Wild Darkness

“What?”

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, over the spot Helena had. Then he turned his head and caught her mouth the way he’d wanted to for so long. He pulled her against his body as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Now you smell like me,” Delilah spoke against his lips before stepping back. “I approve. Will you stay at the hotel? I’ll come back once I’m done here. I don’t know what will happen after I hear whatever I hear. But I’d like that drink and dinner you promised me.”

“What if they propose violence?”

“I hope they do. Toshio, they want to eradicate my people. To think they can control something like the Magister is insane. It doesn’t just endanger us. There’s no way to stop a cancer like Carlo Powers, not when he’s dead set on destroying us. Not with words. This is my family. These are the people who have suffered with me after the Magister killed so many of us. And Powers and Hayes, for that matter, have been working to bring that creature back? No. It ends here. It’s time to make a real stand. I understand that you can’t take that step. But if you would fight in a war against a nation that threatened ours, you should be able to get why my choice is different.”

He blew out a breath. “Put that way . . . yeah, I understand, and yes, I’ll go back to the hotel. Come to my room when you finish up.”

He left with a heavy heart.

Chapter 14

HELENA had been thoroughly shaken by the phone call from the witch who’d uncovered the leak to Hayes’ office. Worse, what they’d found in the man’s computer had exposed a network of Others who’d been working with the anti-Other groups and the mages.

To bring the Magister back.

Why? Why? Who’d want that after what had happened?

One of the witches they’d uncovered had been a male who’d known the location of the haven in Indio. A Gennessee witch. Someone Helena knew on a casual basis had sold out innocents to the Magister.

She was sick about the entire thing.

The witch who’d been the leak in Owen—the one Lark had uncovered just before the Magister had attacked the final time—had compatriots spread across different groups of Others across the country.

Helena had seen a lot in her time. Had dealt with stupid people, selfish ones. Greedy ones. But this was something she could not comprehend at all. What Other would cooperate with beings who wanted to eradicate them from existence?

Lark was handling the questioning of the witches that’d been identified as leaks. Money seemed to be the main factor for them. But if there was more to it, Lark would find it.

Helena blew out a breath. It was over and done. All they could do was root out anyone left and tighten up their security.

Delilah Sperry came back in and Helena nodded to Meriel, who rapped her knuckles on the table to get everyone’s attention.

“Clan Owen, along with Gennessee and our confederation of covens and Clans, proposes a declaration of war.”

“Lycia has declared war and will sit on your council.” Simon spoke, his voice rumbling through the hall.

Helena narrowed her eyes at Faine. Clearly that’s what he’d gone and done while she’d flown back to Seattle. That he hadn’t just told her was an issue they’d have to work through, because right then she wanted to punch him for it.

Not the going back home part. Not even the declaration of war part. But the not telling her what he was up to part. Partners her ass.

“I have been declared a Liaison between Lycia and your Council,” Simon said.

“Why? What’s your involvement here?” Rebecca Gennessee spoke from her place via the video screen.

“My mate has been threatened on multiple occasions. My home—my den was attacked while my mate, my brother and his protected were there. The male who shot Lark is dead. My honor is satisfied there. But this is not to be taken lightly. No one threatens my family this way. I can be part of your solution or not. But war has been declared and regardless of how you all choose to move, we will not stop until Carlo Powers and those he’s working with are no longer a problem.”

Lark’s gaze shot to Helena a moment and then back to Simon. She hadn’t known either. Simon was in trouble too. Ha. Helena looked to Faine, who sat, back straight, regal and strong.

Helena realized she’d forgotten that Faine was a prince. A Lycian wasn’t a werewolf. He was something entirely different and she’d lost sight of that. This underlined it. His protected? What did that mean?

She didn’t want to look too closely at the way it had made her feel when Simon had said it. She liked it, damn it. She shouldn’t. Faine was a handful and he’d decided she was his before she’d even agreed to it. Though, frankly, she obviously had because he wasn’t maimed and she’d let him sex her up. Ha, let him. She’d sexed him up right back and she knew before he’d touched her that he’d had some imprint thing happening. He’d been up front and she’d been playing with fire like a fool.

But it wasn’t the time to obsess on that because there was more to do.

“Fair enough.” Rebecca shrugged slightly. “Lycia has been a solid ally. We welcome your assistance.”

Cade Warden nodded. “Earlier today the wolves also made their declaration of war.”

Max de La Vega lifted a finger. “The jaguars as well. And through us, the other cats are also on board.”

Franco Pendergast lifted a finger before he spoke. “As you all know, the Vampires declared war the moment a car full of Elders and our protected was blown up. We have been holding off as a courtesy as these last steps were being explored. The Magister is a threat we cannot take lightly. If they find a way, they can’t be allowed to continue to draw breath.”

Cade spoke up. “More than that, that they’d plan it means they are a threat we cannot continue to let go unanswered. PURITY will stop at nothing short of our total annihilation and the human government is doing little to stop it.”

“If you all have questions, Helena, can you speak to the issue of our safety steps in general?” Meriel asked.

She stood. “Our people are working on the investigation of spies in our groups. I’ve been in touch with various enforcers, hunters and law enforcement. Our efforts will bring to ground these traitors and they will be dealt with.” She knew the shifters had rough justice for this sort of treason. As did The Gennessee.

“At the same time, we need to move forward on several fronts. The witches are urging their members to relocate to guarded enclaves. The designer of several enclave communities already in existence has volunteered to speak to you individually. We’ve tried to work with the situation already in place but the fact is, we cannot protect people. Not from the threat as it is now.”

Many nodded heads.

“There will be no return to the way things were. There will be a new normal. I’m sorry, but we can’t ignore it any longer.” Meriel sighed heavily.

“At the same time, we’ll need to create a militia. Our own army. We can get patrols up to protect our communities as well as enforcement groups to show up at crime scenes. The human police are not getting the job done in about fifty percent of calls now. They’re not protecting us so we have to.

“We need to train our people. If we can create teams that include fighters from different backgrounds we’ll be better off. Investigation, magick, defensive magick and also fighters.”

“Why shouldn’t we just go back and do our own thing? After all, it was one of your people who gave them the information they might be able to use to bring the Magister back,” one of the Vampires said.

“This network of spies and traitors seems to span across many Other groups. Money is a powerful motivator apparently.” Max de La Vega spoke. “My own brother Carlos was one of these spies. Vampires can do what they