“The situation is not that dire,” Gregori drawled from the top of the stairs.
He noted the swirl of authority in Goran’s aura and wished he wasn’t so weak. His apprentice had grown in power and stature over the past few years. Better to lure him and that little dragon of his into a false sense of security, as he currently didn’t have the wherewithal to elude the smallest dung beetle.
Goran climbed the stairs, his eyes not leaving his. “You have less than two weeks before the final bell tolls for you. Will you hand yourself over to Marylebone until the time is right?”
“Who says the time isn’t right now? My beloved is of age. I am free to mate with her.”
“But does she know who you are?”
“Who are we talking about?” Alanna muttered as she trailed Goran up the stairs.
Gregori stared over Goran’s head at the woman who could save him. “I can’t tell you.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“I must redeem myself first,” he said. “I cannot bind my magic with a woman who would also blame me for a crime I have not committed.”
“The same crime you were ensorcelled in stone for?” Alanna was suddenly wary. She turned to Goran. “Bind him up so he doesn’t get away. Do it while he’s weak.”
“We will await Anton’s instructions,” Goran said. He snapped his fingers at Clarissa who was sending out a continuous stream of sparks from her mouth and puffs of smoke from her snout. “Go back to Anton. Report Gregori is sane and that everything is under control.”
Gregori nearly laughed at the look Clarissa shot her master. “You’re Earthbound. You cannot follow him if he jumps between the earth’s ley lines and that of Marylebone,” the little dragon said.
“He’s too weak for any kind of translocation.” Goran studied Gregori’s aura. “His energy is depleted. It will be several hours, perhaps a day or two, before it is restored.”
Gregori arched an eyebrow. “You’re far too confident for your own good. I told you that when you were a cocky neophyte and it seems you’re still too cocky to be competent.”
Clarissa hissed out a length of flame that arced all the way up the remaining stairs to Gregori’s face. He ducked, avoiding being burned and backed up into the studio. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”
“No.” Goran followed, holding up a hand when Clarissa would have attacked once more. “He lives for now.”
“So very generous of you,” Gregori drawled.
“Lives for now?” Alanna squeaked and scooted over to her workbench and picked up a sculpting tool in one hand and a hammer in the other. “What exactly was this crime you’re accused of?”
Gregori paused, staring intently at Alanna as he considered his response. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth. “I’d rather not say.”
Alanna stepped further away from him, the tools in her hands poised to strike if she needed to. It pained him to see fear in her eyes.
She spoke to Goran. “He had the strength to rework our wards surrounding the Gallery. How can you be sure he’s too weak to escape before Marylebone gets here?”
“I’m not. But there are reasons for his presence in Raven’s Creek you’re not privy to. He won’t go far and if he does, rest assured, we will track him.”
• • •
Gregori’s former student was remiss in sending Clarissa away. Yes, he might be weak, but he wasn’t stupid. It was unfortunate Alanna was less comfortable with him now that Goran had arrived and filled her head with fear. He’d planned to eat and leave, and he’d guessed she would have been happy to see him gone.
Still, he’d felt that tug of something when she’d touched his skin with hers. That sliver of a connection, despite her lack of magic. Some of her energy had siphoned itself into his body as if sensing his need for strength. And that gave him an idea. He pursed his mouth as he thought it through. First, replenish his energy. Second, find clothes. Third, escape.
It was apparent to him the bells had not tolled for Alanna, and it was just as well they hadn’t, given she was without magic. What a complete mess it all was. But he felt this time it was different. With Alanna fully grown into a desirable woman, it was possible he would be given time to build a relationship with her as well as the opportunity to clear his name.
There was no doubt he could evade capture, provided he remained one step ahead at all times. “Come,” he said to Goran, and held out a hand. “We were friends once. Will you not greet me as a friend now also?”
Goran eyed him with suspicion. “You were my mentor. Perhaps your memory has been affected by your incarceration. I seem to recall you instructing me that a mentor is not the same as a friend.”
“I’ve had time to ponder many things,” Gregori paced around the pedestal where a lump of stone sat waiting for Alanna to turn it into something. “Sitting on a lily pond without anyone to talk to makes one regret many things. The lack of companionship, mainly. My voice might be rusty, but it feels good to be conversing after so long.”
Goran had good reason not to trust him. Gregori had, more than once, pummeled and pounded him into shape when teaching him to spar physically, as well as with magic. He’d been a tough taskmaster.
If Gregori failed to secure Alanna as his mate, to help balance his increasingly uncontrollable power, he would have to sacrifice his magic. If he did not, Marylebone would be forced to hunt him down and take his magic from him. Such action would ensure his death.
But there were few who could best him. He stopped in front of Goran and held out his hand. “Come. Let us be friends.”
But in that second, Anton appeared at Goran’s side. “No. Don’t touch him.”
Alanna remained silent as she mentally assimilated the oddest morning she’d ever lived. The good news was, Anton knew Gregori was free. Thank the Goddess she didn’t have to break another witch law. All she had to do was get rid of all three warlocks from her studio and she’d be a happy witch.
“Why don’t you three take your argument somewhere else? Perhaps the haloed halls of Marylebone would be more suitable?”
“Can’t,” Goran growled, his attention solely focused on Gregori. “I’m Earthbound if you recall.”
Alanna felt herself blush. Damn it. Her mistakes were always coming back to haunt her. “Anton can.” She looked hopefully to the most senior Dragon of Marylebone, the one who had charged her with caring for Gregori.
“I could, but he’s better off here. Raven’s Creek is where he needs to be.”
Alanna was getting sick of all the innuendo. “Why does he have to be in Raven’s Creek? Surely he can be anywhere if you put him back into stone.” She pointed to the piece on the pedestal. “Put him in there and drop him off somewhere else. I’ve done my share of minding. Let someone else do it for the next few years.”
“Can’t do that, I’m afraid,” Anton said. “If he’s going to stay anywhere, it must be here in Raven’s Creek.”
“Hello,” Gregori said from his corner. “I’m here. Perhaps you’d like to ask me what I’d like. Free will and all that.”
“There’s no free will for a Dragon in danger of flaming out. You need to wait until your mate is ready,” Anton warned.
Mate! Flaming Out! In Raven’s Creek! An awful thought crawled its way into Alanna’s brain to crystallize into a seriously scary scenario. Surely they weren’t referring to her being that mate? Too stunned to say anything, she glared at Anton, an eyebrow raised in question.
He glared back, shrugged a shoulder and winked. Winked! The Grand Dragon had winked at her! She tried Goran next. He shrugged as well. Lastly, she looked to Gregori. He didn’t strike her as someone who would be evasive but he was focused on the two warlock Dragons.
“Figure it out,” was all he said.
“I don’t want to figure anything out,” she said. “I want peace and quiet.” Sweet Goddess, she’d never said that before. If Rosa ever heard she’d uttered those words, she’d faint dead on the spot from shock. There was absolutely, categorically, no way she could bind her magic with Gregori. There was that small — but not insignificant — detail that she currently possessed no magic, so the act was impossible. Thank the Goddess!
She shut her eyes and willed all the men gone. Unfortunately, they were still there when she opened her eyes. “Go away. All of you. I’m way too busy to deal with any of you today.”
Gregori laughed. “You have the most delightful way of speaking your mind.”
No one had ever said she was delightful before. He liked her frankness. She placed a checkmark next to the things she liked about him. Delicious, talented, and intelligent. Unfortunately, he also appeared to be dangerous. There was no way she was binding herself to a warlock well on his way to madness. That wasn’t on her to do list anytime this century.
The door tinkled downstairs. Beth was here, thank the heavens. “We’ve got company,” she said and spun on her toes, raced out the door and down the stairs, leaving them to work their dilemma out without her input. Her mind was ready to explode and she needed to absorb some of Beth’s calmness. Now that the story was out, she was free to reveal just what was going on upstairs.