Chapter Twenty-Six
WHEN I WOKE UP, it was to an empty bed. After stretching my stiff body, I caught sight of a platter of fruit, cheese, and bread sitting on the bedside table. With a grumbling stomach, I made my way over and devoured half the contents of the platter before I noticed a clean outfit draped over a large chair near the fireplace. Munching on an apple, I walked over and found not only an outfit with an ecru-colored, high-necked blouse and a deep red skirt, but also a set of my undergarments and even a bar of my favorite lemongrass soap. I shook my head. Soren certainly was efficient.
After satisfying my hunger, I quickly washed in the adjoining bathroom and then paused to check the cut on my wrist and the bite marks on my neck. The puncture wounds were barely visible, and the cut on my arm was healing nicely. I bandaged my wrist lightly and dressed in the fresh set of clothes Soren had procured for me. The long-sleeved, high-necked blouse hid both of my recently acquired wounds. As I was braiding my hair loosely down my back, Soren knocked softly at the door before entering with a glass of wine for me.
The whole situation felt a bit awkward; I fidgeted and cleared my throat in the silence. Fortunately, Soren decided to proceed as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Maybe for him, it hadn’t.
“I took it upon myself to write to Cerberus and Dwennon about last night’s events.”
I raised my brow, hoping he’d left out some of the details.
“Travis has been detained and will undergo extensive questioning. As of right now, he is denying any involvement in the string of deaths and in the assassination plot. He seemed genuinely distraught to learn of Phoebe’s death. Some of Cerberus and the preternatural leaders will be coming here within the hour to meet and determine how we will proceed tomorrow when the president gives his speech.”
And just like that, we were walking downstairs to meet with everyone and discuss a course of action to save the president of the United States.
Dwennon and his mate were the first to arrive, but not long after, Elaine and Aldwin joined our little meeting. I was standing with Soren in the foyer, greeting everyone as they entered, when Aldwin walked through the door. I smiled and started to hug him before I realized something was happening. I heard a warning hiss come from the vampire at my side and immediately found myself wedged between Soren with his fangs fully extended and Aldwin with a dagger drawn. What the hell?
Before I could even blink, everyone else had filed into the foyer and had begun yelling at each other. I had a hand on each man’s chest, and I was beginning to feel quite claustrophobic and beyond pissed off. I tried to yell at everyone to get them to shut up and act like the adults they were supposed to be instead of animals. Well, not the shifters, of course; no one could blame them for acting like animals.
I let my anger build in my chest and then focused it—and my warper energy—into my hands, shoving the two pigheaded men across the room. Silence descended as everyone stared at me.
“You can have a pissing contest later, boys. Right now, we need to figure out a way to save both the president, who will be speaking in less than eighteen hours, and all of our asses.” I narrowed my eyes at the two men who were still staring daggers at each other until they both nodded in my direction.
I let out a relieved breath and waved a hand in the direction of the library. “Okay. Let’s get started, then.” I brushed back the hairs that had escaped my braid and strode down the hall, hoping everyone would follow me without incident.
When we were all inside and seated, I made sure not to sit too close to Aldwin or Soren. As if nothing had happened, Soren began giving everyone an overview of the previous night’s events, including us finding out about the president and the files of unsolved preternatural murders. He told everyone about Phoebe’s attack and death as a result of the poison from her own blade. I saw Elaine flinch and pale as she heard Soren speak of Phoebe. I couldn’t imagine the pain she must be in; she had known Phoebe much longer than me, and I still hurt to think of her and Travis’ betrayal.
I unconsciously touched my left wrist, remembering the pain of the poison working its way into my bloodstream. If I hadn’t been a warper, I would have died just as quickly as Phoebe had. I guessed some good things did come along with being a warper. I glanced up and realized Aldwin was watching me. I quickly put my hands in my lap and refocused my attention on what Soren was saying.
We all hashed out the worst- and best-case scenarios and came to a reluctant decision. I would get as close to the president as possible since I was the one with the powers to freeze time and possibly save the president if all the preternaturals failed to scope out and diffuse any potential threats.
I cleared my throat. “Is it possible for me to get that close to the president?” I asked.
Dwennon spoke up. “It shouldn’t be a problem since the government is aware of Cerberus and the importance of the society. They’d listen to Mrs. Howell if she were to tell them it was in the best interest of the president to have you close by him during his speech.”
I glanced over at Elaine, who looked distracted.
“Do you really think we should put Sage in that dangerous of a position?” she asked through clenched teeth.
I furrowed my brow. She wasn’t acting like herself, but then again, she had just lost someone close to her, and she was probably scared to lose me as well.
“I’ll be fine, Elaine.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “Besides, we don’t have much choice. If the preternaturals don’t succeed in diffusing the situation, I’ll be the only one able to save the president. This is what I was sent here for.”
She cleared her voice and met my eyes. “You’re right, of course. I’m sorry, I’m just not feeling very well. I’ll make sure to contact our person in the president’s security staff first thing in the morning.”
Dwennon, Soren, Aldwin, and about a dozen other preternaturals were going to be patrolling the area surrounding City Hall tomorrow, hoping to find and take out any threats from the thousands of people who would be gathered to hear the president speak. I prayed they would be successful.
We all left shortly after making the final arrangements for the next day. Luckily, I didn’t get a chance to talk to Aldwin or Soren before I left to go back to my townhouse; I didn’t want to get distracted by any drama, and I needed more rest before the next day since I was still feeling a little weak from blood loss. The next day, I’d be rubbing elbows with President Theodore Roosevelt.
Time Warper: Fated, A Sage Hannigan Novel Page 27