Invisible Recruit: Invisible Power Part 32

CHAPTER 63.

"Eleven o'clock," I whispered to Bran, not sure what the hearing range of a simin fae was.

He looked at me as if I'd flipped. "It's not yet ten."

Men!

"Behind the fae. Eleven o'clock. Could be Vaverek."

He followed my directions and I could hear him suck in his breath as I also heard Willie move up behind us.

"Can you smell Were?" I mumbled, not turning around but acting like my attention was one hundred percent on the first threat approaching, the fae.

"Yes," Willie responded after a few good sniffs. Then he added, "At least six or seven. A couple of fae, other than the simins, and . . ." he sniffed again. "One shifter, who's very agitated."

Van. It had to be Van but the man I was thinking could be Vaverek was alone. He looked like a common thug, about as tall as Bran with wide shoulders and a figure that leaned toward thickening in the middle, disguised well by the very pricey suit he wore. Who wore a suit when visiting a tourist attraction? Plus his body language was all wrong. He was rocking back and forth on the b.a.l.l.s of his feet, his shoulders thrust forward, his focus on where Bran, Willie and I stood. Sort of a pudgy attack Doberman on alert.

Could I be wrong about who he was?

With a quick glance around I caught what Willie had just indicated. There were a number of individuals, male and female, that didn't seem to be focused on the gardens or the three-story building directly in front of us.

"Freeze the fae," I mumbled to Bran.

"Why?"

"Something's going down. Now. The fae take you and you're a sitting target."

"I don't go with them now and an execute order will be applied."

I glanced at him. "Not if they're frozen and can't do anything. Blame it on me."

"No, I "

"Do it." We had no choice. His was stronger magic with the containment spell. I could do one but needed a circle and blood.

In a few seconds we might get blood if he didn't do anything.

They were ten feet away.

He straightened and lifted the fingers of his right hand.

"Continere."

Not good enough. "More."

Six feet away.

"Continere."

Three feet away. So close I could see the neon green of their slitted eyes.

"By the power of three," I mumbled. Did he want to be trapped by them?

He uttered the final and last words needed, "Continere lam."

A pulse of magic wafted forward, catching the three with their feet planted flat on the ground.

Thank the Spirits they stopped. Close enough they looked like they were just pausing, maybe chatting us up, doing anything except being frozen in place. From the location of the Were that I thought was Vaverek stood all he'd see was the trio in front of us, doing nothing.

"Now?" Bran asked, a bite to his voice.

"Now we stop the bad guys."

"And they are?"

Okay, he was getting downright snarky, even if he was right. There were non-humans and humans spread across the broad rectangle of gra.s.s about the size of a football field. White gravel walkways outlined the gra.s.s area with the three-story Pet.i.t Trianon hunkered down on the end closest to where we stood. Rows and rows of sculpted shrubs acted as a visual break between this residence and the rest of the gardens and buildings.

"More Weres arriving," Willie whispered into my ear, looking to the left of us. Four individuals, two male, two female stepped from the shrubs bracketing that side of the gra.s.sy field.

"How many is that?" I asked, keeping my attention on Vaverek.

"Twelve by my count," Bran said, his focus on holding the fae still. That was the problem with the stronger containment spells. They weren't static but needed the intention of the caster to remain strong. If they were three humans a simpler spell could have been cast, even one I could manage without a problem. But fae could counter magic and he couldn't risk the spell failing.

"You know where Francois is?" I asked.

"Circling the back of the Pet.i.t Trianon," came Bran's reply.

Great. Our only a.s.set was out of sight and out of striking distance.

I could practically feel Willie vibrate behind me. "I can't-I really can't . . ."

"I know." No sight of the IR members. Maybe Stone and Ling Mai stopped them already. Down to Bran and I and if Bran released his focus on the spell we'd have three simin fae ready to attack.

One problem at a time.

"Keep the fae in place," I whispered to Bran.

"What are you-"

"Look for reactions," I mumbled.

"What-"

No time to explain. We were running out of time. I'd already thrown back my shoulders, plastered a wide-eyed expression on my face and was running past the fae and toward Vaverek.

"Help. Oh, help!" I screamed like every Slasher movie I'd ever seen and with four brothers I'd seen a lot, regardless of what we'd told my dad. "A bomb. There's a madman with a bomb."

CHAPTER 64.

Jeb's shifter hearing caught the scream of a woman shouting beyond the salon's windows before the others did.

Alex?

He half rose from his seat, earning a glare from Cristobal. "What are you- "

"Listen," he snarled, pushing his chair back.

"I hear a woman," Tintilla said, glancing toward the windows. "What is she saying?"

"Bomb." Jeb's voice was back under control, as were his emotions. It couldn't be Alex. Not here.

Still he hurried as he crossed to the window, looking out at the formal gardens stretched in front of the Pet.i.t Trianon. A lot of people ebbed and flowed over the gra.s.s, too many given the chateau itself wouldn't be open to the general public for over two hours.

"What's happening?" Pdraig pulled near him, leaning toward the window.

Jeb looked around, his heart locking as he sighted what he'd hoped not to see. Alex was running away from a trio of simin fae, the ones sent to escort the warlock into the meeting and two males behind them. She was shouting about a bomb. Others were starting to react, looking around, some groups already fleeing the area. The rest glancing wildly around.

But what Jeb noticed more was the lack of movement from several of the small groups. As if they too remained as frozen in place as the fae. Frozen or they knew more about what was really happening.

"The warlock?" Pdraig said as Cristobal joined them. "The fae are there." He pointed to the trio. "The warlock looks like he's just beyond them. A ploy to escape them?"

"He knows the consequences," Cristobal snarled, sounding shocked that anyone would be so stupid as to even dare disobey a summons to the Council.

From all the research Jeb had done regarding the warlock, stupid was not a word he'd apply to the dress designer. Calculating, focused, determined, yes, but not stupid, especially not to execute such an action within full view of the Council.

"What is transpiring?" Tintilla said, arriving at the next window over, Wei Pei by her side. "Are we under attack?"

"Not us." Jeb said, watching the individuals remaining in the gra.s.sy area begin to converge. In twos and threes they moved toward where Alex was arguing with a single gentleman. She was waving her hands, shouting, acting hysterical. Which was not her way. Not at all.

So what was she doing?"That woman appears to be pointing toward something," the Koura demon said from one of the windows. "She keeps shouting about a bomb."

"Then why doesn't she run?" Tintilla said, shaking her head. "Unless . . ." Her words petered off.

Wei Pie murmured quietly, "Careful with others is a must have."

"What?" Cristobal turned to focus a lasered look at him. "Speak up."

Wei Pei stepped back, shoving his hands into the sleeves of his cloak, which effectively hid them from too watchful eyes. Faces could lie, but hands often revealed too much. "I said be cautious of people who may hurt you intentionally."

Tintilla fluttered her hand before the window, "What does that mean? Is she a threat or not?"

The Chinese shifter was correct. If Alex truly feared a bomb, she wouldn't be standing there arguing with a stranger. She'd cold c.o.c.k him, drag him out of harm's way and deal with the consequences later.

But she wasn't. So what . . . and that's when Jeb saw three men move from between the cone-shaped shrubs behind where the fae and the warlock stood. Three men and a wolf.

Van. Leashed with silver, snarling with rage, primed to attack.

That's what Alex was trying to do. Protect her brother.

Jeb was turned toward the door as he answered, "She is a threat but right now she's being threated more."

"By who?" Tintilla demanded.

"That's what I'll find out," Jeb shouted as he dashed through the salon door, prepping to shift as soon as he knew he could get outside of the building.

CHAPTER 65.

If I'd had any doubts about this individual being Vaverek they vanished as I drew closer, playing the crazy tourist to the hilt.

He barely blinked. Instead he waited, a smug twist to his lips as I drew closer and closer.

Others were scurrying away.

Thank the Great Spirits. The innocents might be safe, for a few minutes, though I doubted it'd last for long. Vaverek would find a way.

"Alex Noziak," he said, as if we were meeting under normal circ.u.mstances. "Very quick thinking. Though I expected no less from you."

So he knew who I was? Or at least recognized me, which made my skin crawl.

I lowered my hands, saving my breath for whatever I'd need to do next. "Vaverek, I presume?"

He inclined his head, not enough to break eye contact. I felt the same way, not trusting him more than I could throw him. Since he was a Were I knew it wouldn't be far.

"I did expect you to come a little better prepared," he murmured. "Very shortsighted."

I gave him a smile meant to singe him, which seemed to work very well as his brows beetled. "I see your arrogance is well earned," I taunted.

He was right. Bran was busy. Willie was as useless as donkey t.i.ts and Francois was MIA. But I still had my tongue, which, if my brothers were to be believed, was as lethal as any weapon they'd ever faced.

Vaverek took a moment to look around. He must not have been too worried as he turned back to me, shaking his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are playing way out of your league, Miss Noziak. A common enough error for Noziaks, it appears. Just ask your brother."