Destined, page 26
She barely registered the room’s expensive but old-fashioned décor because Alfred Doukas was gaping at her like a fish out of water.
“What … who …” A plump woman at the opposite end of the table threw down her napkin, glaring at Caia and Vil as if they were vagabonds.
“Mr. Doukas.” Caia rushed forward, and he pushed away from the table, his face creased with concern.
“Miss Ribeiro … what on Gaia’s earth …?”
“Please, Mr. Doukas, I must speak with you alone.”
Seeming to understand the urgency, he assured his family everything was all right, and led Caia out of the dining room and down a dark wood-paneled hallway to his study. He turned on her as Vil shut the door behind them.
“What is going on?”
Here goes nothing.
“Mr. Doukas, I need you to call an emergency meeting of the Council. Now.”
He paled. “Why?”
“Because I mean to ask them for the right to run against Marita for Head of the Coven.”
He stumbled back, his hand going to his forehead, his eyes disbelieving. “You can’t be serious.”
Please believe me, please.
“I am quite serious. I believe that Marita is no longer the right person for the job. Please, I’ll explain everything … to all of you.”
“Her family have been coven Heads for four generations. They are the Heads because her great-grandmother uncovered the treacherousness of the previous Head. You will have a hard time convincing the Council that someone of her illustrious family name isn’t cut out for the job.”
“This is extremely important. I have evidence to prove Marita has betrayed her duty to protect Daylights. Please, I will explain …”
He stared at her sternly for what seemed like forever and then nodded. “Fine. It best be now before Marita catches wind of it.”
Shrugging up the sleeve of his jacket, Alfred pressed one of the tiny buttons on his watch, and it made a beeping noise. He looked up to find Caia and Vil gazing at him quizzically. “The watch was made in magik. All the Council members have one. When one of us wishes to meet, we press this button and the others’ watches beep to signal the request.”
Caia was impressed. “The CIA would love that.”
Alfred chuckled nervously. “Yes, well, they have their own gadgets.”
Before Caia could reply, the room began to fill with magiks she’d never met before. Penelope appeared beside Alfred, and she smiled at Caia in acknowledgment. The others glared and frowned at her and Vil.
“What is the meaning of this?” One tall, elegant male magik strode past her to Alfred.
“Is this everyone?” Alfred searched the room. There were nine of them, including Alfred and Penelope. “Very well, ladies and gentlemen. I’ve called you here per the request of this young lady.” He gestured to Caia. She felt their attention on her like burning coals under her feet. She hopped back to distance herself from them. The power emanating from them all together was unlike anything she’d ever encountered. These people were strong and old. And they meant business. The nine of them filed into a line in front of Alfred’s desk.
“Is this who I think it is?” a waifish female asked, her sharp gaze drinking Caia in with fascination.
“This is Caia Ribeiro, yes.”
A murmur rippled through them like one. It was quite disconcerting.
“And why do you wish to see us, Miss Ribeiro?” Penelope asked her warmly.
Be cool, be confident … be persuasive.
“I’m here to ask for the right to campaign against Marita for Head of the Coven.”
The murmuring turned into heated exclamations, and Caia shifted closer to Vil. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.
“Why?” Penelope asked, seeming hurt by Caia’s request.
“Because I believe I can end this war, but not using Marita’s methods. I’m not asking you to kill her and give me the trace. I’m just asking that you give me the authority to make the decisions in this war. Marita would still continue using the trace, but working for me.”
A few of them looked disdainful, but Albert’s gaze had softened. “That’s quite merciful of you, Caia.”
“I have no wish to harm anyone. But I don’t believe this war will ever find closure under Marita’s leadership.”
The tall magik who’d spoken first scoffed. “And how do you think you can do any better? You’re barely out of childhood. Marita has led this coven for decades and recently has garnered great victories for us.”
“Because of Caia,” Penelope inserted. “Marita was doing just as well as any other Head of the Coven until Caia came along. Those victories you speak of have had Caia’s hand in them somewhere.”
More murmuring as this sunk in.
Caia rubbed her sweaty palms against her trouser legs and stepped forward a little more confidently. She wouldn’t tell them her suspicion that Marita had tried to kidnap Jaeden for her own nefarious means; without proof, she would appear a spiteful little girl, thereby undermining her position with the Council. But she would tell them about the children. For that, there was proof.
“While I was at the Center, I followed Marita one day. She disappeared under a trapdoor in the Altar of Gaia. The second marble slab to the right of the statue of Gaia has a gold button attached to it. If you press it, it opens to reveal a basement. Inside the basement, you will find at least one laboratory where Marita is conducting illegal experiments on lykan children who are caged down there.”
A flurry of outrage erupted in the room, some admonishing her for such nonsense, others, like Alfred and Penelope, paling in fear.
“All you need to do is send in a spy. Someone who can mask their thoughts well in their trace.”
“You really expect us to believe this?” the elegant magik sneered.
“I expect you to go in and find the proof for yourselves.”
“Alfred,” a surprisingly young-looking magik intoned in a bored voice, “I’ll go.”
Alfred nodded, never taking his sad eyes off Caia. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Caia, I promise.”
She refused to let go of the bigger picture, however. “And when you do?”
Penelope sighed wearily. “If you’re proved correct, then Marita will be sentenced and the Council will vote on a new Head.”
Be strong. Be powerful. Be confident.
“I will be proved correct. And your decision should be easy. With me as the Head of both covens, I promise I will bring this war to a conclusion. There are Midnights who have an outright aversion to war—believe me, it’s the truth. And no one else in our world can do what I can do. Only days ago, I destroyed four magiks in four different locations simultaneously. In my short career as a magik, as one who has had a few battles in the last few months, I’ve proved the victor.”
She portrayed a deliberate iciness, emanating a balanced impression of power mixed with threat. She softened somewhat at their apprehensive expressions. After all, she didn’t want them so afraid of her they would take her out.
“We’ve lost too many people we love to this war already. Make me the Head of both covens and I promise you I will bring it to an end. If you remember … it has been prophesied.”
Her reminder of that small detail drained all color from their faces. After a few moments of thick, shocked silence, they began to speak among themselves, their words so rushed and confused, she couldn’t make out what they were saying to one another. Finally, Alfred raised his hands to quiet them and directed his next words at Caia. “We will have to discuss this at length, Miss Ribeiro. For now, we will send Derren in to uncover this laboratory. We will visit you when we know more.”
“When can I expect to hear from you?”
Doukas replied, “These things can take days.”
She nodded. “I understand. I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”
Penelope gave her a bracing smile. “You’re welcome. You may go now.”
They rushed by her at lightning speed and she realized Vil, with his hand on her shoulder, had taken Penelope’s words literally, getting them out of there as fast as he could.
She stumbled away from him, feeling nauseated as they landed back in Ryder’s living room.
Strong, warm arms encircled her, and she found herself snuggled against Lucien’s chest, his familiar scent soothing her rattled nerves.
“You’re okay,” he whispered hoarsely.
She wouldn’t go that far. They had a long wait ahead of them. If the Council failed, Marita would probably pin them as traitors and have the entire pack imprisoned indefinitely.
24
Pack Woes
The following days changed over as if it were the passing of a season rather than a week. Arrangements continued for Jaeden and Ryder’s ceremony, a commotion that rotated around Caia in a blur as she waited anxiously for the Council to come to their decision. Marion did not appear to question why Caia had yet to arrive at the Center, leading her to believe that the Council had yet to make their discoveries or at least had not made Marita aware of them. The thought of losing Marion’s friendship was a sharp ache—another sacrifice she knew would not be the last on this journey.
It was difficult to remember when her life had been anything but this one of power and conflict. Caia wondered if she would ever feel normal again, if life would ever be normal again.
And the pack was just one more struggle to manage. The announcement at the pack run on Sunday had been met with shock and anger. Most felt it should’ve been something they discussed before Caia had gone and spoken to the Council. Lucien faced their resentment like a shield, taking the bullets Caia knew were for her. Trying to explain to them the feelings she’d felt through her trace about the Midnights was met with a mix of confusion and disbelief. The news of Marita’s experiments was met with betrayal and a fearful unwillingness to believe it.
Ella and Dimitri in particular were furious they’d kept the information from them, and although fond of Caia, they could not believe she could think Midnights, beings who had tried to destroy their pack, could be anything other than villains. Magnus, as always, was quiet and watchful, his only words a reinforcement in his faith in Caia and his promise to Rafe that he would be there for her, no matter what.
The other older members of Pack Errante were as incredulous as Ella and Dimitri. Jaeden’s brother Christian, as well as Alexa and Malek’s father, Morgan, and his wife, Dana and Daniel’s mother and father—all were hugely against backing Caia in her coup. Their eyes followed her warily, unspoken words thickening the tension between them. We trusted your father, and look what he brought upon us. Only Sebastian’s parents, Isaac and Imogen, seemed unsure, speaking of their son and his love for Caia, how he would’ve wanted them to be loyal to her.
And, as both she and Lucien had been expecting, the younger generation—Aidan and the twins, Malek and Finlay, even Lucia and Cera—were willing to consider that Caia could be right. The biggest surprise was Alexa. Having never hidden her dislike of Caia, even more so since she and Lucien were officially mates, she actually stood up for Caia.
“I believe her.” She had shrugged, bored. “I mean, come on! These people can’t be so stupid that they still see us as a threat to humans when we are so obviously not. Hey, and if Caia does become, like, the Head of Daylights, then the pack becomes royalty. Uh, hello.”
So it hadn’t been the most eloquent rationale, but it was support, and Caia would take it no matter the source.
In the end, Lucien had come to a fair but disheartening agreement with the pack. If Caia was wrong and the Council didn’t find the proof against Marita, Lucien would make sure it was clear those pack members who didn’t support Caia’s claims were not punished. He told them they could walk away now, but that had only served to anger the pack more. What they really wanted was for him to disown Caia—it was easy to read on their faces as they glared resentfully at her. And no matter how selfish she knew it was, she was thankful he loved her too much to walk away.
That night, Caia was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sink into bed with Lucien and close her eyes to their problems. Their household was now strained with the tension of Ella’s anger, not only at her son and daughter-in-law but at Magnus because of his refusal to agree with her.
As they said good night to Ryder and Jaeden, the last to leave, they were stopped at the foot of the stairs by an unexpected visitor.
“Saffron!” Caia yelped in surprise as the faerie appeared inches before her. The faerie, though somber, managed a wave of hello.
“Good evening, Caia. Lucien.” She twisted her mouth as she said his name. Caia wondered what that was about.
Lucien returned the look and nodded a welcome. “Saffron. What brings you here?”
Her beautiful face was pinched with anxiety as she glided past them and into the sitting room. Feeling a little apprehensive at her appearance, Caia followed numbly, waiting for the ax to fall.
“I’m here because I found out that Caia has asked the Council to give her the right to run for Head of the Coven.”
“Marion told you?”
Saffron gave her a somewhat patronizing look. “No. That’s why I’m here. Marion doesn’t know.”
Caia blinked, sure she hadn’t heard correctly. “How can she not know if you know?”
“Because Marita hasn’t told her. Or Vanne.”
“How does Marita know? I take it the Council found the proof?”
Saffron shook her head, her face angry. “Derren has been imprisoned by Marita.”
Lucien stopped pacing at the window. “What? What the hell is going on?”
“Marita is crafty, Caia. I’ve never really … well, liked her. She’s a different kettle of fish from Marion. I came here tonight to warn you that she won’t play fair in this. With Derren in prison, the Council are going to be suspicious of his whereabouts, and they will probably demand a search of the Center. She won’t let that happen. I hope you are ready for a bloody and relentless battle with this woman.”
Caia gulped just thinking about it. “I kind of have to be.”
“I’m afraid Marion will not take this news well when she finds out. She is very fond of you, Caia, but Marita has a way of manipulating the people close to her.”
“I won’t hold anything against Marion. Marita is her sister. She loves her. She’ll believe her.”
The faerie nodded thoughtfully. “I, on the other hand, have been around a lot longer. I’ve felt this change coming. I will try to keep my eyes and ears open at the Center for you, but Marita has tightened her security since the Council sent in Derren.”
Caia didn’t know what to say. She didn’t understand such an offer.
Saffron smirked at her expression. “You might not have my mistress’s support, but you have mine.”
“That is extremely generous of you,” Caia said.
The faerie chuckled, but the laughter didn’t reach her eyes, which were hard with determination. “There is nothing generous about my offer, Caia. I have survived this long in this war because I’ve always chosen the right people to fight for … the winning side. Quite simply, you are the winning side.”
Lucien grunted. “Thanks for the support, no matter the lack of sensitivity behind it.”
Saffron rolled her eyes at him. “Lykans … you’re so sentimental.”
“Seriously, Saffron, thank you. For the heads-up, as well.”
“Hmm, sure. I will be in touch.”
And then she was gone.
Caia whirled to gawk at Lucien. “Can you believe that?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close. “At least we know you have some powerful support. You might actually win this thing.”
“Did you ever doubt it?” she teased.
“Yes.”
She smacked him and tried to pull out of his embrace, but he held tight, laughing at her efforts.
“Just for that, no sex tonight.”
“Oh, come, querida, you know I’m your biggest supporter.”
“No, it’s too late. Damage done.” She sauntered away, heading up the staircase. Teasing him kept the pain of reality at bay for a while. She tried not to smile at the sound of him jogging to keep up, at the same time trying to be as quiet as possible.
As he followed her down the hall to their bedroom, he whispered, “You were joking about the no-sex thing, right?”
She snorted as they entered the room, shutting the door behind them. “We’re balanced on a precipice of potential disaster here, and that’s what you’re worried about?”
He looked at her blankly. “Well … yeah.”
For Jaeden and Ryder, Caia imagined their big day arrived just as slowly. At least that was the impression Jaeden gave her every time she complained about Ryder’s excessive gentlemanliness.
“I’m telling you, I’m losing my mind,” she grumbled to Caia as she practiced her telekinesis. Laila and Vil sat on the back porch, glad to be free of Ryder’s apartment and taking in the fresh air. Caia liked them nearby, still afraid that Marita would suddenly grab hold of Vil’s trace and appear out of nowhere to take them away from her.
Caia chuckled. “You have one more night and then he’s yours.”
“Yeah, he’s going to pay big time for this.” She grunted, throwing all her energy into spinning Lucien’s weights into the forest. Caia had been impressed by Jaeden’s accuracy, but remembering how she’d had to telekinetically throw a car once, she wanted to build Jaeden’s strength. And Lucien pretended to be more than happy to donate his training weights for their purposes.
“Nicely done.” Caia nodded.
“It’s therapeutic,” Jae decided, her hair sticking to her forehead with the exertion. “I can’t wait to move into Ryder’s. My parents are driving me insane.”
Caia winced. “I’m sorry about that.”
