After everyone else left Alex asked me, “You sure you can do this pretty boy?”

I nodded, “Yeah. I know I can. I’ve done it before.” I picked up Faelen easily and I carried him to the middle of the floor. “Well not at this age, but I’ve forced wolves from wolf to human on many occasions. It’s partially why Dom likes me to go after his rogues. Though he says he loses them a little when I do, but it keeps his people safer so he allows it.”

Alex turned to walk away, “You can stay. Faelen won’t hurt you. He’ll be under my control.”

“You aren’t a wolf.” Alex added mostly for himself.

“But I’m an alpha. It’s why Adrian let me go, and why he swore fealty to me. So I can do this. But if I do, he’s part of the family. He’ll be pack – more so than anyone else. He’ll be mine until I release him.”

Alex sighed, “Yours?”

“I will be his Alpha, his pack leader. I’m responsible for him, his actions. I need to take care of him.”

Alex laughed, “So just like one of the family.”

“More so but yes.”

“More so?” Alex asked, “How can you take care of someone more than family?”

“Faelen is an omega. He will never be able to take care of himself.”

“Wait. Adrian was thinking something about you being an omega.”

I grinned up at Alex. “I would have been if I hadn’t had this power. Why do you think I have that submissive streak?”

Alex sat down with us, “How can you be both?”

I shrugged, “How can I be Venatori and carry Theranthropy? How can I control vampires? How can I know what an ancient language says when I’ve never seen it before.”

Alex laughed, “Point taken. Let’s get on with it.” Alex put his hand on the boys head and ran his fingers through his mostly clean hair, “We got you.”

I hadn’t expected Alex to sit down and be this close, I wasn’t worried, but I was grateful that Alex was who Alex was. He said he wasn’t a good guy – didn’t do nice things without a reason. Everyone has a reason to do nice things. His might be a little skewed, but who was I to talk.

I let the power flow through me, like I’d done earlier, this time I focused it only on Faelen, on the quivering boy in front of me. But the moment he felt the power the shaking stopped and he looked at me with those big brown eyes and here was a faint smile on his downtrodden face. He found home. I knew it and he knew it. Alex knew it.

The first change was always painful and when the first bone cracked he screamed, but Alex and I were there to comfort him. This was Alex’s first time watching a changed up close and personal. It was painful to watch the body bend and break and change. And it was slow the first time as the body learned it’s new form. It felt like forever that Faelen screamed in agony.

But it had only been ten minutes and there was a larger than average sized wolf panting in front of us shaking out his chestnut colored fur. He lapped at my face, and then at Alex’s. “He’ll need to stay a wolf for a while before we help him change back.”

I ran my fingers through Faelen’s shaggy hair and smiled. “That okay with you Fae?”

There was a brief howl and the pup followed after us as Alex opened the door. “Rider and Laker are going to have to go through that.”

I nodded, “Most likely.”

“Will you force them to?” Alex asked.

“No. Not unless they want me to.”

“Free will and all that.” Alex muttered.

“Something like that. More like it feels like I’m raping them, taking something from them if I make them. Which is why it was important for me to get Fae’s consent.”

Alex wrapped his arm around me, “I know pretty boy. What else do we need to do while we are down here?”

“Get what information we can about what was going on down there.” I said.

Laker picked up Cass and Rider grabbed Hunter under the arms and put him over his head. “Where do we go?”

I looked at both the little one. “All you need to do is hold all four elements close to the people do nothing else.” I said. Both Hunter and Cass nodded.

“We know.” Hunter said. “And we’ll listen to our uncles.”

I looked at Quinn, “You can stay with us, but listen to whoever you can and see if you can get any identifying information so we can tell Jack and Sage and get them where they need to go.”

I put my arm around Alex and smiled, “You can come with me.”

Quinn didn’t stay with us though she stopped in the main infirmary and was listening to something from the look on her face. I smiled at Alex, “You keep an eye on her?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I’m monitoring them all.”

“Can you do more than one thing at a time?” I asked.

Alex smirked at me. “Oh pretty boy, I can do all sorts of things at the same time.” He leaned in and kissed me again and I let a small moan escape. He knew exactly how to quell me. I wanted to go upstairs with Alex. And I knew that kiss had been more than a kiss.

I pulled away and licked my lips. “You think you can distract me that easy?”

“I know I can.” Alex said and then sighed, “What did you need me to do?”

“There is a guy and a kid I’m going to talk to. I’m hoping you can help me get information”

Alex nodded and as we walked he whispered, “I was hoping you’d take us all back up stairs.” He sighed, “Until I got down here and saw and heard the magnitude of what you were doing. I thought we could help. You are such a bad influence on me.”

I chuckled, “How so?”

Alex stopped me and turned me to look at him, “I don’t play good Samaritan without an angle.”

I grinned playfully at Alex, “You have an angle now. The sooner we get done, the sooner you can have me all to yourself. Your angle just changed to a different kind of profit.”

“Look at you being all wise. Maybe there is something to all this king shit.” Alex teased and took my hand and pulled me towards the lion and the wolf sitting in a corner of the room while Doc attended another patient at another table.

“Hi.” I said, “This is Alex. My fiancé.” I said with a grin looking at Alex and he gave me that little shrug. It was the truth.

The man nodded and the kid shrank away. Which I expected.

“Can you tell me your names? I don’t like not knowing. Reference points even if I may not remember.”

The man looked at me with a curious stare. He was trying to figure me out. “I’m Darwynn. The kid is Faelen.”

“How do you know him? I mean only to ask because you are a lion and he’s a wolf.”

“How do you know?” Darwynn asked.

“How do I know what? That you are a lion and he’s a wolf?” He nodded in response. “Because I see your eyes. They aren’t wolf, and I know you are a big cat. So I assume lion since they are most common. Faelen feels like a wolf even though he’s not changed. I feel pack running through him. I can smell the forest and the damp leaves that make pack smell like home. I have two young wolves living with me and grew up among them.”

“You were raised by wolves? A Venatori.” He looked at me again and frowned. “Not Venatori. What are you?”

“I am half Venatori, half human. But my mother was a carrier of Theranthropy, my children carry it and my half brothers are. My best friend was raised by a pack, not me. I just got to spend time with them.”

“You don’t have the tattoo.” Darwynn exclaimed.

I smirked. “That’s a long story, I did have one until recently. How do you know the kid?” I asked again.

“I met him in the cells. He was alone, in a corner – the only child in the pen with us. They used him to make us talk. No one likes to see a kid hurt after all.”

“So you don’t know him otherwise?”

Darwynn shook his head, “How did you get down there?”

The man shook his head, “I don’t know. I was with the rest of my pack, they all sided with them. I didn’t.”

“Them?”

“They call themselves the New World Order, they are a…”

“Bunch of vampires hell bent on taking over the world as the superior race.”

“Not just vampires – anyone who will side with them is given a mission, the rest of us are tortured until we turn. The humans…” Darwynn shuddered. “They lock them up in pens and treat them like cattle. I even saw them force breeding.”

“So your pack sided with them why didn’t you?”

“I … I just didn’t. I don’t have a reason.”

I knew that was a lie and looked to Alex to see what he’d say. He smiled, “He doesn’t like vampires much. A group of them did horrible things to him and his, including turning him into a monster.”

“Do you know who did it?” I asked.

The man nodded his head, “Yes, and I’ll him if I ever find him.”

“Give us that information and we’ll help you. And in return you’ll help us figure out what’s going on with those who took you. I’m assuming they aren’t the same people.”

“I’ve been a lion for most of my adult life. I was no older than the kid here.”

Doc interrupted us. “I have treated all the major injuries save this young mans. I’m afraid we will need to rebreak the bones, and set the properly, unless we can force a change.”

“He can’t be more than 16, he can’t change.”

Darwynn corrected, “An Alpha can make any one of change – ready or not. I’ve heard of packs that make the young ones changed at 16, others at 18 so it’s controlled.”

“If he changes will it fix him?” I asked Doc.

He nodded, “From all my research – yes. The shift into wolf will set him straight, and then the shift back to human will mend his bones. It’s why shifters never really break any bones. You never seen one in the ER for those types of injuries.”

“Both of which are painful.” I said.

I went over to Faelen and smiled at him, “You heard?”

He nodded, “I won’t force either option on you. You’ve been tortured enough. But I’d very much like to help you, and see you walk again. I’ll be here with you the whole way. You tell me what you want to do.” The boy just shook in the corner.

Alex whispered, “He says he’s gonna change anyway. Might as well be forced too.”

I sighed, “I don’t want to force you, Faelen. I don’t want to break your bones either. But we need to fix your bones somehow.”

The boy wrapped his arms around me and held tight, “He’ll change Nox, he trusts you.” Alex said with a half smile. I wasn’t sure if it was proud or jealousy but I could only hope it was proud. Always proud of you, pretty boy.

I smiled back at him and nodded. “I need to clear the room Doc.”

The man nodded and everyone was quickly ushered out – all but me, Alex and Faelen.

Most of them were sleeping but not all of them. It was fairly easy for Ant to take them to a predesignated area in the Night Life building where refugees were sorted. And while they weren’t exactly refugees they needed sorting and medical attention. Ryan was on the phone ironically as we were below the city. He muttered something about Jack and tech. My phone beeped too but I didn’t bother checking it. I knew it was Sage making a connection – it was all hands on deck.

There were still a few therians against the wall and humans too. And there was still one who had more fight in him than necessary. He struggled against Ant’s grasp growling at the vampire but unable to do more than meagerly struggle. “Hold up Ant. Leave him. Take him after the calmer ones.”

Ant let go and the man charged Ant like a bull but I had him wrapped up in air before he got any closer than he already was. I put him on his knees with air and I squatted down in front of him and reached my hand out. He wasn’t a wolf – a cat of some sort. He growled at me, but I did what I’d done before only on a smaller scale. He mellowed out a little and looked at me with amber eyes of a lion. “Did they make you shift?”

There was a growl but a slight nod of his head. I introduced myself. “My name is Nox.”

My name sent him lunging at me. “I didn’t do this to you.”

There was a small voice in the shadows. “They were looking for you, among us.”

“How did they not know who I was?”

The voice didn’t answer and I stood up and walked over to the shadows and found a boy, no older than my brothers and Matt, he was naked and dirty, covered in his own filth. He shrank away from me and cowered even more. I knelt down in front of him and held out my hand. “I promise I won’t hurt you. I just want to take you home. Get you cleaned up and fed.”

The man behind me spoke in a gutteral voice still affected by the change. “Why?”

I turned to look at him and smiled, “Because that’s what I do. You must not be from around here.” I stood up and walked back over to the man, “Will you help me get him out of here. Both of you. My vampire friends won’t hurt you I promise, if you trust him, and trust me, we’ll take you to The Resort. It’s a place in the Night Life building where only Shadow walking vampires can get to. It’s well guarded. I promise you’ll be safe.”

“You can’t make that promise.” The man growled.

“I can, and I will. I can’t promise once you leave the Resort you’ll be safe, but I can promise you will be safe there as long as you stay.”

The man looked at me and nodded and I let the air bonds go and he rushed over to the boy in the shadows. “They broke his legs and his hands because of me.”

“I’m sorry. We can try to help.” I held out my hand and the man took it as he carried the boy with his other arm. “We can go now Ant.”

And just like that we left the cavern underneath the city. We didn’t know who was running it, but it didn’t matter right now. We’d found some of the missing people. I had hoped anyway. Hopefully these were some of the missing we were looking for.

Tony and Henry were helping Ant ferry the former prisoners to The Resort. The man and boy were in Doc’s fine care. I had vouched for him and they had agreed to stay with him. But refused anyone else.

I promised to come back after I made the rounds. I also had to go up stairs and make sure my pack was doing alright. But as I rounded the corner to see if I could find a shadow walker in the meeting room, Cass flew across the room and into my arms. Hunter followed, with Drake just a little behind. Rider and Laker came too. Alex was smirking in the background with Quinn standing next to him. “Matt can’t travel by the shadows.”

“Well that sucks.”

Laker grinned. “He said that was okay. He would hold down the fort up there. Ricky and Jin are contacting family of those we can get to talk. Allison is helping them too. I think the lawyer dude is doing the lawyer thing. He’s happy.”

“You feel him?” I asked.

Laker blushed. “Danny and Adrian say thats the way with mates.”

I smiled at Lake. “That’s good man. I’m happy you found love.”

“I’m sixteen. Aren’t I supposed to fu…” He looked at the kids clinging to my legs and laughed, “you know, and have fun for a while.”

“Aren’t you doing that?”

Laker blushed again. “Yeah, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Lake I fell in love when I was 13. That fun you think you are missing out on pales in comparison to that.”

Alex wrapped his arm around my waist, “But it was still fun.”

I stuck my tongue out at him, “Maybe so, but I’d have given it up for you.” Alex rolled his eyes, “Where were you going?”

“To find someone to take me up to you.”

“Missing me already?” Alex asked.

I nodded, “It hurts to breath without you near.” I laughed. “I need to help more here.”

“Figured as much. Healing be a good lesson for those two? Quinn and I can help figure out who people are. And the wolf boys are good grunts.”

“Hey!” Rider and Laker said together. “Jinx!” they both busted out laughing at their continued unison speech.

I kissed Alex softly on the lips and he bit my bottom lip. “That’s for making me wait.”

“Wait for what?” I whined.

“A kiss.”

There were several more pairings just like that at each junction and I took care of them just the same. The one we were at now was blocked by a grate and the grate was covered in silver. Which mean nothing good – likely it was keeping a supernatural caged. These were two vampire guards and not exactly the weak willed ones like the prior times. These two were primeval from the shapes of their patterns and the flux of it all. I wasn’t sure what kind and neither was anyone else.

This would be our first real fight. Except they were vampires and I didn’t play fair. I had the element of surprise – they didn’t know I was here. It was easy enough to split two weaves of air wrap it around their heads and twist – insta-broken neck. The vampires collapsed and Ant looked at me with concern, “Isn’t that going to affect you?”

I nodded, “Yes, but I didn’t kill them with the power specifically. Meaning I didn’t suck the life from them, and they aren’t exactly dead. It’s like throwing a rock and the rock kills them. It’s not the same as if I were to weaken their neck at the bone level and break it that way.”

“You can do that?” Ryan said grabbing his neck to shield it.

“In theory.”

Ryan frowned, “So you are telling me that one of you could disintegrate us all?”

“In theory.”

The look that they all gave me was abject horror. But it was Alec who smiled, “I’m so glad I’m on your side.”

I grinned at the domination master vampire. “It’s theory. The Venatori don’t heal with the elements though we likely all could. No one really cares enough.”

“But someone might.” Ant said. “Forever is a long time.”

“No one has done it yet.”

Ant laughed, “No Venatori has ever fought with the elements before either – until you.”

I nodded, “But obviously I’m special.”

It was meant as a joke and Ant grinned at me but the others just bowed their heads like it was something reverent I said. Ryan rolled his eyes, “He’s joking you dummies. He’s a special kinda stupid some days too.”

The look they gave Ryan was almost worse than before when they thought I could kill you with a mere thought. And I could. I knew it. I’d never done it, the toll it would take to do it would be catastrophic to my psyche, but I could do it.

Ryan teased more and I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go.” I said as I pushed past them all. Ant was first to catch up but he stopped at the edge of the circle drawn on the ground. Ryan walked past but the others all stopped, well everyone except Jae. The only difference being was we weren’t vampires. I looked up at Ant, “What’s keeping you out?” But why Jae.

Ant looked down. “Nothing. It feels like sacred ground, but I can cross sacred ground. This is something different.”

“It’s limiting cursed and primeval. The guards were outside of it. So what are they keeping in? Seraph can’t cross either. So therians and vampires.”

Ryan looked at me and I shrugged even as I broke the line in the ground. But it didn’t move. I squatted down and ran my fingers over the line. I felt the magic in it. There was a spell here, though I didn’t know what kind, and it was not working to remove the marks on the ground. I drew a drain magic rune on the line with fire, it burnt the magic away in every sense of the word. There was a gasp from everyone in the room even the vampires who couldn’t breathe.

Ant rushed past me with Seraph on his heels. Ryan stayed with me as everyone else went forward. Jae lifted the silver gate from from its hinges and tossed it to the side. It clanged. It was going to alert people but that was alright at the moment we had found something. Three of Bernstein’s men stayed and he came with me and mine.

We headed down the long corridor. The sounds coming from ahead of us were pained. Ant wouldn’t let us hurry past he walked faster and he and Ant pulled swords from the shadows and Jae only had one misstep before he was back with the rest of them. Seraph was at my back and she was completely calm. I didn’t hurry or try to rush because I knew Ant wouldn’t let me past. Ryan and Ant had a gun in their opposite hands. I had shields ready and a fireball hanging ready to be sent at a moments notice, but it was not visible.

As we neared I heard rattling chains, coughing, screaming and then silence. A vampires power flared in front of us. Ant laughed as the man in front of them tried to attack. He threw a fireball which I easily blocked. It crashed into the wall above the heads of therians in chains. Silver chains. It burned their skin. But they weren’t magic proof. At least not for me. I eroded the metal with air, earth and water and they crumbled to the ground.

We didn’t need to do anything more as the therians shifted and attacked. The vampires that were chained fell to the ground lacking the strength to move – drained of all sustainable blood from surviving. They would desecrate without blood, and some would die. Only the strong could survive.

Their vampire captor screamed as the therian chewed him to bits, tore him limb from limb and then when they were done they turned on us. They growled, hungry. I let my power go, let the connection to Adrian flow through me. I didn’t really know what I was doing but it came easily. It was part of me. I pushed the power out, the vampire and dragon too. I encompassed the room with a calming joy and they settled and shifted back into their human forms. Weak and sick and they collapsed to the ground. We had to get people out quickly – thankfully we had a shadow walker with us.

I had never really worked with the cursed before but this was interesting dynamic. They had like built in walkie talkies or something. Maybe it was just a vampire thing. I’d never really worked with this many vampires before, and Ant didn’t have a blood line. But they spoke to each other and it was amazing in a weird sort of way.

We headed deeper into the tunnels. Deeper and farther than I had ever been. I didn’t know much but I knew that the tunnels ran deeper than most humans knew. Vampires dug deeper, but it was dangerous on the island – flooding was the lease on the list.

The place was dark and I was the only one without super eye sight. Why was I always going places in the dark with vampires? All I really wanted to do was curl up with Alex and live my life. I was lost in my head I ran into Ant in front of me. He smirked as he turned to look at me. “I bet they can hear you coming.”

I rolled my eyes I couldn’t see them clearly but I knew that Ant could see me. He tapped my temple and laughed softly in my ear. “You think too much. I don’t know how Alex does it.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know either. Fuck I don’t know how I do it most days.”

Ryan put his arm around my shoulder. “Bernstein says there is something up there, so let’s go.”

I nodded and we all went silently up to join the other vampires. My two favorite body guards at my side, and Alec at the rear. He chuckled, “Don’t worry I’m not checking out that hot ass.”

I smirked, “I don’t mind Alec, but Alex will.”

Alec was whispering in my ear, “I know that’s why I’m not.”

“He appreciates it.” I said quietly but it still earned a hiss from the vampires we were nearing. It would be easier with the mind links. Too bad I wasn’t a telepath.

Jae and Seraph were standing behind Bernstein and his men looking around a corner. They made room for me and I got to see the pair standing guard of another junction. That had to be the way to go. “I got this.”

I wrapped a veil around me as I stepped out from around the corner. I felt the vampires power from one, he was weak and not very good with whatever he was which was why he had a gun in his hand. The shifter was a cat of some sort but that was all I really got. Neither of them heard me, or saw me but all I could hear in my head was Jae and Seraph bitching me out. I walked slowly and carefully not to disturb the ground. I didn’t kill with my power but I could knock them out easy enough.

The air around me started to thin and the therian started to suffer. His partner came near and while a vampire couldn’t breathe they preferred to. He was weak so when I came up behind him to snap his neck he was chocking despite him self. A new vampire.

He fell and I waved for the others to come. Two of Bernstein’s men left with them taking them to a safer place to tie them up should they wake up before we got back. Their walkie talkies were taken as were their weapons and the same two men would stand guard outside of the tunnel waiting for us. And hoping they didn’t get found out. That was Bernstein’s call, I would rather just leave it empty behind us. Alec being the wonderful personality he is told Bernstein as much in a hushed whisper. It came from him so he thought Bernstein wouldn’t get mad at me.

But the leader of the cursed vampires looked at me, “If that’s what you wish.”

I shrugged. “You can run your men however you like. They are your men.”

“And you are my King.” He said.

I sighed, “But I’m not strategist. I don’t know what’s right or wrong here.”

Bernstein gave me a smile even his fangs showed, “And this is why you are King. The strategy to keep it business as usual.”

“And when they don’t know the lingo? Or they aren’t recognized? They are dead and our presence is known anyway. And instead of having two more with us we’ve got dead men. I’d rather have my men alive and risk them coming up our asses.”

Bernstein nodded, “One will stay hidden, the other will continue on with us.”

I nodded. “Your men remember.”

He only nodded but he listened to my rant. Ant just put his hand on my shoulder and guided me into the tunnel. I’d get use to it all I supposed, but it was going to get tougher as they got more used to being followers instead of leaders I needed them to be.

And that was that, Ryan would switch sides. I was a force to be reckoned with even if I did absolutely nothing. That was so fucking scary. But it was a thought for later, right now, I had to find some missing people. It wasn’t exactly a well formed group, me and my so-called body guards.

Ant lead the way, I followed behind him, once we hit the tunnels. Which was almost instant as Ant shadow walked us all into the underground near Bernstein’s lair in one easy step. The only one who wasn’t hurling their guts out was Alec. And he was smirking at Ant and Ryan.

“How did you know the trick?” Ryan asked.

“I know no trick.”

“He trusts in Nox.” Ant said, “And Nox trusts me.”

“Don’t those two trust Nox?” Alec said. “On no wait, they are paid to be here. A wolf and a dragon to protect my Prince.” Alec seemed skeptical.

“We will do as we are paid to do.” Jae said.

Alec sighed, “Paying is the same as loyalty. As in believing that this boy is the key to saving us and all the world.”

“Belief isn’t everything.” Jae said.

“Belief is why I’m still here.” I said into the darkness. I was the only one without keen eyesight, but I didn’t really need it. I saw the patterns no matter the brightness level. It was very much a Neo with no eyes in the Machine city. It was the one time my seeing things no one else could came in handy.

“Explain.” Seraph interjected.

“Ryan beleived I would rise from the ashes. He insured that my body was taken care of. Had they treated me like any other dead body I’d be buried alive and no one would be the wiser.”

Ryan laughed, “That is highly doubtful. I believed, and Ant and Alex hoped they let me cling to my belief so they had hope. Even if they didn’t believe. The moment you came back they would have figure it out eventually. And you can’t die.”

I sighed, “So I’d probably be super claustrophobic now in these dark tunnels with a few strangers looking for more strangers for what purpose?”

Alec laughed, “Because you are Nox Sétanta – the boy who does because it was right.”

I laughed and so did Ryan. “The little engine that could – sounds like a children’s book.”

Ant grinned in the darkness, “It is you goof.”

“A Golden Book – at least that’s what I had.” Seraph said.

The darkness gave way to the flickering of torches as we stepped into Bernstein’s layer. It was almost too bright when the other vampire stepped out of the shadows I had to blink away the visions of bats. The man laughed. But it wasn’t conjunctive with his words, “Let us go find these missing people before the dawn rises and my people need to sleep.”

“It’s not even dusk yet,” I said.

“The strongest of us are up, the rest will join us when they can. Time is limited.” He bowed his head and I was pretty sure I heard ‘my king’ muttered under his breath.

“Let’s go.” I said.

The vampire energy surrounding us stretched out farther as they spanned the tunnels and sewer systems of New York. There was a howl followed by a growl and hiss in front of us as a confrontation started. We hurried in the direction of the noise and found a group of wolves and dragons searching with flashlights.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Helping….” Again there felt like it was a muttered my king afterwards and I wanted to growl.

“Who sent you?”

The shrugged, “We were told to come help.”

“By who?” I asked a little more aggravated.

The wolf looked at me and frowned, “The only one who can.”

“Dom sent you?”

The man nodded and I looked at the dragon, “Reginald?”

“No, my own clan leader.”

I sighed and looked at Bernstein, “You probably have small groups around the city. Can we call a cease fire until we find the missing people?”

Bernstein nodded, “There was no danger to any of them. But it is hard to forget.”

I nodded, “Fine. We have a lot of ground to cover, let’s keep moving.”

So that’s was what we did. I wished it was more coordinated and we actually knew what we were covering so we didn’t cover the same places twice but with this many people it was highly unlikely that we’d miss something – though it was completely possible.

I found Ant and Ryan sitting around the kitchen island with a man I didn’t know and several I did, Alec was among them and he promptly stood up and waved for me to sit.

I shook my head, “I can stand.” I moved to the side and Seraph followed me closely behind.

Ryan was quick to introduce, “Nox, this is Jae Pak. Coincidentally, one of your dragons.”

I nodded, “Alex hired you?” I offered him my hand which he did not take but gave me an appraising look.

“A little scrawny.” He said with a dead pan voice.

“Pardon me?”

Ant and Ryan were on their feet ready to intercept whatever fallout there was.

“Benji said that you were a little scrawny. I agree.” His green dragon eyes rose to meet mine and then he dropped to one knee, “But there is no denying the pull, or the power.”

I scoffed, “Get up. Why does everyone keep bowing?” I didn’t expect an answer – or at least one I liked so I kept going, “You are a friend of Benji’s? Does that mean you knew Alex before?”

He stood up and shook his head. “No, I have not met Alex. Only came because I was asked to. The pay is nice, but not necessary to protect my Dragon.”

“I’m not your Dragon. I fell into the position because I killed your last Dragon.”

“Honorably, and within the rights of the clan.” He bowed. “My Dragon.”

Alec laughed, “He really hates titles, so call him Nox.”

“As if you should talk.” Ant laughed.

“I’m learning.” Alec grinned, “And I’m also learning that he wants to get this over with.”

Ant nodded and looked to me first, “The five of us are coming with you. Alec refuses to stay behind, and Ryan and I have one more thing to discuss with you in private before we leave. The others will take what we need. This is recon only, Nox. We aren’t going after anyone tonight. Just finding them.”

I nodded. I’d try not to go all hero mode on them if and when we found them. Jae, Alec and Seraph headed out of the kitchen while Ryan came around towards me.

“Cari has an offer.” Ryan said.

“What offer?” I asked.

“She offers me my indefinite servitude to the third ascendant.”

“Is that for you to decide?” I asked.

“No.” Ryan laughed, “I’m her human servant, I have to do what she commands.”

“Does she command you often?”

Ryan looked away but shook his head, “That’s a yes.”

Ant intervened, “It’s complicated Nox. But their bond is strained these days.”

“Why?” I asked.

Ryan laughed and put his arm around my shoulders, “Because of you, actually. And Ant.”

“Me? I’m not doing anything to you.”

“You aren’t, but your magic has weakened the bond. We don’t know if your magic senses my desire to be something else, or if it’s something degrading about it.” Ant said. “Mother believes that with the weakening we can transfer the bond. And break the Chevalier bond from her without killing either of them.”

“She’s willing to let you go?”

“She’s the one who suggested it. It wasn’t in anger or even contempt. She understands the need to be free. And she’d grant it if it were possible.”

“So who’s getting the transfered bond? I’m not a vampire.”

“I would.” Ant said, “Ryan is one of the best men to have at my side. And he wants to help you.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Ryan smiled, “Because we want your blessing, and if Ant can hold my bond, he can hold others.”

“Tying them to me.”

Ryan chuckled, “Or offer them immortality.”

Alec interrupted our conversation, “Bernstein, called we have a go. If we don’t move now he’ll go without us.”

Ant nodded, “We are done here.”

Alex was still shaking his head by the time we were back at the night life building. Seraph had followed us in the shadows and it was almost like we had been walking alone, and in a way we were, the veil was tightly around us and no one really saw us. We were back in our room before anyone noticed. And they really only noticed because I had dropped the veil without realizing I’d been holding it.

Vin gaped at us and frowned, “Don’t do that to get out of here.” He chided.

I grinned. “I won’t I know better. Seraph knew where I was.”

The woman nodded from the door as she lounged. “He was safe.”

Vin just sighed. “Whatever, don’t do it to escape Ant’s orders.”

Alex laughed, “He wouldn’t dream of it. I might though.” He grinned at me, “So what’s that rune?”

I thought it at Alex and he chuckled, “I’ll never remember that pretty boy.”

I smiled at him, “It’s a good thing I got you covered huh?”

Alex pulled me close and pressed a long hard kiss to my lips resulting in a low groan deep in my throat. “So easy pretty boy.”

“I bet anyone could make him do that.” Vin joked as he got up to stand next to Seraph. “So now what?”

“I’ll be taking a team into the underground. We need to contact Bernstein so he’s aware we are coming and I need one of his trusted people.”

Vin nodded and he left me alone with Alex and Seraph, I looked to Alex as Seraph disappeared into the woodwork. She was good at her job, and we forgot she was there, but I still saw her if I focused. “Do you want to come?” I asked though I hoped he’d stay here. I didn’t want to have to worry about Alex’s safety.

“If I don’t go will Ant bring you here first?”

I shook my head, “No but he’ll stay by my side.”

“I’ll stay here only if you take Ant and Ryan and whoever else Ant says.” Alex said with conviction.

“Seraph will stay with you.”

She said from her hidden corner. “No I won’t.” The red head looked at Alex and gave him a slight nod, “No offense intended, but my job is to protect him.” She pointed to me. “I know you are important to him, but I was hired to protect only him.”

“Are you staying with me 24/7?” I asked.

She looked at me and glared. “If I have to.”

“So issues you your orders? Obviously not me.”

She looked back at Alex and then to me and sighed. “He acts all surprised and innocent but your boyfriend is far more manipulative than you think. While it is Adrian who recommended me, it is Mr. Kennedy who pays for my payroll. As he pays two others whom I’ve not met yet.”

I looked to Alex. “So you are keeping things from me?”

He frowned, “Only because I know you take too many chances.”

I sighed, “Fine. But I just want to point out, you don’t let me fix my own mistakes.” I pressed a kiss to Alex’s lips and walked away. “I’ll be back after I figure this out.”

“Nox.” Alex called out from behind me. I didn’t turn around but I stopped to listen. “Turn around please.”

I turned around and looked at the man I loved, but wasn’t currently happy with.

He sighed, “I only want to keep you safe.”

I nodded. “I know Alex. Do you hear me bitching about what you did? No you hear me condemning myself for making stupid mistakes that make you not trust me. So you feel compelled to protect me. I’m a big boy Alex. I fucked up. I’m sorry. I told you I’d try not to do it again.”

“That’s the thing pretty boy.” He sighed and closed the distance between us putting his hand on my hip. “You don’t have to do this alone anymore. I can’t fight with you. I’m a liability, I get that. But I can hire people who won’t. This is my way of helping you.”

“I still don’t like that you kept it from me.” I growled but put my hands on his waist and dropped my head to his shoulder and Alex pulled me tight against him and wrapped me in his arms.

Alex sighed, “I’ll try to do better.”

I pressed a kiss to his neck, “That’s all we both can do.” I whispered.

Alex pushed my away playfully. “I will hold this fort down with Vin. I trust him to help watch us all. He’s a fighter, but he’ll watch us.”

I nodded, “Thank you.”

Alex shook his head, “Thank you, pretty boy. I’m sorry. I’m not good at this.” I pressed a finger to his lips and shushed him.

“I’ll see you when I get back.” I kissed my Alex and I turned to head out the door. Seraph was behind me and Vin stepped inside without being asked. They had planned everything and I wondered how much of it had been behind my back.

I didn’t go straight into planning mode with the others I stopped at the kids bedroom and knocked. “Hunter?” I said as I walked in to find my son sitting on his bed drawing. “What ya doing in here alone?”

He shrugged, “Cass is helping Quinn. Drake is playing video games with Rider.”

I laughed, “And you don’t have anyone to play with?”

He smiled, “I want to draw.”

I smiled at him, “Does it help?” I ran my fingers over the sharpie on his arm.

He nodded, “Yes, but it hurts too. I can’t see.”

“I think I might know a different one if you want to try it when I get back. It won’t cut you off, I’m hoping it’ll balance you out.”

Hunter nodded, “If you think it will help.”

“We’ll see okay?” I said. “Can I ask you if you’ve had any visions lately or any of me in tunnels or sewers or anything like dark places.”

Hunter shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

“You remember that rule I told you, how I didn’t want you tell me about things about me?” I said softly.

Hunter nodded as he continued to draw in his sketchbook. I continued. “When I get back too, I want to hear them all, or see your drawings about them okay? Maybe they’ll keep me safe in the future so I don’t scare you and everyone else.

Hunter nodded again and wrapped his arms around me, “Okay. I’ll leave my sketchbooks with Dad, and you can look at them later, k, Daddy?”

I nodded. “When you drop them off you make sure to call Alex Dad okay, I think he’ll like to hear that.”

Hunter grinned, “Okay, Daddy. I’m gonna go play with Drake now, k?”

“Sounds good bud. I love you. Tell everyone else I do too k?”

He nodded and ran out of the room. I sighed and went to find everyone else going with me.

We were several blocks away from the cafe when I felt Alex back in my head. His hand left mine and he wrapped his arm around my waist. “I was expecting a show, but you fucking branded Poet. Nox he’s not going to forget that.”

“I hope he doesn’t.” I said. “I don’t like bullies.”

“How did you know he was Prometheus? Really?”

I shrugged, “I didn’t lie, it’s an anagram. And his power is strange, I imagine it’s like mine but not exactly since he didn’t seem to notice the rune when I was making it.”

“That’s the same one as you put on Hunter.”

I nodded, “It contains magic which is why is fucked with my head a little, I used my magic as part of my sanity – seeing the patterns and knowing when I’m losing control keeps me in check.”

Alex sighed, “Poet’s not going to play nice now. Reaper is an asshole.”

I shook my head, “I don’t think I have to worry about a hacker. Trix, Jack and Sage have all been monitoring the Night Life building. He said he didn’t have a man on the inside. So it’s likely a woman. But there aren’t many I don’t trust, has to be someone I don’t expect. Or maybe it’s innocent, I don’t know. But Reaper is hardly a problem. He’s located at a hacker den down in Dom’s district. Sage already sent the wolves a message and they will be shutting it down.”

“How do you know all this?” Alex asked.

I smiled, “Because it’s what I do.”

Alex stopped me and pushed me against the wall in the nearby alley way. “That’s not an answer pretty boy.”

“I don’t have another one. Sage listens on my phone, you think he didn’t notice that I’d left the building? He’s as much in charge of my security as Ant is. Tell me you didn’t think we left without them knowing.”

“There are no vampires present. No one came with us. Which is strange.” Alex frowned as he looked down the other end of the alley and saw the shadow. “Therian are good at hiding in plain sight if they want to. It’s part of their magic. Most supernaturals do. The good thing that comes from the community gathering around me after I died, was that they left people they trusted and Adrian left me an ex military wolf who was looking for a good paying job. She’d come to New York hearing about the pack.”

“I’m going to ask you again, Nox, how do you know all this stuff.” Alex groaned, “I haven’t been away from you that long.”
“You were sleeping while I got a better lay of the land. And I sent Sage a text while you made your call.”

Alex frowned as the woman walked towards them, “We should leave, your friend is angry and he’s got men looking for you.”

I smiled. “No one can find us.” I waved my hand though it was unnecessary as the veil formed around us. “We can stick to the alleys for now it’ll be easier to move with the veil.”

“I thought you couldn’t move with one?” Alex said and even the wolf woman looked at him strangely.

I smiled. “I’ve learned a lot from that book. Like how to hide in plain sight. I’ll show you the rune later.”

Alex looked at me and frowned then looked at the woman. “I don’t like being followed by people I don’t know.”

She smirked though there was still a cold hardness to her eyes. “You can call me Seraph.”

I smiled, “This is Lilly Woods, but as she said you can call her Seraph. Adrian speaks highly of her as does Danny.”

Seraph’s mood lightened, “The Lt is a good man.”

I nodded, “Danny was like a father to me growing up.”

“He’s told me.” She turned to look at Alex and smirked, “Told me to watch this one. Said I should break him if he hurts you again.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I said pulling Alex to me. “He’s not going anywhere ever again.” I pressed a kiss to his lips and Seraph growled and turned to walk in the direction she’d come. I whispered to Alex, “Let’s go before we upset her.”

“I’m still utterly confused Nox.”

So we walked and talked and I tried to straighten out all the kinks I’d introduced to Alex in that short period of time. How Adrian and given me a body guard that the wolves trusted. He said the Dragons were working on a line too. Three specifics were to be assigned to me alone, everyone else could be protected by vampires, my family hadn’t been important to them.

But they were important to me and Ant knew that – that was the important part. He’d watch my families back even if the other races did not.

I left the Night Life building wearing a grey hoodie and ripped jeans. Alex rolled his eyes as if it had mattered. My hair matched my shirt underneath in a dark red, and my nails were black as per the usual. I was only slightly nervous meeting the man who had asked Alex to spy on me. But I was also eternally grateful to the conniving son of a bitch for putting Alex back in my life.

We met at the coffee shop that I met Liam at, and where I had my birthday chocolate cake. The pushed thought into my head made me remember the last time we’d been here with Alex watching me eat chocolate cake. There wouldn’t be any of that this time, though Alex was pouting at the lack of the prospect.

Before we entered I kissed Alex hard sucking his bottom lip into my mouth to make his pout disappear, which had the intended effect of putting a smile on my love’s face.

A blond man dressed in a dapper blue suit sat in one of the booths and if felt Alex pull his shields up tight around him, and out of my head. He was protecting his thoughts, and not mine. Which meant he had something to prove here.

I sat down first across from the man mostly because I knew Alex wanted to protect me even though he’d left my head. I knew he was reading what I sent, how could he not. He just wasn’t able to send. And I was alright with that.

“I suppose you were right Alex.” The man said, “He’s loud.”

“You knew that though.” I said.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“I’ve been playing chess with you in a different likeness most of my life. One thing you can’t hide from me is your energy signature and pattern.”

“So why do I let you win?”

I laughed, “You never let me win. I let you win when my streak is going on too long though. I don’t figure myself a chess player, and you do cheat on occasion, but I can’t prove it since it’s one move at a time and I don’t have a photographic memory.”

Alex interrupted our little talk, “Nox this is Poet Rhemus. Poet, this is Nox. You two should play nice.”

“Poet Rhemus.” I said the name slowly. “Or should it be Prometheus.”

The man’s jaw dropped, but before he could say anything I answered the question I knew was on both their minds, “Poet Rhemus is an anagram of Prometheus. And we were just talking about the Ascendant that was unaccounted for. The name was stuck in my head.”

“How?” He asked still in shock that I knew his real name.

“Did no one ever tell you what my Venatori ability was?” I looked to Alex and he shrugged. “I take it Alex didn’t really understand that it’s not just patterns I see. It’s a gift I have, putting together pieces. Math, Chemistry all came easily. Where things like English and Biology were difficult.”

“So Mr. Sétanta, what can I help you with?”

“Three things. One. I want to know who among my people is your spy. Two, I know you told the Venatori where we were going to be, and Three, I want to know where the missing people are.”

Poet laughed. It was a happy, or jovial laugh, more like he was caught between a brick and a hard place and he had no where else to go.

“You do realize I can hear your thoughts?”

I nodded, “Yes. Doesn’t matter what vampiric powers you possess, none of them frighten me.”

The man in front of me glared and he expected me to flinch as he pushed out the power to control me. It went around like I wasn’t there. I grinned at him and pulled the sleeve of my hoodie up right arm and tapped the metal infinity symbol there, “Engraved is a rune that keeps people out of my head – from controlling me like the Dragon did.”

And is the memories were called upon I remembered seeing him standing with the Dragon before I was taken control of. Him and Matthias. I’d been played since the start.

The power came at me stronger and harder and he tried to push it past my shields but the magic wrapped around me never touching me. I drew a rune in the air with fire and I sent the burning symbol at Poet, it seared into his perfectly tailored and fitted blue suit and into his flesh. The magic stopped rushing at me and the glare grew into a panicked look and when the realization dawned on him, the glare returned, “What the fuck did you do?”

“I contained your magic inside of you with a brand.” I smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll heal it soon enough. But maybe it’ll teach you to keep your magic to yourself. Now tell me Poet where are the missing people?”

He growled. “I don’t fucking know what you are talking about. I don’t make a habit of kidnapping supernaturals.”

“I never said they were supernatural.”

Alex was covering his mouth trying to contain his amusement. I couldn’t help but smirk at his reaction. “Tell me Poet.”

“There are rumors of someone taking people into the sewers. I don’t know anything more.”

I nodded. I believed him. “Who’s your man inside my walls?”

“I have no man inside your walls?”

“Who told you where we were going to be? I know it’s not Alex.”

He laughed, “You are so certain your boyfriend isn’t spying on you.”

“I am. He was and he’s not anymore. He ran from you, he ran from me. If I hadn’t chased him he’d still be long gone and we’d not be here. So thank you for that by the way, but who is doing your dirty work now?”

“You honestly believe that he’s not working for me anymore?”

“I told you, I know he’s not. Alex is mine and I am his and nothing will come between us again.” I wasn’t going to tell this man why, but I believed in my heart it was the truth – forever and always.

Alex smirked across the table at Poet and wrapped his hand around mine on top of the table. Solidarity. “Just tell him, Poet, he’ll pull the information from you anyway.”

Poet shook his head, “I have no man behind your walls.”

“A hacker then. We’ll be scouring our network. Get what you want now, before you are dealing with my hackers.”

“Reaper isn’t as good as The Wicked Truth, Trix and Chevalier put together.” Alex said. “He’s not even half as good as the Wicked Truth.”

The remainder of the blood drained from Poet’s face and I pushed gently on Alex and he slide out of the booth and I followed him. “Be careful with who you spy on me next with. I might not be so easy going next time.” I said before I left with Alex leading the way.

I pulled off my clothes and was standing naked in while I waited for Alex to do whatever he was going to do. But his eyes opened wide as he looked at me. “Holy fuck!”

Alex waved his left hand in the air, “I though this was cool.” Alex had a series of stars etched into his skin with magical ink. The vine Isabelle had woven around our hands had sunk in and changed based on our personalities, I guessed. He ran his fingers over the lines and I shivered at his touch.

Alex pulled his shirt over his head and checked out his chest and spun around, “I don’t have them all over do I?”

I shook my head. “No just the one.”

I touched the rune on my arm. I didn’t know what it was – at least not yet – and ran my fingers over it and Alex shivered. “Fuck!” He said.

“But what are the rest of them?” I looked down and shrugged.

“I don’t know, the kids probably.” I grinned at Alex. “We can figure it out later.”

Alex nodded and turned the hot water on. “Yeah, I’m too tired to explore you right now.” He scoffed as if that were a problem for real.

I couldn’t help but laugh. But Alex was dragging me into the shower that now smelled like lavender. I didn’t need the relaxing but Alex seemed to think I did so I let him pamper me. His strong hands made me weak as he massaged my shoulders while he washed me. It could have easily turned into shower sex, but I think there was still a little fear in both of us that something else might happen. We were both feeling the dredges of the wiccan magic. It lingered around us like a fog. And I didn’t know if Alex felt it, but I sure the fuck did. And it was a little scary.

Alex pressed a kiss to the back of my neck, “You need to calm down, pretty boy. All this work and you still are stressing out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, just take a deep breath, let the lavender do its work.” Alex wrapped his arms around me and pressed his body against mine. “We are here together. I got you.”

“Forever and always.” I muttered.

By the end of our shower we were both very relaxed, Alex always did enjoy someone washing his hair, everything else was icing on the cake for him, he went to the salon just for that. And it sorta made me jealous that he let someone else make him feel that way, but it was hair. Though Alex chuckled at me because he was in my head – always in my head. And that made me happy. And now he was mine forever. That made me happier.

“It’s not fair you know what I’m thinking.”

Alex laughed and dragged me out of the bathroom. “I’m thinking how I want to keep you here all to myself. Locking you up to keep you safe forever, but I know that’s not going to happen so I’ll settle for going with you, tracking your whereabouts, and using my new gift to keep track of you.”

“Your contact you were talking about earlier. You think you can set up a meeting?” I asked.

Alex sighed and pulled away. He started pacing back and forth, “About that.” Alex said stopping in front of the window and looked out. “My contact is the same man who hired me to spy on you. If he’s got information he might not give it to us. I have one point of leverage,” Alex said turning around, “but I don’t want to use it for something like this.”

“You think there is another reason than to save lives to use a favor?” I asked curious.

“Not to save just any life, Nox. I’m sorry I’m a selfish bastard but you and our family mean I won’t give up this favor for just anything.”

I smiled, “It’s a good thing I’m not going to ask you to use a favor. But can you arrange a meeting? A favor to me, not to him.”

Alex smiled at me, “Are you always so diplomatic?”

I grinned, “I try to be. It’s easier to tell the truth, to be honest and straight forward.”

Alex shrugged, “So I do you this favor, what do I get in return?” Alex smirked as he watched me.

“You name it.”

Alex laughed, “I’ll have to come up with something good.”

“You think about it then, I’m going to look at these papers.” I said as I grabbed information from the dresser where Alex had left it.

“I’m gonna make that call, I’ll be outside okay?”

I nodded already looking at the piles of paper, mostly newspaper clippings that spoke of missing persons from the human stand point. The supernaturals had even gone to the local police and they were having issues. Why hadn’t I heard about this yet?

I grabbed my phone and sent my father a text.

N: Anything strange going on over there I should know about?

I didn’t expect anything back, like most of the Venatori he was avoiding me. None of the kids had seen Dorian in ages and that was unusual for all of us, Dorian was a staple in our lives, it felt very weird not seeing him. Maybe we could meet up at Marco’s restaurant and have a meal. It was probably the only way we were going to see him at all.

While on that thought I sent Dorian a text too.

N: Should have dinner sometime soon, we miss you.

And then I started looking at the files again. There was nothing of note about the persons other than the fact that they were supernatural – lions, wolves, wiccans, and even some vampires. I didn’t know some of the names as they were upstate, but some of them I did.

And while I was starting work I should tell Sage about the thing.

N: Crunching data points. Looking for missing people. Could use help.

I started entering coordinates of last seen locations into the mapping software Sage had provided me when I started this job. I didn’t have all the information yet, but I might soon. You never knew when enough was enough, or what piece of information was key with my gifts I could only look at the information and let my gift do it’s thing.

Alex came back into the room with a sigh, “You busy now? He says he can meet with you now or never.”

“Yeah okay. If now is the only time.”

Ophelia meowed as Alex closed the door behind her. She hopped up on the bed and made a circle in front of me. I ran my fingers through her prickly hair and she growled at me but then pushed her whole body against my face. I picked her up and she fought she was such a prickly cat. “I’ll find a way to let you move on Bree. But for now you gotta leave my papers alone – please.” I held her up in front of me as I spoke, she didn’t scratch at my face thankfully but stared like a human in disbelief might. I’d figure it out. At least that’s what Rosanna had said. So I would – that was all there was to it.

I set the cat down and headed for my closet and grabbed a clean hoodie and my shoes. “Do I need to dress better?” I asked absently from the closet only to hear Alex chuckling from the room. I was pretty sure it didn’t matter how I dressed, this man had stalked me my whole life.

Isabelle was grumpy even as Ricky showed her to her room. “Mija, come, it’s actually not so bad. The view is extraordinary.” His heavily accented voice carried down the hall while he carried her things against her wishes. But it wasn’t because she was a girl, it was because it’s what he did.

Ant’s eyes followed her down the hall, but he stayed with us. “You keep adding people to the list I need to protect we are going to need more body guards.” Ant said as if there wasn’t a whole city of supernatural creatures chomping at the bit to step between a bullet and me. Which was highly fucking weird.

Alex was chuckling but I just shrugged, “Utilize the dragons and the lone wolves too. The vampires get the night shift easily enough. No need to draw in day walkers.”

Ryan met us down the hall with a pile of paperwork. “Priestess Milano sent this over while you shifted. She didn’t think sending it with Isabelle would be good since her daughter was disgruntled so she sent it to Allison.”

In the blonde’s hand was another stack of papers. “With the council here we’ve seen an influx of vampires, Nox. Brawls and such happening in places they shouldn’t, we are also getting missing persons reports of vamps snatched up off the streets. Some gone missing. Word has it that there is a new player in town.”

“Brandon’s people?”

Ryan nodded, “That’s my theory and Cari’s as well. We are policing as we can, but the Venatori seem quiet. CCB too, it’s like everyone is turning a blind eye to what’s going down. It can’t be that quiet.”

“Or it could be magic.” Alex said.

“Someone who knows the city shushing things. I know someone who can do it. I didn’t think his radius was quite so large as a whole city though.”

“Do you think this person has a reason?” I asked.

Alex shrugged. “He always has a reason for doing things. Usually they are for him, but he sometimes uses his powers for good.” But Alex didn’t sound very sure of that.

“Do you think he’d stop if asked?”

“No,” Alex shook his head. “But I might be able to get him to.”

“How so? If asking won’t work.”

Alex answered me by looking down. But he said nothing, “He’s who hired you isn’t he?” I asked.

Alex nodded. “Yeah, his name is Poet Rhemus, and he hired me to spy on you. Among other things over the years.”

“Why would he listen to you?” Ant asked, “If you are just a lackey.”

“He owes me a favor.”

“You’d waste that favor on this?” I asked.

Alex shrugged. I put my hand on his shoulder, “No, you don’t need to do that. This isn’t worth that.” I said.

“But I could help.” Alex looked up at me with anger and fustration.

“You can. But we don’t need the Venatori or the CCB in this. It’s better if they stay out of it. Let him keep this quiet. We’ll handle it.” I smiled at Alex, “We. Will. Not me. We, as in you and me.”

“And the rest of your fucking followers.” Alex growled but there was no venom in his words. He was just being annoyed at the fact that I was saving the world.

“When this is done, we’ll all take a scheduled undistrubable vacation.” I said to Alex as I grabbed both handfuls of paper from Ryan and headed off back to our room. I had work to do but I also needed the soft scent of Alex and comfort and to let go of all the feelings. I didn’t think work would happen when I stepped into the room, but I would at least put on a good show as I walked down the hall to our room.

I was about to climb on to the bed but Alex grabbed the papers from my hands and set them on the corner of the dresser before he grabbed my hand. “Have you had a shower since you woke up?”

I shook my head. “No. But I have things to do, a shower is the…”
Alex interrupted me with a kiss and dragged me into our adjoining bathroom and shut the door behind me. “Now I’d prefer a bath after all of the shit you’ve had to deal with, but we got what we got.” Alex turned on the hot water and then rummaged through the medicine cabinet.

I watched as he searched for something but couldn’t find it, the counter top was getting full of this and that but not what he was looking for, “Fully fucking stocked my ass.” Alex grumbled.

“What are you looking for?” I asked Alex before he started throwing things.

“You smell like magic and sex and if you are going to work you can’t smell so ripe.” Alex grinned playfully at me.

“I have some essential oils in the box under the bed.” Alex looked at me curiously,

“For what?”

“For sex and massages.” I said.

“And how come I didn’t know about them?” Alex asked as he headed out to the bedroom.

“You never asked.” I said following Alex but stopped in the bathroom door to watch Alex as he opened the box because that wasn’t all that was in there.

Alex pulled the box out and he flipped the lid and it thuncked to the floor with utter silence as Alex took it all in. “Okay, pretty boy, a little kinky here, but why isn’t this locked up?”

“It is, you just have access to it.”

“Magic?” Alex said grabbing a few vials and closing the box without any other comments. “Oh I have comments pretty boy, we’ll play later. Right now we have a shower to take.”

“I expected something more,” I said.

“Get naked now.” Alex said spinning me around and shoving me in the bathroom.

Alex looked after her and was frowning but I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my face into the back of his neck. He was still home, and I still needed that comfort despite the fact I wasn’t actively freaking out. It was good for now, but it wasn’t dealing with it. I couldn’t go through life with that feeling, just know if I stopped thinking about it that I’d have an issue.

Alex hummed and then whispered, “I need you to let me in.”

And I tried. I tried to think of the symbol and letting Alex in, letting his connection to be the only thing getting through, but there was a tunnel built in the wall and now all my bonds could get through, more so than before. I felt them, but it was even more attention I had to pay. At least for the moment I could do it, but it was exhausting, holding that image, and the tunnel and…

Alex turned in my arms and pressed a kiss to my lips. Let me help. And he took hold of the image in my head and he build his own shields into it, he propped open the tunnel and eased the weight of the image on me, we bore it together. It wasn’t perfect and I felt Alex sweating the initiative on his end too. We couldn’t do this for a life time, but until we got home, where it was safe we could.

We found Isabelle talking with her hands and almost shouting with her mother in the kitchen, “… but Mother, he was all but having a panic attack and then he wasn’t. How stable can you expect him to be, he’s going to destroy us.”

I laughed, “And here I thought you felt it was an honor to bear my children, now I’m the destroyer of the world? Sounds awful Thanos like.”

Alex chuckled, “You spend way too much time with Sage. I’m almost proud of you.”

I grinned at the backhanded compliment. “Only almost? I see how it is.”

“It is Sage.” Ant agreed. “We all need to do a movie night.”

Alex stared at Ant but was nodding in agreement. “So that’s settled.” I said. “Can you two be friends?”

They just glared at me and then Isabelle interrupted our ‘heartfelt’ moment. “You don’t care what your magic does.”

“I do care. But no one understands it so how the fuck can I get a handle on it?” I growled.

“You never asked.” Isabelle said as she strode to me in all her petite glory.

“Oh you can teach me?” I asked.

She deflated a little, “Well, no. But you never asked.”

“So who can teach me Isabelle Milano? Who has the knowledge and the power to teach me if I’m this so called Third Ascendant?”

“Maybe the first two?” Isabelle crowed.

“Who are they?” I asked.

Ant interrupted, “Aeryn is dead by the lore, Prometheus has not been seen in centuries – gone to the winds, bored with humanity. There is no one let to teach him but us, and we do the best we can.”

Isabelle was about to shout at me again, but a young boy rushed into the room. “Mama Milano, papa is gone now too.”

“There are missing people?” I asked.

The priestess nodded, “From all over the Tri-state area. The Venatori have been told but they don’t seem to care.”

“Tell me.” I said as I stirred the pot on the stove. “Smells good, mind if I help?”

With something to do now, to listen and spend my time working on the shielding got easier – my mind was focused on other things. It left me and Alex free to use less will power to maintain my sanity. Alex asked, “You sure you’ll be okay?”

I nodded. “I won’t fret if I have something to do.”

Alex nodded and sat down at the kitchen table to watch. “Tell him what’s going on, so he can deal with it.”

“We can deal with it.” I corrected. “All of us, not just me.”

Rosanna stepped away from the stove and sat down with Alex with a cup of tea. “We have two tribes missing, I hear rumor of several therian packs have gone missing. We sent emissaries out and most of them have not come back. Aiden’s father has now been confirmed missing. We’ve not found anything of the people we sent.”

“Any idea who’s behind it?”

“Nothing.”

“And any humans gone missing? Other than wiccans?” I asked then tasted the soup Rosanna had been making. I added some salt and pepper and a few other herbs and spices before letting it simmer again.

“I don’t listen to the human rumor mill. That is the Venatori’s concern.”

“I’d like a list of all missing persons that you are aware of sent to me and anything else you have on them. If Isabelle is ready to go I should get back so I can start working through all the information.”

“You owe us nothing.” Rosanna said.

“Are you not my people? Are you not sending someone to advise me. It’s my concern. I will keep you safe, I will keep everyone I can safe.”

Ant laughed, “Rosanna, just do as he asks. Even Cari doesn’t argue with him. He does his job, he’ll do what he says. He’ll find you answers.”

Alex smirked, “He is stubborn. And he has that set to his jaw that says he won’t give up. It’s best to just give in. We need to get home, the children will be waiting, and he’s about to pop even if he doesn’t look like it.”

Rosanna nodded, “I will have the information wired to you via Isabelle. She will finish packing and the lot of you can go.” She looked at Ant, “And if you touch a hair on my daughter’s head I’ll skin your immortal body and when it grows back I’ll skin it again.”

Ant smiled, “On my honor, your daughter will be safe. She hold the child of my Master.”

“I prefer Prince if you are going to be spouting things, I am not your Master, you are no slave.” I said.

Alex snickered but didn’t say anything, “Shush you.” I added for Alex. He stuck his tongue out at me and I smiled at his childish behavior. I love you.

“I know.” Alex said out loud.

“Back to what I was saying, Isabelle carries the child of my Prince and I will protect her with my life as I will his and Alex’s and the rest of his family.”

“That’s a lot of people to die for.” Rosanna said.

“It’s worth every moment of it, Priestess. I follow my own path now, not in my mother’s shadow. I’m not just The Son anymore.”

Rosana laughed, “No you are just the Praetorian and he’s the Twin Flame to our Third Ascendant. A pretty little broken triad of power if only they’d could not bicker.”

Ant was standing in the doorway they entered after I’d gotten dressed. He didn’t look happy. Though he had just found his soul mate and that whole thing confused me a little, but I shook my head to clear that thought, I did understand he’d have issues now.

Ant sighed, “I don’t have issues. But the two of you should really have listened to what Isabelle had to say. I can’t…”

“You’re connection is strong then?” I asked.

He nodded, “And now with everything it’s even more so.”

“With everything?” Alex asked.

Isabelle stepped out of the room looking no different than the day before except her pattern had changed. The world around her flexed and flowed like it did around Cass and Hunter. She growled at Ant, “Don’t make this about them.”

Apparently they had been fighting all night about it instead of figuring out what was going on. Isabelle continued. “I knew what I was doing, it didn’t matter. I knew.”

“But they didn’t.” Ant gestured to us.

“Actually….” I interrupted. “I suspected.”

“Wait?” Alex interrupted me with a frown, “You knew she’d get pregnant with our child and you didn’t tell me?”

I sighed, “I didn’t know anything. I suspected the magic might try. That there might be a first. I didn’t expect the magic to encompass Isabelle and involve her in this.”

“But you knew this would potentially give us a child.”

I nodded. “It was how Ant was conceived from an unnatural coupling.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Alex growled.

“Does it matter either way?” I asked. “If you knew would it have changed things? Would you not want to do it?”

Alex sighed, “Nothing was going to stop me from this.” Alex ran his fingers lightly over the tattoo on his arm, the color was only slightly less bright, but it was still wilting even as it was energized by his touch. How fucking much I wanted Alex to touch me.

It was like a dam broke. The epic need for Alex, his anger at me for not telling him. The possibility of death for Isabelle, Ant’s anger, I died, I rose from the ashes, the supernatural world was bowing at my feet and now I was tied for the rest of my life to the man I loved and I not only saw his anger I felt it coursing through my own body.

I collapsed to the ground pulling my knees to my chest and rocking myself into a comfort zone. Ant and Alex both swore at the same time and Isabelle was already crouching down beside me, “Does he do this often?” I heard her ask of the others. And they sighed.

Isabelle grabbed my chin and made me look at her, “I’m not going to die from carrying your children. I know what I’m doing.”

I stared at her and when I spoke my voice was cold and distant, “Did you know that only .01 percent of human mothers and their half venatori children both survive to birth?” I shivered. I didn’t know how to explain the vision from the woman at the fair, so I didn’t. It was hard to explain. But as I thought about that day, Alex knelt down next to me and pulled me against him. And the fine control I had was lost, I’d died. I’d carried out the prophecy set forward. I knew it without a shadow of a doubt. My life was not my own. My children’s lives were at stake and no one would believe me.

I believe you. The words pierced through my thoughts. I looked into those deep blue eyes of the light of my life and smiled. He pressed a kiss to my lips, soft and tender, We’ll deal with it one step at a time. We have time to fix this.

Alex pulled away and looked up at Ant. “He needs a place to rest.”

Ant nodded. “Isabelle isn’t ready to travel, but I could take you home now and come back for her.”

Alex shook his head. “We can wait, is their someplace quiet where he won’t get interrupted.”

Isabelle smiled. “You can stay in my room. I’ve finished packing. I just need to gather some other things.”

Alex lifted me with ease and carried me into the small room and laid me down on the bed and I curled up in a ball and I was only half paying attention as Ant told Alex he would go with Isabelle and Alec would stand guard.

There was murmured whispered between the three of them but I didn’t bother trying to listen. I just wanted the spinning to stop. My mind was spiralling into oblivion and yet I felt the world moving on around me. Heard the voices that were not my own. It was a new experience and it was freaking me the fuck out.

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. A symbol popped into my mind. I wasn’t sure what it was. But as I focused on it the world began to right itself. My mind quieted as my breathing fell into the normal ranges. And before anyone had left me and Alex alone they were all staring at me as I sat up.

“What?” I asked.

Alec was the first to speak in a heavily French accent, “You, are just…” He waved his hands, “gone.”

“What did you do?” Ant asked.

“I thought of a symbol. I think I saw it in the book.”

Ant looked to Isabelle, “Do you have pen and paper?” But before she could answer I had made a stick and a makeshift paper with what looked like a wave of my hand, but that was all flourish as I had formed the paper and pencil as Ant asked. I knew he wanted me to draw it. So I did.

I drew a circle, a square, and a triangle in such a way that it contained, balanced and protected me from the star within which represented magic.

Isabelle gasped, “I’ve never seen that one before. We use some of the symbols.” Isabelle grabbed my wrist and untied the leather strap that held the bracelet to my wrist and flipped it over. “This keeps people out. Or rather their pathic abilities out.”

Alex laughed, “Which obviously doesn’t work since I’m in his head all the time.”

Isabelle turned to look at me as she handed the piece back to me. “No it would work if he weren’t already linked to you. Ant feels him for the same reason. Alec, now can as his Prince.”

“You haven’t tried to control him have you?” she asked Alex.

“I do it all the time,” Alex said.

She frowned at him, but he added for clarity, “It’s not like that. A nudge, to sleep, to calm down, to eat, to …”

I interrupted, “He does what I let him do. The magic knows.”

“That’s not how it’s supposed to work. It’s all or nothing.” She looked at me, not like a normal person, but as someone to study. “Mother will want to know this. You create new magic. You spin everything out of control and you don’t even know you do it. Maybe we should be the ones to lock you up instead.” She walked out of her own bedroom shaking her head.

What had I just started?

I didn’t care who saw the moment, but I knew Alex did though he probably knew more than I did that even Isabelle was gone from the enclosed garden, only those who peeked out the windows of the building would catch a glimpse of us in whatever passion the magic brought forth.

It wasn’t his eyes that told him Isabelle had been carried away but the feel of the air around them when Ant came to collect her collapsed and seizing body. It was more than I could handle, so I focused on Alex and only on Alex. I whispered, “It’s just us.” But my hands and lips were all over Alex.

He was kissing and holding me but he was dazed, the magic flowing through him but I wasn’t sure if he was alright but his body was responding even if he wasn’t completely there. But that posed a problem for me. A panic attacked started to rise – consent was a must. “Alex?” I whispered in his ear as his hands pulled me close. I tilted my head and Alex pressed his faced against my neck. At least it was better than dazed and confused.

“Alex, I need you to fuck me.” My voice was filled with need – almost begging. I knew it was the magic well most of it was. “Please.” I begged.

The singular word seemed to snap Alex out of whatever haze he was in as his mouth sank into my neck and I groaned. “Please.” I begged again. All I wanted was Alex and he wanted me. I felt through our forming bond the double dose of desire. It was stronger now, magic filled but our attraction was strong, the need even stronger.

Hands and mouths were everywhere. I didn’t hide in the shadows of the night. But it wasn’t our normal positions either. The grass was soft but Alex took me from behind his fingers dancing across the scar free back making me groan at the touch still not used to the attention – and now more so with new skin, even Alex was awed by it.

It only added to the growing pleasure the need for release. I could wait and I would until Alex exploded inside of me. There was some moment of concern, a missing thought, a panic for later, but I followed Alex in climax as he collapsed on top of me even as I rode out my own release.

But the magic wasn’t done with us. It shot through us like molten lava and a ball of glowing light emerged from our joined bodies. It raced along that third connection and followed after Isabelle. But there was little left in me as I collapsed underneath Alex and knew I’d be asleep in moments.

---

I woke when a shaft of lift fell on my face. Alex lay beside me curled against my back and buried his face against my body. He instinctively knew the sun was up and was hiding behind me. “Thanks.” I muttered.

Alex groaned, “It’s too early.”

“We are laying outside under a blanket.” I said rolling over on to my back and Alex sat up shifting the blanket that had been covering me to fall to just above my waist.

“Jesus. How fucking drunk were we?” Alex joked.

“Magic does that sometimes.”

“Why didn’t they wake us?” Alex asked as he looked around the garden enclosure, “And where are our clothes.”

The memories from the night before came rushing back and I glanced down at my hand and saw the thorny vine etched into my skin. A flower was fully opened just above my wrist and I smiled at the petals of blue just like the color of Alex’s eyes. Alex had a similar flower sitting in the same position though it was a vast array of colors and looked sort of wilted. I blinked as it seemed to deteriorate right in front of me.

It mimicked the spiral I was feeling. Even though I stared in awe at the flower, I was hyper ventilating as I realized what had happened after the ceremony. Unprotected sex was the least of the worries. The magic had flown away from us towards Isabelle. She’d known something would happen and I frowned. Alex was staring at me frowning. “Pretty boy, I’m sure she’s fine.”

I looked up at Alex who was standing naked before me and I licked my lips and wanted so much more of his body. The smirk on his face said he knew exactly what I wanted. A girl came through a door way and stared good and long at Alex’s naked body. He wasn’t ashamed, but he was shifting in front of me guarding my modesty. He was a slight hypocrite in that.

“Hey, I resemble that thought.” Alex laughed. She set down a pile of clothes and hurried out the way she’d come. “You are mine.” Alex claimed as he grabbed the clothes and set them neatly next to us as he knelt down behind me, “And this body, is mine.” He ran his fingers down my arm aNnd over the flower and it shuddered, “This.” He ran the same fingers to the ring sitting there and he ran his fingers across it, “And this are the publics viewing of it. That’s all they get.”

Alex traced the vine up my arm, “What the rest of these represent I don’t know.”

“Where you tracing one last night?” I asked.

Alex chuckled, “Yeah. It was new. What the fuck happened last night?”

“You mean other than us doing a soul binding ritual?”

Alex chuckled as he stood and pulled his clothes from the pile to get dressed. “Yeah other than what was supposed to happen.”

“You know how I told you Ant was the product of magic?”

Alex looked at me with concern, “Don’t tell me you are pregnant. Don’t fucking tell me that’s a thing…”

I shook my head. “No but I think Isabelle is.”

“What?” Alex shouted and he was storming off into the house leaving me naked still on the grass. He stopped abruptly and turned around, “Let’s go. Come on.”

I rolled my eyes, “Yes sir.”

The dark brunette walked up to us, she gave me a pleasant smile but it was Ant she had eyes for. “I had a dream about you. Or I should say dreams.”

Ant looked at me then back at her and he was at a loss for words. I laughed, “He’s not usually so tongue tied.”

Alex chuckled, “He is a bit confused. He thought he’d found you already.”

She looked at Alex, “What do you mean?”

“He means, I look for you but you never remember, me so when I found them, I thought I’d found you. Soul Mates. But they are soul mates, and yet I feel drawn to them.”

Rosanna laughed. She sat down on the couch in the middle of the room and laughed again. “Energy is made up of many streams. Soul mates are half soul energy. It’s stronger feelings. A triad on the other hand, is powerful in a different way. And I think that we have two sets and a triad. Will wonders never cease to amaze me.”

“Sit gentleman. Isabelle my dear, tell the men what the bond entails to bind two soul mates.”

I sat down on the opposite couch with Alex, Ant stood staring after Isabelle. Alec stood behind us like the good guard. Isabelle sat down with her mother but she never took her eyes from Ant.

Alex laughed, “Maybe we should just let them be alone. Soul mates and all, they might need some adjusting.”

Isabelle looked at us and frowned, “No. I find it surreal. A dream.” She shook her head, “I’m sure that you understand as you walk Erebus.”

“I do.” He took my hand, “Knowing he was real kept my sanity.”

“What of his?”

“I didn’t know Alex was real, but he kept me sane none the less.” I said.

“How did you not know?”

“It’s a long story.” Alex said. “We’d love to tell you about it later, if you’ll be hanging with us. We have a ceremony to preform don’t we?”

Isabelle laughed, “Eager much?”

I laughed. “That’s an understatement. I think Alex would prefer just to get it done. I think he’s worried I’ll leave him for someone better looking, as if I could find anyone who out shined my Alex.”

Isabelle snickered. “There is a bunch of things we should discuss.”

Ant rolled his eyes, “I don’t think either of them are worried about the ramifications of being tied together forever. My father has given them some insights into the situation, at least Nox.”

“I don’t…” Isabelle started.

Her mother interrupted, “My dear, the boys are going to do it no matter what we tell them, good or bad, or how wrong it can go. I see the ties that bind as clearly for the two as the three.”

We all looked at her and blinked but Isabelle stood up. “You don’t care? Fine.” She huffed. “I hope that you listen better when I advise you on other things.”

She stormed off but what she said was true. I took a deep breath and sighed. “I will listen.” I said but she was gone.

Rosanna rose gracefully, “Come, we’ll do this outside.”

I stood up and held my hand out to Alex. “Are you ready to be tied to me forever?”

Alex sighed and rolled his eyes, “If I must.”

We followed Rosanna outside into a courtyard surrounded by the villa. It was beautiful. There were vines climbing the walls and flowers everywhere with too many scents and I sneezed – repeatedly. Isabelle stood in a clearing holding a bag of trinkets and a vine wrapped around her arm.

Ant stood under an awning while we continued on. Alec joined him with Isabelle’s mother. “You ready, Alex? For real, to be tied however this ties you to my fucked up head?”

Alex nodded, “What did I tell you about bashing yourself.”

I frowned, “Not to do it. We don’t know what this will do.”

“I don’t care what it does as long as I have you for the rest of my life Nox. Don’t fucking care the consequences you won’t leave me again.”

I nodded. “You know I feel the same right?”

Alex turned to look at me with a smirk, “Pretty boy, I know exactly what you are thinking and why you are thinking it. We are in this together.”

We walked to where Isabelle stood and stopped in front of her. “We’re ready.” Alex said with a nod.

But there was a wild look in his eye and I knew he was afraid of something though he wasn’t going to say and I wasn’t privy to his thoughts like he was mind. I squeezed his hand and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Always mine.”

Isabelle took our hands we were still holding and held them up. She wrapped a very thorny vine around our wrists. It constricted, the thorns drawing blood. The sharp bites sent shards of magic coursing through our bodies. I felt the bonds forming.

The small brunette spoke words that I didn’t understand, but I could hear the meaning in my head. Ties that bind. Hearts as one. Natures bond. Ties of blood. Worlds all cryptic with only partial meaning.

I felt a surge of magic from within. The vine sank into our skin, I felt it burrow and climb up my body, slithered like a snake bursting through my arm, my back, my stomach, legs, everything. It hurt but didn’t hurt, it was like I felt it from a distances. Alex’s eyes were wide and he was staring down at his own arm and we shook.

A glow rose around us. The magic seeped into our skin. The glow strung out between the three of us standing in the garden and Isabelle smiled knowingly. The glow snaked through us but I felt no connection to her as I stared at Alex. I felt Alex freaking out but he just stared at me in disbelief. The magic flowed threw us and I pulled him close and kissed him hard. The worry left his thoughts as our lips touched. I didn’t care what it was, I knew it was magic filled but I groped at the man I loved in the dim glow of the magic around us.

Sitting there thinking what to ask I knew, not sure how I knew, but the question didn’t matter. I looked back at Alex and he winked and I knew he had a story to tell. So it didn’t matter and it was a test. I came here for two reasons none of which needed a tarot reading for.

I nodded with a smile at the woman as she waited for me. “Is there a way to free Breanne from the curse she is under?” It wasn’t self serving, and if I didn’t have to explain who Bre was then they knew more about me than I would expect from living so far from the city.

The woman blinked at me holding the third card in her hand still unflipped but poised above its spot on the table. My smile widened, “Not the question you expected?”

She flipped the last card and looked across the table at me. “The question didn’t matter, but the answer applies just the same.”

She looked down. “The hanged man.” Her eyes drew wide and though she had flipped it before she must not have looked until it was time to read. “A significant card, a sacrifice mediates the situation.” The woman looked up at Ant, “Your mother says he has risen from the ashes?”

Ant nodded. “It was a hard couple of days.”

“The ace of swords.” She looked at me again, “Your path has been tumultuous, but you have a clarity unique to yourself. You are a harmonizing element because of it. You know the next step.”

“The three of pentacles. You will find a way that inspires your followers and still showcases your uniqueness. Mutual respect allows everyone to preform to their best abilities.”

She held out her hand. “I am Rosana Milano of the Circulus Elysii, and the answer to your questions is yes.”

“So what?” I asked. “There is a way to free Breanne.”

She laughed, “Yes, Nox, there is. Yes, we will join your council and Yes, we can help you and your lover bind two souls.”

“What question were you answering in the cards?”

The look the woman gave me said she was surprised. “Not quite the boy I was lead to believe you were. I asked it if we should help you.”

“And the answer is satisfactory?”

She nodded and rose from the table. “Come, we have much to discuss.”

“So were the cards even for me?”

Rosanna gave me a sly smile. “It was a test darling. Are you self serving, what does he ask for if he’s given a choice. You could have asked your questions you came to ask, instead you came to ask about a friend.”

“I love Fee, I do, but Breanne isn’t a cat, she’s a ghost and I’d like to help her.” I shrugged.

“Even after she murdered men and women who killed her?”

“That is for what ever after life to judge her on. She didn’t kill in my time, she’s been a cat. And a great cat.”

Both Ant and Alex hummed their agreement. “See even they can agree on something.”

Alex grabbed my hand and Ant snorted. “They agreed on something else too, on many things I just needed them to remember that.”

“Can you allow my people to do magic again. It would be a great help if Alex could help with my shields. It’s not so much that it’s hard to do, I just prefer to not focus so muuch on minding my manners.”

“But of course, young one. It is good to know when help is needed.”

I laughed, “Priestess Rosanna I need a lot of help.”

She looked at me and frowned, “Not as much as you used to I gather. They are healing.”

“What is healing?” Alex asked.

“He speaks.” Rosanna chuckled, “His shields, his aura, his protective energies. They are healing well after the trauma of darkness.”

“That’s an understatement.” Alex said, “He had a fucking demon sucking the life from him.”

“He wasn’t sucking the life, he was feeding on his fear and pain.” Ant corrected.

“It doesn’t matter boys.” Rosanna said as she lead us deeper into the house. “Your other vampire friend is quiet.”

“I am not quiet darling, I’m examining all the magic in the area. It’s a new light being amalgamated to a man of unique power.”

“A Master vampire pledged to another? Why?” Rosanna asked.

“Why help the same man?” Alec asked with a smirk. “I have my reasons to align myself with Nox. As you do.”

“Can we stop playing games, Priestess, where are you taking us?” I asked.

“To my daughter who will instruct you on the requirements for the binding ceremony. And she will accompany you back to New York as one of your council. I expect her to be well taken care of.”

“That defeats the purpose having someone of the people.” I said.

“No darling, it does not. You need staff, Isabel can help.”

“With what?” Ant asked. “Is she a doctor, a lawyer, a hacker, a financial banker, a baker, a cook, a babysiter?” Ant was less than thrilled from the sound of his voice.

Rosanna chuckled, “She will help, with whatever is required.” There was something she wasn’t saying.

I looked to Alex but he shrugged. I can’t read her.

We walked into a large parlor and a dark haired beauty stood dusting a mirror with a feather duster that looked to be made from scratch, none of the plums matched. She turned her gaze to us with wide eyes. Her mouth worked, but no sound came out. Ant had stopped in the doorway and was looking from her to me and back again. Confusion was all around.

---

free reading

is there a way to free breena from the curse she us under?

self the hanged man
situation ace of swords
challenges three of pentacles

The Hanged Man
SELF: A sacrifice mediates the situation and returns it to normal.
The Hanged Man represents the taking of a loss. He’s the sacrificial lamb, whether it’s accepted with grace or only because it’s been forced upon him. In either case, his ordeal serves to clear the air of general tension, denial and game playing. The Hanged Man’s predicament brings issues to a head, making it possible to clear the slate and allow everyone to start over. Whether it’s purely symbolic or has to do with real events, such a situation can clear the collective conscience and helps to break old patterns. It’s a good thing that it’s you playing this vulnerable role, and not someone else who may be broken by the situation. You are resilient and regenerative, someone who can view this experience as educational and not be totally victimized by it. This is the enlightened attitude. Your sacrifice will make a difference in the larger flow of events, even if it’s not fair and you don’t deserve it.

Ace of Swords
SITUATION: Your unique comprehension of the situation can help clear up confusion, which may jeopardize progress.
With the Ace of Swords in this position, circumstances indicate that the path to your destination twists and turns in a bewildering way. Your insight, however, can penetrate and make sense of the confusion. You possess an outlook or vision that can harmonize whatever competing interests and needs present themselves. Ultimately, it is up to you to reveal the big picture, point out the middle path, and reconcile the polarities. You are aware of what the next step is. Continue to focus solely upon it without letting yourself or others be distracted.

Three of Pentacles
CHALLENGES/​OPPORTUNITIES: Manifest excellence and leadership at the same time you respect the accomplishments of others.
The Three of Coins in this position reveals an opportunity to find a way to showcase your unique talents and gifts. If you can do this without stimulating envy or competition, your ability to achieve greatness will be enhanced. Your challenge is to manifest excellence and leadership, at the same time respecting the accomplishments of others who are working toward common goals. Mutual respect encourages all to perform to their highest ability.

It turned out the New York coven wasn’t exactly in New York which made sense. Nature wielding witches weren’t going to find much magic in the city. But I had thought there was a City presence. This was one human magic we didn’t police much. And there was little reason for the Venatori to interfere with human issues. People thought witches were myths and that whatever magic they thought they were doing was all science or bullshit, one way or the other we didn’t need to get involved.

Ant had taken us through the shadows with Ryan and Alec with us. I wasn’t sure why Alec was there, but I didn’t ask. He was keening interested in all things occult from what I saw. And maybe his old age would help understand it. He was hardly as cryptic as Cari was.

We emerged from the shadows in a narrow alley way with cobblestone streets. Ant spoke softly, “The people here are of old blood, they live apart from their neighbors, but there is trade amongst them all. Mind your tongues, it can be difficult not to insult them.”

Alec laughed, “I suppose all of us should remain quiet then Anthony and let you speak as you know these people.”

Ant turned and gave Alec a fangy grin before he turned back around, “You’ll all do fine. Just mind what you say. Thera have me names but I’ve never met them.

“Thera is?” I asked.

“She is the great many times over granddaughter of the woman who bound my mother and father together.” Ant said.

“Who are we meeting?” Alex asked, he winked at me as I was about to ask the same thing.

“Rosanna Milano of Circulus Elyssii. She is the high priestess of the north east coven.”

“How many covens are there?” I asked.

“There is only one true coven, but there are five New World locations each calling themselves a coven, but they answer to the greater council.”

“How many in total?” I asked curiously.

Ant looked back at me and shrugged. “When mother came to the new world she brought only the one coven, and they branched out over the centuries. We don’t deal with most of them these days, usually Thera in Ward. Alex, your family should know of her.”

“I don’t know anyone by the name of Thera.” Alex said.

Ant nodded, “It is not her given name, or one that you’d know. But Kishinira and Karma would know her – she is their high priestess.”

“I’ve never met her.” Alex said. “But how do you know Kish and Kay?”

“I don’t know them personally, but I know of them, their connection to you, and Nox. It’s part of my job to know.” Ant said coldly.

Clearly these two needed to find common ground again. I couldn’t have them biting each other’s heads off.

Ant took us to a shake door in the middle of this conglomerate of shabby buildings and knocked. A man who looked the part – wirey hair and loose skin everywhere – answered the door. “Which of you is Sétanta?”

“I am.” I said stepping forward, “But I’m not leaving my friends behind.”

The thin man slide his lips back in what I assumed was a smile but it looked creepy. “Of course not.” He said, “Come with me. Do not use your magic in the domicile.”

I wondered why as I walked through and felt the faint tingle of magic against my skin. Alex followed but he was soon on his knees at the entrance clutching at his head. The man shook his head, “I said don’t use your magic.”

I crouched down beside Alex and Ant and Ryan were standing guard, their hands at their sides ready to draw weapons. Alec was still standing outside and I knew he was trying to penetrate the shield but it was no use. “Don’t try Alec, they are preventing magic use.” I looked back down at Alex and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I can manage my shields.”

Alex shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I can keep it in control and if not I can draw the lines to contain it.”

Alex growled, “You will not.”

“If I have to. But I don’t I will. Pull your shields back I can’t see you like this baby.” I begged, “Please?” I added.

Alex growled again but only because he could never refuse me when I asked so nicely. Which made him upset and he liked it all the same. It was a confusing mix of emotions. The pain in Alex’s eyes lessened as did his ever constant presence. We had only our natural connection. And the physical one, because once we stood Alex had his hand in mine and he squeezed. We’d do this together for whatever it was worth.

Everyone’s magic was as contained as it was going to be. I did not shield. I didn’t care really. It wasn’t hurting me to be free and a telepath wasn’t likely to read my if Alex couldn’t read me. So I walked with Alex at my side, Ant and Ryan with Alec in the rear. The master vampire was barely even let into the house. Made me wonder why.

The sickly man lead us to a large room filled with dark hangings. Not like curtains, but meant to scare the tourists type dark. Tapestries of dark rituals, horns and dried animal parts hanging around the walls. I’d seen enough to know this was all show, nothing in this room felt magical. A large table sat with a crystal ball in the middle over a long purple sash in the middle. Tarot cards piled in a stack and laid out mid read. There was an older woman with salt and peppered hair sitting at the table flipping another card. “Mr. Sétanta, come sit. The others should remain quiet.”

I sat down across from her and the ball began to glow and her hand faultered as she lifted the next card mid flip. “Odd.” She said looking at the crystal ball, “It never reacts to your kind.”

I laughed, “My kind? what do you think I am?”

“The Prince of Darkness,” she looked to Alex with a knowing smile, “says you are Venatori. The ball says otherwise.”

I smiled, “I’m not sure I’d trust a crystal ball that is merely for show.”

The woman laughed. “Perhaps. Ask me a question.”

I looked back to Alex and he shrugged, Alec was watching the mysticism closely and when I looked at Ant and Ryan they both gave me a slight nod telling me to do as I was asked.

That was hard… just one question.