“Which is?” Aiden asked.
“According to Ashworth,” I said, “It’s a secret society of witches, werewolves, and vampires who work behind the scenes to right wrongs and bring justice to those who escape it.”
“Sounds more like a vigilante group,” Aiden commented. “And it can’t be too secret if your father knows about it.”
“The Society is whatever it needs to be.” Monty glanced at me. “And if Lawrence is now aware of it, they must have recently contacted your parents. It would certainly explain your mother’s sudden decision to separate from your father.”
“And that would explain why he’s now attempting to make amends for his actions thirteen years ago,” Belle said. “It’s still all about power and his need to retain it rather than any desire to put things right for his daughter.”
I picked up my fork and scooped up a thick bit of chocolaty goodness. “To be honest, I don’t care what his motivations are, as long as it ends in an annulment. But I don’t for one minute believe Clayton will leave it at that.”
“He has to,” Monty said around a mouthful of cake. “He swore an oath, and that’s something no witch would go against lightly.”
“Maybe sane witches, but I’m not entirely sure Clayton could be classified as that anymore.” I remembered the look in his eyes and shivered. “His aura was nigh on black, and it wasn’t grief. It was a fury so fierce it consumes him.”
“Somewhat understandable if he’s been incapable of getting an erection for nearly thirteen years. That might send any man mad.” Monty scooped up more cake. “What I’d like to know, though, is how the damn spell lasted so long. Don’t take this the wrong way, Belle, but it really shouldn’t have. At the very least, he should have been able to unpick it without much hassle.”
“I know, and I can’t explain it.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I was actively thinking that night—I was running more on instinct.”
“Were the two of you connected?” Aiden asked. “Is it possible that some of Liz’s magic leaked over to Belle and fortified her spell?”
Monty pointed his fork at Aiden, his expression excited. “By God, I think he nailed it. It explains so much.”
“My magic wouldn’t have worried Clayton any more than Belle’s,” I commented.
“Except,” Monty said, “if the wild magic somehow got involved. It explains their desperation to find you—it wasn’t just the erectile dysfunction spell, but what that spell revealed.”
“Good theory, but there is one—”
Monty held up a hand. “Yes, I know, the seeker should have been able to use the still-active spell to track you and Belle down. But here’s the thing—that spell, if I’m right, was a combination of both of your magics and the wild magic, and therefore unviable as a means of tracking.”
“At least until we came here, and the wild magic within your DNA was activated again,” Belle said. “Which certainly explains the seeker’s sudden appearance.”
“All possible except for one thing,” I said. “The wild magic didn’t actually make an appearance in any of my magic until we came here.”
“When it comes to conscious magic, that’s certainly true, but what if it was done subconsciously? What if the situation and your fear combined to tear through whatever barrier had previously prevented you accessing your inner wild magic for those few vital minutes? It’s not like either of you have been in such a dire situation since then—”
“Thank heaven for that,” I muttered.
“It could also provide a reason as to why the wild magic here responded to you,” Monty continued. “The barrier had already been breached and it sensed a kindred spirit, so to speak.”
Or rather, Katie did, Belle said. It makes a weird sort of sense, given that until you came into the reservation she had no conduit for the power she was now a part of and no means of communicating with anyone.
I guess Monty’s theory would also explain why it took so long for the inner wild magic to make its presence felt—the barrier had been torn rather than destroyed. It took a while—and multiple connections—for it to fail.
Yes. And I’m guessing that’s the real reason Clayton came here today—he wanted to see if there was wild magic within you.
Did my shield hold?
Yes, but the reaction of the wild magic woven into the café’s spells would have given him enough reason to believe its source was you rather than an accidental inclusion.
“I’m thinking,” Monty said, voice dry, “that there’s a whole different conversation happening between you two. How about you illuminate the poor males in the room?”
I flashed him a smile and picked up my coffee. “Sorry, we were just discussing the merits of your theory.”
“And?”
“It really only amplifies the danger we’re still in.” I glanced at Aiden. “And before you say it, you can’t keep sleeping on the sofa. It’s impractical.”
“You’re making him sleep on the sofa?” Monty’s eyebrows shot upward. “Why?”
“It’s part of our no-sex-under-this-roof rule,” Belle said. “Which we undertook after several bad relationships stained the atmosphere in previous homes.”
Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Which means you’ll just have to move out when we get married.”
Belle snorted and flicked a bit of cream at him. He laughed and dodged. “Seriously though, if Clayton comes here against his vow, he risks his position on the High Council and generally being ostracized—especially with your father as a witness.”
“Because my father will always protect his position and power base first and foremost.” I couldn’t help the edge in my voice. “And that brings a secondary problem—he’ll want to use me as a bargaining chip once he’s got confirmation of my ability to use wild magic.”
“It won’t do him any good if you can’t leave the reservation,” Aiden commented. “And let’s all be honest, few high-blood witches would deign to leave their lofty positions in Canberra to live here. Hell, look at the lack of choice we had when it
