The Eldritch Conspiracy

24

We were on our way back to the compound. I wanted a shower, coffee, and breakfast. I knew that I had a lot to do. But I couldn’t think what. I couldn’t seem to think at all. I was on emotional overload. So I rode in the back of the limo in silence through streets that weren’t yet crowded because it was barely dawn. Oh, there were a few die-hards, their dome tents pitched along the parade route, fans waiting for the best seats to the show of a lifetime. But mostly the thin, watery light of a new day revealed empty streets and darkened shops.

It suited my mood.

Adriana might be perfectly happy with how I’d handled things thus far. I wasn’t. Gran could have been killed. Queen Lopaka nearly had been. Natasha had certainly had a close call. We all kept scurrying around, putting out fires, but we were just reacting and getting nowhere in terms of finding out who was behind it all. I had no doubt there were all kinds of agencies working on this, but so far their results had been less than stellar.

But I was expected to slap on a smile and keep marching blindly forward to the wedding.

I hated it.

Right now I hated my whole freaking life.

I knew I was feeling sorry for myself. But I couldn’t seem to help it.

I needed comfort, a friendly voice, somebody to lie through their teeth if necessary and tell me that it wasn’t all my fault, and that eventually everything would be fine.

I checked my watch, figured out the time difference, and called Dawna. After all, what are friends for?

Dawna sounded bright, perky, and cheerful enough to make my teeth ache. “Good morning! ’Bout time you called in. You would not believe the stack of messages I have for you!”

“Good morning to you.” I tried to force cheer in my voice to match hers and failed, miserably.

“Uh-oh. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Gran’s in the hospital. She’s going to be all right, but we had a big blow-up.”

“Let me guess, was it about your mom?”

“Isn’t it always?”

Dawna gave a gusty sigh. “Pretty much. Sorry. Why’s she in the hospital?”

I told her the whole story. If the phones were being tapped, I wanted everyone listening to know that we’d stopped the a-hole and that nobody who targeted my family would survive.

“Wow! Sorry times two, girlfriend.”

“Me, too. I figured I’d call and see if you had any good news to cheer me up.”

“Actually, I do have some,” she assured me. “First, Ron’s moving out today. The movers are due here at nine o’clock and the cleaners are coming at one. I’m supposed to tell you that”—she imitated Ron at his most pompous—“he’s abiding by the agreement and expects you to do the same.”

I found myself letting out a knowing snicker. “Write the man a check and sign it. And don’t quibble.”

A chuckle was followed by the shuffling of papers. “Dom Rizzoli called. He said I’m supposed to tell you”—she paused, and I heard another rustle of papers as she dug for the right message—“He said to tell you: “‘Good news. You won’t have to testify against Raul.’”

That was a shock, but a good one. “Say what?” Paulo Ortega was the drug king pin whose tunnels I’d used to escape. Raul was his baby brother and right-hand man. Paulo was a violent psycho who ruled his own private army with an iron fist and practically unlimited funds. The stick, and the carrot, generally used in that order. I’d been scheduled to testify about the tunnels and the vampires in them. I wondered what had happened. Had the Mexican authorities decided—or been convinced—not to prosecute?

Dawna continued, “Rizzoli didn’t say, but I actually know why. I read about this online. The border patrol found scattered remains in the desert, the morning after the full moon. There was enough to do DNA matching, and it’s Paulo and Raul. It looks as if they got on the wrong side of a pack of werewolves.”

Wow. What an ugly way to go. Almost as brutal and violent as some of the things I’d heard they’d ordered. I couldn’t say I was sorry. I bet it was Maria’s family. Paulo had learned the hard way that payback is a bitch.

Literally.

“Celia? You still there?”

“I’m here. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, but I can’t say they didn’t deserve it.”

“That’s almost exactly what the guy who wrote the online article said.”

I believed it. Thinking about the Ortegas, though, reminded me of Mexico. Not good. Not the kind of memories that would improve my mood.

“Anything else?”

“Yup. When you get back, the INS and the DEA both want to meet with you and have you map out as much of the tunnels as you can remember. Oh, and the Levys are on their way to Serenity with the dresses and they are gorgeous. You are going to look so amazing! Bruno’s finished your joint present for Adriana and King Dahlmar. Since he was working on it in the same office with Jan, he had it checked to make sure it hadn’t been tampered with, and it’s fine. Emma swears it’s the best focus she’s ever seen, even better than the mirror you had made for Vicki.”

Oh! So that’s what he’d been making at the college. I’d assumed the mirror was a class assignment.

Wow. That was awesome. It would be the perfect gift for Adriana, who was a fairly powerful clairvoyant. And Dahlmar was enough in love that pleasing her was sure to please him. Score.

“He said to let you know he’ll bring it with him when he flies out to Rusland. He doesn’t want to risk letting it out of his sight until then.”

I didn’t blame him. Major magical artifacts are big business and valuable as hell. Even the express courier companies won’t insure them for full value. They’re just too likely to be stolen. “He’s sending you his itinerary by e-mail, so be sure to get online.”

Thinking about seeing Bruno made me smile, and while Dawna couldn’t see it, she knew me well enough to guess.

“I’m supposed to tell you he loves you and he’s really, really sorry. Just between the two of us, I’m thinking that you’re going to be able to hold that whole body bind thing over his head for quite a while.”

I laughed. “Maybe.” Probably not. Then again, he really shouldn’t have done it. And I did not want him to get into the habit of pulling that kind of crap.

“Ready for the less good news?”

I groaned. “I suppose.”

“Dottie came in and got Minnie the Mouser.”

“What?” That was a shock. Fred and Dottie lived in government housing. No pets allowed. She’d gotten me to take in her adored cat Minnie after a friend—a cop—who’d been looking after her died in the line of duty. Since I’m gone so much, we’d made her the office cat. We all loved the silly furball. She was spoiled rotten.

“Dottie said it was only for a couple of days, that she didn’t want her getting underfoot with the movers coming in.”

Well, that kind of made sense. Although, come to think on it, we could’ve just locked her in my office for a couple of hours. I wondered if my clairvoyant friend was up to something. I wouldn’t put it past her.

Dawna continued. “But she was acting all weird and sad. She wandered around the whole place, even up to the third floor.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course she had. I’d told Dottie a million times not to take the stairs with that walker of hers. But did she listen? Oh hell no.

“She told me to ship all of your boxes—the ones in the storeroom—to your house. She was so insistent that I went ahead and did it. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Nah, it’s okay. She’s a seer. Who knows, maybe she saw that we’ll need the space.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of how I looked at it.” Dawna paused; in the background I heard the door open and people moving around. “Gotta go. The movers are here. Call me later.”

“Right.”

We hung up without saying good-bye, but that was okay. Things back at the office were in good hands. The Levys would be here soon with the dresses and Bruno had come up with the perfect wedding gift. All in all, not too shabby. Oh, there were still plenty of things to worry about: Dottie acting strange, Okalani being in danger. But I wasn’t going to think about them now. I was just too damned tired. We were almost back to the compound. I wanted food and sleep, in that order. Everything else would just have to wait.

I woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door to my suite. A glance at the clock told me it was only 10:30. I’d had less than three hours of sleep, which was worse than none at all.

“Go away,” I growled, and pulled my pillow over my head.

Baker’s voice drifted through the door and the soft, feather down pillow. “Celia, Isaac and Gilda Levy are here with the dresses for the fitting. Princess Adriana has asked that you join everyone downstairs at your earliest convenience.”

Oh, hell. Early wasn’t convenient. Not at all. Damn it, anyway. I needed some rest. I was tired and depressed. The last thing I wanted was to be around people. And Gilda and Isaac were so damned perceptive, they’d know something was up the minute I walked into the room.

Still, there was nothing for it. They were here. There wasn’t much time for them to do any alterations as it was. It would be rude of me to make that time any shorter.

“Tell them I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“I’ll tell them ten minutes.”

“And get me some coffee,” I added. “Please. Lots and lots of coffee.”

I could almost hear Helen smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

I took one of the shortest showers on record, brushed my teeth and hair, and pulled on jeans and a little yellow T-shirt with horizontal stripes. I strapped on every weapon I’d be wearing at the weddings, from my knives on down to the Glock and ankle holster. Isaac was going to want to make sure the dress and jacket fit properly over my armament. He’d probably also renew the accuracy spells on my gear, which was never a bad thing. I practice at the range regularly and am a good shot even without the spells. But when it really matters, I want every possible edge.

When I opened the door to my suite, a scant seven minutes after my summons, Baker was waiting outside. She offered me a huge mug of coffee that smelled like everything good in the world. Taking the mug, I inhaled deeply, then took a sip, careful not to burn the roof of my mouth. It tasted fabulous. I wondered what blend it was and if I’d be able to find it back home.

Raised voices greeted my ears from downstairs. Oh, I so didn’t need to get in the middle of an argument this early. Instead, I blew on the steaming liquid in the mug and decided to take my time going down. Baker didn’t seem any more excited to get involved than me. Adriana’s voice, crisp and commanding, cut through the quarreling voices downstairs, saying in crisp, cold, English. “That is enough!”

I turned to Baker. “She really wants me down there, huh? You sure?”

She nodded vigorously.

“Peachy.”

I stepped past her and made my way down to the living room, where Adriana, Olga, and Natasha were gathered together with Gilda and Isaac Levy.

“Oh, Celia. I’m so glad you’re here.” Gilda beamed up at me. “Come with me. We need you to try on your dress and jacket so we can make any last-minute adjustments.” Zipping across the room, she retrieved a garment bag from where it was draped over the bar.

I doubted there’d be any alterations. After all, they’d just seen me a few days ago. Granted, it had been a rough few days, but I doubted I’d lost enough weight to change my measurements.

Isaac gave a short wave in greeting from where he was kneeling on the floor, pinning the hem of Natasha’s gown. She was standing on a raised stool, her expression one of martyred patience.

“Natasha, glad to see you’re feeling better.” I tried to make it sound like she’d had the flu, rather than being an instrument of near-assassination.

She turned to look at me, over Isaac’s muttered protest, and her expression lightened. “Princess, I’ve been wanting to thank you. I am told you were the one who saved my life.”

I admitted it with a shrug but added, “Not the only one. King Dahlmar’s friend…” I had gone blank on his name.

“Igor,” Adriana supplied.

“That’s him. Igor. He did CPR, too. Are you feeling better? What do the doctors say?”

“They say I will be fine. The only lasting effect is the lost memories.” Her face clouded with worry. “I do not like not remembering.”

I could understand that. I’d had a spell worked on me that affected my memory. It nearly drove me nuts before I was finally able to get it lifted.

She shook her head and smiled. “But Princess Adriana has been most kind. She has forgiven me, in spite of what I have done, and is still willing to have me beside her in her wedding.”

I glanced over at Adriana, who was smiling. That she wasn’t holding a grudge was pretty damned generous of her, all things considered—and not at all like the Adriana I’d first met. Being with Dahlmar had mellowed her. She was definitely less prickly than she’d once been. Love will do that to you.

Gilda shooed me toward the hallway that led to the nearest bathroom. “You have to try on the dress with the shoes and jewelry. I’m especially worried about the shoes. This brand seems to run narrow.”

She followed me into the good-sized bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind us before giving me a quick update on what I’d missed.

“The bridesmaids are arguing. The younger one…”

“Olga,” I said, and Gilda nodded.

“Olga is very angry and frightened. So many things have gone wrong. Nothing is going according to plan. She was counting on Natasha’s fear of her father to keep her in line, keep her agreeing to whatever Olga suggested. But that’s changed now that Natasha is no longer under the influence of the spell. The two of them have been arguing and sniping at each other. Olga insists that Princess Adriana is using her siren abilities to control King Dahlmar. Natasha disagrees.”

“Natasha’s right,” I said firmly as I slipped out of my shoes and unzipped the jeans.

“You’re sure?” She hooked the hanger with my dress over the hook on the back of the door, flipped the lid down on the toilet, and took a seat.

“Positive,” I assured her. “First off, Adriana is way older than she looks and way, way older than Dahlmar. Sirens live a long time, and she’s told me directly that she considers Dahlmar a younger man. She couldn’t have manipulated him using siren abilities because she doesn’t really have any, at least not to the level where she could control somebody as strong-willed as the king. Besides which, I made sure he had an anti-siren charm that would prevent her from doing any hanky-panky.”

“Oh, I’m sure it didn’t stop that.” Gilda gave me a saucy wink. “Adriana is a beautiful woman who is accustomed to getting her own way. There are many ways to manipulate someone; you don’t need to have psychic powers. And from what I’ve seen, most women’s normal abilities are usually enough to influence most men. Now we’ll just have to find a way to find a way to work that into the conversation. Because I am not letting those two little bitches ruin that girl’s big day.”

“I thought you said she’s a manipulator.”

She turned wide, innocent eyes to me. “Well, of course. But the manipulation she’s doing is only the time-honored sort that all women do. I respect that.”

I nearly laughed out loud, but managed to smother the burst of noise with both hands so that it came out in a muffled snort. Gilda was right, of course. We needed to intervene. But I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how we were going to manage that. Still, I was game. The new Adriana was growing on me. Besides, to my mind, every bride deserves a terrific wedding day.

I stripped down to my underwear. Gilda looked me up and down. “You’ve lost weight again,” she scolded. “You need to eat more. And that”—she pointed to the scar in the middle of my chest—“is a new scar. I thought you promised me you’d be careful.”

“I am careful,” I protested. She was right about the scar, though. It wasn’t huge, but it was noticeable. But I’d been damned lucky not to be hurt worse when Jan had done his thing.

I wished fervently that the feds would catch him. So far though, they’d had no luck. Damn it, he was apparently as good at hiding as he was at magic.

“Hmpf.” She wasn’t happy, but she didn’t say anything else. She also didn’t suggest a “beauty enhancement spell.” Silly for that remark to still sting, after everything that had happened. But it did.

I unzipped the black canvas garment bag to reveal my dress.

It was beautiful. The color was a rich, deep purple, the color of flawless amethysts. On a separate hanger, the bolero-style jacket gleamed, thanks to the black silk embroidery on the front panels and the jet beads used as trim.

My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, and on such short notice. The Levys had outdone themselves, again.

At my reaction, Gilda gave me a smug little smile. I didn’t mind. She deserved to be smug. It was gorgeous. “Look in the compartment in the bottom of the bag,” she suggested.

I unzipped said compartment to find a black velvet jewelry case about the size of a hardback book. The velvet had browned a little with age and the brass lock was a little tarnished. With trembling fingers I twisted the little lever that locked the case and flipped open the lid.

I was speechless for the second time in a few moments.

Amethysts and diamonds, fitted in an intricate white gold necklace with matching earrings and hair combs. They were absolutely stunning.

“Oh my God! Gilda, they’re … gorgeous. I love white gold!”

She scoffed. “With diamonds? Heavens, no. That’s platinum. They’re our gift to you, dear.”

Holy crap! Platinum! The set must have cost a fortune! “But … I can’t … I mean—”

“Nonsense.” She rose to her feet so that we were standing toe-to-toe. “You can, and you will. We insist.” She took my hands in hers. “You’ve been loyal to us in good times and bad. You, personally, have brought us as much business as we can comfortably handle what with Miller & Creede and the new Serenity Secret Service account. And now you’ve given us the honor of having our work displayed in a royal wedding on the world stage for millions of people to see.” She reached up to pat me on the cheek with a callused but gentle hand. “You’re going to look beautiful, absolutely beautiful. We’re very proud of you, Isaac and I. I know that your relationship with your mother is not so good, and I am sorry for that. She is an idiot if she doesn’t realize what a gem she has in you. We do. Isaac and I both love you very much.”

My eyes filled with tears, making the room blurry.

“Now hurry up and get dressed.” She made a tsking noise and shook her head. “It needs to be taken in more than he expects.”

I was still too choked up to speak, so I just nodded and let her help me with the zipper and fasten the necklace in place so I could see it in the mirror.

It was beautiful. I was beautiful.

Cousin. Adriana’s voice spoke clearly in my mind. Would you mind wearing the jewels when you come out? Olga is being a nuisance, complaining about her dress. It’s very tiresome. I would do much more than keep her in the wedding to please my husband, but I must admit I do not like her.

That made two of us.

When I reentered the living room, all conversation stopped. Olga’s eyes got huge and Natasha simply blinked dumbly at me.

Adriana smiled. There was pride and honest joy in her reaction, along with a certain envy, which really surprised me. “Beautiful, cousin,” she said. “You look absolutely exquisite. You see, ladies, as I said before, with the right jewelry, these dresses are perfectly elegant and modest enough not to offend your countrymen.” She winked at me. “I am old enough to have a bit more experience in these matters than you do, after all. I only hope Dahlmar isn’t too upset about marrying a much older woman.”

So, Adriana had figured out how to bring it in without any help from me. But I’d help all the same. “Luckily, the siren genes mean that you don’t have wrinkles yet.”

“That,” she said with another conspiratorial wink, “and excellent moisturizer. Thankfully, this century has wonderful products available. Beauty mud in the nineteenth century really was mud.”

Olga spluttered, “But you’re—”

“Well beyond ancient. I’m … what is the American term? Ah, yes, ‘robbing the cradle’ by taking Dahlmar as a husband.” Adriana’s smile was cheerfully wicked. “Sadly, I don’t have enough siren abilities to control my beloved psychically; and even if I did possess those abilities, his staff has ensured he has a protection charm. But I would like to think I am still well-kept enough to have some influence on him.”

Okay, so now I had no doubt she’d been listening to me and Gilda Levy the whole time. I was annoyed about it, too. I gave her a stern look.

I am fighting for my honor, my life, and the man I’ve discovered I actually love. If you think I’m not going to use every advantage I can, you are out of your mind.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t, really. I was pretty sure I’d do the same damned thing if our roles were reversed. And, hey, I had to give her props for using the information to her advantage. She’d worked it in pretty subtly, all things considered.

Olga and Natasha looked significantly at each other and Natasha gave the other woman an “I told you so” look before tipping her head down to acknowledge Isaac’s slight touch on her calf.

“All right, Natasha, you’re done,” he announced. “Gilda will help you choose jewelry.” He got to his feet and took a step back before extending his hand to help Natasha down from her perch. “Your turn, Celia.” He gestured toward the stool. I climbed up with his assistance, being extra careful of the hem and the high heels.

“You’ve lost weight again.” He scolded me exactly the way his wife had. “You need to eat more. Or drink more.”

“It’s been a rough few weeks.” I sounded defensive. I couldn’t seem to help it. Like my grandmother, the Levys know just how to make me feel guilty. But they treat me like family. And if I could add another set of grandparents to my life, Isaac and Gilda would be my first choice.

“Hmnpf.” He sounded so much like Gilda it made me laugh, which made him smile. “Good. I like to see you happy. Now hold still while I pin you.”

I held still.

“I understand you’ll be wearing a lavalava for the ceremony here on Serenity.” Isaac made it a question.

“Yes.”

“What will you do about the sunlight? The procession is over two miles long.”

“I’ll be wearing a hat and a jacket. But I’m a little worried about my hands and feet. Sunscreen doesn’t last all that long on me. Do you have any suggestions?”

He grinned impishly. “As a matter of fact, I do.” He rose a little creakily to his feet. “I’m done with the pinning. Why don’t you go get your outfit and we’ll see if my idea is going to work for you?”

I hurried back to the bathroom, anxious to get out of a dress made scratchy by straight pins. I felt a little pang of regret taking off the jewels. They were an amazing gift, not just because of the value, although that was not inconsiderable, but because they were an honest reflection of the affection Isaac, Gilda, and I have for one another.

My family might be a source of pain and frustration for me, but my friends? My friends are excellent.

Adriana’s voice whispered in my head. There is a safe hidden in the floor of your bedroom. I will give you the combination so that you may keep those jewels under lock and key when you’re not wearing them.

Thanks.

You are most welcome. And I am quite pleased. The dresses you chose are lovely. You can be fully armed without drawing attention to it, and Mr. Levy has agreed to check the tailoring and hem of my gown.

That would probably piss off the designer to no end.

Perhaps it will. But it is my gown, and my wedding. And I don’t want the ankle holster with the derringer to … show.

Wow. I guess my gun was going to be the “something borrowed.” Fair enough. When this was over, I might just give it to her. Politics is a very dicey business, particularly in Rusland. She’d probably need it.

Adriana soon left for a meeting with her priest. Olga left almost on her heels; only Natasha chose to stay while Isaac finished making adjustments to the lavalavas I’d be wearing to tonight’s state dinner and the wedding the day after tomorrow.

Natasha seemed very nervous. Isaac and Gilda sensed something was up and made some excuse to run out to their rental car for something, giving us a moment alone. The minute they were out of earshot, Natasha turned to me and spoke quickly and quietly. “You must not trust Olga. She is devious and determined. She does not believe the wedding should happen.” Her expression was so earnest it almost hurt to see it. I was glad that she’d come around. Adriana wasn’t perfect, but she did love Dahlmar, and she truly wanted to be a good queen for his people. I hoped that his people would eventually come to appreciate that, and her. That Natasha was coming around was a good sign.

“I know,” I assured her, “and I don’t.”

She didn’t seem reassured. “I wish I knew what she was planning. I do not. If I had proof, I would go to Igor and the king. But I have no proof, only suspicion. Olga is the king’s niece, a member of the royal family. Without proof I can do nothing. But I know, in my heart, she is planning something.”

“I believe you.” I did. Natasha’s suspicions fit with what Gilda had told me and with my own observations. “I’ll be keeping a close eye on her.”

Natasha looked searchingly at me. After a long moment, she said, “I think, perhaps, she is planning on that, as well. Please, look where she would not expect.”