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At first, a vague, misty form took shape, almost ghostlike.
She concentrated harder until the mist began to coalesce and finally the witch was completely visible.
The woman levitated above the couch. She wore a long flowing garment, also in velvet though the color was a dark red, almost maroon. The bodice of the gown was cut low, exposing a long line of cleavage as well as beautiful amber flames that crawled up her throat and darkened her cheeks. Her skin was pale and she was very thin. The woman was an addict.
Her eyes were coal black and her features gaunt and sharp. She might have been beautiful at one time, now she looked grotesque.
Mary knew who she was, a powerful dark witch named Sandrine and a prime player in one of the dark covens of Elegance Territory. She had to be the source of the lethal blue powder that had come within an inch of killing Fergus.
She was famous for poisons and torture and especially liked to combine the flame drugs with her spells.
Sandrine suddenly stopped moving. She floated down to land on the floor. She was short, maybe only five-foot-two against Sydon who was well over a foot taller.
“Sydon, my love, someone is here and you’ll never guess who?”
Mary held her breath. She needed to leave but she had to know whether Sandrine actually knew Mary had invaded Sydon’s HQ.
“Just tell me.” Sydon sounded aggravated as he looked up from the stack of papers to the right of his laptop.
“Don’t get crabby with me. This is important. She’s Fergus’s woman, the one I warned you about repeatedly, the one I told you to get rid of. The veterinarian, Mary of Revel. Sound fucking familiar, my love?”
Sydon looked around. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t see anyone and none of the alarms went off. She can’t be here.”
Somehow Sandrine had sensed the dreamglide.
Fear turned to a sharp, agonizing dread. If Sandrine had enough power to detect a dreamglide, Mary knew she had to get out of there. She immediately withdrew from the dreamglide.
As she sat up on her couch, she felt horribly exposed. She trembled and for a long moment couldn’t put one thought in front of the next. There was so much wrong with what she’d seen, and with what Sandrine had said, she hardly knew where to start.
First and foremost, Sandrine saw her as a threat and had for a long time.
Mary worked hard to face up to the truth. Everything she’d experienced with Fergus over the past few days told her she was in danger. But so was Savage Territory.
She glanced toward the shuttered windows and the backyard. Though it was now seven in the evening in the middle of June, it was still light out which meant Sydon’s forces couldn’t attack her home for at least another hour. Setting the major attack at nine would also ensure that his sun-sensitive alter forces would be safe once they went to war.
She put a hand to her chest and slowly worked at calming herself.
What she knew to be true was that Sydon and his counterpart were at the heart of the disaster looming over Savage. The bonded couple intended nothing less than full domination of the territory. Despite her sense of personal danger, she also knew she had to help thwart the threat that Sydon had become.
The wolves she’d seen weren’t the same wolves who served as part of Sydon’s rogue warrior pack. These wolves were administrators, and they’d set up a large organization, one that could rule. Harley was part of that, though he appeared to be drugged or more likely be-spelled. Mary doubted he was even aware of the role he played.
It was obvious to her now that the whole time Sydon had been in the dungeon at Fergus’s compound, he’d been communicating with Sandrine and his top wolves.
What came to mind next was a frightening question: How many spells had Sandrine employed to gather so many loyal wolves around Sydon? Had she done this to Harley or had Harley gone willingly?
She felt it now, the awful truth. If she was part wolf and Fergus was developing a number of fae instincts and abilities, then why not a wolf and a witch? Worse, why wouldn’t Sydon be a willing participant in the dark arts as practiced by Sandrine?
She knew the time had come to contact Fergus and she reached for him telepathically. He hadn’t responded earlier, apart from the dreamglide, but at the time he’d been caught in a nightmare. If he was waking up or already up for the night, she might be able to connect with him, even at such a distance.
Fergus, can you hear me?
Nothing returned, so she tried again. Fergus, it’s Mary. I need to talk to you and we probably shouldn’t use our phones.
She kept this up for a full minute, over and over, until a sleepy wolf finally responded. Mary, what’s going on? Are you okay? Where are you?
His immediate concern warmed her heart. She thought about mentioning the danger she was in, but right now, she wanted him to have the bigger picture.
She started, however, with what would be the most personal part for Fergus. I belie
