Chapter 16
“What about these other two you circled?” asked Zane. “Where do they fit into the picture?”
“Gerard Vonner and Kadin Fadington are second level magic users who will do anything for Zohar,” Brady replied.
“Why? It’s obvious Zohar doesn’t view them as equals,” Zane said.
“That’s true, but it doesn’t matter to them. What’s important to them is their perceived status by the other second tier magic users.”
“Perceived?” asked Zane.
“Yes, Zohar is cunning. He fosters that perception about Vonner and Fadington within the Witches’ Council but in reality, neither of them are in Zohar’s inner circle,” Brady said.
“Look at them more as security for him. If this plot to get rid of the Keeper of All Magic blows up in his face, you can bet the only ones who’ll pay a price are Vonner and Fadington. ”
“What a fucking asshole,” Zane murmured.
“How long has Zohar been targeting the low-level magic users?” asked Dylon.
“It started about 300 years ago. The previous Keeper of All Magic’s 900th birthday occurred yet his successor hadn’t yet been born.
From what I’ve gathered, Zohar decided he should be the next Keeper and Ruler when it was time, even though he wasn’t eligible; only low-level magic users are chosen by the gods who then gift them with extraordinary magic.
But Zohar’s lust for power had him propose laws requiring all low-level magic users to be registered at birth.
Of course, he portrayed it as a means to protect them but I personally think he wanted to identify the heir to the Keeper so he could have him or her killed. ”
“And Remy’s parents thwarted Zohar by faking his death?” Dylon asked.
Nodding, Brady said, “He was indeed foiled. Now Zohar has to come up with a new plan to get rid of Remy.”
“Hasn’t that ship sailed?” asked Zane. “I mean, after all, Remy has been acknowledged as the Keeper of All Magic.”
“No, he hasn’t. I’ve searched every news outlet in the mystic realm and there isn’t any mention of it,” Brady said. “Zohar has kept it quiet for now.”
“But how can he do that?” asked Zane. “Surely it would show up somewhere.”
“I agree with Zane,” Dylon said. “The High Council requires notification every time a new leader assumes power regardless of the realm it happens in.”
“Right…just like the High Council doesn’t allow slavery anymore but they haven’t done anything to stop it happening to the low-level magic users.”
“I got that,” Dylon said, “and I intend to find out why, but only after we eliminate the danger to Carson and Remy.”
Searching Dylon’s face, Brady found commitment and determination reflected there. “I can help you.”
“I’m counting on it,” Dylon said. “Back to those two brown nosers…would they have any knowledge of Zohar’s dealings that could help us?”
Frowning slightly, Brady thought about the last time he was before the Council.
“Hmmm…they might, although I don’t have any personal knowledge confirming that.
Zohar likes to let someone else do his dirty work and since Vonner and Fadington have bragged ad nauseam about their relationship with him, it’s a sure bet those two have been the ones carrying out his orders. ”
“Good to know…” Dylon mused, his mind already formulating a strategy.
Turning to his keyboard, Zane added the other names into his search program. “There…now we wait.”
“How long will it take?” asked Brady.
Shrugging, Zane smiled. “Don’t know…it all depends on how deep I have to go.
If nothing turns up on this search, I move on.
” Seeing Brady’s disappointment, Zane added, “Hey, I’m pretty good at what I do, so don’t worry.
Unless these assholes really understand computers…
which I highly doubt…they’ve left a trail and I’ll find it. ”
“Trust me, Zane is good at this shit,” Dylon said, rising. “While he’s following the breadcrumbs, it’ll help if you tell me how the Witches’ Council managed to fool the High Council all these years.”
“Glad to, ” Brady said, pausing a moment to come to grips with how fast everything was moving.
After all the years he’d spent making little to no progress, he’d finally found someone who believed him and was in a position to help.
Giving a silent “thank you” to Mystia, Brady rose and followed Dylon out of Zane’s computer room.
~/~/~/~/~
Bracing himself against a tree trunk, Lucius squinted at the scene below him.
Blinking several times, he realized his eyes were failing along with the rest of his body but his will to go on seemed stronger than ever.
He wasn’t sure why—only that the force pulling him to his destination was now firmly embedded in him, leaving him with no choice but to continue on.
Closing his eyes, he rested, gathering the energy to go the final distance.
He didn’t dare sit down because there was no way he’d be able to muster enough strength to get up again; at the same time standing was excruciatingly painful.
Every part of his body was on fire, calling for him to give up and let go but the lure of finally finding peace drove him on.
It would be so simple just to lie down and wait for his life to drain out.
But something deep inside him wouldn’t allow it.
Instead, he concentrated on what he envisioned would be waiting for him when he reached the end of his journey—a little stone cottage at the bottom of a gently rolling hill.
And all he had to do was get there, somehow, and he’d find the blood his body craved, the life affirming fluid to restore the vampire existence he never wanted—until Valerian snatched it away.
“So close, yet so far away,” Lucius whispered to himself, digging deep for energy to continue on.
Keeping his eyes on the place where his journey would end, he groaned with each step taken, hoping whatever was waiting for him there would either end the pain or take his life; at this point, he no longer cared which.
A hundred feet to go. Lucius began counting down as he struggled to put one foot after the other; it was the only thing that kept him going as he got closer to his goal.
Feeling moisture on his cheeks, he realized they were tears brought on by the torture of each step.
Swiping at them with his hand, his eyes widened when he saw blood on his fingertips.
Dammit! He wasn’t going to make it. His feet faltered and he began to fall.
The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a bright blue door.
~/~/~/~/~
“Those belong to wolf mate,” Alex said, pointing to where Sawyer’s clothes were sitting on the front porch.
“Yeah, he shifted.” Looking around, Glenn searched for the place his mate entered the woods, eventually spying the spot the forest floor was disturbed.
Pulling his shirt off, he added it to the pile.
Reaching down to unzip his jeans, he realized Alex was stripping, too.
“Buttercup, you don’t have to…I got this. ”
Pausing before pushing down his jeans, Alex gaped at his mate in disbelief before huffing in frustration. “I think Mac should check you over before we do anything else.”
Knitting his brows together in confusion, Glenn asked, “Whatever for? I’m fine.”
“I don’t think so. It’s obvious something’s wrong with your memory. Did someone ever hit you on the head and knock you out? Like maybe one of the men you were chasing?”
“What the hell are you talking about…chasing who?”
“When you were secret agenting, of course. I mean there has to be a reason why you forgot what you said less than ten minutes ago,” Alex said, standing with his hands on his hips, tapping his foot.
Gazing at his mate, Glenn fought a smile threatening to break free, but ultimately lost the battle. Palming his bulge, he said, “You’re adorable, do you know that?”
Rolling his eyes, Alex replied, “I do, but you still have to answer my question. Did. You. Ever. Get. Hit. On. The. Head?”
Chuckling, Glenn replied, “No buttercup, no one ever got close enough to me to do that when I was in the field.”
“Good, then I know you didn’t mean it when you told me I didn’t have to go with you to find our wolf mate,” Alex said, as he continued to undress.
When he finished, he said, “I’m shifting into my fox even though my dragon is pushing me to pick him.
I think it’s time our animals get acquainted.
” Without waiting for a response, Alex called forth his fire fox.
Glenn’s tiger roared within him when he saw his fox mate appear. Knowing it was only a matter of seconds before his animal would force him to shift, Glenn quickly removed his jeans, throwing them on the clothes pile. Then, closing his eyes, he felt his body morph into a sleek, sinewy tiger.
Gazing up at the snowy white cat, the fire fox issued several short barks to gain his attention. Alex, who’d never seen Glenn’s tiger before, was overwhelmed by his beauty, especially his sleek, gorgeous coat.
Zeroing in on the fire fox, Glenn’s tiger padded down the steps until he was snout to snout with his mate. Extending his long pink tongue, the tiger licked his mate, tasting and marking him at the same time.
Closing his eyes, Alex’s fire fox wallowed in his tiger mate’s affection. Turning his head one way, then the other, he greedily encouraged the warm, calming strokes of the tiger’s tongue. The feeling was indescribable and something he vowed never to go without again.