Arcane Magic (Stella Mayweather Series) (5 page)

"Stella?"
Étoile's voice came down the line, snappy and clear.

"Yes, hi, it's me. I need to ask you something." I leaned back in my chair, spinning it around so I could look out onto the still tree line. It seemed so peaceful.

"Now isn't it a good time."

"It's really important..."

"I'll pass you to Kitty. I'm sorry, I'm in the middle of..." Étoile disappeared before she could say what; and a moment later, Kitty's voice came on the line.

"Hey, Stella,
Étoile just gave me the phone. Did you call for me?"

"No, I called for
Étoile. She sounds..." I searched for a word and came up blank.

"Freaked out?" supplied Kitty.

"That. What's going on?"

"Big to-do with the High Council. Some kind of crucial meeting is going ahead, and they're taking a break. Hang on..." When Kitty returned to the phone, the background was quieter. "I don't really know what's going on, but when
Étoile came out, they'd been in there three hours already. Apparently, there's been a lot of yelling. Like, death threat yelling."

"Why?"

"Beats me. I tried asking but... well, you heard Étoile. What's up with you anyway?"

I gulped. Whatever was going on with
Étoile, I didn't want to add to her stress, but I promised I would ask. "I just wondered if there was any mention of a missing werewolf?" I asked as casually as I could.

"A missing werewolf?" Kitty repeated, pausing to think. "I don't think I heard anything about it. Why?"

"I thought maybe someone might have mentioned..."

"Cut the bull, babe, why are you really asking?"

I sighed. It would have been easier to come clean and ask for Kitty's advice than to not. "I found a dead werewolf on my porch last night. He didn't have any identification or car keys and he had this..."

"You found what?" screeched Kitty.

"Don't yell it out!" I said just as hurriedly. "Please, Kitty. Yes, there was a dead guy and he's werewolf, and I need to know who he is, where he came from, and what he was doing at my house."

"What was he doing at your house? Why is he dead?" Kitty asked, true concern
etched in every word.

"It looks like he had a letter for me, but it was missing. It looks like he was killed too. Gage said asphyxiated, but he couldn't find any visible signs as to what caused it. Have you heard anything? Someone must have noticed him missing and maybe mentioned it?"

"No, nothing has been mentioned or reported. Did you ask Gage?"

"Yes, his pack followed his scent, but lost it. Gage is asking around."

Kitty paused. "This is bad."

"Tell me about it. Poor guy."

"No, for you! You only got acquitted of murder recently."

"Please don't remind me," I said, shuddering at the memory. That was one event I was very happy to forget. Not least because the wicked witch, Georgia Thomas, tried to have me excommunicated in her feeble attempt to pay me back, but also, as a means to discredit
Étoile while they both ran for the Council presidency. Georgia failed on every count. Unfortunately, she wasn't punished in any way, since no one could prove a thing. When she simply slipped away in the ensuing days, we assumed she was lying low. But having her pop into my consciousness again reminded me of the witches Étoile asked me to investigate.

"What if someone thinks you did it?" Kitty persisted.

"I didn't! I went to the grocery store, shopped, and when I came home, there he was. I'm probably on a bunch of security cameras, and I said hello to at least three people."

"Good enough for me, but all those things can be manipulated. Not that I ever suggested you did anything! Oh, God, Stella, this is awful. I have to tell
Étoile. She's here now. Wait..." I could hear Kitty explaining the situation before Étoile came back on the line.

"How do you get yourself into these situations?" was the first thing
Étoile said.

"I really don't know. He was just there. Dead."

"Who else knows?"

"Gage and his whole pack." I thought about the phone calls Gage made. "Maybe more," I added, wincing.

"You've been home two days and already a... a you know what," hissed Étoile, but she didn't sound angry at me. Instead, she seemed confounded. Given that she was almost certainly at The Amethyst's offices, and her reticence to say what I'd found, I could only assume someone else was listening. "Is your friend helping? What do you need?"

"Yes, he is. And all I need you to do is listen for any information on a missing werewolf," I told her, giving the description of the man. I heard
Étoile's footsteps while she walked out of earshot. After I heard a door banging shut, she announced she was in her office with Kitty.

"There's nothing else on this piece of paper?"
Étoile asked.

"No, nothing. Just my name torn in half, and I think it was an envelope. The letter, or whatever was in it, is gone. I have no idea what he could have wanted with me. I've thought and thought. I definitely don't know him. I'm positive I've never met him."

"My guess is it's not so much who you are, but
who
you are," said Étoile.

I frowned. "I don't follow."

"Sure, you're Stella Mayweather, witch, so maybe someone would be interested in your skills," said Étoile. "But you're also my close friend. You're also the close friend of a powerful werewolf, Gage Garoul, and the ex-girlfriend of a high level demon. Out of everyone in our supernatural community, you're the only one who's connected to all of us in a major and very personal way. Don't you think that is a curious coincidence?"

"Could this have something to do with the High Council?" I wondered out loud.

"My guess is yes. Perhaps it's also no coincidence this werewolf arrived yesterday when the meeting is today."

"What is the meeting about?" I had to ask.

"We're finalising the treaty for the High Council, a code of conduct for us all to abide by so we can co-exist. It's the most important meeting before we all swear it into practice."

I sat upright, intrigued, and pleased that
Étoile's big plan was so close to completion. "That's great!"

"If everyone were on board, yeah. Some of us are invested in it in a major way, but there are always others who want to derail it."

"So this werewolf..."

"This very dead werewolf,"
Étoile interjected.

"Might have been trying to get a message to one of you, through me?"

"Or all of us. Let's think of it this way: for a member of the supernatural community to get a message to one or all of us at the highest levels, and to make sure it's heard, you'd be a damn good mailbox. You've met most, if not all, the higher echelons of the wolf species, so for you not to recognise him must mean he's probably low level. Maybe, by murdering him, the message changed." Étoile went quiet, which was just as well, because in that moment, all I could think about was how unsafe I felt. So much for reassurance. In finding the body, a door had opened to something that I might not ever be able to shut. "I know I gave you a task to do, but I need you to come back to the city. If my theory is correct, I need for you to do something for me."

"Now?"

"No, I have to get back to the meeting; but as soon as possible. I need a favour before word gets out about this werewolf."

"What happens when word gets out?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. How soon can you be here?"

"Tomorrow."

"Until then. Stay safe, Stella. Be careful whom you trust." And with that, Étoile was gone, and Kitty was back on the line. She was simultaneously exclaiming about the awfulness of the situation and offering platitudes while asking for all the details again of the night before. I kicked up my heels and settled in for a long conversation.

Chapter Five

"It's all going to hell." Étoile stopped pacing to spin around. Running a hand through her short crop of black hair, she sighed in exasperation before turning to the window, and looking out at the late afternoon light falling across the city. I arrived at The Amethyst a couple of hours earlier, but not until now did Étoile seek me out, later inviting me to return to her apartment with her.

"How's that?" I asked, wondering if I'd missed a beat somewhere. I was distracted with my own thoughts about the dead werewolf and whether Gage's investigations had turned up anything. He stayed in my spare bedroom one more night, and over breakfast told me that there was no news. I checked in just before I left and the situation remained the same. Now that I forced myself to pay attention to
Étoile, I decided I'd never seen my friend looking so agitated. The strain was beginning to show in the new frown line that recently popped up on her otherwise flawless face.

"Our plans for a High Council," she sighed. "So much for a coordinated effort to govern our world. Half of us are on the same page, the other half..."
Étoile shook her head and took a deep breath. "Well, they just want to know who gets to be in control like it's an autocracy. And the demons..."

"The demons?" I prompted when she trailed off with an angry shake of her head.

Étoile shrugged and threw her hands upwards, revealing her exasperation. "Don't get me started on the demons!"

Crossing to the window, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with
Étoile, attempting to offer her the briefest comfort of solidarity in some small way. Okay, so it might not have been much of a gesture, but I was with her, at least, and on her team. That had to count for something. "What's going on with the demons?" I asked, partly from curiosity about their game plan, and partly because I wanted to know if Evan was into something bad. Besides, like Étoile, I still thought Georgia was caught up with them somehow.

"They are so unreadable, and their magic... they give me the creeps, you know?"

"Have you spoken to Evan?" I asked cautiously. "Can he help? I'm sure he wouldn't support anything less than a democracy." Now that I said it, I wasn't so sure. Could he have changed more than I ever imagined since we broke up?

"No, his hands are tied as much as mine. More so, even, because of his damned father."

"Is Hunter giving you trouble?"

"You could say that... Oh, Stella, it's hard to know. I suspect that he is probably stirring things, but Hunter has done nothing outright against me or the Council; and even if he did, what could I do? He's powerful and continuously surrounded by his guards. Nothing and no one can get to Hunter."

Privately, I doubted that; but what could I say out loud? Even in the privacy of Étoile's apartment, voicing certain things could result in inciting tensions that didn't need any help to blow up. Besides, what could I say? Of all the creatures in the supernatural world, Evan was probably the only one who was close to his father now that Hunter had absorbed him into the fold; but I couldn't be sure Evan was on our side anymore. Not since our breakup. I thought I'd been doing him a favour by not being his Achilles' heel, but instead, he chose to work for his father following Étoile's election; and did so in a very public manner too.

No, I couldn't guarantee his loyalty to my witch brethren, not when he was so obviously aligned with his own kind. Even amongst the demons, he was an anomaly. His father may have been Hunter, but Evan was born and raised by a human mother, making him a rare breed of half demon, called a daemon, and not exactly one species, but not quite the other either. It probably didn't help his position that I was not only his ex-girlfriend, but a witch too. It was quite a complicated web that Evan wove for himself, but he was his own leader and he followed his own path. Until now, anyway. I wondered if he knew what his path was anymore. The whole wondering thing was giving me a headache, and again, I thumbed the ring he gave me and tried not to think about why I still wore it.

"Will Hunter be a problem?" I asked finally when all my thinking began spinning in circles around and around in my head.

"He is a problem,"
Étoile confirmed. "But, like I said, until he does something publicly, there isn't much I can do. I've championed the High Council. I've gone to great lengths to ensure we're all working together so far. I can't pull out of it now just because of some in-fighting, or in case some of our members have designs on the High Council for their own means."

"Then what do you plan on doing?" I asked, knowing the answer was far more complicated than the question.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

"You can count on me." I nudged her with my elbow and gave her a smile, which she returned, albeit weakly.

"Thanks." Étoile seemed as if she were about to say more, but the door opened and Kitty bounded in, so whatever Étoile planned to say was lost. Kitty navigated her way through the furniture to throw her arms around me.

"Two visits in how many days?" Kitty asked as she tossed her curls behind her shoulders and held me by the shoulders. "Don't you like the quiet in the house?"

"It's too quiet," I confessed, remembering how, not so long ago, there was music, conversation, and the doors opening and shutting at all hours. I missed it. "When are you coming home?"

"I'll be there for the baby’s naming ceremony. I was hoping to stay with you." She arched an optimistic eyebrow.

"You don't even have to ask. You still have a key."

"Thank you." Kitty hooked her arm through mine and drew me toward the sofa. "I have so much to tell you. I barely told you anything yesterday when you were here. So this evening, a proper catch-up? New York is amazing. I love my job!"

"Will you two excuse me while you catch-up?" Étoile tossed the question casually towards us as her phone buzzed from the small home office situated off her living room. "I know you have lots to talk about." She barely waited for an answer before raising the phone to her ear and pushing the door shut behind us.

"I never see
Étoile," Kitty told me, softening her voice so only I could hear. "The Council have the monopoly on her time. Honestly, I thought living here with her would be more fun, but I kind of feel in the way."

"I'm sure you're not."

"I doubt Étoile would say anything, but she's so busy with meetings and paperwork while spending all her time at the Council offices. Or with Matthias."

"How's that really going?" I asked, glancing at the closed door.

"He came by last night and I think they had some kind of argument. At least, Étoile didn't seem very happy, and Matthias stormed out like he couldn't wait to leave here. When I tried to ask, she just went back into the office and stayed there until I went to bed." Kitty pulled a face just to show me exactly what she thought of that. Listening to the soft murmurs of Étoile's voice as she carried on her side of the conversation, I had to wonder if her worries had as much to do with Matthias as they did today with the Council. I was very curious about what was tearing the carefully orchestrated High Council, the governing body that was supposed to bring us together, apart. "What brings you here anyway? It’s a social visit this time, isn't it?"

"
Étoile asked me to do her a favour."

"I should have guessed. Do I even want to know?"

I gave her a puzzled face and a half-shrug. "I don't even know what it is."

"Then let's catch up while you wait." Kitty grabbed my hand, pulling me into the kitchen; and for a little while, all my troubles faded away. She told me about her job and the things she'd seen, the potential new guy in her life, that she missed Wilding, and how much she was looking forward to the naming ceremony, and finally, would Ryan, her ex, be there? All I had to do was nod every once in a while and let her do all the talking.

~

"Stella, about that favour."
Étoile's voice was all business again as she opened the office door and re-entered the living room. Kitty had left already, returning to work, and I was reading a book I found on the bookshelf while eating the toast I helped myself too.

"What do you need?" I responded promptly as I took a bite, a trickle of butter landing on my lower lip. I licked it, enjoying the flavour. The simple things in life really were the best.

"I'm so glad you agreed!" Étoile sounded lighter, amused even. My stomach dropped and the toast felt like lead when it hit. When would I learn? It never occurred to me that refusing Étoile was an option, but now I thought about it, shimmering back to the city was translated as tacit agreement simply by showing up. Agreeing to something was one thing, agreeing wholeheartedly to do a favour for the most important witch in the world without asking what it was first, was quite another. At least, I could count Étoile as a friend. Besides, how horrid could the favour be? "I need you to take a package to Evan's house."

"Oh." That horrid. No, that was a lie. Taking a package to Evan wasn't horrid; but just seeing him had the potential to be. Since our brief encounter, I was fairly certain I would be persona non grata at Casa Evan.

Étoile filled the silence with, "I wouldn't ask; but, well, you've seen each other now. Awkward moment over!" I huffed and gave her an eye roll as I headed out to the kitchen, dumping my plate in the sink before returning. "Plus, I don't have anyone disposable at the moment," Étoile admitted.

"Disposable? Just how disposable?"

"I'm not sending you to your death, dummy. I meant, I don't have anyone to spare. Actually, that's not strictly true. I don't have anyone I can trust." Now trust was a different thing altogether; and once again, I had the uncomfortable feeling that all wasn't right in Étoile's world. Despite the obvious problems with the High Council, I had my suspicions that our own Witches' Council wasn't running as smoothly as it could. Indeed, my friend seemed distracted during my previous visit, and over the last few months, she barely called unless it was for a business matter. The lead feeling in my stomach morphed into worry. What was so urgent and important that Étoile needed to call in an outsider? Not that I was an outsider, strictly speaking, but I definitely wasn't one of the inner circle of witches that ran the Council... however, I was someone Étoile trusted.

"What's going on?" I enquired, my voice full of cautious concern.

Étoile's voice was guarded even though she was being purposefully soft and vague. "Nothing."

"Can you speak?"

Étoile hesitated. "Here, yes." I paused, contemplating that, and wondering if Étoile was concerned about being overheard. Étoile pointed to her eyes, then turned her fingers on me. Being watched; got it. I nodded my understanding, and wondered if Étoile suspected we were being listened to as well. Spying on Étoile could be considered a crime, and I couldn’t imagine who or what would risk such an action. "Listen, Stella, I don't have much time. I asked you to come here where we can't be observed. I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to. I need to get this package to Evan and I can't risk sending it by magical means. I need someone to take it personally and make sure it gets into his hands. You know both of us, you're loyal, and you're not..."

"No problem," I decided. It wasn't like
Étoile ever asked much of me, and the Council did pay a large chunk of my salary. Plus, I must admit, I did want to see Evan, despite that it made me uncomfortable. I missed him terribly and even if we couldn't be together now, well, in the future... who knew? The feeling that I had when I saw him after so long surged through me like a wave of raw emotion, cresting, and crashing somewhere around my heart. Perhaps the trip would give us an opportunity to talk? "When do you need me?"

"Right away. I want you to get this package to Evan today. He's at his home."

"I'll need to shimmer all the way across country," I pointed out. "I'm wiped out from all the long distance trips I've been making."

"I figured as much, so I got you an extra power boost..."

"What's that?"

"The question is 'who?' and seeing as you sort of asked. My sister."

I beamed. "David can spare Seren from the shop?"

Étoile
paused. "Other sister. Astra."

"Oh!" Surprise tinged my voice and the smile on my lips faded. Astra and I first met under dire circumstances, but lately, she'd gone a long way to make up for her past mistakes. Part of me was still wary of her, although another part admired the effort she made in rehabilitating herself from the cruel manipulation she endured at the hands of my first real foe. "Okay..."

"It'll be fine," Étoile cut in. "Astra will aid you with the power you need to travel that far. With her help, you should both get there and back again just fine. It's important no one knows either of you are gone. You've been seen here, so that will get around."

"That's why you had me meet you at The Amethyst? You wanted me to be seen, otherwise, I could have come straight to your apartment," I realised. "You wanted people to think I was thousands of miles away from Evan."

Étoile nodded. "Stella, things aren't altogether safe here right now. I trust you; and I need you to do this for me. I really wouldn't ask if it wasn't totally necessary."