King Cave (Forever Evermore, #2)(67)
I saw everyone become still around the table, and I quickly explained for those who weren’t in the know. “He’s a Congressman in the United States. I know him personally, since he tried to rape me a few months ago. I recognize his voice.” My gaze went to King Kincaid’s wide eyes. “It’s him. I know it is. And it also explains the timing of his disappearance.”
“Goddamn mother-f*cker,” King Nelson muttered, eyes solid on the screen. A pause. “Elder Farrar, you followed him. Did you see any signs that it could be him?”
Antonio’s gaze was glowing a bit as he stared at the screen. “I saw nothing out of the ordinary at the time, but Lil’s right. It’s his voice, now that she mentioned it.” Golden eyes swung to me, his grin feral. “I believe you have something else to say.”
I snapped my attention away from his scary-as-hell face, and just blurted it out there, “I heard him growl.” I fluttered a hand at the screen when everyone gazed at me blankly. “As in, a wolf’s growl.”
Pretty much the entire room stared at me, hard.
“Let me get this straight,” Elder Talus murmured quietly. “For those of us who are a bit slow.” He pointed at the screen. “You and Elder Farrar have actually been around this man, Philip Masterson—”
I cut him off. “Ezra, Pearl, and Jack have also met him.”
His eyebrows only rose. “Alright, so you five have physically met him, and none of you thought he wasn’t a Commoner?”
“No, sir,” I murmured quietly. I blinked. “But he could have been masking.”
He snorted. “No one masks so well that you can’t feel their power at all.”
I snorted this time. “Wanna bet?” In response to his startled expression at my insubordination, I held up a finger, stating slowly, “Give me a second.”
I let my head fall, closing my eyes. It was harder with the Queen power flowing through my Core, but it was still doable. Sometimes, I practiced late at night when I couldn’t sleep. My Vampire magic was a natural habit to mask, but I rolled my head around on my shoulders, took a deep breath, and reined all of my magic in, stuffing it down deep inside me, not letting any out, before slamming a metaphysical door inside my chest. Another roll of my shoulders, and I peered up at him.
Waggling my fingers at him, I stated, “Go ahead. Test me. Tell me if you feel a thing.”
I felt a rush of power hit me from all angles, not only him doing as requested. Bracing my feet, I bit my lip because so much was hitting me at once, but I stayed standing and got a first-class view of seeing everyone’s eyes go wide, except for King Kincaid, who already knew I could do this, and Antonio, who had taught me the basic idea behind it before leaving directly after my first Awakening. If they pressed hard enough, they would feel my Shifter power, unlike my Vampire magic since it was spelled to be hidden, but they would have to be searching damn hard to feel even the tiniest sliver of my Shifter magic.
“Now,” I stretched, some dirt falling off my arms, “if none of you had met me before or knew who I was, would you think Commoner or Mystical?”
“Holy shit,” Elder Merrick muttered, his eyes flying back to the screen, his reaction answer enough. “That’s f*cking amazing, Lily, but I want to hear the growl you say you heard. No offense, but I’ve never met anyone who can mask the way you are, and to find two people in one day seems a bit unrealistic.”
I let my Shifter power back out of my Core, the action a little daunting since I had so much. “Elder Harcourt, just rewind it a smidge, and magnify the sound even further.” I flopped in my chair, dried dirt flying to the floor around me.
Elder Harcourt nodded and did as I had asked, every Shifter in the place closing their eyes to listen. And this time, with the sound turned up to blaring levels, every single one of them stilled at the table. And then a round of quiet growling erupted from them at the same time as when Elder Harcourt stopped the film where I’d had him do before.
“Well, that answers that question,” Antonio stated, eyes on the pissed off Shifters. He held up a finger. “But, it doesn’t explain why I can never see the leader in one of my visions.”
Everyone’s eyes, including mine, went back to the still image.
As we stared at it, Ezra’s quiet chuckle sounded throughout the room. He pointed at the screen. “The answer lies in his robe.” He cursed under his breath. “He’s a hybrid.” My head flew in his direction, as did everyone else’s. “Gold and black. Mage and Shifter. It makes sense for the war he’s bringing on everyone.” His gaze swung to Antonio. “Would it be possible for him to create a spell to deflect anyone tracking him through visions?”
Gradually, Antonio nodded, resulting in a round of curses flying around the room.
It was decided that a group, including the Executioner, were to be dispatched by Elder Camden and Elder Harcourt — they would discuss who would go and find them later — to go to Philip Masterson’s home and take him out, if he had returned from his MIA status. The news of the leader’s hybrid nature would be passed on to the Elders speaking with the Com leaders so that they could disclose this information to them, in the hope that Philip had put them under some type of spell in relation to their ongoing hostility. Then, after two rebellion videos, the meeting was adjourned.