Chapter Forty
The warmth of the morning sun streamed through the panes of leaded glass in the mansion’s great room on the Trolls’ compound, as its light bathed those gathered within in pale gold.
Morgan stood by the window and adjusted the wool shawl over her shoulders, chilled despite its thickness.
She had awakened this morning to a cold bed, only to discover Rowan, with the help of the Air Wizard, Hunter, was gathering an army.
But it was the message from Cassandra alerting her to the arrival of Connor O’Hara, the representative of the magical community on the Grey Council, that had her filled her with dread. How had Connor learned she was here?
She pulled the wool shawl closer around her as she nodded toward one of Cassandra’s guards. “Please inform Connor O’Hara that we will see him now.”
Cassandra and the old woman, Danu, sat beside the fire, each dwelling in their own private thoughts.
Danu was bent over her knitting, the needles clicking in a controlled rhythm as her weathered fingers created intricate patterns with the yarn.
Cassandra was quiet and subdued, her expression a mask, lacking emotion of any kind.
Even now, from Morgan’s vantage point in the mansion’s great room, she could see a small band of men gathering around Rowan.
He stood on the stage, the location of the play they had watched yesterday with so much joy and promise.
It seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened between them.
She had felt they’d reached a new level of understanding.
And then the dawn of a new day threatened to change everything.
Footsteps echoed over the polished wood floors, then stilled as Connor entered the room.
He stood patiently, his face grim. Whatever comfort she might have gained from Cassandra and Danu was negated by the fact that their thoughts were hidden from her.
Were they as concerned as she was about what Connor was here to say?
She straightened, hoping to arm herself against what was to come.
It did not bode well that Vlad knew she was here.
The moment the Trolls had learned of Connor’s arrival, they’d hidden the female Wizards and Wizardlings, hoping it was not already too late.
Bad news was reflected in Connor’s unusual eyes.
Like many Half-Bloods and Shapeshifters, he guarded his lineage.
Like a true chameleon, a possible indication of Elven blood, his eyes reflected certain colors found in nature.
Outside, his eyes might reflect the shades of blues or greens, while inside they would take on the hues of the wood paneling, parquet floors or furniture.
Right now, they looked as dark as aged mahogany.
“Milady,” Connor said with a slight bow, the tone of his voice as deep as the color of his eyes.
“I will come straight to the point. The Grey Council and the Talons have voted to offer Zephra the position on the Council that Caitlan once held. Their wish is that you, and the other female Wizards, will consider this a step toward mending relationships and they invite you to attend Zephra’s installation ceremony. ”
Morgan moved away from the window with the pretense of removing her shawl and draping it over a chair near the fire.
If Danu or Cassandra had heard Connor’s announcement, there was no indication.
The old woman kept her gaze on her knitting, while Cassandra’s concentrated on watching the flames in the fireplace as they rolled in golden curls over the logs.
Morgan did not trust the Council, and the moment she had the thought, Cassandra raised her eyes and gave a slight nod of agreement. It was a trap. She kept her voice devoid of emotion. “A great honor, and one we will consider with care. I have to say, however, this is very sudden.”
Connor’s eyes darkened to polished ebony as he clasped his hands behind him. “Yes, milady. Very sudden.”
The chill of his gaze matched the cold she had felt all morning and sent shivers of dread over her arms. She wondered how candid he would be with her.
He was the magical community’s representative on the Council, and many said he disapproved of many of their decisions.
But it was unclear which side he was on if a war was declared.
“To what can we attribute the Talons’ and the Grey Council’s sudden decision to elevate Zephra to the vacancy?
They must know that it will take the full membership of female Wizards to approve the nomination.
” She hesitated. “Ah. Of course. The council believes this will force us to return to the island to approve her nomination.”
Connor shifted his feet, noticeably uncomfortable. As a shapeshifting werewolf, he was uncomfortable indoors at any time. But she sensed his unease now had more to do with his offer to her than with his confinement inside.
He cleared his throat. “My thoughts as well, milady. Although the Council does not acknowledge it publicly, it is my belief they felt pressure from the magical community. When the female Wizards and young Wizardlings left the island during Bealtaine, it took them by surprise.”
“We left because female Wizards and our young Wizardlings were in danger. That has not changed. It did not seem to bother the Council that three female Wizards died the first night of the festival.”
“Not exactly true. Vlad’s hold on the Grey Council is tenuous, at best, despite the president’s support. The Talons would abandon Vlad if they felt their power slipping away.”
The rhythmic click-click of Danu’s needles stilled as she bent to pick up a ball of yarn that had fallen to the floor. Cassandra and Danu melded their thoughts together, directing their silent message to Morgan’s mind. “With chaos comes defeat. I foresee an opening.”
Morgan returned a message of her own. “Theirs? Or ours?”
“Connor, if what you say is true, how do they view the killing of the Fire Wizards? The murders are unsolved.”
He shifted his feet again, this time hesitating as though weighing his words. “Their deaths are viewed as nothing more than a turf war and unrelated to your disappearance.”
He was lying, she could feel it in the air, and the shift in Cassandra and Danu’s gaze in his direction told her they felt the same. Was he protecting the Talons and the Grey Council, or himself and his position on the Council?
She cocked her head to the side. “We discovered a warehouse filled with Oculist stones, harvested illegally and brought here for the purpose of poisoning male Wizards. I reject your theory. This is not a small turf war, as you claim. This is much larger.”
Connor’s eyes widened; the color drained from his face as he slowly shook his head. “It can’t be. Oculist stones were destroyed centuries ago.”
Outside, a score of Air Wizards glided from the sky and landed near where Rowan was speaking.
The sight filled her with hope. The Air Wizards had always been loyal to female Wizards in the past, but she never took anything for granted.
Vlad wielded a lot of power, and it wouldn’t be the first time a Wizard changed allegiance.
But even with the addition of the Air Wizards, she knew it wouldn’t be enough to defeat the scores of warriors the Talons and the Grey Council had at their disposal.
Female Wizards needed the magical community.
She would have to trust that once Connor learned the truth, he would persuade the magical community to join them.
Morgan motioned for Connor to join her by the table set with tea and biscuits. “Would you care for tea? It is time we shared what we have learned.”
Connor slid his gaze toward Cassandra and Danu. “Will the two ladies be joining us?”
“I think not.”
He nodded as he sat down at the table across from Morgan and accepted a cup of tea. “I understand. They fear me. I get that a lot. Tell them I’ll not shift into my wolf form and harm them.”
Morgan smiled as she sipped her tea. “They do not fear you. Either one of them is more than capable of ending you if you so much as look like you are going to attack. They simply do not trust you.”
“But you do?”
“It depends on your reaction to the truth.”
Connor looked at his tea. “I wish I had…”
Casandra appeared beside him with a bottle of brandy, pouring a generous amount into his tea, then resumed her place by the fire.
“She read my mind.”
“Among other things. Shall we begin? As I mentioned, we discovered a warehouse where they are turning Oculist stones into poison that kills Wizards. Their delivery system is genius. They crush the stones into a powder and add it to a drug they call Magic Carpet Ride. The drug is then sold on the streets. It gives humans a powerful high, but it is deadly to Wizards. A human by the name of Zacharias was in charge, but he was killed, and as far as we know, no one has stepped in to take his place. We suspect Vlad is at the heart of what is going on, but what we don’t know is the extent of the Talons’ involvement, or if others on the Grey Council are involved.
What do you think the Grey Council and the Talons would say if you told them? ”
“Hard to tell. It depends on how high this goes. There is a deep rift in ideology between the Talons and the Grey Council. Vlad and the president of the Talons will grasp at anything that will stop the flow of unrest and help them retain power. All on the board are aware of the magical community’s growing objection to the policies to subjugate female Wizards.
Secretly, many view how they are treated as a form of slavery.
Because of this, the Talons and the Grey Council are pushing the theory that female Wizards did not leave of their own free will but were kidnapped by our enemies. ” Connor hesitated.
“Go on.”
“As a way of testing this theory, Vlad offered the solution of giving Zephra a position on the board, with the theory that if you and the female Wizards were free to return, you would attend Zephra’s confirmation.
If you did not return, Vlad made the case they should assume you were being held prisoner, a fate, might I add, they are hoping for.
Kidnapping female Wizards would give them the excuse to wage war and dispel the rumor that their policies drove you all away. ”
Cassandra and Danu pushed into Morgan’s thoughts. Their emotions were strong and their concerns real. Morgan said, “It is a trap, with Vlad winning whichever way I choose.”
Connor poured more brandy into his tea and downed it in one gulp.
“Exactly. What is more, I believe that if you return, Vlad will not allow you to live. You are too powerful an influence over the female Wizards and the magical community. If you refuse, he will send an army here under the guise of bringing you in safely, and in the chaos, you will be killed and every living thing on the compound will be destroyed.”
“A not-so-veiled threat, Connor O’Hara. If I return, I will be killed. If I refuse, not only will Vlad kill me, but he will murder everyone on this compound.”
Cassandra appeared beside Morgan. The light green aura that accompanied her had turned a fiery emerald green.
“Connor. Our compound is safe,” she said into Connor’s thoughts as well as Morgan’s.
“We are protected on the compound by powerful spells and wards. Only those we wish to allow can enter. We are safe here.”
Connor rubbed his forehead as though trying to drive out Cassandra’s words.
“That’s freaky. She can read my thoughts.
” With Cassandra’s shrug and Morgan just nodding as though it was perfectly normal, Connor continued.
“I need another drink. Where was I? Oh, yes. Under normal circumstances, I would agree that your compound is secure. Except they discovered that Morgan was here, and if they suspect she is on the Trolls’ compound, it is safe to assume they believe the female Wizards and Wizardlings are here as well.
You should consider that there is a spy feeding Vlad information.
It worries me that Vlad is too confident.
He must have allies we are unaware of. He is single-minded in his quest for power. No place is safe.”
Morgan glanced out the window at the gathering crowd. More Air Wizards had joined Rowan. Was one of them a traitor? Or was it someone on the compound?
What she did know was that even with the reinforcements it wouldn’t be enough to defeat Vlad if he attacked.
She knew he commanded an army a hundred times the number of the reinforcements gathered on the Trolls’ compound.
If Vlad’s forces attacked, it would be a blood bath. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
But she faced a dilemma. Connor suggested there was a spy on the compound. She had to assume that whatever decision she made would reach Vlad’s ears. She wasn’t even sure she could trust Connor.
She rose, lacing her hands together at her waist. “Inform Vlad that I thank him for his generous offer and will give him my answer in three days.”
“Milady…” Connor began.
She held up her hand, interrupting his response.
“I understand your concerns, but I’m relying on you to tell not only Vlad but the Talons, the Grey Council and the magical community of my good-faith consideration.
My hope is that Vlad, feeling the pressure from those I’ve mentioned, will at least wait for my decision before he prepares to invade the Trolls’ compound.
The Trolls are innocents in this battle among the Wizards.
My hope is to allow them time to evacuate their children.
I give you my word that the female Wizards and Wizardlings will remain here. ”
Connor stood and gave a bow. “You are a great lady, thinking of others rather than yourself. I promise to relay your message. I hope you well.”
She straightened and offered a thin smile as she watched him leave, waiting until the double doors closed behind him.
Cassandra joined Morgan, following Morgan’s gaze. “We must continue to cloak our words. Connor is a werewolf, possessing extraordinary hearing. I thank you for your concern for our children, but I sense you have an additional plan in mind.”
“You know me well.” Morgan glanced out a window.
Rowan was dividing the men and women into training groups, some to fight in hand-to-hand combat, others with the sword, while Air Wizards trained those interested on how to use a bow and arrow.
She turned back toward Cassandra. “We will not wait for Vlad to attack. We will go to him.”