by Jami Gray
So, while Natasha’s mother carried enough Fey blood to allow her surviving daughter to Shadow Walk, Natasha’s true power lay in the strength of her Amanusa ancestry. As one of the Blood of Secrets, her nature feasted on the beautiful, unexpected results of manipulation, lies, false promises, intrigue, and secrets.
Which was why she decided to Shadow Walk tonight. Not only would it allow her to bypass the wards and use the small backdoor left behind by the previous demon owner, but she would also be able to remain unseen by those gathered inside.
She stepped fully onto the paths twining between the mortal and magical realms. Icy winds whipped around her without finding purchase. Locating her exit point wasn’t difficult. What cost her time was the delicate reconfiguration of the warning system penetrating even to this in-between place.
An admirable example of warding work, probably Gavin’s, but as she noted once before, experience generally trumped age. Not to mention that the devious nature of a demon held its own advantages. Finished with her maneuverings, she stepped into Zarana’s main room. Her skills were such that her presence would go unnoticed until she decided otherwise.
Observation spot chosen, she surveyed the room. Gavin leaned against a dust-covered bar. Next to him was Raine. A small, memorable blonde stood with them. Her lightning-quick hand movements ruffled the sleeves of her gauzy poet shirt, even as the short, sassy plaid skirt swung at mid-thigh. One knee-high leather boot tapped against the floor.
Xander Cade, Vidis’s mate and the only other female in the lethal Wraiths. Compared to Raine’s sleek, no-nonsense red thermal shirt, jeans, and boots, the shifter resembled a Hell’s-Angel-meets-Goth-Fairy mix. “Any others Shadow Walking?” Xander asked.
“A couple,” Gavin answered. “The rest should use the front door.”
Or the backdoor, Natasha corrected silently. Granted, Gavin had no idea she carried the necessary blood to use such paths. Not many of those with Fey blood had the magical strength to take advantage of traveling the strange, twisted roads without getting lost. It took a certain level of mental and magical strength. Like the type found in the Wraiths. But Ryan had shown her how.
“Incoming.” Raine’s murmured warning came before Natasha’s magic twinge in recognition of the newest arrivals.
Gavin and Xander came to attention.
Two men stepped out of the shadows about ten feet apart. The first one stood a couple of inches above Gavin’s six-foot-four height and sported neatly trimmed, dark hair, his eyes hidden behind superficial wire-framed glasses. He was immaculately dressed as if returning from some impressive lunch—one where crystal and cloth napkins were standard fare. His civilized illusion was flawless.
“Niall,” Gavin greeted, receiving a short nod in return. He turned to Niall’s companion. “Gideon.”
“Durand.” The depth of Gideon’s voice vibrated bone. In faded jeans and a chambray shirt, he missed Gavin’s height by a couple of inches but gave the impression of an unmovable boulder. Solid was the word that sprang to mind. Completely opposite in looks, the two latest arrivals shared identical impassive expressions and a lingering in-human beauty inherent to those with Fey blood.
The door opened, outdoor sounds and rain-laced air sweeping through the darkened room as Jamie held the door wide for another. “Fahd, after you.”
Ignoring Jamie’s mocking arm flourish, Fahd swept in. Slender and dark, he didn’t walk so much as flow across the floor. The sense of an impending lightning strike lingered in his wake. Jamie followed, pushing the door closed.
“Gentlemen,” Gavin greeted.
“Durand.” The melodic voice matched Fahd’s exotic coloring. He sketched a smooth half-bow to Raine and Xander. “McCord, Cade.”
His movements carried the same old world elegance of their Council visitor, Zayn Aimeric. Not unexpected. Fahd was an excellent courtier.
Jamie raised a quick hand and flashed a taunting smile to Raine and Xander, before taking a seat at one of the tables. Fahd joined him. On the other side, Niall and Gideon took up positions against the wall, leaving Gavin, Raine, and Xander squarely in the middle.
Natasha continued to watch, curious. So far, only seven of the twelve Wraiths were present.
“How many more are we waiting on?” leaned back in his chair until it balanced on two legs.
“One,” Gavin said.
“Still leaves us short.”
“The others can’t make it in.”
Before anything more could be said, the final member entered. A chill breeze chased him in, even as he closed the door. Clothed in a dark overcoat and pressed slacks paired with a gray shirt, the man took in the room’s occupants before dismissing them, focusing solely on Gavin. “Durand.”
“Sullivan.”
The twist of distaste in Gavin’s greeting almost made Natasha smile. It seemed Kevin Sullivan had already ruffled some feathers. Since Ryan’s death, she kept tabs on this one. Not only because of his position in the Wraiths, but because this was the same demon encouraging the discontent in her house. If her intel was correct, he would be the one who would cause the most issues tonight.
Sullivan deliberately sat separate from everyone else.
Gavin didn’t waste time on unnecessary pleasantries. “The Council’s representative arrived today.” Based upon the lack of reaction from the room, word had already spread. When no one said anything, he continued. “We need a new captain before we’re given one.”
“What do you propose we do?” Sullivan’s question bordered on insolence. “Vote?”
Unruffled, Gavin met the red-ringed gaze of the arrogant demon. “Yes.”
Even from her hidden position Natasha could see the deepening of crimson in Sullivan’s eyes at Gavin’s unshakable composure. “We’re still short,” Sullivan snarled. “Don’t you think we should all be present for this conversation?”
“Our other four are out on assignment. Once we come to a consensus, they’ll be brought up to speed.”
“Generous of you,” Sullivan sneered.
Gavin folded his arms, his stance relaxed. “Do you have another suggestion?”
A dull flush rode under Sullivan’s skin, but he held his tongue.
Natasha gave the first confrontation to Gavin.
Gavin turned back to the others. “With the Council rep in town, our options will dwindle fast. If we don’t set a captain in place now, we may find ourselves becoming exactly what Mulcahy feared.”
“Tools.” A derisive bite colored Fahd’s comment.
Gavin nodded. “Giving the most powerful and political Kyn in the world access to an elite squad of assassins and hunters is asking for trouble.”
“There’s no guarantee he is here for us,” Niall said.
“Are you blind?” Feminine disgust brought every male head in the room toward Raine. She lifted her chin. “The Council rep isn’t here for shits and giggles, boys. If you don’t think he’ll make a play for the captaincy, you’re all fucking idiots.”
Natasha swallowed her urge to laugh at the myriad of frowns Raine’s scornful comment provoked. No matter how deadly Raine and Xander were, the other male Wraiths tended to forget that what lay underneath the curves could be more deadly than their chosen weapons.
“Do you not want it, McCord?” Gideon’s deep voice echoed through the room. He didn’t move from his position, simply stared at Raine.
“Nope, not even if you offered it dipped in chocolate.” She bared her teeth. “However, I’d be happy to answer to Gavin.”
The flash of humor on Gideon’s face was so quick, Natasha would have bet good money that she was the only one who caught it. “What a surprise.”
“Let’s make this fair then, shall we?” Sullivan drawled with frigid disdain. “I’ll officially throw my hat into the ring.”
“Oh, shocker, that one,” Jamie muttered.
Sullivan turned with reptilian slowness to pin the younger demon with a glare. Unfazed, Jamie simply smirked.
Niall�
�s unruffled voice wound through the tension. “Besides you and Durand, who else is offering to stand for such a position?”
“Our friendly neighborhood Councilman, Zayn Aimeric,” Raine offered.
“Natasha Bertoi,” Jamie volunteered, never looking away from Sullivan while an anticipatory delight danced across his face.
“Seriously?” Xander asked. “Natasha already claimed the CEO position at Taliesin. Isn’t that enough for her? She doesn’t need the captaincy as well.”
He just grinned in reply.
Fahd spoke up. “Natasha is not a choice I would be comfortable with as captain. There is no guarantee she wouldn’t use us to accommodate her own goals.”
His comment made Natasha reevaluate the depth of dissent in her court. Of the three demons gathered, only Jamie seemed to be in favor of her bid. While Sullivan was always a self-serving bastard, for Fahd to question her ability to hold the Wraiths was more disturbing.
Perhaps it was time to remind those gathered exactly what kind of leader they must choose.
She stepped out of her concealment, her voice cutting through the room with icy precision. “And you think Gavin or Zayn would be any different?”
Her sudden appearance caught everyone’s attention. Tension skyrocketed.
“Natasha, nice of you to join us.” Gavin’s growl told another story, but she appreciated his efforts at civility.
Brushing an imaginary fleck of dirt off the sleeve of her jacket, she strolled across the floor, knowing the elegant lines of her white pantsuit fairly glowed against the dim interior. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Gavin.” Coming up behind Jamie, she brushed her blood red nails over his shoulder as she passed. Her attention landed on Fahd. “I ask again, do you think Gavin or Zayn would hesitate to use any of you to further their own position?”
Fahd remained relaxed under her piercing regard, his voice steady. “The Wraiths stand as the last guard against those who would see the world washed in blood. Politics can have no place in justice.”
His answer had her giving a low laugh meant to send uneasy chills chasing over skin. “Oh, Fahd, don’t fool yourself. Not all of your assignments have served Lady Justice, regardless of what Ryan told you.” When the room remained silent, she raised her eyebrows, turning in a slow circle. “What? No rushes of denial?” She clicked her tongue in admonishment. “That’s something, at least.” Looking beyond Fahd, she zeroed in on Sullivan.
He tried not to squirm but failed to stop his tiny, involuntary twitches.
“Do you really think you could hold this group together?”
“Better than you, Bertoi,” he sneered, hollow bravado echoing behind his words. “Stick with the bloodless weapons. They’re less likely to chip your nails.”
She suppressed her urge to roll her eyes at the childish taunt. Was that the best he could do? She was amazed at the amount of trouble this one half-wit managed to generate. His obvious immaturity made her question how accurate her information was on the rumblings in her court. But it was one more reason that he couldn’t be allowed anywhere near the captaincy. Idiots didn’t have long lifespans.
Natasha drifted closer until she stood directly in front of Sullivan. Wanting to get her point across, she let her demon rise to the fore and hover around her, allowing her to loom over the fool. She leaned in until their faces were inches apart. If not for the furious energy singing between them, their position could have been mistaken for a kiss. “Do you know why both the captaincy and your petty aspirations to my seat will forever go unfulfilled? Mmmmm?”
Sullivan’s lips tightened into thin lines as his gaze darted between her eyes and face without settling. This close, she couldn’t miss the red bleeding over the brown of his irises. He struggled to contain the monster under his skin, knowing he now faced down the biggest threat in the room. His jaw was so tight, she was surprised it didn’t crack his teeth.
When it became obvious he couldn’t speak, she continued. “Because you don’t have the balls to see shit through, little boy.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, yet the hiss echoed through the room. “Until that changes, stay the fuck out of my way.”
He paled.
Satisfied she had delivered her message, she straightened without breaking eye contact. “Unless, of course, you’d like to make your challenge official?” A little bloodletting would do a demon queen good.
“Enough, Natasha.” Gavin drew her focus like a mag-net. “You can’t bully this group into doing what you want.”
She held his gaze, fighting back the urge to push a little further, a little harder. When Gavin refused to look away, she let her lips curl into a condescending smile and drew back from Sullivan.
Gavin addressed the entire group. “The nominations will stand. Each member will chose who they feel would best serve as captain.”
Xander, who at some point had hopped up on top of the bar, swung her legs, the silver chains on her black boots chiming. “Gavin has seniority. He can hold his temper better than any of us, which makes him invaluable in dealing with—” She gave a significant glance at Natasha, “—others. He was Mulcahy’s second, so I’m nominating him.”
As Natasha agreed with her observation, she simply smiled at the younger woman. Besides, upsetting Vidis by taunting his mate gained her nothing.
“Seconded,” Raine added.
“Seniority? Level head?” Jamie snorted. “Did you forget how close the humans are to outing us? Or that the Council is targeting us as well? If the Northwest Kyn plan on coming through this, we need someone who can spin the public and parry the Council’s advances. No offense, Durand, but I’d pit Natasha against odds like those any day.”
“A sound argument,” Gideon said. “I’ll second Natasha’s nomination.”
How generous of him, and unexpected, but she’d take it.
“Anyone else?” Gavin asked.
“I’ll second Sullivan’s nomination,” Fahd added, avoiding Natasha’s gaze. When the rest of the group turned to him, he shrugged. “Options are always nice to have.” Not a ringing endorsement, but when dealing with demons, one must always be prepared for the unexpected. They loved to stir shit up, and this was turning out to be no different.
Gavin turned to Niall. “Anyone you want to nominate?”
Niall shrugged. “I’m still considering the options.”
“Fair enough,” Gavin murmured.
“Anyone want to second Aimeric’s nomination?” Raine drawled.
When no one answered, Gavin said, “Then I suggest everyone consider the nominations carefully.” He met Natasha’s gaze, the mocking glint warning her that he wasn’t done yet. “Did you all receive the same invite?”
Everyone but Natasha nodded.
Intrigued and a little miffed, she asked, “Invite?”
“Our presence is being demanded tomorrow night at Mulcahy’s home.”
This was unexpected and disturbing. “By?”
“Zayn Aimeric.” Raine shrugged. “Or so we think. The details are a little sketchy.”
Natasha frowned, puzzled by their seeming lack of concern. “None of you are curious about this?”
“Whoever it is will be facing eight Wraiths,” Gavin said. “I don’t think it’s us who should be worried.”
Granted, Gavin had a right to his arrogance, but still she’d make sure to join tomorrow’s gathering.
When she added nothing more, he continued, “I’ll notify the other four. They can vote by proxy. We’ll call the final vote tomorrow night.”
One by one, the Wraiths left the way they came, until only Gavin and Raine remained behind with Natasha. A watchful silence stretched between them. Gavin never fidgeted under Natasha’s regard, a trait she admired. Even Raine kept still, waiting.
“Do you think you’re ready to take this on?” Natasha asked.
Gavin studied her. “This or you?”
Refreshing not to be underestimated. She smiled, knowing how it would unsettle the two bef
ore her. “Are they not the same?”
“I’m not stepping aside.” Grim determination laced every syllable.
No, Gavin couldn’t, actually, not if he and Raine wanted to survive. But they didn’t know she understood that. She gave a merry laugh. “Then good luck to you, Gavin.” Taking a step back, she stood on the threshold of the Shadowed Paths and gave her final volley. “You’re going to need it.”
Chapter Six
A sharp rap on the door dragged Natasha’s attention away from her corrections on the latest press copy.
“Natasha, it’s time.” Jamie stood in the doorway, letting in the chaotic chorus of heavy thumps and high whines of metal saw blades. A muffled shout sounded, followed by a crash, causing him to wince. “They’re in the conference room.”
Setting aside her work, she rose from her desk and grabbed the tailored black-linen jacket from her chair. Passing the penholder, she snagged a lacquered Chinese hairpin. “Who’s here?”
“Vidis and Cheveyo.”
Untucking her hair from the jacket’s collar, she made a few quick twists and set the hairpin in place. “Carys?”
“On her way.” Jamie remained in the doorway. “Rachel indicated her meeting ran over.”
With the exit blocked, she pulled up short, even as she secured her jacket’s lone button over her crimson silk shell. Jamie’s normally easygoing expression was shadowed by something darker. Smoothing the material down over her hips, she canted her head to the side. “What’s wrong?”
“Why haven’t you taken out Sullivan?”
She gave his unexpected question a slow blink. “Excuse me?”
“Why are you allowing that bastard to spread his poison through Amanusa House?” He pushed away from the doorframe, stepped inside her office, and closed the door behind him. Leaning against it, he studied her. “You and I both know the Council is here to exploit the cracks in our leadership. Sullivan will just rip the existing ones even wider, especially if he gains control of the Wraiths.”