They made their way across the office to the conference room where the television on the far wall was on. Carlo Powers stood with Marlon Hayes.
Today we have passed the Domestic Safety Act through committee and it will go to a full vote on the floor. Keep in mind that these monsters have had their own murdered for daring to speak out against their ways.
Faine looked over at Helena, who looked positively murderous indeed.
There was a general uproar in the press, people yelling questions.
I know because several of these patriotic men and women have disappeared. They were helping me and our cause and they are all gone today. They admitted what sort of monsters they are, told me all sorts of things. Things Ill be exposing to you all over the course of the next few days. But suffice it to say there is a lot these monsters have not been telling us, despite their claims of honesty and openness.
That bastard! Molly exploded from her chair and then, unable to pace because of the cast, sat back down. We havent been honest? He had spies in our ranks and its our fault? Rita, get all my contacts on the line. We need to respond. I need to get on all the networks to combat this.
We need to be ready for them to expose the existence of the Veil. Of demons and Fae and Lycians. Meriel sipped her coffee. But unless they have actual proof, we dont respond to anything. And what sort of proof can they have? Hearsay? Meriel shrugged. I dont give a damn about what someone, who conveniently isnt around, said about something he or she heard. How can we trust the word of people who wont appear on camera?
Helena smirked.
And we dont know a thing about any disappearing Others. Not unless there are groups of mages out there again, kidnapping them to satisfy their dangerous addictions.
People always underestimated witches, but they were just as hardcore as the rest of the Others when it was necessary. Meriel was a vicious, canny woman and he admired that a great deal. This was high-stakes politics and she was absolutely a player. Marlon Hayes thought hed shake the Others up with this, but he had no idea what was in store for him.
I need to get back to Los Angeles to get people trained down there and manage the movement of our people into the enclave communities. Helena stood.
Keep us updated. Ill contact Rebecca now. Im sure shes seen this mess already. Meriel was gone in moments.
Lark hugged her sister. Please be safe.
Ill do my best. You too.
Faine clasped his brothers forearm and then hugged him. Watch over your woman.
Simon nodded. You too. And be sure to eat plenty of protein because watching over a Jaansen takes a lot of fortitude.
I heard that, Lark called out from where she stood with her sister.
Simon waggled his brows her way and she rolled her eyes and turned back to Helena.
Keep checking in. Ill let you know what we get out of these prisoners.
Helena nodded. Ill go straight to the one weve got in holding. The wolves said we could keep him at Gennessee. Its safer there anyway.
Love you. Lark hugged Helena one last time.
Love you too.
Faine barely restrained himself from taking her hand but did allow a brief touch of her lower back as he guided her from the room.
Their bags were already in the car and they headed off to the airport. They didnt have Mia to fly them this time, but they had engaged the services of another witch whod handle the air travel for the time being.
They loaded in and Faine sat, patting the seat next to him. You may as well relax for the next few hours. Theres nothing you can do while were in the air. Sleep. I have a feeling youll need it.
I have work to do. She pulled out one of her dusty spellbooks. Theres some old-school arcane magicks in this. We lost our ability to work this sort of magick generations ago. Like a muscle you dont use, we got flabby. But with this power boost after the Magister, I think some of us can. And were going to need every weapon we can get.
Why do you think theres this power boost?
She looked up at him after she got strapped in. Ive thought on it a lot. Heard all sorts of theories. I think its that when the Magister left, all the unused magick from the Others that disappeared bled out and we soaked it up. We lost nearly half of our population worldwide. Yes, the mages stole some and the Magister too. But we generate magick by using it. Theres magick in the air and the earth. Less people to use it means more for each of us. Thats my best guess anyway. Morbid though it might be.
He sighed. A good enough guess. He leaned back and closed his eyes. He didnt need to sleep, but the quiet time to think and work things out would be welcome. There was a lot to piece through. Plus, he rarely got the chance to simply be still with her when she wasnt bleeding or being shot at.
She put her head on his shoulder and he opened his eyes, taking in the sight. Possession roared through him. Satisfaction that shed turned to him with a simple show of affection.
His beast pressed against the mans flesh, flexing its claws before subsiding. Just another way she was different than any other who came before. His beast approved mightily.
There were others on the plane and shed touched him that way. He held back a smile, settling for a kiss on the top of her head, breathing her in.
Thank you.
She sat back in her own seat so she could look up into his face.
What for, Alamah?
She smiled. Youve set aside your life to help with all this. You could live in Lycia and no one would try to kill you. No one would discriminate against you for being what you are.
He chuckled at that. Things are not as perfect in Lycia as you might imagine. We go to war. There are dominance battles all the time. I came to you covered in battle scars, remember?
She smiled. Well, I guess thats true. But I . . . thank you for being there when I needed you. Youve given me so much great advice. Youve been someone I could turn to.
It is my pleasure to be there when you needed me. As for setting aside my life? Pah. This is my life. Here with you.
Lucky me, she murmured, but it wasnt sarcastic. He squeezed her hand before she went back to her book.
* * *
BY the time theyd landed Helena knew the news cycle would have begun to spin like a giant tornado. Being with Molly while they were all on the road together had taught her that much.
She turned on the news as they drove from the small airport back to the Gennessee offices. She wanted to ask Faine when they were alone why they couldnt just use trips through the Veil to cut through all this plane travel. There was a time she actually liked to fly.
But even with private planes, which she had to admit kicked ass, it was still hours she couldnt do stuff. Then again, it was hours she couldnt do stuff, and she so rarely got downtime she supposed she should appreciate it.
She didnt though. She needed to be making calls and dealing with email and all that stuff.
Brief me, she said to her father, whod picked them up.
Weve taken the havens and are transforming some of them into guarded enclaves for the witches and Others who live outside major cities. That was a very good idea. He winked at her and she smiled, warmed by the praise.
I have them sometimes.
There are four currently operating in the Los Angeles metro area. But thats not enough, obviously. Weve connected with the Weres. Some of them have huge swaths of private land already. Theyve hooked up with some developers about turning some of that land into mini subdivisions that would include schools, retail, that sort of thing. Oh, and networking hubs so people can work remotely without having to leave to go in to offices. Its not perfect, but its a start. Its a boom business for developers now, which is a good thing to come out of the bad, I suppose. Rebecca is looking into buying three apartment buildings on the same block in San Diego. The Vampires have offered up some property as well.
Really? Well, thats interesting. The Vampires werent much for playing well with anyone else.
Franco likes Lark. I think she drew blood at their first meeting.
Helena laughed. She did. I guess Simon nearly blew a gasket when she went into their nest and popped someone before theyd even gotten inside the front door.
Faine groaned under his breath.
So weve got a short-term solution for most of our people. There will be those who wont want to leave their current homes.
Helena nodded. I know. It wont be mandatory. But we cant offer protection to everyone. Its an option. People can take it or not. Its not an option or a solution for every Other. She accepted that. There was already one in Pasadena. A small subdivision had just finished the first houses. The developers were connected to the ones who created the one Faine lived in, so the new owners were all Others of one type or another. She had looked at a two-bedroom cottage-style that fit in quite nicely with the architecture in that part of the city. Maybe it was time to pull that trigger.
Evan has been working to get a schedule up and in place to patrol each of these enclaves. The Gennessee wants you to get some law enforcement structure in place with courts and that sort of thing. If were stepping totally out of human law enforcement its going to be more complicated than what weve been doing so far.
Shed already drawn up a preliminary plan the night before so shed be sure to stop in to see Rebecca first thing and drop it off.
I dont see any way around it. I wish I did. If theyre not going to help us, we have to help ourselves, and that means building our own structure. Maybe Im wrong.
Stop it now. Her fathers voice was terse enough to snag her attention and make her turn to him, mouth open.
Faine leaned forward but she held her finger up to stay him.
Stop what?
Now isnt the time to second-guess yourself. Youre in charge for a reason, Helena, and its not because Im your father. Youre not wrong. Youre doing what you need to to keep people safe in this new world. We cant afford to sit around and wish things were different. They arent. You know that more than most anyone. You have seen things most of us havent. Your decisions are good and sound and you have to stop this ridiculous guilt tripping over Indio and you have to do it right now.
Faine sat back as she thought of what to say.
Chris Stevenson was one of their spies. He was one of my people and I had no idea he was betraying us. Thats not good decision making.
He is, yes. And hes been questioned by me. He has a gambling problem. He owes a great deal of money in Las Vegas. The mages had been watching for just such a weakness and they sought him out. Once hed helped them the first time, they used that against him. And then when the haven in Indio was taken they had him for good. No turning back when your actions cause the death of twenty-two people. He wasnt evil. But his weakness is more than a flaw. Her father shrugged. This is more than a mistake. This is bone-deep selfishness that brought him to his knees and still he said nothing. Still he gambled and kept himself in debt and he continued to betray our people. That hasnt got one thing to do with your decisions.
I should have known he had a gambling problem!
Do you remember two years ago when you suggested to Rebecca that all Clan employees have their financials checked routinely?
She blew out a breath. Yes. She said it was an invasion of privacy.
And if shed allowed it, at least for the hunter corps and those with access to sensitive data, it would have caught all his debt. But she said no. You tried once more and she said no again. Give yourself some credit. You cant doubt yourself. Not now of all times. I believe in you. Lark believes in you. Thousands of people are relying on you because they believe in you too. You will make mistakes. Hell, I made them too. More than you. I walk with a limp because I underestimated werewolves. Youre not omnipotent. But youre damned good at this. Let yourself believe it.
Chapter 17
ARE you still upset that I went to Lycia to see my brother and father without telling you?
Helena gathered her things as she planned to head home for a few hours sleep, a hot meal and a shower. Probably not in that order.
Distracted, she looked up at Faine, who took up the entire doorway of her office. What?
Are you still upset that I went to my father without telling you? He took her weapons bag and she was tired enough to let him.
I understand why you did it.
That doesnt answer my question. He tried to take her keys and she shot him a look, keeping them.
What exactly is it you want to know? You dont give a crap if Im annoyed you went to Lycia without telling me. You would do it again in a heartbeat because you believe it was the right thing to do.
The business part of the office was normally quiet, but not so much that night. Gennessee ran an array of successful businesses, including construction, which was getting a considerable bump now that they were moving forward with several enclaves for Others statewide. People pored over plans, talking on the phone, tapping away on keyboards in order to fast-track everything.
The hunter area of the office was also humming with activity. Her people looking at maps, giving orders, coming and going for their assignments.
Helena.
She paused at Nikolas desk. Yes?
The hunter handed her a file. Weve assigned three teams each to the three existing enclaves. Theyll work in shifts of eight hours each.
No one alone. Every patrol needs to work in teams of two or more. Have you spoken with the Alpha of South Bay? The werewolves had stepped up in a way she hadnt figured they would. They were doing it, so she wasnt going to complain about how it happened, only be grateful it had. She needed to send Cade Warden a fruit basket or something to thank him for lighting a fire over there.