She jumped in the shower, then dressed quickly. She hadn’t called him specifically about the most recent bounty hunters, but the information had been in her daily reports. Didn’t he read anything she wrote? She took the time to check her computer. Yes, there were the reports. She clicked on the first one. Oops, she hadn’t flagged it to the president’s attention. She checked the others. Two had been flagged, the others not. She was getting sloppy. Ari sighed. Too much on her mind. She heard they’d recently located Tom Bodie vacationing in Florida. He wasn’t going to like the change in weather.
The president was still in a bad mood when she arrived at his office. So she started off with an apology and explained her failure to flag the reports. “I wasn’t trying to hide the information. It’s just that the warlock and the O-Seven were more pressing. I’ve been so busy I’ve hardly thought about the bounty.”
He smoothed his long white beard as she finished. “And yet, we’ve had bounty hunters right under our noses.”
“Most of the trouble was Gerhard Kirsch. Lt. Foster arrested a human sniper, and there was an attack on Andreas. Last night is the only time the public’s been involved.” She hurried on. “I know that doesn’t excuse anything, but…when does Bodie get here?”
A hint of a smile peeked out from the wizard’s beard. “This afternoon. Another guardian has been called to backup Martin in the suburbs too. We have additional offers of loans from three more councils, and Steffan has been promised support from the North American Wolf Federation. We have all been busy since we last talked, Arianna. If you had but asked, we could have been watching for these bounty hunters.”
“Yeah, that dawned on me last night.” She sighed. “You aren’t the only person who thinks I’m much too independent.”
“And has Andreas made any impression on you?”
Her gaze darted to his face. “He keeps trying.” She shifted uncomfortably. “But when all hell breaks loose…I just take care of it.”
“You’re expected to, but a heads up before it turns critical would be nice. You have friends and the resources of the Magic Council. Use them.” He stood, signaling the meeting was over. “The next time we have hired killers flooding our city, I expect to hear it from you and not my court clerk.”
Ari grimaced. “Understood, sir.”
“By the way, I want to see all your reports from now on.”
Well, damn. No more sneaking them in after deadline. Some days life just sucked.
* * *
Before Ari left the Magic Hall, she had one more stop on the wing where the council reps had their offices. Steffan was just arriving.
“What are you doing here so early?” His golden brown eyes assessed her. “More trouble?”
“Not yet. The wizard wanted to talk to me about the bounty hunters.”
The redheaded werewolf leader quirked a look at her. “You should have told us.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. Honestly, with everything else going on… Don’t any of the reps read my reports?”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “Not until Thursday night.” Council meetings to discuss events and approve reports were held every Friday morning.
Relieved Steffan wasn’t annoyed with her, she leaned against the door frame. She’d been friends with him for eight years. They’d worked together and fought together, even dated for a while. “I stopped by your office because I’d like for you to pass the word that I appreciated last night.” She cleared her throat. “We were in a tight spot, and your people made the difference.”
His face turned serious. “So I heard. We protect our friends, Ari. Don’t forget that next time.” He sat on the edge of his desk. “Have you heard anymore from the O-Seven? You know we’ll back you in that fight too.”
“I’m not sure they’re coming to Riverdale. At least not yet.” She told him what Daron had reported.
“Curious message.” Steffan smoothed back his reddish curls and gave her a thoughtful frown. “If Bastian were a wolf, I’d say he was seeking allies. But a vampire? I don’t know what he has in mind.”
“Allies?” Ari snorted. “Can you imagine us trusting the O-Seven?”
“No, but I didn’t mean the entire council of seven. Just Bastian, and maybe the other one—Porbius? Could there be a split within the elders?”
“Not Porbius for sure.” Ari’s mouth dropped open. “There’s been no hint of a split. What gave you the idea?”
“Isn’t Bastian the same elder who befriended Andreas?”
“Befriended is much too strong a word. Especially since he must have been part of the psychic attack on Andreas.”
“An attack which you defeated. That’s got to have shaken them. Maybe Bastian’s decided you’d make a better friend than an enemy.”
“We outran the attack,” she corrected. “Daron has warned us repeatedly that Bastian is no one’s friend. I believe him. Besides, Bastian’s one of the most arrogant jerks I’ve met. I’d rather trust a rattlesnake.”
Steffan’s phone rang, and he made an apologetic face as he reached to answer it.
Ari waved a casual hand and left him to it. While she was in the building, she might as well get some work done. She walked down the hallway to her office. But the conversation with Steffan had gotten her thinking, and she spent the rest of the morning wondering what Bastian and/or the elders wanted.
Was this just another attempt to gain control of the Toronto court? Maybe they’d offer to withdraw the bounty in return. She sighed. Unacceptable deal. But how long could she and Andreas go on like this before friends, or even innocent bystanders, began to die?
* * *
Ari left her office around midafternoon, stopped by the lab to let Henry know the spell had worked like…well, like magic…and then went home early. She expected they’d hear from Daron today. Since the oldest or most powerful vampires could be up before the sun went down, Daron and Andreas would both be awake by now. She didn’t want to miss their discussion.
She punched in the security numbers for the new front door, stepped inside, and met Andreas coming down the stairs.
“I sensed you coming.” He put an arm around her. “I imagine you are as interested as I am to talk with Daron. Shall we call him from the study? Afterward we can make out in front of the fire.”
She lifted her head for a quick kiss. “I love being married to you.”
His devastating smile emerged. “Likewise. How was your day?”
“Everyone was kind of annoyed I didn’t call out the cavalry about the bounty hunters, but other than that, it was good.”
They entered the study and Andreas flipped the switch on the fireplace. When the artificial flames appeared, he sat on the couch next to the landline phone, pulled her onto his lap and punched in Daron’s number. The prince’s deep voice came on the line, and Andreas asked him what had been decided.
“The consensus is to invite them to sit down with us, but I have to tell you, I am nervous about this.”
Ari’s eyes locked on Andreas. Nervous? A vampire several centuries old was having an attack of nerves? Should she and Andreas be hiding out in South America?
“It is a risky step,” Andreas agreed. “But is something in particular bothering you?”
“Bastian is the only reason the O-Seven hasn’t come after me. Now the man himself is coming here. If he has changed his mind, he could kill us instantly with his skill in mind control.”
Ari popped to her feet and leaned over the speaker phone. “Both of you? How? He couldn’t hope to control two powerful master vampires at the same time.”
“He would not have to control us, Arianna.” Andreas took her hand and tugged on it until she looked at him. “He could overload our mental shields, break them, which would destroy our minds. Remember the discussion in Germany? The elders discussed the fact that breaking your shield would be fatal.”
“Yes, I remember.” Her heart pounded. She pulled her hand away and crossed the room. “So how do we prevent this?
If you don’t know, then you can’t possibly invite the elders. It would be suicide.”
Andreas leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. “Now where have I heard that kind of argument before?”
She opened her mouth for a sharp retort, then put her hand over it. He was right. She swallowed hard. Her fear was talking, feeding her instinct to protect him. She couldn’t make decisions for him. She looked at him a long moment, then returned to his side and sat down.
“What’s going on?” Daron’s voice said from the speaker. “Are you two having a fight?”
“No, everything’s fine.” Ari rephrased her concerns. “I’m wondering how we can minimize the risks.”
Andreas’s lips curved into a quick smile. He leaned forward again, rested his hand on her knee, and spoke into the phone. “This will take careful planning. Do you have a time frame in mind?”
“We need to move before they change their minds or make alternate plans. Let’s say we meet three days from now. Seventy-two hours. I will issue the invitation tonight.”
Ari sucked in her breath, but didn’t say anything. So soon. They’d have to work fast. She began running through her list of spells and potions, anything that might block a vampire’s psychic powers. As soon as they were off the phone, she’d start looking through her books. And she’d call the lab to see if Henry had another miracle in his caldrons.
She didn’t realize Andreas had ended the call until he stood and pulled her up with him. “Let us find a bottle of wine, and you can tell me what devious schemes are bouncing around in your head.”
“I want coffee, and how about bringing it in here at the conference table? We need room to spread out both Books of Shadows.”
He tilted his head. “I guess being a warlock means I have to do research, huh?” He hooked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “Very well. I will get the drinks. You get the books.”
Ari raced up the stairs and opened the old trunk in the Chantilly Suite. It held her family keepsakes and magical items, including the Calin Family Book of Shadows. She picked up the red leather book and set it beside her. Preparing to close the lid, she noticed the box holding her parents’ jewelry, including their rings, and flipped it open.
Her mother’s rings were small and delicate. One of them was an emerald, which her mother had said would be perfect for Ari since it would match her eyes. Ari smiled and put it back in the box. She was afraid it would be damaged if she wore it. Maybe one day she’d pass it on to a niece.
The large masculine ring with the red-orange stone had belonged to her father. A carnelian, Great-Gran had said. Ari frowned, trying to remember what else Great-Gran had told her. Something about its protective properties against vampires. She set it aside with the Book and dug deeper in the trunk for her booklet on magical stones. Finding it, she ran her finger down the pages until she found what she was looking for.
Carnelian is a protective stone, sometimes used as a talisman against psychic attack and for mental shielding.
Perfect. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
She closed the trunk, gathered her items, retrieved Andreas’s Book of Shadows from the master bedroom and ran downstairs. He was waiting on the couch, his long legs stretched out before him as he stared pensively into the fire. He held a glass of Chianti in one hand, but set it down when she walked in. He rose to meet her.
“I have ordered dinner to be brought from the club at 7:00, but I didn’t want you to get hungry in the meantime.” He waved at the table where she saw a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruit. “I knew you wouldn’t interrupt your research to leave for a proper meal.”
She plopped the books on the table. “Great idea. Thanks.” She turned to him, a little hesitantly. “I found something in my family trunk that I want you to have.”
“Arianna, I have you. I do not need your family mementos.”
“This one you might. It was my father’s and protects against psychic attacks.” She opened her hand and showed him the carnelian ring. “My father wore it on a chain, and you might prefer that too. But I’d like you to wear it one way or the other. For me?”
His gaze softened. “Cara mia, sometimes you leave me speechless.” He drew her into his arms. “I would be honored.”
“I know a stone can’t protect you against Bastian, but it might help,” she murmured into his shirt.
“The thought is worth even more.”
Ari stepped back and laid the ring in his hand. “I’ll feel better knowing you have it.” She waved a hand toward the table. “Shall we get started now?”
Andreas examined the ring, turning it over in his palm, then slipped it on his right hand. “I have the perfect chain upstairs, but for now it seems to fit my finger well.”
Watching him, Ari smiled. She’d focused on the ring’s protective qualities and hadn’t realized how much it would please him. To think there was a time when she believed vampires had no feelings.
Three cups of coffee and half a bottle of wine later, a knock at the door announced dinner had arrived, and they took a break from the books.
Lilith had accompanied the waiter. “I heard you guys were researching. Found anything yet?”
Ari got up and stretched. “Nothing helpful, but it’s always interesting. I keep getting distracted by the past adventures of my family.” She glanced at Andreas just closing his book. “From his total silence for the past hour, I think he’s having the same problem.”
“It is absorbing.” He got to his feet. “Will you stay and eat with us, Lilith? In fact, I need to step out to call Gabriel. He is working on some additional fortifications for the compound.”
Ari gave him a quizzical look.
“Electrical wave technology,” he said. “A vampire court in Belgium claims they have successfully used it to block the O-Seven’s psychic powers.”
“Sounds too good to be true,” Ari said.
He shrugged. “I have my doubts about their theory. I want to see if the demonstration has been installed.”
“By all means check. It would be awesome if it works.”
He frowned. “A big if.” He waved toward the table. “Please, Lilith, have a seat. They always send twice as much as Arianna will eat.”
“Yes, I know that.” Lilith plunked down at the table. “Why do you think I came right over? You ordered steak and lobster.”
Ari peered doubtfully at the domed plates the waiter was setting on the table. Andreas had been on a campaign to introduce her to new food choices. Left on her own, she would have stuck to cheeseburgers and fries. She lifted the first cover and dropped it back on the lobster.
She gave Andreas a baleful eye. “It looked back at me.”
“Just try it. Then you can eat the steak.” He walked out chuckling.
The women split up the meal—Lilith took most of the lobster—and they had barely started eating when Andreas returned.
“The installation should be complete in another half hour, then we can test it.” He pulled out a chair and sat down, a perplexed frown on his face. “It is not clear to me what we will find. I asked Gabriel to describe it, and all he said was it seemed rather…futuristic.”
* * *
“Futuristic is one word for it.” Ari pivoted around in the middle of the small room. Every wall, the ceiling, and the floor were lined with lighted tubes emitting an eerie green glow. She reached out with her magic, but felt no dynamic energy field, nothing more than might be produced by a light bulb or two.
Andreas stood frozen in place. His two lieutenants and Lilith, who’d begged to come with them, were equally stunned.
Andreas lifted a brow at the technician standing behind him. “Do you honestly believe this will work?”
The man shifted his feet, showing his discomfort. “I haven’t seen it in action, but I was assured by the company that it worked.”
“Uh-huh.” Andreas was clearly unhappy, and the man edged toward the door. “We will test it. But if it doesn’t work, I want you to rem
ove every single piece of it. Tonight.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. Always want the customers to be happy.” The ferret-faced man continued to back away, throwing a glance at the doorway.
“Yes, fine. Wait outside, please. Oliver, would you accompany our friend and guarantee he stays around to dismantle this?”
Oliver put on his don’t-mess-with-me face. “Come with me.” The man paled, but followed him out.
“You didn’t have to scare him to death,” Ari said.
“Was I doing that?” Andreas glanced toward the door. “I daresay he will get over it. Have you ever seen anything like this?” His hand made an arc of the room.
“I can’t say I have.”
Lilith couldn’t contain her laughter any longer. She snorted loudly.
Gabriel grinned. “Pretty awful, isn’t it?”
“It reminds me of some mad scientist’s lab,” Lilith chortled.
Andreas shook his head. “Well, let us see if by some miracle the thing works. I will step outside and close the door. If it works, it should block out any flow of magic.” He nodded at Ari. “See if you can pick me up on the link.”
The door closed with a click. Ari opened the psychic gate that allowed them to communicate telepathically. Andreas’s voice in her head was loud and clear.
“Are you laughing yet? It seemed worth a try, but this is ridiculous.”
She suppressed a chuckle. “I think the alien conspiracists would love it.”
“You are laughing.”
“Not much.”
Andreas walked in, put a hand on her back, and urged her toward the door. “Let’s go. We need to leave the technician plenty of time to remove this thing.”
She peeked up at him, assessing his mood. “Look at the bright side. We all needed a break from research…and a good laugh.”
He looked at her, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Witch.”