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“You think I would allow any Akrhyn, especially female, at this time to be unarmed?” Miriam looked at him sceptically. “Do you not know me, my love?”
Garrick pulled his wife to him and kissed her lips softly. “I knew you the moment I saw you,” he murmured before he kissed her for longer.
The door banged open, and he heard the yells of protest at the display of affection. Smiling, he pulled away from his wife and regarded his children. “Did I not tell you to knock?” he chided with a laugh.
“But, daddy, Castor Cord is here, and he said he would make ice sculptures for whoever got you first to come to him,” his youngest daughter told him, her eyes shining with wonder.
“Bribing my children?” Garrick said to his wife incredulously. “There is no level he will not stoop to.” With a resigned sigh, he fixed his robes one more time before he placed one more kiss on his wife’s cheek. “I shall go see what he wants.”
“Do not let him take you away!” Miriam called in warning as she watched her husband leave, before looking down at her three children. “Ice sculptures? Really?” Three little faces looked down at their bare feet. Her children were Lycan, shoes were abhorrent to them. With a chuckle, she kissed three downturned heads. “You should have atleastheld out for fireworks.” Three adorable faces looked up at her, and she held out her hands. “Come on, help mama walk in these cursed shoes.”
Laughing, they pulled her from the room.
Garrick glanced over his shoulder at the sound of his family’s laughter, and reluctantly he turned away. He could see Cord pacing the lower level, attired completely in black with one single band of crimson around the sleeves of each arm.
“No robes?” Garrick asked as he joined him.
“Apparently I am to be seen as theMarkof Velvoreand not a Castor.”
Garrick took in the barely concealed fury and decided it was a topic best avoided for now. “Bribing children is beneath you,” he admonished.
“Your children are devils.” Cord actually smiled as he spoke. “Little Freya will no doubt sit on the Great Council one day, the way that child negotiates.” Cord glanced at him. “Truly frightening.”
“I am sure it will be you she will be sitting across from,” Garrick said shrewdly. “Demonstrating your fondness for my children is manipulative…but effective.” Garrick looked around the hall. It was fairly empty, as the main bustle of activity was in the grand hall. His trainees had excelled themselves in preparing for this evening’s event on such short notice. “Where are they?”
Cord grinned at his Prime. “Outside, you think I would lie to your children?”
“Yes,” Garrick answered easily with a small smile. “What is it?” he asked knowing it was more than ice sculptures that brought the young Castor here.
“The Sisters.”
“What of them?” Garrick asked, feeling the niggle of apprehension in his gut.
“They want to meet with those of us named in the Prophecy,” Cord said, his lips tight.
“I am not named,” Garrick said as he looked at his Castor. “Why are you here?”
“Because I do not want to be in that room and not have you in it,” Cord answered simply.
Garrick knew he hadn’t masked his surprise at Cord’s candour. “Um, of course,” he floundered.
“Good,” Cord said before he grinned suddenly. “You can tell the little tiger she’s being quite unreasonable,” he added as he took his Prime’s arm and portalled them to the Northern Headquarters.
He looked at Garrick, and his Prime stared back at him. “I am at a loss as to what you want from me?”
“You need to explain to her,” Cord told him again. “It is not difficult.”
“If it is not difficult, then why doIhave to do it?” Garrick asked with a look of perception to the young Castor.
“She is upset with her brother, I don’t actually know why.Mybrother is on his way toourCast headquarters. Her father—Leonid, that is—is probably gorging himself on blood somewhere, and Salem is, well, he won’t be of help.”
“So out of all of that, you pick me?” Garrick asked incredulously. “I do not think I have the skill for this.” He looked at Cord helplessly. “I don’t even think I have spoken to her. Not directly.”
“You have to,” Cord said adamantly as he ushered his Prime along the corridor to her door.
“Why can’t you do it?” Garrick asked again as he thought of other ways to get out of this.
“Because I’m the one who locked her in,” Cord muttered. “Again.”
