Magic Rising (#4 Stella Mayweather Paranormal Series) Read online

  “Listen, I need to ask you something. It’s another thing I’m probably not supposed to tell you, but… I think I should.”

  “Okay.” I waited, puzzled.

  “So, I was at the Loup two weeks ago. Gage was talking with Jay — who, by the way, was not too thrilled that Étoile apparently isn’t into dating anymore — and an edict came out from the West Coast Grand Packmaster… By the way, douchey title or what? He sounds like a Mason. Anyway, this message was for all the regional packmasters to keep their eyes and ears open for a talisman. I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m pretty certain my parents told us stories about it. It’s kind of a legend. Anyway, the story says that the talisman was stolen by a witch two centuries ago, and according to this guy, it’s recently resurfaced. I don’t know who has it, just that it’s a witch; but they are willing to sell it back to us and the deal is set to coincide with the Summit.”

  “That’s a good thing?” I raised my eyebrows to show I wasn’t sure where Annalise was headed with the story.

  “Yeah. It’s great. The talisman is a big deal. Each of its four sides has the moon’s progression detailed on it. The crescent, the half moon, three-quarter moon and the full moon; then other carvings below that tell the story of our ancestors. I know it’s just part of an old fairytale, but it would mean a lot to the packmaster to get it back. So I wondered if you would just keep a lookout for it?”

  “Do you mean actually look for it?”

  “No. I just thought, well, if you hear anything, maybe you could just mention it to Gage? They’re afraid the witch will get cold feet or ask for more money, and then the talisman will be lost again. I thought with you being a witch and all, someone might say something to you.”

  “I guess I could do that.” It didn’t sound hard. I didn’t think it was likely that anyone would be discussing an apparently stolen artefact out in the open, but if it meant helping a friend, I didn’t see any problem. It wasn’t like she was asking me to do anything I was really uncomfortable doing.

  “Thanks. I told Gage we should ask you, but he didn’t want to bother you.”

  “It’s no problem, really,” I assured her. “If I hear anything at all, I’ll let you know.”

  We turned at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Evan was walking towards us. “Are you ready to go home?” he asked, crouching next to me. He flashed a smile at Annalise. “How’s the wolf momma?” he asked.

  “Beau told you!”

  “I think Beau told everyone.” Evan laughed. “He’s so damn proud. He can’t stop talking about you and the many, many babies he’s going to give you.”

  “Not if the baby is as big as his mama said he was,” said Annalise, her eyes wide with trepidation. “I might just stick with one.”

  “Good to know,” I told her as I took Evan’s hand, allowing him to pull me up with him as he got to his feet. “I’ve never been to a baby shower. You will have one?”

  “Yes. Hey, you’re not going right now?” Annalise’s voice rose in disappointment as Evan handed me my jacket. “We didn’t even get to talk bridesmaid dresses!”

  “I’ll wear anything you put me in,” I told her. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “Even lime green?”

  I thought of Étoile’s slime trap from earlier. “Don’t push it. Hey, Annalise…” I narrowed my eyes and pointed to the tree line bordering the back of their property. “Someone’s getting furry over there.” Two men were disrobing, not to be obscene, but because it was more convenient than busting out of their clothes and having to replace them, or bringing more to change into after an evening sprint as wolves.

  When I first arrived in Wilding, I had no idea werewolves existed. Now, I didn’t know how I could have missed all the signs. Knowledge of their existence, and vice versa, was reassuring. Sometimes the wolves broke through the trees and streaked across my garden to Gage’s place, which was where they often ended up. I didn’t mind one bit. Their presence was comforting and made me feel safer; plus, I didn’t want them to think I was encroaching on their territory.

  “This always happens,” said Annalise. “This is why we don’t take you to the clubhouse. Too many naked wolves.” She cupped her hands to her mouth as she addressed the offending guests. “Hey! Get your naked butts out of my garden!”

  Evan laughed as the wolves growled playfully in return. The air fizzled and crackled around them as they dropped into crouches, their bodies distorting and reforming as wolves. I thought I heard bones cracking, but it could have been the sound of wine bottles being uncorked inside. The wolves sprang forth into the woods and disappeared from view seconds later. “And on that note… Ready to call it a night? I have to leave in the morning and I’d like some time alone with my girlfriend.”

  “Ready when you are.”

  Annalise looked up at us. “If I don’t see you before, come by after the Summit. I want all the gossip.”

  “It’s going to be boring,” I assured her. “I’ll cast my vote, say hello to a few people. Nothing is going to happen. It will be a big waste of time.”

  “Yeah,” agreed Annalise, with a snort. “As if anything works out like that for you.”

  THREE

  “I’ll see you when I get back.” Evan kissed me quickly. Thinking better of it, he returned for another longer kiss.

  “I knew it,” I said, leaning into him. I could feel his energy, vital and brilliant, just like him. “You’re not sad to be going at all. You’re excited.”

  “Of course I’m sad. I’m going to miss you like hell.” He kissed me again, just to prove it.

  “And?” I prompted, as the heavy feeling I’d experienced several times over the past couple of days returned. I didn’t like the idea of spending time apart. It was strange really, I’d spent so long alone, craving people’s company, but being too afraid to have anyone close to me. And now that I had someone, whom I loved and adored, well, now I couldn’t bear the thought of separation. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.

  Evan sighed. After pressing another kiss against my lips, he grinned. “You got me. I’m excited. I haven’t taken on a job like this in too long.”

  “Be careful.” Evan laughed. Me telling him to be careful? The most dangerous being he could ever meet would be staring back at him from a mirror. “Just come home safe.”

  “I should be saying the same to you.”

  “I’ll be with Étoile, I’ll be fine,” I said, wondering if the tremor in my voice was audible to him.

  Evan huffed, “Heard that one before.”

  “Now you sound like Annalise. I wouldn’t even go except for the invitation. It would be rude not to now.” Well, it wasn’t like I had RSVP’d. It was a given invitees intended and the Witches’ Council probably wouldn’t take my regrets too kindly. Besides, my friend, Anders Black, would be there, and my cousin, Daniel Morgan. The last time I’d seen either one was before I left England at Heathrow airport. By then, the bruises from my ordeal had vanished, thanks to a little magical intervention. I still had a white scar from a bullet wound that occurred as we escaped Hawkscroft, the Brotherhood estate. Both the Brotherhood and the estate were under the governship of my uncle, Auberon Morgan. Daniel was Auberon’s son and a warlock. He was being used by the witch hunters to gain advantage. In the battle that ensued, we escaped, and a fire broke out in Hawkscroft, killing several Brotherhood members. Disturbingly, however, Auberon wasn’t amongst them and he hadn’t surfaced since.

  Daniel didn’t like to talk about him, not that I could blame him, but Anders kept me apprised of the situation during the ensuing weeks. Basically, they didn’t know what ever happened to Auberon. Even the détente by the witch hunters was unsettling. We’d spoken several times since those events, and Anders told me he filed a report with the Council. He also told me that he’d carefully omitted the part about Daniel’s and my relationship to Auberon. I was grateful for that.

  “It’ll be okay,” I promised him. “I’ll go. I’ll do t
he social thing, then I’ll cast my vote and get on the first plane home. Maybe I’ll even shimmer the whole way back.”

  Evan tapped me on the nose. “Be careful,” he said, echoing me, but his request was quite earnest.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. Truth was, the invitation didn’t seem right to me since I’d received it. The Council wanted to get on with the election of a new Leader and many senior families were invited. So, why they decided to invite me was still a mystery. I most definitely did not belong to one of the powerful clans. From what little I understood, only the most powerful families could attend, along with a number of foreign representatives, as well as senior witches. Many of them would cast votes by proxy, with the rest of the votes being collected by magic. Gathering a nation of witches was deemed too much of a target, not to mention the potential instability from such a large concentration of power in one area. We were still anxious about the Brotherhood. While escaping from Hawkscroft, we all hoped they would have been destroyed, but I knew as much as anyone else that we couldn’t rely on our wishes. Though I privately wanted Auberon to die that night, realistically, I knew I still had to be very careful. All of us had to be.

  Only last week, Anders mentioned that they still patrolled the area around Hawkscroft, and lately, Daniel was a participant. Morgan was registered as “missing” and as his next of kin; Daniel would be the first to know if he turned up through legal routes. Of all the shocking things that happened to me, finding my relatives had to be the biggest of all. Learning that the head of the Brotherhood was my uncle and my mother’s brother was something I never expected. But discovering Daniel was my cousin was a happy detail. He and I were each other’s only family now. He assured me there was no one else still alive on my mother’s side. But my father’s side remained very much an enigma to me. Despite my incessant investigations, I knew as little about the Mayweather side of my family as ever. Part of me wondered if I would meet any new relatives at the Summit, though deep down, I knew it was pretty unlikely. None had revealed themselves as yet.

  “You’ll call me, won’t you?” I asked, suddenly feeling very uncertain. Try as I might to hide it, the Summit kept my nerves on edge.

  “Every day,” Evan promised. “And if you need anything, call me. Anything,” he emphasised as he flashed wide eyes at me. It hit me that he was worried too. The sooner it was over, the sooner I would be home again. I just wished for Evan to have a better time fulfilling his mission, or whatever his job was. For some reason, he still wasn’t one hundred percent clear about that.

  I wrapped my arms around him, and pressed my head against his chest. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

  His chest rose and fell in laughter. “We’ll both be back home in a blink of an eye,” he assured me, one hand stroking my back comfortingly. “Just think of the homecoming…” His eyes dilated, the pupils merging with his irises and turning purple-black.

  “Don’t start,” I laughed, looking up at him and into the eyes I loved. “You’ll be late.”

  “I hate being late.” Evan disentangled himself reluctantly. He looked like he wanted to change his mind. A part of me wanted him to. “I must be getting old. I want to stay home. Never thought I’d say either of those things,” he complained with a laugh.

  “Just keep thinking about home,” I urged as I pressed another parting kiss to his lips. “Call me soon.”

  “Argh, I hate this. I’m going before I change my mind.” Evan kissed me again. Then once more, “Love you,” he whispered.

  “Love you too.” The rush of heat told me Evan was gone, dematerialising swiftly in a flash of heat. A moment later, and I felt cold without him.

  All I had to do was keep busy, pack for the Summit and it would all be over soon.

  Easy.

  ~

  The first time I went to New York was a shock from beginning to end. This time I was determined to take it easier and enjoy it. If no one tried to kill me, I’d consider that a bonus. Despite all my protestations that nothing would happen, even I wasn’t foolish enough to think a large concentration of supernatural beings wouldn’t come without its problems.

  I rapped my knuckles against Étoile’s apartment door and stepped back to stare at the highly polished silver numbers. My reflection shone back at me, and I took the moment to run my fingers through my hair. I had to smooth it a little on top where it had tangled sometime between the dry air of the inbound flight and the damp drizzle that greeted me as I exited the airport taxi. Her building looked and even smelled of class: from the plate glass entrance downstairs, which was framed by granite planters full of tall grasses, to the grey and white lobby, complete with doorman, and the dove-grey carpeting on the sixth floor. It wasn’t the penthouse suite, but it certainly was a world of difference from the comfortable vibe of my house. Both were nice, just different economic spheres of nice. As I raised my hand again, the door swung open.

  “You’re here!” Étoile flashed me a brilliant smile and stepped back to allow me to enter. “Come on in. Your room is all ready for you.”

  “Thanks again for letting me stay.” I tugged my small-wheeled suitcase in after me and set it against the wall as I pushed the door shut behind me.

  “Shush, silly. How long have I overstayed my welcome in your house?”

  “Not at all! Plus, you pay rent.” I looked around as I undid the buttons of my coat. We were standing in a small lobby from which several doors led off in different directions. Most of them were shut, but I could see a galley kitchen and a living room. Leaving my case, I followed Étoile to the living room, looking around at everything. This was the first time I’d been in her personal space, her bedroom at my house excepted. It was very much her — subtle, elegant, very well-dressed. Not for the first time, I felt like the country mouse next to her. “This is pretty,” I told her, taking in the cut-glass chandelier, the white sofas, and contrasting glass coffee table. Floor to ceiling bookcases flanked the brick and tile fireplace. An assortment of books and ornaments lined the shelves in a very ordered, “just so” sort of way. She managed to create an eclectic mix of upscale luxury and modernity that preserved the antiquity of the old building, but featured her contemporary tastes. I walked over to the windows and gazed at the street below. Cars zipped past and a few pedestrians moved about. Looking down, I couldn’t hear a thing.

  “I like it,” Étoile said simply. “It’s nice to be home.”

  I turned back at the note of relief in her voice. “Did you miss it?”

  “Some aspects.” She waved a hand towards the sofa and I took a seat, while she walked through the doorway. I waited while she moved about the kitchen, returning with delicate china cups. She didn’t elaborate what aspects she liked, or disliked, but I could guess. There was something special about having a home. “I saw Anders yesterday,” she told me. “He and Daniel have taken rooms at the hotel. That caused quite a stir I can tell you. Seems like you’re not the main attraction anymore.”

  So it had come out. “Poor Daniel.” It was bad enough being a witch hunter’s son, but to have every witch gawp at you like you were a two-headed beast was quite another. He’d been sequestered from our kind for a long time, left to fumble through his magic, then have it abused against us, albeit involuntarily. I wondered what Anders was thinking by bringing Daniel to the Summit with his secret uncovered.

  “No need to look so concerned. I didn’t mean Daniel. His secret is still safe, for now. I meant Anders. He’s taking his position as representative of your country very seriously. Actually, he seemed quite charming. He may well win over some of the old-timers,” Étoile told me. “And Daniel was very charming too.”

  Concern sparked within me after the flood of relief. “Are you sure it’s safe for Daniel to stay at the hotel with the others?”

  Étoile nodded. “He’s under Anders’ protection and given that Anders heads the UK party, anyone who tries anything would have to be mad.” She pulled a face. “I suppose that isn’t a stretch. We�
�ll see them tonight. I invited them to dinner.”

  “Who else did they bring with them?”

  “A couple of witches I didn’t recognise. The foreign parties are fewer this Summit.” Étoile didn’t need to explain why. Witches throughout Europe had been taking hits from the Brotherhood. Many were still in hiding. Of the few that weren’t, most didn’t want to risk the exposure of travelling to the Summit. I understood why all too clearly. I was just as nervous as the rest, perhaps more so now that I was in the city. I could only hope that the procedures the temporary Council had in place were enough to protect us from the outside… as well as from within. Even though I protested a dozen times or more that the Summit was just a formality, from which I expected nothing to happen, I fully expected my nerves to be shot with anticipation by the end of it. But I did look forward to spending time with Daniel and Anders.

  “When was the last Summit?” I asked.

  Étoile hesitated. “Let’s see.” Her eyes flickered as she counted, and recounted. “More than fifteen years ago.”

  “That long?”

  “I told you they were archaic. There was only an election because the last Leader suffered a fatal heart attack.” We exchanged looks; looks that shouted nobody was convinced it was a natural death. “They should be every few years. No one should stay in charge as long as the Bartholomews did. We need a democracy, not a dictatorship.” Her eyes burned passionately as she spoke.

  “Say it how you see it, Étoile.”

  Étoile laughed. “My parents, and Seren and David, all get into the city tomorrow.” She paused and bit her lip, like she had something else to mention and wasn’t sure how to say it. That was a first for Étoile.