Audric walked through the massive mahogany doors of the Magic Council’s main reception room and made his way to his seat at the center of the raised horseshoe-shaped table. Early in his tenure, he’d shared the duties of chairman since the appointed positions on the magic world’s governing body weren’t originally set in stone. Historically, a member from each of the various groups of magicals would attend the meetings to make sure their kind were properly represented. The last century had seen many changes in the human and magical world. The Council members were now treated more like celebrity politicians than advocates for their fellow magicians. Each species of shifters held a seat, as did several groups of witches and wizards.
Calling the meeting to order, Audric didn’t waste any time outlining the issue they were facing. “There is a consortium of the biggest giants in the business world planning to undermine free enterprise, so they can create a global economic system. Their purpose is entirely self-serving. This plan has been in place for many years, and for the most part, magicals have remained unaffected and, therefore, uninterested in the outcome.”
“If we aren’t involved, why have you called this special meeting? I’d just settled down to hibernate, Audric. It will take me the better part of a week to travel back to Alaska, and it’s a long damned trek back to my den.” Frederick Whitetail, a bear shifter who lived in Denali National Park, hated being teleported, so he traveled as far as possible using traditional transportation.
“You sound like a toddler who’s been awakened from their nap. Somebody, find a nubby for Freddie.” Ola, the oldest witch on the council, was still sharp as a tack, and her wit never seemed to age. Opal, her twin, who lived in a small town in Colorado, was even more spirited. The last time he’d spent any time with Opal, he and the spry witch drained several bottles of liquor before calling it a night.
“As you know, we have been working to find a link between several mysterious deaths in the magical community over the past few years. A good number of the ones we’d already identified were associated with the magical totem we were finally able to reassemble.” The totem was now sealed safely in the depths of the Council’s vault. The magic associated with the icon was stronger than any Audric had ever encountered. He’d marveled it was more powerful than King Arthur’s sword, a magical object most considered nothing more than a myth by most. Excalibur was very real and sitting not far from where the reassembled totem now rested several levels below where they were assembled. That level of power was too easily corrupted, so it was stored in the only place on earth secure enough to provide the degree of protection required.
“When we lost Brighten…” Audric paused to pull in a deep, calming breath. Carrington and Brighten Adler’s death had been a huge blow to the magical community but losing the immensely talented mother of ten children had been particularly difficult.
“Losing her felt like someone stole the sunshine. We all felt the loss, but it was an even bigger blow to you.” Ola was right. Audric had mentored Brighten from the time she was a small child—something only a few people knew. When she died, he’d felt as though he had lost one of his own daughters. Nodding in agreement, Audric still felt the pain of losing the gifted witch—she’d been destined for so many amazing things.
“You know we have been trying to bring Catalina further into the fold—particularly after she recreated the totem without any prior knowledge of its existence or significance.” Her jeweled sculpture was so close to the real thing, it had been spooky as hell. “I’ve spent time with Catalina recently, and I believe she possesses both her mother’s incredible gifts and her father’s considerable talents as well.” Audric had always viewed Carrington as more magical than anyone believed—the man had simply been eclipsed by his beautiful wife.
“I don’t mean to push, but I’m having trouble figuring out what the problem is. Bring her in, and let’s make certain she gets the training she needs. If we don’t continue training the younger generation, the dark side of our magical world will leap at the opportunity. Our apathy is the enemy’s greatest strength.” Once again, Audric nodded his agreement before waving his hand in the air. A series of pictures featuring Cooper Hicks played over the large screen at the other end of the room.
“I believe we have finally gained Mr. Hicks’s trust. He has agreed to help us identify the dark forces who have joined the economic consortium hellbent on turning the entire planet into their personal playground.” Every generation pushed the boundaries a little bit further, but the most recent crop of political tyrants seemed to be hellbent on destroying everything that was good while promoting all the worst mankind had to offer.
“If the international consortium of bankers, royals, and unscrupulous people in political power are joining forces, we have to do something sooner rather than later.” A ripple of agreement moved through the room.
“I agree. I called this meeting because I want to hear your thoughts.” Audric already had a few ideas about how things should go, but at this point, he was open to suggestions. In the end, he doubted any of their plans would be worth a tinker’s dam, but they needed plans in place. Dealing with the most powerful people in the world was never easy. Most of the elite class had little or no sense of empathy. Referring to them as narcissistic was laughable. In his experience, most were simply spoiled brats totally lacking in empathy.
Audric was often asked to bless new babies and generally chose to cast a spell upon the parents instead. His magic encouraged them to teach their children compassion, encouraging them to plant trees they would never sit under and to make certain their offspring understood no one owed them anything.
Four hours later, the group had agreed, protecting Catalina and her mate was second only to disbanding the economic consortium. The principle of yin and yang meant they would never be able to completely eliminate dark magic, but it needed to be brought back into balance with the good. Several of the Council members were dispatched to monitor the most powerful members of the consortium, and Freddie was already on his way back to Alaska, leaving Audric and Ola to watch Catalina.
Cameron Barnes’ home was a virtual fortress. Audric enjoyed the tour he’d received from the man whose insatiable curiosity about anything magical was eclipsed only by his keen awareness of the world’s rapid slide into what the two of them agreed had the potential to become exponentially worse than the Dark Ages.
Walking out of the meeting, Audric was lost in thought until Ola nudged him. Glancing over at one of his oldest and dearest friends, he was surprised to see she’d morphed into a much younger version of herself. With a quick wave of her fingers, he felt the unmistakable tingling associated with the change and knew she was now looking upon a man far younger than the elderly gent who’d been at her side a moment earlier.
“Come on, we need to let off some steam.” Turning in the opposite direction of the apartments every member of the Council kept in another portion of their underground headquarters, Audric knew where the spirited woman was headed—Crystal Tavern.
One of the first things their ancestors had done after creating the Magic Council was to commission building the stronghold where they could meet safely. According to written accounts, groups of magicals carved the meeting room, then promptly built a more casual gathering spot close to a large crystal deposit. The proximity of the crystal vein woven like a white thread through the granite acted as a powerful booster for the human spirit. Crystal generated its own heat, keeping even the deepest levels of the fortress at the perfect temperature. The walls and floors themselves were warm to the touch, unlike other underground caverns.
Each member of the Council had a small apartment built along a wide corridor at the opposite side of the more commercial areas. The apartments lined both sides of a winding hallway carved in a meandering pattern, so the accommodations were close to a smaller vein of life-renewing crystal. The individual members of the governing body of magicals didn’t always agree on the decisions they faced, but they all knew their small but luxurious apartments rejuvenated their spirits. Sleeping near crystal brought an increase in not only physical energy but revived mental acuity and imagination. Over the years, Audric found himself returning more often, taking advantage of the earth’s unique power to recharge itself and, therefore, those who inhabited it.
“Great Goddess, you need a break, my friend. Your mind is cluttered by too much gloom and boom.” Ola’s teasing voice pulled him back to the moment, and he chuckled at how well she’d read him.
“You’re too right. A few drinks with a dear friend is always good for the soul.”
“That it is, and we’re not talking shop. No business tonight.”
Audric nodded in agreement. The youth spell she’d cast was temporary, and there was no reason to waste time bemoaning the problems they faced. They had solid plans in place and worrying was counterintuitive to everything the magical world believed.
Sitting on the padded leather seat, Audric slid partway around the circular booth, relishing how easily his younger body moved. Flashing Ola a quick grin, he chuckled to himself about her using her middle rather than her first name. She told him once the decision had more to do with wanting to stand out in a family where all the women were named after gemstones, and “who the hell wants to be called Iolite?” He had to admit Ola was the better alternative. Shaking his head as he watched her drain her first drink and lift the empty glass to their waiter, Audric wondered what was really behind her push for this impromptu meeting. Assured her next round was on the way, Ola turned her attention to him.
“Did I tell you Opal and Ruby are expanding the store?” Aha, perhaps this was at the heart of her discontent. He knew Ola’s twin and their younger sister hoped to lure Opal’s granddaughter to their Rocky Mountain hometown. The two women had been trying to get the younger witch to leave her job in Salem for some time, and he suspected expanding the store was a part of their plan.
“No, but she’s a clever woman, so I’m not surprised. Perhaps the Council can help with the expansion.” Ola’s eyes widened, and Audric shook his head, knowing he’d given her the wrong impression. The Council didn’t use magic in ways that would draw unnecessary attention, the tight-knit community Opal called home would definitely sit up and take notice if they were suddenly inundated with magical beings. “I was thinking more along the lines of advertising and promoting the store. If they expand their online presence, it could be very profitable for them. We can make certain they are able to offer the products we’re currently forced to buy outside the country.”
“There are too many government regulations for the things we need. I have no idea why those jackasses have such a hard-on for our goodies. I swear to the Great Goddess, it’s baffling why some bureaucrat in a cheap suit and fugly tie cares about salamander eyes. The whole mess is a mystery to me.”
“Fugly?”
“Yeah. Emerald said it means fucking ugly. It’s my new fave word.” Ola’s grin was pure devilment as she waved her hand in the air, producing a bill large enough elicit an appreciative smile from the waiter. Audric didn’t doubt the young wizard would keep their glasses refilled the rest of the evening.
College-aged magicals of every type could apply for positions inside the Council’s headquarters. The criteria for acceptance were exceptionally strict, and Audric found himself wondering who the young waiter used as references. He’d learned long ago, knowing who an employee used as a reference often told you everything you needed to know about why they’d been hired.
“Hello?” Ola pretended to knock on his forehead, pulling Audric back to the moment. “I’m going to stop by Opal’s after we set this mess back in order. I know we promised to skip talking shop, but I had a vision the other night and haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.” Having been married to a powerful witch for many years, Audric knew better than to discount their instincts or visions.
“We can talk about whatever we damned well please. Tell me about the vision.” Audric focused his attention on the woman sitting across from him. He’d known Ola for more years than he wanted to think about—their friendship endured despite not always sharing the same view. When his sweet Elizabeth died, Ola showed up within the hour to help him handle the arrangements. She’d been rock solid despite her own grief—Ola and Elizabeth had been close friends since childhood.
There was a point during those first dark days when he’d had to remind himself Ola was setting her own sadness aside to help him. He knew she had a reputation for being tough as nails, but the never-married witch had a heart of gold. The time she spent helping see him through those first few weeks only served to strengthen the bond between them. Audric considered Ola Stone one of his closest friends and most trusted confidants.
“What if Catalina’s kidnapping was exactly what it appeared to be—an attempt to find out which agents are working both sides against the middle? Cooper comes in like an avenging angel, killing everyone standing between him and the woman he knows is his soulmate. His actions told everyone in the magic world how important Catalina was to him, but more importantly, it broadcast the same information to the Consortium.” He felt his brows raise, and Ola nodded. “Yes, indeed, the very group that has been trying to recruit Cooper for the last several years.”
Audric leaned back in the booth, stretching out his long legs and crossing his ankles. Sipping his drink, he let Ola’s words tumble around in his mind. The information wasn’t new, and if he was honest, this wasn’t the first time he’d wondered if they were dealing with two different problems—distinct but overlapping.
“I admit I’ve considered this scenario, but knowing you’ve made the same observation and envisioned it, leads a lot of credence to the possibility. Catalina’s magic has always been more powerful than she is aware. I still believe the kidnapping was motivated as a way to isolate her and allow the dark forces access to her.”
“She attributes it to artistic whimsy or something equally bogus.”
Audric didn’t hold back his laughter at Ola’s new slang. It was easy to see she’d been spending time with the younger magicals. He’d always thought it was unfortunate she hadn’t settled down to have a family of her own since she was a natural-born mentor.
“You are terrible for a girl’s ego, drifting in and out of the conversation with every little breeze. I have no idea how you are able to resist my sparkling personality and witty conversation.” Audric chuckled at her teasing. Damn, it was good to have friends who weren’t intimidated by his position. “If we really want to take the bastards out, all we need to do is give Lilly West a surface-to-air launcher like they had in that Arnold Schwartz movie.”
Arnold Schwartz? Oh, brother. Gifted witch, but not so great with movie trivia.
“True Lies? Jamie Lee Curtis was also in that movie. Damn, that scene where she dances with the bedpost was something else. I saw an interview where she said her best work ended up on the cutting room floor because it was too suggestive.” He sighed and, for the first time in over a century, wished he was younger.
“I want to meet Lilly West. I’ve watched her from afar. Damn, she is a corker. I think I want to be her when I grow up.” Ola’s comment caught him off guard, and Audric felt his entire body convulse with laughter. The woman’s sense of humor was so unexpected most of the time, he often forgot how witty she could be.
“Probably a sentiment shared by many.” They spent the next hour chatting about mutual friends and speculating about which member of the Council was going to be the next to announce their retirement. There were several members who should have stepped down years ago. At this point, it was a toss-up what was the greater risk—inexperienced members or those who were literally being led around headquarters because they couldn’t remember where they were headed or how to get there.