Beasts and Burdens (28 page)

“Why are you getting involved in a werewolf war?” Nevia asked suspiciously. “Werewolves aren’t under anyone’s jurisdiction, but their own.”

Glass crunched under Gypsy’s feet as she turned to face Nevia. “You may have incited Lenore to start this war, but it’s going to take a lot more than grandstanding to win it.”

Nevia shifted slightly dipping her head imperceptibly toward her. Gypsy stepped closer tossing her clipboard on a tipped settee. Daniel gripped the arms of his chair, prepared to leap between the two women if necessary. Gypsy unbuckled her equipment vest and pulled it open exposing her black undershirt.

Nevia’s eyes narrowed, affronted by the woman’s candor. She took the offering and inhaled the woman’s scent. Her lips parted after, like a cat, letting the bouquet linger on the back of her tongue. When Nevia finished she didn’t look happy, but she backed away.

“My employer is particularly interested in being on good terms with the werewolf population. As the strongest mortal race on earth, they will make excellent recruits in our future endeavors. He has chosen to align with Lenore during this upheaval, and it is my job to make sure that he has not backed the wrong horse.”

“Why are you being so forthcoming today?” Nevia asked. “You seemed reluctant to reveal anything before.”

“What can I say, I love telling secrets.”

“How about telling us who your employer is?” Cori asked.

Gypsy turned her attention to her stepping back to the center of the room. Her perpetual amusement was for once disrupted. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Cori persisted.

“He’s a little flamboyant at times, but he’s not stupid. Until our alliances are secure and our usefulness indispensable, he will remain an unseen financer.”

“How fecking nuts does someone have to be to get involved in a werewolf war?” Daniel griped. “No offense, love,” he added when he noticed Nevia’s scowl.

Gypsy smiled and braced herself on the arm chair as she leaned in over Daniel. “Pretty fucking nuts,” she whispered before moving away to retrieve her clipboard. “At any rate,” she pulled a lighter from her pocket, “I may be seeing you all again in the future, so you should save your tear jerking farewells.” She pulled her remaining paperwork from the clipboard and set it on fire as she walked out. Once thoroughly alight she let the pages drop on the lawn and rejoined her team.

“What did you smell?” Cori asked when she was well out of earshot.

Nevia holstered her gun gruffly, her composure momentarily lost in irritation. “Nothing.”

77

Ethan woke the next morning—probably morning—and headed for the kitchen. He hadn’t expected to see Levi and Adrianna there since they had spent the night together. There was nothing to be said for any extracurricular activities, but he had heard them talking, or at least heard himself talking.

After a quick voice check, he found his vocals to be back in working order, albeit a little scratchy.

When he entered the kitchen and saw Adrianna and Levi sitting together, he almost walked back out again. “It’s okay,” Levi assured him.

“I take it from the frog in my throat you guys had a lot to talk about.”

Adrianna blew him a fervent kiss and he smiled at the emphasis she managed to place on such a singular gesture.

“You’re welcome. Glad I could help you clear the air.” Ethan sat down at the table. A bowl of food was promptly slapped in front of him by an overly muscular kitchen worker that resembled a mythical creature, but he was certain he was just ugly. “I don’t mean to ruin the moment, but there is something we need to discuss.”

“Oh, you probably want to get out of here. We keep distracting you.” Levi grimaced.

“No, I mean yes, but not until Adrianna is safe.”

“Safe?”

“Not until Annette gives her the remaining earth power she needs to balance her mortal magic,” Ethan said bluntly. He didn’t want to dance around it any longer. Adrianna looked to Levi, just as he looked to her.

“Would that really work?”

Adrianna shrugged.

“It’s a risk, but as I understand it, the mortal power can’t be removed. The only option is too add more power,” Ethan explained. “Unfortunately, Annette is convinced the transformation will corrupt her and make her too powerful. She won’t do it.”

“She could at least try. If it will save her.” Levi’s eyes flickered between Ethan’s before lifting behind him. “You have to try Annette,” he pleaded.

“What have you told him, Ethan?” Annette scolded behind him, but he didn’t turn to look at her.

“She is dying,” Levi explained. 

“She isn’t dying,” Annette snapped.

“Yes, she is!” Levi snapped right back. “She’s been dying since you did this to her. This is all your fault and you won’t fix it because you are jealous!”

“What?” Annette drew into the table looking down on Levi, but he wasn’t having any of it. He stood up to face her.

“The only reason you wanted to offer her raw earth power to begin with was so you could access it through her. She was to be your basin of power, but now, with mortal magic, she won’t just provide it; she’ll command it as well.”

“That is exactly why I won’t complete the ceremony.” Annette raised her chin trying at least physically to domineer in the conversation.

“You won’t complete the ceremony because she’ll be stronger than you.” Levi took a step closer to her. His height would never offer the intimidation that he probably wanted it to, but Levi knew he was right.

Annette was only momentarily flummoxed by his accusation. “She will transcend beyond any living being ever in existence! She’ll be stronger than any sentient being! No one should wield that kind of power.”

“You do it every damn day,” Levi snapped. “You do it for profit.” Levi shoved his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out the bare lint-filled innards. “I don’t have anything to offer you. I’m flat broke. The only thing I have in this life is you and her.” Levi glanced back at Adrianna. “Please don’t tell me you’ll let her die, or I’ll lose both of you.”

“Levi…” Annette’s brow crumpled with hurt.

“Please, save her life. Fix her, for me.”

“Don’t you think I’ve thought about this?” Annette glanced at Ethan, including him in the statement. “I want to fix this, but it’s too dangerous. I can’t take the mortal magic from her without killing her. Her
od
is to tightly wound to it. Adding more magic seems logical, I know, but it is precarious.”

Annette turned to Adrianna to plea for her understanding. “Adrianna you are the only one that can understand what they are asking me to do. To funnel that much power into you…even if you were healthy, it would take a miracle for you to come through it unscathed. What if you die?”

“She’s already dying,” Ethan said quietly. Annette offered him a glare that was usually reserved for Levi, but he didn’t react to it defensively or otherwise. She had lost this argument the minute Ethan had offered Levi hope of a normal—mostly normal—life with the woman he loved.

“What if you don’t die? What if the power corrupts you? Destroys your moral compass. I can’t be responsible for creating a sorceress that will harm people.”

Adrianna shook her head and closed her eyes. Her body and face changed into the youthful rosy-skinned woman she should have been. When she opened her eyes and scanned each of them, Levi took in a deep breath, as if it was a relief to him to see her natural self.

“I know you are scared, Annette,” Adrianna spoke with a tiny feminine voice that belied the authority she was capable of exerting. “I am frightened too, but what you don’t understand. What you cannot fathom, is that I am already being pushed and pulled by the good and evil within this mortal magic. Controlling my mind, takes every measure of my strength. I am far more dangerous to the world now, than I would be if I had control of my mind. The only time I feel remotely in control of myself, is when I am with Levi.”

Levi stepped closer to her and she slipped her hand in his. He glanced down concerned, but when he realized that she wasn’t going to radiate negative emotions, he relaxed and let his eyes flicker over her face. A moment of nonverbal communication was exchanged and they looked back at Annette as a couple, as one.

“The mortal magic is irreversible. Only the earth magic can stabilize and heal me. I know this is against the rules, but I promise you, my heart is pure.”

Annette pinched her lips. “Pure or not…I’ll lose you either way,” she whispered. “You know that.”

Adrianna nodded. “Death is always in the future. At least let me choose how close.” 

78

Ethan sat quietly on the rock while Annette explained the procedure once more to Adrianna. The young woman politely shook her head each time Annette asked her to reconsider. Levi approached Ethan and pressed his hand to his overhanging calf. Ethan looked down at his pained expression.

“Thank you. I am indebted to you.”

Ethan shook his head slightly. “You’re welcome, but you don’t owe me anything. I have a good number of people in my life I am lucky enough to call friends. They’ve taught me that loyalty is free. If you don’t mind being added to that list, you can write off your debt.”

Levi smiled and gave Ethan’s leg a pat before resting on the rock with him.

The dragons started to lumber in, as if the dinner bell had been rung.

“Why do they do that?” Ethan asked Levi, since they would be unlikely to respond telepathically to the query in the presence of others—despite it being the number one benefit of telepathy.

“They like the magic.” Levi shrugged suggesting that was the best answer he had for it.

“They aren’t as…fun as I thought they’d be,” Ethan said quietly. One of the dragons looked over to him, but he pretended not to notice.

“Tell me about it, I thought I’d at least get to ride one, but apparently that is insulting and disrespectful.” Levi rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, all I got was a few scars and wheat grass shakes.”

“Wheat grass?” Levi scrunched up his nose.

“The protein shakes.” Ethan raised his brow.

“Oh, yeah, Annette has me drink those once in a while. She uses peanut butter though. What does that have to do with the dragons?”

Ethan crooked his smile and shook his head. “Never mind.” There might have been some amusement in revealing the truth to Levi, but he couldn’t bring himself to ruin a man’s enjoyment of peanut butter forever after.

“Ethan!” Annette snapped. He looked over and saw her by the door. “I need help collecting my supplies.”

Ethan exchanged a look of dread with Levi before following Annette to her room to gather her magical incendiary ingredients.

As he followed her around the room holding out a crate for her to load with small jars and sticks that might have been wands, he couldn’t help, but smile at her attitude. She was a magnanimous woman with power that demanded respect, but she was still giving him a silent treatment tantrum just like any other woman might.

“Something amusing to you?” Annette pinned with hooded eyes.

“You,” he said simply. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I’m mad at you and if you had any idea what I’m about to do, you would be mad at you too. You started this. I thought I was abundantly clear that this was inadvisable.”

“Yes, you were,” he conceded somewhat sheepishly.

“And yet you insisted on encouraging it. I am so disappointed in you Ethan and so will Danato.”

Ethan tossed the crate of goodies onto the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “You do not speak for Danato.”

“I have known Danato for years. He—”

“You haven’t known me for years.” Ethan shook his head. “I know I went against you and I’ll accept your anger, but
disappointment?
I don’t think so, Annette. Whom do you think Danato hired to run his prison? I might be disciplined and dedicated, but I’m not an automaton.

“What you have failed to observe in my character, outside of Danato’s praise, is my fortitude and objectivity. If you are disappointed in my actions, it’s not because I failed to meet your expectations, it’s because they failed to meet me. I am not going to stand by and watch someone die when there is something I can do to help.”

“But—”

“I have listened to your concerns, but yours is not the only view to consider. Ultimately, this is Adrianna’s decision, no matter who weighs in.” Annette pulled a long knife off the shelf, and Ethan eyed her carefully. When she didn’t do anything with the knife, he perked an eyebrow. “If you are trying to intimidate me...” Ethan narrowed his eyes, hoping that Annette was above physical retaliation.

“I’m waiting for you to retrieve the crate. I need this knife for the ritual. I can’t very well stab her without it.”

79

Ethan probably looked green when he came back. He felt green. Levi looked up from his almost touching encounter with Adrianna. He was concerned for his depressed expression, but he smirked and looked back at his girl. He no doubt blamed his change in mood on Annette’s bitter reprisal.