by Jami Gray
Jamie’s caustic tone scoured over her, riling the demon living below her skin. Although she held grand plans for her protégé, not even he had the right to question her decisions as the Amanusa Head. That he felt he could, brought her demon roiling to the surface in a reflexive rush, shimmering the air between them. “So because he disagrees with my decisions, I should, what? Make an example out of him?”
Color drained from his face as her lethally edged questions cut through his disdain.
“Is that what you think makes for a strong leader, pet? Disposing of those who don’t fall into line?” Her lips curved, revealing the sharpened points of her teeth, a physical change prompted by her straining nature. “If I relied on such simplistic tactics, there wouldn’t be much of a house to rule, now would there?”
Little beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead, but he gamely held her gaze while he shook his head slowly.
Satisfied with his reaction, she straightened and took a step back, giving herself a chance to reclaim control over her instinctive need to see him bleed. Once sure she wouldn’t leave Jamie with a lasting mark of her displeasure, she continued, “If Sullivan’s petty aspirations for my seat don’t worry me, neither should they worry you. If he wants to whisper that my hand crafted the spell, so be it. He’s playing a child’s game of rumors. One I don’t have the time, or patience, to indulge in.”
Jamie visibly swallowed but dared to press his concern. “Those rumors are turning the other houses against us. It makes yo—” He verbally stumbled and quickly changed his next word, “—us, the Northwest, look weak to the Council.”
She raised an eyebrow. No way to miss his obvious pronoun change. She considered explaining why his observations were incorrect, but something held her back. Instinct, past experience, or her hunger for havoc, she wasn’t sure which. And preparing to step into the political ring with the Council and the other Heads of House was not the time to delve into it.
However, a warning would not be remiss. “You aren’t giving our house or the Kyn as a whole, enough credit. Those intelligent enough to understand what is truly at stake understand that Mulcahy’s death gained me nothing and could cost us a great deal.”
“You gained Taliesin,” he muttered.
“You thought someone else would run the company?” Who had he expected to step up? Vidis? Cheveyo? Neither man had what it took to run a multi-million-dollar company. Nor could they straddle the fine line between aggression and compromise with various government agencies and rival businessmen. Vidis’s temperament was too close to that of his wolf, and Cheveyo, well, he had enough problems to handle.
When she silently held his stare, Jamie clenched his fists, his own temper finally breaking free, despite his obvious nervousness at confronting her. “Look, fine, you’re the best one to run Taliesin. I’m not questioning your appointment. I meant what I said last night. I’m thrilled you’re in the running for captaincy, but it’s no secret every house has a few rats who report back to the Council. Who’s to say Sullivan isn’t our rat? What if this is a ploy to bring down another one of our leaders?”
He was making some valid points, ones she considered herself. And because she had, she gave him the same answer she’d come to, “The Council tools are never so obvious. They prefer to work where they can’t be seen. Sullivan is not subtle enough to be their pawn. It’s a necessary trait for Council tools. Unlike the one behind Ryan’s death, Sullivan doesn’t hold enough power or influence to create the necessary fissures the Council relies on.”
“You willing to bet your position on that, Natasha? Your life?” For moment, an unsettling anger ran behind his face, almost too fast to catch. “Because if the ones behind Mulcahy’s death are examples of who, or what, we’re facing, I’d be a bit more concerned, if I were you.”
“But you’re not me.” More than concern haunted her, but a leader never revealed their doubts, not even to those who stood beside them. “I would never risk more than I’m willing to pay, Jamie. Sullivan is a distraction. The real threat is the one waiting for us in the conference room.” She gave a pointed look at the closed door.
His shoulders slumped, but he stepped aside. “I hope to hell you know what you’re doing.”
“Better than most,” she said, opening the door.
As Jamie dogged her heels, Natasha closed in on the conference room where voices from within floated into the hallway.
They stopped outside the room and Jamie asked, “Do you need me to stay?”
“No.”
He turned to leave and made it a step before he stopped and turned back. “I’ll pick you up around nine tonight?”
Ah, yes, the private meeting at Ryan’s. “I’ll be here.” It was one appointment she didn’t want to miss.
He dropped his head and left.
Professional smile firmly in place, she swept into the room, bringing the conversation to a halt. Zayn looked up from his conversation with a frowning Vidis, while Carys and Cheveyo sat on either side of the empty chair at the head of the table.
Good, everyone was here.
She made her way to the seat between Cheveyo and Carys. “My apologies, my previous meeting ran over.” Taking her seat, she laced her fingers together and rested her hands on the table’s surface. “Welcome to Taliesin, Mr. Aimeric.”
“Zayn, please,” he murmured.
“Zayn, then.” The other three heads remained silent, ceding control to her. Today there would be no delicate dance. They needed some answers. And perhaps those same answers would help her smooth Jamie’s ruffled feathers. “We appreciate the Council’s thoughtfulness in sending you for Ryan’s service.”
“As I mentioned before, his passing has left its mark.”
“Yes, it has,” she murmured. “However, me and mine would like to ensure we address the true reason behind your visit. You are here for more than condolences.”
“You and yours?”
“Taliesin, and our Kyn community,” Carys interjected.
If not for the fact that Natasha knew Carys held no love for the Council, even she’d have been fooled by the civility in the woman’s tone. In fact, having Carys as the new head of Fey House pleased Natasha on multiple levels.
Not only did Taliesin’s chief legal counsel possess a razor sharp mind, Carys’s desire for answers on Ryan’s death rivaled Natasha’s. Enough so, should there come a time when lines must be crossed to get those answers, lines Cheveyo and Vidis may not be comfortable crossing, Natasha knew she would find a certain level of support from Carys.
Zayn inclined his head, his pleasant expression never wavering. “The Northwest Kyn have become a unique power here in the new world, one the Council has been happy to work with. While congratulations are in order for both you, Ms. Iver, and you, Ms. Bertoi, Mulcahy’s death leaves behind some very…unique problems.”
“Which problems would those be?” Vidis asked, something predatory crawling behind his eyes.
Zayn turned to the wolf, a considering light in his red-ringed yellow eyes. “In the last few months, the Northwest Kyn has been involved in some highly public situations. Situations that verge on the cusp of becoming problematic. The Council would like to offer our assistance in resolving any remaining complications.”
“Such as?” Natasha was truly curious to hear his answer. “Both the CEO position and the Head of the Fey house are filled. Taliesin’s professional standing at both the federal and local levels remains solidly intact. What could possibly be worrying the Council?”
“The Wraith’s Captaincy.”
And there is was, the real reason Zayn was sent to Oregon. “The Council holds no authority over the Wraiths.”
Anticipation fired in those unusual eyes, even as Zayn deliberately relaxed into his chair. “The Council understands the vital role the Wraiths play in our co-existence with the humans. Therefore we would like to offer our input on who will assume this position.”
Did he really think his “input” would go ove
r uncontested with the Wraiths? What could prompt that kind of arrogance? He hadn’t struck her as a fool. At least not yet.
“I just bet they do,” muttered Cheveyo, his comment turning Zayn’s smile into a tight-lipped grimace.
Before anyone else could stoke the fire, she said, “The Wraiths are here to keep both human and Kyn safe from all threats. There is no room for politics in justice.” It didn’t escape her that she raised the same concerns, voiced against her, to Zayn. Thank you, Fahd. “If we allow the Council to interfere, they will not be able to maintain that impartiality.”
“Truly, you don’t think the Council would stoop to such a level as to use such a group to enforce their political views?” His question dripped with polite disbelief.
The man deserved an award for his performance. If it weren’t for the brightening of red around his pupils, a telltale clue of his waxing temper and a sure sign his Amanusan nature was clawing for attention, she might believe him. “Please, Zayn, don’t play us for fools. Any time a political machine is given access to such a tool, they will always utilize it.” A fact she witnessed the Council prove time and time again. She held his gaze. Dropping all pretenses, she let her demon prowl forward, letting him see just how far she was willing to go to keep the Council out of Wraith affairs. “The Wraiths will not answer to the Council.”
His amusement vanished. “They must answer to someone.”
“They will,” Vidis said, his voice low. “Their captain.”
“And who will that be? Gavin Durand?” He tilted his head in her direction. “You?” He shook his head. “Don’t be obtuse. Mulcahy’s pets owe their existence to the Council. They are too dangerous to hand over to just anyone.”
Three insults in three sentences? From someone who was such an experienced Council member, the blunder was quite clumsy. Unless, of course, he was trying to provoke them—a minor success, considering the brightening sheen of amber in Vidis’s eyes and Carys’s sudden, focused attention. Even Cheveyo’s spine snapped straight while his hands disappeared below the table. Perhaps she should call a halt to this little charade before blood was spilt. The tension in the room climbed as the silence stretched and the monster under her skin hummed in joy.
With a silent sigh, she tucked away her predatory anticipation of imminent bloodshed and focused on business. “The Wraiths owe their existence to Ryan Mulcahy, a fact that they understand all too well. His death was not well received. In fact, I do believe they would love to ask you a few questions of their own.” Ignoring the indignant look on his face, she continued, “As a matter of fact, there’s one particular question bothering me. Perhaps you can answer it?” Time to push.
Zayn deliberately sat back in his chair and made a go ahead gesture.
How magnanimous of him. “What has the Northwest Kyn done to frighten our esteemed Council?”
A scowl settled over his aristocratic features. “The Council is not frightened, Ms. Bertoi. They are concerned. In the last few months, your people have been involved in some highly troubling situations.” He turned to Cheveyo. “We are still dealing with the fallout from your visit to the Southwest.” His gaze slid to Vidis. “And yours. Their alpha has laid serious accusations at your door. Not to mention the rogue who cut a bloody swath through the human nightclub a few weeks ago.” He swiveled to Natasha and spread his hands wide. “Mulcahy’s death was the last straw, and now there are whispers that perhaps your House is unsettled.”
When she refused to react to his dig, he continued, “Whatever is at play here is dangerous. Not just to your people, but to the Kyn as a whole. Our agreement with the human authorities is being severely tested by such events. The Council agreed to the Wraiths’ creation, so long as their first priority remained intact. Keep our race safe and hidden. Discretion is vital to that goal. If the Wraiths fail at that, then it becomes the Council’s problem. Something the Northwest Kyn seem to have forgotten.”
Mental wheels spun as she considered what Zayn didn’t say. If the Council considered the Wraiths a problem, who did they think could stand against them? Old memories stirred, little things she tucked away for decades.
“Is the Council truly so blind as to not see that the time for secrecy is coming to an end?” Cheveyo’s question cut through the room. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Technology has shrunk the world, erasing boundaries, including the ones we have hidden behind for centuries.”
“It is not time to step out of the shadows.”
The witch’s lips twisted into a grimace. “You better check your damn watch, because you’re running behind.”
Zayn arched an eyebrow. “You’re questioning the Council’s wisdom?”
“That’s not wisdom,” Carys snapped. “That’s being unrealistic.”
“I’ll be sure to share your opinions with the Council, then.” His mocking tone matched the glare he leveled at Carys.
“Please do.” Natasha stepped in. “The Wraiths can only do so much, Councilman, without turning the humans against us.” When his attention centered on her, she continued, “I’m sure certain Council members will find it reassuring that their people understand change is imminent and necessary.”
His eyes narrowed. “Reassuring?”
She blinked in mock innocence. “Was this not the exact subject under discussion last month?” His spine straightened. Yes, we have ears of our own. “I do believe we are not the only Kyn who understand that if we don’t arrange our reveal to the humans on our terms, we may be facing a new era of persecution.” Deliberately she used Ryan’s exact phrasing, one he shared with her after his last go around with the Council.
Zayn’s lips thinned as her words found their mark.
“When,” she stressed, “not if, the curtain is drawn back, the only ones able to keep the most violent of us from making brutal headlines in the mortal world will be the Wraiths. Ryan knew exactly who to choose to create a group capable of doing just that, especially since the humans are poorly equipped to handle our less than pleasant aspects. Their captain must be of their choosing. Otherwise, they will be of no use to the Kyn or anyone else.”
“That choice is not yours to make,” Zayn said.
“Nor yours,” she shot back. Taking a steadying breath, she leaned back, and looked around the table before coming back to Zayn. “It strikes me that the Council is much too interested in, not only our actions, but those of our Wraiths.”
He rose to his feet, straightening his tie. “I’ve already explained our concerns.”
Refusing to let him off the hook, she shook her head. “No, there’s more to it.” Her fingers began to drum on the table as she studied him with narrowed eyes. “If you’re so eager to meet with the Wraiths, perhaps you can help them with something.”
“What would that be?”
“They have questions about the spell that killed Ryan. You see, Mr. Aimeric, it was very, very old.” And the demon before her was no young fool, regardless of how he played things.
His hand froze and he lifted his head to meet her gaze. “How old?” An odd intensity edged his question, one that was lacking until now.
Cheveyo leaned forward. “Ancient.”
Zayn slowly considered each of them. He stopped on Vidis. “It was my understanding that your brother was behind the spell.”
Vidis’s smile wasn’t nice. “Dmitri held no affinity for spell crafting.” His wolf evident in his amber gaze, he stared at Zayn. “He was, however, a very good tool.”
Thoughts too fast to follow flashed across their visitor’s face. As he processed their implications, he set his jaw. “Perhaps I can offer my assistance to the Wraiths.”
“I’m sure they would appreciate any insights you could provide.” Pursing her lips, she rested one crimson-tipped fingernail against her chin. “However, may I suggest you refrain from referring to them as ‘Mulcahy’s pets’ if you value your appendages?”
After a distinct pause, he inclined his head. “I’ll take that under advisement, Ms. Bertoi.�
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“Good.” Flashing him a smile guaranteed to loosen his bowels, she murmured, “Best of luck to you, Mr. Aimeric.”
Chapter Seven
Wind danced through the quiet streets as the first questing fingers of night began to appear. Cool and scented from the evening’s earlier rain, the accompanying breeze tripped and tumbled over leaves, sending them scurrying along to pile against the silent house. Clouds played peek-a-boo with the moon, bathing the private residence in an ever-changing pallet of whites, grays, and blacks.
Natasha stepped off the Shadowed Paths and onto the edge of Ryan’s property. She held still, taking time to ensure she was alone.
After the tension-filled meeting with Zayn, she spent another hour dealing with various situations requiring i-mediate attention from Taliesin’s new CEO. Having business impede on her personal agenda was nothing new. However, the sheer volume of things to be addressed made her even more aware of the urgency in naming her marketing replacement. Which probably wouldn’t happen for a while, since a few more pressing concerns vied for her attention, such as filling the captaincy and getting rid of Zayn Aimeric. Oh, yes, and quashing Sullivan’s juvenile attempts for her seat.
She expected today’s meeting to raise more questions than it answered, but the type of questions Zayn’s answers provoked made tonight’s detour even more important. If, what she suspected was true, her plans were about to be upended. When the dust finally settled, she intended to be on top, not crushed underneath.
Crossing to the front door, she paused long enough to slip by the wards. Simple enough, as they hadn’t changed since her last visit. As easy as it was, there was no doubt stronger, more difficult ones waited inside. If she was lucky, she wouldn’t have to mess with any of those.
Once inside, she didn’t bother to turn on any lights. There was no reason. What she wanted didn’t lay in the common rooms. Turning down the hall, she headed directly to the room she wanted. Ryan’s office. The door was closed and heavily warded.