, but I thought it should be paired with something. So I began slicing random cheese that I took from the refrigerator.

  "Do you not feel the urgency in our problem?" Sebastian paced the length of the counter as he watched me slice the cheese. I had never seen him this on edge before.

  "Maybe if I understood the problem I would slice with a bit more urgency." I knew that someone was trying to pass the wards they had placed, and I knew the premonition that I had factored into it somehow but Jo's reassurance had taken hold. My dream was set in a time further ahead than now. My free hand slid to my belly. That I was positive of because today I didn't have a swollen belly and my daughter didn't tumble inside. I blinked away the image as I set to work on another block of cheese. Sebastian gave me an odd look but let my spacing off slide. To him I was a space cadet.

  "The Elektita know that you are here and they are coming for you. That is why I am stressing the need to form a plan." He stopped, placing both of his hands on the unfinished marbled counter top.

  "If they were strong enough they would have not just tested the ward but broken it down."

  "You naive woman! The Elektita are not stupid. They have not defeated us time and time again due to their ignorance. Breaking through our defenses on the first try would define stupidity. A true warrior tests for weaknesses, plans many months ahead. So when they do strike their plan is far less
likely to fail."

  "As much as it pains me to say this, I do agree with his assessment," Jonathon chimed in passing behind me with two bottles of wine in his hand.

  "Well, by all means don't let my cheese cutting stop you all from hatching out a plan. It is not like I haven't eaten well enough since I came here." I waved my knife at them to proceed. I could do more than one thing at a time. How hard could listening and chopping really be?

  "How many times have you felt the wards being tested?" Sebastian asked to no one in particular.

  "Four times," Jo piped up in response, my head snapped in her direction and my knife clanged down against the cutting board.

  "I see something has piqued your interest." Sebastian let the words come out as a sneer. Sebastian and Richland seemed far more volatile than Jonathon.

  "Today wasn't the first time you felt it?" Every time I thought I was gaining ground with someone it seems to fall out from under me.

  "They began when you went on your open ended vacation." She looked directly at the two men I had stayed with during that time, piercing them both with her accusations. She suspected that Sebastian had something to do with that but I didn't give them the satisfaction of knowing for sure. I took a deep drink of the wine that Jonathon had poured in my glass.

  "This is just regular wine, right?" I should have asked before taking such a deep drink. I guess it's better late than never. He slumped ever so slightly from the relaxed position he had taken in a high backed chair. I would never be able to get remotely close to relaxed in that chair. Give me a lazy boy any day. If I decided to keep this house I was definitely investing in one. It was nice to see he felt even an ounce of remorse for what he had done to me. I hope he feels that same way for a very long time.

  "Yes, it is. I vow never to do such a thing to you again. It was an ill attempt to gain what could readily be given in time."