The Ring Bearer (17 page)

Ethan slid down the bleachers and took position behind her. She glanced at him, but looked forward. He leaned forward so he could speak just behind her ear. “Jordan,” he said despite the fact that he already had her full attention by being inches from her ear. “I completely support Callin in his efforts. I don’t know how to make that happen, but if I can do anything I will. I know you feel the same way.”

Nevia turned back slightly just to let him know he was right.

“However,” Ethan let the word stand like it was its own sentence. “I get the feeling you are exploring rather extreme measures to achieve that support.” Her ear dipped back enough to hint at the impact his words were having. “So, I’m just going to remind you, that you are still an employee of this facility. You can decide where that puts you on the totem pole in relation to me, but the only thing you need to know for certain is that I am responsible for keeping the peace in this facility. So, in case I’m right about the thoughts wandering through your mind right now, let me make something abundantly clear. If you so much as pull that firearm without an immediate threat warranting it, you will either end up in a jail cell or in the infirmary. Do I make myself understood?” She lowered her head and exhaled.

“Yes, sir,” He expected a note of irritation in her voice, but it sounded more like relief.

Ethan crawled back up to his perch, where two querying faces eagerly waited to be filled in. He ignored both of them and continued his observations of the trial.

28

The trial went on without the grandstanding that Ethan had heard about the day before. In the end, the leader of the council denied Callin’s request to have his child. As the room of observers and most of the council members dispersed, Nevia leapt up the steps to him.

“Leona,” she said with wide eyes. “She is considering letting Callin have the child in secret.” Her whispers hissed in an attempt to be quiet and insistent at the same time.

Daniel and Heaton leaned over to her. Neither one actually said it, but their faces were begging her to let it go. He couldn’t blame them. This was a dangerous road.

“What are you suggesting we do to encourage that?” he asked despite the subtle head shakes his friends were offering.

“I don’t want to encourage that. She needs to openly deny the councils right to decide who her children can be with. Otherwise nothing will change.”

“Nevia, let it go,” Daniel pleaded.

“I can’t, not when I can make a lasting change with a few well-placed observations. She is right on the precipice.” Nevia’s eyes pleaded back at him just as hard. “Callin is right. She will be the determining factor. She needs to take her sisters place. The council needs to have a coup.”

“Ethan this isn’t our world,” Heaton advised. “Trespassing on their traditions and beliefs is like walking into a holy war without a god. You can’t convince anyone of anything when they think you’re a heathen.”

“Dually noted,” Ethan said to Heaton before returning his attention to Nevia. “Come with me. Follow my lead and keep your comments obscure and naïve.”

Ethan saw his opportunity and jumped on it. Frederique had just joined Leona and picked up the Lynnius. Since she hadn’t touched the baby before this, he assumed it was only to rub it in Callin’s face, rather than the enjoyment of it. The look on her face when she found out that he was a drooling baby confirmed that suspicion.

“May I?” he asked as he approached during the inevitable hand back. Both women paused in mid pass, and exchanged looks. “My wife and I are considering the leap ourselves,” he added to soften his purpose.

“Of course,” Frederique smiled and handed him the baby who was already experimenting with sounds. “Human men are often excellent caretakers. I encourage it.” She probably meant it as a slight against male werewolves, but since she didn’t specifically exclude them he just thanked her for the compliment.

“Hello, Lynnius, good to see you again.” He cooed for a moment at the child. Lynnius was in an especially talkative mood and spluttered something along the lines of “pppblblbllestt” at him. Speckles of saliva danced the distance between Lynnius’s lips and his shirt, but he just laughed. Unlike his frigid Auntie Frederique he was not afraid of a little drool. Drinking dragon sperm everyday tends to harden ones stomach.

“Is it Lady Van Dorn?” he asked Frederique. She nodded. “I’m Ethan Pierce.” He freed a hand up to shake hers. “I’m head of the guards and successor to the warden. I apologize for not being able to attend yesterday. We’ve had a rather spirited few days.”

“I understand. It may have been for the best. At any rate, your friend seemed to do just fine.” Frederique glanced back at Daniel, who had moved to the middle of the room with Heaton. They both looked alert and ready to save the day if necessary. He smiled at both of them. They were good friends.

“Yes,” Ethan turned back to the conversation at hand. “I’m glad that things went better today. Although, I must say, I am a little disappointed with the results.” Frederique smiled not willing to offer any comment that might indulge his opinions. “Callin is a good man. Even as a potential father, I can’t imagine not being with my children.”

“Of course not, but you are not a risk to your child,” Frederique stated with firm intention.

“Right, but if Callin enters into our program, we could make certain that he is away from his offspring during his phase.”

“That argument has already been made and rejected. It really doesn’t matter anyway, he is in jail.”

“Oh, not for long,” Ethan said. “He isn’t a criminal.”

“He was forming a pack,” Frederique snarled.

“Actually,” Nevia jumped in. She looked at Ethan for reproof, but he turned and offered her and inquisitive look, that begged for her to tell him more. “The law strictly forbids packs to form under alpha males. As I observed yesterday, Callin, specifically offered Leona the leadership of the pack.”

“That’s an interesting point, Jordan. I’ll have to bring that to Danato’s attention.”

“The restriction on packs is a blanket law.” Frederique didn’t bother giving Nevia any eye contact. She may as well have been wearing a scarlet letter on her chest.

“Actually,” Nevia offered again, and Ethan hid his smile. “I’ve read the laws numerous times, and the only definition I’ve found describing a pack suggests that four or more adult males conspiring to hunt live game, human or otherwise, is illegal.”

“Interesting,” Ethan said without any acting needed. “As I recall, and I think Leona can attest to it,” Leona shriveled under his attention to her. It was an unusual sight to see, but if she was indeed on the precipice of being a decent person, he wasn’t about to cut her any slack. “The only live game in Callin’s home was the mold living on the leftover pizza.”

Frederique glanced at Leona, but her sister’s coy face said it all. She wasn’t going to say anything that would anger her. “This is all a moot point, Mr. Pierce.”

“Ethan, please. I’m sure it is, but perhaps you would indulge me. I’m only beginning to understand your rules. What exactly has to change for Callin to be legally free to see his child?”

“The law,” Frederique said with a “no duh” brow lift.

“No.” Nevia’s voice carried a blow that finally broke Frederique’s resolve to appear civil and disinterested in her.

“You need to keep your half breed mouth shut,” she snapped with intensity more than volume.

“I believe you call my kind mixed,” she said. Ethan felt like he had missed a step in the conversation, but resisted the urge to beg for answers. “To answer your question, Ethan, the law doesn’t have to change, because the laws are based on historical doctrine that never changes. It only takes the leader of the Council of Moon to designate the change. What needs to change is the head council member.”

“Tread lightly, small one,” Frederique warned. Ethan got the distinct impression that if Frederique’s eyes were capable of glowing they would have.

Nevia looked to Leona. “The council may overthrow their leader, if they can agree on who should take her place. The role is traditionally passed to the next of kin.”

“You’re efforts are fruitless,” Frederique said clutching her sister’s shoulder. “My sister would never betray me.” Leona winced slightly at the increasing grip on her shoulder. Frederique’s statement was looking more and more like a threat.

Nevia looked them both over carefully. “That was before she became a mother, before she could see the future beyond her own lifespan.” Leona watched Nevia with the same curiosity that everyone did when they were trying to decide if she was psychic or just really intuitive. “That was before she fell in love.” Leona’s face blanched and she looked away trying to hide that truth.

Frederique narrowed her eyes, but made no attempts to attack. “Do you know what a fem-wolf does to humans who cross her?” Nevia didn’t waver. “I’ll give you a hint; it’s humane compared to what I do to mixed breeds.”

“Ms. Van Dorn,” Ethan said. “I think we should wrap this up before anyone says or does anything they regret.”

“I think the regret part has come and gone, she just doesn’t recognize it yet. Come on Leona.” Frederique’s shoes clacked away, but when Leona didn’t follow immediately she looked back.

“I’m coming,” Leona said. “I just need to gather my children.” Frederique looked at Lynnius still in Ethan’s arms, as if she had forgotten he was there. She didn’t bother to offer any help before storming away.

“Please tell me you see it now,” Callin called over from his cell. Leona looked over to him. “We can’t go on like this. Broken families have better social structure than us.”

Ethan looked between them. When it was clear that Leona’s cowardice was still winning, he moved to Callin’s cell and unlocked it. Callin’s bafflement lasted only a moment before he left the confinement. He paused to look at Lynnius and offered Ethan a less than gentle pat on the back.

He greeted Leona with a heated kiss that steered Nevia away from them. Daniel and Heaton followed her lead disappearing around the corner, while Ethan played nanny to their make-out session. A contribution he hadn’t really intended to make, but Lynnius’s high-pitched squeal and garbled, enthusiastic blubbers, told him
he
had no objections to the arrangement.

29

As far as Daniel was concerned, there weren’t enough eye daggers to be thrown. Even with Heaton’s reinforcements, the elevator seemed to be lacking the hostility he wanted to express to Nevia. She stood at the back of the elevator with her arms crossed looking anywhere but at them. Heaton and he exchanged glances, but neither of them wanted to start the tirade. Heaton no doubt felt it should be him. He really needed to check with Ethan to see if it was standard protocol in these situations for the boyfriend to engage disciplinary actions.

“You can both stop the glaring,” Nevia snarled. “I hardly need the visual confirmation. I already smell your annoyance.”

“This is not simply annoyance,” Heaton said moving toward her. Though Daniel knew he wouldn’t hurt her, he did flinch at the movement. “You have made yourself an enemy of the Council of the fucking Moon. Do you know how much danger you have put yourself in? And by association, us.”

“Yes, but do you not see the greater picture here.”

“No, all I see is your picture—your goal, your purpose.” Heaton looked at Daniel. There was a question in his eyes, but he had no idea what it was. “You’ve used this opportunity to settle a dispute of your own creation. We will have no part in the ramifications of it. Until an official replacement can be found, I will recommend to Sophie that you take a paid leave of absence. You are no longer welcome on this team.”

Daniel wasn’t sure what to offer to the situation. He wanted to diffuse it, but at the same time he didn’t want to suggest to Nevia that he wasn’t mad about her actions. Before he could make a decision, the elevator doors opened and Heaton stepped out.

Nevia quickly followed. The spiraling situation left him fumbling through his mind for words, let alone the enthusiasm to leap after the two of them. Nevia stood ground in the main foyer where Heaton was slipping on his coat. Daniel kept his distance from both of them. 

“Don’t do this,” Nevia said.

“You’ve left me no choice,” Heaton yelled. “We can’t function as a team if we are spending as much time fending of fem-wolves as looking for our targets.”

“That’s not why you’re doing this.”

“What are you talking about?” Heaton’s face scrunched up in further aggravation.

“Why are you forcing him to choose between us?” Nevia said. Daniel wasn’t sure what Nevia had sensed from Heaton, but the statement stopped him in his tracks.

“You think he’ll choose to stay partnered with you and endure the repeated werewolf attacks that you’ve brought on,” Heaton scoffed. “I doubt it.”

“No, I think you plan to subtly convince him that if he doesn’t stay with me that I’ll wind up getting myself killed.” Heaton’s jaw went slack. There was no need for lie detectors when Nevia was around. “You would manipulate his loyalties until he decided it was for the best to stay with me while you go onto a new team. Which is what you wanted all along, because you are too much of a coward to be honest with your own friend.”