Chapter 29 #2
She shook her head. No. “But I should be fine. I’m just so tired. It’s been a while since I had one come on so fast.”
“Do you remember what the vision was?” I asked.
Calla was the one who looked around the tent this time, worry creasing her brow. “I’m not sure. The clouds had turned to ash… There was blood. I know we need to keep the warlock close. Maybe if I sleep on it, the rest will come back.”
That sounded ominous.
It sounds like every warning I already gave you.
Yeah, but she says to keep eyes on Vincent. You want us to run away.
I want us safe.
And I want to prove to Kera and everyone else that I’m not some young pup anymore.
My wolf was silent for a moment before she sighed. Guess that means you’re going to dinner with him. You better hope Jaxon doesn’t find out.
He’d understand.
Would he?
Calla yawned. She looked more tired than I realized. Her glossy eyes weren’t quite able to focus on any one point for long. Whatever this vision was, it had done a number on her.
“Get some rest.” I crawled off the bed.
“Hey, Trish,” she said as my feet hit the floor.
I glanced back, seeing how small she seemed in the giant bed with her wolves curled around her.
“Thanks for letting us crash here.” The sarcasm had returned. There was the girl I knew.
“Don’t get too comfortable.” I smiled, my stomach in knots as Calla snuggled down and closed her eyes.
She slept for hours, and contrary to what I’d assumed, she didn’t even fidget in her sleep. The wolves made good heavy weights on either side of her, snoring as they cuddled in a pile.
Calla woke a few minutes after I’d gotten dressed into something more appropriate for a dinner date, but we didn’t have time to discuss her vision before a male warlock announced his arrival outside the tent flap.
“Do you think it would be okay if Calla came to dinner with us too?” I asked the dark-haired warlock I’d seen hanging around Vincent at the training grounds.
“You’re to dine with him alone tonight,” the warlock said. “Someone will be along shortly to escort the Seer to the chow hall.”
I looked over my shoulder. “You’ll be all right?”
Calla gave me a bored thumbs-up.
The evening air was chillier than it had been, probably because I was wearing a dress.
I was glad I hadn’t gone with Dad’s choice of the white one, choosing my little black number instead.
It made me feel more femininely powerful, and coupled with my actual power returning, I walked like the badass wolf-witch I was.
You better hope that’s true tonight.
Ye of little faith.
I was glad of my clothing choice when I saw the intimate dining setup.
Inside what I assumed was Vincent’s tent, going by the smell since there were no personal effects decorating the place, was a table set for two.
Gold plates and goblets set atop a black cloth, with a short golden candelabra in the center.
This looks like a date date.
I think it is one. My nerves threatened to get the better of me as the warlock left, leaving me alone. The silence was deafening as I debated on whether to sit or keep standing. And I realized that was his plan. To keep me on edge, reminding me he held the power.
“Tisiphone,” Vincent drawled my name when he came into the tent. His eyes roamed up and down my body before settling on my face. “You look beautiful. How is our Seer doing?” He moved to pull out a chair.
I didn’t like the way he said my name, or him calling me beautiful, but I figured being rude would be a dead giveaway that I was onto his charade.
“She’s feeling much better.” I smiled sweetly, taking the offered chair. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought her and her wolves to my tent to recover.”
Vincent pushed in my chair, but he stayed behind me for a moment longer. “That’s kind of you, especially for someone you don’t know that well.”
I wished he wasn’t behind me. Wolves hated giving their enemies their backs. But I didn’t let his attempt to display dominance make me falter.
“I don’t know anyone else here.” I kept my chin raised, looking straight ahead. “She’s probably the closest thing I have to a friend in this entire camp.”
“We can’t have that.” Vincent trailed his fingers over the exposed top of my shoulder and down my arm, leaving goosebumps—and not the good kind—in his wake.
I had to remind my wolf not to growl as he kept walking, finally taking the seat across the table from me.
“We’ll have to introduce you to more people soon,” he said.
I was about to bring up Sarah, but then thought better of it. Besides the grumpy warlocks I’d met, she was the only one who’d talked to me. But even she seemed wary about it.
I had to assume that was Vincent’s doing.
“So…” I started, watching as he uncorked the wine. “Thanks for the unexpected head trip, I guess.”
He smirked as he poured me a glass. “My guards say you left in record time, and you don’t look half mad, so I assume it was a good one.”
If he was having me watched, did he know I’d spoken with Sarah? Or was she the one to tell him my whereabouts?
I discreetly sniffed the wine before I took a sip, making sure it wasn’t poisoned either.
“Well?” He leaned back in his chair and watched me.
“The wine is good,” I said.
He chuckled, as if I were a silly pup. “I was wondering if you figured out the reason your magic faded and returned.”
“I might have an idea,” I gave him a half-truth. “But I need to test some things out before I know for sure.”
“Wonderful.” He clapped his hands together. “If there is anything I can do to help in the meantime, let me know.”
No. Thank. You.
Our conversation was interrupted when a witch came in with a serving tray. I tried to meet her eyes, but she looked away. And the long sleeves on her arms hid them from view.
The smell of roast lamb and turnips had my stomach growling. These witches and warlocks didn’t eat as much as wolf shifters were known to do. Or I wasn’t hitting the chow hall at the right hours. Either way, I hadn’t had meat in days.
But I didn’t dig right in.
“What about you?” I tested the weight of my fork, trying to get a read on this warlock. His mysterious air was deepening as he sank against his chair, taking measured sips of wine from the gold goblet.
“What about me?” He arched a brow.
“How was your day?” I asked. “Productive?”
The small smile on his face screamed that he had me where he wanted, and that’s when I realized he was used to women falling all over him.
“Very productive.” That’s all he said, like withholding information gave him power.
It was working. I squirmed a little in my seat.
Badass witch, remember?
Right. I gave her a mental high-five.
I picked up my wine goblet and leaned back against my chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Well?”
Amusement sparked in his eyes. “What else would you like to know?”
“I was wondering if you did anything noteworthy or out of the ordinary today.” I set down the wine and picked up my utensils, trying to figure out how to ask about Jaxon without letting him know I was worried.
“Not yet, but it’ll happen.” A dark mood descended on him like the snuff of a candle, and he turned his attention to his dinner.
Frowning, I took a bite of meat and chewed.
When I looked up, he was watching me. “How’s the lamb?”
“Good.” I swallowed. “How are the war efforts coming along?”
“You aren’t in a position to need to know such things.” Vincent put back on his charming smile.
I tried not to grind my teeth. First my pack, now the evil warlock. But the joke was on him, because I was going to find out everything I needed to know anyway.
“Tell me about you, then.” I blinked demurely. “Where did you grow up?”
The way he relaxed told me I was right in suspecting that talking about himself would be his favorite topic. “I grew up in what they call the fringes, on the outskirts of the city of Morala.”
That was way down in the southeast of the country if I remembered my geography right, but knowing that didn’t fit the image I was trying to portray. I knew what the fringes were too—where the humans who didn’t quite fit into the purists’ society lived in poverty outside the walls.
I needed to play this right to get him to spill his secrets to me. “You grew up with humans. That must’ve been awful.”
“No more than growing up as a witch in a wolf pack would’ve been.” He laughed at his own joke.
That’s not funny.
I hid my frown. If pain or a traumatic past wasn’t driving his motivations, then what was?
I tried again, leaning forward to show a little cleavage. “When did you decide to build an army?”
“Such a curious wolf. Let’s eat. I want you to enjoy your dinner.” His tone abruptly changed again, making me jump a bit as he lifted his fork, cutting off our conversation. “Don’t worry your pretty head about anything else.”
*
It was late by the time I left Vincent’s tent and my skin was crawling.
He hadn’t touched me, but I still wanted to scrub the ick from my body.
I’d only been playing sweet and naive. Yet he treated me like I was truly dumb.
And I hadn’t come closer to finding anything else I could use. He made me feel stupid. Powerless.
You know who doesn’t treat you like that?
Jaxon. I paused to stare up at the night sky. Halley’s Comet made her way across the inky canvas, a spectator of this chaos that was my life.
If he is truly our mate, why didn’t you say anything?
It’s not just your magic you tuned out for the past few years.
She was right. Now that things were rushing back, my intuition felt stronger than ever.
I ducked into my tent, checking to make sure Calla was safely inside and asleep. One of her wolves lifted his head, giving me a gentle nod, which I was taking as a sign of approval.
I waited until the footsteps of Vincent’s guard retreated, then I crept right back outside.
I looked over my shoulder one last time, pushing out my wolfy senses to make sure I wouldn’t be followed, as I stuck to the shadows and disappeared into the night.