Embrace Me At Dawn (26 page)

“
I don’t like it,” Lucan snapped, looking like he wanted to cross the room and take her into his arms.

She sent him a sad smile. “I didn’t ask you to do anything but see the logic in it.”

Everyone else stayed mute. Except Shock.

“
Fuck no!”

“
I wasn’t asking your permission, either. It makes sense. She won’t see me as a threat. I’ll make up some crazy story about Bram double-crossing me and this being my opportunity to get revenge. Maybe I can find out what she knows. Maybe not, but if I can persuade her to release the hostages, then we’ve achieved some small victory.”

The dead silence in the room that followed actually gave her hope.

Bram cleared his throat. “You have some valid points. I won’t disagree with them.”

Lucan whipped his head around to glare at his best friend as if he’d lost his mind. “Are you mad? You wouldn’t send Emma to talk to Morganna. Why Anka?”

“
Emma is his mate,” she corrected softly. “I don’t belong to anyone but myself.”

Her words were like a bomb in the room. Shock growled. Lucan shot her a furious stare, clearly ready to argue. But no one else objected.

“
I don’t like it, Anka,” Ice finally admitted. “Though the idea has merit.”

“
I wanted to fight. I admit that I’m not yet ready for battle, but mingling with witches who thought themselves above me for over a hundred years taught me to wield my tongue like a sword. I can do this.”

“
As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t see a better plan,” Duke grumbled. “But she’s damn dangerous, Anka.”

Duke didn’t need to state the obvious. “I’ll play up the girl power angle or figure out what she wants to hear and tell her that. But the worst thing we could do is send a group of male warriors in to do battle with her. She’ll come out fighting. There won’t
be
any talking. The incident at Stonehenge proves that she has no regard for human life, and the longer we debate, the more likely she’s killing off humans even now. Or that the BBC will reach her before we do. What’s it going to be, an infiltrator or a war before we’re ready?”

“
Bugger,” Caden groused. “I’m afraid she’s right.”

Lucan turned to his younger brother with an expression of disbelief. “Have you lost your bloody mind?”

“
We’ve been around and around this,” Anka insisted. “Unless you have a better idea, let me go.”

Shock grabbed her wrist. “Fuck, no. I told you that.”

“
You’re not my mate.” She spit out the cutting words, instantly regretting the hurt that skittered across his sharp, craggy face. Anka softened her expression and pressed against him for a hug. “Thank you for caring now, as you always have. But time is running out. If I’m to keep magickind out of the news, I must go now.” She squirmed out of Shock’s embrace, looking past the betrayal on Lucan’s face, and flashed Caden an inquiring glance. “Have your mate call that rag she used to work for. Fish around for what they know. Tell her to float some other story about Morganna, if necessary. Magickind doesn’t need more attention. I’ll…” Be back? She couldn’t promise that. If Morganna turned that legendary petulance on her, she might die with all the humans. Best not to even mention that. “I’ll do my best.”

Then, with a last glance at Lucan, his desperate, alarmed stare willing her to stay, she smiled regretfully and let herself out.

~ ~ ~ ~

The wind whipped across the hilly plains along the length of Hadrian’s Wall. After she’d left Bram’s, Anka realized that she should have asked more questions about Morganna’s location, at least for show. The reality was, someone had died here recently, and her banshee senses could pick up on death. Despite the wall being over a hundred kilometers long, it took her less than two minutes to find the right location, near Carlisle. Morganna leaned against the shiny white Land Rover, picking at her nails. Her froth of platinum hair, almost like a cloud, cascaded down her back. Five people in the vehicle pressed their terrified faces against the glass, eyes pleading. The sixth was already dead. Morganna looked absolutely bored.

As Anka approached, her heart hammered viciously. On the outside, Morganna le Fay might look wee and delicate. On the inside, she was one terrible bitch who took great pleasure in forcing others to her will. By all accounts, she was also much like a two-year-old, determined to have her way.

Morganna’s head popped up at her approach, and her violet eyes narrowed. They looked so much like Olivia’s that Anka nearly faltered as Morganna took in her signature. “Who are you, witch?”

“
I’m Anka. I’ve come to help.”

She raised her brow to a disdainful arch. “Why would I need help? I assure you, I can kill this lumbering transport full of silly humans with nary a problem. One flick of my hand and—”

“
I’ve no doubt,” Anka broke in, speaking the truth. “But I understand that you’re interested in finding people of a certain bloodline who can help you with a quest. I know where to find one of them.”

Not for anything would she give over Sabelle’s location. Yes, she might envy the beautiful witch, her perfect mating and her past intimacies with Lucan. Sabelle might be from a better bloodline and her magic might be more unique than her own—but Anka wasn’t about to let her envy change the fact that Bram’s sister was still her dearest friend.

“
Do you?” Morganna didn’t bother to walk away from the Land Rover, but merely teleported across the distance until she leaned into Anka’s face, nearly nose to nose. “How would you know whose bloodline is of interest to me?”

“
I live with Mathias’s second-in-command, Shock. I hear things.”

“
The big, dodgy one with those dark contraptions covering his eyes?”

Anka nodded. “The very one.”

“
Whatever they’ve sent you to say is of no interest to me. I don’t trust either of them,” she drawled.

“
Of course you don’t,” Anka assured the pale witch. “They’re men. Why should you?”

Morganna’s gaze sharpened. “Who is it you think I wish to find? And why, pray tell, should I trust you?”

“
Well, it made sense that you would want to have a bit of a…chat with Bram Rion. But if not, I’ll take myself away. It was an honor meeting such a legend.” Anka backed away, praying the other witch would take her bait. If not, she’d have to find some way to free those hostages.

Not two steps later, Morganna grabbed her wrist. The witch’s power, sizzling like an electrical current under her skin, nearly knocked Anka on her arse. She struggled to stay upright and not shudder from all the might coursing under the other female’s skin.

“
I want Bram Rion,” Morganna hissed. “He alone can tell me where I can find something...” The witch weighed her words carefully. “Of value.”

“
After he tells you, will you let him go then?” Anka tested the waters.

“
Of course.” Morganna smiled.

Anka didn’t believe her for a moment. “Pity. I rather think someone needs to finish the prat off and put the rest of us out of our misery.”

A slow, devious smile crossed Morganna’s face. “’Tis something I can arrange with minimal effort, little witch. Can you bring him to me?”

If she promised to deliver Bram to Morganna on a silver platter, the bitch would surely suspect a trap. No one got anything for free, and Morganna knew she had made many enemies over the centuries. This parody of politeness was a façade, and if Anka failed to play the game correctly, Morganna would rip her throat out magically and pull the heart from her chest while it still beat. And it would mean nothing to her. It would certainly cost her very little effort. No, Anka knew she had to be coy.

“
Maybe. Eventually. But the way I hear it, you don’t want to just kill him immediately. Eventually, yes. But you need information first.”

Morganna looked just a bit impressed, despite herself. “You are quite well informed. Been eavesdropping? Or does that big brute tell you things when he’s between your thighs? Men are, after all, so often led by their cocks.”

Anka forced a conspiratorial smile. “They are, but in this case, I’ve been digging for information myself. You see, I’m with him somewhat against my will.”

The half-truth fell out, and she had to stop herself from wincing. Anka wasn’t exactly sure where this conversation was going, but now that the die had been cast, she had to play her part to the end.

Sidling closer, Morganna examined her carefully. “Really? You can’t leave him?”

“
I could,” she corrected. Something in Morganna’s tone told her the other witch would lose all respect for her if she sounded helpless before a mere man. “Let’s say he has something I need, and I’ve purposely ingrained myself in his life until I get it. Then I’ll have no problem whatsoever cutting him loose.”

That made her smile. “Excellent. So, ’tis been your idea to find information to help me because…?”

“
Because I’d hoped that in exchange you could help me as well.”

Morganna would be suspicious of anyone simply offering to help, but the reluctant respect dawning in her slow smile said that she understood a good barter. “Indeed? What have you to offer?”

“
I will find all the information pertaining to that item you seek and—”

“
Item?” she asked sharply, dragging a long white claw across Anka’s cheek. “What do you know about it?”

Time to lay her cards on the table. “I know it’s a potion that will kill you. I know that Merlin made it and hid it. I know a few things about extracting it that you probably don’t.”

Bram was probably going to kill her for this, but since he wasn’t here to consult, she had to play this her own way and repair any damage later.

“
Such as?”

“
Not so fast. I need something in return for helping you.”

“
Step carefully. I can kill you instantly.”

“
You can,” Anka agreed readily. “But then my information dies with me.”

Petulance crossed Morganna’s smooth face. Anka had no trouble understanding why Marrok once found her desirable enough to bed. Despite the centuries of life and exile, she was beyond beautiful. Her violet eyes looked so much like Olivia’s but lacked all the warmth and compassion her friend’s possessed. Instead, they gleamed with cunning and conceit.

“
Perhaps ’tis a deal we can strike. You will tell me where to find the potion and how to extract it, and I will grant whatever little request you have.”

“
Shouldn’t you hear my request first before you decide you can, in fact, grant it?”

“
Are you questioning my ability, girl?”

Dangerous line of conversation. Anka quickly shook her head. “My question was rather meant to ask whether you’d wish to help. I know well that you’ll be able to conjure any magic you wish.”

That bit of ego stroking seemed to mollify the ancient witch. “Exactly. If you give me all I’ve asked for, granting your wish should be of no consequence. Tell me what you know about the potion. I’ll decide if the bargain is worthwhile.”

Anka nodded and pretended to pace, her head whirling. What to say? She had to give over something… Saying anything false could backfire. The point of this conversation was to begin to build trust. She couldn’t do that with a lie. Eventually, she’d have to use Morganna’s trust against her, but she couldn’t do that until she’d built it.

“
I know the potion is held by one of Merlin’s spells.”

“
Of course it is.” Morganna sighed. “Tell me not the obvious, silly witch. ’Tis something useful I expect to receive in exchange for helping you.”

Gnawing on her lip, Anka came to a decision. Bram would probably be furious, but if he wanted to play this role, she’d be happy to put him in a bloody dress and let him mentally fence with someone who’d had centuries upon centuries to perfect her skills. “There are three requirements to dislodge the potion.”