17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The atmosphere around the mansion was tense. A team of witches was working on Nina and David was helping them out, running around with ladders so they could rune across the breadth of the ever-growing structure. I couldn't spot Amber amongst the swarm but I could see her in the organised and synchronised movements of the witches. They worked like a well-oiled machine. Nina would be safer than ever by the time they were done which – judging by the sheer volume of runes already present – would be soon.

Satisfied, I turned back to the mansion. Leaning against the front door were Maxwell and Grandy. Neither looked happy. ‘Hey,' I greeted my family lightly. ‘What's up?'

‘What's up is that you were attacked by a fire elemental,' Grandy growled.

Maxwell folded his arms. ‘You need to claim your heritage.'

I raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. ‘Claim my heritage how exactly?'

‘The Alessandro name. It's time you started using it.'

I bristled. ‘I'm not abandoning my roots as a Barrett.' Even if it did feel like my father had abandoned me.

Maxwell looked at me flatly, ‘I'm not saying that, but why not double-barrel? Lucy Alessandro-Barrett.'

I chewed on my thumb as I considered it. ‘Why Alessandro first?'

‘Alphabetical,' he said blandly.

‘Uh-huh. And you know that people will be too lazy to say the whole thing and I'll end up just being called Alessandro.'

Maxwell gave a one-shouldered shrug, ‘I'm not responsible for other people's choices or actions.'

‘Yet you're trying to inform mine,' I shot back dryly.

He flashed me a boyish grin, winked then slung an arm around my shoulders. ‘That's different. You're my cous – I'm supposed to take care of you.'

‘Yeah, yeah, cos I'm so defenceless.'

He stilled and looked at me seriously. ‘Not at all. But did you consider that accepting your name is a two-way street? You'll get the protection of our name – and God knows any fire elemental worth their salt would hesitate to attack us. But we'll get an added heft, too, by being related to the Queen of the Werewolves. It' s win-win, Lucy. Think about it.' He gave me one last squeeze before letting me go.

And just like that, I was going to be calling myself Alessandro. If my position could help my birth family and afford them extra protection then of course I would give it to them, even if I knew that Maxwell was totally using my own emotions to play me. For now, I would allow myself be played.

I pulled out my phone and dialled Harden, the speaker of the Council. Eager beaver, he answered on the first ring. ‘My Queen, how can I assist you?'

‘Hi, Harden. I want to let it be known that I should be referred to as Queen Alessandro-Barrett. I'm embracing my roots.'

‘Your roots?' he said, genuinely sounding shocked. ‘You're an Alessandro ?'

‘Born and bred,' I said lightly. ‘Let it be known. And also, if anyone harms my fire elemental family there will be hell to pay.'

‘I'll amend the formal documents,' he said, still sounding a bit flabbergasted.

‘Wonderful. You do that.'

‘Do you have the ability to manipulate fire, Your Majesty?'

I hesitated, thinking of Terrance and the power he came with, but I didn't want to tip my hand too early. ‘I was raised Common,' I evaded.

‘Of course,' he noted, letting the delicate matter slide like the consummate politician he was. ‘And can I ask, Your Majesty, are you any further along in claiming a mate?'

‘The announcement will come at the appropriate time,' I said tightly then hung up before he could ask any more questions that I wanted to avoid answering.

The full moon rises soon, Esme murmured.

Don't I know it, I sighed. I'll talk to Greg on our road trip. In my head, Esme's tail started to wag.

Grandy gave an approving nod and Maxwell beamed at me. ‘I'm glad, cousin,' he said, as he clapped me on my back. ‘It makes it all nice and official.' The smile dropped from his face. ‘Now, where's Baltergen?'

‘Who?' I asked.

‘The elemental that attacked you. John Baltergen.'

‘He's probably still on the lawn. Be careful how you move him, he's crisper than a Chinese fried duck.' What did it say about me that the thought of Chinese food made my tummy grumble? I loved Chinese food – but maybe I'd avoid crispy duck for a few weeks.

Maxwell nodded. ‘We will remove his remains and notify his family of his death.' His grim countenance suggested that the notification was going to come with a heavy slice of recrimination.

Grandy phased into the shadows and away, presumably to pop out by the chargrilled corpse.

‘It might not have anything to do with his family,' I said softly. ‘Other politics were at play with the attack. Have you heard of the Domini?'

‘Shush!' Maxwell grabbed my arm and dragged me hastily away from the entrance to the mansion. ‘You can't throw that name around,' he hissed.

‘So you don't think they're just children's tales?'

‘I know they're not,' he said grimly. He moved us to the centre of the lawn where the words ‘Burn, Bitch' could still be seen, then looked around to make sure no one was in earshot, supernatural or not.

His voice dropped even lower so I had to strain to hear him even with my lupine hearing. ‘Roscoe has found evidence that Benedict was Domini. He's been working his way through the fire elemental's ranks, quietly questioning everyone in the Pit. He's weeded out two other members of the Domini from the fire-elemental ranks. Obviously, with Baltergen we've found a third.'

‘Was Baltergen in the Pit?'

‘No, he was nowhere near powerful enough. He was only a level three, but he has family that are fives,' he warned.

‘How has Roscoe been digging them out?'

‘He got the witches to paint some truth runes and then questioned his suspect on the chair. He spilled the other two names before he managed to kill himself.'

I balked. ‘That seems to be a common action.' I told him quietly about Larsden getting killed – omitting by whom – and Ramsay stealing his laptop and handing it off to a mysterious ally before he also killed himself when he was questioned.

Maxwell looked grim. ‘I'll go and see Roscoe in Liverpool. He needs to know about this.'

‘He needs to tread carefully. Voltaire is investigating the Domini too, although quietly. He said that if they know you're gunning for them, you'll be taken out. With the deaths of three Domini fire elementals, they'll know you're gunning for them.'

Maxwell nodded. ‘I know – we both do. Roscoe is being guarded by elementals who've all been questioned under runes so we know we can trust them. Until we can bring down a big gun, we're just scurrying around like pigeons at a shooting.'

‘They've invited me to join them,' I admitted. ‘I said no.'

The worry in his countenance intensified. ‘Fuck, Lucy. Then you're not just a pigeon, you're a prize stag with a bullseye painted right over you. Be careful.'

I smiled. ‘I'm not the deer, Maxwell, I'm the one carrying the gun – they just don't know it yet.'