Magic Rising (22 page)

The Council moved swiftly and directly with their investigation, questioning everyone and enquiring as to what new security measures they needed to take downstairs. If Etoile‘s prompt action in containing the scene surprised them, they didn’t say. They asked each of us if we saw the attacker. For me, it was a no, and the same for Micah too. It happened too quickly. I assumed it must have been the same for everyone else.

“We’re in lockdown,” said Lisette Randolph finally. Upon her arrival, her assistant in tow, she immediately took charge of the investigation as the most senior Council member present. With one look at me, she murmured, “Wherever there’s trouble” with a shake of her head and proceeded to organise everyone. “We can’t risk any more candidates being hurt while the election is in progress. We’ll arrange for rooms for all of you, your families and other members of your party here.”

“I already took a room on the twelfth floor,” said Donovan. He was still very pale, but now sat propped against a heap of pillows. “My family are up there.”

“We can move them to this one. The adjoining is free, I believe, if you’d rather not move,” said Lisette, sympathetically. I noted her ballgown was very pretty, a direct contrast to the drab, sombre suits she wore during the trial. Her hair was swept upwards in a braid and fastened to her head with jewelled pins.

“My family have a suite on the same floor, but Stella, Micah and I will need rooms,” said Etoile, standing up to face Lisette.

“We will arrange it.”

“And our things?”

“We can send someone to collect them from your apartment.”

“I would rather collect them myself,” Etoile countered.

“That will not be possible. Please remain here for your own safety. Your…” Lisette looked at Micah, struggling, it seemed, with what to call him. “Your friend may collect your things and return.”

“Perhaps the magic could be relaxed slightly so I might summon our things,” Etoile countered, determined to have her way.

Lisette and her assistant glanced at each other. “We could arrange that,” Lisette agreed finally. “If you would please wait here, we’ll send someone for you shortly.”

“Thank you.” Etoile turned to Matthew. “How’s the arm?”

“It’s good. Thank you. That was some smart thinking,” he told her. “I could have been killed. Anyone of us could have been killed.” He relaxed against the pillows. “Who would want to shoot you and me, Etoile?”

The question hung in the room like a bad smell and the longer we pondered it, the worse it seemed to get. I could only think of one person who wanted to get rid of the competition, but would Georgia really stoop so low as to assassinate two rivals? It was an uncomfortable thought and one I didn’t want to answer; although the little voice in my head gave it a resounding, “Yes!”

When the telephone on the nightstand rang, I wasn’t the only one who jumped. Etoile answered it just as there was a rap at the door. When I made to open it, Micah held me back and answered the door instead. He looked surprised when silence greeted him. Then there was a bustle of noise, and a slim woman in her forties pushed past him, charging for the bed and throwing her arms around Matthew.

“I’m Paige, Matthew’s wife. Darling, are you okay?” she asked, her eyes frantically checking him over. “I came as soon as they found me. Who could do such a thing to you?”

Etoile replaced the handset and moved toward us, beckoning us to follow. With a last glance at Matthew, his arms now wrapped around the woman recently introduced as his wife, I followed her outside, Micah on my heels.

“We have been assigned rooms on the floor above this one,” Etoile told us. “They put you two in adjoining rooms. Don’t get too excited. I have a room down the hall from you. I would have gotten us rooms together, but there were very few left. You can get your key cards at the reception desk over there.” She pointed to the desk we passed on our way to the room. “And we’re on lockdown now. Everywhere below this floor has been sealed off and no one is being allowed in or out. They’re going to recall anyone important who might be the next target and isn’t already at the hotel,” she finished.

“Do the wolves know?” I asked her, thinking about Gage’s position. Would he be a target?

“I should think they will know very soon. I’m told they already booked rooms, so they’re probably all in the building. I’m not sure what arrangements the shapeshifter, vampire and demon delegations made. Most of them are staying here already, out of convenience.”

I thought about the vampires. I hoped our lockdown wasn’t going to become a buffet. “Is it safe?”

Etoile made a noncommittal noise. “This is a diplomatic nightmare.” She placed a hand on my arm. Until that moment, I didn’t realise how cold I was. “Go rest up, okay? Your things will be here soon. I’m going to make a few calls and probably go to bed.”

“Let’s go,” said Micah. “I have a few calls to make too.”

As we walked away, I said, in my best, most purposeful voice, “I’d like to make at least one call, but the other party won’t answer his phone.”

“Leave a message,” said Micah and I gave up.

My assigned room was standard hotel issue. Nice double-bed with white covers and a dark walnut headboard with matching nightstands at either side. There was a desk in one corner, a lamp, a leather club chair, and a small bathroom that led off the sitting room. If I there was a view, I couldn’t tell because it was too dark and the windows simply reflected me.

For a long time, I sat in my evening dress in the club chair, feeling relieved that Matthew had survived. I wondered about the futility of making another phone call to Evan. How many had I made already that he hadn’t returned? I was beyond the point of feeling angry. Instead of feeling warm and connected to him, as I briefly felt after the revelation about the ring, now I was disappointed and hurt. I couldn’t fathom what kind of job would keep him out of contact for so long. Surely prisoner transport couldn’t be that complicated and involved as to prevent even a texted message? As I wondered what was keeping him, I took off the ring and held it in front of my eyes. The stones looked as polished as ever, the band unscuffed. With a sigh, I put it back on. Resting my elbow on the chair’s arm, I put my chin into my hand and stared out into the dark sky beyond the windows as I tried to make sense of things.

If Evan were hurt, Micah would know. If he were in trouble, Micah would know. Whether Micah would tell me if there were issues, or if Evan would even allow it, was another matter altogether. I could understand the employer/employee relationship and I knew Micah would follow his orders to the letter, but I what I questioned was whether there might be an underlying demon issue that imprinted the orders and bonds of loyalty even tighter still. Could Micah tell me anything confidential, even if he wanted to? We weren’t exactly friends, but we got along well enough. I wondered if I demanded, or insisted on leaving for Evan’s home across the country, would he try to stop me? What would he do if I attempted to locate Evan or set up a rendezvous? Come to think of it, I wondered what Evan would do if I did any of those things? It seemed he had gone to great pains to ensure Micah looked after me — and given the recent sniper attempts, I was glad I had his protection. But he had also taken great pains to avoid me. The thought of Evan steering clear of me felt like a lead weight in my stomach. I shook it off. We parted on good terms or so it seemed to me when we made plans for our reunion.

Micah insinuated that he could contact Evan, and was in touch with him until very recently, so why couldn’t I? Assuming that Micah informed him of the dangers here, why didn’t Evan send a simple text just to to see if I was okay or to reassure me? He’d already put himself in harm’s way to protect me once — not that I wanted him to again — and spent months searching to find me.

Something didn’t sit right. His behaviour perturbed me, but I wasn’t sure what I could do. There was no one I could ask, or demand an explanation from.

Asking Micah was clearly out. Plus, it was starting to make me feel a little humiliated whenever I asked him about Evan. Plus, he’d said he hadn’t heard from Evan in days. I wondered if this was still true.

Etoile didn’t seem to know anything more about Evan. The only other mutual acquaintance that was here was Gage, and I couldn’t see Evan confiding anything to Gage.

My worries bothered me. Another thought occurred to me. Wasn’t this what I wanted? To stand on my own two feet? To be a fully-fledged witch like everyone else I knew? Didn’t I choose to come to the Summit so I could get to know my own kind? To learn about and understand the inner workings of the Council?

I was a witch with magic, very powerful magic of my own. I could feel it fizzling angrily though my veins and immediately tempered it. Where had it all gone wrong? Could this be a lesson from Evan? To learn how to depend on myself, rather than relying on him or anyone else? Yet, surely this was more than either of us anticipated. As I recalled Micah’s worried expression when he admitted losing contact with Evan, as well as his surprise at Etoile‘s revelation about the contract Evan was fulfilling, I frowned at my reflection.

Then, jumping to my feet in anger, I began pacing. With a sweep of my hand, I drew the curtains. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror, the elegant dress, the high heels. I’d been sitting here, pondering my situation for over an hour, and I decided that I really needed to change into something a little less formal.

Making up my mind, I grabbed my key card and went in search of Etoile, pausing briefly outside Micah’s door. Silence inside. I was determined not to ask him about Evan again. His answers were becoming too annoying. Instead of knocking, I strode on past. I wouldn’t need his protection for this brief walk.

Etoile‘s room was at the opposite end of the hallway to ours and appeared to be the corner room. I knocked and stepped back. Soft footsteps came to the door from the other side. When the door opened, a man looked up, holding a towel in his hand as he patted his hair dry. He was dressed in jeans, and nothing else, and his feet were bare. He was nicely built, with a hairless chest, lightly defined abs, and hair that was short with a slight wave. He was, in a word, handsome. He frowned at the sight of me in the doorway, at first. Then he smiled, and I saw fangs.

“I’m sorry,” I said, stepping back. “I must have the wrong room.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, rather than dismissing me abruptly. There was something familiar about him that I couldn’t place. Of course. The man whose mental feelers I had previously rebuffed. The man whom I was sure I knew, but whom I had never met.

“Matthias? Who…?” Etoile stepped around the corner. She was wearing a robe, and her hair was wet too. She stopped still when she saw me. “Oh. Stella. I wasn’t expecting you.”

Clearly.

“Sorry for intruding,” I said, trying not to gawk at the vampire. “I just wanted to know if anyone said anything about our belongings yet. I wanted to change out of…” I flapped my hand at the dress. “You know, it doesn’t matter.”

“They will notify me when I can retrieve them. I was told it will be within an hour from now,” Etoile said, making no inclination to invite me in — a welcomed relief — or to kick me out. “This is Matthias,” she added.

“Hi.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Stella,” said Matthias. His accent was European, maybe even English, but I couldn’t quite place from where. Of course, being a vampire, he most likely moved around a lot. He made no move to shake my hand so I didn’t offer mine.

“You too, Matthias.” As I said his name, it seemed to trigger a memory. I knew where I saw him before! In Etoile‘s head! When she let me peek inside her brain, I saw her honesty, loyalty and her friendship, but I also saw something else. It was a man she’d left behind and I saw how sad she was without him. And now he was standing right in front of me, in the flesh. A very selfish part of me wondered how she got hers, and I didn’t get mine. But I squashed it immediately. “I’ll catch up with you later. Sorry for interrupting,” I said, keeping my tone light.

I turned back the way I came. Several steps away from the door, I looked over my shoulder. Matthias raised his hand and tilted it from one side to the other in a little wave. I just smiled and walked away. I suppose that explained his curiosity about me. He was once Etoile‘s lover, and from the looks of it, things hadn’t changed. I wondered if he was part of the reason for her numerous trips back to the city. I also wondered about her many other visitations; and what the Council would say about her choice of man. Once again, I had to chide myself. What concern was it of theirs?

When I passed the bank of elevators, I had a choice. Go back to my room and twiddle my thumbs until my bags arrived; or pass the time glowering at Micah. Neither appealed. Then I remembered that I wanted to talk to my werewolf friend about his artefact. Halting, I jabbed my thumb at the “down” button and stood back, waiting for the car to arrive. I checked with the reception desk for Gage’s room number, declined the receptionist’s offer to call ahead, and took the elevator to the twelfth floor.

If Gage was surprised to see me, he didn’t show it. “Come in,” he said, taking a step back, and holding the door open wide. Gage’s room was nicer than mine, I decided with a quick glance around; but his was a suite and booked in plenty of time; while mine was a last minute move, courtesy of the Council. He also wasn’t alone. Three people, two men and a woman, sat around the table in the living room, all shifters, specifically wolves. They all looked strong and healthy, and were still clad in evening dress, though the younger man had taken off his jacket. Gage still wore his tux, but his tie hung undone around his neck, and the top button of his shirt had popped open. I wondered what they thought about me in my fancy gold dress, and felt glad I wasn’t able to change. At least we were as smart as each other.

“I’m interrupting,” I said, offering them an apologetic smile.

“We’re just having a drink,” replied Gage. He hesitated, stuck on whether to invite me to stay or not. Just as I decided to tell him I’d catch up with him tomorrow, the older man beckoned me in.