The Jade Dragon (17 page)

Unity
. She bit down on her bottom lip, but the encouragement in the link between her and Gregori helped make up her mind. Plus, she was asking her sisters to do something dangerous. She owed it to them to join them. Despite her misgivings and the wild erratic beating of her heart against her breastbone, she stepped forward and completed the circle.

• • •

Gregori had never mindwalked while linked to several others. But they wouldn't know that. In order to mindwalk, he needed to open his own mind to them. He had to trust they would not intrude where they should not, just as he had given his word not to. Just in case, he would place blocks in his mind so they would not venture off inadvertently to lose their way in the intricate network of his brain. It was far too dangerous and he would not risk their lives or his. The price was too high.

Closing his eyes, he invited the elements, as he'd been taught a thousand years or so ago, to isolate anyone inside the circle and protect them from outside influences while powerful magic was performed. The slight morning breeze intensified as Gregori strengthened the perimeter. Wind rushed through the circle, sending Alanna's wild locks into a frenzied tangle. Rosa's long raven hair was tied back in a pony-tail and Beth's recently cropped blonde hair barely moved.

They were a brave lot. And powerful, too. Despite Beth and Alanna's magic being bound by Marylebone, he could see their potential and had to admit, together with Rosa, they were a force to be watched and admired.

He returned to his present focus. It would not do to allow his mind to wander. His spells set, the circle strong, he said, “I will walk through your minds, one by one. Remain holding hands until I say you can let go as I will travel along the links you have with each other.” He looked to each one of them for reassurance. He wanted them to understand just how very important it was they remain connected. “If you let go, I will become disoriented. There is always the danger if I lose my way, I could change what is in your mind, what is in your heart and what your future should be.”

“Now you tell us,” Aden muttered.

“Such power,” Goran said. “There is much I could change.”

“To break this rule is to risk the wrath of the Marylebone dragons.” Gregori glared at his former apprentice. “Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear.” Goran winked at Beth. “Don't worry,” he said, when she frowned. “I'll keep you safe.”

“No.” Gregori's voice was harsh. “I will keep you all safe. Close your eyes, everyone. Empty your minds of all outside stimuli. Breathe deep. Maintain your hold on each other. I will venture first through my link with Alanna and from there I will travel clockwise.

• • •

Gregori went once more into Alanna's mind. This time it was easier, the threads of his earlier walk laying a foundation that was both stronger and more secure. He was pleased. Alanna's distress from last night was dissipating. The fear and the fortress around her mind remained, but the walls weren't as high, as insurmountable. He was heartened.

Once more, he showed the exact same images he'd shown Alanna yesterday. Without delay he left her mind, moving swiftly to Aden. His status meant he was an equal and the image transfer was over in a few short seconds. He'd worked with Aden for a few hundred years. As the current Dragon of Marylebone, Aden was everything he was because of what Gregori had taught him.

Next came Rosa. She was new, different. Strong. Walls existed within her, too, but he imagined they had sprung up the instant she learned he was coming in. He was careful as he released the images, so as not to overwhelm her. He saw the link she now had with Aden. An invisible cord of silver, much like his with Alanna only stronger, solid, a true connection. The love they felt for each other was enviable. But he would not linger. Rosa was still new to Marylebone, new to all the rules and bylaws and he didn't want her accidentally breaking one because of his location.

Into Goran he ventured. No problems there. He was in and out in seconds, but he saw something else and he couldn't prevent a smile. He wondered if Goran even realized it himself.

Now to Beth. Oh, Warlocks' Balls. She was so gentle. So remarkably open and therefore more prone to the emotions of others. If she didn't take care, those emotions could overwhelm and break her as easily as a strong wind caused reeds to bend to their will.

Because no one suspected Beth to hide anything from them, no one had actually looked, noticed that this amazingly beautiful soul was so incredibly sad, that her calmness was but a facade. His concern for her stopped his progress. He remained stationery, wondering whether the images he was about to plant in her brain would be beneficial or whether it would cause more damage than good.

But, he knew he couldn't change anything. Everyone knew except her. They would talk. She would learn the story anyway. So with reluctance he gently released the images one by one, softly, softly, buffering her shock before leaving and returning to his own body.

He opened his eyes. His job was done.

Rosa's fine porcelain skin was paler than usual. A silent stream of tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Beth's skin, a proverbial English rose, giving her an elfin-like beauty, had turned grayish in tone. She was holding her breath, trying hard not to cry. Trying so hard not to let her emotions get the better of her.

He cast a thoughtful look at his future mate. Yes, there were tears on her cheeks but as he tested their link, he heard her response.
I am fine.

“It is over.” Gregori spoke and with a single command, released a spell to break the circle and free everyone to move.

And now, he thought, as he caught Zelda's eye as she stood on the perimeter, for the fallout.

Gregori stepped back out of the circle, as did Aden and Goran. That left the three sisters, all staring at each other, no one saying anything.

Alanna stepped forward. Her arm rose, her palm out in supplication to Rosa and Beth. “I didn't know how to tell you.” Her eyes were dry. She'd had time to recover from the shock. But the news was fresh to her sisters and she knew how they must be feeling after being reminded of that time all those years ago when their lives had been changed in the blink of an eye.

Rosa reached out and threw herself into Alanna's arms. Beth stood mute, stunned. Alanna reached out with an arm and tugged her close and included her in the embrace also, but she sensed a reluctance in Beth to join them and that her hug was only half-hearted.

Zelda was on the move. She waved Goran and Aden away. “Take Gregori and go do something men do. Give them time to talk.”

Alanna met Gregori's inquiring gaze. She heard his question;
do you want me to go?
She nodded. “We'll be all right. I'll tell them what you told me last night.” Meaning his ensorcellment and the reasons behind it.

Gregori was reluctant to leave. His concern for her touched her more than she could say. Such a good man. Her sadness grew as she knew she would have to give him up. Free him to bind his magic with another. He deserved better.

She heard his silent words in her head.
I deserve you!

Damn it.
She was going to have to learn how to keep her thoughts private.

• • •

The men decamped to the bottom of the garden and Zelda led Alanna and her sisters back to the table to the cold biscuits. She'd conjured something stronger than juice to drink, her famous elderberry wine. Potent. Heady. Mind-numbingly-forget-what-you-did-last-night delicious.

“Great for shock,” she said as she poured them each a glass and insisted they drink up.

Zelda loved these girls. So much. They were the daughters she'd never had. Never would have. She was worried about Beth. She was too pale. Too quiet. But then she'd always thought she was far too introspective. Too calm. Too happy.

Whereas Alanna was the complete opposite. She was in-your-face most of the time, annoying, vocal and opinionated. She was a hundred and fifty percent in all that she did. So to see her sitting at the table, her shoulders hunched, an air of defeat about her, moved Zelda to stand next to her and rest a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Rosa, the eldest, had always shouldered the responsibility of all three. She had taken the news reasonably well, or so Zelda thought, until she held out her glass for her third fill. Zelda's eyebrows rose and she immediately changed the alcoholic content of the wine to minimal with the blink of an eye. They didn't need to be drunk. Not when most of the day was still ahead of them.

“Another secret, Zelda,” Rosa alluded to the fact Zelda had known all about Aden when he'd first arrived in Raven's Creek shielded behind a cloak of secrecy but had kept that knowledge to herself.

“I have many secrets to keep,” Zelda said. “I have had no desire to keep any from you, but that's the burden my role carries.”

“Beth,” Alanna asked. “Are you all right?”

Beth remained silent. Staring outwards. As if she wasn't listening. She picked at a cold biscuit until it was in lots of little pieces. She started tossing them to the birds.

“I don't know how I feel,” she finally spoke, her voice so soft they strained to hear her. “Are you sure he's telling us the truth?”

Zelda answered for Alanna. “It is the truth.”

“So what do we do with this knowledge? It doesn't change anything. Mom and Dad are gone. We can't bring them back.”

“Gregori has heard the bells,” Alanna knocked back a second glass of elderberry wine. “It's me he wants.”

Beth sat up straighter, her eyes finally filled with some emotion. It was better than nothing at all. “Do you want him?”

“No!” Rosa slammed her hand down on the table. “You can't bind with an immortal.”

“I don't know if I have a choice. There's a link between us. It's there. I feel it all the time and it's growing stronger. I think he's right about me being the one for him, but there's no way to bind with him while my magic is bound.”

“I'll begin a tapestry.” The color was slowly returning to Beth's cheeks. “If you can sculpt, then perhaps I can weave. My magic is returning in small increments. There's a possibility the dreams will come if I begin weaving again.”

“That would be fantastic,” Alanna said. “Then we'd definitely know if I was on the right path.”

“You can but try,” Rosa pursed her lips and looked over to Aden, standing with Goran and Gregori who were huddled in a tight circle, deep in their own discussion. “I'll check with Aden if he knows anything about the timing on your magic being fully unbound.”

“What about Gregori?” Beth tossed more crumbs to the birds.

“What of him?” Alanna's tone was defensive but she couldn't help it. He was growing on her and didn't like the idea of him being criticized.

“We don't know anything about him.”

“That's what you said about Aden, and look how that turned out.”

“But can we trust him? Are those images he showed us untainted and a true depiction of what happened?”

“No need to tell us what I know, deep down.” Alanna commented, her tone snarky. “He's innocent.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I know it.”
Sweet Goddess, help me please.

““She's right,” Zelda waved a hand over the table, refreshing the biscuits and juice. “He didn't do it. Something or someone else caused your parents' death. Both the Supreme Council and Marylebone don't know what happened. As far we know, the car had an anti-crash spell surrounding it. Gregori was ensorcelled by Marylebone because the Bells of Marylebone had tolled for him when Alanna was only fourteen.”

“If that's the case,” Rosa echoed Alanna's thoughts, “then are you sure he's the right warlock for her? Why would they ring so early?”

“Why do the three Fates do anything?” Zelda shrugged. “They're on the Supreme Council and I've never been able to figure them out. But everything they ever do always works out in the end.

The information gave Alanna hope. “My fingers are crossed it all works out this time, then.”

“Why has Gregori shown us all this now?” Beth said. “It's in the past. I'd prefer it to remain there.”

Alanna was puzzled by Beth's remark. “I thought you'd be angry.”

“What's the point?” she said. “It's not going to bring Mom and Dad back.”

Her indifference made Alanna feel unsettled. “Rosa. What do you think?”

“I think you should stay well away from Gregori. He's immortal. You know Aden's history. He married me in another life when I was mortal and I died, as did our children. The timing wasn't right. We pre-empted everything and it all turned out horribly wrong.”

“But you're together now. Surely your past children will return to you in this lifetime. I don't think you can escape destiny when it arrives.”

“I don't remember that life. Only what was revealed to me by Marylebone and what Aden has told me. I wouldn't know if any child I had was one that was reincarnated or not. It's a huge leap to believe that will happen. Besides, we're talking about you. Not me.”

Beth offered her opinion. “If the time is right for her and Gregori, the bells will toll for her, too?”

Zelda tsked. “I wouldn't be so sure about that. We must deal with what we have, not what might be.”

“All I know is,” Alanna admitted, “the link between Gregori and I grows stronger every day. I feel things for him like I've never felt for anyone else, ever. But you don't need to worry, Rosa. I'm not planning on binding anything with him.”

“So why is he still here?”

Because he knows where to find the truth.

“I'm here to prove my innocence.” Gregori spoke from behind, startling them all. He and the men had rejoined them. “I've given my word to Marylebone to return to them before my fortnight is up if I don't find what I'm looking for or I fail to bind with Alanna.”