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“I guess someone has too.” I grumbled.
Rycon sniggered. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Good. Hold onto that rage, you might need it later.” I flipped him off and poured water into the back of the machine and turned it on. We really needed to get one with a timer or something.
“Dere’s no need tuh be nervous gyal. Wi all going tuh be right dere with yuh.”
“So, he’s here?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“Yeah, Kieran arrived early dis morning with a few other coven members, he at di Abbey’s as wi speak.”
“I’m not supposed to leave the house. I promised Jeremy.” I pointed out. Conrad hesitated.
“Yes, mi know. Mi don’t feel comfortable allowing dese strangers into the wards wi have set up here. In case tings get bad, mi want tuh be able tuh take yuh back here, where it’s safe.”
I frowned as I went to pull out three mugs from the cupboard. “How long will we be gone for?”
“ ‘Bout an hour. We’ll have you back before Jeremy even knows yuh gone.” Conrad said. Rycon scoffed. I chose to ignore both of them and poured us all some coffee. After a couple of sips, I was feeling more like myself. I looked up at Conrad over my mug.
“Fine.” I said. “Let's get this over with.”
39
The Abbey house welcomed me as I walked through the front gate. There wasn’t really any other way to explain the warm caress against my aura, and the sigh it seemed to emit as I strolled up the walkway to the front door. Meredith’s wind chimes prattled on as they always did next to the old worn out bench with the flaking paint.
The magick of the house turned from a soft warm sensation to a prickly uneasy burn as it brushed against me again. I tried to tell myself it was my nerves that made it feel like the house was trying to warn me about something. Conrad came up behind me and gave me one of his lopsided grins.
“Mi be right here with yuh Rayven, di whole time.” He wasn’t fooling me. His accent always got thicker when he was nervous. Rycon was hanging back, oddly quiet for once.
‘I’m going to walk the perimeter.’ He said into my mind, and disappeared down the side of the house. His tone had darkened into the mercenary persona I imagined he used when he was… working, for lack of a better word. I had no idea what he was looking for and didn't bother to ask. Maybe he just needed an extra minute to prepare for this meeting. He had made it very clear how he felt about the Nightshades.
The door opened into the foyer, and I stepped in, kicking off my boots as I always did. To my left, in the sitting area was Meredith, Mr. Abbey and three magick folk I did not know. All five of them stood up as I entered. I could taste my heartbeat.
“Raven,” Mr. Abbey greeted me warmly, and came to take my hands in his. “Come in, come in. I would like you to meet Mr. Kieran Nightshade and his associates.
“Hello Raven, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” The wizard who could only be Kieran stepped forward, and my heart stood still.
I’m not sure what I had been expecting, but whatever it had been, this man did not fit the description.
He looked to be in his late sixties and was merely a head taller than I was. His dark blond hair was shot through with silver and he had deep laugh lines that surrounded his kind, grey eyes. He was dressed handsomely, in a modest suit without a tie. Something about him was vaguely familiar. As if I had seen him somewhere before, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He shook my hand warmly and my weak aura prodded at him tentatively. I found no trace of malice, no indication of a threat. Just a warm, dry hand of a middle-aged man who had come to help me. His eyes fell to the triquetra and his expression softened.
“That must be making you a wee bit uncomfortable.” He said, reaching out to tap it gently with his index finger. His soft English accent turned his words into music, and I jumped as I felt the triquetra warmed slightly beneath his touch. It felt as if he had left a tiny spark of magick on the charm. However, my aura was so weak, I couldn’t be sure.
“A little bit,” I muttered self-consciously, and took a step away.
“Aye. I would imagine so.” He turned and gestured to his companions, or ‘associates’ as Mr. Abbey had called them. “Allow me to introduce to you to my coven members.” The two strangers nodded in greeting. One of them was a tall, burly man with short dark hair and black eyes. He had a square jaw and was dressed head to toe in black, much the same way as I was. The other was a woman. She seemed to have been cut from the same cloth as the man, and was dressed in a similar fashion. Her dark hair was drawn back in a low, tight bun to mimic a military haircut, and her jaw was so sharp it looked like it could cut glass.
“This is Marcus and Maria.” He introduced us to his coven members. “We have heard that you have been having some trouble with our friends across The Veil?” I nodded slowly, still not quite convinced. If it had just been this unassuming man, I may have been more easily swayed to trust him. However, the unfriendly looking muscle he had brought with him made me weary.
“Why don’t we all sit down to have a cuppa? We can chat.” He said kindly, winking at me. Meredith stood gracefully, her own eyes never leaving the silent Marcus and the serious Maria. Even Mr. Abbey, who had been smiling pleasantly throughout the encounter, had an underlying air of discomfort where the two dark magick folk were concerned.
“I’ll go make us some tea.” Meredith murmured, and swept from the room as Rycon finally appeared in the doorway.
‘What took you so long?’ I snapped into his mind as he appeared, and he raised an eyebrow at me.
‘What Kitten? Did you miss me?’ I knew it was silly, but I felt safer with him close to me. I watched carefully as Kieran observed Rycon’s smooth and silent entrance into the foyer.
“Ah,” The Nightshade purred. “You must be the shifter we have all heard so much about.” Rycon’s nostrils flared, taking in the man’s scent. His eery yellow-slitted eyes dilated, and I knew immediately that he had sensed something he did not like. Rycon didn’t answer, he simply watched the wizard as he sat back down in his seat.
Marcus and Maria followed suit. How such a small, pleasant gentlemen had been able to command such obedience from these obviously powerful magick folk was beyond me. Conrad took up his post to my right, and Rycon fell easily into the couch behind us. He sprawled out comfortably, seemingly at ease, however, I could feel his anxiety radiating through the bond.
