“Oh?” Maya raised an eyebrow, and Lila’s attention sharpened.
“They’d done more than I expected.” Jewel nudged Rann. “Do you want to tell them?”
Rann shook his head and gestured for Jewel to carry on.
“They couldn’t find any trace of where Seawitch came from, but there are a lot of rumours about a powerful death magic user. No one knows where, though. ”
“What’s their next move?” Lykos glanced over his shoulder.
“They’re going to bring a tracker to see her,” Jewel said. “To see if they can trace the magic signatures on her.”
“When?” Lykos never used a lot of words if a few would serve his purpose.
“As soon as they can get hold of one,” Jewel said. “Tomorrow?”
“Mmm.” Lykos turned back to the window.
“Anything else?” Maya jumped back into the conversation, and Jewel guessed she wanted to avoid talking about her visit to the coven headquarters.
“They think Fergal is alive and back in London.”
“What?” Lila swung round and paced over to the table, her amber eyes glistening.
Jewel remembered suddenly that she had known her father and lived with him until she was eleven years old.
“How do they know that? Do they know where he is?”
“I’m sorry.” Jewel bit her lip. “Lila, I didn’t mean to tell you like that. Connor’s still looking, but he’s confident he’ll find him.”
“Does he know if he’s all right?”
“No.” Guilt made Jewel’s stomach clench. For years Lila had thought her father had lost his mind to the madness that afflicted some powerful mages, and she’d learned to live with it. Now the wound had split open.
Lykos moved to her side and put his arm round her shoulders. “It’ll be all right, sweetheart.”
Lila’s smile wavered, but she managed to shrug. “It’s not your fault,” she said to Jewel. “If you hadn’t come back to see Kara, we might never have known what had happened.”
Jewel wanted to cry. She believed it was her fault. Fergal had been used to create her. Used against his will, taken away from his family. Her eyes stung, and she rubbed her face.
Lila radiated comfort. “Truly, Jewel. No one blames you for your mother. We all knew her, and none of us suspected she was capable of something like this.”
Jewel took a deep breath and managed to smile back.
“I asked them to take a closer look at Alberic.” Rann took over, giving Jewel time to pull herself together.
“We did that nearly a year ago.” Maya narrowed her eyes at him.
“You said you had a report from his last coven, but there are still a couple of years missing between him leaving them and arriving here. What was he doing in that time?”
Maya’s face relaxed. “You’re right. Once we knew he’d a bad reputation with the covens, we didn’t dig any deeper. That was enough for us to want rid of him. I can’t imagine what Kara was thinking. He must have spelled her.”
“What about you?” Jewel looked from Lila to Maya. “What did Kara have to say? Did she admit what she had done?”
“She wasn’t bloody there.” Maya snapped.
“What?”
“The maid said she was out.” Maya frowned at Jewel as though it was her fault.
“Do you think she was lying?”
“Haven’t a clue. We saw Albert. He said she had some teaching duties with some of the talented teenagers. He took a message.” Maya sneered briefly. “Lila? What do you think? Was she hiding from us?”
Lila shrugged. “I wouldn’t believe that creature if he told me the sky was blue. He was”—she paused, searching for the right words—“unpleasant. I can’t see why he would lie, though.”
“So it was a wasted journey?”
Maya sighed. “Not completely. We went down to the coven library while we were there.”
“Alberic let you?”
“I have free use of it,” Maya said. “I’m the head of the junior coven. It’s my right. I’d like to see him try and stop me.”
Lila shuddered. “Don’t tempt fate. My skin’s still crawling from being five feet away from him.” She moved closer to Lykos. “I don’t like to use the word evil, but I can’t think of any other word to describe him.”
“Anyway.” Maya shrugged off the memory of Alberic. “I picked up a couple of manuals on the use of rituals. Sub group, blood and death.”
“I would have thought they’d keep those locked up.” Surely that had been the case all the time Jewel had lived at the coven headquarters.
“They did.” Maya smirked. “But that only works if you can’t figure out the locking spell.”
“I see.” Jewel shook her head at Maya.
“Hey, I’m good.”
“So have you worked out how the fertility ritual worked?”
“Haven’t had time to read it yet,” Maya pointed out. “I thought we’d do it together.”
“I’m not going to be of much use,” Lykos said. “My knowledge of witch magic fits on a post-it note.”
“Same here,” Rann said. “It’s never been on my reading list.”
“Never had the need for it,” Lykos agreed, and Lila elbowed him. “I’m sure we can find something to do, though.”
“Such as?” Lila obviously knew her lover well enough to be suspicious.
“I thought we could go and pick a fight with the mage.” Lykos raised an eyebrow at Rann, who nodded. “I didn’t like him much.”
“Think again.” Maya stepped forward. “He’s a coven problem. Ours to deal with.”
“We’ll see.” Lykos gave her a bland smile. “For now, at least.”
Maya stepped towards Lykos, invading his space. Almost as tall as he was, she scowled into his face. “We will deal with him.” Her teeth clenched. “Lila. Tell him to stay out of coven business.”
“Lykos—”
The ringing of the phone prevented the discussion from escalating into an argument, but Maya gave Lykos another narrow-eyed glare before picking it up. Jewel listened shamelessly, along with everyone else.
“We were out. Jewel told you to call first.” Maya’s voice was dismissive. She tapped one foot on the floor while she listened to the person on the other end.
“We went to see Kara.”
Another pause.
“Yes,” Maya said. “No, she wasn’t at home.”
Jewel heard the tinny tones of a woman’s voice on the other end of the line. She strained her ears but couldn’t tell what she said.
“We’ve got some ideas.” Maya pursed her lips and frowned at the phone.
Another pause.
“There doesn’t seem much point at the moment.” Her voice sharpened. “If you must. But I can’t see what you hope to gain.” She cut the call and put the phone down. Everyone stared at her.
“Maria,” she said.
“What did she want?” Jewel asked.
“To come and talk to us.” Maya rolled her eyes. “It’s time that some of those ineffectual idiots were weeded out.”
“Talk about what?”
“God knows.” Maya picked up the coffee pot, peered at it, and put it down again. “She said they came round this morning, but no one was in.”
Jewel took the pot into the kitchen, glad of something to occupy her. She made fresh coffee and carried it back. Maya poured a cup and gave her a grateful smile.
“When are they coming?” Jewel hoped it was next week.
“In about ten minutes.”
Maria and Charles arrived within fifteen minutes. Maya led them into the sitting room but didn’t invite them to sit down. Their heads swivelled to the far end of the room, where Lykos and Ran
n sat at the small dining table.
“Who’s that?” Maria’s voice carried an edge of impatience.
“Lykos. My husband.” Lila sat opposite Jewel, in the corner of the sofa, her legs drawn up and tucked under her long skirt.
“I’ve seen him before.” Maria glanced at Charles. “Do you remember him?”
“Nine years ago.” The mage turned to his companion. “They were both there.” He indicated Rann and Lykos. “At the trial of the rogue mage. The one that she . . .” His voice trailed off as he glanced at Jewel.
“Mmm.” Maria raised both eyebrows at Maya. “Do you really want strangers to hear coven business?”
“They’re not strangers.” Maya perched on the arm of the empty sofa and folded her arms. “You asked for this meeting. What do you want to know?”
Maria sniffed and turned her attention to Jewel. “Have you spoken to your mother?”
“Not since yesterday.” Jewel thought of Gwen. The coven had to know what was going on. “She wasn’t in when Maya and Lila went to see her this morning.”
“What did you think?” Charles took a step towards her. “Her mental state?”
“She seemed a little strange.”
“She means she was batshit crazy.” Maya shared her opinion, and despite the awfulness of the situation, Jewel wanted to smile.
Both Charles and Maria glared at Maya.
“Yes. That sounds about right.” Jewel paused. “I met Alberic. I can see why you are concerned.”
“Did you tell her she had to send him away?” Charles glanced at Maria.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Jewel said. “I think you’re going to have to take action. She’s under his thumb.” She paused again before dropping her bombshell. “And she’s pregnant.”
Maria’s jaw dropped. Jewel had heard the expression before, but she’d never actually seen the reality. She had to swallow the urge to warn the older witch about catching flies.
“What?” Charles’s voice filled with disbelief.
“Pregnant.” Jewel folded her arms. “She’s with child.”
“She can’t be. You must be mistaken.” Maria pulled herself together, but her voice carried more hope than conviction. “You have to be.”
“I don’t think so. She told me herself. And Alberic confirmed it.”
“But how . . .?” Maria’s face flushed as the implications dawned on her.
“We’re trying to work out which ritual she used.” Maya rose and moved to stand next to Lila. “Lila, Jewel, and I will go through the possibilities. Although that should be your job.”
Lila watched Lykos from her position on the sofa and appeared to pay no attention to the conversation. Her jaw clenched, though, and she nibbled on her smallest finger.
“The only spells she could have used are on the forbidden list.” Charles plunged his hands into his pockets.
“Duh.” Maya raised her eyebrows. “We’ve worked that out. We just need to find out which one it was. And who died to fuel it.”
No one spoke for a long moment.
“When did you see Gwen last?” Jewel asked.
“A couple of weeks ago.” Charles glanced at Maria. “She seemed fine. Pregnant. A little thin, but otherwise—”
“There’s no baby.” Jewel interrupted him. “Not for Gwen.”
The colour drained from Charles’s face.
“She has to be stopped.” Maria’s voice sharpened. “Alberic has to be removed, and the child, if there really is one, destroyed.”
“Destroyed?” Jewel didn’t like the sound of that.
“It is an abomination.” Maria’s cheeks flushed scarlet. Her voice was icy with distaste.
“Unnatural,” Charles added.
“It’s my sister.” Jewel hadn’t meant to say anything of the sort until the words came out. She felt a strong sense of solidarity with any child that had to have Kara as a mother. Even though the thought of its conception or creation or whatever had brought it to life made the hairs rise on the back of her neck.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Maria’s voice was icy enough to make Jewel wince and remember how these coven members used to make her feel totally inadequate.
She was older now, though. “I agree that my mother is out of control and a danger to the coven. She needs to be dealt with. And Alberic as well.” She glanced at Maria and Charles doubtfully. They were incapable of persuading their leader to hold a meeting, so she didn’t have much faith in their ability to sort out the problem.
“So you’ll deal with Kara?” Charles asked.
“Not me,” Jewel said.
“You are her blood. It’s your duty to do what needs to be done.”
Jewel stared at him.
He patted her shoulder. “We’ll help in any way we can.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s obviously insane,” Maria said. “It’s the duty of the family to deal with her.”
“Deal with her?” Jewel was in denial. She looked to Maya who shook her head slightly.
“If she’s telling the truth about her pregnancy”—Charles frowned at Jewel—“the consequences are severe.”
“Death or complete removal of her magic.” Maria’s jaw clenched. “And we can decide about the child afterwards, if it bothers you.”
Jewel put her hand to her throat. She had difficulty breathing.
“What about a trial?” Maya’s voice saved her from having to say anything.
Maria waved her hand. “A formality. Once the coven knows about the pregnancy, there’ll be no argument. The majority will support us.”
“The majority?” Jewel found her voice again.
“We met this morning as a matter of urgency. All of us except Gwen and Tom Harrison,” Maria said. “We couldn’t get hold of them.”
“Suppose my mother refuses to appear?” Jewel thought that would be the most likely scenario. “And Gwen’s in the mansion. We saw her yesterday. She doesn’t look well.”
“Trial in absentia.” Maria waved a hand, passing over the subject of Gwen. “The family will ensure the recommendations are carried out.”
Kara only had Jewel. She took a couple of deep breaths. “My mother said she was going to disown me. That negates the blood duty, surely.”
“She can’t do that.” Maria’s tone became patronising. “Not without the full agreement of the covens. Our bloodlines are too precious to be cast aside.”
Jewel took a deep breath. “How do you propose I do this?” She clenched her jaw until her teeth ground together as she fought to keep her temper under control. All those years of exercises with Tamsin had paid off. “You do realise I’ve never made any impression on my mother ever.” She took another breath. “You were both there nine years ago when she asked if the death sentence was appropriate. I don’t remember either of you speaking out.”
A hand touched her arm, a soothing tendril touched her mind, and she relaxed as Lila shifted along the sofa.
“Well . . .” Maria glanced at Charles. He looked away. “That was a long time ago, and it doesn’t change the present.”
Lila squeezed Jewel’s arm and gave Maya a warning glance.
Maya shrugged.
“I think you’re being unrealistic,” Lila said.
Maya snorted.
“Jewel can’t deal with her mother alone. She’s the strongest witch in the coven. None of you have managed to even have the conversation with her.”
“What do you know, Lila Redcar?” Maria’s face twisted with contempt. “Your power is negligible.”
A low roll of thunder echoed round the room. Lila glanced at the end of the room where her husband sat.
“You aren’t even an active member of the coven now
adays.”
“I know enough to say that you need to get your strategy sorted out before you send anyone in to fight Kara.” Lila took her hand from Jewel’s arm and chewed at the nail of her index finger. “And have you forgotten about Alberic?”
Maria opened her mouth but closed it again when Maya spoke. “The only thing you’ve said that makes any sense is that Kara and Alberic must be dealt with.” She moved until she towered over Maria. “You are the most senior witch in the coven after Kara. You should be coming up with a strategy.”
Maria stepped backwards, drawing an angry breath.
Maya didn’t give her time to speak. “My sister may not have much magic, but I have. Be careful what you say to me.” Flames flickered in the depths of Maya’s eyes, and Jewel thought she hadn’t ever seen her so serious.
Lila chewed her finger nervously, but Jewel wasn’t the only one who’d spent years learning to control her moods.
“We’ll meet again in three days’ time. You can come here. Bring your ideas with you.”
“You . . .” Maria’s own face had flushed again. She spoke through clenched teeth.
“You can leave now.” Maya’s voice rang with command, and Jewel twitched with unease. Maya shouldn’t have been using her command voice on her coven seniors.
Charles and Maria were already moving towards the door. Maya followed them, and a second later Jewel heard the door slam.
Maya stalked back into the sitting room as Rann and Lykos rose from their seats at the table.
Children of Poseidon: Rann Page 18