He glanced up at the ceiling, pulling her closer. When he met her gaze, he shrugged, but concern clouded his warm, brown eyes. “No way to know for sure. Though I do know for a fact, Anthony can sense our kind of magic. He’s been searching for more of us. Magic erupted when you read that spell. If he’s within a hundred miles, he sensed it.”
“Why would they be here now?”
“They sent away the Elm Wood pack, trying to ensure we weren’t looking for them. I guarantee they have scouts here. Whether or not any of them can sense hybrid magic, I can’t answer.”
Liz threw her hand up. “But why do they want us?”
“Because our magic is powerful and rare. Together, we can do things that defy logic. They need us, but they never explained why.”
Liz paced away, running her fingers through her long hair. “I wish you’d told me before I decided to have a baby. If I knew, if I understood, maybe I would—”
He caught her arm and spun her toward him. “Don’t you dare say that. We’ll get through this. You’ve been through far worse than some megalomaniacs wanting to recruit you for your power.”
She shook her head. “I’ve had some shit times, but I read what they did to you in the beginning. I don’t imagine it got much better over time.”
“What does that have to do with our child?”
She shook her head. “I’m not saying I could give up our baby. All I mean is I wish we’d dealt with them before I got pregnant. I can’t lose another baby, Trem.”
He shook his head. “We won’t.”
“I want our child to have what neither of us ever had. I read about your childhood. It’s not all that different than mine.”
“Liz, we’ll get through this. With Robert,” he promised. “You can’t imagine how happy I am you’re carrying our child.”
She swallowed hard. “I can’t lose him. Not again.”
Tremaine grinned. “You think we’re having a boy?”
She dipped her head slightly. “Don’t you?”
“I do.” He closed the distance. “I’m positive we are. Want to tell Robert?”
“I’m worried. If they used you for five years, what makes you think they won’t find a way to do it again? This time with me?”
“It was different, Liz. I was still an enforcer, and they wanted to make sure my ties were severed.”
“They tortured you for weeks. I can’t go through that with a baby. There’s no way they’d let me live. You know I’d fight.”
Tremaine caught her face and ran his thumbs over her cheeks. “Which is why I’m going to teach you how to use the rift magic. If you’re ever in trouble, you simply leave this realm. One way or another, we’ll find you. There are ways.”
“Promise?” she asked softly, leaning into him.
“I swear it.”
“Then you’ll have to train me starting tomorrow.”
“You got it. Tonight is all about celebrating this life, right here.” He dropped to his knees to kiss her flat stomach. “This baby is going to have everything.”
The popping sound caught her breath, then Robert pressed in from behind. “Are you as excited about the little one as I am?”
“Very excited about our boy,” Liz murmured.
He kissed her neck. “You’re sure.”
Liz nodded.
Tremaine stood to sandwich her between them. “I am too.”
“I was hoping for a girl,” Robert admitted. “A beautiful little girl who looks like you.” He kissed her cheek.
She snorted. “I think I’ll do better with a boy. I’m not one of those frilly frou-frou women who’s going to go gaga for dressing my kid up like a doll.”
“Robert might, though,” Tremaine teased.
He glared back. “You know I’m going to spoil our child, no matter what.”
Liz couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, the little guy is going to be decked out in expensive three-piece suits before he’s walking.” She rolled her eyes.
“Thought you liked my suits.”
She nodded. “But every once in a while I feel out of place standing next to Mr. Debonair while I’m in my ratty jeans, a tank and whatever sweater or flannel I grabbed.”
“Which is gorgeous on you, regardless.” Robert nipped her ear. “Though tonight, for a nice restaurant, I’ll beg you to wear a dress if I have to.”
She pulled away from her men. “For our special dinner out, I can do a dress.”
* * * *
Eighty-three years ago…
A hard shove made Tremaine stumble. Pain radiated from the impact of a fist in his gut, sending him to his knees as his breath exploded from his lungs.
Stupid damned idea.
Tremaine glared at what he could see of the bag over his head, waiting for some opportunity that hadn’t come yet. He needed to do something before they beat him into unconsciousness.
And here he thought he’d made progress with Rupert. But no, the bastard seemed jealous. Of what he wasn’t sure.
“Wait,” a deep resonating voice called out.
Everyone stepped back from him. A breeze ruffled his shirt and hair.
“Tremaine Gallagher?” Another voice asked, an old French accent, from a time long since over.
Then he remembered where he’d heard the first voice. More than a hundred years before while still in the enforcer training program. Not long before Julius and Antoine disappeared from the Silver Council for good.
Some of his last instructors… two of the three Silver Council members who knew his secret… had disappeared. They had confronted him about it days before they had supposedly died. Though it wasn’t much of a surprise that they had staged it if they had gone to HARP.
“That’s me,” Tremaine answered in a measured tone. The puzzle finally started to come together. He couldn’t know they were alive if HARP were to believe he wasn’t sent on purpose. They knew what he was when no one else did. Of course, they wanted him.
The bag was yanked from his head as Julius crouched in front of him.
A smirk lifted one corner of Julius’ mouth. “Another hybrid. One the Council still hasn’t outted. Bravo, my friend, bravo.”
Tremaine glared back at him. “What in the hell are you going on about?”
“You,” Antoine purred, walking toward him, “managed to do the impossible. How did you keep your secret so long?”
“How did you?”
“Touché.” Julius grinned.
Antoine’s brow arched. “You know?”
Theirs never felt like mage magic. Each seemed like a separate branch of fae magic. How the hell had they never been called out before disappearing?
Sucking in a breath, he met Antoine’s gaze. “Same as you know what I am.”
“Ah, yes, but your stepfather sold you out.”
“Clearly not to the Council,” Tremaine added.
Jules grinned, standing up to lean against Antoine. “Very true. But at the time, we were enforcers, much like you are now. The corruption runs deep. You realize Sebastian was one of ours. Even as a full blooded mage, he was weaker than most, and fell in with us, turning to dark magic to stay young.”
Didn’t surprise Tremaine one bit. He lifted a shoulder. “Do I need to stay on my knees? Or can I stand?”
“Stand, as long as you plan to behave,” Antoine answered with a wink to Julius.
When Tremaine shifted to comply, Julius moved around him to cut the ropes binding his wrists. Bringing his hands to his sides, and not fighting, took all the willpower he could muster.
Draecyn needed answers, and Tremaine was the only mage to make it this far up HARP’s ranks. Hell, they’d weeded out and killed every other mage who had attempted.
Jules turned to face Tremaine with a grin. “You’re not attacking. Why are you really here? We all know you’re Draecyn’s prized enforcer.”
Tremaine gave a cold smile. “I was, until he took Maynard’s side. When he announced he was digging into my actions in the last case, I wa
s done. I’m not wasting another second on Draecyn or the Council. They never appreciated what I offered.”
“You truly washed your hands of Draecyn? You’re not feeding him information?”
“No one in the Council has raided a single facility since I’ve joined, have they?”
“You could be keeping them on the sidelines, waiting until you have the founders.”
“True. Though if that were the case, I doubt they’d let me be dragged away with a bag over my head as your goons beat me.”
“Touché.” Julius grinned.
“Sebastian was a fool,” Antoine offered. “You, I like you. Now can we trust you?”
“Nothing I say will convince you. That’s for you to decide.”
Julius gave him a slow smile. “Intelligent man. Then we start with a special mission.”
“That would be?”
“Make the Council believe you’re dead. Fall off the face of the Earth. Once you do that, we’ll be in contact.”
Tremaine couldn’t even form a response. A year of missions wasn’t good enough? Now the Council needed to believe him dead?
Antoine covered his face, and light exploded as pain erupted through his system.
Chapter 9
Eighty-three years ago, two days later…
The wind rushed past Tremaine as he flew from his burning cabin, the one the Silver Council knew about. He’d spent the last day in town, ensuring mages saw him. He made sure everyone witnessed the explosion before he soared into the night sky to escape the blistering heat. Determined to contact Draecyn, he maneuvered through the trees trying to lose the poor Silver Council Enforcer they’d sent to trail him.
A cold dread filled his gut. This assignment might become his last for more than one reason. Too far in and he wouldn’t be able to get out without dying or staying with HARP permanently.
As much as he wanted to toss the insanity aside, he now understood why he was the first to make it so deep. He was the only hybrid the Council had sent.
The clincher? If the Council knew who his father was, they would never have allowed him to become a Silver Council anything. They would have watched him like a mongrel expected to attack.
His goal since joining the esteemed enforcers was to alter the Council’s view of all Others. A task which very well might be impossible. However, Draecyn believed it could be done. Hell, even Wilhelm believed.
Tremaine’s heart twinged when he realized he couldn’t tell Wilhelm what he was doing. The position was too precarious for his friend, who chose a role that would keep him near his wife.
Branches snapped as growls and snarls rent the air. Tremaine shot up into the sky, above the trees, and lost himself in the low hanging clouds to make his way far from the wereanimals Julius and Antoine had sent after him.
Far enough up and no one would track him. He needed to effectively disappear from everyone long enough to talk to Draecyn. As much as he had prayed for a reassignment, he knew it would never be granted.
This mission was far too important. Though Tremaine had already uncovered the biggest secret of all… Julius and Antoine, two of the Silver Council’s most praised enforcers for more than a millennium before they died. Now the pair had assumed new identities as Anthony and Jules Regale.
Hours later, he entered a cave and dove into an underground spring that would strip any and all enchantments Julius and Antoine had placed on him.
It also stripped all magic the Silver Council had placed on him when accepting a position as a Silver Council Enforcer. The only enchantments not stripped were those Gabriel Sharpclaw tattooed into his skin upon finishing his training.
Properly taught as a mage and a druid, he held many secrets. He swooped in like a falcon but emerged as a mountain lion. Tremaine had access to other shapes, but he wanted to maintain visibility as an animal that could be found in these parts, up high, where Draecyn’s stronghold sat above this valley.
Tremaine ran up the treacherous terrain as fast as he dared, keeping to the forest, and not the road where he might be seen.
When the sun began dipping below the horizon, Tremaine stepped into the hidden entrance and silently made his way down to the catacombs where Draecyn kept countless artifacts, ones too dangerous to be trusted with anyone.
Someone with a familiar face stood near the fire, talking in hushed tones with Draecyn. The woman turned back, a smile on her lips. Her steel-streaked mahogany hair hung in curls around her shoulders.
The woman smiled. “Good evening, Tremaine. I’ve been telling Draecyn we should expect you any moment.”
Draecyn gaped. “They verified your death,” he stammered as the woman disappeared. “I feared the worst.”
“They gave me a mission to fall off the face of the planet. So I did. Now I’m here to set your mind at ease. I wish I could tell Wilhelm, but I don’t want to put him in further danger.”
“Don’t worry about him just now. He’s taken Kathryn and his children on an adventure.” Draecyn rolled his eyes. “I’ll ensure he knows you’re on a vital mission, and leave it at that.”
“I take it you want me to continue the mission?”
“Have you learned who’s at the core of HARP?” Draecyn asked, without a shred of hope in his eyes.
“Antoine and Julius. They trained me at the academy, but they’re both hybrids.”
“Unfortunately, they are only the face of HARP. The core is who we need to worry about. We need more intel. I must send you back.”
“I was afraid of that.” He moved to stand by the mantel. “Can I, at least, have a couple days’ rest before going back? The journey has been anything but easy.”
“Of course. Staying out of sight for a few days may even make them worry, and impress them when you do show back up.”
Tremaine nodded, but he was already contemplating how to stay away from HARP for another week.
* * * *
A lead stone sat lodged in Tremaine’s gut. Happiness flowed through him and his partners, and still, he couldn’t shake the sense that their whole world was going to fall out of balance.
Liz walked between both her lovers, holding hands as they made their way the few blocks to the new fondue place.
Having finally relaxed, Liz beamed. They stopped momentarily outside the restaurant, and she leaned in close pressing a kiss on Tremaine’s neck. “Stop brooding. We’re celebrating.”
He wanted to scoop her up, take her somewhere and settle her in his lap, but they were in public. Instead, he caressed her flat belly and returned a smile. “Finally past worrying about this little bean?”
“For now. Later, when we go back to reality, I can worry about our boy.”
“We, doll, we,” he murmured before capturing her mouth in a kiss.
“We,” she answered.
Robert leaned over, brushing his lips over her ear. “All three of us. You aren’t alone.”
She looked from one to the other. “Would you both stop fussing? You’ve made your point, and I wasn’t even the one second-guessing this time. He was.” She tipped her head toward Tremaine.
He pulled her closer. “Sorry. I’ll do better to focus on the present moment.” If he could get over the feeling of being watched. Had her magic brought additional unwanted attention?
She jabbed him in the ribs, light dancing in her eyes. “Knock it off, right now. No more of that. I won’t tolerate it.”
He chuckled, attempting to push the sinking feeling aside to focus on the evening.
Robert stepped ahead and opened the door. He squeezed Liz’s hand as she passed, then he gave Tremaine a very serious look.
Shaking his head, Tremaine stepped inside, wanting to put off the conversation for as long as they could safely do so. Soon, he would have to develop a plan to train Liz in using her hidden talents and understanding the dangers. Perhaps her acceptance of the magic would help him finally embrace his own power.
Liz’s eyes narrowed at something in the bar, her head tipped to the side.
“What do you see?” he asked.
She turned to him and stepped into his embrace. “Someone’s showing great interest in you. Can’t say I blame them.”
He chuckled, dropping his lips to hers. He didn’t see a single face he recognized. No one seemed to be paying attention to any of them. Though it wouldn’t have surprised him to find a man ogling Liz. “Who’s to say they aren’t captivated by you?”
She huffed. “He was definitely watching you. Not me.”
He shrugged. “Then I suppose they’ll be disappointed my interest lies with you two.”
Robert slung his arm around Liz’s shoulders, his eyes meeting Tremaine’s. “No one seems to be paying us any attention.”
Tremaine winked. “See? Nothing to worry about.”
Preston strolled in with Dacia tucked under his arm. He grinned at them. “For as much as you won’t discuss a single intimate moment, you sure don’t mind public displays of affection.”
Robert rolled his eyes. “We weren’t making out in public.”
Preston’s brow arched and he glanced at Tremaine. “Then why is Trem wearing Liz’s lipstick?”
Tremaine wiped the back of his hand across his mouth with a smirk. “I stole a kiss. Couldn’t help it when she painted my favorite color on her lips.”
Liz laughed. “Oh, Tremaine loves any color on me.”
He shrugged. “You caught me.”
Preston snorted. “That’s such a lame excuse. Just admit it, you couldn’t keep your mouth to yourself.”
He shrugged, licking his lips. “Course not.” He glanced at Preston. “We didn’t put on a show, though. A small kiss never hurt anyone.”
Dacia giggled. “Leave them alone. It’s not as if you haven’t tried to devour me in public.”
Preston moved closer and wrapped his hands around Dacia’s waist. “Don’t give me ideas, Minx.”
She nipped his lip before turning to Liz. “Preston shared the good news. I’m so happy for you.”
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