Contingency (14 page)

The door was answered by a beady eyed little butler whose eyes widened when he saw who was standing on his front step. The butler jumped into gear so quickly taking Soren’s cane and hat that I had to suppress a laugh at his fawning. Soren frowned in my direction as if he knew what I was thinking so I cleared my throat and sobered up. This was a pretty serious situation, and I could possibly be the only human present. Okay, that thought knocked the grin right of my face.

We were led into a very large sitting room filled with dinner guests. Several heads swung our way and the eerie silence that followed made goose bumps pop up on my arms. Soren’s hand came around to rest on the small of my back, bringing me closer to his side in a show of possession. A man maybe an inch or two taller than me with not-quite-normal eyes and reddish brown hair walked up to us and extended his hand to me. Soren squeezed my waist in encouragement and I put mine in the gentleman’s.

He bowed over my hand and kissed the back of it lightly and then spoke smoothly. “Any guest of Soren’s is welcome in my home.” There was a throaty masculine rumbling his voice that reminded me of a great cat purring. My eyes widened in understanding. His eyes were a beautiful honey brown, but they definitely had a feline quality to them.

“Sage, this is Dwennon MacAllister.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. MacAllister. I am honored to be invited into your lovely home.” I plastered a smile on my face hoping it came off as sincere. Truth was I was already feeling a little out of my element standing between a vampire and a shifter. I pushed all my doubts to the back of my mind and breathed in deeply through my nose.

I noticed a tall, runway-model-perfect woman approaching out of my peripheral vision and the closer she came the more confused I felt. I swear I could smell her skin, maybe it was her perfume? But if it was, why did it remind me of Aldwin down to the warmed honey notes? I narrowed my eyes as she joined our little group and when she met my eyes hers widened for a split second, probably wondering why I was giving her the stink eye.

Dwennon turned to the woman and introduced her as Milena. Milena and I exchanged the normal pleasantries but it was evident to everyone there that a little tension was going on. She cleared her throat and motioned toward a trio of women that were probably every man’s fantasy come to life. They were standing by a far wall drinking out of tall glasses. Milena said in a silky voice, “The Merleaders are getting anxious to begin, so the sooner we start the better, Dwennon.”

“Yes, of course, let us begin the meeting then. If you’ll excuse me, Sage, Soren.” He smiled as he moved away with Milena at his side to address each group in the room. I raised my brow up at Soren when he kept his arm around me. “Merleaders?” I asked softly. My brow furrowed as I gazed over at the three women all dressed in soft shades of blue and green silk. Their eyes seemed a little larger than normal, but there was something compelling about them, something that made me want to walk across the room just to be closer to them. Soren leaned in close to whisper “Those are the leaders of the Merfolk.”

I looked up into his eyes to see if he was joking with me, but I was pretty sure Soren didn’t joke very often and if he did it wouldn’t be about something like this. His brow, too, was creased in thought, and I had a sneakin’ suspicion that he hadn’t known that the Merfolk would be at this little gathering. It looked like it was going to be a night full of surprises.

Dwennon announced loudly that we would all discuss business over dinner, and I was a little shocked that I was to be included in this meeting. I guess being “with” Soren was really going to pay off.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Seated at the large dining table I took a look around myself and tried to catalog names and faces along with species. There was Soren and I, Dwennon and a beautiful petite red headed woman that Soren informed me was Dwennon’s mate and second in command. The trio of Merleaders, Milena--with a tall man just as runway-perfect as she was--and another powerful vampire were in attendance along with his human female companion.

The only people I couldn’t file away as a specific preternatural species or human were Milena and her companion. Something was familiar about them though and I’d bet my ass they weren’t entirely human. I made a mental note to ask Soren later. We all were served a first course of a pumpkin soup and then the meeting began.

“As some of you have noticed, tonight the Merleaders have joined us for our monthly meeting. Normally they only venture on land once or twice a year to check in with us to share their concerns. Livana got in touch with me a few days ago though and I thought you all should hear what she has to say in light of the recent issues we have been having.” He motioned for the Merleader, Livana, to speak.

I found myself leaning forward enraptured with the sing-song quality of the voice of the beautiful merwoman. Only Soren’s pinch brought me back to myself, shaking my head to dislodge the merwoman’s powerful pull. I kept my eyes averted from hers as she spoke, and it muted her allure just a little. She thanked Dwennon and everyone for having them here on short notice. Dwennon, Soren, the other vampire leader, and much to my surprise, Milena all nodded in acknowledgement.

“We came to make you all aware that there has been an abnormal pattern of killings in my area, seemingly by merfolk.” She said
seemingly
like she wasn’t convinced that her people were doing the killing. “Several bodies have been found in or near our area of water. We have hid as many as possible, but several have been found; and although most people will believe it was accidental drowning, some will start to wonder why so many are happening at the same time. Also, it seems a rumor has spread locally of a sighting of a mermaid.” She spat the last as if it were too disgraceful to even speak. “The occasional death could be attributed to us, but we have never been so reckless as a group.” She gripped her glass of water and took a long drink when she was done speaking.

Soren’s entire body had become rigid next to mine and my mind raced at the implications. Dwennon looked over at Soren and raised his brow. Soren cleared his throat and confirmed what everyone already knew. “We have seen a large number of rogue vampire attacks in the city by young or newly made vampires. My investigation has led me in circles and I cannot locate the source or reason behind the attacks. Also, the southern vampire coven confirmed the same thing in his area.” He glanced at the vampire sitting at the end of the table and the vampire nodded in agreement.

Everyone was looking grim and tense when Dwennon took over again. “I’m afraid I don’t have any good news to contribute to this meeting either. We have had to hide several bodies over the last several weeks. They were found in the ghettos and in abandoned alley ways.” A muscle ticked in his cheek as he struggled to keep his anger in check, his wife ran her hand down his arm and he unclenched his jaw to continue. “All the bodies were torn apart from a were or shifter attack. We don’t usually have rogues or lone shifters so this has caused several packs to go into hiding or move out of the city entirely.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment thinking over all the information that had been presented. I was in my own little world, my mind racing to process all that I learned, when a thought came to me. “Someone wants to frame the preternatural community.” I whispered under my breath. But why? Soren hissed and I looked up just in time to see every eye in the room trained on me. Supernatural hearing. I was such an idiot. My hand itched to grasp the dirk through my gown, but Soren grabbed my hand, saving me from making that mistake again.

I plastered an indifferent look on my face and set my jaw. “What did you say, Sage?” Dwennon asked from his end of the table. I turned to face him and said slowly and loudly enough that even the vampire’s human companion could hear me. “I said it seems to me that someone wants to frame the preternatural community. Since they are not trying to hide the fact that these are supernatural killings, instead they are FLAUNTING the fact that they are, then the only conclusion I can come to is that this person wants the world to know about you and they want to expose your nasty side. They want the world to hate and fear you.”

I held my breath wondering how they would take my butting in and making assumptions.

“She’s right. If we had had this meeting a week or more ago we might have come to the same conclusion ourselves and perhaps prevented some of these deaths.” This came from Dwennon’s mate, and I gave her a small smile in thanks.

“But who and why? That is what we need to find out before they do irreparable damage and we end up in a bloody war.” Soren said grimly from beside me. I couldn’t argue with that logic. Someone was trying awfully hard to cause panic and bring the preternatural community under suspicion. “Another thing is that if this person is going to all this trouble, we can only guess that they have something large hidden up their sleeve, something to top anything we have seen so far.” I shook my head. It made sense the more and more I thought about it.

“Something huge is about to happen, this was all just a taste of what is coming.” I said thoughtfully. Something shifted in the room, I wasn’t sure what, but I felt it just a second before everyone jumped to their feet. Damn, I was getting slow and I was the one with the Warper abilities.

Soren had me behind his back before I could process the movement. I heard a growl coming from the shifter’s direction and a hiss coming from the vampire’s direction. I reached down and slowly pulled my sgian dubh from its sheath at my ankle and spoke very softly. “Soren, move.” he shook his head, just a slight movement but I saw it and it ticked me off. Last thing I needed was an overbearing vampire body guard. I took a breath and prayed that my voice came out steady.

“I am going to move in front of Soren to talk, on my word, I mean no harm. I have a dirk in my hand but it is only for my own protection.” no one said anything so I took it as a good sign. I moved a slowly as possible with all my muscles clenched in a fight or flight reflex.

I moved around Soren to stop in front of a table full of preternatural creatures barely reining themselves in. Only Milena and her companion were seated at the table watching the whole fiasco like it was some play going on for their amusement. I held out my hand and slowly sat the sgian dubh in front of me on the table. I held up my hands in acquiesce.

“Who are you to know so much about us? If you were just a mistress of Soren’s you wouldn’t know near as much as you do.” Dwennon said. His eyes elongated slightly as he spoke. Damn, another strike out for me. Soren put his hand on my arm and I made an executive decision under pressure.

“I’m a Warper.” I said softly. Soren flinched and Dwennon looked confused as did the merleaders. Only Milena didn’t look surprised, her brow only rose slightly at the admission. Who the hell was she I wondered again.

“A Warper?” Dwennon asked.

Soren answered for me. “A Warper, who has been blessed by the Druid Priestess Amerach. She warped here from a hundred years in the future because of what is happening in our time.” He sighed and sat down heavily in his chair.

I heard a chuckle come from our vampire friend at the end of the table. “Soren, you have let the lust you feel for your pretty little mistress addle your wits.” Before Soren could reach his hand out to stop me I’d let my Warper power ooze out of its place inside of me to encase everyone in the room. I picked up my dirk and walked over to the vampire with his sneer still frozen on his face. It would be so easy to kill him I thought vaguely. My powers rushed warmly over me and I brushed my hand out to caress the pliable bubble wishing I could stay this way; safe inside my bubble of power.

When I let the bubble snap back into me only a split second had passed, and I was holding the vampire in a death grip with my sgian dubh pressed against his throat. His human companion screamed and I rolled my eyes at her hysterics. Everyone seemed frozen in shock at my show of power and I laughed out loud. I admit it, I sounded a bit hysterical, even to my own ears.“I did warp here, vampire, and I can do without your smart ass comments.” I spat. “I’m here to help you all take care of this big mess, I didn’t make the mess, but I don’t have a choice. I have to help you clean it all up or my ass will have to stay here, and I like my own time very much.” I hissed through my teeth.

“I didn’t ask to be brought here, I didn’t ask to have the pleasure of taking out one of your rogues the other night either. I didn’t ask to see that rogue vampire kill a man right in front of me, but here I am, and I deserve a little more respect.” I snarled as I flung him away from me. The vampire swung around and I immediately fell into a defense stance, my dirk in the ready position.

The vampire straightened his dinner jacket and looked at me like he saw me in an entirely new light. He bowed slightly at the waist and then looked up at me. “My apologies, Madame Warper, I am at your service.” He held out his hand to me and I stood there blinking stupidly at him for a second. I walked slowly over to him and let him grasp my hand, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it lightly.

“If anyone can help us, I’m pretty sure you would be the woman to do it.” He smiled widely at me, flashing fangs and I rolled my eyes at the vampire. Figures. I should have just threatened his life at the beginning of dinner. I looked around the table at all the preternaturals gaping at the show I’d just put on for them and lifted my brow.