The plane was too quiet. Maybe because Gwen sat in first class. She thought about ordering wine as soon as the stewardess came by, but she didn’t want to drown her sorrows. This was her damned fault to begin with.
Doubts swirled through her head. Dad wanted to give up magic, threw half his family away to avoid his power. Cole left her because she couldn’t offer him anything worthwhile. Robert never got over his first love. And Mike could relate to every one of those.
What if I’m not enough?
Tears filled her eyes as she brought up the picture she took of Mike and Sasha in the park. Oh, I hope my stupid ego doesn’t mess up my chance at love. Robert was right. This was a dumb fucking idea. He begged me to stay. Why didn’t I?
She wanted to call Mike. A tear fell down her face. “What’s the matter, child?” a soothing voice asked from beside her.
She looked over to find an older woman taking the seat to her right. Mahogany hair was streaked with silver, and her kind eyes were soft as she smiled. There was something familiar about her.
“Ever wonder if you made the right decision?”
“All the time. Got to go with your gut though.”
“I did, but now my gut is telling me to run back to him.” She sighed and looked down at the picture. Mike was smiling at her. It warmed her all the way through, but her heart ached because it was a picture and not Mike.
“Did you take that photo?”
She nodded.
“That’s love in his eyes. He’ll be in front of you before you expect it.”
Gwen huffed a sigh. “I hope you’re right. I feel like an idiot.”
“Why? Did you leave to prove to him, or yourself, that you were worthy?”
“Maybe both?” Gwen’s brow knit together. “I wouldn’t blame him if he lets me go.”
“That’s not the right attitude. How long since you’ve seen him?”
She looked up and met her gaze. “A few hours.”
“Then it’s much too soon to be worrying about whether or not he’ll come for you.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She laid her head back and closed her eyes. All she could see was the pleading in Mike’s eyes when he begged her not to go. That should have convinced her. It took her sitting in the airport for it to sink in. But by then, it was too late. He didn’t answer his phone when she tried to call him at the gate.
A surprisingly smooth hand encircled hers. Gwen looked over.
The lady smiled. “I’m Ms. Murdock. Sleep well, Gwen. Trust in the love growing between you and that young man.” As she blinked her eyes, Gwen drifted away.
* * * *
Josephine reached out and snagged a mage’s arm as they walked toward Seattle’s Silver Council headquarters. The woman turned, making eye contact.
Pushing her power, Josephine whispered, “Take this to Preston Emrys. Don’t stop until he has the letter in his hand.” She placed an envelope in her grasp and pushed her toward the door.
Even after death, it’s still easy. A smile played across her lips as she patted the dagger through the messenger bag. It was time to put her plans in motion.
Cole, the fool, had taken two long years to bring her back, but somehow, she came back stronger than she’d expected. Her body was whole, as if she’d been dead mere moments. She knew his skill with the dead would ensure her power would be renewed, but she anticipated a long recovery. He’d found a way to perfect his spell, and a way to preserve her body. She hoped the journals she managed to grab documented how so she could find another necromancer to help with her plans.
The severed tie to her soul and magic was reforged in her resurrection, and now stronger. If Preston could have tracked her, he would have. That meant her theory was right. Her essence had changed, maybe evolved, and wouldn’t linger like a normal living person’s would. And yet, she was entirely present, as if she’d never left.
For now, the Council was safe, as long as they stayed away from her. Eventually, she’d be back to tear them down. First she needed to gather enough power to combat every last one of them and their tricks.
Time, but she had no shortage of that. She’d miss her favorite pet, but Cole was too easily manipulated. He’d lost his sense of self, which was a shame, because he’d been fun in the beginning.
Taking Michael as her new toy crossed her mind, but his will was clearly too strong. Shame, a druid would make a great tool, but they were naturally resistant to her brand of magic, including hypnosis.
Sighing, she walked back to her car that Cole had kept hidden at the warehouse, and slipped inside. Her old life was officially over. Time for a fresh start. The one she never told Cole about, in case he was captured, or killed.
* * * *
Roxy stepped into A Good Book in Edenton and found Tremaine at the counter. “Mike went all the way to fucking Lake George, and no one thought to tell me?”
“Hey, calm down, kiddo.” He glanced over her shoulder at Trevor who gave him an apologetic shrug. “Mike doesn’t want you to worry.”
“You’re the one who set him up with a girl who ran from him. He told her he loves her, and she ran away.”
“It’s not that simple,” Robert explained, as he came from the back of the store. “We didn’t have Mike’s location. Even with the blueprints and layouts, Gwen couldn’t quite remember where the building was because it was hidden by wards. We went to Amanda and I took Gwen into her head. I should have warned her what could happen.”
“Wait. You took Gwen into Amanda’s head?” She frowned, pausing as she unsuccessfully attempted to figure that out. “How the hell did you do that?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve done that sort of thing a million times. Looked for memories to help me find what I needed to get the culprit. I didn’t warn Gwen how to navigate. She stumbled on private memories about Mike. It made her question things she wouldn’t have questioned otherwise.”
“That’s what he meant about not knowing the whole story?”
Robert sighed. “Yes. Trust me, it tore Gwen apart, but she had to know Mike chose her and only her. That’s my fault too. I couldn’t let Liz go when I tried to be with Gwen.”
Her brow arched. “This whole situation keeps getting weirder.”
Tremaine turned to look at Robert. “Yeah, tell me about it. I seriously want no more details.”
“Like I’d give them. We ended amicably, but after Coltrain, the pattern left her with some self-worth issues. She usually ignores them and pushes through.”
“Can Mike fix this?”
Robert nodded. “I’m positive he can. You didn’t see the determination on his face. I would feel bad for Amanda but neither of them want to go back. In fact, Amanda wants to stay in Edenton where a friend can help her find a way to live that her maker didn’t bother showing her.”
“If Gwen doesn’t snap out of this, I’m going to hunt her down and kick her ass.”
“You won’t have to. She loves him.”
Roxy shook her head. “She left. She can’t love him that much.”
Robert ran his hands down his lapels and met her gaze. “Trust me, she loves him. She thinks she’s doing what’s right for both of them.” He glanced over at Tremaine. “You can ask him. I did something similar a long time ago, but it all worked out.” He squeezed Tremaine’s shoulder before disappearing.
Roxy shook her head, trying to figure out what she’d witnessed.
“He’s right. Her leaving doesn’t mean she loves your brother less. Might mean she loves him more. Look, I don’t know the whole story, only that I had a strong feeling about what was between them when I saw them together, long before they figured it out.”
Roxy slid onto a stool and dropped her chin into her hand.
Trevor sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t worry, Roxy. You’ll have your brother back soon.”
Tremaine smiled. “Let me make you a smoothie.”
She grinned. “Okay, Uncle.”
“Don’t forget it.”
* * * *
“You wanted to see me?” Robert asked as he walked into Preston’s office.
“We can’t stop looking for Josephine. Especially after this.” He held up a letter, delivered moments before by some entranced mage. “I know what she found at Draecyn’s two years ago.”
“What’s that?” Robert asked, taking a seat across from him. He reached forward and took the note.
To Gwen’s superiors,
Let her know she can have Michael Nights. I have the one thing I want, and after looking through Coltrain’s notes, the boy is more trouble than he’s worth.
I would recommend letting me go and forgetting you know I’m alive again. You’ll regret it if you do find me, though I don’t suspect you’ve learned your lesson yet.
It’s your deaths.
Josephine Monvoisin
Looking up, Robert asked, “And based on this, what is it she found at Draecyn’s?”
“The Wellspring. An ancient dagger that draws magic from the victim, granting it to the wielder. She’ll use it to gain power, Robert. She can already mindfuck most anyone into doing anything she wants. The delivery of this letter is a prime example. We can’t let her go.”
“We won’t. Have any clue where she is?”
“Unfortunately, she was dead long enough her essence is warped, and fades too fast. I felt her only briefly, then all trace of her was gone. I can’t track her.”
“Perhaps we can convince Erik to become an enforcer. I received the paperwork reinstating the diversity program. We might even want to talk to Mike about him joining.”
“He didn’t seem overly interested in all the extra stuff that comes with being Other,” Preston pointed out.
“That will change. One step at a time. He embraced his beast, and his magic. He doesn’t feel guilty for what he had to do today.”
“True.”
Robert added, “I have a feeling he’s not going to like Gwen being away from him on assignments. Once he convinces her, I’m pretty sure he’ll do whatever he has to in order to stay at her side. Considering how well he did on instinct, can it hurt to train him properly?”
“We can talk to them. How was he?”
“Determined. He’ll get her back.”
“Did he ask about your involvement in her past?”
“Yeah. Kid’s got guts, and his concern was that I was good to her. After I told him I was, he was fine with our history.”
“You know, the more I think about it, the more I think he’ll make a good enforcer. I hope he says yes.”
Robert took another look at the note. “When they get back we should let Gwen know. We need to find Josephine. There was a reason Draecyn locked away that dagger and kept it out of Archives. It’s dangerous. It’s the very reason the Silver Council strives so hard to keep Others a secret from normal humans.”
“Agreed.” Preston heaved a sigh, and leaned back. “We’ll find her, eventually.”