Gregori went home to his secluded villa in Cabasson on the French Riviera. His home had been cared for in his absence by a married couple and their now-grown children who lived in an adjacent villa. They continued to maintain the gardens and home, unconcerned he had not visited for so long. They knew who and what he was, and not once, in all the years they had worked for him, had they ever broken his trust. In exchange, he provided them and their family with a home and income, just as he’d done for their lineage right back for several centuries.
This particular villa was purchased in what Gregori would term recent times and when he moved here permanently, his caretakers had moved with him.
His private vineyard nearby was well managed and he had no desire to alert anyone he was back. Not yet. Not until he was sure he would remain. However, perhaps it was time to visit his lawyer to sign a few papers in case his future, as he wanted, didn’t actually happen according to plan. He would do that in the next few days. But today he returned because his soul demanded it. There he would gain respite, avoid the barrage of questions from Alanna’s sisters and work out how he was going to coax the very emotionally fragile Alanna into allowing him into her mind as well as her heart.
He tested his link with Alanna and was pleased that despite the distance between them, it remained sure and strong.
It was nearly mid-winter in Cabasson. The moon cast a beam of light across the Mediterranean and spilled in through the windows. Stars twinkled in the inky night sky above. He sighed deeply. Oh, how he’d missed his home.
Alanna would love it here. There were rooms aplenty with enough space and light for her to sculpt if she wished. He had always intended for this home to be where he would live with his beloved and raise their children. Alanna had the heart of a wanderer. She would be as at ease here as anywhere else in the world.
He opened the French-doors leading out onto the patio, locked them back and sat on a lounger and held out a hand. A steaming fresh coffee appeared in it. No wine for now. What he was about to do would require his full concentration and Villa Paradis was the perfect place for him to test what was going on in Alanna’s mind, without being discovered or interrupted.
He called Lyzander, his familiar, even though he only needed to summon him by thought. “Come. I am home.”
In seconds, his familiar, his constant companion over the centuries, was at his side. It shocked Gregori to see his little friend had aged considerably. Immortal, Gregori might be, but Lyzander was not. Yes, dragons aged more slowly than most, but it was clear his familiar had been pining for him and his health had been affected.
“My friend,” Gregori said and conjured a sweet treat for Lyzander. “You’re too thin. You need to take better care of yourself.”
Lyzander’s eyes brightened considerably as he sat on Gregori’s shoulder and skillfully sucked the juice out of the berries and discarded the shriveled skin onto the patio floor. “I have not required food,” Lyzander told him. “I sit in the Belfry and watch the comings and goings while I wait for your return.”
As he spoke, his leathery skin, which had at first been a dull, lifeless gray, began to take on the color of the deep purple berries on which he’d been snacking. Gregori conjured more fruit for Lyzander, leaned back and drank his coffee while it was hot and he took a few moments to inhale the unforgettable tang of the Mediterranean, only a few minutes’ walk from where he sat. Oh how he’d missed not only his familiar, but also this place. Imagining coming home had helped him retain his sanity.
“I have a job for you, my friend,” Gregori told Lyzander.
Lyzander’s skin was growing steadily darker and more youthful with each passing minute. His eyes whirled with interest. “Tell me.”
“I need you to go invisible and keep watch over Alanna. I am going mindwalking and I would ensure there are no interruptions while I undertake this task.”
“Invisible I go,” Lyzander nodded and for the first time in years, smoke erupted from his snout. “Protect her I will. I am happy to be working once more. Winking in and winking out.”
And Lyzander was gone, in a flash of purple light, reminding Gregori just how much he’d missed the presence of his little friend over the past few years.
Gregori placed his empty cup on the ground next to him, clasped his hands over his midriff, crossed his ankles, rested his head against the back of the lounger, closed his eyes and breathed deeply, quieting his mind, ensuring all thoughts were without bias and contained.
This was a hunt of an intricate nature. There were no others who could do what he could. Mindwalking was his specialty. It was dangerous to enter another’s mind without changing or affecting the path of that individual. He’d chosen Villa Paradis for that very reason. He knew Lyzander would guard Alanna, but just to be doubly sure there would be no mishap, Gregori placed a circle of protection not only about the villa but also about Alanna’s bedroom on the other side of the world. His magic ensured no one, not even staff, would enter either place. And then he travelled the link all the way back to Raven’s Creek.
• • •
She slept peacefully. The spell enchantment ensured it was so. He looked down at her lying curled on one side, with her hands tucked under one cheek, a slight smile on her lips. Whatever she dreamed, it was pleasant enough.
He sat softly on the bed in his soul form and placed an index finger lightly against her temple. He inspected their link. No change. Good. Soft, gentle, as ethereal as a mist, he allowed his mind to siphon into the link, traveling along it as if he’d done it all his life. It must be their link, he surmised. He’d only ever done this with someone so closely connected to him once before. His father who had taught him this skill. Eventually he reached a juncture where their links merged, and from there he slipped effortlessly into where her memories were located.
Warlocks’ Oath! Alanna’s memories were barricaded shut. He knew instantly he would not gain access without disturbing her sleep and alerting her of his presence despite his sleep spell. In fact, he was positive he would never gain access, even by force.
He remained stationary, watching, searching for any weaknesses, anything that might give him something to work with. She was definitely going to grow into a powerful witch. She already was, but even now, with her magic bound, he was awed by her potential. She was his equal in so many ways. But how in the name of Marylebone could he meld with her, when that magic was bound?
He found nothing except more barriers. The only way he was ever going to discover more was if she willingly opened herself to him or he forced his way in. Something he would never, ever do. He would rather sacrifice his own life than break that law. He’d seen it happen once by another of his kind who no longer walked the earth. Another great warlock had forcibly mindwalked another less fortunate individual, a thousand years ago. Very quickly, both that individual and the warlock had gone insane. Marylebone had been left with no choice but to care for the mortal, whose mind had been broken, until his death. As for the warlock, he’d gone rogue and Marylebone had been forced to hunt him down and end his life before he hurt anyone else. That warlock had been Gregori’s father. The memory had taught him just how fine the line was between the mindwalker and his subject.
He retreated, leaving Alanna to sleep and opened his eyes to the night’s sky. Several hours had passed. It was after midnight here. Alanna would awaken soon. He rose from the lounger, walked back into the villa to close the shutters and doors. He stood in darkness, wondering if she would ever get to see his home and a little piece of hope in his heart prevailed. He certainly hoped she would.
Weary, he translocated to Raven’s Creek and sent Lyzander back to Marylebone.