Yep, she owed Adrianna.
Storm smothered a chuckle from the conference room, but it reached Evalle's ears. After seeing Adrianna roll in with fire practically spitting out of her eyes, he must be standing just inside the door to monitor everything.
Evalle glared in Storm's direction, then turned back to Kardos, going straight for the simplest fix. "Just a word of advice. I wouldn't be making passes at Adrianna and piss off Isak Nyght, if I were you."
All color leached from his face. Kardos quickly stepped back. "Had no idea."
Adrianna gave Evalle a withering look. "Really? You had to go there?"
Isak and Adrianna had hit it off like gas thrown on a hot coal, especially when he'd stepped between Adrianna and danger.
Evalle found this new development highly amusing, mainly because Adrianna did not. Evalle suggested, "Why don't you go into the conference room and I'll be there in a few minutes?"
Adrianna said, "Fine. You better have tea."
Storm stepped into the hallway. "We do. It's over here." He led Adrianna in to meet the others.
"How was life with Kit?" she asked the twins.
As if a switch had been thrown, both boys started talking at once.
Kellman jumped in first. "Kit was very nice to us, but I'm glad to be back. We missed Atlanta ... and you. How's Grady?"
"He's good. He asks about you two all the time. I told him you'd return soon."
Kardos tried to sound imposed upon. "Tell her the truth. We were in the country. Like with cows and things. It was crazy. I can't do that again."
Giving his brother a weary sigh, Kellman said, "You were all happy when you found out how hot the girls are in the country."
"Until Kit told me she'd ..." Kardos shut his mouth.
Storm came back to the hall just then and asked, "She told you what?"
The calm, down-to-earth brother answered, "That if Kardos laid a hand on that young woman, Kit would peel his skin from his body and make him watch as she fed it to the wild animals on her property."
Kardos turned a deep shade of humiliated red. "She's scary."
Evalle had to agree about Kit, who would fit right in with Navy SEALs, all five foot two of her. Given a choice between crossing Adrianna or Kit, who was only human, Evalle would choose Adrianna. But she wasn't about to admit that to Kardos, who would eventually bring it up at the worst time.
She told the twins, "You can't go back on the streets, guys."
Both boys froze, and Evalle knew it was from the implication that local authorities were getting involved.
Kardos gave her a wary look. "You're not going to try to send us somewhere, are you?"
"Of course not."
"Because we're both eighteen now," Kardos added.
"Really? When was it?"
"It's two different days." Poking his thumb at himself, Kardos said, "Mine is December 21st and his is December 22nd."
A Sagittarius and a Capricorn. Evalle was not up on zodiac signs, but that helped explain the huge difference in their personalities. Of course, that was based on the astrology she gleaned from the newspaper each week, which everyone knew was soooo accurate. Just as dependable as what she found on the Internet.
"Kit had a birthday party for us," Kellman mentioned. "It was ... nice."
Evalle bet it was amazing since they'd avoided discussing their birth dates in the past, and for all the time she'd known them they'd never had any semblance of family.
Storm tilted his head toward the conference room, reminding her of the waiting group.
They had to get to the meeting.
She pushed the topic back to discussing a place for them to live. "Here's what I had in mind. I'm going to be living here, so I was thinking maybe Quinn could work something out with you two for my old place."
"Underground?" Kardos asked, sounding appalled.
"Yes. It's a nice place." Her old apartment was nothing like where she lived now, but way better than the streets where these two had spent years.
Kellman's face registered concern when he glanced at his brother. "We know you're making us a great offer, but Kardos has--"
Kardos cut in. "Shut up."
His brother turned to him. "Evalle is not going to tell anyone." They both looked at Storm, who said, "I won't share your secret either, and everyone in the conference room is on their phones."
Kardos looked ready to slink away.
His brother said, "I think Kardos has taphephobia."
Taph-huh? Evalle asked, "What's that?"
"Fear of being buried alive, which doesn't exactly fit fear of living underground, but it's the closest I could figure out."
Crap. Now what was she going to do with them?
Storm cleared his throat, catching her attention. He said, "We have a two-bedroom apartment available here."
Looking embarrassed, Kardos put a hand on his brother's chest. He clearly didn't want anyone speaking for him. When he did reply to Storm, Kardos sounded more mature than when he'd left. "Thanks, but we don't have any money, and we're not going to mooch off of you and Evalle."
Evalle held her thoughts, allowing Storm to say what was on his mind.
Storm hooked his hands on his hips. "No mooching involved. Everyone here pulls his or her weight. We'll need someone on hand to do odd jobs and to help when we start showing the offices down here, then managing them. You two could share that position in trade for the apartment, plus we'll pay a stipend for food and such."
The twins looked at Storm as if they'd just learned they had a fairy godfather. "Really?" they chorused.
Evalle's heart squeezed at the longing in their voices. It was times like this that she couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have found Storm. Or more like he'd found her.
Storm nodded at the twins. "Yes, but it means respecting the agreement. As you pointed out, you're both adults. You're old enough to make your own decisions. I'll treat you like the men I believe you can be, and you'll give us the same respect in return."
With that one short speech, Storm had put them on notice that they were in charge of their destinies and screwing up came with a price.
Dual nods followed.
"The apartment has basic furnishings. When the decorator returns to finish other work, you can give her a list of anything additional you need. Everything we buy for the apartment belongs to the apartment. Your apartment is 2B. All floors above that are off limits unless one of us invites you up. No one unauthorized is allowed in this building at any time."
Evalle smiled. These two boys had to love knowing they wouldn't be attacked by someone trying to steal their bedding in the middle of the night.
"Holy sh--"
Kellman elbowed Kardos in the ribs. "You'd better not let Kit hear you."
"She's not here." Kardos rubbed his ribs.
"We just made a deal based on acting like adults. So act like one."
Kardos said, "Okay, okay. I agree, but ... race you to the apartment!" He shot up the stairs.
Kellman hesitated, looking at the stairs then at Evalle.
She said, "Go and keep him under control."
"Yes, ma'am." He dashed away.
"Ma'am?" Evalle looked at Storm, who found that funny.
When they returned to the conference room, Quinn furiously thumbed keys on his phone. Adrianna swished her finger over hers, scrolling something, and Tzader paced across the end of the room opposite Oskar's bed.
Quinn shoved his phone in his inside jacket pocket. "Were those the twins I heard?"
"Yes." Evalle refilled her coffee mug. "Storm has hired them."
Tzader stopped walking. Quinn said, "Considerate of you, Storm."
"It was that, or watch Evalle race around trying to keep them out of trouble. This way they'll have something to do in exchange for room and board."
"A fine arrangement." Quinn sat down, paused, then shot right back up. "Are they staying on the same floor as Lanna?"
"Yes."
"No."
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Evalle could not deal with one more drama. "Quinn, she's an adult and--"
"Doesn't matter. She's not safe."
Adrianna stopped scrolling and spoke with impatience that hadn't abated. "Is this the Lanna who saved the boys and others when she used her majik to fight Svart Trolls? Wait, no. Let me just go ahead and answer that. Yes, it is, which means she's got a load of power, far more than those two hellions put together. You should be more worried about the boys. If either of them steps out of line, she's liable to roast them."
Oh boy. Adrianna was in some kind of mood.
Evalle knew that look on Quinn's face. She'd seen it often on Storm's when he had to stay out of her way and let her handle her own battles. Evalle added, "On top of that, Quinn, they're good boys. You can't stop Lanna from growing up."
Tzader said, "Are we ready to get moving or not?"
Quinn sat, then Evalle took her place at the end of the table near Oskar again, but she doubted anyone would try to invade his space. Storm sat between her and the witch.
Adrianna put her phone down and lifted her tea, looking past Evalle to the corner. "Is that the familiar?"
"Yes." Evalle told her what had happened with Lanna and asked, "Think you can touch it and find Mattie?"
"No. I heard what happened earlier. Sounds like he is not fond of men, and he's already given me the evil eye, which leaves you as sole caretaker."
Tzader still hadn't stopped moving. He stood at the end. "We need to clue Adrianna in. I'll let Evalle do it."
Good thing. He needed to sit before he crashed.
Evalle stood, pointed at a seat, and told Tzader, "Sit. I have the floor."
He didn't want to, but he pulled the chair out and plopped down.
"We have a couple situations," Evalle began. She outlined the missing witches, then went on to explain Ceartas and what was happening in Treoir. "To sum it up, Tzader has been banished from the realm. Macha expects me to walk away from my life, regardless of my being mated. In fact, she's made it clear I don't have her approval, and gaining it no longer matters to me. We've made our decision to go after the dragon throne, but we need help."
Adrianna put her mug down softly. "I'm listening."
"The dream walker representing the dragon claims that the Medb are currently sending in a highly skilled force disguised as nothing more than resident witches and warlocks. It's called Scath Force. He says the former queen, Flaevynn, was nothing compared to Queen Maeve, which is a scary thought since Flaevynn came close to gaining Treoir Island. If she had, there would be no Belador force to protect this world."
With his elbows propped on the table, Tzader had been using one hand to support his head. He lifted his head and began filling in more details. "I'm starting to think there's a lot we haven't been told by Macha. Either way, that's a different issue. I don't want anyone involved besides me, but these hardheads refuse to stay out of it. I don't want to ask you to get involved and put you in danger if we end up surrounded by an army of warlocks and witches."
Adrianna's half smile finally showed up. She evidently found that amusing.
Tzader paused at her reaction then continued, "However, based on what Evalle told me, Queen Maeve might be the only real threat to you, and we won't leave until Quinn has Queen Maeve and Cathbad in a Tribunal meeting. The truth is that we need your help for several things, but you need to know the stakes up front, and now is the time to say no if you don't want to be involved."
Adrianna considered her tea for a long, silent moment. Lifting her head, she took in everyone with one studied glance. "I was going to contact Rowan next after dropping off the boys, but clearly she's busy. I've been attending council meetings."
That was news to Evalle. "I know Rowan's glad, but why are you getting involved with white witch politics?"
"I'm having dreams about battles with nonhumans."
Evalle snorted. "That's business as usual in our world."
Adrianna didn't crack even her half smile. Placing her hands on the table, she said. "I'm talking intense battles. War. One that we won't keep from the humans if it breaks out."
"Who, precisely, is in this war?" Quinn asked.
"I don't know exactly," Adrianna admitted. "I'm not sure of all the players on the field yet. That's the main reason I'm going to these damn council meetings. I wanted to get to know Rowan and some of the elders better. If things had worked out today, I was going to mention my dreams and see if anyone knows something they haven't been sharing with those outside of the white covens."
Storm asked the witch, "Do these dreams have any sort of time marker?"
"No. My sister had visions while awake, but my visions always come through dreams. Or they did in the past, and I'm not sure if that's going to change at any point. I'm sure you will understand when I say the clearest of visions is often vague at best when it comes to pinpointing a timeline and specifics."
"You're right." Storm sat back, waiting with the rest of them to find out where Adrianna was going with this.
She asked Tzader, "Do you have any idea what color this dragon is?"
"I'm guessing he's red, since the scale the dream walker gave me turns red when the light hits it a certain way."
"I see," Adrianna said, with the precision of taking each word and shaping it before she gave it life. "The dreams were disturbing before, but learning what I have just now about Tzader's experience, I'm wondering if my dreams and his quest are connected." She paused, as if gathering her thoughts. "In my dreams, a giant red dragon threatens to kill everyone in his path. He flies like a jet fighter, blowing fire across everything. Are you sure you want to free this one?"
Chapter 21
Tzader had been fighting exhaustion until Adrianna shared that she'd dreamed of a dragon threatening to kill everyone.
A red freaking dragon.
He sat up sharply, taking in Quinn, Evalle, and Storm's shocked expressions, then asked Adrianna, "Are you sure it's the same dragon I'm talking about? The one I'm after was cursed to be Queen Maeve's throne."
Adrianna gave a small shake of her head. "No. I have no idea if it is or isn't the same one. I'm just saying the timing of my dreams and your dream walking experience leads me to believe they could be connected."
Evalle tapped her finger. "Could the dreams be somehow connected to Veronika?"
"I don't know." Adrianna's forehead crinkled at a silent thought. "The only way I could say for sure is by being in the same room with her. That might help me determine who the dragon is or belongs to, because after I took possession of Witchlock, I lifted a thought from Veronika about her wanting a dragon from TAmr Medb."
"I told them," Evalle said. "But you never figured out exactly what Veronika thought to do with the dragon."
"No." Cocking her head at Tzader, Adrianna asked, "You'll need cloaking, correct?"
Tzader answered, "Yes."
"What else?"
"We either have to break the curse on the dragon to free his form there, or bring him back and do it here. Evalle believes you're our best chance at breaking it."
She stared at the table for a moment, then said, "Depending on where he was cursed and how he was cursed, you may kill him if you try to teleport him across realms as a throne." She had more to say, but was not in a rush. "I may or may not be able to break his curse. I would say absolutely not if I didn't have Witchlock, but since I do, and it's very old, there's a chance. It depends on what the dragon recalls about the curse placed upon him."
Tzader pushed up to pace again. The longer he sat, the more his body felt like it was turning to lead and wanted to lie down. "I think he'll know the curse word for word, based on what the dream walker said about the dragon being the only one who knew the exact Noirre spell used on Brina."
Evalle interjected, "I know this screws us, but knowing what we do about our enemy, Queen Maeve would love to get her hands on Witchlock, which we can't allow to happen."
"True," Tzader agreed, then eyed the witch. "You real
ly shouldn't go with us. I can't stop Storm, because Evalle's determined to do this. Maybe you can tell Storm how to break it."
Adrianna shifted her attention to Storm, her silence questioning his thoughts on Tzader's suggestion.
Storm snorted. "I've got witch blood in me, but compared to Adrianna it's a drop in the ocean. I'm a more powerful demon than I am a witch."
Evalle made a noise of irritation.
Storm covered her hand. "They all know it's true, sweetheart."
Drawing herself up, Adrianna said, "Thank you, Storm, for not making me toot my own horn, but you're right." She shifted her attention to the others. "I'm not sure I can break the curse, but we have no other witches with my power now, and in particular, none with a dark witch pedigree."
Tzader admired the way Adrianna stated facts without stroking her own ego. She was simply putting all the information on the table.
The witch glanced around the room, taking in all four faces. "Here's my proposal. I will help you. You say you have a plan to pull Queen Maeve and Cathbad from their tower while we go in, correct?"
"Yes, we do," Quinn confirmed. "But why make yourself a target for the Medb?"
"Are you questioning if she's sincere, Quinn?" Evalle said with a slap of censure.
"No. I understand the motivation for everyone else in this room. I want to know hers."
That's fine, Evalle." Adrianna smothered a chuckle that held no mirth. "It's not a matter of if, but when Maeve comes hunting for me. I'm a threat to her power. I have no desire to hide in a hole for the rest of my life. I'll look for your support in return when I have to go up against her. I've been the target of every dark coven in existence from the moment I was born. That's why my sister was sacrificed. If they'd realized that we had nearly the same level of power, they'd have traded me just as quickly. If freeing that dragon will aid the Beladors, then it's in my best interest to join with you. You may not agree, but I believe VIPER is showing signs of imploding. Sen has never been dedicated to the coalition. He doesn't care if any of us survive." She asked Evalle, "Has the Tribunal voted on the Alterant-gryphon right to be a free race?"
"No."
"If they haven't yet, I doubt that they will." Adrianna had started this thread of conversation, and continued, "I've heard rumblings about the Tribunals becoming more difficult to organize. If there's a power play, I don't see those deities sticking together. If they do, it won't be in our best interests. They can barely manage to pass judgment lately without attacking each other."
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