The Seer (100 page)

Mistral
blinked and realised that Fabian was stood beside Vilius De’ath.

‘Vilius
De’ath,’ he introduced himself with a polite nod.

Mistral nodded
back to the Mage she’d seen previously at the Divinus’ funeral banquet. 
She’d thought him uninteresting then, but stood next to the dark perfection of
her Mage he was utterly insignificant. 

‘I think it is
time we left now.’  Melsina declared, sweeping past to collect a green
beaded purse from the table near the door.  ‘Vilius?’

‘Of
course.  You look beautiful my darling.’  Vilius dropped an obedient
kiss into the air above Melsina’s face before springing forward to open the
door.

‘Thank you.’ 
Melsina glided past, suddenly reminding Mistral of a grass snake sliding
by. 

Mistral stared
meaningfully at Fabian, willing him to bring her a jacket, or a blanket, or
anything to cover herself with, but he just slipped an arm around her and
gently, but firmly escorted her out of the door.

‘I really
can’t do this!’  Mistral wailed in a slightly hysterical undertone once
Melsina and Vilius were far enough ahead of them not to overhear.

‘Yes, you
can.’  Fabian murmured, his lips brushing against the bare skin of her
neck

The touch of
his lips distracted her from the panic that was writhing in the pit of her
stomach, but gave rise instead to a completely different set of butterflies,
‘Have you been to many of these gala things before?’  She managed to ask
in a slightly less hysterical voice.  

‘I’ve suffered
a few in my time.’  Fabian smiled.  ‘There will be a champagne
reception in the atrium followed by a banquet.  Then, when everyone is
sated on alcohol and food, we will have our meeting to decide the future of the
Ri.’

Mistral gave
him an apprehensive look, ‘Melsina said that there would be delegates from
across the world there tonight, does that mean the Rochfortes are guests at the
gala too?’

Fabian’s
smiled tightened slightly as he nodded.

‘And I’ve come
out without a sword, damn it –’

Laughing
softly, Fabian stopped and turned to look at her, ‘Yes, they will be there, but
I do not think even Christophe and Malachi are desperate enough to attempt an
abduction in the middle of a Council gala.  I have spoken with Eximius and
he has placed warlocks on every door, and there will even be two inside the
chamber during our meeting, which is unheard of, so I know that he is taking
the threat seriously.  And, I promise not to leave your side tonight for
one single moment.  Not that I would want to,’ he added, holding her gaze
while he slowly traced a fingertip along the line of her jaw before letting it
trail lazily down the curve of her neck and over the exposed sweep of her
chest. 

Mistral felt a
sudden heat that had little to do with embarrassment and was suddenly glad that
Fabian couldn’t read her thoughts; sometimes they shocked even her. 

‘You look so
beautiful.’

She gazed at
him, captivated by his smile ... her favourite smile, a velvet softness that
glowed in his eyes before it ever touched his lips.

‘You know, of
course, that it is traditional to present your wife with a gift on the occasion
of their first child,’ he murmured in a voice softer than brushed silk and slid
his hands around to caress the skin at the nape of her neck. 

Mistral gasped
involuntarily as something cold and heavy fell against her chest, ‘Oh!’ 
she stared down at a large diamond, glistening like a teardrop suspended from
the fine gold chain he’d fastened around her neck.

‘I know you
care little for jewellery,’ he gave her an apologetic smile.  ‘But it
would be remiss of me not to mark the occasion in the correct manner.’

‘It’s –’
Mistral struggled to find words to express the emotions swirling through her
mind.  The necklace was pretty enough, she supposed ... but the way he was
looking at her was worth a thousand diamond necklaces.  ‘Exquisite,’ she
finally breathed, caught by the dark lights in his eyes.

‘Not compared
to you it isn’t,’ he smiled and bent his head to kiss her. 

She closed her
eyes, wanting touch be her only sense but was unable to resist the seductive
whisper of his unspoken thoughts in her ear.  Laughing softly, she pulled
away to meet his smouldering look with a smile.  ‘It unlaces at the back.’

‘Does it really?’ 
He ran a hand experimentally over the tightly-laced white ribbons at the back
of her dress.  

‘Where are we
staying tonight?’  she asked, suddenly full of fearful imaginings of
immaculate white bedrooms at Melsina’s house.

‘Our house.’
 Fabian said simply, sliding an arm around her and steering her towards
the gates again.

Mistral
stopped and stared at him in confusion, ‘But that’s a three day ride!’

Fabian smiled,
‘I know you take longer to move around these days, but I hope it won’t take you
three days to reach the house I’ve brought for us here.’

‘Oh, right.’
 Mistral cast her eyes over her shoulder at the long line of grand
buildings.  ‘Which one is it?’

‘None of those
monstrosities.’  Fabian replied lightly.  ‘I think you’ll really like
it actually … it’s a small house overlooking the stables, well, small by
Council standards.  It has only five bedrooms.’

‘Five, is that
all?’   

‘Hmm,’ he
turned to look at her again, ‘And I would like to fill them all, eventually.’

Mistral
laughed at his implied meaning, ‘Well Prospero can have one for starters.’

‘He’s in one
of them already actually.’

They had
reached the gates to the Council courtyard and joined Melsina and Vilius again
to wait for the warlocks to open them. 

‘So, tell me
darling, just how are my boys?  Are they dating anyone of note?  Any
signs of a double wedding perhaps?’  Melsina asked in a breathy voice
while they walked through the gates and across the moonlit courtyard. 

Mistral closed
her eyes.  The last thing she wanted was an inquisition from Melsina on
the twins, but before she had time to think of an appropriately bland response,
Melsina suddenly emitted a loud squeal and dashed off to greet a portly Mage
and his hatchet-faced wife.

‘Mage
Rosenberg and Prudence!  How super to see you both looking so …
well
–’

Fabian laughed
softly and Mistral exhaled with relief; saved from the grilling Melsina had
been planning. 

‘Trolls,
manticores, cyclops; they have
nothing
on that woman!’  Mistral
muttered under her breath while she watched Melsina’s critical gaze travel over
the woman’s dress. 

‘Red,
Prudence?  Really?  What were you thinking?  You should have
asked for my help!  Red will only accentuate your veins –’

‘She is
slightly daunting,’ agreed Fabian with a quiet laugh. 

Taking her
hand he led up the short flight of steps to the Council headquarters.  The
double doors were thrown wide open to reveal the white marble atrium, now
filled with flamboyantly dressed Mages and their wives.  Mistral shrank
against Fabian’s side as they stepped into the noisy crush, flinching under a
hail of blatantly curious stares.

‘De Winter,’ a
cold voice greeted Fabian.  Mistral turned to meet the emotionless grey
stare of Mage Grapple.  ‘Lady De Winter, you look positively radiant.’

Mistral
glanced uncertainly at Fabian while Mage Grapple took hold of her hand and
lifted it to his lips.  Fabian returned her gaze with frank amazement;
obviously this was an unprecedented event. 

‘Er, thank
you,’ she muttered when Mage Grapple released her hand.

He looked at
her, his scarred face twisting into the briefest of smiles, ‘Enjoy the gala,’
he murmured and swept away to greet more delegates appearing in the doorway.

‘I told you he
likes you.’  Fabian whispered into her ear while he led her further into
the room.  ‘I’ve never seen him do that before!’

‘That was the
scariest greeting I’ve ever had,’ she muttered back, gazing around in wonder at
the garishly dressed women and their preening husbands. 

‘Mage De
Winter!’ an unctuous voice exclaimed beside them.

Fabian turned
to meet the gaze of short, rounded Mage in lurid orange robes that gave him the
unfortunate appearance of looking like a goldfish, ‘Good evening Mage Flowers,’
 he responded solicitously.

‘Oh, this must
be your good lady wife!  I say!  You
are
blooming, when are
you due my dear?’

‘Your guess is
as good as mine.’  Mistral replied, gazing longingly at a tray of
champagne glasses being carried past by a purple-liveried waiter.

‘Oh-ho! 
These things can be a trifle hard to work out,’ he laughed dropping a
lascivious wink in Fabian’s direction.

‘You have no
idea.’  Mistral muttered while Mage Flowers laughed loudly at his own
joke.

‘Now please
excuse us my dear!  But I need to talk to your husband about a rather delicate
Council matter ... I’m sure it would bore you to tears!’

Mistral cast a
terrified glance at Fabian’s expressionless face.  He nodded briefly
before turning back to Mage Flowers.  ‘Another time perhaps.’

‘I think we
will be able to keep Lady De Winter company until you return Mage De Winter.’
 Phantasm’s cool voice cut in smoothly.

Mistral
glanced around to see the twins gliding elegantly up on either side of her.

Fabian held
his gaze for a moment and then looked at Mistral again, ‘I will be back as
quickly as I can,’ he promised softly. 

Nodding
wordlessly Mistral watched him walk away, his dark head bending to listen
whatever Mage Flowers was furtively whispering in his ear.  Feeling
abandoned and horribly vulnerable without any weapons, Mistral dragged her gaze
back the twins, her expression a little wild.  She noted vaguely that they
looked devastatingly handsome in white shirts and black trousers with their
blonde hair slicked back to display their high cheek bones and startling green
eyes to full effect.

‘Oh now, that
just won’t do at all!’  Phantasm frowned at her.

‘At
last!  Someone that agrees with me!  Quick, give me your shirt
Phantom!’  Mistral gasped.

‘Don’t be
ridiculous!’  Phantom snapped, recoiling from her frantically grabbing
hand.

‘I was
referring to you, not your dress, which is quite perfect by the way,’ continued
Phantasm. 

‘What about
me?’  Mistral demanded in petrified whisper.

‘Precisely
that!  Stop looking like a mouse scuttling in the corner of a room full of
cats!’

‘But look at
everyone!  I don’t belong here!’ 

‘You are
right, you don’t belong here Mistral!’  Phantasm hissed in a furious
whisper.  ‘Because you are far better than every single one of these
grasping, selfish excuses for living beings!’

Mistral stared
at him while he fixed her with his piercing green eyes and continued to berate
her in a low voice. 

‘Now lift your
chin and carry yourself with a bit of pride!  You are Lady De
Winter!  Carrying the son and heir to the entire De Winter estate. 
Your Mage should be proud of his wife, not witnessing her cowering in a
corner!  Do you have any idea how many women in this room would, quite
literally, I assure you, kill to be in your position?’

Mistral
immediately stiffened and her eyes blazed.  She glared around at the other
women in the room with barely concealed aggression.  ‘Them?’  She
demanded in a scornful whisper.  ‘Those …
women
… would take Fabian
from me?’

‘Hmm, I’m not
sure that there is anyone in the world that could actually cope with your Mage
but you,’ mused Phantasm with a small frown.  ‘However, yes I am fairly
sure that every woman in this room would probably be willing to try, just to
have the title, money and prestige that comes with being his wife. 
Ah!  Now that’s more like it!’  Phantasm gave a satisfied nod as
Mistral drew herself up and raised her chin defiantly, a fierce expression
lighting her face.  ‘But maybe just tone it down a little bit ... I think
you’re frightening some of them!’

‘Am I
really?’  she murmured, looking supremely unconcerned. 
‘Shame.’ 

‘Easy
now!’  Phantasm laughed, watching her meet the assessing gaze of one of
the Council wives across the room and raise an eyebrow challengingly, making
the woman flinch and turn away quickly.

‘I see he’s
started giving you some of the De Winter diamonds then.’  Phantom said
conversationally and reached out to collect three glasses of champagne from a
waiter passing by, giving one to his brother and then holding one out to
Mistral.  ‘Oh sorry,’ he said when Phantasm shook his head at him. 
‘I forgot that Mistral is banned from anything that makes her more
bearable.  I’ll just have two shall I?’

‘Er – back up
a bit. 
Some
of the De Winter diamonds?’  Mistral stared at
Phantom, her hand curling briefly around the heavy stone.  ‘There’s more?’ 

‘Oh yes.’
 Phantom said, taking a long swallow of champagne.  ‘That one you’re
modelling is actually part of a set.  There’s earrings and a bracelet to
go with it.  They’re very old, been in the family for hundreds of
years.  The emeralds are my favourite, obviously!’  he laughed,
placing his empty glass on a tray and quickly taking another.  ‘It’s quite
a famous collection actually –’

Mistral closed
her eyes and fought the urge to strangle her brother while he droned on about
the priceless collection of De Winter jewellery that she fervently hoped Fabian
wouldn’t expect her to wear, no matter how many children they had. 

‘Enough
champagne brother.’  Phantasm said firmly and took Phantom’s third glass
from him.  ‘Let’s not forget that we’re here to work tonight.’

‘Talking of
which, I’d better get started,’ said Mistral quickly, glad of the chance to
change the conversation.  She exhaled slowly and cleared her mind, letting
her gaze travel across the room and calling forth the multiple visions of
auras, pushing her mind beyond the swirl of colours … to hear … to See
–