Chapter 27

ASH

I flashEthan a look where he stares forward. A day early for the meeting? Really? Try "not arranged at all". Wait until Tobias hears about this.

Callum rests elbows on the table and studies me. "You brought your apprentice? And who"s this?" He lifts his face as if scenting Maeve. "Ah yes. The witch who entered the premises. What"s your name, sweetheart?"

"Callum," interrupts Ethan. "We"re here to request some information from you."

His eyes remain on Maeve. "I asked her name."

"How involved are you in witch business?" continues Ethan and sits on a sofa, stretching both arms across the back.

Callum looks in disgust at his move. "Mostly I avoid them. We let the Confederacy play their games, and they ignore us."

"They ignore shifters regardless," says Ethan. "Mostly."

"Is that right? You"re anti-Confederacy? Not pro-Dominion, I hope." He stands and opens a nearby dark wood cupboard where an array of bottles and glasses line two backlit shelves. "What do you drink, nameless witch?"

I"m aware the two security guards remain behind us, and I"m praying that nothing triggers Ethan.

"Soda water," she replies.

"With."

"Ice." Maeve fixes her eyes on his.

Callum blinks at her and then chuckles as he pours a clear liquid into a tumbler glass for himself. Then he shakes his head and slices Maeve a look. "And that is why we register witches who come into my casino. Did you see anything interesting in my mind?"

"Not really," says Maeve casually, "Although I believe you"re involved in witch business."

"Oh?" Callum pours a second drink, clear liquid, as if presuming Ethan or Ash might want one. "Why"s that?"

"Because there"s residual energy in this room from a recent witch presence," she says simply.

"And I told you, we register all witches."

"They all receive an invitation to your inner sanctum?" I reply. "Unlikely."

Callum sits at his desk again and gestures at the sofas. Maeve sits facing the two security guards either side of the door, as do I.

"I don"t need to ask your name," he says. "I was merely curious whether you"d tell me, Maeve Winterfall."

She maintains her weird detachment from the situation. "Does that mean I do or do not get the drink you offered?"

Ethan looks on, mouth tipped upwards as he watches. This guy rarely smiles, so I can"t figure out why. Shouldn"t he be annoyed Maeve"s taking control of his situation? Because one thing I"ve learned about all the hybrids is they always need control, as if giving away even a sliver could weaken them.

Lasting side effects from life at Ravenhold?

"Sweetheart, I am nothing but a gentleman." Callum rises and turns away to make a drink, pulling a bottle from a small silver bar fridge inside. "I am safe to turn my back on you all, I hope?"

"You"ve two men of your own in this room," I say.

He turns, a tumbler of ice and water in his hand, which he places on the low glass table in front of Maeve. "By all accounts, that wouldn"t stop you and Ethan."

Maeve doesn"t thank him, instead glaring at one of the security guards who doesn"t react.

"Are you aware who Maeve is?" I ask.

"Only that I"m to look out for her and any companions she may have in my vicinity." He knocks back his own drink in one gulp. "Especially you, Ashley Worthington."

"Look out for her on whose behalf?" I ask sharply. "Gabriella?"

"My own. I heard you cause trouble." He nods at me. "I"ve also heard the up-and-coming alpha screws a particularly popular witch. I see the attraction now."

Air hisses through my teeth, but I don"t rise to his taunting. Oddly, neither does Maeve, who looks unwaveringly at the short security guy who studied her closely before.

"Maeve is my partner," I say stiffly.

"You"re mating with a witch." He curls his lip. "Half-breed dragons?"

Still nothing from Maeve as I scoff at his presumption. Ethan remains quiet too, as if he"s merely a mediator, and focuses on Maeve.

The security guy leans over to whisper something to his partner, whose eyes widen, before following the first now rushing through the door, his security pass falling to the ground. Callum stands. "What the fuck?"

Taking a long breath, Maeve turns to Callum. "I"m not planning children now or in the future. Not that my family plans are your business."

Callum ignores her and grabs his phone, dialling, then dropping it onto his desk after a minute, pissed when nobody answers. "Why the hell did they leave? What"s happening?" The dragon twists his laptop to face him, and I catch a screen of square images from numerous security cameras. "Have you brought someone with you? What are they doing to my casino?"

As Callum studies his screen, face reddening, Ethan wanders to the door and casually pockets the security card before standing in front of the exit.

Whoa. Maeve mind-controlled the security guy.

Would Callum be aware? He knows Maeve"s name, and someone must"ve warned him about her capabilities.

"Nothing to do with us," says Maeve.

Callum slams the laptop closed. "I brought you up here because I know exactly who Ash and Ethan are, and I"m aware that you all bring trouble. My intention was to request you leave my premises. Now explain what the fuck the three of you are doing here."

"Your heavies brought us to your room," says Ethan.

"What are you doing here, at my hotel," he snaps.

"An evening at the casino for me and my witch," I say with a tight smile.

"How involved are you in Dominion business?" Ethan asks again. "Did one ask you to look out for and report back on Maeve? Gabriella, perhaps?"

"I"ve too much business of my own to bother with anybody else"s," he retorts.

"Declan"s involved with Dominion," I say. "Are you?"

"You honestly expect me to divulge everybody I have business dealings with? I keep out of their business unless it becomes my business." He rubs his fingers together. "Financially rewarding business."

"Confederacy and Dominion?" asks Maeve.

He shrugs. "Probably."

Maeve rounds the table towards him and looks up. "How much do you know about me?"

"I know you"ve used magic to turn a dragon alpha into a sad puppy dog. I also know that you"ve connections to the Dominion leader"s son." He runs his tongue along his bottom lip. "In fact, I heard you"re holed up with a collection of guys you"ve used magic on to control. Are all witches as promiscuous as you?"

"Interesting take on my life," she replies. "And interesting that you"d reduce me to whore status and focus on your disgust at my relationship with Ash rather than my magical abilities."

"I don"t give a crap about your abilities because you try anything on me and I"ll have your fucking head," he says.

"Watch it," I growl.

"I want to know why you came here," Callum demands again.

"You tell me why we"re here," she says.

"What?" He rubs his temples.

"Or show me why. Who"s communicating with you about cargo the Dominion want shipping out of London?"

"I"ve no clue what you mean," he retorts.

"Your side-business has regular shipments in and out," says Ethan. "Anything particularly precious? Expensive?"

Callum attempts to break Maeve"s gaze to look at Ethan, but he remains transfixed. "All the time. Like I said, business is business."

"What"s this side business"s name?" asks Ethan gruffly. Callum sucks his lips together, fighting speaking. "Who are you working with?"

"Callum doesn"t know who," whispers Maeve. "Someone"s blocked his mind. The guy is working with Dominion, but that"s common practice for him."

"Not Gabriella?" asks Ethan.

The man doesn"t respond to the name. Or anything. Because he"s losing his mind to Maeve?

"Can you unlock your safe?" asks Maeve quietly. She points to his desk. "The one at your feet."

"What the... No."

"You want to help," she says calmly.

He shakes his head again, as if dislodging a buzzing insect from his ear, then suddenly stares at his hands. Callum"s eyes squeeze closed, and he presses shaking fingers against his temples. "You—I..."

"You want to show us the folder of documents you have in there," she continues.

Callum"s eyes turn glassy, and his expression goes blank. My breath catches as he kneels on the floor, hidden from view. Something buzzes and clicks. The safe.

"Impressive," murmurs Ethan beneath his breath.

Maeve"s zoned out. Too silent and still. I"ve only witnessed her control another person once—Gabriella"s vampire consort outside the Blackwood House, and I could barely see her face in the dark. A silent Callum follows the instructions in his mind—thoughts he believes he"s having himself.

I remain quiet too and gaze towards the panoramic windows across the room. Earlier, Maeve mentioned that she might use controlling magic if we got into a tricky situation, and I worried she might not be strong enough to fool Callum. Then Maeve quietly mentioned how shifters are easy to influence, immediately backing this up with she doesn"t think I"m stupid. I understand. Our brains are more susceptible—one reason necromancers mostly target shifters as constructs.

Callum finishes his task and places a manila folder on the desk. "In your laptop, you"ve a coded list," says Maeve. "Put that on a USB and place it on your desk."

Obediently, Callum turns the laptop to face him, his focus shifting from us.

"Ash. Photograph the documents," says Ethan quietly. "I"ll keep an eye on Callum in case Maeve"s magic breaks."

I"m gob smacked. Truly. Maeve"s determination to master her mind-control has taken up as much time as her divination attempts. Seems her and Tobias weren"t spending as much time in bed together as I"d presumed when they locked themselves away. Either shifters really are easy to manipulate, or she"s improved a shitload after all the practice with Tobias.

Despite her discomfort, Maeve walked in here with the confidence she can pull off the magic. Since Andrei, her determination to hone her magic skills to use against Gabriella intensified. What will happen when she adds in the Blackwood magic?

I slide the folder towards myself and spread the documents onto the table, glancing at the door in case security returns. There"re pages with lists of items, others with signatures and numbers that could be bank payments, many stamped with a company seal. I don"t look closely as I flick through, taking the photos as quickly as I can.

I"ve barely finished before Ethan snatches the folder from me and places it on the floor at Callum"s feet. Have Ethan and Maeve co-ordinated this? Callum breaks his focus on the laptop and places a USB on the desk.

Maeve subtly slides a hand across and picks up the white object, before holding an arm behind her back for me to take and pocket the USB and phone.

By using her own body again, Maeve breaks the control over Callum, and he frowns before holding his head. His mouth parts and he stares at his hands, face scrunched up with confusion. Maeve clears her throat, causing him to look up. She snatches his gaze and her cheeks flush with the concentration.

Adrenaline spiking, I ready myself to run. It"s one thing to control Callum"s body, another to wipe his mind until he"s unaware of what happened.

"Are you trying to read my mind, witch?" he snaps.

"No."

The truth. I relax—a little. Bloody hell, Maeve.

"Bullshit." He glares between us. "I want you off my premises. Now."

"You won"t register me as a witch and allow me to use the casino?" asks Maeve with false disappointment.

"Not one who tried to invade my head, no." He eyes Ethan. "You leave. I don"t know why you"re here, but piss off and don"t touch me. I can have my men in this room like that." Callum clicks his fingers.

Ethan blinks slowly. "You"re not interested in discussing Ashley"s refusal to assist and take on his role? Surely as one of the dragon leaders, you"d back up Declan."

"After what happened to the guy when you visited him? No bloody way. Leave me to my business and let other dragons deal with the witch-lover. I only wanted to see for myself whether he"s what the other alphas say."

"Odd you don"t want to challenge us." Ethan slants his head. "Since you"re the local alpha, and Ash and I are taking every dragon syndicate down."

He stiffens. "I said, don"t touch me." As Ethan rises and approaches, Callum tenses further. Please don"t start a fight again, Ethan. I don"t want Maeve caught in the crossfire.

"I agree. We should leave," says Maeve. "Ethan."

"If I find you"ve lied to us about dealings with Gabriella, I will be back and not as pleasant next time."

"You"re not untouchable, mid," says Callum in a stupidly brave move.

"No, but I"m harder to kill than you." He flashes his teeth into the closest Ethan has to a smile and steps back. "Okay. Let"s go. Looks like no casino for us tonight."

As Ethan leads us towards the door, Callum"s face lines with confusion again. "Where did my security go? Didn"t they accompany you in?"

"They must"ve left," I say brightly and take Maeve"s hand.

"I don"t know what the fuck is happening here, but I don"t want to see you again," he says as Ethan reaches the door.

Maeve suddenly pauses, eyes widening, before she follows Ethan, and I walk out behind her.