by Ally Shields
Using the solidity of the sandstone wall to push herself up, she made it to her feet. Her leg could take some weight now, and she began to hobble among the formations. If the area could support the scrub brush, there should be cactus too. She stumbled twice, her hip complaining about the activity, but she found a prickly pear after a fifteen-minute search. She used her dagger to peel it, then sucked and chewed on the cactus fruit. As the moisture trickled down her throat, Ari swallowed in relief.
Renewed by the liquid from the cactus, she climbed to higher ground. In the distance she saw what looked like a ridge of small trees. It was the most promising destination, and she set out in that direction. Thirst and a fatigue in muscles not yet recovered kept her steps slow. It took most of the waning afternoon, and when she arrived, the small trees turned out to be nothing but bushes. Their sparse shade was better than nothing. Her face flushed and head throbbing, she sank to the ground, too weary to walk farther. Ari crawled under a bush, and surrendering to exhaustion, she fell asleep.
She dreamed of snakes and spiders.
A familiar voice said her name, the creatures skittered away, and strong arms lifted her. When she felt the warmth of his magic, she realized she was no longer dreaming.
“Where are we?” It seemed important to know.
“Utah.”
“I knew you’d find me,” she murmured into Andreas’s shirt.
“Did you now?”
Chapter Fifteen
After what Ari considered an unnecessary trip to the Moab Regional ER for X-rays and IV fluids, she was finally settled against the bed pillows when Andreas’s private jet took off from the local airport around ten o’clock that night. She and her weary body had never appreciated the flying stateroom more. She turned her head to peek at Andreas. Couldn’t beat the personal service anywhere.
He slipped an arm around her and offered another bottle of water.
“No, no, enough,” she said, laughing. “Another drop, and I’ll float away. Besides, you’re supposed to be telling me about Toronto. I’ve been patient, haven’t I?”
“Is that what you call it?” Andreas pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, trailing his cool fingers across her bruised face. “I doubt if the doctor would call it that. You seemed most anxious to get away from him.”
She shrugged, knowing he was right about her eagerness to leave the hospital. After all, wasn’t that where people went to die?
“What could he do? He treats humans, not witches.”
“The X-rays made me feel better, knowing your broken ribs and other injuries were healing on their own. Now I know I don’t have to rush you to the Otherworld healers.”
She waved a careless hand. “You could have listened to me. But don’t change the subject. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me about Ursula. So, give.”
He looked away. “I do not know exactly what happened. I left before everything was decided.”
“What?” She sat up, scrutinized his profile, and reached out a hand to touch his cheekbone. “Tell me it wasn’t because of me.”
He looked at her then. “You expected me to sit in a meeting while I knew you were in danger? I left Toronto immediately after Lilith called. I was on my way to the jet when you first contacted me.” He captured her hand, rubbing his thumb over her fingers. “By closing the magical link between us, you made the search more difficult, but not impossible. I believe our magics will always find one another. The jet landed in Moab just before dawn, but I could not search for you until I awoke this afternoon. If you had not gotten yourself off the butte…”
“But I did.” Her voice was firm. “And I would have made it home. Only not nearly this soon,” she admitted. “Or in this comfort. I’m so glad you're here, only I wish it hadn’t pulled you from the meeting. Have you talked with Daron? Didn’t he say what happened?”
“We spoke only briefly. I was focused on finding you. He indicated it was going well.”
“Let’s call him now. Maybe you need to go back. Can you put him on speaker?”
“Patience, little witch.”
In less than a minute, Daron’s deep voice greeted them from Andreas’s cell phone.
“Arianna, I am relieved to hear you are safe. Andreas was a trifle worried about you.” The five-hundred-and-some-year-old prince of Toronto laughed at his version of a joke.
“I’m sorry I disrupted your meeting. Did Andreas’s absence cause a big problem?”
“Oddly enough, it had a very positive effect. The other princes have always suspected there is a secret surrounding Sebastian’s death. They’ve sensed a hidden power, which has made them wary of the two of you but also commanded their respect. In the heat of negotiations, they had forgotten how useful it might be to have powerful allies. Andreas’s sudden, unexplained departure reminded them there are things they don’t know about him, about both of you. For those who were wavering, the reminder may have tipped the vote in our favor. The final decision to oppose Ursula had only one dissenter.” Daron paused, his voice heavy with the weight of leadership. “I am not sure they fully comprehend what they have done. Most of the princes have no experience with the O-Seven.”
“What happens next?” Ari asked. “After Ursula tells the elders?”
“They will not let such defiance pass. Perhaps send more enforcers. Perhaps something worse. Three hundred years ago an uprising in France was stamped out by a horde of zombies.”
Holy crap. She envisioned the streets of peaceful Riverdale overrun by mindless, ravaging creatures. “Would they do that today? Break the treaties?”
“Who can predict their actions? Certainly not I.”
“I hardly think the O-Seven have bothered to sign any treaties.” Andreas’s tone was decidedly dry. “Has Ursula been told of the group’s decision?”
“Not yet, unless our lone dissenter ran to her with the information, and I doubt that would happen. Who would dare to be the sole messenger of such news? We will approach her as a large delegation close to dawn. It will give her less time to plan a retaliation before our sleep cycle.” Daron’s deep sigh came across the speaker. “Her immediate reaction may give us some idea of what she may do. At least our lycanthropes will have several hours to fortify defenses before tomorrow night. You will need to do the same in Riverdale. The miles will not protect you.”
“Should Andreas come back to Toronto?” Ari held her breath.
“I appreciate you asking, Arianna, but I’m going to give you the answer you both want. Andreas’s place is in Riverdale, at least for now.”
“That’s good. So I won’t have to tie him up to keep him here.”
“You certainly have my permission to try.” Daron’s gruff laugh echoed around the room.
“It rather sounds like fun,” Andreas said.
Ari returned to business. “We’ll stay in touch with your security throughout tomorrow. Mike and Russell work well together.”
When Andreas hit the disconnect, Ari saw tension flicker across his face.
“What are you thinking?”
He set the phone on the bedside table. “Nothing, beyond the obvious. I was going over questions for which we have no answers. What Ursula really wants. What she will do next.” He turned to her with a smile. “But I would much rather watch you sleep. You still need rest, Arianna. Tomorrow is soon enough to think about our enemies.” He tucked her body against him. “I refuse to give them the remainder of tonight.”
* * *
He got his wishes for a quiet night until minutes before dawn when their plane landed. As they were hurrying from the Riverdale airport to get Andreas to his sleeping chambers, Daron called. The meeting with Ursula had been explosive.
“She threw a tantrum that rattled windows a mile away. Yelling, screaming, and breaking things. I believe she would have attacked us immediately, if we had not left. In fact, it could not have gone worse.” Daron sighed heavily. “She took it as a personal affront and will want someone to pay.” With those words of warni
ng, he hung up in order to reach his own secure quarters before he was caught by the sun.
Too sleepy to do more than register the threat, Ari went to her own bed and didn’t get up until midmorning. When she entered the security office at the club almost an hour after that, Russell and Lilith had already talked several times with Mike, the werewolf in charge of Daron’s security in Toronto.
“We don’t know what to expect,” Russell said. “Vampires, lycanthropes, demons, zombies. It could be anything.”
“Including the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” Lilith wisecracked.
Ari sent her a quelling look but spoke to Russell. “I can increase the wards on the club. I did that for the house before I left this morning. Even if it’s a magical attack, that’ll give you a few seconds or minutes of warning. I don’t think Ursula will pay much attention to us until after she deals with the Canadians. Maybe Daron is safe, but the other princes don’t have sires who are members of the O-Seven. They’re the ones who defied her. If I read her right, she’s like a pissed-off diva in a fit of rage. She’ll come all ugly over the nearest target she finds.”
“Then you haven’t heard?” he asked.
“Heard what? Has something already happened?”
“No, but all the princes are collected in Daron’s compound. Apparently they thought like you do, and no one went home. She’ll have trouble finding a target outside of Daron’s protection.” Russell’s voice tightened. “When she realizes they’re out of reach, I’m afraid she’ll come looking for Andreas.”
Cold fear hit her. “Smart of them, but bad for us. Have you called Samuel?” Andreas’s household security needed to be up to speed on every development. Even though Russell said that he had, she spun on her heels and headed for the door. “I’ll be at the mansion. If Ursula arranged for someone to come after Andreas while he’s sleeping, they’ll have to go through me.”
On her way home, Ari called Ryan and asked him to meet her at the house. She wasn’t leaving Andreas unguarded—not today—but she still needed to talk with Ryan about their murder case. And she’d rather do it in person. She’d obtained a confession. Now she had to explain why it might not do them any good.
Ari found it hard to concentrate on anything except Ursula. She had to figure out a way to fight a super bitchy vampiress. What kind of abilities did the old hag have? All Ari knew for sure was Ursula liked kinky sex and violence. After a couple of thousand years of vampirism, she must have some horrendous powers.
* * *
Samuel already had his security team and the rest of the household scrambling. Weretigers armed with machetes and submachine guns with silver bullets were stationed in and around Andreas’s sleeping quarters. Ari didn’t go into his room, but checked to see all the guards knew exactly who and what they might be facing. Ari talked to them long enough to know they’d stand fast no matter what Ursula threw at them. Their loyalties were never in question; the tiger families had been with Andreas since the early 1800s.
The guard station at the front gate was now stocked with flamethrowers, out of sight unless needed. Ari double-checked her magical wards and gathered those spells and potions she thought might come in handy, then she prowled the house while waiting for Ryan. She didn’t have to wait long.
She shook off her nagging tension and opened the front door. It was Ryan’s first visit, and she could see he was impressed, even before he got inside. She took the time to provide him a mini tour of the first floor.
“So this is what you can collect in two hundred years.” Ryan peered around at the antiques and rare paintings.
“Only if you start out rich as Croesus and make good investments. Come down this hall. I’ve made coffee in the kitchen. I think you’ll like the brew better than the police station’s. Andreas has his own blend.”
“Of course he does.”
When they were settled at the granite counter, he asked her the details of the situation in Toronto, and she gave him the latest information. “Thanks for meeting here. Until I know if Ursula is anywhere near Riverdale, I can’t leave Andreas alone. Not while he’s sleeping. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. So, what was it you wanted to tell me about Barron’s murder?”
She changed mental gears and described her meeting with the coven, including the High Priestess’s confession—and finding herself in Utah.
“Utah. Holy shit, Ari.” Ryan’s eyes darkened with concern. “This coven is more than we can handle. They could kill you next time. Who do we get to help us?”
“They’re not going to kill me or they would have done worse than dump me in Utah. They still want my help. Besides, I think the High Priestess is losing control. Sophistrina, her second in command, opposed killing the vampire guards and saved their lives. The priestess tried to laugh it off, but I think there’s a growing problem in her ranks. It may eventually divide the coven. At least we’ve solved the Barron case, identified his killer. The bitch killed him because he got in her way.”
Still shaking his head, Ryan leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Do you have names, addresses of these witches? How do we proceed? Bring in the FBI? Homeland Security? Interpol?”
“Trying to arrest someone who can teleport is going to be tough. I don’t know where the witches are staying locally, but their homes are in Germany.” Ari gave him a regretful glance. “Sophistrina is the only name I have.”
Ryan snorted. “Yeah, OK, so no warrants. Do we let them get away with murder? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Hell, no, but we need an Otherworld solution.” Ari got up and refilled their coffee cups. “If I can figure out how to capture the witches or convince them to surrender to the Magic Council, the council can strip them of their magic.”
“They would do that?”
Ari looked at him, perplexed by his question. “Yes, did you think there weren’t any rules in the magic world? Or that no one enforces them? Using black magic to kill an innocent is what you would consider a capital crime. Only we usually don’t execute those found guilty. About the worst thing you can do to a magic user is strip them of their powers. Of course, they wouldn't live long without them.” She took a sip from her cup. “The rest of the coven might cooperate, but I don’t think the High Priestess will surrender or allow herself to be captured.” Ari sighed, and her cup clunked on the tabletop as she abruptly set it down. “If I’m right, we’ll have to kill her—and maybe the entire coven.”
“I can’t set out to shoot somebody.” Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “It goes against my sworn duty.”
Ari shot him a look of reproach. “And you think I can? But these aren’t defenseless women. We’ll have to be willing to use lethal force if they go on the offensive. Believe me, it will come down to that, at least with the leader. She ordered a kill once that we know of. She’s already felt the power of commanding life and death, and she won’t hesitate the next time. Her hatred of the O-Seven has taken possession of her, and she sees anything that might lead to their defeat as acceptable.” Ari squared her shoulders. “I can feel the depth of what’s driving her, and there’s only one possible end.”
“What happens if you can’t kill her?” Ryan’s face was troubled, as if he already knew the answer.
“Then she’ll probably kill me, and I don’t really like that alternative.”
Ryan frowned deepened, but he didn’t pursue the subject. He left soon afterward, a scowl still marring his face. Ari watched out the window as Ryan climbed into his cruiser. She assumed he was struggling with their impossible situation and wondering what he could report to his superiors at the PD.
After Ryan left, she checked the house again, talked with Samuel in the security room on the third level, and conferred with Russell and Mike by phone. When the hours dragged on without any hostile action, Ari began to relax. It looked as if Ursula would be delivering her own messages, whatever they were, and she wouldn’t be up and about for several hours yet.
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nbsp; With the momentary downtime, Ari quickly lapsed into restlessness pacing. To counteract that, she changed into running shorts and spent ninety minutes in the workout room. When she finished, she stopped in the kitchen for a glass of water. The wilting rosemary plant on the counter made her think of Claris, and while she dutifully watered the herb, she called Claris to talk about Dona, the only kitten without a new home.
“Any prospects?” Ari took her drink to the table.
“I have one woman coming in over the supper hour. She runs the antique shop two doors away. I like her, but I question how Dona would do with a human caretaker. Around me, she’s always been the most standoffish of the kittens.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed that.” Ari examined a broken fingernail and got up to find a file. She found one on the window ledge. The sight momentarily distracted her, wondering if Andreas was bothered by the stuff she left around.
“Sometimes Dona sits there and watches me, as if she’s trying to figure out what makes me tick.”
Ari laughed, and her tension eased. Conversations with Claris were always so…normal. “Are you telling me you’re spooked by a kitten?”
“Not exactly, but I think she’s pretty particular about her friends.”
“You’re imagining things. Let’s put them together and see how Dona acts. She’s fine around me, and she’s all over Andreas.”
“That’s what I mean. She’s partial to Otherworlders.”
“Have it your way.” Ari turned her head as Andreas walked into the room wearing only a pair of hip-hugging black jogging pants. “Call me if you get something set up.” She disconnected.
“Her way?” Andreas asked. “That does not sound like Claris. She is usually quite accommodating.”