She overlooked his aiding the enemy since Ossian was doing exactly as he'd been told. His instructions had been to infiltrate the Beladors and gain the confidence of Quinn. She qualified, "No one suspects who you really are, correct?"
Ossian shook his head. "Not even the other members of our Scath Force team have been allowed to see me in this specific disguise. I change to my natural form to meet with them in secret, then I change back when I return to VIPER as a contractor."
"Do you have anything new to report?"
"Yes. With my access to VIPER, I hear about anything related to our coven. We're being blamed for every infraction in the human world right now. Even those we haven't committed."
Cathbad inquired, "Such as?"
"White witches have disappeared. I heard that Rowan Armand, the head of their council, sent word to VIPER, but Sen dismissed it because they're not part of the coalition."
"Best move ever when our queen joined that coalition," Cathbad said, looking over at the queen when he gave that compliment. "No one expected it, especially Macha, and we now have a layer of insulation from the Beladors and the new council."
Queen Maeve would normally enjoy being credited with any harm to white witches, but she killed anyone who dared to take an action on her behalf without her explicit consent. There were rules in the supernatural world when it came to that sort of thing. Actions had power. Members of the Medb coven were soldiers in her war to take back Treoir.
They were not generals to map out strategy on their own.
Anyone acting without her authorization would regret assuming that autonomy.
Returning to the conversation, she told Cathbad, "Our Scath Force is excelling in covert operations, but we could use a team of Ossians."
He smoothed his fingers over his trim beard. "True, but it required a considerable amount of power and resources just to give Ossian the ability to change his physical appearance at will, plus gift him with a semblance of mage abilities. Took me several days to recoup my stamina after that, but it's been worth the effort. He's the reason we know what is happenin' with the Tribunal and VIPER, but creatin' another one would be unwise."
"Understood." She caught his meaning. They could control one such as Ossian. After having dealt with a rogue warlock recently, it might not be wise to hand a second one such gifts. She changed topics. "When will we be able to send all of our warlocks and witches to the human world?"
The sooner she could undermine VIPER everywhere, the sooner she'd begin to weaken Belador resistance and implement a large-scale plan.
Ossian replied, "Based on comments Sen has made, the Tribunal is not in favor of changing the rate of our coven's entry into the human world. I believe Sen would allow it, but not because he favors us. His motivation appears to be more about irritating the Beladors than accommodating our coven."
"Odd that he would be allowed free rein," Cathbad commented.
"True," Ossian agreed. "I've been able to find out little about him, save that he's been liaison between VIPER and the Tribunals for years. He has been in place for as long as any current VIPER associates recall, and he has not aged the entire time, which leads me to believe he is immortal. Everyone speculates that he's been forced into his position, which is peculiar, considering how he, at times, displays godlike powers."
Cathbad's eyebrows danced with interest. "Keep surveillance on him as well."
"Yes, my lord."
Maeve floated across the room and turned to the men. "I'm not interested in Sen. I have no gryphons, and I'm sick of being held accountable to those far beneath me. Beladors flood their world, but VIPER limits the number of my followers allowed to enter. I want my island back!"
"Patience, my darlin'," Cathbad cooed. "After waitin' two millennia to destroy Macha, what is the harm of playin' along for a wee bit longer?"
"Waiting is not in my blood." Maeve wheeled around so fast, sparks flashed all around her and across her new deep-blue gown. "You and I created the Alterants." If not for the two of them, the Alterant-gryphons would not exist. They'd magically taken sperm from the male children of the ancient berserker warrior Cu Chulainn and a Medb witch.
Together, she and Cathbad had devised a plan that brought the sperm to the present day world and bonded it with Belador descendants.
The result had been greater than even she or Cathbad had anticipated. Cathbad had created a prophecy, and she'd powered it with her own blood. In the end, Alterants were born of human women with Belador bloodlines, fathered by the powerful Medb--Cu Chulainn bloodline. What spawned were beasts that eventually evolved into gryphons.
My gryphons, by the gods. That bitch Macha was not stealing anything else from her.
"Ya know, my darlin'," Cathbad said, looking intently at her. "Macha does no' have all the gryphons. 'Tis not possible. There had to be many more than ten."
"She has only eight, to be precise. We'd have ten available if Flaevynn had not been a moron." Hundreds of red candles at different levels around the room flared with the angry energy Maeve released. "How could she have risked any of the gryphons, but particularly the ones with golden heads? It's a good thing her death powered my reincarnation, or she would not have survived my displeasure." Waving off that irritation, Queen Maeve said, "We need a plan in case Macha comes up with a way to convince the Tribunal to deny my claim on the gryphons."
"True," Cathbad agreed. "We have two potential outcomes. We end up with half of the eight gryphons, or none at all. I don't see us gainin' the entire group, at least not yet. With Evalle as leader, she'll have to deliver our gryphons."
"Unless we request Evalle as part of the first group."
Cathbad blew out a breath. "That will take some doin' with her loyalty to the Beladors, which I find strange considerin' that Macha has not treated her well."
"How do you know that?"
"From Ossian." Cathbad nodded at his special warrior. "And from what the rest of our Scath Force has learned. The more knowledge we gain about all the parties involved, the more powerful you will be when it is time to capture Treoir. I promise we will gain that island again."
She would rule Treoir. Flaevynn had almost destroyed her gryphons in that insane attack on the island. Unlike any queen who'd ruled in her absence, Maeve knew all of Treoir's secrets.
Flaevynn, the stupid slut, had wanted to wipe out the Beladors, which would have ruined Maeve's plans. Those warriors belonged to her as well. She and Cathbad had allowed others to think the Beladors and Medb coven were merely enemies. Macha knew the truth, and she had to be quaking in her boots right now over the return of the real Queen Maeve and Cathbad the Druid.
Macha had to know what was coming, and that she would not survive.
Kill all the Beladors? Never.
Queen Maeve would kill only those who failed to submit to her power.
For now, her druid had a valid argument for not upsetting the status quo in the human world.
Moving back to her original point, she said, "The Tribunal asked us to wait until now to deal with the right of possession of Alterant-gryphons. The first of the human year has come and gone. It's time to force Macha to hand over the beasts. I want all of them, but I'll start with half, and those will provide valuable intel on Treoir's security operations."
Ossian remained silent and still as a statue.
Cathbad shoved his hands in his pockets. "What's the word on that, Ossian?"
"As far as I know, the Tribunal has not sent word to Macha about this issue. I believe the delay is because the Tribunal intends to vote on the Alterant petition this week. If they declare the Alterants an independent race, they can finally wash their hands of the whole possession battle."
What? The queen warned Cathbad, "That would be a disaster. If the Tribunal turns those beasts loose they'll scatter. We might lose one. We have to take possession while they're still together." She floated back across the room and spied Daegan watching her with chilling intensity.
Do you finally regret crossi
ng me so long ago, Daegan? He couldn't hear her thoughts. She smiled at him, which was as good as taunting him.
He lowered his lids partway in defiance, but he couldn't sleep while she was here.
Opening his arms, Cathbad said, "I agree, my darlin', but I have no answer yet. This delay could be nothin' more than ... "
"--the Tribunal unable to find three deities willing to work together at the moment," she finished for him before he could repeat it.
Ossian spoke up. "That is possible, my queen. I did overhear a VIPER agent joking that the witch, Veronika, might still be waiting to appeal her case to the Tribunal ten years from now. Of course, she did threaten everyone with powers."
Maeve sniffed at that. "She's of no consequence."
Cathbad argued, "Veronika might have been a dangerous force, had she succeeded in takin' control of the Witchlock power."
"I heard about all that. It had to be blown out of proportion. That power died out generations ago," Maeve argued. "Witchlock hasn't been around since--"
"--before you first challenged Macha over Treoir Island," Cathbad interjected.
"Must you use that for a time marker?" She glowered at him, then turned her attention to the dragon throne. "I had traitors all around me back then."
Smoke curled from the dragon's large nostrils.
"If I may, my queen?" Ossian asked cautiously.
She swung around and scowled. "What?"
"I would never contradict you, but I feel it is my duty to share everything I've learned about Witchlock and Veronika."
She gave the soldier credit for taking care in how he broached a subject. "Very well. What have you found out?"
"If the VIPER agents are to be believed, Veronika was indeed the chosen one meant to take control of Witchlock. It's been said that she had a long-range plan for wiping out the majority of the supernatural power in the human world and turning the witches she allowed to survive into her slaves."
Queen Maeve laughed at that. "She's lucky they caught her before she had to face me."
Cathbad turned his head to her. "I think we could have struck a deal once we showed her it would be wiser to be allies."
Ossian's gaze bounced back and forth between his superiors until Cathbad nodded for his soldier to continue. "According to what I could research, chosen ones of the ancient KievRus covens could take possession of Witchlock only during a full solar eclipse directly after a blue moon month."
She waved her hand in dismissal. "Yes, yes. We heard about that."
Speaking cautiously and keeping his attention on the queen, Ossian said, "I heard that when a powerful black tornado spun down from the eclipse, Veronika called it to her. But she was in the midst of a battle with the white witch council members and the Sterling witch, Adrianna, at the time."
"What happened?" Maeve asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe Adrianna took possession of Witchlock and now wields that power."
"Why haven't you told me before now?"
Ossian dipped his head. "My apologies, my queen, but I learned the majority of this information only in the last two days when I was put on guard duty watching Veronika."
Cathbad asked, "You have access to her?"
"Not on any set schedule. VIPER pulls agents at random and sends us to guard her. She's locked in a high-security cell beneath VIPER headquarters."
Circling the room as she thought, Maeve considered this and kept moving until she reached Ossian again. "Does Veronika possess any power now?"
Lifting his head, Ossian's eyes sparked with excitement. "Oh, yes, my queen. She likes to show off, and crippled one guard before Sen came down and threatened her with something strong enough to bring her under control. The Tribunal may not ever listen to her pleas. Not after she stated her intention to go after even the gods and goddesses."
"Ambitious," Maeve murmured. "I want to know when anything changes in her status."
"Yes, my queen. I may not be sent back to her for a while, but I'll try to finagle another turn at guard duty."
Witchlock actually existed, and a Sterling witch had taken possession of it.
Would wonders never cease?
Addressing Cathbad, she asked, "I wonder if Veronika, or another powerful being, could take Witchlock away from the Sterling witch."
"I don't know," Cathbad admitted, sounding thoughtful. "But I intend to spend time tracin' the origins of that power and findin' out as much as I can."
"Good. Once you do, we'll put our Scath Force on finding out just what that Sterling witch intends to do with Witchlock."
"Can she be bribed?"
Ossian made a sound, and Maeve said, "Speak."
"Doubtful. She's a friend of Evalle Kincaid, who is loyal to the Beladors. By that association, I believe it would be hard to sway the witch. As for Evalle, VIPER agents say she would die before breaking her vows."
Maeve rolled her eyes at that. "No one is that loyal when she has no say over her future. The Macha I've known for so long would hold her people through fear, not mere sworn fealty."
Agreeing with a tilt of his head, Ossian said, "True. Evalle is also close friends of this Quinn we've been tracking, who has taken over as Maistir of the Beladors."
Queen Maeve ignored Ossian for the moment to use Cathbad as a sounding board. "We may be going about this all wrong. Evalle has shown us her weak spot. She cares what happens to her friends and that Skinwalker you told me is always with her. She should be willing to do whatever we demand if it means saving the lives of Quinn, Tzader, and her mate."
Cathbad said, "If the Tribunal does not come through, then Evalle may be our next option." Sending a pointed look in Ossian's direction, Cathbad said, "I believe that is all we need at the moment. You may have an hour to rest in your private quarters here before you return."
Ossian dropped in a low bow to each of them. "Thank you, my lord, and my queen."
Cathbad lifted a hand in Ossian's direction and the soldier vanished. He scratched the back of his neck. "I just wish we knew what had been goin' on between Quinn and Kizira. They were clearly involved, based on what we saw in reviewin' the scryin' wall history. But what could she have said to him with her dyin' breath that she wanted shielded from anyone observing the battle through the wall?"
"The minute I lay my hands on her cold body, I will know everything she knows," Maeve pointed out.
"I know, my darlin', and I will find a way to bring you that body, but Ossian is our best hope for learnin' enough about Quinn to find out how to access the mausoleum holdin' Kizira's body. You heard Ossian. He's gettin' closer with Quinn, and he knows to alert me the moment he has anythin' that will help us."
"Waiting two thousand years was easier than waiting the past two months," Maeve groused.
Cathbad suggested, "We might be able to prove Quinn was in league with Kizira to attack Treoir. Show that the Beladors are blamin' us when they're actually creatin' problems and makin' us the scapegoats. Maybe drive a wider wedge between them and VIPER."
"Who would believe that?" Maeve asked, with a sour attitude.
"A Tribunal tired of all this hagglin' between you and Macha. They want an end to the infighting, and might just jump at a reason to hand you the gryphons if we managed to convince them that would put an end to all this."
"Which it wouldn't," Maeve clarified. "I like it. Have our people create evidence, then you can present it to the Tribunal."
A sly smile captured his face, reminding her of the druid who'd seduced her when they were younger. He said, "I will do exactly that, if the Tribunal ever sends a messenger."
Cathbad paused with his head cocked then turned toward the door and pointed at it.
Both doors swung open, revealing one of their Scath Force soldiers standing at attention. Her soldiers dressed battle-ready in dark cargo pants and a long-sleeved thermal top that allowed ease of movement. The most deadly Medb warlocks were priests, such as this one with the mark of snake tattooed around his smooth scalp. The
snake's head rested on the warlock's forehead above the bridge of his nose. These Medb priests had exchanged their robes for the new modern look to fit into the human world.
Cathbad addressed the soldier. "Yes, Zerko."
"Someone has requested a meeting with the queen."
Maeve asked, "Is it a message from the Tribunal?"
Zerko answered, "No, my queen. A stranger overpowered one of our warlocks and held him captive. That soldier contacted me."
"What?" Cathbad interrupted. "Overpowered one of our Scath Force?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Why is he still breathin'?"
The soldier dipped his head in respect. "Our soldiers could not kill him." The soldier rushed ahead to say, "But the stranger did not harm our warlock or use his majik in any other way to attack us. He claims to have an offer that the queen will want to hear."
Cathbad looked over at her and said, "This visitor may have overpowered our warlock, but he canna survive fightin' the two of us. Not here."
She took that under consideration and asked the soldier, "What is he?"
"He says he is a wizard, which would explain his power."
"Did he say anything else?
The soldier quickly replied, "He told our warlock to pass this message to you. 'I know what you want from Vladimir Quinn, and how you can obtain it without conflict involving the Beladors or VIPER.'"
It was a rare thing when someone surprised Maeve. This wizard had to be referencing Kizira's body. How did he know so much?
Cathbad crooked his head in her direction. "This might prove interestin'. I prefer to have a look at this wizard first, and can teleport to the human world briefly without being detected. If all seems acceptable, I'll teleport him here."
Maeve said, "Very well. Tell him his meeting is granted, but warn him that if he disappoints me, he will live only long enough to regret this visit."
Grinning, Cathbad rubbed his hands together and disappeared along with the guard.
Chapter 16
"Why do you live out in the boondocks?"
Tzader had almost dropped off into sleep. Quinn's question woke him. He sat up and rubbed his gritty eyes, looking around. "I'm not much for city life."
Quinn had driven him a half hour east of Atlanta, to a rural part of Covington where Tzader kept a house hidden in the middle of seventy acres. He had no animals to maintain, and no yard to tend since he'd carved out just enough space to build a one-level log home in the woods.