Chapter 8

Legna was awakened the next evening by the wild tromping of well-known little feet that echoed through the stone corridors of the castle. Of course, the exasperated female voice scolding after the retreating army of children was also quite familiar.

Legna yawned and stretched between the warmth of her covers. She started in surprise when her hand hit a solid wall of flesh. She sat up in sudden shock, looking straight into Gideon's eyes.

"Are you insane?" she hissed, yanking up her covers to make sure she was well concealed while at the same time flicking worried looks at the two doors leading into her room. "Noah will sense that you are here!"

"Good eve to you, too, Neliss, " he countered casually, as if he had no cares in the world. When she continued to glare at him, he chuckled and sat up to face her. "I am in astral form, sweet. I felt you beginning to wake and wanted my face to be the first you saw when you opened your eyes." Gideon reached out to brush back her mussed hair, a tender smile crossing his lips.

"That is terribly sweet of you, Gideon," she whispered with continued agitation, "but what makes you think Noah cannot sense your energy even in this form?"

"He will most likely mistake it for that part of you that has become me. And if he does not, should you desire it, I can leave the moment you feel his approach. Personally, I am not so intimidated by your brother as you seem to be."

"Gideon, this is not about intimidation. This is about respect for my brother's house … not to mention his feelings. I want this to cause as little pain to him as possible. I was hoping you would understand that."

"I do understand, Neliss. However, your brother is quite mature enough to realize that I will come to visit with you here until you come to live in my home. I suspect he will tolerate it if it means putting off that eventuality."

"I understand your perspective, Gideon, but this is still news to Noah. You must give it some—"

"Time?" he finished for her.

She sighed, understanding what an annoyance that word must be becoming to him. She was equally frustrated that all these troubles stood between them.

"I am willing to take the time to sort them out with you, Legna. Stop fretting. You attribute me with a temper I do not have. A man who has lived as long as I have has learned much more patience than you are giving him credit for. Now kiss me so I may leave and settle your worried mind."

Legna smiled, tossing her hair back over her shoulder as she leaned across to him, her mouth turned up invitingly to his. He reached to hold the back of her head with one large hand, drawing her firmly to his mouth.

Kissing him in this form was a new and entirely different experience. Since he was made up of pure mental energy, solidified only by the power of thought, there was a tinge of feedback that rushed over her damp lips and the warm, wet interior of her mouth as he explored it for a long, stunning minute. The only thing she could liken it to was the sensation received when licking a battery … only it was ten times as strong in effect. He laughed against her lips when she began to giggle at both the thought and the ticklish feeling.

He drew back, gently caressing her down the side of her face as his eyes continued to shimmer with bright amusement.

"You will never bore me, sweet," he promised her, kissing her ever so briefly before dissipating beneath her touch.

She sighed, feeling the loss of his presence more keenly every time they parted. She knew it was only a matter of time before they would not be able to part at all. The time when nature would overtake sense. She only hoped that by then she would have already made all of her reconciliations within herself.

She slid out of bed quickly, somehow managing to shower once more with her eyes closed the entire time, in spite of the chuckles echoing over and over through her mind. By the time she was dressed, she was flushed from being torn between scolding Gideon and laughing with him. Unfortunately, the scolding would have been highly ineffective, considering he was already privy to her dilemma between the two options.

So she lifted her nose into the air and decided to completely ignore him.

When she reached the bottom of the steps, Hannah was pacing back and forth across the entire length of the Great Hall. Legna was at once awash with her sister's emotions and could not resist the groan that swung through her thoughts.

Be brave, Neliss, Gideon encouraged her, reading from her thoughts what she was sensing from her other sibling.

Wrath of a Self-Righteous Fire Demon, take two, she thought wryly back to him.

Did you expect otherwise?

No, but a girl can hope.

Complete your task, Nelissuna, then come to me.

I will, but remember I promised to have dinner with Noah later.

I recall. I do not plan on making you miss your appointment with your brother, Legna. Only to have as much time with you between now and then as is possible.

Legna gave him one of her mental nods and turned to face down the simmering temper of her distraught sister, once more preparing to defend the Imprinting, which she had no control over in the first place. Except, this time, it meant quite a bit more to her than that.

When Legna appeared in Gideon's parlor, he was walking across the room, shrugging into a long coat of a rich brown leather, reaching back to pull the long tail of his hair out of the collar just as Legna was cocking a curious brow in his direction.

"Are we going out?"

"No," he responded, his tone as serious as the tension she sensed within him.

"What's wrong?"

Gideon paused in the middle of strapping a knife in its sheath to his thigh. Body Demons rarely, if ever, armed themselves. It only served to perplex Legna further, his thoughts kept as far from her as he could manage for some reason.

"Noah has called a Council meeting. Elijah is expected to give his report on Bella's attack. I was told to … come prepared."

"Who told you this? Noah mentioned nothing to me."

It gave him only a moment of pause to hear this, then he shrugged.

"Your brother has formed a habit of leaving you out of the loop since October's incident. You are not on the Council, so he sees no reason to inform you of these things."

"Not on the …" Legna's jaw dropped open as her eyes widened in shock and building outrage. "I am one of the most powerfully effective diplomats and mentors in our society, and he chooses not to inform me of critical happenings that require you to come armed to a Council meeting? I am not a child, despite what you or my brother might think, and I know full well that the only reason for you to be armed is if you plan on engaging in battle with a Nightwalker species that is somewhat or completely immune to your abilities."

"I never said that I thought you were too young to be capable of understanding the situation. Legna, do not lump me in with the protective actions of your brother. If you will recall, it is I who is being forthright with you about the nature of what is going on."

He was right, of course. In a way, she truly was acting like a child, throwing a temper tantrum because the big kids were clearly not going to let her play in their games. It made her angry with herself and with Noah all at the same time. Legna folded her arms across her middle tightly, blinking back the childish urge to give in to tears.

"Come, sweet, you are being too hard on yourself," Gideon soothed, crossing over to her and pulling her into the comfort of his arms. "Now that I am a part of you, I am beginning to understand how come you became so angry with me for calling you a child. Despite your age and accomplishments, no one in your family has ever quite stopped treating you like the baby of the family. It is a wonder you have developed the sophistication you have despite their unwitting repressive behaviors. It is even more miraculous that you have maintained your patience with them for all these years."

"I am being sensitive because they have both taken turns at scolding me within the past twenty-four hours," she argued with herself aloud. She sniffled and dashed the dampness from her eyes before she made a complete fool of herself.

"You do not need to feel embarrassed with me, Magdelegna," he told her softly, reaching to pick up one of the long coils she had styled her usually softly curled hair into. He smiled, rubbing the curl against his lips affectionately. "Always feel free to show your honest feelings to me. I am most likely aware of them in any event"

"Gideon," she whispered, her hands reaching to splay over his broad chest, "I am … I feel fear for some reason. I am filled with the sickly sensation that if I let you go, I may never see you again."

The confession did amazing things to Gideon, turning his heart completely over in his chest, for starters. She was allowing herself to become more closely attached to him, otherwise why would she dread his loss? He closed his eyes as he was rushed through with pleasure at the realization and a swell of hope so powerful it made him numb. Unable to resist the impulse, he drew her tightly into his embrace, hugging her so securely that he heard her breath escape in a rush from the compression of her rib cage. Her feet waved a couple of inches off the floor, and she laughed in a mixture of delight over his affections and unsure fear as he swung her slightly from side to side, continuing to clutch her for a long chain of minutes. When he finally set her back onto her feet, she clung to him with her comparatively slender, feminine body as if they had been stuck that way by the irrepressible connectivity of static electricity.

Gideon's hands were gloved, she realized for the first time as he brushed her hair back in an attempt at giving himself a clear field of vision while he looked down into her face.

"You look beautiful tonight," he said, stroking the very different mass of tight curls first, and then the shimmering azure silk that spilled off her shoulders in a delicately embroidered and beaded shawl. The dress she wore was as long and trained as all her others, the black silk of it also beaded and fringed with intricate care. "Was this all for me?"

She nodded, too wound up to make any pretense at sarcasm or jokes or evasiveness. The appreciation in his eyes as he took in her efforts made the honesty well worth it.

"Just so you know, I find you to be equally stunning even when you wake up tousled and perturbed with me," he told her, his crooked smile making her smile shyly in return. "It is your desire to please me, above all, which has won my pleasure, not the methods you used to try and do so. However"—he reached to slide blue silk back from a bared shoulder, leaning forward to kiss the exposed spot gently before meeting her gaze once more—"you do wear it well."

"I want to come with you," she blurted out suddenly, the words coming to her lips even before he could find the thought forming in her mind.

"Why? So you can pace the hall while the Council meets? To what end? Only to have to pace it some more after I leave for whatever action it is that Elijah has planned for me? I believe it would be better for your peace of mind to remain here where you can follow me in your thoughts with no one to disturb you." He rubbed the soft, rosy rise of her cheek with a leather-covered thumb. It was a uniquely masculine caress, as well as breathtaking and loving. Legna had to maintain her focus with a little more effort than usual. "Remember, Legna, for the rest of your life you will always come with me."

"No. This is wrong!" She pushed out of his hold, wrapping herself in her shawl and her own arms once more as she paced several steps away before turning quickly back. "Can you not feel what is inside of me? I am ready to scream with this feeling that no one should … that I should …"

She had to stop and sort through exactly what it was she was feeling. She had denied these instinctual aspects of her being for so long, now she had no experience with which to compare them. She drew a frustrating blank on how to describe or identify the sensation she was feeling.

"What you are feeling, Legna," Gideon rescued her with a soft, soothing pitch to his voice, "is the desire to remain at my back. It is an instinct designed for both your self-defense and the defense of your mate."

"Yes!" she exclaimed, returning to him in order to reach for him, her slim hands clutching the leather that covered his powerful upper arms. "We were meant to be back to back when you face danger. I can feel it. It is a clawing need within me. … It … reminds me of what it feels like when you are swimming and remain beneath the water too long. It is a need as desperate as the urge to draw breath when starved for air. You must take me with you."

"Not this time, Nelissuna. " He tried to deny her gently, but her need and determination were sharp. She could take offense easily, no matter how diplomatic he tried to be. Gideon hoped he would be able to appeal to her logic. "You do not have enough experience working with these instinctual emotions. They are new, and, as you know, can be overwhelming. Until you learn to acknowledge them and integrate them into yourself, you are in danger of losing focus and control. I do not have to tell you how dangerous that is in a volatile situation.

"We will take the time to train you, to train myself as well, after I return to you. Understand, I will be unable to feel comfortable having you at my side in battle right this moment. Not because I do not want you to fill your place behind me, but because in this situation I would spend too much time worrying about you. It could cause one or both of us to become injured."

He was correct, of course, but it only served to spike a streak of frustrated anger and self-contempt in Legna. She had been running from this side of herself as if she were a frightened child, shutting her eyes tight and wishing the monsters within herself away rather than facing them down. Now she would begin to pay for that. She had been so arrogant to believe that she had to keep herself above such urges. In that moment she would have given anything to already be reconciled with those exact same urges in order to aid her mate as she was supposed to. If something happened to him because she was not there to be his additional eyes and strength, it would be her fault.

"Stop, Legna, this serves no purpose," he said firmly, the leather of his gloves cool and taut against the skin of her face as he forced her to meet his gaze. "Do not waste your time with self-recriminations when there is nothing to be done about it at this moment. Instead, find a comfortable place here and follow me from within. I still need you, sweet. Your experience, your abilities, and your intuition could serve me just as well as your physical presence could in this matter. I need you to see what I may miss, and to maintain a route of escape should the need arise. And no, I do not expect it to. It is just my nature to be prepared."

Legna absorbed his request for what seemed like a minute too long, but then she broke out of his hold and turned her back to him. Her thoughts were so chaotic that Gideon could not make sense of what she was thinking about specifically. It wasn't until she reached for the second knife and sheath he had left on the table that he began to understand her intentions.

With the grace she had that surpassed even that which should have been natural to her because of her bloodlines, she moved back to him. After touching him lightly across his chest with an affectionate hand, she quietly bent to the task of securing the sheath to his other thigh.

The profundity of her actions left Gideon utterly speechless. All he could do was watch and feel as her deft fingers fixed the higher strap and buckle on the high inside of his thigh. To say the experience was erotic was an understatement of terrible ineptitude. It didn't matter that it had not been the intention of either of them to see the action in such an intimate light. What mattered was that they were both aware of it, that they both were aroused by the intimacy of her actions on far deeper levels than just the fact that her hands were touching him.

She was his one true mate, his second half, the feminine side of himself that flourished on intuition and protective instincts. She was the side that turned calm before the battle so as to see to complete preparation for what was to come. She was center, focus, and everything moral that would guide his actions. She was the strategy and logic that would take him along the best course to victory while exercising caution for his own safety. She was mercy for those who would lie beaten at his feet, satisfying him with victory while sparing him the poisonous joy of killing when it was no longer needed. She was the peace and the light that would keep him from burdening himself with the heavy weight of taking a life, no matter how justified it was.

He was her one true mate, her second half. As she armed him, she felt him slipping deeply into her soul, becoming the masculine side of herself. This was the place within her that thrived on defending what was hers, the part that would mark her territory with the blood of her enemies if they dared cross the lines set before them. He became her sense of authority and righteousness, the part of her that was battle scarred and warrior skilled. He was her physical prowess, her devious cunning, and the part that would endure the pain and wounds of hell rather than see injustice done. He was the darkness and the conflict that kept her from becoming too complacent in the soft nature of peace, leaving herself open to the attack of those who were not so honorable in ideals as she would have them be.

Legna's hair hung down the far side of her head, leaving the nearer side of her lovely face and throat exposed as she concentrated completely on performing her task with an efficiency worthy of trusting his life to. With his special sight, Gideon's eyes focused on the thrum of her strong pulse even as he shared it with her already in his own body and his own spirit. She secured the second strap of his weapon and straightened, her steel-colored eyes reflecting the female warrior within her that saw to his preparation with meticulousness.

She unsnapped the hard piece of leather that kept the knife in its sheath and pulled the Weapon free. The sharp metal of the nine-inch blade sang shortly as it slid over the metal rim of its holder. Legna held the blade in the light. She turned it over, inspecting it carefully for a moment before being satisfied enough with its quality and razor readiness to return it to its home, nimbly securing the snap over it once more.

Finished with that task, she inspected her mate from head to toe, carefully judging his readiness. When she finally met his burning eyes, Gideon allowed himself to take a breath.

"I never knew the short dagger was your expertise," she mentioned softly.

"It is one of them. One who lives a life of my length would be foolish to not take the advantage to become an expert at all combat weapons." He watched her expression carefully, searching for her thoughts.

"Yes. I know. I suppose in a sense we can count ourselves lucky that our innate powers outstrip the destructive capabilities even the most advanced technology can produce. We have little need for the weaponry of that ilk, even if we were compatible with such things."

She moved a step closer, her elegant hands reaching for the warmth of his chest beneath the gap in the leather coat, her nails pulling ever so slightly at the cotton fabric of his shirt. He slipped his hands around her slender waist, the possessiveness in the grip hard to mistake as he drew her even nearer. He said nothing, but he reached to kiss her within the span of the next beat of his heart. As their warm lips meshed, so did their intent. The exchange was part tenderness, part desperation, and a large portion of unspoken feelings and desires twisted up too tightly in the worries of the moment to find any clearer expression.

"Will you be here when I return?" he asked, his words warm and more than a little urgent against her mouth.

"Yes," she promised him, sealing it with the fiery longing that came through in the sworn oath of her lips.

Not wanting to distract him any more than she already had, she broke away from their kiss, leaving his grasp with a definitive backward breaking movement that took her a sufficient distance away from him, and him away from her hunger and frightened needs. If not totally, at least from the physical manifestations of them.

He understood her actions completely and was grateful for them. He needed his wits about him, and she had the ability to rob him of them with such ease when she engaged him in the artwork of her mouth and the complexity of her emerging needs and thoughts.

"Hang on," she murmured, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and, extending her slender arms out to either side of her body, splayed her hands in a focusing movement.

The last thing Gideon saw was the silk of her shawl snaking off of her smooth skin, pooling on the floor around her feet. In a flash, he found himself reappearing in the hall of the Great Council with a nearly silent pop and no other sign of smoke or mirrors.

Jacob was the first to rise out of his chair after the Great Council had finally convened.

"As you all may or may not know," he began, "our female Enforcer was brutally attacked a couple of nights ago." The announcement elicited several surprised murmurs from those who had not been updated through the flow of gossip. "She was finally strong enough this evening to begin to tell us what had happened to her. Once we combine her information with Elijah's"—Jacob gestured to the enormous blond warrior sitting on one of the sides of the triangular table, rocking back on the rear legs of his chair—"and then further combine their information with that of the medic who healed her, I think we will all be updated and informed enough to make secure conclusions and begin to take action. Since Noah, myself, and Elijah have already processed this information between ourselves, we will also provide suggestions for courses of action we feel are appropriate.

"For obvious reasons, I will be the one the retell my mate's story. She is not strong enough yet to venture from her bed, and I believe you all can agree that her safety and the well-being of the child she carries must be attended to above all other courses of action."

Councilor Ruth made a derogatory sound under her breath that was par for the course for the female Mind Demon. However, tonight, Jacob was not in his usual tolerant frame of mind. Normally, he managed Ruth's tart remarks and jockeying for power and position with the forbearance shown a mouthy child, but Ruth's disparagements against Jacob's wife had grown too bold to continue to pass without acknowledgement. It did not help matters that Ruth should pick so unwise a moment to taunt him.

When the Enforcer's fist came down on the table hard enough to send a horrendous crack through the solid wood, Councilors and King alike were startled in their chairs. However, it was nothing compared to the dangerous vocalization that poured out of the Earth Demon's throat as he narrowed cold, bitter eyes on the vindictive Ruth.

"You will refrain from expressing your negative sounds and opinions about my wife to this Council, Ruth," he growled his warning, his tone so low and dangerous that many of the Councilors experienced a deathly chill. "If you do not, you will find yourself answering to me. Do I make myself perfectly clear to you, woman?"

"You dare to threaten me?" she retaliated, gaining her feet as she faced off with the Enforcer in what had to be the most unwise action in Council history since the decision to go to war with the Druids.

"Ruth, sit down," Noah warned with a hiss. "If you do not, you will find yourself removed from this Council for the rest of your days. Do I make myself clear?"

"You do not have the power to do that!" Ruth declared, her obstinacy so complete she simply did not understand the hole she had been blindly digging for herself. Perhaps in those first months of her daughter's loss this could be understood, but she had been spewing ill will and hostility toward the Enforcers continuously. However, the Council understood that the Enforcers were not to blame for the damage to her family, and her tirades and animosity had left her very few friends on the uneasy Council.

"I do," Noah countered with the cool confidence of his omniscient position. "If the Council supports me in majority, you will find yourself excommunicated from this gathering. And I think you need to realize, Councilor Ruth, that the woman you treat with such contempt, who sits by Jacob's side in this Council, will hold in her hands the deciding vote of the majority I need once she is well enough to sit with us once more. Now sit down. "

Ruth paled under the clear threat, her entire body shaking with her pent-up outrage and impotent position. But she somehow managed the wisdom to hold her tongue, tossing the blond mass of her hair in a gesture of silent defiance as she finally regained her seat. There was no mistaking the hatred in her eyes as she glared at the Enforcer.

"Continue, Jacob. I apologize for the interruption," Noah urged him gently.

Gideon flicked an aluminum gaze of curiosity at Ruth as Jacob took a minute to compose himself. He understood Ruth's unchecked emotions. Her daughter had lost the most valuable treasure a Demon could earn. She had lost the Druid mate who, without a doubt, would have become Imprinted upon the young Demon female for all time, earning her a place in the emerging history of a new era for all of Demon culture. This was the very type of Destiny that a being who craved power like Ruth did would have exulted in. To be mother of such a daughter, what a wondrous thing that would have been.

But Gideon's compassion was entirely for Ruth's daughter, Mary. The death of her male Druid had deprived the young Demon of ever knowing what it was that he and Legna were just beginning to discover and had already grown a healthy awe and respect for.

Then Gideon abruptly felt the weight of his realization that, had it not been for Isabella and her remarkable abilities, he too would have been cursed to this fate. The thought made his entire body run cold despite his efforts to control the ebb and surge of the thick emotion. To lead a life without Legna, and without ever knowing what he was missing, was unthinkable. When had he begun to feel as if all his long years had been a labor leading him up to this point, so he could draw her to his side? When he thought back over the past nine years, time he had wasted and left her unprotected when, instead, he should have been keeping her close and safe …

Gideon tightened both hands into fists, the soft creak of stressed leather lost under the voices of the Council. He glanced around the table at those who could sense his thoughts and feelings, if they dared, including the avaricious Ruth, and he struggled for control.

Easy, dearest. Focus on the moment, and remember how close I am now.

Her comforting voice was nothing compared to the powerful effect her use of an endearment had on him. His fingers moved to silently grip the arms of his chair, almost as though he had to hold himself down lest he soar with the simple pleasure. He couldn't explain the ridiculous effect, but there was no way to deny it.

If I had known it would be so easy to please you, I would have done it sooner, she sent to him, her laughter lightening his heart as it moved through his body and soul.

When have I ever given you the impression that you did not please me, Neliss?

Hush, flatterer. Pay attention to Jacob.

Gideon smiled with a corner of his mouth and turned his attention to do just that.

"… originally thought it was the attack of a necromancer," the Enforcer was saying. "She had been struck by several charges of what looked like their signature use of electrical abilities. What we could not immediately understand was why she had not been able to dampen that type of power as she has done in the past."

Jacob paused, rubbing his hands together as if they were chilled. It was no wonder, Gideon mused. He would have felt just as cold if it had been him before the Council describing an attack on Legna … and being forced to relive the fact that he had failed to protect her, whether it was avoidable or not.

"The reason why Bella could not dampen her attacker's power is because the majority of it came from a handheld, Taser-like weapon. It was technology, not supernatural ability, that initially injured her. She opened the door and had no chance to protect herself. She was fired upon immediately. The only thing she remembers clearly after the original shock was that one of her attackers came up to her as she lay stunned and wounded on the floor and proceeded to—" He broke off, his throat working as his fingers curled to clench into fists. It was as if the inconceivable words had lodged themselves in Jacob's throat, strangling off his very breath in the process.

To Legna's clear relief, which Gideon felt as if it were his own, Elijah stood up and laid a hand on Jacob's shoulder, urging the Enforcer to take a seat. The warrior turned to the Council and picked up the story.

"Bella remembers vividly that one of the assaulters purposely began to traumatize her about the abdominal area. Kicking her … even going so far as to use blunt weapons like bats or long sticks. She is not certain which. Her injuries were consistent with a beating, were they not, Gideon?"

Gideon gave the warrior a single nod.

"It was as with hounds on a fox," Gideon informed softly. "She lay in the center of a pack as it attacked her all at once. The primary target was Bella's unborn child. Secondary was Bella herself. It is clear that her assaulters intended her to die. Had that happened, we would have had no first-person account of the incident. Luckily, my—Magdelegna," he corrected himself quickly, feeling the sudden weight of the Demon King's eyes on him and wishing above all else not to disturb Legna any more than she already was, "Magdelegna," he continued, "found Bella within minutes of the end of the assault."

Speaking it out loud made Gideon realize just how close she had come to danger that day. Had she not been under his compulsion to sleep, she might have risen sooner and been with Bella at the time of the attack. Gideon felt something dark pour a stain over his soul like black ink on paper. Again, so close to losing her, and never having truly had her to begin with. The understanding was awful enough, but the feelings writhing beneath it seemed to want to rise up and choke him, just as they had Jacob. He fought for control of it all, but it was Legna who made the most impact.

Shh … Ease your heart, my mate, she soothed him. You are mine now and there will be no harm to either of us that can ever change that.

"It is clear that outside of Isabella's injuries, everything else in that room was staged," Elijah continued, his straightforward warrior's voice stark in the middle of Gideon's suddenly heartened spirits. "It was made to look like necromancers, but I am not convinced of that. Why destroy the place and leave obvious signs? Clearly there was no battle. Why sign their names to it with such senseless destruction?"

"Not necromancers?" Ruth asked. "But can you be sure?"

"No, actually, we can't," Elijah agreed. "Necromancers are still humans, and they can still use technological weapons. These are the requirements of fact. An enemy with motive," Elijah ticked off his facts on his fingers, "one who can use technology, and one who knows we despise the necromancers, thereby the attempt to frame them. Sans the necromancers themselves, of course, who might still be a possibility. More importantly, they had to know of Jacob, Bella, and the significance of their unborn child."

"Who else would know about the emergence of Druids and their role in our future?" Jacob asked.

Gideon's blank expression might not have aroused the suspicions of anyone at the Council table, but Legna was concentrating so completely on his thoughts that there was no way she could have missed the wash of dread that slipped through him, accompanied by the ghost of guilt that followed.

You know something, she whispered.

N ot now, Legna.

Legna understood. There were powerful male Mind Demons in the room who were capable of penetrating even Gideon's formidable defenses should their suspicions be aroused. She silenced herself immediately, filling his mind with images of comfort and cotton-candy thoughts that would cause a significant haze over any curious Demons trying to pull information from her mate.

"This connotes Nightwalker. Rumor spreads quickly in our world, and it would not surprise me if a species has heard about the Druids and felt threatened by their perpetuation among us."

"That leads us to how to eliminate or confirm each species of Nightwalker," Elijah remarked. Other Nightwalker races were his forte, so the Wind Demon was in his element, so to speak. As head of the warriors, Elijah had the duty to see to the resolution of altercations between Demons and other races. "Let's start with the Shadowdwellers."

"The attack took place at sunset," Noah said.

"Exactly," Elijah confirmed. "Shadowdwellers cannot bear even the slightest amount of sunlight. Their sensitivity is worse even than that of the Vampires. As we know, some members of the Vampire race can tolerate some sun the older and the stronger they become. But that is absolutely impossible for Shadowdwellers."

"The Mistrals are notoriously nonaggressive. I cannot imagine them going to this trouble to commit such a violent act," Jacob added.

"But I can easily believe it of the Lycanthropes," Elijah rejoined. "Though we have held a tenuous truce with them these past thirteen years, there are still those who resent the Demons enough to cross the lines of peace."

"To what end? To destroy a pregnant female? It does not make sense," Noah argued. "Lycanthropes are not known for that measure of focus and specificity."

"I tend to agree," Gideon spoke up. "Lycanthropes would turn to their instincts in the heat of such an attack. They would not have been able to resist the urge to mark Isabella, tainting her with their blood in the process. There was no hint of claw wounds or animal bites, not to mention the fact that her blood was free of the taint of Lycanthropy."

"And yet, what better way to hide that the attack was theirs than to resist the impulse? They were in human form, if it was them. Bella was attacked by bipeds."

"Vampires?"

"All criteria make it possible except for motive and technology. Of course, it would be no trick for a Vampire to charm a human into using such a weapon."

"Motive is my concern," Gideon said quickly. "Lack of one, that is. There is no cause for it."

"Yet they cannot be ruled out," Elijah countered. "There could be something we are missing."

"I will rule them out," Gideon said succinctly.

Noah turned his head, cocking a brow.

"You will go to Damien with an accusation like this?" he asked, knowing full well that there had always been something between the two Ancients.

"But I was planning on sending him to Siena," Elijah complained. Gideon felt Legna's reaction sharply, the emotion of shock and fear almost blocking out Elijah's explanation. "You know her best, Gideon. I realize your innate Demon abilities will not be able to affect her much, but you will be able to see enough of her body chemistry and functions to know if she is lying to you or concealing anything. I trust you feel capable of sufficient hand-to-hand combat if it should come to that?"

"Of course," Gideon said with the simplicity of perfect confidence. "And I do not see why I cannot do both tasks. I am the wisest choice in either direction."

"He has a point," Noah agreed.

Gideon felt Legna's instant disconcertment at her brother's eagerness to send him into volatile duty. If she could have controlled his body, she would have made the Ancient slap the Demon King.

"Very well. While you are doing that, I plan to move in the circles of the humans who take delight in stalking Nightwalkers," Elijah said. "The sanctums of those self-proclaimed hunters are easy to penetrate, especially for those with clear physical and battle prowess."

"The remaining issue: necromancers. They will be what is left through process of elimination," Jacob said quietly. "It is very likely that the obvious may end up the right answer. But we cannot rest on that without safely eliminating the rest."

"We will reconvene when Elijah returns from his reconnaissance. I trust that will give you time to complete your tasks, Gideon?"

"Ample time, Noah, I assure you."

"Very well. I will see you all then. Council is adjourned." Noah rose to his feet, pausing in the act of straightening to touch Councilor Ruth's hand, whispering a single-word command to her under his breath.

The Council dispersed with the exception of Gideon and Jacob, both of whom remained in their seats until the room had cleared entirely. When the door had shut, Jacob turned to the medic.

"If you require someone to watch your back, I will be glad to accompany you."

"No, thank you, Jacob. I think this is a task best completed by an individual. If two of the most powerful Demons in our society were to appear on foreign doorsteps, it would put the receptions completely on the defensive, perhaps even provoking an undesirable altercation."

"I see your point. However, if you should encounter trouble, you merely have to instruct Legna to come to me and I will assist you to the best of my ability."

"I do not think it will come to that. Damien has been peaceable for centuries, and Siena is no fool. She knows I would not enter her territory without being monitored."

"Are you going now?"

"Yes. I see no reason to delay the action. I am already prepared."

"I noticed," Jacob remarked. "I have not seen you armed in some time. I figured Elijah must have given you some forewarning of possible events."

"He merely told me to come prepared for all possibilities of combat."

"He would put it that way," Jacob chuckled. "The man is a warrior through and through, for all his clowning around."

"True. Shall I stop in to check on Bella before I go?"

"Not dressed like that. You would give her palpitations if she knew you were going into danger for her benefit."

"Luckily, I am mostly immune to Bella's powers and could cure such palpitations with a thought," Gideon mused.

Jacob raised a brow, taking the medic's measure. He could not recall the last time he had heard the Ancient crack wise about anything. It was not a wholly unpleasant experience, and it amused the Enforcer.

"I … am aware of what is occurring between you and Legna, as you know," Jacob mentioned with casual quiet. "I am only recently Imprinted myself, but should you require—" He broke off, suddenly uncomfortable. "Of course, you probably know far more about Imprinting than I ever will."

He is reaching out to you.

Legna's soft encouragement made Gideon suddenly aware of that fact. It was one of those nuances he would have missed completely, rusty as he was with matters of friendship and how to relate better to others.

"I am glad for the offer of any help you can provide," Gideon said quickly. "In fact, I had wanted to ask you … something …"

What did I want to ask him? he asked Legna urgently.

I do not know! I did not tell you to engage him, just to graciously accept his offer.

Oh. My apologies. Still, you are clever enough to think of something, are you not?

Legna knew he was baiting her, so she laughed.

Ask him why it is you seem to constantly irritate me.

I will ask him no such thing, Magdelegna.

Well then, you had better come up with an alternative, because that is the only suggestion I have.

"Yes?" Jacob was encouraging neutrally, trying to be patient as the medic seemed to gather his thoughts.

"Do you find that your mate tends to lecture you incessantly?" he asked finally.

Jacob laughed out loud.

"You know something, I can actually advise you about that, Gideon."

"Can you?" The medic actually sounded hopeful.

"Give up. Now. While you still have your sanity. Arguing with her will get you nowhere. And, also, never ever ask questions that refer to the whys and wherefores of women, females, or any other feminine-based criticism. Otherwise you will only earn an argument at a higher decibel level. Oh, and one other thing."

Gideon cocked a brow in question.

"All the rules I just gave you, as well as all the ones she lays down during the course of your relationship, can and will change at whim. So, as I see it, you can consider yourself just as lost as every other man on the planet. Good luck with it."

"That is not a very heartening thought," Gideon said wryly, ignoring Legna's giggle in his background thoughts.

Jacob rose from his chair, pushing it in as he stretched out muscles stiffened from sitting too long.

"I will see you soon, Gideon."

The Enforcer twisted into the form of a dust spiral and exited up out of a window.

How are you feeling? Up to teleporting me to a place I send to your mind?

I believe so.

So he did just that.