“Yes, but Violet is centuries old, and sometimes old habits have a hard time dying." Abigail added sweetly, and Savannah forced back the urge to vomit. This was a frame job, and Abigail, Josephine, and the head of the Authority council in Arizona, Francesco, were responsible.
Savannah fought to keep from narrowing her eyes at the both of them. They seemed so genuine, and yet they were completely fake -- willing to let an innocent person suffer for their crimes. She was sick, only the cause wasn’t someone she ate, it was them, and what she saw in her vision.
She teetered on the idea of outing them right there, in front of everyone, including Josephine, but that would endanger her family. If they could kill off an entire race without any remorse, they’d happily do the same to her family. She needed to keep her mouth shut until she could find a way to reveal their secret without putting her family in jeopardy. She only hoped she could make that happen before Violet was convicted.
Proving Violet’s innocent brought about a ton of other issues, all pertaining to Celestia, and her climb to power. There is no way she’s going to be happy about this. Hell, Celestia may have been involved in this. She was the one that gained the most power from this coup. But it didn’t deter her resolve. Somehow, she needed to prove it, and she knew just the person to help her do that, Lucky. She only hoped he’d be willing to help her after she trampled on his heart and chose Viktor. She knew once she realized the only reason she was interested in him was to pay back her sister and Viktor – not her finest hour, but nonetheless the truth, she was able to walk away from him, and give Viktor a real chance at making their arranged marriage work. But that didn’t mean Lucky’s feelings wouldn’t be hurt, and it didn’t mean she didn’t feel an enormous amount of guilt in stringing him along, even though she had no idea that was what she was doing at the time.
In the end, Lucky had integrity, and that was the main factor she used in deciding to ask him for help. That, and the knowledge she gained from Rebecca last night that he was estranged from his mother. He would do what was right. He was for justice. She was sure of it.
“Silvio should close his case in the next few days, and then the sentencing will take place. Soon, you’ll be able to close this tragic time in your life and move forward.” Francesco smiled warmly. His dark hair gleamed as wickedly as his overly shiny teeth. Bastard!
“I’m not entirely sure this is over. I haven’t seen anything that makes this a slam dunk case. In fact, everything seems circumstantial,” Rebecca responded. “I think there is more to the story than what we have seen.”
“There is a possibility that Silvio will be able to clear her name, but that is unlikely,” Abigail chimed in.
“It doesn’t seem fair that the council believes Violet is guilty. Isn’t it supposed to be innocent until proven guilty?” Savannah asked.
“The council has decided nothing yet,” Francesco narrowed his dark eyes on Savannah, “but we are focused on getting justice for the wolves that lost their lives in this senseless massacre.”
“Sure you are.” Savannah nodded. “Of course. Justice. That means the guilty must be punished.”
Abigail turned her attention to Savannah. “You sound like you think we’re on the wrong path. I wonder if your sire would agree with you.”
“I’m allowed my own opinion.”
“Opinions are just that, a person’s feelings. Let’s leave it at that.” Hunter joined the conversation. “I don’t know about you, but I know I’m hungry. We should go to lunch before we miss the opportunity.”
“Yes, of course.” Francesco smiled. “Excuse us.” He and Abigail left.
Savannah turned to Lucky. “I need your help. I need everyone’s help.” She turned to Rebecca and Hunter. “Can we all go to lunch and talk…” she glanced around the room, “away from prying ears?”
They nodded and headed out.
It was only a matter of minutes before they were all seated at a table outside of Mario’s Italian Restaurant. Savannah glanced at her extended family; Rebecca, Gabriel, Maverick, Elizabeth, Hunter, Freya, Willow, River, Jackson, Catherine, Miracle, Mystery, and Lucky. “I have something important to tell you.” She prayed she could trust them all. She sighed heavily. She had to believe in her family sometime, and she knew it was necessary to do so now. She wasn’t going to be able to take down the head of the Authority, and the head of the Protectors alone. “What I’m about to tell you could put you all in danger so if you don’t want to hear it, leave now.”
“You should know us better than that by now.” Rebecca leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I need to know everyone here wants to hear this.” She looked at everyone individually, and waited for their nod before she continued.
“You’re getting a little ominous, sis,” Hunter added to his nod.
“I’m taking a chance trusting you.” She glanced around the table. “Most of you know I have the power of psychometry, which allows me to touch items and see pictures of the past connected to those items.”
Most around the table nodded.
“When I picked up Abigail’s coin, I saw something.”
Everyone waited for her to go on. “Francesco, Abigail, and Josephine were the ones that planned the pack massacre.” Savannah looked at Lucky, and tried to gauge his reaction. He remained stoic.
“What?” Hunter asked. “You do know what you’re saying, right?”
Savannah nodded. “I saw it, like a memory imprinted on Abigail’s coin.” She looked at Rebecca. “They didn’t want Tomas to have your power in his pack. They were worried it would upset the balance. They only wanted Tomas dead, but they were sure that no one could reach him through the pack so they decided to take them all down.”
“My mother was involved in this planning?”
Savannah gave Lucky a sad look. “I’m sorry, Lucky, but yes, she was.”
A tick started in his jaw, and Savannah had an urge to comfort him, but she didn’t know how.
“How trustworthy are your visions?”
“Psychometry is very trustworthy,” Elizabeth spoke up. “But the visions are always emotionally charged. Are you sure you didn’t just see a conversation where it was heated, and they were trading ideas to resolve the issue?”
“Maybe. I didn’t hear everything, but they seemed pretty set on making it happen, and Francesco called someone to set the plan in motion.”
“Do you know who?” Gabe asked.
Savannah shook her head. “No, that was when I was interrupted and lost the vision.”
“Did you get anything to prove that they followed through with it?” Lucky asked.
Savannah gave him a sad look. “I know this must be hard on you.”
“No, it isn’t. I left the Protectors because I discovered my mother’s dirty dealings. I wouldn’t put this past her.”
“We’re talking attempted genocide here.” Rebecca shook her head. “I just didn’t think anyone could do something so heinous, let alone someone we know.”
“We’re also talking about someone who might be innocent going down for this crime. If Violet is guilty, I don’t mind her paying for this, but if she is innocent, I’d hate to see someone die for a crime they didn’t commit,” Savannah added solemnly. “I’m so sorry, Lucky.”
“We don’t know if they are guilty yet, but we need to find a way to prove it one way or another.” Lucky sat forward and looked closely at Rebecca. “From what I’ve heard so far, you are the reason they decided to do this...”
Rebecca’s face fell. Savannah felt for her sister. Becks took blame for things far too easily, and she knew she’d take the guilt for this.
“Does Siren know why?”
‘Do you?’ Rebecca asked her wolf.
‘No,’ Siren answered. ‘I thought we were friends with Josephine, Francesco, and Abigail.’
“No, she has no clue.”
“In the vision, they talked about the fear of her witch power joining with the wolf power because o
f the binding. They feared this would make Tomas too powerful.”
“Did they fear the same thing when you were made into a vampire?”
Savannah shook her head. “I don’t know. Probably not since your transformation, and rise to power, they probably let things happen.”
Mystery put her phone down. “What is that prophecy, Mira?”
“Siblings of witches possessing all six elements will rise to power. They will break down the powers that be and cause the paranormal world to turn upside down. Hundreds will die, and those that are guilty will lose their strength.”
“Do you think that is referring to us?” Savannah looked at Miracle and Mystery.
“I didn’t think so, at least, not until now.” Mystery’s smile shook lightly. “We’re missing one sibling. The sibling with the power of spirit.” Everyone at the table looked at Elizabeth and Maverick.
They shook their heads. “Don’t look at us. We only had the five,” Maverick insisted.
“Unless the Convent of Souls hid a child from us,” Elizabeth added.
“They didn’t. I mean, they would’ve told us, right?” Maverick looked at her.
She shrugged. “You’re a member of their group. What do you think?”
Maverick leaned back, worry in the creases lining his face spoke more than his words. “I’ll need to find out.”
“They’re recruiting me. Is there a way I can look into this? I don’t want to find out we have another sibling out there.” Savannah rubbed her forehead with her hand.
“I’ll take this one, Savannah.” Maverick sat back in his chair. “I have far more access in the group. Besides, it’s about time I get a chance to be a father to you children.”
“And we still need to find a way to prove whether your vision was true or not,” Lucky stated simply.
“Would it be so bad that this prophecy comes to pass?” Mystery asked, “I mean, is no one tired of the corruption in the ranks of the COS and Authority?”
“I think we are all tired of the corruption, but we don’t want to see more death,” Rebecca chimed in.
“Not to mention, we don’t know who would replace them,” Lucky pointed out.
“The devil you know is sometimes better than the devil you don’t,” Hunter agreed.
“I’ll confront my mother tonight,” Lucky stated.
“One of us should go with you.” Jackson looked worried.
Lucky stood up, and placed a friendly hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “Thank you, my friend, but I think I can handle my mother.” He began to walk away so Savannah stood up and chased after him. She’d never chased after a man in her life, and here she was doing it with a man she planned to dump.
“Lucky, wait up,” she called after him.
He stopped, but didn’t turn around. “I really need some time alone right now, Savvy.”
She paused for a moment, and considered waiting on delivering her news after telling him his mother could have been involved in the wolf pack massacre, but decided ripping the bandaid off quickly was the best thing she could do for him. He might feel a moment of pain, but then he could start healing. “I know, but…”
He dropped his head and shook it. “Please don’t.”
“I owe you an explanation.”
His laugh was cold. “You want to tell me you’re still planning on marrying Viktor, right?” He spun around.
She shrank back. “How did you--?”
“Because it is simply par for the course lately. Somehow I’ve managed to piss off the Gods, and my luck has been terrible for months.”
“I just wanted you to know--”
“Savvy,” he sighed, “listen, I want it all too. I want a woman that is going to fight to be with me as much as I’ll fight for her. I’ve realized that isn’t you. It’s okay. Nothing really happened between us. We simply flirted with the idea.” He brushed a strand of her blonde hair that was dancing in the breeze behind her ear. “I’m okay. I want you to be happy. I want us both to be happy. I hope he will be able to give that to you.” He kissed her forehead, turned on his heel, and left.
Savannah watched him go. She knew it was right, but she wondered if she made a mistake. The idea of ‘what if…’ would be forever imprinted on her mind. “Good luck, my friend.”
***
Hunter
HUNTER WATCHED SAVVY AND LUCKY, and felt their angst. He knew that feeling all too well, but he also respected her for letting Lucky go. Savannah needed to figure out what was going on with her fiancé before she toyed too much with Lucien, and Lucky didn’t need the added pressure of maybes right now. His life was falling apart. He needed stability, and his sister wasn’t in a good place to give that to him.
Savvy walked back to the table, and sat down slowly. He could feel her indecision and her fear she had made a mistake, but didn’t say anything about it.
“What about Francesco and Abigail? Is there some way we can coax the truth out of them?” Rebecca asked. He understood her motivation. She needed vengeance. Her entire pack was killed because she was joining their ranks. That kind of pressure was a ridiculous burden to carry.
“I’ll confront Francesco,” Catherine offered.
“And I can talk to Abigail,” Elizabeth remarked. “Between the two of us, we might be able to come up with a truth serum that will give them loose lips.” They both stood up from the table, and Maverick joined them as they left.
“What about us?” Savannah asked quietly.
“We need to see if we can uncover the person Francesco called in your vision,” Hunter offered. Everyone else at the table agreed.
“I can focus on creating a premonition on the members in the audience. Surely those involved would want to see Violet sentenced so they could end this saga,” Jackson offered.
“Can you focus on Celestia first? She has the most to gain from this set up,” Savannah requested.
“You got it.”
“Mystery, can you get more information on this prophecy?” Rebecca asked. “I don’t really think it pertains to us, but it might be important to know the specifics just in case.”
“Sure.”
“We have to start heading back otherwise we’ll miss the trial, and that will be suspicious. It’s your pack justice they’re seeking.” Gabe stood up and held out his hand to Rebecca.
She took it. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
Everyone stood up, and started heading back. Thankfully, they picked a restaurant close to the Authority meeting hall which was located in the basement of a Vacuum Repair shop. Hunter pulled Savannah to the back of the group. “I think what you did with Lucky was a good thing.”
“You do?” For a brief moment she looked like his Savvy. Concern creased her face as relief flooded her, replacing the grief. It always helped when others understood.
“Yes, and I can feel you wavering. My two cents? He needs to be free until you figure out what is happening with you and Viktor.”
“I think you’re right. I just worry I let the best man in my life walk away from me.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. Didn’t you always tell me if it is meant to be, it’ll be?”
***
Savannah
“YES, BUT I HAVE MY doubts about that now.” Her voice trailed off when her eyes caught sight of someone at the door of the repair shop. Her fiancé stood waiting for her. He looked like a cool glass of water on a hot day, dressed in slacks and a cashmere sweater. His golden-brown hair shimmered in the sun, and the smile that brightened his face when he saw her put her mind at ease. He was here for her. He was fighting for her. The thought melted her insides just a little bit. “What are you doing here?”
“I figured you’d need some support at this trial. Isn’t this about getting justice for your sister and her pack?” He held out his hand, and she only hesitated for a moment before she slipped her fingers in between his.
“Yes, and it will solidify my sire’s reign if Violet is found guilty.”
/>
“That is of little consequence. Celestia will keep her title no matter what now that we are engaged.”
“She will?” Now that was news to her. Celestia seemed to elude to a different result if Violet was released.
“Of course. Having the Romanov family in your tree is like having old world royalty. We carry a lot of strength with just our name, and can back that up with the man power.”
“Sounds an awful lot like a mob family.”
“In a way, it is,” he agreed.
“And how do you feel about having us in your family tree?”
“I really only care about you,” he caressed her cheek, “which is why I am here. I figured, after our last conversation, I needed to come here and win you over.”
“I’m just so confused,” she admitted.
He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. “Does that help clear things up?”
She grinned at him. There was something special about this man, and she was looking forward to figuring him out. “It helps, but I’m still a little fuzzy.”
He pulled her hard against him, and crushed his lips to hers. She opened to him, and felt her knees go weak as the world around them faded away. He tasted like spice and cream. His fingers slid into the hair at the back of her neck, and his other hand moved down her back to rest on her tailbone. He pulled her closer and slid his tongue over her lip.
She slid her fingers around his neck and opened to him. The man could kiss. Her world spun out of control, and thoughts of everyone but him and her disappeared.
“Still confused?” He broke the kiss, and smiled down at her.
“Not so much.” She frowned. “I just don’t understand what changed your mind.”
“Truth?”
She nodded.
“That day in the rain, your image, your desire, your needs haunt me. I close my eyes, and I see your vulnerability, and it drives me mad with the need to protect you. I can’t explain it any other way, and I’m not one to pull punches. I’ve lived too long to play games. I saw something in you, and my soul connected to you on a deeper level. I knew in that moment that you were meant to be with me, but I didn’t know if I should wait or fight.”