Chapter 25
25
I stepped through the portal, Wild by my side, with the address provided by King Julius tight in my grip. Written addresses were harder to portal to. Better to have a clear memory of the destination in mind, so you wouldn’t end up stuck in your magic for a few weeks or in the middle of a crowd of shocked humans.
“I think this is the place,” I murmured.
Wild whistled low. “No kidding.”
We’d arrived in front of an enormous mansion on the outskirts of Bluff City. The skyscrapers of the metropolis were visible in the distance past the large theme park closer to the water. But this mansion… I could pick the building up and pop it in the medieval Mediterranean. Or maybe ancient Egypt was a better fit.
“You’re good to come through,” I called back through the portal.
Huxley and Spyne arrived first, each holding a thick leather-bound book to their chests. Behind them, Andie and Sascha stepped through with a human I’d just met named Wade—a human—and another Luther named Hairy. He was next in order to Sascha and Andie in the pack from what I’d gathered.
“You can walk with me, handsome.” Wade stepped closer to Spyne, dazzling him with a white smile.
Huxley glared and snatched Spyne’s hand in his.
Andie shot Wade a look. “What happened to Gina?”
“It was hot and fun and now we’re both single and ready to mingle. I’m feeling like sausage instead of the bun now, you know?” Wade looked at Spyne again. “Are you with Mr. Warlock there? And is it a good thing going, or weak enough for me to lure you away?”
Spyne was entertained.
Huxley was not. He could join Sascha, who hadn’t cracked a smile whatsoever, and Wild, who didn’t appear to be listening to the exchange either. Both males were 1000 percent occupied by where and who we were approaching, judging by the tension in their bodies.
“Thanks for picking us up,” Andie said, walking beside me on my left. “We wouldn’t have gotten here this quick, and it’s right that we’re all here to commemorate the first alliance between our races.”
She was also my safeguard. I hadn’t brought more magus along, but having the Luthers present could deter King Julius from jeopardizing the deal. “You got it.”
“Wish I could portal,” she said.
“Wish I could turn into a wolf,” I answered, flashing her a smile, which she returned.
We approached the closed gates, and all of us slowed when they swung open ahead of us. In the middle of the driveway stood a woman dressed in tiny underwear, nipple tassels, and a see-through, gaping gown.
“Maybe I’m back to the bun,” Wade gasped in awe.
The Vissimo woman moved forward with a floating grace that told me the supernatural was old as dirt. She laughed in delight—at what I wasn’t sure—and the corners of my mouth lifted at the sound. It was as though I’d had wings for a second. The woman was ethereal. Blonde tresses to her waist, and milky skin. Her boobs were fucking remarkable.
“Queen Titania, what a pleasure to see you again.” Andie stepped forward, and Sascha shadowed her closely.
Queen.
“Andie, the pleasure is mine. You are more beautiful than ever, my dear.”
If those words had come out of my grandmother’s mouth, I would’ve said she was luring someone in for the kill. I couldn’t detect anything other than genuine welcome from the Vissimo queen. This woman shared DNA with Kyros… I just couldn’t see the link at first glance. Though—I peered closer—Kyros might’ve inherited the set of her features.
“This is High Esteemed Tempest of the Buried Knolls coven,” Andie said, gesturing to me.
I walked forward with my own man shadow. I inclined my head. “Queen Titania. I welcome the union between our races.”
“As do I, High Esteemed. Demons will not claim the territory we have worked so hard to keep.” Her expression turned savage, and alarm filled me at the shift before I saw her focus shift to a couple walking our way.
Her son and his mate.
Queen Titania was a mother, and she would protect her children from danger at all costs. Good to know.
Kyros bent to kiss his mother’s cheek, either resigned to or unbothered by her attire. Considering he’d avoided looking at the naked Andie and Sascha during the coven visit, I’d guess at the former. “Mother, does Father know you’re greeting our guests?”
A roar shook the mansion in the distance.
“He did not,” she admitted. “We are coming now, my king.”
The roaring trailed off, but Basilia grimaced at her mate. The gesture didn’t exactly inspire confidence in me. I didn’t want to deal with a pissed-off mate who was also an ancient supernatural.
Was I going to turn around, though?
No.
The queen led us into the mansion, and soon we were crossing an expansive courtyard toward a set of double doors that I could picture as the doors to a mystical tomb. Hopefully not my own. Wild was growling, and Hairy—who’d largely been quiet until now—sent him a sympathetic look. The beta Luther must’ve witnessed all of this before during Sascha and Andie’s mating.
I gathered Wild’s lashing magic and drew his three affinities in to our magical center.
His growling cut off, and he arched a brow my way after. “Thanks.”
“You got it, handsome.” A new trick, and a handy one. We could center each other, apparently. That was huge. Chaos was one of the biggest issues maguskind faced. Especially the powerful ones. This could strengthen our race hugely, even without all the other power gains from a mating ritual.
Kyros pushed open the double doors, and cold power poured out from within.
Wade dropped to the floor without preamble at the crushing force of the Vissimo’s power. Huxley and Spyne froze on the spot, their spines struggling to remain straight. Hairy’s teeth were gritted tight against joining Wade on the floor.
Spyne unfroze enough to reach down and help Wade up—much to Huxley’s annoyance. They, along with Hairy, remained behind as the rest of us trailed after the queen.
King Julius sat in an enormous stone throne at the top of a tower of wide stairs. What was more, he filled the throne. The guy was of astronomical, muscular size, and formed like an Egyptian god. That visual was only reinforced by his goatee and the sarong he wore.
“Titan,” he stated.
Chills rippled down my spine.
She blurred up the stairs to her king and perched on his lap. “I was curious, my king.”
His gaze was on her breasts, and I couldn’t blame him. I wanted to look at them, too, and I wasn’t even that way inclined.
“I know, right?” Basilia said to me under her breath, sending a knowing look with it.
There were some things that even a potentially deadly exchange between three races of supernaturals couldn’t distract from. Queen Titania’s boobs were one of them.
I watched the king interact with his queen. He trailed his nose between her breasts, and I heard and saw Kyros’s revolted shudder. Basilia’s teeth were bared in a grin, and I had a feeling that the prince’s soul-deep distaste of his parents’ public display was a source of great delight to her.
The king turned his head and looked down the stairs at me.
I met his gaze and saw an eternity in them. I had experienced eternity for a few days, but this creature had walked it. He was in eternity and had found peace there too.
“You hold much power,” he announced just when the silence was growing stifling. “You are older than your years. Yet you linger at the bottom of the stairs as though you are not a queen in your own right.” His ancient gaze swept to Andie on the other side of Wild. “The Luther queen opts not to meet me at the top of the stairs because she does not see power in such displays. That, ironically, is her power. But you, Magus Queen, why do you linger at the bottom as though you were not my equal?”
No discussions about the weather with this one. “It doesn’t matter where I am now, King Julius. It matters where I could be when I desire it so.”
“You underplay your hand,” he mused, then smiled. I wish he hadn’t.
He appeared before me in a blink.
Furious snarls ripped from Wild, but I didn’t look away from Julius’s challenging gaze as he peered down at me, less than a hand’s width away.
“I favor such a method myself,” the king murmured.
He surveyed the barrier between us that I’d flung up in instinct, not even noticing it until now. My magic had my back.
“Fast,” King Julius said, and the acknowledgment seemed an unwilling one. “But are you fast enough to face the demon king?” He shifted his focus to Wild, then Kyros. “You were right, Heir To My Throne. They are mating.” Back to me. “How?”
“A good question,” I replied, keeping my heartbeat steady.
His attention snapped to Huxley over my shoulder. Had he heard something suspect there? “Indeed. A mating bodes well for the future of maguskind. Better that I deal with you now than to allow a potential threat to my clan in the future.”
“Such a move would secure a future threat. If maguskind’s ability to mate does not begin with us, then others will be favored with the mating gift in time. All supernaturals are powerless to the design of higher forces, King Julius.”
The king hummed, turning to walk up the stairs to his queen who he’d had time to drape on his throne like art before coming to test my reactions and response to intimidation. If he came straight for me in the future, could I erect a barrier in time?
The queen vacated, trailing her fingers over the back of his throne as she circled to perch on an armrest. How odd that Wild’s mother had vacated her chair for his father, but that was a far cry from the dynamic between the king and queen as they did almost the same. The king treasured his queen openly. I could see that she was collecting information on us in a different way to him, and that he was demanding focus to allow her freedom to do so. He may be the authority, but she was the authority when it came to their family and home. They held power of different measures.
“Perhaps,” the king answered after sitting. “I once did not respect that such higher forces existed, yet I have spent many hundreds of years in the world. There is such that you describe that supernaturals are powerless to. You are correct that grudges between species run deep. I have no wish to have my heir inherit a war with his throne.”
Julius ran his gaze over the six of us, ignoring the groaning Wade and silent Huxley, Hairy, and Spyne behind us. “There are many parallels before me. Too many parallels to ignore. Such occurrences are signs, and each of you would do well to remember this in what lies ahead. Lessons serve us only if we recall them. I had to recall this lesson recently while deciding whether to partner with maguskind.” He looked at Wild, then me. “I have no love for magus. So caught up in their tiny woes are they, that they have failed to see that extinction has had its eye on them for some time. Yet magus are capable of change, as we have seen with you, High Esteemed Corentine. A demon, by contrast, will always be a demon. I have watched their leaders come and go, and each has been driven by the same insatiable thirst for more territory.” His fist curled on the armrest not occupied by his queen. “Magus did not rob my family of nearly one hundred and fifty years of peace as we played for our very lives against another Vissimo clan who would not have merely killed us but broken us and kept my family for their entertainment.”
Caves had run double that amount of time, but our game had never been life and death, just about appointing leadership. Perhaps we would have ended up there in time, though, if the demons had chosen to delay their attack for another hundred years or so.
“Whatever the motive,” I said to the king, “I am glad to partner with Luthers and Vissimo in what lies ahead. Have you had any luck in finding demon gates here?”
The king dipped his head. “My children have located ten.”
Double our number.
Kyros said, “Unlike the coven, we had two enemy clans playing Ingenium and there was no love lost between us. We have not played a game for as long as your coven, but we have been a larger food source for the demons, so it would seem.”
Sascha added, “We’ve found three gates in Deception Valley, but with where the gates are placed, the demons don’t need more. We’ll be hard-pressed to guard the three gates on our own.”
“You heard that the demon gates in our territory opened?” I asked. When they nodded, I added, “We’re testing our defenses against the increased demon magic coming through. We have formed an antidote to the poisonous effect of it, but sourcing the ingredients is limiting our progress there.”
“They send this to weaken you ahead of an attack,” King Julius stated. “A tactic you will find detailed in our personal records. Kyros.”
Kyros bowed and left the room.
“Vissimo share records freely with each other,” the king continued. “But permission must be granted for magus to set their eyes upon the collective knowledge of our brother and sister clans. However, I am confident that I have read everything available on the subject of demons and have seen that transferred to our personal archives. We will ensure this is the case if allowed access to the stores of other Vissimo clans.”
I’d only expected to receive this clan’s information. If we could get access to the archives of all the clans, that would be incredible. “Thank you, King Julius.”
Andie cast me an apologetic look. “We don’t have much to add, sorry. Just some notes of their physical powers that you’ve already mentioned. We do know that the blood of demons doesn’t affect Luthers, though.”
“Indeed?” the king remarked.
My brows shot up. “That’s a large advantage.”
“It is?” Andie said.
Wild answered, “They use their blood in battle to work magic. We’ve guessed that their blood is used for the strongest of their spells or when they feel the match is too even for guaranteed success.”
The Luthers’ strength could be huge for our alliance if demon magic failed to work on them. If we could harness that, then we could neutralize and weaken the demons considerably. Though building enough trust with the Luthers for them to donate their blood—which a magus could use in any manner of ways—would take time. Or might never happen.
“Huxley, Spyne,” I said. “Bring forward our findings, please.”
By the time they’d inched to my side, both magus were sweating. Either my bond with Wild made me impervious to the king’s power, or I possessed the power needed to remain upright. Each of the grimoires couldn’t wait to be out of there. Wade was on the ground again, and Hairy wasn’t in a state to help, though he was still standing.
Andie smiled as she glanced back at Wade. “He keeps demanding to come in here. He’s sure exposure is the key to beating the effect on him.”
Basilia snorted and glanced back. “It’s hard for humans to be around my father-in-law. I remember it well.”
She was still human when she’d first met King Julius, then. I’d have to tell her about meeting Wild’s parents one day.
I floated one of the black, leather-bound tomes up to the king, who took it carefully, and then I passed the other copy to Andie. “These books will automatically update as we add to the Mother copy.”
“Handy trick,” Princess Basilia said, craning to see inside Andie’s copy.
“Invaluable to our clan, and our kind,” stated the king. “This is a gift.” He lowered the book. “I have not been into battle for some time, Magus Queen. I hunger for victory, yet I am too old not to respect the cost. Much thought must be given to how Luther, Vissimo, and magus will fight alongside each other. This has never been done, and we will see it done right.” He scanned the six of us as Kyros returned ahead of ten other Vissimo, all carrying stacks of books.
The king regarded the six of us again. “Yes, you will all see it done right.”
If he knew something about the six of us, he wasn’t sharing.
Huxley and Spyne had almost run to the Vissimo carrying the books. Their grimoire magic glowed brightly as they hovered their hands over the tomes.
“There’s more here than we have,” Huxley said excitedly.
“A lot more,” Spyne agreed.
The king’s brows rose ever so slightly. “I would gather these men are the affinity you call grimoire.”
“Yes, King Julius. We usually don’t let them out, for obvious reasons.”
“He is very beautiful,” Queen Titania remarked, looking at Spyne.
The king regarded Spyne. “Are you in the mood for company in our bed, my queen?”
That reached Huxley through his excitement. He paled, looking up at the king, and I heard Wild’s low laughter in my other ear.
Huxley didn’t fear much competition from a human, but a king and queen were another deal.
Spyne’s cheeks colored, and even I felt jealous at others looking at him. If I didn’t have his approval, who was I? What if he liked the queen better than me?
Wild’s curious gaze was on me, and I tried to refocus.
“I propose that we form a strategy team for the alliance,” Princess Basilia said. “Once a plan is formed, we can train together.”
“I second this.”
Andie nodded. “I’m in.”
“We need a better way to get in touch,” I said. Portals weren’t an option as only a magus could operate one. Human tech to save the day. With some magus alterations of course. I summoned an old phone and floated it to Basilia. “If you lift this from the cradle, I will answer.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Just an old black phone? Couldn’t you make it better?”
King Julius frowned, but his queen and Kyros exchanged an amused glance.
I arched a brow, then turned it gold, encrusting the phone with diamonds too.
“Improved,” Basilia said. “Then set the call tone to ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ for Andie—because werewolf, and ‘Voodoo’by Godsmack for you—because witch.”
I neither practiced voodou, nor was I a witch.
I calmly did so and hovered the bejeweled monstrosity over to her. “It’s all yours.”
Basilia squealed.
“Any changes to yours?” I asked Andie, holding up another black phone.
She lifted a shoulder. “Nah, a phone is a phone.”
I cracked a grin. These women were polar opposites. “We could at least make it more comfortable.”
I edged the handset in gray faux fur and lined the cradle in a light gray leather. Classy and a bit furry. “Song requests?”
“Now those Ihave. ‘I Put a Spell on You’ for you, please,” she replied. “And ‘Blues for a Princess’for Basilia.”
“Jazz and blues fan?” Basilia was clearly a ’90s woman. I would’ve pegged Andie as an acoustic gal.
Sascha smiled at his mate. “She’s a terrific saxophone player.”
“I’d love to hear one time,” I announced, passing her the phone.
Basilia was staring at me. “What about yours?”
“I don’t need one. Lift your handset.”
She did so, and the air around me rang with storm clouds.
I pulsed magic, and it took the path of my grimoire affinity. “Hello?”
Basilia blinked at her phone where my voice just spoke out her earpiece. She held it to her mouth. “Can you hear me?”
Her voice rang in my head. “Yes.”
“Yes, through the phone, or yes in your brain?”
“In my brain.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Your phone is cooler than mine. I don’t like that.”
“Creator’s rights,” I responded. “Just set your mind on Andie to call her.”
The Vissimo glanced at Andie, then picked up the handset again.
“Blues for a Princess” rang out, and Andie lifted her handset, replacing it immediately.
“Hey, you can’t hang up on me,” Basilia said.
Andie smirked. “Just did.”
The princess was glancing between her phone and Andie’s, clearly wondering which she preferred more.
“Now that the most important parts of the alliance have been set,” King Julius said drily.
The three of us jumped.
My focus expanded, and I recalled that the king, queen, various mates, and Vissimo and magus were in the chamber too.
He continued with, “I suggest that we all part ways with new information and time to analyze it. A meeting shall be set for a few days’ time. We have much to do.”
“Agreed,” I said.
Andie murmured her agreement too.
I dipped my head to the king, then queen. “A pleasure to meet you, King Julius.”
His lips curved. “It is not many who say so and mean it, but I believe you might. Until we meet again, Magus Queen.”
When our group exited the chamber and the double doors were shut once again, I took my first full breath in an hour.
“We need to get these books back,” Huxley said to me.
“Go ahead.”
He and Spyne disappeared through a portal.
Wade staggered beside Andie, who supported him around the waist.
The human stared where the portal had been. “Not a great first impression. Do you think he noticed me on the floor?”
“No,” Andie said.
“Don’t lie to me, bitch.”
“Then yes.”
“Don’t tell me the truth! Are you crazy?”
I cracked a grin. Wade was different from anyone I’d met, and I could see the draw. In fact, everyone in this room was so different. Kyros and Sascha were hardest to read, and simplest at the same time. They existed for their mates. Every decision they made was done for her, or with her in mind. She, in return, was acutely aware of not trampling on his urge to treasure her.
What they had was beautiful.
That was how Wild saw me.
That was how I saw him.
I tucked my hand into Wild’s. “We’ll see you in three days, then.” I opened a portal for the Luthers. Their pack lands were visible through the gateway.
I opened a second portal back to the coven.
As Sascha and Andie prepared to step through, and Wild and I prepared to do the same, Basilia’s voice stopped everyone in their tracks.
“I have a good feeling about this,” she told us, glancing up at Kyros.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Andie’s face. “Me too.”
King Julius had spoken about parallels, and that was the feeling I’d gotten upon first meeting these women. Like our alliance was preordained and part of a plan.
Wild squeezed my hand, but it wasn’t needed to sense his agreement through our bond.
“We were meant to meet in this time and place,” I replied to the waiting supernaturals.
The question was what we were meant to do. Why had three mated couples in ruling positions been thrust together against all odds?
I could only think of one answer.
To kill the demon king.