Rise of the Gryphon (11 page)

Bernie whimpered.

Sorry excuse for a man. She yanked the leash. “Shut up.”

A woman emerged from the shadows cast by a stand of trees clustered on the shadow side of the mountain. When she came into focus, Imogenia could see that she wore an ankle-length hooded cape the color of a violent sea. Two red boot tips peeked out. She lifted her head enough for the light to catch her face, and thick lashes outlined exotic brown eyes.

Everything about that face was too perfect.

Imogenia never trusted perfection in anything. “Nadina.”

“You left plenty of trail, yes?”

“I zigzagged all over the place for the past four hours.” Imogenia had no idea why that had been part of the negotiation. She shouldn’t have been so anxious to deal, but the chance to get Noirre majik didn’t come along often.

Like never.

“When you leave, walk back the way you came until you can circle around this clearing, then go to your car.”

“I will do that.” Imogenia didn’t know why she had to make a wide arc around this clearing, but in the interest of getting along, she would.

“You were successful at the Beast Club?”

“Of course.” Imogenia flipped her chin up. “Not like I would have missed finding the target. Talk about diva attitude. She was the only woman wearing sunglasses at night. It turned out better than I expected.”

“
Bueno
.”

“Except for one thing.”

“What?”

One word shouldn’t raise the hairs along Imogenia’s arms, but Nadina had loaded that one with plenty of threat. “Did you know Daniella was a traitor in my coven?”

“Of course. Do not look so put-upon. Evalle needed something to trade with you.”

You better hope I never see a chance for payback.
So Evalle was the name of that mouthy bitch with the jaguar. “Well, I have no strand of hair from her because she had Daniella to bargain with.”

Nadina studied on that for a moment. “What of the armband? It is now on her arm, yes?”

“Ye-sss,” Imogenia stressed impatiently.
Nadina must normally deal with morons to keep asking me stupid questions
. “I told you I was successful.”

Waving a hand tipped with long red nails, Nadina said, “Then the strand of hair is of no importance.”

Would have been nice to have had
all
the information before walking into that Beast Club. Imogenia should never have dealt with this unknown witch, but she needed more power than she held. She’d suspected a traitor in her coven for a while. Nadina had shown up with Volonte bones Imogenia would never have located. Even for one who practiced dark majik, Nadina had some serious connections. The Noirre spell Nadina agreed to give her in exchange for getting the armband locked on Evalle had seemed like a small favor until the woman’s jaguar almost killed Bernie. “Back to Daniella.”

“You should be thankful. Now you know about Daniella. Consider it a bonus.”

“How did
you
find out?”

“I have my ways, just as you do. Had I not gotten that information to Evalle, she would have had no reason to come looking for you.
Comprendo?   
”

Imogenia had enough survival sense to be careful around an unknown dark witch, but no witch played her and got away with it. “Who else knows about Daniella?”

“A ghoul in Atlanta.”

“Nightstalkers? They’ll talk to anyone with power who shakes their hand.”

Nadina had that cat-sly look on her face. “No, they won’t. I’ve taken care of that.”

“How?”

“Come to me, my Langau,” Nadina said in response.

Imogenia started to ask what this certifiable witch was talking about when a dark figure moved into the clearing. The figure coalesced from a smoky image to a solid person, an attractive twenty-ish woman with brown hair cut in a chic style that fluffed around her face and disarming hazel eyes. She wore navy slacks and a mauve sweater with a plaid scarf of both colors.

And smelled graveyard dead.

Necromancy.

That was award-worthy conjuring, but on the intimidation scale this spirit ranked below zero. Imogenia asked, “And you think
she’s
going to keep Nightstalkers from running off at the mouth?”

Nadina was amused. “Not impressed with my Langau?”

Imogenia sensed she was heading into dangerous water by amusing the witch doctor, so she shrugged. “First impressions and all that.”

“Do you think a Nightstalker would hesitate to shake with this one?”

This one
never showed any hint of acknowledging the conversation. Her eyes had a blank expression. Should have a
Vacancy
sign painted on her forehead. Imogenia replied, “No. I think any ghoul would shake hands with her.”

“That is exactly why I have five of these in Atlanta right now, searching for Nightstalkers and shaking hands, which infects the ghoul with a highly contagious virus. The infection is then passed by handshake to preternaturals, where it attacks their abilities. Kinetics become faulty and weak. The virus passes through telepathy, too, then attacks the host. Word is already getting around to avoid shaking with a Nightstalker.”

Imogenia nodded with admiration. “That is impressive.”

“But she”—Nadina waved a hand at her Langau—“is not?”

“For a preternatural viral carrier, she’s scary, but beyond that not so much.” Imogenia barely got the words out when the Langau’s vision sharpened and her gaze snapped to Imogenia.

Hazel eyes turned into two pools of fire.

The Langau opened her mouth to reveal needlelike teeth.

Fingers shifted into long digits that curved with razor
claws. A muscle twitched above the Langau’s left eye. She twisted her neck and opened her mouth, her forked tongue slipping out on a hiss.

Imogenia sucked in a breath.

Nadina chuckled. “Did I fail to mention her bite and claws can also infect? More impressive now, yes?”

Bernie started panting and backed up until the leash went tight.

Imogenia yanked on it, but the chain slipped in her damp palms. She hurried to agree with Nadina. “Yes, very much so.”

Nadina lifted a hand and the Langau began vanishing. She told Imogenia, “As you see, there are no worries about Nightstalkers talking. Besides, you plan to go home and deal with Daniella, yes?”

“Bet on it.” But Imogenia couldn’t get to Daniella for another two days, not until after the championship fights. “And my Noirre spell?”

“What of it?”

“Are we still in agreement on the terms?”
Since you clearly change the rules as you see fit.

“
Sí.
You will receive the spell the minute the Achilles Beast Championship is over. Thanks to me, you will have a chance to gain two Noirre spells that night.” Her gaze swept over to Bernie, who stood half behind Imogenia. “That is,
if
your Alterant does not die by the final round.”

Bernie whined softly.

The mirth clinging to Nadina’s comment had Imogenia grinding her back teeth. “Bernie might be a sniveling
human, but he’s an impressive Alterant. At least, he
was
until I had to put him against that jaguar.”

“Better to know his ability now than tomorrow. You got what you wanted. I got what I wanted.”

“Not exactly. I don’t want my Alterant to face that jaguar again.”

Nadina moved around, gazing up at the branches that swayed lightly with the breeze. She looked at Imogenia. “That is simple. Take your beast to the games and accept the Medb’s offer to negotiate for a trade before entering him in any battle. They clearly want many Alterants, or they would not make that offer for those who expect to lose their fighter in early rounds.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because the Medb won’t offer Noirre majik for anything less than the top five Alterants who win the final Elite matches. They won’t give me squat for an unproven beast.”

“You become tedious, Imogenia. You would not have this dilemma if I had not found this Alterant for you. Now you complain about the product. There is no pleasing you. This is clearly a win-win, no?”

No, it wasn’t, but saying so could bring back that needle-tooth bitch. What drove all this with Nadina? “What’s your interest in Evalle?”

Nadina surprised her by actually answering. “I want her jaguar.”

“Good luck with that. I doubt even a dark witch can take that beast from her,” Imogenia quipped.

Nadina’s lips curved up, but not with humor. Her eyes glowed a deep yellow-orange. The sheer energy of Nadina’s stare forced Imogenia to take a step back.

Hadn’t Nadina already proven Imogenia was not in Nadina’s league? Yes, much as Imogenia hated to admit it. Next time, she’d be more careful with her words.

Nadina warned, “I am no simple dark witch.”

“Then what are you?”

“Far more dangerous.” Nadina floated back a few steps and paused. “But I will grant your wish. Bernie will not face the jaguar in the ABC.”

At one time, Imogenia would feel relief over that offer of help. Not now. She regretted putting herself in the position of being any more in this witch’s debt than she already was. “Why would you do that?”

“Why must you question good fortune?”

“Because nothing in our world is free. I want to know what you want in return first.”

Nadina gave her a look one used on a mentally challenged pet. “I have not decided, but I will let you know when I do.”

No, no, no. And Imogenia had no desire to be at this woman’s beck and call. “I’ll be out of touch until the championship match, so you’ll have to tell me how to find you. Unless
you
plan to attend,” Imogenia added, fishing.

Nadina didn’t answer her, so Imogenia pressed cautiously, “If you don’t attend, how can you be sure that the jaguar does not face my Alterant?”

“I come from a long line of Ashaninka witch doctors
with powers you could only fantasize about. Follow my instructions and you will be fine. I’ll let you know when I want something.”

Imogenia muttered to no one in particular, “Just said I wouldn’t be available without notice.”

“Oh, but you will.” Nadina laughed, immensely entertained. She lifted her hand, palm up, and whispered soft words Imogenia could not hear. Nadina crooked a finger in a sign of
come here
.

Imogenia felt a sharp spike dig into her chest as if something had hooked her. The pain cut deep.

She took a reluctant step forward, then another toward Nadina.

Fighting the pull only made her chest ache more. She walked with spastic motions all the way until Nadina held up a finger and said, “Stop.”

Imogenia obeyed, panic-stricken. She’d never given Nadina anything a dark witch could use against her. “What did you do to me?”

“I bound you to me through the Volonte bone, just as I have bound another to me who has worn that armband. Why do you think I wore it first?” She caught herself and cocked her head in thought. “To be honest, I did need it to create my Langaus with necromancy, but now I can find you or Evalle whenever I want.”

Sweat trickled down the side of Imogenia’s face. This was worse than a traitor in her coven. Imogenia could make Daniella disappear in a painful way, but she had no idea how to break this connection with a witch doctor.

Nadina’s eyes sparkled with happiness. “Speak a word of my existence to anyone or share anything about the Volonte bone after this point and I’ll first dismantle you slowly and the person you tell next. Then I’ll feed you to your Alterant one limb at a time and use your blood for something . . . special.”

Imogenia’s skin crawled at the idea of being a blood sacrifice for this witch. “I won’t say a word.”

“
Bueno.
As for my jaguar, he will not be able to fight against your Alterant . . . or any other one at the games.”

Nadina turned and vanished into the darkness.

S
torm shook off the urge to climb a tree to find a safe place to sleep in his jaguar form.

After spending all day covering a vast amount of Oakey Mountain, he was whipped.

And empty-handed.

He’d taken his time tracking Imogenia’s scent trail, moving slowly, sometimes backtracking, because he thought he’d missed something due to the erratic way she and Bernie had crisscrossed down the mountain. Going from point to point, then sometimes turning around and covering the same ground again or crossing over an earlier trail.

She had trudged around and her Alterant had dragged his feet most of the time. Not the footsteps of someone comfortable in the woods. Had all that hiking cost Imogenia a bit of majik?

He hoped so. And maybe some golf-ball-size blisters.

Her trail had ended near tire tracks where she’d parked a vehicle. Small car with narrow wheels.

Had she made so many stops and direction changes along the way to confuse someone who might try to follow her? Afraid someone would try to steal her Alterant?