“Caia and I are dealing with that,” Lucien had said in such a way as not to be disputed.
Her father hadn’t looked too happy, used to being brought into Lucien’s confidence in all matters, and had quizzed Jae all last night about it. As usual he somehow knew that she knew what was going on. She still couldn’t believe that Caia intended to put herself forward for the Head of the Coven, but she’d watched her yesterday with Laila when she had visited with the young couple again, how kind and gentle she was with the girl; how easy it was to believe that she could and would take care of everything. At first she really believed Caia and Lucien had gone mad, that Caia’s ego had inflated since she had gone. However, when Lucien explained what Caia had found, that Marita was experimenting on lykan children... Jaeden had been enraged. She felt personally betrayed by the witch. Still, taking her down was a huge deal. Yet when Lucien told her what Caia had done to those Midnights who planned to attack the MacLachlan pack she had been blown away and a sense of relief had melted over her. Never had she heard of any magik doing such a thing. Caia was a weapon. The most powerful weapon in their world. She guessed they should feel lucky that she was one of the good guys, one of their own.
And that was why she found herself at her house, waiting for her to climb out of her love nest with Lucien so she could talk to her. Ryder thought they should clear the air, and she tended to agree with him. They needed to trust one another if this were going to work.
“Jaeden!” Caia bounced into the room, her cheeks flushed, her green eyes brighter than jade. “Sorry to have kept you.”
Jaeden regarded her knowingly, somehow comforted by the blush that blossomed across Caia’s cheeks. It made her seem more approachable. She made a face and sat down next to her, glancing idly at the fabric swatches Ella was looking at. Caia grimaced. “Ah mating ceremony plans. Don’t envy you that.”
Relaxing a little, Jaeden shook her head. “My mother is taking care of everything and slowly driving me nuts. It’s been a day. It feels like years.”
“Tut tut,” Ella admonished. “Your mother loves you. She wants you to have the best.”
Jaeden harrumphed at that.
“Morning.” Lucien strolled into the kitchen, his hair more mussed than usual. He threw a scorching look at Caia before noticing Jae. “Hey Jae.” He made his way to the coffee machine. “What’s up?”
“I just wondered if Caia had a moment to talk.”
Caia nodded at her. “Of course.”
“In private?”
She received a curious look at that. “Backyard?”
Prying ears could still find them there, she mused looking around at Magnus, Ella and Lucien. Magnus was the only one who noticed. He folded his paper and tapped Ella on the shoulder. “Sitting room.”
“Huh, what?” She didn’t look up from the folder she was going through.
“Ella, you can do that in the sitting room. You too, Lucien.”
Jaeden smiled gratefully at him, and rolled her eyes at Lucien who couldn’t resist pulling Caia in for a kiss as he passed her.
“Ready?” Jae asked, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.
Caia smoothed her hair, looking a little flustered, but she nodded in the direction of the back door. “Sure. Let’s go.”
They stood in the middle of the yard, their backs to the house, their eyes drawn to the forest like magnets. A wind whistled gently through the trees towards them and Jae watched as Caia tilted her face into it, pulling the rubber band from her hair so that it fell down and into the wind.
“Reminds me of the wind in my pelt,” she explained to her, and Jaeden smiled. Somehow it made it better knowing Caia loved her lykan side even though her powers as a magik were phenomenal. “So what’s going on?” She asked softly, lowering herself on to the grass.
Jaeden stretched out beside her, sighing. “I thought we should talk... about things.”
“Such as?”
Jaeden shrugged. “Our friendship. What happened? Other stuff I have yet to explain.”
“Well, friendship wise you still have mine, always will.” She turned her face away so that Jae couldn’t read her expression. “When I found out the truth, that you weren’t you, that you were gone… I was devastated.”
Memories of those first two weeks together swallowed her momentarily. They had hit it off instantly, a bond created between them from the moment they had met. A lot of those memories included laughter, lots of laughter.
“You know I haven’t asked anyone about that faerie.” Jaeden shuddered at the thought of her. “No one seems to want to bring it up. What was it like, Cy?”
Caia turned back to her with tears shimmering in eyes that blazed with hatred and anger. “It was shocking and heinous. She was you, Jaeden. She must have watched you for weeks, memorising your mannerisms, the way you laughed...”
Jaeden gulped at the thought of that ghoul pretending to be her, sleeping in her bed, wearing her clothes, laughing with her friends. “No one had any clue?”
“None whatsoever. It was Saffron, Marion’s faerie - she felt her in the house, knew she wasn’t...”
“Me.”
“Yes,” Caia answered hollowly. “Then I started getting the visions of you through Ethan’s eyes.”
That someone had paid witness to the scars on her soul was difficult for her to deal with, but looking at Caia’s pained expression, the fury in her eyes that was there for Jaeden because she genuinely cared, made it a little easier to cope with. “Ryder told me you saw everything.”
Caia nodded, blinking back tears. “I am so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
“Don’t be,” Jaeden bit out, “You didn’t give up. That’s what matters.”
“I didn’t save Sebastian.”
Like always his name set off a fire of grief in Jaeden’s chest, her breathing laboured and her throat burned with unshed tears. He had been her best friend and he had died trying to protect her.
“Sebastian would have found a way to be there with or without you bringing him along. I was his best friend and he did what either one of us would have done for him.”
Caia choked on a broken sob. “I miss him.”
She swiped at her own tears. “I miss him too. But I’m glad you had each other through it all.”
After a moment of silence, one that now felt a little easier between them, Caia reached across and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for believing in me. For being willing to fight for me. It means more than you can know.” She choked letting go of her hand. “I thought I was going to be doing this all alone. You’ve all surprised me.”
Jaeden chuckled humourlessly. “Well there are more surprises to come.”
“Meaning?”
She braced herself. “Something happened to me because of Ethan’s... torture of me.”
Caia went on alert instantly. “What?”
Just get it over with; if anyone is going to understand feeling like a freak... Cy has to be that person.
“I have telekinetic abilities.” And with that she concentrated on a plant pot Ella had placed by the porch stairs and willed it to fly past them and smash against the nearest tree.
She took a little satisfaction in surprising Caia, her jaw dropping as the ceramic lay in pieces, the plant pulp on the ground. And then her face tightened with worry and she turned back to Jaeden with growing panic in her eyes.
“I think I know who tried to kidnap you.”
***
“I can’t believe this.” Lucien ran his hand through his hair, tugging at the ends viciously. “This is insane.”
Caia couldn’t believe it either. She had called Lucien out from the house and had refused to tell Jaeden anything until they had gathered at Ryder’s apartment. Caia had insisted Laila and Vil be present as well. The six of them sat staring at each other, the atmosphere thick with tension and a terrible foreboding.
“Caia, are you sure?”
She shook her head frantically. “No, I’m not su
re. But Mordecai was very interested in Jaeden, and then I overheard him and Marita discussing Jaeden’s ‘abilities’ before they bugged my room. They kept mentioning your abilities in relation to the fact that the ‘children weren’t reacting in any way’.”
“It’s true,” Lucien added in a defeated voice.
“And you think it’s because she knows about my telekinetic abilities?” Jaeden asked angrily.
“She has trace,” Lucien replied.
She has trace, yes, but not like mine. She tapped into Jaeden’s trace to find out what she was up to – the illegal rogue hunting. When there, she must have found out that Jaeden had telekinetic abilities because Ethan had tortured her.
The mention of her trace, however, made Caia’s heart pump rapidly. “Guys, Marita is keeping tabs on everyone close to me.”
Ryder frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She told me her trace isn’t like mine. It’s not as advanced.”
“There’s a surprise,” Jaeden muttered teasingly.
“No, this is bad, people, very bad. To find someone in Daylight Marita has to tap into that person specifically. She’ll be watching me, through you. I had Lucien on alert, he’s blocking himself from her, but I didn’t think about you guys.”
Laila’s delicate eye brows puckered into a frown. “What does this mean?”
“No!” Lucien shot out of his chair, his eyes filled with worry. “She knows!”
Caia had to fight with herself not to cry in frustration as she nodded jerkily.
“What?” Ryder and Jaeden were panicking. “What does she know?”
“We have to believe that Marita knows, through you two, about my plans to go to the Council,” Caia explained. “I can’t wait around for their next meeting.” She turned to Vil who suddenly looked flustered by the attention. “Vil, you have to take me to Alfred Doukas now.”
“What, Caia, wait.” Lucien crossed the room to her, taking her by the arm. She felt his grip on her tighten, his eyes boring into her with fear. “That could end up being a trap. I won’t let you risk it.”
“Who is Alfred Doukas when he’s at home?” Jaeden asked.
Caia peered around Lucien to answer her, “He’s a Council member I met at the Centre. We hit it off.”
“Caia.” Lucien shook her. “Please, don’t do this.”
She reached up to wrap a hand around his neck, drawing him down to place a soft kiss on his lips. “I have to,” she whispered as she pulled away.
“What if I say no?”
“Lucien. You know this is our only plan now. Think of the pack. If Marita knows, she could hold the whole pack as traitors to the Coven.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
“You can’t. Vil hasn’t even tried travelling with one other person before.”
“All the more reason for you not to do this.”
“Stop thinking like my mate and start thinking like this pack’s Alpha.”
He growled in frustration and jerked away from her to make his way over to Ryder, who placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Vil, are you ready to do this?” She asked, trying to appear as calm as possible. Inside she felt as if all her nerves had snapped and her body was barely holding it together. This was it, this was really happening, she was really going to do this.
The Traveller had gone as sickly looking as she felt, but he nodded determinedly. He glanced around at everyone staring at him and tried to shrug it off as he turned to Laila, cupping her face in his hands. “I’ll be right back for you, I promise.”
Laila smiled sweetly at him and reached up to press a kiss on his lips. “I’m proud of you,” she whispered back.
Caia held her hand out to him and he reluctantly let go of his girlfriend and strode towards her, enfolding his cool hand in hers.
“Good luck, Cy,” Jaeden offered quietly.
She nodded gratefully and squeezed Vil’s hand. “Ready, partner.”
“Alfred Doukas?”
“The very one.”
Vil blew out his breath between his lips, readying himself. “OK-”
“Wait!” Lucien snapped. He looked ready to bust someone apart. “You better get back here pronto or I will kill you.”
She grinned at him, trying to appear confident. “I love you too.”
His face, along with the rest of the room, suddenly streamed past her in a blur of colour and movement, her stomach plummeted, and she felt as if she had no control over her body. The only thing she could feel was the tight grip of Vil’s hand. And then it stopped just as abruptly as it had begun, and she found herself losing balance and falling into Vil’s arms.
“Are you OK?” He asked frantically.
She shook her head trying to clear it and clambered to straighten up. When she did she heard the gasps and the spluttering coming from behind them. Vil tensed, and Caia turned around in his arms to face Alfred Doukas, and what she imagined must be his family. He sat at the head of a grand dining table; men, women and children sitting around it with him, eating their dinner. She barely registered the expensive but old-fashioned decor of the room because Alfred Doukas was gaping at her like a fish out of water.
“What... who...” a plump woman at the opposite end of the table was throwing down her napkin, glaring at Caia and Vil as if they were vagabonds.
“Mr Doukas.” Caia rushed forward and he pushed away from the table, his face creased in concern.
“Miss Ribeiro... what on Gaia’s earth...?”
“Please, Mr Doukas, I must speak with you alone.”
Seeming to understand the urgency, he assured his family everything was alright, and led Caia out of the dining room and down a dark wood-panelled hallway to his study. He turned on her as Vil shut the door behind them.
“What is going on?”
Here goes nothing.
“Mr Doukas, I need you to call an emergency meeting of the Council. Now.”
He paled. “Why?”
“Because I mean to ask them for the right to run against Marita for Head of the Coven.”
He stumbled back, his hand going to his forehead, his eyes disbelieving. “You can’t be serious.”
Please believe me, please.
“I am quite serious. I believe that Marita is no longer the right person for the job. Please, I’ll explain everything... to all of you.”
“Her family have been Coven Heads for four generations. They are the Heads because her great-grandmother uncovered the treacherousness of the previous Head. You will have a hard time convincing the Council that someone of her illustrious family name isn’t cut out for the job?”
“This is extremely important. Please, I will explain...”
He gazed at her sternly for what seemed like forever and then he nodded. “Fine. It best be now before Marita catches wind of it.”
Shrugging up the sleeve of his jacket, Alfred pressed one of the tiny buttons on his watch and it made a beeping noise. He looked up to find Caia and Vil gazing at him quizzically. “The watch was made in magik. All of the Council members have one. When one of us wishes to meet we press this button and the others’ watches beep to signal the request.”
Caia was impressed. “The CIA would love that.”
Alfred chuckled nervously. “Yes well, they have their own little gadgets.”
Before Caia could reply the room began to fill up with magiks she had never met before. Penelope appeared beside Alfred and she smiled at Caia in acknowledgement. The others glared and frowned at her and Vil.
“What is the meaning of this?” One tall, elegant, male magik strode past her to Alfred.
“Is this everyone?” Alfred searched the room. There were nine of them, including Alfred and Penelope. “Very well, ladies and gentleman I’ve called you here par the request of this young lady.” He gestured to Caia. She felt their attention on her like burning coals under her feet. She hopped back to distance herself from them. The power emanating from them all together was unli
ke anything she had ever encountered. These people were strong and old. And they meant business. The nine of them filed into a line in front of Alfred’s desk.
“Is this who I think it is?” a waifish female asked, her sharp eyes drinking Caia in with fascination.
“This is Caia Ribeiro, yes.”
A murmur rippled through them like one. It was really quite disconcerting.
“And why do you wish to see us, Miss Ribeiro?” Penelope asked her warmly.
Be cool, be confident... be persuasive.
“I’m here to ask you for the right to campaign against Marita for Head of the Coven.”
The murmuring turned into heated exclamations and Caia shifted closer to Vil unconsciously. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.
“Why?” Penelope asked, seeming hurt by Caia’s request.
“Because I believe that I can end this war, but not using Marita’s methods. I’m not asking you to kill her and give me the trace,” she rushed on, “I’m just asking that you give me the authority to make the decisions in this war. Marita would still continue using the trace, but working for me.”
A few of them almost looked disdainful, but Albert’s gaze had softened. “That’s quite merciful of you, Caia.”
“I have no wish to harm anyone. But I don’t believe this war will ever find closure under the leadership of Marita.”
The tall magik who had spoken first scoffed. “And how do you think you can do any better? Marita has had quite a few victories recently.”
“Because of Caia,” Penelope inserted, “Marita has been doing just as well as any other Head of the Coven until Caia came along. Those victories you speak of have had Caia’s hand in them somewhere.”
More murmuring as this sunk in.
Caia rubbed her sweaty palms against her trouser legs and stepped forward a little more confidently. She wouldn’t tell them her suspicion that Marita had tried to kidnap Jaeden for her own nefarious means because without proof she would appear as a spiteful little girl, completely undermining her position with the Council. But she would tell them about the children. For that there was proof.
“Whilst I was at the Centre I followed Marita one day. She disappeared under a trap door in the Altar of Gaia. The second marble slab to the right of the statue of Gaia has a gold button attached to it. If you press it, it opens to reveal a basement. Inside the basement you will find at least one laboratory where Marita is conducting illegal experiments on lykan children who are caged down there.”
River Cast: Part Two in the Tale of Lunarmorte Page 26