Authors: Entwined By Fate
S.A. Price (10 page)
"No?"
"No I’m afraid. Past history being what it is between he and I, the other Archons will take the fact that my intended betrothed is here with another woman as proof of my inability to hold a man, and
~40~
therefore hold my territory. They could ask for me to be ousted as Archon, citing weakness and inability to mate. With him dead it was safer for me, hell if we had mated before he went to ground it would have been safer for us, but that’s neither here nor there."
"I'm sorry." She sighed. "How likely is it to happen?"
"Well with Ramona, anything is possible, and I know this sounds shitty, but I’m hoping she still hasn’t been able to contact her daughter, so that she doesn’t think of snagging our territory for that simpering brat and her fledgling nest. Though the fact that you have information that others probably don’t have, will give us leverage, at least allowing us the chance to ask the council for a time line so that I can petition for a mate, which I will ask for in exchange for the non withholding of information on our side. It’s a shitty thing to do, but I’m through playing games. You guys are my first priority, always."
Myra nodded looking relieved. "So what exactly is Merrick up to? He's not really with..." She trailed off. "Is he?"
"I don’t have the foggiest. Last night he just happened to pop in while you were still in the control room I gather, and had to have a revisit of old home week. Told me he still loved me," she chuckled bitterly, "then offered to mate to me so the cluster fuck he brought down on my head wouldn’t be so bad."
"God what an ass..." Her mouth twitched into a small smile. "Kinda hot though, if I'm not out of my place saying so. It is such a male thing to do... try and sweep in and rescue you. Even if it’s from his own doing... I mean he didn't have to." She sighed. "Crappy way to do it though."
"That’s my point. It’s all crappy. I hate that he still turns me on, that his highhandedness is so damn attractive, but right now I can’t worry about that. He’s here with her, and they will take that as a claim, mating mark or not."
She nodded gravely. "This time yesterday things made sense."
"Indeed. And then John Merrick walks in and the whole world goes to hell in a hand basket. Why is that so damn hot to me?" she asked and shook her head.
"Because everyone loves a bad boy and Merrick's the original one."
Elise chuckled. "That’s true, though he’s not mine anymore." she sighed again and looked over at the clock on her nightstand. "Beryl should be here any minute, and I would like to see her before the council meeting. Will you greet her? I think I might have an idea on getting some more information, but I’ll have to make a call and I would rather do it before the meeting, so we have more to bargain with."
"Sure I'll go down and meet her, I'll send her right up. Who are you calling?"
"That rare book dealer downtown. Perhaps we might get lucky. If nothing else, she might have something that might help."
"Good thinking, that’s why you’re the Archon." She beamed standing. "I'll go and wait for Beryl."
"Indeed, and don’t tell anyone anything you have found out so far." she smiled and picked up her cell, hoping to god that what Myra had found out would be enough to get something out of the French woman that ran the shop downtown. If it was, they would have more leverage and that meant that she would keep her territory no matter how unethical the process might be.
****
~41~
Beryl took her over large Joan Crawford style sunglasses off and squealed, giggling and attacking Myra, hugging her tightly. Myra groaned. For a slip of a woman, Beryl was as strong as the pewter boa she was when she shifted.
“It’s been too long! You promised you would come out here and visit you bitch!” Beryl said, still hugging her.
“B I’m sorry but you know how it is when the muse gets at me.”
“Yeah but come on! I haven’t been to Cincinnati in ages and it’s all your fault! You know I don’t prowl alone!”
Myra laughed and grinned. They had been partying together since they were old enough to fake an ID, and had been getting into trouble together as long as well. Elise was the one to always bail them out, citing that no matter what they did they would never top Remy and Reece’s stint in the Mexican prison. They had been on a mission to do just that ever since, even though they both had grown up a bit, neither had completely abandoned their wild ways.
“Soon, I swear. My new show is going to be in New York next month and then I have a stint at the Laytham Gallery in Cin-cin so don’t worry.” She grinned and Beryl’s eyes went wide.
“Girl we have a date!” she hugged her again.
Myra opened her eyes as she pulled away from the hug to see a guy standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame, watching with a cocky look on his face. Her stomach dropped out, looking him over, her mouth gone dry. If there was ever a fine specimen of snake before her, this was it. Tall, lithe, black hair, bright blue eyes, a pair of jeans just tight enough that she was salivating. Whoever he was, he screamed sex. She smiled and looked him over, quickly. “B, we have company.” She said as Beryl turned around.
"Oh don’t let me stop you Ladies," He grinned. "I was enjoying the preview."
Myra smirked. "Preview?" she asked as Beryl sized him up.
He chuckled, "Indeed... We'll get to the full show later." he winked pushing off from the doorframe and walking through it disappearing for a few seconds and coming through with a giant covered cage in his hands. "And here I thought this day was going to be boring."
Myra and Beryl looked at each other and then at him. "What the hell is under the sheet, and who the bloody hell are you?" Beryl asked, her quicksilver eyes watching his hips as he moved, completely obvious.
"Under the sheet is a pair of boots waiting to happen." The cage hissed causing him to jump cursing under his breath. "The name's Aiden and this..." He pulled the sheet off exposing an eight foot green anaconda coiled ready to strike at him. "This is Sage."
Beryl frowned. "That better be a real snake and not your brother or cousin, and if it is the later, why the hell is it caged?"
It struck for him hitting against the bars and he looked at them. "You’re kidding right? That thing has been trying to kill me since I hit ten and yes it’s a real snake." He glared at the hissing snake.
Myra smiled at the agitated snake. "So you have a death wish? Is that why it’s still about?" she asked and then offered her hand. "I'm Myra, Defteros to the Knossos Nest, and this is Beryl Harper, my crèche mate. What nest do you belong to?"
"Nest?" He smiled shaking his head as he took her hand holding it in his. "We don't play that way... the snake's my sister’s, killing it just isn't worth the weeks of whining. That and I'd rather not get that close to it."
"Well yes, the distaste it has for you is quite clear," Beryl said and picked up her bag. "I have to see my Archon. I’m sure I’ll see you around, Aiden." she winked and kissed Myra on the cheek. "The regular rooms?" she asked and Myra nodded, watching Beryl saunter up the stairs towards their side of the ranch. Myra looked back at Aiden, the sinfully sexy man in front of her and then back at the irate snake in the cage. "So what’s your nest? And who is your sister that’s here? You’re not Olivia's brother are you?" she asked knowing that Olivia had two brothers about the same age as Beryl and herself.
~42~
"Ah no..." He smiled stepping closer to her wetting his lip with his tongue. "Guess again."
There was a squeal from the top of the stairs quickly followed by Kira running down taking them two at a time. The snake in the cage swung his huge head around watching her as she dashed towards the cage. "Sage!" She grinned getting to her knees and opening the door. "I missed you boy." She told him as she crawled in lifting the weighty coils and wrapping them around herself. The snake gripped onto her contentedly positioning himself in what looked like a comfortable position for both of them.
"Did he travel well? I thought you weren't bringing him." She asked as she crawled out the cage again.
"You shouldn't cage him like that, it irritates him."
"Fuck that," Aiden swore. "I don’t give a damn what irritates him, prick nearly got me this time. I had to get stitches..."
"Like you haven't had worse, it'll heal brother." She answered fussing over the snake that was busily moving over her body his tongue flicking over her.
Myra watched the exchange with awe. So his sister was the Archon of the Vegas nest eh? That was certainly interesting. She watched the siblings quarrel for a few minutes more before Kira told him to bring the cage with him when he went, and hauled the large Anaconda with her back the way she came, up the stairs towards the opposite side of the house as the Knossos rooms. Myra quirked an eyebrow at Aiden. "Ah so the new Archon is your sister? Then on principle, you and I are enemies."
"Well that’s a shame," he smiled at her. "I've always found that the line between friend and enemy is always a little blurry. I’m sure we’d be able to find some room in there to maneuver."
"Someone is a flirt." she said and looked him up and down. "Shame."
"Ah now don’t be like that love... we still could have a lot of fun, you and I." he smiled taking a small step closer, "Your friend too if you like. Though I must say I've always had a little thing for the smell of oil paints and thinners. They grip to your skin and you carry the scent for days."
She chuckled. He had a fantastic nose to go with his fantastic body and eyes. She found herself wondering if everything under the clothes was as fantastic. "Well I am a painter... though it’s not my hands that touch the canvas." she mused.
He raised an eyebrow, "Oh no? Then what exactly does?"
She looked him dead in the eye. "My scales."
He let out a soft groan, "Now that I can't wait to see..."
She moved closer and licked her lips, closing the gap between them. "What makes you think you ever will?" she whispered, the heat of his body radiating to hers
"What makes you think I won't?" He smiled confidently.
"Aid!" Kira's voice screamed down the stairs causing him to flinch into her. "Stop being such a whore and get your ass up here now, Mer wants to talk to you and you know how he gets."
"You’re being summoned..." she smiled and moved back.
"So it would appear," he smiled his face lighting up. "Will you be at the meeting?"
"I’m Elise's Defteros, I don’t have a choice."
"Then save me a seat I'll sit next to you." He winked darting forward and stealing a kiss, his hand snaked around to the small of her back pulling her against him for a second or two. He pulled away from her and headed up the stairs.
Myra stood stunned, and turned watching the guy who had just taken liberties with her jog up the stairs and towards the fading sound of his sister cooing over the large snake. She shook her head a second and then walked up the stairs herself, towards her camp, and the cabal being started.
~43~
TEN
Aiden was late, not that Merrick had expected him to be on time. Aiden was always late when he didn’t have a task of things to do. Today was different though today the fire starter had several things to do, the first of which was to arrive on time. Kira lay on the couch staring up at the roof. She’d been like that for a few hours and she looked to continue doing so until her brother arrived.
“So tell me about this ‘plan B’.”
“No.” He told her. “It doesn’t involve you.”
“Well can I go home then? I do have commitments you know.”
He sighed knowing exactly what she was referring to. When he’d first set his eyes on Kira and Aiden they’d been in the circus. The circus owners had known that the kids were indeed shifters.
Unfortunately Kira and Aiden hadn’t yet reached puberty and so a change was impossible. Turning to drastic measures they’d thrown both kids in a cage full of snakes. Kira was luckier than Aiden in that she’d made friends with one, which quickly adopted her. When he’d rescued them both Kira brought her snake with her much to her brother’s distaste. She’d never strayed far from the thing even opting to shift with it. The most disturbing thing was the snake actually seemed to like it, like her and only her. The giant thing seemed to attack anyone else that went near it. Even Merrick himself had suffered a few bites from the vicious thing.
“Kira it’s an anaconda, he’s not going to miss you. He’s not even going to know you’re gone.”
“Just a snake eh? Well snake or no Sage loves me. He needs me, so keep your double standards to yourself.”
“You know that’s hardly healthy… and bordering on a little bit wrong. You need…” He shook his head not having a clue how to answer that. He didn’t know what she needed other than a good therapist and a decent lay. But then which of them didn’t. She was a beautiful, talented, young woman with no hope whatsoever of finding a mate for herself.
“So plan B doesn’t include me then? I’m not needed from now on?”
“No.”
“So I can go home?” She looked over at him hopefully.
“Not a hope in hell, you can stay here till we’re all ready to go back.”
She sat up looking up at him directly, “I’m not stupid enough to get taken Mer… and I can look after myself.”