by Petra Landon
Jason paused, to tamp down his rising ire. “That the Alpha grants you an audience today is only due to Faoladh’s goodwill for the First Wizard. On his own, Merceau would tell you to go to hell.”
Bergdahl stayed silent at Jason’s plain speaking, but the other Guardians looked uneasy and a little defensive.
“The past is the past, Jason. We can debate it till the cows come home. But we have no choice now” Thorne proclaimed.
“Sure, we do” Jason countered. “Instead of calling for an election, you could choose to mend fences and work with the First Wizard.”
Hauptmann chimed in for the first time. “The wheels have been set into motion, Jason. The train might be difficult for us to stop now, without derailing it completely” he admitted heavily.
With a Herculean effort, Jason refrained from calling out the senior Guardians on their doubletalk. While Lady Bethesda’s move could prove catastrophic for the GCW and the Wizards, it would be a boon for their investigation. She could not stand in the election without outing herself. And that would bring the First Ones into the fold, improving their chances of holding Lady Bethesda’s feet to the fire. With her in the shadows pulling the invisible strings, the future of all Chosen would continue to remain at risk. Thus, for the greater good, Jason held his tongue.
Hauptmann turned to the Alpha. “If you’re investigating her, you must have compelling evidence of Lady Bethesda’s wrongdoings?”
“We do.”
“If you share the evidence with us, we could convince other Guardians that electing someone tainted, like her, would destroy the reputation of the GCW.”
Raoul did not respond. He did not trust the Guardians and did not want a bunch of squabbling Spell Casters meddling in his investigation. Thus, he had no intention of sharing anything with them. For all he knew, they’d leak it to her. He would only show his hand to Lady Bethesda when he was ready.
Atsá, absolutely certain that the Alpha would never share their findings with the Guardians, pointed out suavely that the GCW already had all the evidence they needed.
“The most conclusive evidence against Lady Bethesda comes from the investigations conducted by the Office of First Wizard” he attested, laying out the facts precisely. “It was the reason she was asked to submit herself to questioning in Chicago. And there is also the fact that she managed to escape the explosion at the Registry, while everyone else perished. That should suffice to convince your people.”
The Guardians looked discomfited by the observation. Those old allegations had divided them twenty-five years ago.
“The charge against her in Chicago was for undermining the First Wizard” Hauptmann pointed out. “That was regarded by many Guardians as payback for Lady Bethesda’s political leanings. Unfortunately, many continue to condemn Lady Esmeralda for those accusations.”
“Then, tell them the truth, Guardian Hauptmann” Duncan bid them suavely. “That Lady Bethesda was being hauled in, to answer to charges of slaughter of children.”
Bergdahl’s eyes flashed to the English Were-Alpha.
“If you’re balking at any results from investigations by the Office of First Wizard, then use the conclusions from those conducted by the GCW. They investigated Lady Bethesda when the allegations of murder were first raised against her” Jason prompted the Guardians. “Evidence and findings that this team has not been privy to.”
Thorne stirred, to shoot a glance at Raoul. “I can make that available to your team, Alpha.”
“We could use the information, Guardian.” Raoul took a moment to reflect on the delicious irony of the offer.
The two senior Guardians exchanged a look.
Hauptmann jumped back into the fray. “You’re building a case against Lady Bethesda, Alpha?”
“Yes.”
“What about her crimes after she was presumed dead?” the Guardian asked.
“Those are currently under investigation. They are very serious and we are not ready yet to make them public” Raoul said firmly.
“Keep in mind that the old allegations against her were conclusive enough that the Ancients wanted her prosecuted for them” Jason pressed his point to the Guardians. “It was they who insisted the First Wizard question her twenty-four years ago.”
Hitherto silent, Trevor Bergdahl glanced at Thorne. “Jason and I could go over the investigations run by the GCW as well as those by the Office of First Wizard. If there is compelling evidence in there, we should compile it to present to the Guardians?”
Thorne stuck an unexpectedly humble note. “If Jason is agreeable, the GCW would appreciate his help.”
“I’m happy to work with Trev” Jason agreed, although with a caveat. “But only if I can be spared from the investigation. That is my first priority.”
For a moment, no one said anything.
Eventually, Thorne addressed Raoul. “Could we borrow Guardian LaRue for a few days?” he asked.
“For a few days, certainly” Raoul acceded easily, the gold eyes meeting Jason’s chocolate brown orbs. “But after that, you’re on your own, Guardian Thorne. The investigation needs LaRue.”
Jason leaned back, pleased by the metaphorical middle finger shown to the Guardians. The GCW was finally feeling the pinch of its policies. That is why he had made it clear, to the Guardians, where he stood when it came to the First Wizard as well as the investigation.
“Bring Sienna with you to San Diego, Jason” Trevor suggested. “The McAlister name still carries weight among the Guardians.”
Thorne frowned. “Will she be willing to mount a campaign against her mother?”
“The explosion her mother set off in Chicago took out Sienna’s father” Jason said bluntly, taken aback anew by the bubble the Guardians lived in. He wondered if his horizons would have remained as narrow, if he had never come to San Francisco at the First Wizard’s bidding.
Later, on their way back to the Lair, a pensive Atsá turned to Jason. “Am I correct that Thorne commands a substantial following in the GCW?”
“Sebastian Thorne is very influential among the Guardians.” Jason endorsed the Wizard. “It was when he cut his ties with Anderson that popular Guardian opinion turned.”
“If that be the case, doesn’t it surprise you that he comes to the Alpha to resolve this business of Lady Bethesda’s ambition to sit on the Council?” the Navajo Were-Alpha observed astutely.
Atsá recognized that Lady Bethesda’s move, to throw her hat in the ring, was a godsend for the investigation. They’d been waiting for her to step out of the shadows for a while now. And here was a golden opportunity to corner her. Yet, Atsá wondered why Thorne and his Guardians could not muster the support to stop her from replacing Lady Esmeralda.
“Seb did not come to the Alpha without the support of other senior Guardians, Atsá” Jason warned quietly. “This is a very calculated move on their part. My guess is their internal calculations tell them that, without our help, they might be able to stop Lady Bethesda. But it is a risk they are not willing to take.”
“This has to do with Anderson” Duncan murmured shrewdly, guessing where Jason was going with his argument.
“You have it right, Duncan” the Wizard affirmed. “Before, our problems with the First Wizard and even the divisions within the GCW were kept under wraps, at least from the wider Chosen community. But Anderson’s attempt on Merceau and the subsequent public defense of him at Wizard Headquarters has blown off the veneer of GCW respectability. The Guardians stand humiliated, with their true colors exposed before the Chosen. There is no place to hide any more. ElThor sent his representative to deliver a no-holds-barred shellacking to the GCW for losing their way, and Faoladh’s thoughts on the matter have been made crystal clear to the Guardians. In such an atmosphere, the Guardians cannot risk electing a representative accused of heinous crimes against the Chosen. It would be catastrophic for them. The GCW has been told, in no uncertain terms, that Faoladh and ElThor do not approve of them calling for a new election, merely bec
ause the Guardians are not willing to share power with Lady Esmeralda. But their disapproval is something the Guardians believe they can blunt over time. On the other hand, electing Lady Bethesda to the Council can never be mitigated. Hence, they swallow their pride and come to Merceau, hoping that he might be willing to overlook the past and help them bring down a common adversary.”
Duncan took note of the Guardian’s newfound serenity. “You’re not as worried for the Wizards, as before” he remarked.
Jason shrugged. “There are still Guardians, like Trev, willing to do the right thing. And local leaders like David Hamilton who go the extra mile to protect their people, despite a lack of support from the GCW. So, there is hope, Duncan. And if the GCW ends up self-destructing, the Wizards still have friends and allies who will help replace the Guardians. Faoladh will not abandon the Wizards. Even ElThor has not walked away, when it mattered. As for me, I’ll keep fighting to the end, as long as my friends have my back.”
“We have it, Jason” Duncan said easily. It had not gone unnoticed that Jason had pulled no punches with the Guardians, almost as if he longer cared to dance around the issue tactfully.
They did have each other’s backs, Raoul reflected. What the team had going for it was a measure of trust, influential connections to various Chosen factions and differing perspectives on events and history. It made all the difference. On his way out of the Collegium, David had pulled him aside.
“Don’t give the Guardians an inch, Raoul” the Wizard leader had asserted. “Make them work for every bit of co-operation you offer. I’m pleased that Jason LaRue made his allegiances clear so publicly. The GCW will never change, as long as the Guardians believe that they don’t have to.”
Tasia watched as Hawk attempted to teach Caro the proper way to fly a kite. He whispered something to her and in response, the Wizard let out a bark of laughter. It drifted to where they sat.
“She’s perfect for Hawk” murmured Sara, her eyes on the laughing couple. “I love seeing him this happy.”
Tasia agreed with Hawk’s twin. But the benefits of this pairing were not one-sided. Hawk was a good match for Caroline Hamilton too. Her strong-willed friend needed someone with an equally outsized personality to provide a foil for her. Tasia was elated that Hawk and Caro had been drawn to each other. Theirs might be an unusual coupling in the Chosen world, but thankfully, neither of her friends worried about adhering to convention.
“You were right, Tasia” Sara remarked.
She turned to the Shifter, drawing her attention away from the duo larking around in the meadow.
“Luis Beltran is a good man” Sara said quietly. “You read him correctly.”
Tasia was reminded again that Luis had been a gamble worth attempting. Perhaps, this was another sign that she must trust her instincts over conventional wisdom. But how did that translate to the crazy doubts that plagued her currently, she wondered.
“Hawk told me what Luis shared with you” she admitted. “I’m glad that you were able to resolve your differences.”
The Shifter cast her a sidelong glance. “I know I have you to thank for it.”
Before Tasia could respond, Sara rushed into speech. “Don’t say anything. You know this, but I’ll say it anyway. Every day, I thank whatever it was that had you cross paths with Hawk.”
Tasia did not hesitate. Whatever the future held for her, she did not regret meeting Hawk or striking the deal with his Alpha. “I do too, Sara.”
She found herself seriously perturbed by a wild suspicion she could not shake off, no matter what. Somehow, she must resolve it. She could not go on like this. This morning, the Alpha had set up a session in the hall with her. Tasia had applied herself to the training. It had been her most profitable session with him to date. Whether it was the time away from the Lair or her success at checkmating the cloaked Rune Mage, Tasia’s confidence in her ability to think fast on her feet was currently sky high. Magic, she’d always had in abundance, but now, it was as if she could take on all challengers. This morning, she’d bested the Alpha more times than not, using her magic senses to track him, instead of her physical reflexes which were slower than a Shifter’s. While nothing more ambitious, than the exercises from the previous sessions, had been attempted, Tasia still counted it as a success for she had struggled before with the basics. Going up against the Alpha was always challenging and exhilarating. The rush of adrenaline had kept her from dwelling on thoughts that preoccupied her far too much.
Tasia had been on a high when, at the end of the triumphant session, the Alpha had talked casually of a Greek restaurant in town whose food was sure to please her palate. So it was that she found herself with a date for Friday, three evenings away, with a Chosen who consumed her every thought, far too much for her peace of mind. Despite the temptations, she’d kept him at arm’s length so far. It was time to make the call. Though every tenet she lived by insisted that he was off bounds for her, Tasia was ready to take a leap of faith with him.
How crazy it was that she had agonized so long over the decision to give in to her heart, when in the end, what terrified her the most was something far different. Dreams about a Shifter in beast form, that hinted eerily of a familiar man with a similar backstory, had her jolted.
Reminded thus of what troubled her, Tasia turned to her companion. “Do all Shifters crave the moonlight?”
Sara gave the question due consideration. “I wouldn’t call it a craving but being confined indoors makes us restless. The beotan needs regular outings — I guess that includes the moon. But in the city, it is harder to give it free rein.”
“How do you let go?” Tasia asked curiously, knowing that her friend would not take the question amiss.
“I’m lucky” Sara said simply. “I have two beasts. One is hard to take in San Francisco, but the other is not. I can always fly the night skies, with no one the wiser.”
Tasia understood her. “But the Shifters with other beast forms have a harder time?” she clarified.
“Most make frequent trips to nearby wilderness preserves, where they have the freedom to let their beotan out. There is also Pack land up north, where Shifters may practice the old ways without putting the Edict in danger.”
Tasia lapsed into silence, wondering about the Alpha. His beotan could not be given free rein in San Francisco, not without jeopardizing the Edict. So, how did he let it out? In her time at the Lair, she’d observed his incredible work ethic. He spent long hours at the Lair, usually late into the night. When did he allow his beast to roam free? Or did he hold it in, like he’d hinted in Belize, because he believed the equilibrium with his beotan was fractured.
Hawk bounded in. “Early dinner?”
Tasia hesitated, wanting to give him some time alone with Caro. Hawk had been gone for nearly a week.
“Come on, Tasia.” Caroline added her voice to the Shifter’s. “It’s been a while. And Hawk says that you’re free of your usual entourage of bodyguards.”
Caroline, aware of the barebones story of how Tasia had come to be associated with a Shifter Pack, was curious about the extra precautions. She understood the need to guard Sienna. After all, the Clan had breezed into town to kidnap her, simply to force the Alpha’s hand on Sienna. But Caro could not reconcile the layers of protection around Tasia.
“I’m in” Sara said, nudging her friend. “Join us, please.”
Tasia gave in. As Caro and Hawk packed up the kite and other supplies, she pumped Sara for information. “Have you noticed Evgeny’s bruises this past month?”
Hawk sent her a frowning glance, but Tasia ignored it.
“There’ve been some altercations with another were-pack and Evgeny was caught in the middle” Sara confirmed easily.
Tasia frowned. The absence of bruises on Evgeny, post their return to San Francisco, relieved her greatly. “Do you know why, Sara?”
Her Shifter friend shrugged. To Sara, it was Pack life. There were always rivalries brewing and many were sorted out with b
rawls. Until one of the parties backed down, the violence would continue.
Tasia pursed her lips. Hawk had talked about someone rife for a lesson. He hadn’t meant Evgeny, so she wondered who it could be.
“What were-pack?” she asked, hoping to get some insight into the affair.
“The one led by Stefan Simeonov.”
A cell trilled, interrupting the conversation in the car. It was Roman Durovic.
“Good news, I hope” Raoul greeted the Ancient.
Roman chuckled over the phone. “The best, Merceau. A formal notice is to be sent to the Venice Nest for trespass on Setik property, under the cover of magic, by a Chosen affiliated with them.”
Raoul settled back into the seat, pleased by the news. Here was the break they’d been hoping for. With this, he could make a stronger case to the leeches that Monseigneur’s ambitions posed a threat to them.
“Faoladh had a major hand in convincing TorElnor on this” Roman attested. “Was that your doing?”
“I told Faoladh about Belize and the Rune Mage. And that you were talking to TorElnor about a deeper probe of the Lombardis.”
“Good strategy, Merceau” Roman affirmed. “Faoladh’s voice, added to mine, convinced TorElnor to formally ask the Lombardis for an explanation. In all likelihood, it will go nowhere. Monseigneur is an old hand at shirking responsibility, but it will generate some negative publicity for him.”
“A little publicity is all we need, Durovic” the Alpha said. “It’s also perfect timing. I’m on my way to see Franciszka.”
“The Vampire Mistress?” Roman exclaimed. “Why?”
“Something about Bianchi spreading rumors about me. Now that a formal complaint is in the offing, I will ask her to arrange a conclave with her Master.”
Reminded thus of the game plan to sow seeds of doubt within the Clan in order to isolate the powerful Lombardi Master, Roman chewed on it. “She dispatched the Rune Mage to Belize. But barring that, Lady B has been too quiet. It’s time we rattled her cage.”