Children of Poseidon: Rann (9 page)

“I’ll just finish this.” Maya prodded the pan with a spoon. “Then it can simmer as long as it likes.” She ground some black pepper into the cooking, picked up her glass, and carried it to the table. “Don’t hover.”

Jewel still stood just inside the door. She walked over to the counter, paying no attention to Maya’s barely concealed curiosity, poured a glass of the rich red wine, then pulled out a chair and sat down. She darted a nervous glance at Maya. “How was your day?”

“Shit.” Maya lifted her glass to her lips. “Everyone’s freaked out by Kara’s behaviour. No one’s doing any work, and all the corners are full of people whispering frantically.”

Maya ran one of the branches of the coven’s investment bank and helped manage her coven’s finances. She had a talent for business as well as an aura of power and authority. She led the circle of junior coven members, or at least those of them who would have future influence and serve the coven. Her energy dazzled Jewel.

She half closed her eyes as she savored her wine. “I’m hoping someone here is going to give me some good news.”

“Not me.” Jewel stared miserably into her glass. “My mother’s worse than I remembered.”

“Rann?” Maya propped her elbows on the table. “You said you had some news. Make it good.” She drew out her voice into tones of pleading.

Rann pushed his chair back slightly and stretched out his long legs. “I went to see Lykos and Lila. Lila had some ideas. About the seawitch. I think we should try them.”

“What were they?” Jewel sprawled over the table, matching Maya’s pose. She felt it would be good to concentrate on somebody else’s problems for a while.

Rann turned to Maya. “You remember when you were a prisoner on that ship nine years ago?”

“Vividly.” Maya scowled. “They all got off too lightly, if you ask me.”

“There was a witch in the cell on one side of you and a werewolf on the other.”

“I remember.” Maya smiled in reminiscence. “I can still remember the sound of that werewolf howling in his human form. You’ve never heard anything like it.”

“Connor, his name was,” Rann said. “And the witch was Annis.”

Jewel listened carefully. She’d heard all about the people-trafficking operation. Micael had started it, but of course she hadn’t known that then. Despite her mother’s judgement, she hadn’t been involved, and she would have left Micael if she’d known the extent of his behaviour. She didn’t know the people Maya and Rann talked about.

“They were private investigators.” Rann brought her up to speed. “Connor set up the business, and Annis worked for him. They specialised in cases involving supernaturals.”

“Right,” Maya said. “I see where you’re going.”

“I thought of employing them to look into where this witch might have come from. They’re set up for this sort of thing, and probably they can do it a lot more quickly than we can.”

“Good idea.” Maya nodded. “Of course we’ll help if we can.”

“I’ll ring them tonight,” he said. “Ask them to come here. They can have a look at the seawitch, see what they think. Okay?”

“Perfect.” Maya said.

“Jewel?”

Jewel forced herself to focus. She’d listened to the other two talk with half her attention. The other half of her mind thought about her mother. “Yes.”

“So what did you think of your mother?” Maya made a twirling movement with her fingers as she changed the subject. “Completely loco. Did you meet the love interest?”

“Alberic?” Jewel didn’t want to talk about this until she’d slept on it and had a chance to think about the implications.

“Alberic!” Maya’s mobile features twisted into a sneer. “Albert Cooper. That’s what he used to be called. We made some enquiries.”

“Really.” Jewel knew her smile was weak.

“Yeah. He changed his name. He’s such a poser.” Maya grimaced. “It doesn’t change the fact that he’s a nasty piece of work though. Dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“I talked to the last coven he stayed with. People disappeared. No one ever knew where they’d gone, and they weren’t the sort of people you expected to freak out and wander off.”

“You think—”

“The coven leader told me he’d practised blood magic with animals. That’s why they threw him out. But they had no evidence that he was connected with the disappearances.” Maya rested her head on her hands. “He’s a slimy bastard. Then he went off the radar for a couple of years. God knows what he got up to then. And remember I told you we’d had a couple of people go missing? Too much of a coincidence for my liking.”

“You don’t like him?” Jewel raised an eyebrow.

“He’s a complete tosser.” Maya sneered. “He made the moves on me. Big mistake. I sent him on his way with a few bruises. And a promise that if he tried again, he’d never father another child.”

“Was Kara as bad before he arrived?” Jewel asked.

“She’s always been a despot,” Maya said. “And she’s gotten worse with time. But she’s reached a whole new level since Albert arrived.”

Jewel suddenly remembered what she had meant to tell Maya. “Alberic was very interested in Seawitch. Wanted to come back with me and look at her.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” Jewel shook her head. “He was very persistent. And if anyone was going to know about death magic, I suppose it would be him.”

“I don’t like it.” Maya scowled. “He’s not getting near her. We have to do something about him.”

“What does the coven want to do about it?” Rann asked. “Do you think—”

“Bad news. They’re coming here tonight. At least a couple of representatives are. I told them Jewel was going to see her mother today. They want to know what you think.” She gave Jewel an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. They were pretty insistent, and I thought it was best to get it over with.”

Jewel finished her wine. “I don’t know what I can tell them.” She took her glass to the sink and rinsed it. “It’s the first I’ve seen of her in nine years. And the last if I have any say in it.” She paused. “What time?”

“About nine,” Maya said. “It’s Charlie and Maria. I thought they could have a look at Seawitch at the same time.”

Chapter 10

The coven representatives arrived at nine o’clock exactly. Maya had already stowed Seawitch in her bedroom, seating her on the daybed by the window. She sat upright, staring ahead, her face as blank as a mannequin’s. Jewel pushed a cushion behind her back, picked her feet up, and shifted her into a reclining position. She didn’t look any more relaxed or any less doll-like, and Jewel followed Maya out of the room, shaking her head.

Maya leapt from the sofa when the doorbell rang. When she returned, she ushered in a man and woman, both of whom looked vaguely familiar. Jewel studied them carefully but couldn’t pluck any names from the pool of coven witches she remembered. In late middle age, they were obviously among the top echelons of witch society, carrying an aura of privilege and affluence along with a strong air of authority. The man had a full head of silver hair, bushy eyebrows, and a long, narrow nose. The woman was tall, with angular features.

Maya beckoned to Jewel. “Charlie, Maria. You remember Jewel, don’t you?”

Jewel remembered them now. Charlie’s hair had been shorter and darker last time she’d seen them, and Maria’s expression had mixed pity with contempt.

The two guests studied her. Maria pursed her mouth and glanced at her companion.

“Kara’s daughter?”

Charlie nodded. “I remember you.”

Jewel forced a smile.

Maria turned to examine Rann who lounged on the sofa. She raised an interrogative eyebrow.

“And this is Rann. He’s visiting from Tanzania.” Maya gave no more details. Rann dipped his head in acknowledgement but didn’t move.

“Should he be privy to coven business?” Maria asked. She examined Rann from protruding blue eyes.

“Jewel’s been living with him for nine years,” Maya said.

Charlie’s expression sharpened, and Jewel wished she hadn’t put it in those words.

“I don’t like it.” Maria frowned. “Couldn’t he wait in another room?”

“No.” Maya snapped.

Maria stepped back.

Rann’s smile was almost imperceptible.

“May we sit down?” Charlie asked.

Maya gestured towards the empty space where Seawitch had been, and both the visitors sat down gingerly, one at each end of the long sofa.

“Coffee?” Jewel poured out coffee and offered it to everyone before perching on the arm of the sofa next to Rann.

Maya remained standing, her mug in one hand. She loomed over everyone, deliberately, as far as Jewel could tell. It was impossible to ignore her, even when she wasn’t trying to intimidate. Both of the coven members cast nervous glances in her direction, as though they were herd animals and Maya the leopard. From the way her mouth tilted slightly, Jewel suspected she was fully aware of this.

“You had some things you wanted to ask Jewel?” Maya folded her arms and took control of the conversation. “About her visit to her mother? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Maria sipped her coffee, cool eyes assessing Jewel.

Jewel wanted to walk out of the room. She remembered these people. Or at least people very like them. They’d been part of her mother’s coven years ago, present at Jewel’s banishment, sitting in silence while her mother asked if anyone wanted Jewel’s death. They hadn’t said anything. None of the coven had, and Jewel realised that they all knew she had been guilty of nothing more than bad judgement. She stared back at Maria, hoping her expression conveyed her opinion. She doubted it though; she didn’t have the sort of face that showed strong negative emotions well.

Eventually Maria sighed and patted her neatly arranged, graying hair. “Do you want to start, Charles?”

Charles shrugged. “You went to see Kara today?”

“Yes.” Jewel said no more than necessary. These people made her skin itch with irritation. She saw why Maya had no respect for the coven.

“And how did you find her?” Charles peered at her from beneath lowered brows.

Jewel wasn’t sure how to answer that. In the end, she contented herself with a bland remark. “Unpleasant. Hostile.”

“Is that why you stayed away for so long?” Maria took over the conversation. “You knew your mother was behaving strangely. Hostile and aggressive? Even then?”

“She’s always been hostile and aggressive. She wanted to have me executed. Remember?” Jewel glanced at Rann. “I stayed away for so long because I liked the place I was. I don’t like it here.”

“So you think she’s been heading towards madness for years?” Maria dismissed Jewel’s resentment. “Did she seem a little disturbed to you?”

A little disturbed? What sort of understatement was that?
“I haven’t seen her for nine years. You’d know better than me. She’s always been like that with me.” She wasn’t going to tell them about Kara’s story about her father, not in front of Maya, and maybe not at all. “Are you saying you think she’s been possessed by her own magic?”

The visitors looked at each other. Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know. She seems to have no problems with her memory. She hasn’t started to wander.” He paused and started to chew his lower lip. “But there’s that mage she’s infatuated with. He’s the only one she’ll listen to. She completely disregards the coven’s advice. She won’t discuss anything.”

“Maybe she’s just a complete bitch?” Maya sat down at the opposite end of the sofa to Rann. “Have you thought of that?”

Maria glared at her. “Don’t be stupid.”

Maya glared right back. “None of you have ever stood up to her. She’s on a power trip. She’s been heading this way for years, and if you’d called her on it years ago, you might have stopped things going so far. But, no, you couldn’t—”

“Whatever.” Charlie interrupted. “She’s got to be stopped. She’s bringing the coven into disrepute.”

“Disrepute?” Jewel wondered what that meant.

“I had lunch with a colleague from the Mayfair coven.” Charlie shook his head. “He asked me about the rumours.”

“What rumours?” Maya hadn’t said anything about rumours. Or not that they’d spread beyond the coven.

“That we’re dabbling with dark magic.” Charlie’s face flushed. “Blood rituals and so on. I denied it, of course, but I’m pretty sure that Kara’s mage friend has been up to his old tricks.”

Jewel glanced sideways at Maya.

“Rumours.” Maya shook her head dismissively. “We haven’t seen anything. No one’s been asked to participate in anything like that. The other covens don’t know anything. Not really.”

“But do you think it’s true?”

“Yes.” Maya gazed down at her coffee. She balanced it carefully on the arm of the sofa. “I know it’s true. I sensed the residue from it. The whole atmosphere round Kara’s house oozes smut.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jewel’s face warmed with annoyance.

“What could I have said?” Maya held up her hands. “I’ve no evidence, other than my instincts. I did mention dark magic and the aura hanging over the house. I told you her lover was probably a practitioner. Anyway, she’s your mother. I didn’t want to tell you anything I couldn’t prove.”

“You think I wouldn’t have believed you?” Jewel raised her brows.
Maya can’t be that naïve . . .
Perhaps she could.

Maya’s family had always been close, protective, even when only Lila and Maya were left.

“You should have told me,” Jewel said. “She beat me as a child. Why would she hold back now? Her magic’s several levels above mine.”

Maya’s expressive face twisted into a mask of surprise and shock, while the coven members were expressionless.

Rann’s warm hand settled on her thigh, squeezing it.

“So will you talk to her?” Charlie ignored everything she’d said. “Try to make her see sense? Tell her how her behaviour affects the rest of us.”

Jewel struggled to find words. These were two of the most powerful people in the coven, people she’d been in awe of as a child, and they couldn’t even summon up the backbone to tell their leader to behave in a way that wouldn’t disgrace them all. She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to go back there.”

Maria opened her mouth, but Jewel rushed her words out. “She told me not to come back. There’s no way she’ll listen to me.”

“Blood counts.” Charlie persisted. “You are her only living relative.”

“I can talk to her, but I don’t think it’ll make the slightest bit of difference.”

“Why should you do it?” Rann sat up and pointed his index finger at the guests. “What did you ever do for Jewel? Why don’t you talk to her yourself?” A low rumble of thunder echoed through the flat.

Maria straightened her back and placed her coffee cup on the table. “What business is it of yours? Who do you think you are to interfere in the business of our coven?”

The thunder still disturbed the air.

Jewel gave Maria a nervous glance.
Is she blind and deaf? Doesn’t she realise what he is?

Rann pushed himself up, folded his arms, and scowled down at her.

Jewel was glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of the rage that emanated from him.

“Jewel is my business,” he said. “I don’t like the way you treated her before, and I don’t like the way you’re treating her now.”

Jewel grabbed his wrist and tugged on it. “It’s okay. I should probably talk to my mother again anyway. Once I’ve gotten over the last meeting.”

“Good girl. That’s the spirit. You’re a credit to your bloodline.”

Jewel’s palm itched with the urge to slap the patronising smile off Charlie’s face.

“I’ll come with you.” Rann sat down again, and Jewel’s alarm sent her bolt upright, so she almost slipped off the arm of the sofa. The idea of her mother and Rann squaring off in that awful drawing room had the potential to send her into hysterics.

“It’s okay,” she repeated. “She is my mother after all.”

“I don’t want you going in there alone.” Rann’s eyes flashed gold fire at her, filled with a protective anger she’d never seen before.

“I’ll go with you,” Maya offered. “I never thought that she might be a danger to you, or I’d have gone with you today.”

“I don’t need—”

“I have the right to bring the concerns of the junior coven to her attention,” Maya said, “so it would be natural for me to see her anyway.”

Jewel considered. What Maya said was true, and although her temper was notorious, she did know Kara, probably better than anyone, including Jewel. After all, Kara had mentored her magical development for years. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.” She nudged Rann, who still bristled next to her. “Would that satisfy you?”

“Not really.” His voice still carried a note of the thunder. “But I’ll allow it, as long as you let me know when you arrive, and when you leave.”

“Allow?” Jewel couldn’t believe he’d said that.

The two magic visitors gaped at them. Maya laughed.

“Allow.” Rann emphasized the word. “I’m still responsible for you, and I’m not letting you put yourself in danger.”

“You know?” Maya tilted her head to one side, considering him. “You’re more like Lykos than I thought.”

“I’m twenty-six.” Jewel ignored Maya’s interjection and Rann’s intimidating scowl. “I look after myself.” She could use some moral support if she had to see that awful mage again, but she wasn’t going to let Rann get away with that sort of autocratic statement. There were things she wanted to say to him, but she’d wait until the strangers had gone. “So Charles? Maria? What did you want me to say? And why can’t you say it yourselves?”

Maria answered the last question first. “You
are
her daughter. She’s more likely to listen to you.”

Jewel hoped her face conveyed her complete disbelief. “What’s your real reason?” she asked.

Charlie shook his head at Maria. “She won’t see us. She hasn’t convened the coven for months. The only people she speaks to are those who don’t argue with her, or contradict her, or criticise her, or—”

“They get the picture.” Maria’s tone was sour. “She still teaches magic theory to the best of the young coven, but there’s only Gwen and Tom who see her regularly, and we’ve talked to them. Neither of them thinks there’s anything to worry about. They’ve always been a bit dim.” She shuffled to the edge of the sofa. “They have the least talent of any of the inner coven. They’re the youngest and least experienced. And they’ve always worshipped Kara.”

“And no one’s seen them for weeks,” Charlie added.

“I see.” Jewel wondered why the coven hadn’t done anything about the situation before now.
It sounds as though Kara is losing control of her magic and herself. Surely they know their duty. Maybe they’re afraid. Maybe they feel the same menace from Kara’s lover that made me feel sick.
“What do you want me to say?”

“Tell her we’re worried about her,” Charlie said. “Persuade her to hold a meeting of the coven. Tell her we only want to support her.”

“Ask her to take a close look at Alberic,” Maria added. “Without the blinkers of lust.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “I think she’ll really respond to that.”

Maria narrowed her eyes. “The day the coven is in your hands is the day I’ll walk out.”

Jewel suspected that Maya could be the next leader of the coven. She brought a huge amount of magic ability and raw talent with her. Unfortunately, in the eyes of many of the senior coven members, she was too outspoken, too lacking in respect, too tall, too vibrant, just too much of everything. If Maria and Charles were representative of the coven as a whole, then Maya would have her work cut out.

“The day I’m leader of the coven you won’t have to walk.” Her lips widened into a smile that bared her teeth.

Maria stood up. “Let’s go, Charlie.” She turned to Jewel. “Thank you for your agreement.”

Jewel stared at her.
When did I agree?

Charlie levered himself from the depths of the sofa. “Thank you, Jewel. And you too, Maya.” He obviously wasn’t going to rock a future leader’s boat. “You’ll be in touch with us whatever happens?”

Jewel nodded. “There’s one other thing. The seawitch,” she said to Maya. “Perhaps you should let them see her.”