Only Human (50 page)

Myrddin finally spoke again. “You’ve left much out of your story. You speak truth that you learned these skills by accident, but you leave out that you then practiced them until you were proficient. Someone helped you with your laser skills, of this I am sure, and you have not shared this information but I will not push for an answer. Can you show me your quarterstaff?”

I looked at Nathan and he nodded, so I stood and moved behind my chair, held my hands out, pictured the weight and feel and look of it, then solidified it. When it was done, I looked up at Myrddin.

“You’re holding it directly in your hands? I was under the impression it worked like Surtr’s sword, so it cut through anything it touched?”

“From what Mordecai has said, I’m making it from the materials of my own aura, so I can touch it but no one else can.”

He looked thoughtful. “Well then, that’s a bit different than what the gods of old did.” He paused a few seconds and added, “Yet you broke the circle of the Celrau, so your weapons act like theirs. Can you turn your quarterstaff into a sword?”

“Not directly, I can absorb it back into myself and then create a sword, but I can’t just make it go directly from one thing to another. It might be possible, but if it is I haven’t figured out how to do it.”

“How did Mordecai convince you to not kill things from the demon world?”

“He didn’t convince me to never kill things from the demon plane of existence, he persuaded me not to kill them just because it’s where they’re from.” Exasperated, I tried to explain about how my daughter killed spiders while I carried them outside, and he
finally
smiled. I’d begun to think he was completely emotionless.

“Why were you crying when we came in?” he asked.

I absorbed the quarterstaff back into myself and sat back down. “I don’t fall apart in the middle of a crisis like many of my human counterparts. I can hold things together by focusing on what needs to be done, but once it’s over and everyone is safe and there’s no longer a job for me to focus on, I fall apart. Those who fight by my side are used to it, and they understand there’s nothing they need to do for me other than make sure I have tissue to blow my nose. I just need to cry and get it over with and then I’ll be fine.”

“Why did you go after Surtr by yourself?”

I sensed Nathan’s apprehension from three feet away, but I knew this was a touchy question even without his feedback. I took a breath, gathered my thoughts, and said, “Sutherland was going to keep killing innocent people until he drew me out. I just knew it. He’d left the clues so we could figure out where he’d be — he
wanted
me to come fight him. I couldn’t take my usual backup because they were being male chauvinist pigs and saying I had no business being in a fight with him. But he’d hurt people I cared about, and it looked as if he’d killed Mordecai, my teacher. I hadn’t known him long, but felt a debt to him for the things he’d shown me about myself. Also,
I
was the one with weapons like Sutherland, if anyone was to fight him, it should’ve been me.” I let a breath out, deflated. “And I couldn’t bear the thoughts of another human dying because I sat back and did nothing.”

“So it wasn’t just a brave and stupid thing you did. It was honorable.”

He seemed to be talking to himself instead of me, so I didn’t respond. He tapped his fingers twice on the arm of the chair, stood, paced twice, then faced me. “I will recommend to the rest of the Concilio that a vote is not necessary. You rescued the human female tonight at risk to yourself, and you went after Surtr to keep him from harming others, not to prove you could best him. You have honor, and you did not acquire these skills with the purpose of becoming powerful. I heard truth when you said that those I consider your allies, you consider friends. I do not sense you are working to gain power, or that you intend to harm or expose supernaturals. I sense you are a friend, not a foe.”

I didn’t like looking up at him, so I stood and said, “Thank you. Proving one’s innocence is much easier when the person interviewing you has the ability to sense if you’re lying or not. The human world would be a different place if humans could sense when people were telling the truth.”

Myrddin looked at Nathan, once again dismissing me as if I didn’t matter. “If you could get me in with Aaron now, I can sit in on the end of that interview, please.”

But I had something still to ask. “I have a question before you go, please. I’ve learned two words from you that my friends have not used in my presence, I’m assuming this means I shouldn’t share these words with others as well? Celrau and Concilio?”

“We will discuss this in detail with you tomorrow, once we know what the Celrau are up to. But yes, it’s best you not use those words until we’ve had our talk.”

Nathan walked to the phone on his desk and called Aaron. After a few words in a language I wasn’t familiar with, he told Myrddin, “Knock on the gymnasium door when you arrive and he’ll drop the wards long enough for you to enter. He doesn’t want to drop them for as long as he did last time, apparently something else came in and they had a fight on their hands.”

Myrddin nodded and left the room.

I looked at Nathan. “How did they get here? It looked like they just appeared here, out of nowhere?”

“I’m not sure exactly how he does it, but Apollonius has the ability to travel like that, and he can take someone with him. To my knowledge, Myrddin can’t do it, so Apollonius would have brought him.”

“Did Aaron give you an idea of how much longer they’re likely to be in the gymnasium?”

He shook his head. “My guess is it’ll be a while.”

“Can I go home, then? And, is there anyone who can guard me tonight? If there are more of these Celrau in town they may come after me, and I’m so tired that once I go to sleep I’ll be pretty much dead to the world.”

“I’ll get Cora to drive you home and stay with you tonight,” Randall offered.

“Cora is a good choice,” Nathan told him, “but if you let me arrange it then Aaron will pay her for doing it. We appreciate the wolves’ help and don’t want to take advantage. I know she’ll do it if you tell her to, but let’s save the favors for later.”

Randall didn’t look happy, so I spoke before he had a chance to say anything, “Please, Cora should be paid for her time. Bodyguarding is what she does for a living, it’s how she pays her bills, and I’d
really
appreciate having her around tonight. I told you I consider her my friend, but I don’t want to impose on our friendship, either.”

Randall nodded his assent, and Nathan walked into the other room — I assumed to get Cora.

“Are you okay?” Randall asked, concern reflected in his eyes.

“Yeah, but I’m mentally and physically exhausted. I’m sorry you saw me fall apart.”

He leaned forward and touched the top of my knee, a playful smile on his face. “Don’t be. You’re still a bad-ass in my book. I only wished it could be me holding you, instead of Nathan. Are the two of you close?”

I shook my head. “We work well together, and I trust him with my life in the field, but we don’t exactly get along the rest of the time.” I sighed and spoke more to myself than to Randall. “I’m not sure what was up with him tonight, but I’m grateful he took care of me.”

Nathan returned with Cora a few seconds later, and the odd look he gave me made me suspect he’d heard the end of my conversation with Randall.

As it turned out, Cora had ridden with someone, so I drove the two of us back to my house. I let her borrow a pair of sweats and a shirt to sleep in — the sweats came to just below her knees, but they worked okay. We took quick showers and collapsed into bed.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The next evening my presence was requested at Bran’s house at eight o’clock to meet with Myrddin, Apollonius, Aaron, Nathan, Abbott, and Randall.

I’d insisted upon being allowed to speak with Mordecai when I awoke that morning, but was once again put off for a few days.

I told Xiaolan and Lauren I’d be home late, apologized, and promised I’d do something to make it up to them. I also thanked Xiaolan again, for being around when I needed help. I pay her a more than a fair amount for her housecleaning services, as well as being home with Lauren at night when I can’t, but she’s the type of person it would be very easy to take advantage of, and I never want to make her feel as if I take her for granted.

I looked over the GPS directions to Bran’s house, and sighed as I realized I’d be driving up Signal Mountain this time.

The house was more than impressive — possibly twice the size of Abbott’s mountain house. I’ve seen smaller hotels. I double-checked the GPS, but was sure I was at the right place because I recognized one of Aaron’s Sherpas.

The front door opened as I neared it, and a formal butler led me to a room with a beautiful view of the city. Bran stood and walked towards me, saying, “Kirsten, welcome to my home, can I get you something to drink?”

“Ginger ale would be nice, if you have it?”

He nodded to a distinguished gentleman dressed as formal wait staff, who walked behind a bar area, poured some ginger ale into a glass with ice and brought it to me on a small platter.

I nodded and smiled to the men one at a time as my gaze travelled around the room, but I instinctively knew saying hello to anyone in particular would be awkward.

“Please have a seat and we can begin,” said Bran. “Everyone else came a little early so we could discuss some other business matters, but now it’s time to talk about what was learned from the Celrau.”

I sat, and Apollonius began speaking, his voice formal. “The Celrau have joined forces with the dark factions of some of the other supernatural races. They appear to have other types of vampires on their side, as well as several groups of shifters, specifically those residing in South Carolina at this time. They’ve also attempted to join forces with the demons, and we believe they have a portion on their side, but not the whole of demonkind.” His gaze traveled to me as he said, “It seems Xaephan was intrigued with Miss O’Shea, and has convinced the upper levels to remain neutral at this time.”

He looked at me as if he expected me to respond, but I had no idea what to say.

After a few seconds, he looked around the group and continued. “It’s crucial for everyone to do a thorough background check on anyone requesting admittance to your territories. We’ve learned that some who’ve joined forces with the Celrau have come to town and infiltrated your various groups.”

I spoke in my head to Abbott,
Piers
.

Apollonius gave me a condescending look. “Miss O’Shea, if you have something to say, wait until I am through speaking and then say it out loud. We do not communicate mind-to-mind during these meetings. It is considered exceedingly rude.”

My face was blazing hot as I managed to say, “I apologize, please continue.”

“First, please tell us what was so important that you needed to speak to The Abbott about it at that moment.”

I felt like I was in school and had been caught passing a note, and was being made to read it out loud. Totally humiliated, I stuttered, “I...I…just said one name to him, someone in his group who immediately came to mind when you said...” I stopped, but then felt the need to apologize again, and modulated my voice better as I said, “I didn’t realize it was considered rude, and didn’t know you could tell. Again, no disrespect intended.”

He nodded and continued, “It’s still unclear why we have so many leaders in one place, and the coincidence of a human with Miss O’Shea’s abilities present at the same time would seem to speak to something. Is this Lady Luck helping us to fight the Celrau and their allies? Or, have the Celrau somehow drawn everyone here for the fight they intend? The vampires we interrogated didn’t seem to have this knowledge.”

Apollonius paused, and Myrddin spoke to the group without zeroing in on me, which I appreciated. “As to why Surtr came, this appears to have been all about Miss O’Shea. Word made it to him that a human could wield a weapon such as his, and he of course didn’t want someone else around with his ability, so he came to fight her. He’s always enjoyed drawing people into a fight, making them come to him, and psyching them out so they were terrified of fighting him, but came anyway. So, he found a way to draw her to him, intending to kill her. Miss O’Shea is not to be held responsible for his death, she went to him to stop him from killing humans, and the actual death blow was made after she was put into a position of self-defense.”

He looked to Apollonius, and the other man waved his hand and a box appeared in Myrddin’s hands.

“I present you with a gift, Miss O’Shea.”

“Thank you, but please, call me Kirsten.”

It wasn’t giftwrapped, but was a fancy, ornate box. I opened it to see a glass vase set into foam, and it looked like the foam had been expertly cut to cradle what was obviously a handmade piece of beautiful art.

I lifted the vase, and noted a milky substance swirled through the glass in a decorative pattern. My eyes went to Abbott as I realized I’d been gifted with some of Surtr’s ashes, and didn’t know whether to be honored, grossed out, or terrified. I was perhaps all three, but I thanked both Apollonius and Myrddin for the gift, carefully put it back into the box, and set it near my purse.

Myrddin’s voice went all formal again as he said, “Miss O’Shea knows many secrets of the supernatural world, and must be bound to secrecy.”

“With your permission and help,” Aaron said, “I would like to be the one to do the binding.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Drake,” said Apollonius, though he didn’t sound the least bit sorry. “It has been deemed that a full council member must be the one to do it. We do not know the extent of her powers at this time, and you are her friend.”

“Can I at least make the request that my brother Myrddin be the one to do it?”

“Yes, of course, Myrddin can do it, certainly.”

I didn’t know what this meant, but I was beginning to get a bit nervous. “I couldn’t be bound before, how is this different? What happens? And, what if I refuse?”