“We’re glad you are OK,” Marita said genially. “You are quite the little wonder, aren’t you.”
It was hard to tell whether she was being sarcastic or not.
“Caia Ribeiro?”
Caia turned around to see two distinguished-looking people peering at her in astonishment. One was a stocky older man, perfectly coifed in a designer suit, and his companion a small, compact woman whose movements reminded Caia of a little bird.
“Caia.” Marita gestured to them. “May I introduce Alfred Doukas and Penelope Argyros.”
It did not fail Caia’s notice that both these council members had Greek names. Did that mean that their family was from way back when? Was that what it took to be a council member? A lineage that could be traced back the gods? If so... these were definitely the people she needed to impress.
“It’s an honor.” She shook their hands firmly, with a deliberate soft smile playing across her face. They seemed taken aback by her. She doubted she was what they had been expecting.
“No.” Alfred grinned back. “This is an honor for us. We came because we’ve heard extraordinary things about you, Miss Ribeiro.”
“Please, call me Caia.”
“Of course.”
What followed was almost like an interview. They wanted to know about her upbringing, about Ethan’s death, about the attack against the MacLachlans. They wanted to know what her plans were from now on. She shoved what she’d just witnessed to the back of her brain and told them that she was considering a position offered to her by Marita, but that she hadn’t decided whether to take it yet. Instead she told them about the pack, describing them colorfully, explaining how much they meant to her. It was safe to assume that Alfred and Penelope were enchanted by her, and thankfully seemed to approve of her loyalty to the pack, first and foremost.
“It says a little something about your character.” Penelope nodded, smiling earnestly at her.
The ‘interview’ seemed to be drawing to a close when Penelope twittered, “And this substance? That transformed Marita’s first-lykan-in-command, what was it exactly?”
Caia shook her head, a vision of Anders panicked eyes when he realized he was going to die flashing through her mind like an arrow of guilt. “It was something Pierre Du Bois and his partner Thierry Cotillard had paid human scientists to work on. They had daemons on their payroll capture lykans and had these scientists working on their genetic make up for the past five years. Impressively, they hid it from the trace and I didn’t know to look deeper. A mistake I won’t make again. Anyway, I’m sure if Ethan had known about it he would have wanted a part in it, especially as they had a breakthrough. They were able to concoct a liquid from taking chemicals in a lykanthrope body and combine it with the magik utilized in natural materialization to transform a lykan in wolf form back into a human. I don’t understand how it works but there’s a lab, here in Paris, where the liquid is kept. The human scientists have all been killed.”
Alfred scowled. “Are we sure that their breach has been taken care of? No human is left alive that is aware of supernaturals?”
Caia shook her head. “I couldn’t be sure. I just know from what I could see in Du Bois’ head that the men and women he was using are dead. Whether or not those people told others...”
“Point taken.” He shook his head disturbed. “This lab must be destroyed.”
Marita coughed delicately from behind them and they all looked to her questioningly. “Perhaps it would be prudent to analyze the lab. Discover what we can about this formula?”
Oh you would like that, wouldn’t you? Caia thought, concealing her disgust.
“No,” Penelope chirped, shivering a little, “the idea of Magik’s experimenting on other supernaturals... I think its best that information goes no further than these four walls. The last thing we need is giving the wrong people inspiration.”
Well said.
Caia pinned Marita with her gaze, hoping to see a glimmer of guilt or some kind of betrayal of her own experiments. There was nothing. She was so cool. Definitely not an enemy to take lightly.
“I agree.” Alfred nodded gravely. “Best to destroy it immediately.”
Marita shrugged as if it made no matter. “Fine, I’ll have someone take care of it.”
“I’ll do it.” Caia sprang to her feet. No way in hell was she letting Marita or one of her slugs near that place. “Right now. I’ll go right now.”
Penelope and Alfred beamed at her, clearly impressed with her offer. “That would be wonderful, Caia, thank you.”
Marita threw a strained smile her way. “Aren’t you exhausted, dear?”
“No. I want to do this. I want every inch of that place leveled.”
“I’ll send someone with you just in case.”
Why, so they could spy around, find the information Marita wanted anyway? She didn’t think so.
Caia shook her head. “I’d prefer to choose someone to go with me.”
“Of course.” Alfred nodded and then seared Marita with a penetrating look. “Caia should have whomever she feels most comfortable in the field with.”
“That would be Lucien, then.” Marita almost sneered at her.
“No.” Caia shook her head. The last thing she needed was complicating this with Lucien thrown into the mix. No. There was only one person she believed could be trusted. Someone so principled they were cold with it. “I want Phoebe MacLachlan.”
Marita seemed surprised by this, but Marion was smiling. “Mutual respect,” she muttered.
“What?” Marita asked in agitation, but it went unanswered as Marion swept towards Caia outlining the plan she had in mind. Alfred, Penelope and Vanne thought it was a sound one, and it was with a sigh of relief that she left the suite with Marion in tow.
As the elevator descended, Marion snorted.
“What?” Caia queried wearily.
She shook her head. “Nothing. I just... well I haven’t seen someone use that kind of charm since my grandmother. She was some lady when she was Head of the Coven; had the Council eating out of her hands all of the time. I knew you were likeable, Caia, but I was unaware of the amount of charisma you can unleash when you want to. What are you up to?”
She laughed her off. “I was just being friendly. I think it’s important that the Coven believe in me considering my lineage, don’t you? Also... I’m working towards making Marita aware that I have no intention of staying at the Center.”
“Ah, I see. Subtle. Nice. I’m sure my sister will be pleased to hear that, another piece of good news,” she muttered wryly.
“Marion.” Caia turned to the magik wide-eyed. “What happened with Laila?”
“Oh.” Marion nodded, her eyes wide with anxiety. “Good question. My sister is going nuts. They discovered it was a young boy from the Center, a Traveller. He must have been working with the girl because he’s gone too. It was the boy who brought her in, in the first place.”
“Oh really?” she gulped, hoping Marion wouldn’t hear her thundering heartbeat. “Any leads?”
Marion shook her head. “That’s the thing. Marita can’t get a hold of his trace.”
What the Hades....?
“What?”
Was this some kind of trick?
“His trace has been cloaked.”
Caia turned to look at her slowly. “And this is a possibility? Why wasn’t I told about this?”
“Because... only a very, very old supernatural has that ability.”
“How old?”
“As old as the war itself.”
“Vilhelm?”
Marion shook her head. “No. The truth is we knew there was a possibility that there were beings that old still kicking around. The Midnight Coven’s prophet is that old. But we thought he was - might - be the only one.”
“I’ve seen him in the trace. I don’t think it’s him.”
“Well... if it’s not, we have a mystery player in our midst.”
Caia’s heart thudded painfully at the thought of yet another problem.
“Not that you should worry about that at the moment, Caia, since you have another task to complete for dear old sis.”
“Yeah. The lab.”
“You didn’t have to offer to do this. You could have just given her the co-ordinates on a map. Anyone could have done the job.”
She nodded absently. No, not anyone. Poor Marion. She would be devastated when she found out that her sister was breaking every one of the supernatural rights laws. But now was not the time to tell her. First Caia needed to get back to the pack and to Vilhelm as quickly as possible, and together they could put her new plan into action. She hated the thought of leaving those children down there, but she couldn’t just charge in. Marita would throw her in prison and then where would they be? No. She needed an army. The most powerful army at her disposal. The political kind.
“And you’re sure you don’t want to involve Lucien?” Vanne queried, a frown of worry creasing between his eyebrows.
Caia sighed, glancing around the room. “I told you, he doesn’t need to do this, and he’s with Rose right now seeing her through her recovery.”
Marita glowered at her husband. “The lykan doesn’t need to follow her everywhere, Vanne. Caia is quite capable of taking care of this by herself.”
Yeah, like that was what you wanted.
She nodded anyway, thinking of how annoyed Lucien would be when he found out. She should at least tell him before she left.
It was only a few hours after she’d met with Alfred and Penelope and they were going over the plan to destroy the lab one more time. The lab was situated on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter in the basement of a disused jazz bar. It was guarded by only one daemon, but as Caia knew, sometimes one daemon was enough.
“You know, I could do this by myself,” Phoebe suddenly declared, her eyes narrowed on Caia’s now pinched face. “Caia has only just woken up from being unconscious for 24 hours.”
It was nice of her to offer but Caia was not letting anyone do this alone. “No. I’m fine, really.”
Caia felt bad for asking Phoebe to do this with her so soon after their ordeal in Remnant Forest, but she should have anticipated that Phoebe would actually be looking forward to the action. If Marita hadn’t insisted on someone going with her, however, she would have happily gone in alone.
“You’re sure?” Marita hesitated. “Because I can send extra people in with you.”
“No. A group going into an abandoned club would look conspicuous. Phoebe and I can handle this.”
“Are we ready to go then?” Phoebe strode towards the exit. “Marion has a portal waiting.”
“Wait.”
The Rogue Hunter turned with a look of irritation. “What?”
“You go on ahead to the reception. I have to do something first.”
Marita gave her Rose’s room number with what Caia was sure was a look of a glee.
Leaving to do this without informing Lucien would piss him off, and not least of all because technically as her Pack Leader she had to make him aware of any task of importance she was going to undertake. Slowly, quietly, she walked down the white corridor to Rose’s room, her heart picking up speed despite herself. She wondered just how pissed off he was going to be that he was out of the loop on this one.