The Banshee's Revenge (The Banshee's Embrace Trilogy) (4 page)

"Well, there are some hot chicks in here." Angela glanced around and then patted her hair. "Of course, I'm still the fairest in the land."

"Is that so?" Gabe grinned. "Did your magic mirror tell you that?"

"Nope. The seven cell numbers I got from seven handsome men did." She stuck her tongue out as Gabe laughed. "So take that, Mister Terrible Flirt."

Gabe watched her swig from her beer bottle. Her eyes were bright with just a hint of drunken glossiness to them. Her pale skin was set off perfectly by the deep red of her hair. She was a looker alright, and he felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of any man giving her their cell number.

Not that he would be admitting that any time soon.

Thoughts of a kiss he'd stolen from her when she thought he was someone else lingered in his mind, causing him to stare at her speculatively. What would she think if she knew it wasn't Derek Spark she'd been kissing, but him? Back then he'd been out for revenge, trying to best his father and prove himself loyal to Derek.

But things had changed. The last few months had seen him go from wanting a seat on the Brotherhood to gain more power. Now he was thinking the whole revenge game was a waste of time. The things he'd seen go down between Toby and Jacqueline had taught him how hurtful revenge could be.

And as for a seat on the Brotherhood…what Brotherhood? Jacqueline had managed to just about wipe that out. As he stared at Angela, all he could think about was that maybe it was a good thing. He didn't want her to experience the darker side of his life.

"What you lookin' at?" Angela asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"You're really beautiful."

She put the beer down with a thud and gave him her full attention.

"You know just the right thing to say." Her shy grin charmed even his jaded heart. "Would you…would you want to get out of here? Maybe go someplace quieter?"

Would he? There was no mistaking the meaning of what she intended. Hell yes!

Yet, another part of him hesitated. Angela was special and the thought of hurting her tore at his conscience.

And he would hurt her.

Men like him were destined to do terrible things despite their best intentions.

Dragging Angela down wasn't part of his agenda. She was becoming too special to him.

"I can tell you're having some kind of internal debate." Angela sighed. "Look, it was just a suggestion. You don't have to. I know I'm a lot older and--"

"It's not that. I like my women…experienced," Gabe said, causing Angela to laugh. "It's just…I don't know if changing the status of our relationship is a good idea."

Angela frowned and Gabe hurried to explain himself.

"Look, sex with you is what I've been thinking about for over a month now," Gabe admitted, absurdly touched at the pure delight he saw flicker through her eyes. "But you're the kind of woman who needs a man that can offer her more."

"And if sex is all I'm looking for?" She gave him a suggestive smile. "I have been around the block a few times, you know. I'm definitely…experienced. Maybe I'm not looking for anything more. Did you ever think of that?"

He didn't believe her, but he also didn't want to get into a deep discussion about it in the bar. She looked at him expectantly, unconsciously licking her lips, causing his imagination to go wild at the thought of her tongue anywhere on his body.

Damn, but she was sexy!

"Okay," he decided. "Let me tell Toby I'm leaving early."

Gabe looked around, feeling the heat of anticipation rising in him. A night with Angela. It was finally going to happen!

But of course, Toby was nowhere in sight.

"I saw him slip outside a little while ago," Angela said. "He's probably going down to the river."

"Watch the bar for me?" he asked, knowing Toby had left Angela in charge of the place a few times when he'd been in a bind. "I'll be right back."

Outside, the moon was high and its light flooded the wooded area guarding the river better than any flashlight could. He paused, remembering the last time he'd gone into the woods. It hadn't been a pleasant experience.

He'd been torturing Jacob Fortensky, a man who got his jollies raping and mutilating women. Fortensky had been about to rape Angela in the back parking lot of Merlyn's Bar when Gabe happened to go outside. The sight of Angela's battered face, the tears falling from her eyes, the sound of pure terror she made--Gabe hadn't thought. He'd just used his powers and taken Fortensky into the woods where he commenced to beat the shit out of him both physically and magically.

Now, looking at those woods, Gabe was reminded again of all the things Angela had gone through after the attack. Did he really want to mess her up further?

No. He didn't.

But you're not going to hurt her like that. This is just sex. Nothing more. Even she said so.

He told himself that, but still didn't believe it.

And yet, the thought of finally ravishing the lovely redhead in his bed was enough to keep him walking towards the woods in search of Toby.

"Gabe."

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Gabe froze, knowing instantly who the speaker behind him was. Alert, the young wizard lifted his hands, ready to cast a protection spell.

"I know you are thinking of casting a spell," the voice said. "There isn't a need for that. I just want to talk."

Gabe turned, eyes narrowed as he faced the old wizard who stood before him.

"Gwydion," Gabe acknowledged with a tight smile. "Nice outfit."

The other wizard shifted uneasily, clearly not pleased by the compliment. The rumpled flannel shirt and dirty jeans which were too big for his wiry frame did not hang well on him. Gwydion's white hair was chopped short and stuck out in tufts around his head. He leaned on a birch wood cane, looking nothing like his usual self.

Gone was the strong dominant leader of the Brotherhood of Merlyn, the one that all wizards feared. Instead, he reminded Gabe of a farmer about to go do his early morning chores.

"Is that a disguise?" Gabe asked.  "What are you supposed to be?"

"These clothes suit me for the moment." Gwydion took a hobbling step forward. "They're a perfect cloak from prying eyes."

"And just who are you hiding from?"

"You know who." Gwydion's steely stare pierced through Gabe. "The same being that could decimate a regular wizard in a matter of seconds."

"And she couldn't do the same to you? You must be worried if you are disguising yourself."

"I wanted a moment for us to speak unencumbered and that banshee woman may have swallowed Death, but that doesn't mean she's a match for my kind." Gwydion leaned forward on his cane and gave Gabe a slow, knowing smile. "Or should I say
our kind
."

Gabe's eyes narrowed at this confirmation of something he'd long suspected.

Gwydion had been born from wizard parents, too--his father would have been a wizard and his mother would have had wizard blood in her bloodlines. The gift of wizardry was not inherited by women, but the daughter of a wizard carried the gene of her father and grandfather which they passed on to their sons. If a wizard from a separate family struck a union with a daughter from a different family, their genes mixed and the baby would be more powerful than either parent.

Or even other wizards.

At least, that's what all wizards were told and was why mixing the bloodlines was forbidden.

Gwydion's incredible power came not just from age--but from the genes his parent's had given him at birth--a birth that according to the laws of the wizarding world should never have happened. How had he kept it a secret?

"I'm almost a thousand years old," Gwydion said, almost as if he could hear the questions running through Gabe's mind. "In that time, I've learned to manage the gifts my parents bestowed upon me. My father is the one who decreed that no wizarding families were allowed to mix the bloodlines. He knew that doing so would create creatures as powerful as myself, and that could lead to all sorts of destruction. Of course, when he made this proclamation, it wasn't as if there were many wizards in the world. We've always been small in numbers."

"Yet, he must have felt the rules didn't apply to him. I mean, here you are," Gabe pointed out.

"My father created this rule after I was born, after he understood better the things that I could do."

"You must have done something that worried him."

Gwydion gave him a dark smile, but didn't answer.

"So who was he?" Gabe asked.

"Can't you guess?" Gwydion tugged at the scraggly remains of his white beard, thoughtful. "He was the leader of all wizards."

"Merlin." The truth dawned on Gabe, surprising him. "I should have known."

"None other." Gwydion nodded. "I named our Brotherhood after him and I created it in order to keep an eye on all the wizarding families, to keep balance among them."

"And your mother? Who was that? She must have come from a separate wizard family."

"That is a story for another time." Gwydion's tone was sharp. Apparently, whoever the mother was, the old wizard held no love for her. "We have other matters to discuss."

"I'm not helping you capture, Jacqueline," Gabe said. "You're on your own there."

"And if she comes for you as I know she will? What then? Will you kill her? Can you even do such a thing?" Gwydion shook his head. "Doubtful. Not to mention your misguided father will stop you. His feelings for the half banshee run deep."

"I'll worry about that when it's time. You don't have any concept of what family means to my father or his feelings for Jacqueline. You should be on your way, Gwydion. My father won't like knowing you are here."

"Off to run to the little redheaded slut's bed, are you?"

Anger licked through Gabe.

"I've been observing you, boy." Gwydion drew a circle in the air and a faint image of Angela's face appeared in it. "I know you are full of indecision about the little tart. She is a pretty thing though."

Gwydion stepped closer, allowing the image to fade, and lowered his voice.

"I also know you are not using your powers fully. I could help with that." The old wizard's face filled with cunning. "I could show you how to best use the skills Nature has endowed you with. Together we could be a force and remove the banshee from this dimension. We'd be heroes, too. The laws of human nature are out of balance, just waiting for us to set them right. There are those that would be grateful to us for restoring things."

"What do you mean out of balance?"

"You haven't heard?" Gwydion's grin was smug. "How delightful."

"I don't understand."

"Oh, you will. I'll arrange a little demonstration for you later. But for now, you must come with me."

"I don't think so." Gabe let out the anger he'd been holding back. "But you need to leave."

"Think it over, Gabe." The sharp edge of anger was in Gwydion's tone now. "It's better for us to work together than be at odds. Isn't that what you originally wanted? Wasn't that the plan a few months ago? Take me down and then take the Brotherhood? It would have been mine if I were you."

"You're not me." Gabe willed an energy ball to spark in both his hands, hoping the sight would send a message to the other wizard. "And plans change."

Without a word, Gwydion lifted his hand from the cane. A blast of energy came out fast and quick, striking Gabe directly in the chest. He fell to the ground, gasping for air as heat and pain rushed through him.

"Plans do indeed change," Gwydion sneered. "and you may yet change your mind again, boy."

Gabe rolled to his side, pushing himself up, even as he prepared to be hit again by another blast of Gwydion's power. But none came and when he turned to the spot where the old wizard had stood, there was nothing but the faint hint of smoke.

"Dammit!" Gabe swore, standing. "Dammit!"

"What's going on?" Toby hurried out of the darkness of the woods. "Who was that?"

"Gwydion."

"Where is he?" Toby seethed. "I'd like to get my hands on that son of a bitch."

"He took off, but he was babbling about how Nature is out of balance or something." Gabe brushed himself off. "Son of a bitch hit me hard with a knock back spell."

"Did he want anything else?"

"Yeah." Gabe hesitated. "He wanted me to join him."

"Of course, he does. He feels threatened by you. You share the same genetic makeup."

"You knew? That he was like me?" Gabe stared open mouthed at Toby. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know for sure until our last battle at Antrim castle. He said a few things while torturing me that made it clear."

"Did you know his father is Merlin?"

"What? You sure?" Toby frowned. "Is that what he told you?"

"Yeah. Can you believe that shit?" Gabe shook his head in disbelief. "Whatever happened to Merlin anyway?"

"No one knows for sure. The stories say he was exiled long ago by an enchantress that he pissed off." Toby rubbed his chin, thoughtful." Showing up here is a risk. He may have all sorts of defensive and cloaking spells to help hide him, but he knows his appearance here could attract Jacqueline. Especially if she's already close by."