Marylebone Coven, Marylebone House, London
Gregori took himself to Marylebone. First he went straight to his sister in her private sitting room.
“Gregori!” Eleisha flew into his arms, her grasp tight as if she would never let him go.
The last time they’d met he’d been bloody, dirty, his sister suspicious of his involvement in the Greenwoods’ accident. She’d also agreed that ensorcelling him, against his wishes, had been the best option. Perhaps in the end it had, but it didn’t prevent that niggle of irritation flaring within him all the same. “It’s good to see you, Eleisha.”
Her cheek was pressed against his chest. “So you forgive me?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he huffed.
She leaned back to look up at him. “We made the right decision.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged a shoulder and tightened his arms about her. “All the same I missed you.”
They stood for several minutes, silent. Gregori had come to Marylebone to apprise them of the truth. Alanna’s public confession yesterday meant he was no longer bound by his oath of secrecy to her. His heart ached for her. He wasn’t sure leaving Raven’s Creek would solve anything, but he’d resolved to take her away for a few weeks at least, to give her heart and soul time to heal.
“Is Anton here?” He pressed a kiss into her hair. “I would speak with him about Alanna.”
“He is with Zelda and Rosa in the Dragons’ Lair.”
He thought little would surprise him. “What?”
Eleisha’s snowy white dragon appeared suddenly beside her and flapped about in agitation. “What is it, Victoria?” Eleisha was reluctant to remove herself from the comfort of her brother’s arms.
“Clarissa’s eggs are hatching. Soon we have dragonettes in the Belfry. Very exciting.”
Delight shone in Eleisha’s eyes. “More good news. First my brother returns and now we will have new dragons at Marylebone. The portents are good.”
“And I have more good news, but I wanted to see you first. It appears Clarissa needs you. Go to them. I’ll let Goran know about Clarissa. I doubt he’ll be Earthbound much longer and will be able to return to see them soon.”
Eleisha, spoke to Victoria. “Tell Clarissa I’ll be there shortly.” Then she resumed her conversation with Gregori as Victoria winked out without so much as a spark or flame. “Clarissa will be well looked after by the other dragons. First we will go to Anton. I want to know why Rosa and Zelda are here too.”
• • •
Mistletoe had burnt another large gaping hole in Anton’s new official robe. He lifted the collar and looked at it in amusement. Mistletoe was flapping about Anton’s head, making abject apologies and releasing sparks and smoke at the same time.
Zelda coughed and waved away the smoke.
Rosa stepped back from the fumes. “I wish I had a dragon,” she said.
“So does everyone else,” Anton acknowledged. “They choose their owners, but mostly they choose Dragons. It may be possible you’ll bond now that you are married to Aden. Eleisha’s dragon, Victoria, chose her a few decades back. It’s rare for them to do so, though, so don’t be disappointed if you are not chosen. It’s been a long while since we have been blessed with dragonettes. Nathan Dubois, Goran’s apprentice, has yet to bond with one, let alone any of the other apprentices in line behind him.”
A large rap on the door echoed throughout the room. Anton, Zelda, and Rosa turned towards the door. Before Anton could call “come,” Eleisha pushed open the Dragons’ Lair doors and glided in, her long formal Dragoness cape flowing eerily behind her.
“My darling husband. I know how much you love surprises. I have one for you today and here he is.”
Eleisha moved to one side and Gregori stepped into the doorway. He’d placed a formal Marylebone Dragon cape over his jeans and blue-checked, short-sleeved shirt he’d put on that morning out of respect for Anton. He towered above them all. He knew he looked both magnificent and imposing. It was his intention.
“Gregori!” Anton scowled. “Where are my clothes?”
Zelda’s eyebrows arched behind her glasses. “I didn’t expect to hear that question.”
“In shreds,” Gregori admitted. “They were far too tight and I had to make a few adjustments. Don’t get your cape all tangled, I’ve replaced them and they’re hanging in your wardrobe as we speak.”
Mistletoe let out a long-range flame. It stopped short, just shy of Gregori’s nose. Anton chuckled. “That’s enough, Mistletoe. Stand guard, but no more flames unless instructed.”
“Ssssorrry,” Mistletoe spoke in a shower of sparks. “I circle the room and guard you.”
Victoria, who had come in with Eleisha, joined the fray. “I circle also.” The white dragon lifted off Eleisha’s shoulder and flapped soundlessly behind the moss green Mistletoe. “We protect you. Lots of power in Gregori. Lots of wild magic in his aura.”
Everyone turned towards Gregori and studied him as if he was a specimen in a petri dish.
“I’m in control. I’ve been siphoning off magic and placing it into orbs.”
Anton’s eyes grew large and round. “And just where are these orbs? Somewhere safe and undetectable, I hope.”
“Lyzander is guarding them. In addition, my connection with Alanna seems to be helping stabilize my magic, even without formally binding with her.”
Eleisha clasped her hands together. “Is that why you’re here? To inform us you are to bind yourself to her?”
Gregori nodded. “I am. She loves me.”
“But how can she balance your magic when hers is bound?” Anton asked.
“I share my magic with her.”
“A short-term solution.”
“And that’s why we’re here,” Zelda reminded them of her and Rosa’s presence.
“This sounds like a lengthy discussion.” Despite knowing dragonettes were hatching, Eleisha mumbled a spell under her breath and the room, mostly empty, filled with several comfortable armchairs and a largish coffee table filled with treats, as well as both hot and cold drinks.
One of Anton’s slightly singed eyebrows rose. “This isn’t a party, my love.”
“I’m celebrating the return of my brother.” She lifted a teapot and poured her favorite blend into china cups and saucers and handed them to Zelda and Rosa.
Gregori tapped his foot repeatedly on the floor as he watched Mistletoe and Victoria play tag with each other, all the while maintaining their focus on his movements.
“We can celebrate when Alanna and I are bound.” He focused on Zelda. “Why are you here?”
Zelda sipped her tea and nibbled on a biscuit. Apparently satisfied she had everyone’s attention, she glanced briefly to Rosa and nodded.
Rosa answered his question. “We’re here to petition for Alanna’s magic to be unbound early.”
“We feel she has made great leaps in maturity in the past few days,” Zelda added.
Anton waved away Eleisha’s offer of a hot drink. He conjured a bottle of whiskey instead. “What you feel isn’t the issue. It’s up to Marylebone to make the decision. Her magical mayhem caused a tangle of spells, binding Goran to earth.”
“Don’t give me that drivel, old man,” Zelda declared heatedly. “You could have untangled that mess weeks ago.”
“Don’t call me old, you wicked crone.”
Rosa looked to Eleisha for reassurance that everything hadn’t just gone pear-shaped and they weren’t about to be ousted from the Dragons’ Lair.
Eleisha was not in the least perturbed. “Behave yourself husband. Zelda is a friend and she’s also our superior.”
“Superior is a good word,” Zelda cackled.
But Anton wasn’t so quickly appeased. “That bat called me an old man!”
“My darling. You are old. We all are, the exception being Rosa. Zelda, perhaps you could enlighten us why you think we should unbind Alanna’s magic early.”
Zelda continued to sip her tea. She enjoyed stirring up a little mayhem of her own. She gestured to Gregori. “Perhaps it’s best if you tell them everything from the beginning.” She stared at Anton over the steam in her teacup. “Unless you’ve been keeping a watchful eye on the developments in Raven’s Creek over the last few days?”
Anton flapped a hand. Rosa could tell he was bursting with curiosity. His eyes had taken on a gleam of interest. “There have been developments while I’ve been busy elsewhere? Do tell.”
Gregori sighed heavily. He’d not missed the inane bickering of Council business. “We’ve learned the truth about Jack and Alice Greenwood.”
Eleisha sat up straighter. Her tea sloshed in her cup. She looked to Zelda. “All of you know?”
Zelda nodded. “Alanna finally opened up and told us everything. Gregori has been successful in drawing the truth from her when no one else has been able to.”
“I made a promise to Alanna never to tell another soul, but once she opened her mind to me, it was as if a floodgate had been opened and it all came pouring out to everyone yesterday.” And he related to them all in exact detail of Alanna’s confession.
Silence descended in the room as he, Zelda and Rosa waited for Anton’s response. Even the two dragons had stopped flying and roosted on perches nearby.
Eleisha leaned over and picked up the teapot and refilled Zelda’s cup as well as her own. Her hand shook. “That poor, poor girl,” she spoke softly. Her lips trembled as she took a sip from her cup. She shook her head and looked to her husband who had turned a sickly gray.
He braced his elbow on one knee and cupped his face in one hand. “I don’t know what to say. I’m shocked. Horrified. Discombobulated.”
“As are we,” Zelda admitted. “I’m afraid to say it, but the confession has created a rift between Alanna and Beth. Beth refuses to work with or even be in the same room as her. It looks as if it will be some time before the rift is healed.”
Anton looked to Rosa. “And what about you? How do you feel about this situation? How do you feel knowing your sister was instrumental in the death of your parents?”
Silent tears cascaded down Rosa’s cheeks. She didn’t try to wipe them away. No matter how saddened she was, she knew in her heart Alanna had never deliberately set out to harm anyone. “It was an accident. I hold no resentment or anger towards her. In fact, I feel I should have noticed more. Understood just how affected she had been by the accident. I hold myself responsible for not being a better, more approachable sister.”
Her cup rattled in its saucer. She placed it on the table and rubbed her palms over her knees. “Surely she has suffered enough.” She looked to Zelda and Gregori for his reassurance. “We all feel the same.”
Zelda nodded, a suspicion of moisture filming her eyes.
“Except Beth,” Gregori stated without emotion. “Hopefully, with time she will learn to forgive Alanna.” He downed a second shot of whiskey. “One of Alanna’s greatest fears was that this knowledge would break up her family. With her parents gone, her sisters were all she had left. She was so traumatized by the incident she’s been punishing herself for years.”
“Which makes sense,” Eleisha agreed. “She has internalized all that guilt. What a terrible secret to keep. My heart goes out to her.”
“You’re too soft, my beloved,” Anton’s voice was gruff. He rose from his chair and began to pace the centuries old floorboards. “She deserves to be punished.” He paused. Spun on the spot and Mistletoe whisked over to circle him before alighting on his shoulder.
“I hunt her,” Mistletoe sparked, and the smell of burned hair filled the room.
Anton patted himself down to ensure what remained of his hair was still there. “No.”
“What then would you do?” Zelda posed the question and she too stood, genuine fear dulling her eyes.
“I need to think on it.”
“Don’t think too long,” Gregori was growing increasingly impatient. “Alanna and I plan to bind our magic in Cabasson in a few hours time. We hoped you would hold the official ceremony.”
Delight sprang into Eleisha’s eyes. “Really. Oh that’s wonderful.”
“We’ll stay there for a few weeks. That should give Beth time to mull things over and, hopefully, she will find forgiveness in her heart by the time we return.”
Anton held up a hand. “Hold on. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“But my darling,” Eleisha rose and brushed a hand down Anton’s weathered cheek. “You will agree.”
Anton shot her an aggrieved look, but said nothing to disagree with his wife.
“There’s something else,” Zelda spoke loudly, garnering all their attention.
“What now?” Anton’s brow creased.
Zelda coughed, looked to Rosa and then squared her shoulders. “It would be best if you also Called Alanna to Marylebone.”
“What?” Anton bellowed and Mistletoe let out a long line of flame. Anton’s new robe caught fire again. Only a swift spell from Eleisha prevented not only his cloak but Anton lighting the room like a fiery beacon.
Gregori’s mouth dropped. Zelda placed a finger under his jaw and closed it for him. She smiled smugly. “Surprised you all with that one, didn’t we.”
Rosa twisted her hands together. “You’re immortal, Gregori. You know what happened to Aden.” She pleaded to Anton. “Please don’t let that happen to my sister.”
“I can’t just give someone immortality because it’s what you want.” Anton was evidently perplexed by their request. “The Fates will have something to say about it if I do.”
Gregori huffed. “You’re not afraid of them, are you?”
Anton glared back at him. “I’m not afraid of anyone.”
The Grand Dragon was full of hot air. “Of course you are. They’re definitely creepy. But you’re head of Marylebone.”
Anton wasn’t convinced. “Her magic isn’t strong enough yet.”
“The magical potential swirling inside her is comparable to mine,” Gregori revealed. “It’s all inside her. She had secreted most of it away behind walls created in her mind. I think she’s frightened of her own power. And wouldn’t you be if you were instrumental in the death of your own parents? I think you’ll find that, given time over the next few weeks, with nothing left to hide, you will begin to see just how much she will blossom.”
“Perhaps we could unbind her magic then and wait and see what transpires.”
“I think she should be Called,” Rosa insisted. “She needs watching over. She needs guidance and if her potential is as great as Gregori says it is, then it should fall to Marylebone to watch out for her.”
“We can do that without Calling her. There’s you and Zelda. And perhaps Beth?”
“No,” Zelda responded with a shake of her head. “I’m often away on Council business. Rosa’s seat of power may reside in Raven’s Creek but she works for Marylebone also. A lot of her time is now spent here. Beth isn’t a suitable solution given the current hostility between them. It would be best if Alanna was here, in Marylebone, where everyone can watch over her.”
“I want her with me in Cabasson,” Gregori protested. “I intend to formerly retire my position here at Marylebone. I can teach and guide her.”
“She needs a women’s guidance also,” Eleisha interjected. “I can give her that in Zelda’s absence.” Eleisha reached out for her husband’s hand and gripped it, pulling him towards her until her fist was pressed against his chest. “I stand for her. She will be my protégé. She is a talented sculptor. She can teach the little ones who show a similar talent and perhaps she could also counsel those with problems. She, of all witches, surely, will understand the difficulties of having so much potential and so little control at such a young age. We can keep her so busy she won’t have time to consider breaking any rules.”
“Not so busy we don’t have time together,” Gregori objected.
“Let me understand,” Anton bellowed as everyone began to speak at once. “You want Alanna’s magic unbound and for her to be Called to Marylebone. She will become an immortal, a neophyte in training.” He paused and waited for everyone’s assent.
“Warlocks’ Wonder. This is an unusual case. I think perhaps a decision such as this needs to be endorsed by the Supreme Council.”
Zelda knocked her knuckles against Anton’s brow. “I am the head of that Council, you knucklehead.”
“Well then, the three Fates should be consulted.”
“Right,” Gregori laughed. “I volunteer you go ask them. Last time I saw them they were in Ephesus.”
Zelda blanched. “You’ve talked to them?”
“I have.”
“And you’re still alive to tell the tale,” Anton grinned. “Why did you search them out?”
“I asked for clues in how to approach Alanna. How to break down her barriers.”
“And they told you?”
“Not exactly. They spoke in riddles. They alluded to my chipping away at stone.”
“And that is exactly what you’ve done. You’ve released her heart from imprisonment, just as you found a way out of your own.”
Gregori blinked. Then he laughed heartily, lifted up his sister and twirled her in a circle. “Of course. How could I be so blind when it is so glaringly obvious?”
Eleisha laughed along with him. “That’s because I’m much smarter than you are. Always have been. Always will be.”
Anton beamed. “That’s why I love you, my beloved. Smart as a tack and achingly beautiful as well.”
Zelda tsked. “Witches and warlocks are so emotional.”
“My dear Zelda,” Rosa hugged her. “As are you and don’t you dare deny it.”
Zelda changed the subject instead. “So is it decided? Will you Call Alanna to Marylebone?”
Anton looked to Eleisha. Indecision warred with reason. “I trust your judgment. I don’t trust Alanna’s.”
“Bring her here,” Eleisha insisted. “We will place conditions which she must accept before our decision becomes final.”
“And what conditions,” Gregori asked, his voice filled with caution, “would they be?”