KnightForce Damian (La Patron's KnightForce Book 4) (14 page)

"Lamia, she's in my head.
"

Chapter 21

Silas strode down the corridor at a fast pace, creating a staccato sound from the clicks of his boots on the concrete. His thoughts raced ahead as he fought his beast for control. When he reached the conference room the door opened and Hawke met his gaze. Silas stopped, inhaled deeply, and then exhaled.

"Are you okay?
" Angus asked.

"Yes, just need a few minutes, I'll be inside soon."

"Okay.
" Angus said.

"Silas? What happened
?" Jasmine asked.

"
Can you leave the pups and come to the conference room? I'm about to brief everyone."

"Give me a few minutes.
"

Thankful for the extra time to squash the rage bubbling inside, he turned, walked a few feet from the door and placed his hand on the wall. Taking deep breaths, he prayed to the Goddess for wisdom. He needed to tread lightly in this, but he didn't want to. Hawke closed the door and remained in the hall with him. Silas wasn't ready to share and appreciated Hawke's silence.

The click of heels coming closer drew his gaze. Dressed in a long beige sweater, matching beige skirt and heels, with an open collar white blouse, his mate's beauty and grace took his breath away. The concerned look she wore as she searched his face warmed him. He reached for her and she took his hand.

"
The pups okay?"

"Yes, just finished homework and are having a snack. Are you okay?"

"I will be, just pissed. Come on, Barticus and Amynta are inside waiting with everyone else."

"Are you ready? Your beast is still agitated
." She placed her hand on his chest and moved it in a circular motion. Nothing topped this closeness she had with his wolf. A chuffing sound escaped his lips and he pulled her close in a loose embrace.

"
What he'd like, he can't have right now. Later though."

"Whatever you need, Wolfie, you know that.
" Those few words spoken with promise and confidence calmed his beast.

He kissed the back of her hand and thanked the Goddess again for the gift of his mate. They walked inside and greeted everyone. Silas' gaze landed on the two chairs Angus left for them and started in that direction. Jasmine pulled away with outstretched arms.

"Hi Mom." Tyrese, one of the twins, called to Jasmine as he came around and hugged her.

"Hi sweetie, how's Danielle?"

"Good, out on an assignment in Richmond. She'll be back tomorrow."

Angus smiled at Silas' disgruntled look, crossed his legs and continued working on a crossword puzzle.

"Mom." Tyrone, the other twin, said as he placed a kiss on Jasmine's cheek.

She patted his face. "Hi Rone, how are my grandsons? I stopped by to see them the day after you guys got back from the beach, but they were sleep and I haven't had time since then."

Silas glanced at Jacques, his administrator and mate to Jasmine's mother, Victoria. Jacques held up his coffee cup in greeting.

"Growing but doing okay. Rose plans to take them to the playroom to hang with the kids in a little bit." Tyrone and Tyrese both returned to their seats as Silas guided Jasmine to the chair next to his, but she slipped away again.

"Amynta, Barticus, it's good to see you. Asia told me how much fun you had on your trip to Orlando."

Amynta, Asia's mom, smiled and it was apparent where Asia got her exotic looks, the two could be sisters. "It was fun and relaxing at the same time. Sarita kept us on our toes, but we wouldn't have wanted it any other way." She smiled, looking at Hawke and Asia, Sarita's parents.

Jasmine accepted a one-armed hug from Barticus and returned to Silas' side and sat. Silas remained standing. For the next few minutes he brought everyone current on the situation with Damian, starting with the itching, the rational for the trip to Scotland, and the current dilemma.

"The Scotland witches are behind the itching?" Angus asked when he finished.

"No, that was Ivona, at least she claims it's all her." Silas looked at Hawke. "That's been taken care of, right?"

Hawke nodded. "Yes, we developed a serum that killed the itch and have alerted all Alphas of the potential problem. From now on the serum will be a part of their pharmacies."

"Everyone's been released from the clinics?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes, there have been no new cases," Hawke said.

"At least there's some good news," Jasmine said with feeling. "Something positive came out of the trip after all."

"Yes, Ma'am. If Dr. Okla hadn't gotten the ingredients during the trip, it's possible we might still be searching for a cure," Hawke said.

"So let me get this straight," Tyrese said. "Damian went to free the witch's mother, but that was a lie? She really wanted Raoul to help her find someone else?"

"We don't have all the pieces to the puzzle yet," Silas said. "After Raoul disappeared, Ivona told Damian she was searching for her ten-year-old sister. Seems the mother took the child to Scotland and Ivona's concerned."

"Why? Is Tara a bad parent or something?" Amynta asked.

"We don't know much about her other than she came into a large sum of money recently and the child is supposedly away at school. Although the servants don't believe that. They think something happened to the child," Silas said, glancing at Jasmine.

"Damian put Ivona out the car?" Tyrone asked with a wry grin.

"Yes," Silas said, glancing at Barticus. "But it was because she knew Raoul was her mate and sought to use that connection as a tool even though she had no intention of mating with him. Dr. Okla found a book in Ivona's bag that had notes on full-bloods, breeds, and breeders." He paused. "She also had a cross from the Liege's lab."

Asia and Hawke straightened while meeting his gaze.

"Damian identified it, he remembers seeing it when he was younger."

"The Liege?" Asia ground out. "Why won't they just die?"

Silas appreciated the aggravated expression on her face.

"They are obsolete, my dear," Barticus said, covering Asia's hand. "I've got most of the remaining ones locked away. I'm after one more. Roderick's time is running out and he knows it. But I'm enjoying the chase. This cross is something Damian recalls from his youth, which could've been ten or more years ago. What is Ivona doing with it?"

Silas shrugged, they had no real answers. "Damian and the doctor think it's possible Gordon had a relationship with Tara, Ivona's mother, since the cross once belonged to Gordon. Damian remembers the man had a mistress, but since Gordon never brought the woman around and never said anything particular about her, he never thought about it."

"Until now," Jacques said.

Silas nodded. "All of these are possibilities, nothing's been confirmed."

"Is it possible the witches took Raoul because of his mate?" Barticus asked.

"From what I was told, Raoul heard Ivona bragging of how she planned to use him for what she needed since he was tied to her, but not the other way around. He walked into the woods to calm down," Silas said. 

"Or to shift," Asia said. "I'd need to run a bit if I heard that."

No one spoke for a few moments.

"So the witches were watching, they probably followed the Lamia in the woods, saw the doctor take her inside, and waited. They didn't attack which means they won't fight physically," Jasmine said. "Chances are some followed the Lamia and others followed Damian and set up the ambush. They thought it through, made plans on the run. I get that. What I don't understand is why? Why would Ivona risk her life the way she has? Why would Tara disappear? What is so important a coven of witches would risk a war by taking the son of the Alpha? I think the answers connect and we need to understand to make the right decisions. Because if we don't, who will the coven take next? What will they do? How far will each of these women go to get what they need and what will it cost us?"

Silas looked at his mate with pride. She nailed the crux of the situation to the table. Whereas his beast had no problem starting a war if necessary to protect pack, it was always better to think the matter through from the right perspective.

"Let's take each concern one at a time," Amynta said, and looked at Hawke. "Is there a way to check into Ivona's medical records? See if she was pregnant or had a child. Also her date of birth and sire. You may need to check her mother's travel records." She looked at Jasmine. "I can think of one reason I'd walk through Hades, face anyone's wrath with no thought of my own life." She looked at Asia. "To find my child. Ivona's actions remind me of myself. We won't know until it's confirmed, but my gut says the sister is really her daughter. If that's the case, it changes the complexion of this entire situation. Because she won't ever give up and Raoul will need to help his mate find her child."

"I agree," Silas said and covered Jasmine's hand. "My mate is on the right track with motivations." He looked at Hawke, whose fingers flew across the keyboard. "If Ivona is the child's mother, and the child was sent away, it would answer the next question, Tara's disappearance. She left by boat when Ivona was on the way."

"Sounds like she was afraid to face her daughter, or the full-bloods," Tyrone said. "Which doesn't make sense. KnightForce has no jurisdiction over there. Once she told Damian she wasn't a prisoner, they would've left."

"Unless she thought they were coming to take the child, and the child wasn't there, so she ran," Tyrese said.

"The witch who left, the older hag," Amynta said, waving her hand. "She would've told the mother Ivona was on the way and why Damian was there. No, Tara knew Ivona lied to La Patron, which meant she understood her daughter's serious commitment to reclaim the child. If the child is in school, why not tell Ivona? As a parent or sister, I would not be upset over that. Instead of searching for Tara, Ivona would've flown to the school to see the child."

Asia nodded. "True." Her gaze met Jasmine's. "You said Tara came into a large sum of money lately?"

No one spoke as the ramifications of the question set in.

"That would make the witch run," Angus said into the silence.

"According to legend, the Lamia always takes the body of a young virgin female through a special ceremony. History places her allegiance with witches, something to do with them offering her spirit ease at the height of her pain when her children were taken." Barticus shrugged. "Whether you believe in it or not, the coven does. It's possible they are responsible for the transference and the child is the host for the Lamia. That would explain why the coven wants the child."

"But to take a full-blood and seek an exchange? Alpha Barticus' reputation precedes him, they know better." Jacques said. "There's more to this. A special ceremony? A spell? More power? Something else is at work here."

"Agreed," Silas said. "Maybe they didn't finish the ceremony and need to cement the deal. Or they made promises they need to keep. That was a large sum Tara received, the coven must be doing something to earn that type of money."

"Didn't the Lamia choose Dr. Okla or something like that?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes, she wanted to rest in the doctor, but our beasts don't take to sharing. When I arrived to assist in ridding her of the Lamia, her beast had already done a good job. It's possible the coven hadn't completed the ritual. I got the impression from the Lamia she wanted to remain with the doctor because she was a good, wholesome host."

"What about the young virgin thing?" Angus asked.

Silas shrugged. "I guess exceptions can be made."

Hawke cleared his throat and looked at Amynta. "You were right. Her name is Radiance Ivona Arat, born in 1957. Her mother, Cilantro Arat, is missing, there's no information on her."

"What? I thought she was younger?" Jasmine said.

"According to Cain and Abel and the picture they sent of her, she looks a lot younger than 58," Silas said.

"Her father's name isn't listed on her birth certificate, just as she did not list the fathers’ names on her three children," Hawke continued.

"Well, this story's getting more and more complicated by the second," Angus said.

"She gave birth to twin sons and the last one, a daughter, ten years ago. The child's name is Daphne." Hawke looked at Silas. "The boys died in a fight on pack lands in Naranja, Florida, 12 years ago."

"Were they breeds?" Silas asked.

"There were no records of breeds back then," Tyrone said in a low voice.

"She's a breeder?" Jasmine asked.

"We don't know," Silas said. He looked at Hawke. "Are there records with the name of her sons’ or daughter's sire?"

"No, the line is blank on the birth certificate."

"What about Ivona? Is it possible she was involved with Gordon?" Angus asked.

"Good question, at that age she would've been perfect. Maybe Gordon's the father of the girl," Jasmine said, looking at Asia. "Or Tara was his mistress and she shared the information with Ivona in the red book." She threw up her hands. "There are so many possibilities, how do we get concrete information?"