Witchful Thinking (27 page)

I woke up sweating. I tried to shake away the memory of the horrible creature Dougal had turned into, but the images continued to pound through me. When I remembered back to that fateful day, the way the heavens had loosened an onslaught of rain, thunder, and lightning, I was amazed that I’d even come out of it alive.

But as with most of the difficult situations I’d experienced in my life, the person who had always stood by my side and helped me get through was Rand.

A few days after Mathilda had unstopped my magical block and a day or so after my speech, I found myself standing just outside the front entrance to Kinloch, beside Rand and Mercedes as Mathilda looked on. It was the time of reckoning—now we would learn whether or not my abilities had been restored.

The moon shone in the sky and was full and round, acting like an orb of light. Multitudes of stars sparkled around it. I wasn’t sure why, but I found them reassuring. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

“His hat,” Mercedes said and offered me the clothing from one of the deceased members of our legion.

I nodded and accepted the black ball cap, clutching it with shaking hands. I didn’t know what would happen if I wasn’t able to reanimate this fallen soldier—what would that mean for my powers—would it point to the fact that they were extinct?

Calm yourself, Jolie
. It was Rand’s voice.

I didn’t turn to look at him but offered my hand, which he quickly accepted, closing his fingers around mine. Mercedes took my other hand, the one with the ball cap in it, and I shut my eyes, concentrating on the task.

Just go about it the same way you always have
, Rand continued.

I nodded but didn’t respond. I was still annoyed over our last encounter. Instead I focused on the blackness of my eyelids, praying my magic would take over, praying I’d open my eyes to view the battlefield of Culloden.

When it appeared nothing was happening, I opened my eyes and found Rand, Mathilda, and Mercedes all staring at me expectantly.

“Nothing,” I grumbled.

“Try again,” Mercedes said resolutely.

I nodded and, taking a deep breath, closed my eyes again, sinking into inky blackness. I focused and then focused some more but couldn’t keep the sudden fear that I’d lost my abilities from the forefront of my mind.

“What if something happened to me?” I said. “What if something irreversible happened?”

“We removed the block, child,” Mathilda said in a small voice. I felt her soft and small hand on top of mine as she patted it consolingly. “Abandon your fears.”

It was more a command than anything else. And when I closed my eyes again and actually felt something akin to relief flooding me, I had to wonder if Mathilda hadn’t bewitched me, hadn’t slipped me her version of a fae Quaalude. But I also wasn’t about to argue, not when I could finally relax and actually focus on my magic, focus on the darkness that would hopefully take me back to a time when my victim was still alive.

Even though the blackness wasn’t fading, I didn’t lose hope. I clenched my eyes shut even tighter and begged my powers to kick in, begged my abilities to take over. And then it was as if lightning ricocheted through my mind, the darkness suddenly intercepted by a bright flash of light, and I was where I’d hoped to be … on the battlefield.

The hat in my hand began to tremble and I felt myself propelled forward, toward a man who was on the ground, barely moving. As I got closer, I realized he was
actually a vamp. It looked as if he’d been attacked by another vamp, a huge and open gash in his throat. His blood had already soaked the majority of the ground beneath him, but he wasn’t dead. I could tell by the hollow but alive look in his eyes.

I approached him and leaned down onto my thighs, reaching for him. As soon as I touched him, light blazed up around me and I shielded my eyes against the garish infiltration.

When I opened them again, I found myself standing beside Rand and Mercedes. And beyond them, Mathilda stood beside a vampire. A vampire who faced me and smiled, revealing the fact that he was very much alive … or as alive as the undead can be.

It was the night after I’d managed to reanimate the vampire, and my panel of representatives was assembled around my dining room table for our first meeting in Kinloch Kirk. My panel comprised Odran and Mathilda, Trent and John, Mercedes, Varick, Sinjin, Klaasje (whom I hadn’t assigned as one of my representatives but apparently the Queen’s defensive force went wherever she did or maybe wherever Sinjin did), and, of course, Rand.

Rand sat at the far end of my oblong maple table. He leaned back in his chair as he regarded everyone around him quietly even though there were numerous conversations rolling around the table. I sat at the head and glanced at Rand only to find him staring at me. I smiled a quick and uncomfortable hello before looking up at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, which announced, in a baritone
ding-dong
, that my meeting had begun. I actually felt relieved to be able to focus on my meeting instead of the dark pools of Rand’s eyes or the way he’d neglected to shave his stubble and, consequently, looked deliciously roguish. Nope, I was no longer going to focus on anything having to do with Rand.
I was sticking with the promise I’d made myself that I’d focus only on my responsibilities to the people.

After all, I was now the fully committed Virgin Queen.

My sex life aside, I was excited to chair this first important meeting. It was like I was embarking on a new chapter in my life—the decisions and choices we agreed on today would affect all of our lives moving forward. And it was a good feeling to know how important I was. My opinions mattered not only for my own future but for the futures of hundreds of Underworld creatures. While that thought was a scary one, it was also invigorating.

“Thanks for coming,” I began as I poured myself a glass of water, passing the jug to Trent, who sat beside me. “I wanted to address a few concerns.” Then I turned to the papers on the table in front of me and passed them to Odran, who happened to be sitting on the other side of me. “Take one and pass them down the row, please,” I said when it looked like he assumed they were all for him. Didn’t fairies have to attend grammar school? I mean, hello, that was so third-grade.

“Ah, aye,” he said and then seemed to wrestle the sheets between his large fingers.

“Need some help, big guy?” Klaasje asked with a laugh as she took the papers from Odran and passed them out to everyone else. I didn’t miss Odran’s smile or the sight of him pillaging her body with his eyes. I also didn’t miss her hip shimmy as she passed Sinjin—or his smirk. I felt something climb up into my throat, something that felt like jealousy, but I grappled it back down. I had no reason to be jealous of Sinjin’s relationship with this beautiful girl, er, vampire. Irritated with myself, I glanced down at the piece of paper before me and read off the first item on the list.

“I would like an update on what is happening with the Lurkers.”

I glanced at Mercedes, who nodded, clearing her throat. “I have created a task force to research the Lurkers as you requested.” (I hadn’t really requested it—it had been her idea all along. But anyhoo …) “And what they have reported back to me is of great interest.”

“Wonderful,” I answered as I offered her an expression that said,
Please continue
.

Mercedes glanced around the table as if to make sure she had everyone’s attention. Really, she always had everyone’s attention. I think, in general, everyone was afraid of her.

“First, it is important to inform everyone here of those who make up this task force. I appointed eight creatures, all of whom I believed to be the best candidates: a female witch, three male vampires, two female weres, and, lastly, a male and a female fairy.”

“Aye, Anwien and Marmion are amoong the best warriors o’ my fae,” Odran added.

Sinjin chuckled. “I would say the vampires chosen for the position were also the best but that would be a lie as the best are already employed in the Queen’s defense.” Then he faced Varick and said, almost as an afterthought: “That statement of course includes you, my elder.”

Varick said nothing, but nodded, as if he approved of Sinjin’s deference. I was about to smile but then I heard Klaasje giggle and the smile dropped right off my lips. I glanced over at her beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous, thick dark hair and wished I were a bigger person.

Mercedes glanced at the two of them and then faced me with a raised eyebrow, like she didn’t appreciate the joking. Go, Mercedes.

“I heard they had to take tests,” Trent chimed in with a bit of a chuckle, like he would never be caught dead taking a test. And maybe that made sense—I wouldn’t exactly describe him as the sharpest wolf in the pack.

Mercedes faced him and her expression hinted that she wasn’t amused. “Yes, I wanted only the best creatures for the position. I hand-selected those who appeared the most promising and then further narrowed the group based upon their test scores. I tested not only their IQs but also their reaction times in combat situations, their ability to think outside the proverbial box in strategy preparation, as well as their ability to defend themselves.”

I nodded, impressed. Really, everything Mercedes did was impressive. She was some prophetess. “Sounds like you did a really good job, Mercedes, thank you.”

Mercedes smiled her pleasure. “As to the information we have found thus far, we’ve had reports of Lurker activity all across the United States as well as Europe, which leads us to believe they are not located in any one place but spread out.

“And from a report given to me by the witch Freida, they are in training both day and night.”

Suddenly I was worried about the tactics of the task force. The last thing I wanted was torture on my hands. “How are you getting this information, Mercedes?”

“Mostly through interviews with anyone who has had interactions with the Lurkers, my Queen. We have paid especially close attention to those who were killed by the Lurkers and were subsequently reanimated. And with fae magic, we were able to re-create scenes to observe their strategies during combat. Based on that, we were able to learn much about them.”

Good, torture apparently wasn’t a part of the equation. Relief.

“And your plans moving forward?” Rand asked.

Mercedes nodded but said nothing right away, as if Rand’s question wasn’t so easy to answer. Finally she took a deep breath and turned toward me. “In order to learn what we need to, we must capture a Lurker.”

Odran nodded immediately, as if he’d been waiting for someone to say as much. “Aye. We need ta stoody them.”

Rand nodded as well but said nothing more. Everyone around the table fell silent as their gazes settled on me.

“If our Queen endorses this approach, we will move forward,” Mercedes finished and looked at me expectantly.

“I do think it is … necessary,” I began before hesitation captured my voice. “But please instruct your team to try to do so without hurting anyone. I want it to be known that we will kill only when we have no other choice,” I finished with as much authority as I could muster.

Mercedes merely nodded and said nothing more. Realizing this topic was now at its end, I glanced at the agenda and moved to the next question, eyeing Sinjin. “Sinjin, you informed me that Bella had agreed to help us reanimate her dead soldiers?”

Sinjin nodded. “I did, my Queen.”

I couldn’t help but notice that Rand’s gaze narrowed on Sinjin and his jaw was tight. He looked like he was in fight-or-flight mode, just waiting for one wrong word to set him off. Rand shifted in his chair as if he couldn’t get comfortable. Then it suddenly occurred to me that maybe I was just painting him with jealousy that didn’t exist—maybe he wasn’t bothered at all by Sinjin—maybe he just had a wedgie.

“And where do we stand?” I asked, reminding myself to pay attention to the agenda—not Rand and his foul mood.

Sinjin nodded. “Bella will provide me with a list of her deceased. She is creating that list as we speak.”

We still hadn’t managed to reanimate the entirety of our legion, but we were getting closer.

I faced my agenda again and sighed, knowing this
next point would be a hard sell. “Due to the fact that Bella has agreed to work with us, I believe we should give her a second chance.”

“Jolie,” Rand started but his voice was lost in Odran’s.

“Bella shouldna be alloowed ta live,” he said, his hazel eyes burning. He bashed his fist onto the table as if to reiterate his objection. His long, wavy blond hair fell off his shoulders as if it, too, were shocked by his violent display.

“Watch yourself,” Sinjin growled, his eyes narrowed on Odran.

“Watch yer oown self, fang face.”

“Okay, enough, we’re all adults here,” I started, alternating my glares between Odran and Sinjin. “I will not order Bella’s death,” I said resolutely. “I will not have her death on my hands.”

“She can be controlled.” Sinjin steepled his fingers in his lap as though this conversation did nothing but bore him. “Bella is a threat, yes, but she is a threat that can be managed.”