They fell silent, and Reuben moved towards the hallway, his head down, his shoulders hunched in thought. Ryder’s head jerked up as the vampyre muttered, “If it’s who I think it was, things are about to get very interesting.”
20 - The Politician
“I don’t think you understand how valuable you are.” Marita appeared to be fighting to remain calm, her words hissed between clenched teeth, “Forget even that you have trace powers leading us to every Midnight in this world, there is not a witch or warlock on this earth that has done what you did in Remnant Forest.”
She was allowing the Head of the Coven to pace and bluster and lecture, sitting on the sofa by Marita’s fireplace, waiting patiently for her chance to speak. So far the witch was not taking the news that she intended to return to the pack very well. Boo for her.
“You haven’t even touched some of the lessons in magik our advanced classes teach. We have no idea what you will be capable of when you have the knowledge and understanding of magik like that of my sister and my own. It would be idiotic to let you walk out of here and go home.”
Caia tensed at her tone, her eyes narrowing as Marita spun around to glare at her. “Last time I checked, madam, the Coven laws forbade coercion and kidnapping.”
Marita chuckled humorlessly. “So dramatic, Caia.”
“You knew when I got here that it was merely a visit. I’ve been helping you quite well from my home with the pack.”
“Your reports are useful. However, your soldiering is invaluable.”
As the silence thickened between them, Caia could see the witch’s eyes hardening with every tick of the clock.
She really had thought I would stay, Caia mused incredulously.
“What have you got to return to, Caia? Those people who don’t understand you? And if the rumor mill here is correct your Alpha, the one man who was keeping you bound to that pack, is now in a relationship with Rose Bronson.”
The calculating gleam in her eye, that smug smile, knocked Caia for six.
Son-of-a-Bitch, she hissed inwardly. “Rose... isn’t a friend of Phoebe MacLachlans, is she?”
Shrugging, Marita gave her a saccharine smile, folding herself elegantly into the armchair before her. “No, not really.”
She didn’t know whether to be disgusted or pay attention to this woman’s tactics. After all, if she was to convince the Council to ally with her and go up against Marita, then she had better learn to be just as ruthless when dealing with her.
“Why?”
“I need you here.”
In other words she had deliberately brought Rose here to separate Caia from Lucien, to make her feel isolated from him and the pack, to give her no other option but to call the Center home. There was absoluteness to Marita in that moment. From the tip of her hair to the tip of her toes she was determined Caia would remain with her, fight for her. Did she really think Caia would agree to aid her in her experiments with children?!
Time to change tactics.
Caia slumped, a small sigh escaping as she glanced up at the magik with a deliberate weariness shimmering in their depths. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she whispered.
The magik tutted and slid a cold hand across to her, patting it condescendingly. “There, there, my dear. You’ve had an exhausting time of it. But there is nowhere better for you than here. It will be better for you emotionally and physically if you stay here. I thought you had made friends here, people who understand you. And there’s always Marion, who I know is extremely fond of you.”
She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear, making her fingers tremble noticeably. “I just... don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
“You mean the pack. Lucien?”
“Yes.”
“He stepped aside so easily, Caia, when I brought Rose in. What loyalty do you really owe him?”
More than I owe you.
With her young heart in her eyes, she looked up at Marita as if a student to her tutor. “I would like to stay here.”
A wide grin split her normally dispassionate face. “Wonderful. I’ll take ca-”
“But I have to go back to say goodbye to everyone. To explain. I would... like to see Jaeden, as well, before I return to the Center.”
For a moment Marita’s eyes washed over her, searching, suspicious. It took everything Caia had to maintain the sincere facade of a young, confused girl looking for guidance. Inside she was furious at this woman for putting her in this position; this woman who was supposed to be the protector of the Daylight Coven. How Marion’s great-grandmother would be howling from the underworld at the way Marita had taken to running things. She was an autocrat alright... she was just better at hiding it than most. Finally, the magik seemed satisfied that Caia was telling the truth. She nodded and stood up. “Very well. You should leave today then. But I expect you back in two days’ time.”
Caia forced a bright smile and a sigh of relief. “Yes, yes of course.”
Restraining the urge to run from the room, Caia sedately left Marita’s suite, surprised to find Marion waiting inside the mahogany elevator for her.
“Well?” She smiled kindly.
Oh how she wished she could confide in Marion, tell her the truth. She abhorred lying to the woman who had been more than just a mentor, but a solid friend.
“I’m staying,” she managed weakly. “I’m going back to the pack with Lucien to say goodbye, and then I’ll be back here in two days.”
Marion’s reaction wasn’t the one she’d been expecting.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“What do you mean? I thought you’d be happy.”
The witch threw her a sad, knowing look. “It would make me happy if I thought that was what you really wanted.”
Caia frowned at her. “It is.”
They rode down the elevator, got off at floor five, and rode that elevator up to Caia’s suite in complete silence. Marion stopped her before she could make her way to her room.
“I still believe that you can help us win this war even if you are living with the pack. My sister doesn’t. That doesn’t mean you have to feel pressured into staying. It would be against the law to keep you here unwillingly.”
In that moment she wanted to throw her arms around this woman and cry, beg, plead with her to help her do what she had to do. But no matter how kind Marion was to her, she would never betray her sister. Caia smiled determinedly at her and lied, “I appreciate that Marion, but there’s really nothing keeping me with the pack.”
“Not even Lucien?”
An ache rippled across her chest and her smile tightened. “Lucien has Rose.”
“And if he didn’t?”
“He does.” She sighed and turned to leave. “I’m going to get ready. Maybe you could tell Lucien that we’re leaving now. Rose is coming with us.”
Instead of heading towards her suite, however, Caia strode past it and got into the elevator at the other end of the hall. Her heart was racing, hoping that she would remain undetected as she made her way to visit the Travellers.
Luck must have been on her side. She found herself on the other side of the Center with very little trouble, and was immediately swarmed by the twins and a few others. The rest of the Travellers watched shyly from the background.
“Oh my goddess, Caia, Ophelia travelled to the top of the Pyramid of Khafre in Giza this morning!” Desi tugged excitedly on her sleeve. “We all told her not to because it’s, like, insanely dangerous... I mean she could have missed the top by a millimeter and gone crashing down the pyramid. But she didn’t!” She laughed, shooting a look of pure pride at Ophelia, who blushed happily, “She totally pulled it off!”
Caia chuckled. “Well done, Ophelia. That must have been some view.”
She shrugged modestly. “There was a lot of sand.”
Desi snorted. “I would so be bragging if I were you now. I can’t believe Vilhelm missed it. Did you hear, Caia? That he broke that girl out of prison, that Midnight?”
“I did.”
Desi and a few others shook their heads in amazement. “We knew he was like awesome at travelling but we didn’t know he had the balls to pull that off.”
Ophelia sniffed. “Well, all I have to say is that he really must believe the girl is innocent. Vilhelm would never betray the Coven.”
Oh that’s right, Caia mused, Ophelia had a crush on Vil.
Desi grimaced. “Or uh the girl put a spell on him.”
“Impossible.” One of the other male Travellers shook his head scowling at her. “The girl was contained by magik. Vil did it of his own free will.”
“So weird, he was always so quiet.”
“It’s always the quiet ones.”
“Why did he do it though?”
“Well, I don’t care why he did it,” Ophelia said loudly, cutting off the chatter. “I’m just not going to treat him as a villain for it.”
“Ophelia.” Desi sighed. “She’s a Midnight.”
Her sister shrugged. “She came here for refuge.”
“Midnights are the enemy, remember.” One older woman sneered.
Caia watched them argue among themselves, her confidence growing by the minute. It seemed the younger generation in particular were more open to the belief that maybe all Midnights weren’t to be condemned solely on heritage alone.
“I can’t believe you would even suggest a Midnight could be innocent.” The same woman spat at Ophelia and the others crowded around her. Desi looked torn and she turned to Caia as if for reassurance. Immediately, as her green eyes swept over Caia, her face brightened and she whirled back to the others. “Why not?” she demanded of the opposition. “Caia’s part Midnight and she’s awesome.”
Silence immediately descended over the room as they all turned to stare at her.
Great.
The older Traveller stepped forward, and still scowling at Desi, said quietly and authoritatively, “That’s different. Miss Ribeiro isn’t a full-blooded Midnight and has proven her loyalty to the Daylights thrice over. In fact, she of all people would be able to tell you that all Midnights are evil.”
Her heart thudded in her chest. She hadn’t come here to make a declaration on that subject quite yet. She had only visited them because she wanted to tell them that they could come see her anytime if they needed anything at all. The Travellers were an important group to her... and eventually she would need them.
As Caia gazed back at all their waiting faces, she was loath to lie to them. If she did, they would only see it as hypocrisy later and her hopes of getting their support would be dashed. Sighing heavily, she shrugged, throwing them a weary smile. “There are very few people in this world who are truly evil. That the Midnights are our enemy at the moment is all you need to know.”
Before the surprised muttering could erupt into loud chatter, Caia moved towards them carefully. “I actually came to tell you that I’ll be returning to the pack for a few days.” More lies, she winced. “But that I’ll be back.” No need to tell them when. “And while I’m gone I want you to know that you can come visit me, any time, if you need me. I’m here.”