Married (3 page)

It was confusing and terrifying to him that Georgie could be so wrapped up in Silviu, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt. She hadn’t chosen him over the Davenold Family yet.

Yet.

“Silviu gave the Family magic to his brother,” Georgie smoothly switched topics, “who will appoint Silviu to the Family Council seat.”

Madeleine sat back in her chair. “Very neatly done, that was.” Finally her eyes swung to Adam, and he froze under their weight. “And what were you doing while your cousin was fighting for her life?”

“Not what, who.” He grinned to hide his resentment. “Constance Gage-Levy.”

Constance had been a job, a pawn to further his Family’s goals, and he couldn’t afford to let her be more. Truly, he didn’t want her to be more. She was a woman who’d tried every trick she had to keep him close, but Adam wouldn’t—couldn’t—let his guard down. Every female he’d ever known was angling for power or information, waiting for him to fall into weakness, using him as much as he was using them. Constance was no different.

“Don’t be crude!” Madeleine’s lined face tightened. She was a handsome woman, for all her eighty-seven years, but never more so than when she was irritated or angry, when her pale skin flushed pink while her magic filled out all the hollows in her aged cheeks.

She was beautiful just then. Knowing his limits well, Adam quickly pulled himself into perfect posture and tried to look repentant. “That is to say, Grandmother, I was employed on a reconnaissance mission, apparently in the highest ranks of the Levy Family.”

Temper flashed in the old woman’s eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Constance is traveling with Father Daniel Levy until her betrothal agreement to Graves Ngozi is complete.”

“Hmm,” Madeleine murmured. “What did you learn?”

“You want to know about
her
?” At his grandmother’s nod, Adam sighed and humored her. “There isn’t much to tell. Constance is smart but not magically powerful.”

“That’s a Levy trait. Few of them are strong in that regard.”

Georgie shifted forward. “But the women tend to be stronger in their magic than the men, in spite of them being patriarchal. And Constance’s mother married her Magic Match, which should have given Constance’s ability a little boost.”

Adam blinked and fought to incorporate the new information into what he knew of the Gage-Levys. Every witch had a Match somewhere in the world, another whose magic was complementary enough to strengthen their talents. But, while the witching community wasn’t terribly large, it
was
spread far and wide and strictly divided by the Patriarchal-Matriarchal Schism, so Matches were difficult to find.

If found, Matches were encouraged to marry—unless, like Adam and Christiana, that option wasn’t available. Unlike the magically powerful Davenolds, who went out of their way to gain Matches for their children, the weaker Levys were more concerned with breeding stronger magic into their bloodlines. Few in the massive coven had found their Match.

“Anne’s marriage to Warner was a punishment.” Madeleine’s lips pursed as they always did when she was sorting her thoughts. “She didn’t want to marry him, but she did something that angered the old Father and he sent her away. It was all hushed up quickly and I never learned the truth behind it.”

Georgie glowed with satisfaction. “Anne slept with Daniel’s dad while she was angling to marry Daniel and claim the position of High Female for herself.” Madeleine humphed, and Georgie rushed on, “Constance was born with the help of a spell. She’s Daniel’s sister.”

Adam was floored. That wasn’t the relationship he’d thought the two witches shared.

Madeleine’s eyes gleamed. “
After
Daniel’s birth?”

“
Yes
.” Georgie was triumphant.

“That’s impossible…” Adam’s words faded as he ran through his own encyclopedic knowledge of spells. It was his strength, and he took a great deal of pride and pleasure in his talents. “Holy shi— Ah, I mean,
huh
.”

Madeleine, a Match with her own late husband, shifted in her chair. “Witches can only have one child, to minimize the damage their talents can do to the world. It is a natural law set in stone. Only Matches have enough enchantment between them to bend that law.”

After a quick glance at his equally baffled twin, Adam spoke slowly. “The only spell I know that would bend the laws of nature to that extent is very, very dark, Grandmother. There would be ramifications.”

“Like what?” Madeleine did not have a talent for spell casting. “What consequences would they have found?”

“Hard to say. Usually there would be a…defect, somewhere.” Adam tried to explain the nearly incomprehensible. “Something not quite right, but not necessarily a physical thing.”

“On who?” Georgie turned to face him fully. “Who would be defective?”

Christiana answered, as talented with spells as Adam, “Any of the three—mother, father or child. The child would be most likely, though.”

Madeleine stared at Adam. “Did you see any such thing in regards to Constance?”

“No,” he admitted.

“Her mother?”

“I hardly spent any time with the woman.”

Madeleine tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Daniel Levy extended a rather demanding invitation to the Levy-Ngozi marriage celebration. That’s why you’re here.”

“Why have the Davenolds suddenly become so popular among the Levys?” Christiana asked. “This is the second invitation we’ve gotten from them in two weeks.”

Georgie waved her hand. “They didn’t extend the first, Vasile Lovasz lied about that. The Levys didn’t even know we were coming.”

As a matriarchal Family, the Davenolds should have been excluded from patriarchal celebrations, yet they’d just come from the Levy House in Poland and were now expected to make a showing at the Ngozis’. Adam had a theory, and voiced it aloud. “It’s Georgie’s betrothal to Silviu. It spans the Schism, so now the Davenolds will have to be active on both sides.”

Madeleine shook her head. “Daniel insists I perform the Sovereign Bestowal at Constance’s marriage.”

Adam frowned. “What is that?”

Madeleine’s expression told him how disappointed she was in his ignorance. “It’s a ritual that cuts ties with the former Family, and brings the witch’s power into their new bloodline.”

“She did it for my second marriage.” Christiana’s voice wavered the smallest amount. “The Sovereign Bestowal adds in a blessing. Otherwise, the branch or Family leaders will just perform a basic bestowal of power.”

Adam hadn’t paid any particular attention at the time of his sister’s wedding. He’d been too afraid for her, and too busy hoping her second marriage wouldn’t be as terrible as her first.

“Only Grandmother, the High Seat Sovereign with access to all the magic of the combined covens, can infuse the blessing.” Georgie, intimately acquainted with Council rules, picked up where Chris left off. “As his Family’s Father, Daniel has the right to ask her to perform the ritual.”

“Lower ranking witches can be denied, but a Mother or Father must be appeased.” Madeleine lifted an eyebrow. “Georgeanne’s invitation made sense, considering her betrothal, her council position and her popularity. But, until our enlightening conversation of your little fling with Constance, Adam, I had no idea why
your
presence was requested. Just shy of forcefully, I might add.”

Christiana snorted. “Constance latched on to him for his Family position. Certainly she wouldn’t let a little thing like marriage to another man stop her rise to the top.”

“You do wield a great deal of influence in this Family, Adam.” Madeleine let her dark eyes roam over him slowly, sending his skin crawling over his bones. He loved the old lady dearly, but she was still damned scary, and he hated to be the focus of her attention. He didn’t know what she was thinking or what she could see in his expression.

“Do you need me continue my relationship with her?” His stomach flopped. He despised being used as the Davenold whore, though he’d never admit it to his grandmother. His body was frequently traded for information, and while each interlude was physically pleasant, it was emotional quicksand.

“I don’t know yet, but if I do, you will be careful,” Madeleine murmured. “Graves Ngozi is somewhat…temperamental, and the gossipmongers say he is quite attached to his betrothed. I will be very displeased if you get yourself killed on Constance’s behalf.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Because of your condition, Christiana,” Madeleine continued, “you will stay here at the Davenold House while the rest of us travel to the Ngozi residence.”

“No,” Chris stated flatly. “With respect, Grandmother, I can’t stay here with Suzette. I can hardly bear to look at her, and if my twin is being targeted by Constance I want to be at his side. He’ll need me.”

“I cannot allow my unborn great-grandchild to be caught in a situation we can’t control.”

“I’m only three months along,” Chris argued. “I can protect my baby. Let me be there for my Family.”

Silence filled the room until Adam fidgeted. Madeleine glared between her grandchildren, examining their faces before turning toward the window and watching the clouds float by. Plotting and scheming, no doubt. Adam tried not to look too unhappy but his mask must have slipped.

Chris leaned close and lowered her voice until it was nearly inaudible. “Say the word and I’ll take the Levy bitch out.”

Mimicking her low tone, he said, “Don’t worry about me, honey. I’m well equipped to handle someone like her.”

“Sure, but what about Graves?”

Adam’s lips twitched in cold amusement. “Gonna take Graves out, too?”

“Someone should.” Georgie joined their conversation. “I don’t like that man. He’s too arrogant, tyrannical…
patriarchal
.”

“You don’t seem to mind those qualities in your betrothed,” Chris pointed out.

Georgie glared. “Graves is dictatorial without any sense of…of
Family
, you know?”

Adam understood completely. It was one thing to rule with an iron fist, but velvet gloves were necessary. A witch who led a Family branch without caring for the Family was a dangerous thing—holding all the magic of the bloodline without any grounding sensibilities of love.

Adam never wanted to live in such a situation—something he was unfortunately forced to imagine while in the home of the third Davenold heir. Georgie and Chris were devoted to their Family, but Suzette was not.

Christiana lowered her voice further. “Graves is an asshole, but Adam and I can handle him.”

“Keep your focus on Constance,” Georgie said. “She stays more behind the scenes, never confronting directly and never quite getting what she wants. That’s dangerous.”

“A frustrated woman is always dangerous,” Chris practically growled.

Adam’s experience with the Gage-Levy woman while in Poland had left bitterness behind. “She’s cold and selfish and the longer you’re in her company, the more you realize it.”

Georgie shook her head. “I don’t like the situation any better than either of you, but we don’t have much choice. Adam, I know Constance wasn’t to your taste—”

“Good God, I never tasted her. Until just a few minutes ago, I had thought she was having an affair with Daniel. I’m not putting my tongue where his dick has been.”

“Geez.” Georgie rolled her eyes before sighing. “I guess I should never have sent you in her direction.”

“I’m pretty sure she would have found me, anyway. I think her mother encouraged her.” He paused to remember. “At least, she was quick to wave Constance off with me that first night.”

“Graves is sleeping with her father. Well, the man everyone thinks is her father, Warner.”

Adam’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? And she’s going to marry him?”

“Sad, right? Apparently, the former Levy Father ordered the match and Daniel isn’t trying to change things because he needs the alliance with the Ngozis. Eliasz said Constance wants to increase her influence in the world. As head of the secondary branch, Graves is a huge step up from her current Family position.”

“Like I said, she’s selfish. It doesn’t surprise me at all that she’d go through with the marriage.” He shuddered.

Georgie flicked a glance at her grandmother’s profile. “You don’t have to sleep with anyone you don’t want to, Adam. There’re other ways to learn what we need to know.”

“Seduction is the quickest way to discover secrets.” Adam forced a shrug as if unconcerned. “I’ll bow out when I’m married. Until then, I like games of intrigue and I like sex, so I’m working my dream job for you, honey.”

“If it’s too much, let me know. Apparently, cock-blocking is something I excel at.”

Adam found his first real laugh of the past week, though he kept it low to avoid gaining Madeleine’s attention. “You really didn’t sleep with Silviu?”

She grinned, an event too rare in his opinion. Her voice was so low he had to read her lips. “No, but we got creative.”

“Ooh,” Christiana breathed, “that sounds interesting. Did you learn new things?”

“Yeah,” the smile slipped off Georgie’s face, “but it also got me sent home. Silviu said he couldn’t keep me close and not take me completely.”

Adam nodded toward Madeleine. “She won’t relent. She doesn’t want you sleeping with him until you’re married. And she won’t set a wedding date until she absolutely has to.”

“Silviu thinks it’s because she’s afraid I’ll compromise my loyalty to the Family.” Georgie’s lips tautened—not quite resentful, but definitely disagreeing. “But it’s his loyalty to
his
Family that’s in question. And his grandfather bears most of the blame for that.”

“Adam!” Madeleine’s voice broke over them like a whip. “Exactly how close are Daniel and Constance? Did you notice any animosity between them? Resentment?”

And, just like that, they were all plunged back into the everyday intrigue of witching manipulations. The more Adam was grilled on Constance’s demeanor, talents and relations, the more acid roiled in his stomach and his nerves tangled into heated knots. Extreme resistance to even seeing her again filled his head with fantasies of throwing himself off the nearest cliff and discovering whether witches really could fly.