Vision of Light [The Renegades 1] (26 page)

"Do not try to convince me of my loyalty. Anyhow, you damn well know I refer to another entity."

"By the saints, Lucien, you make no sense."

Lucien could not read his cousin. Jaden was either innocent or else very good. The Fulfillment was more influential than he suspected to be able to buy one of the powerful Calvacade brothers. Lucien needed time, but with the message now delivered, the Fulfillment would expect him to pay his dues soon. Double-crossing the Fulfillment with Jaden operating on the inside would have dire consequences when he still had much to do.

"If you need my help, you need only to ask,” Jaden said quietly. “I would not cause harm to you or your lady."

"I may consider it.” He played along. The man who had saved his life had become an enemy. If he had no need of the metamorphic potion for Aislan, he would leave forthwith.

"Lucien—"

"Do as you must.” Lucien left.

Aislan woke and fretted because Lucien was gone. The uncertainty of the entire situation made her extremely nervous, especially in this mysterious labyrinth.

The maid came with her breakfast, then tended to her hair and laced up her dress before leaving. Aislan settled down to eat her meal. She prepared her morning tea, grateful at least Lucien had taken this worry from her. Even when he had not touched her the past few days, she had kept up with her morning ritual in front of him. In the past, she never took a respite, even when Hayton was gone from the castle for weeks or months because she never knew when he would return. She could not take chances then and especially not now when life wrought with uncertainties.

Lucien came back as she almost finished breakfast. Straightening, Aislan adjusted her leaf-green silk gown where she had fussed forever in front of the mirror, making sure she would look good for him. She quickly smoothed a crease off her sleeve as if he would notice such a thing. Though already dressed, Aislan would be receptive to a little more lovemaking—or a whole lot of it.

She smiled warmly as Lucien came to the table. He was dressed casually in the usual brown tunic daywear, black boots, and adorned with his weapons, as always. Today, he left his dark hair loose. The wavy strands fell past his shoulders and looked slightly tousled, as if he had not done more than comb his fingers through them. Tenseness etched the handsome features, and a worried frown marred the dark brows. Aislan wanted to kiss away the tension from the firm, wide lips until they softened and rewarded her with more delicious kisses.

She lifted her face, parting her lips, but he ignored her waiting mouth and settled in the chair across from her. Aislan stared at him in exasperation as he hurried through his tepid meal, practically swallowing it whole.

"Let us visit Traver."

Without so much as a warm smile her direction after their night of passionate lovemaking, her impossibly erratic lover stood up, grabbed her hand, and off they went towards Lord Traver's laboratory.

"We need to talk about your pendulating demeanor!” she declared in a pique.

"Not now.” He walked quickly. Because he held her hand almost intimately, a few of his fingers weaving with hers instead of his usual, around-the-wrist, impersonal touch, Aislan held off on her lecture.

They entered the laboratory where Lord Traver mixed potions in glass flasks. Aislan's throat closed up immediately upon the mere sight of them.

Lord Traver turned when he heard them enter. The man exuded magnetism, but she did not feel the breathlessness and excitement or rush of emotions and desire Lucien's presence always gave her. In her eyes, Lucien outshined them all with his dark good looks and sexual charisma. He was the only man who mattered to her, who had weaved his way into her body and her soul.

"Good morn, milady.” Lord Traver smiled politely. “Lucien.” He nodded and indicated a chair. “Milady will be more comfortable there."

Clinging to Lucien's muscular arm, Aislan wanted to shrivel up at the frightening prospect of a transformation.

"'Tis all right.” Lucien tried to ease her into the chair, gentle but insistent.

"What will be done to me?” she asked fearfully, wanting to faint from cowardice as she held tight onto his arm. He took her hand and rubbed warmth into the back of it.

"I need to extract a blood sample,” Lord Traver said.

Aislan shrank further into the chair at the thought of her blood all over the place.

"'Twill only be a few drops."

She wedged her free hand under her thigh. “What exactly will you do to me?” she insisted.

"Aislan, we are fortunate Traver agrees to this,” Lucien said.

"Then
you
let yourself be experimented on."

"'Tis not an experiment. Traver has done this many times already successfully."

The confusing flash of images in Aislan's vision told her otherwise. She saw the shape-shifted wolf that Lucien had killed and imagined herself turning into a wolf.

"'Tis not meant for me.” She got to her feet. Lucien eased her back down and knelt at her feet to look at her as she wiped the tears from her face, not caring if she came across as pitiful. Even though he kept hold of her hand while his other settled on her kneecap, caressing it, his touch did not reassure her about the transformation. She refused to shape-shift into a wolf. Her body already a mess, she could not deal with fangs and fur on top of everything else.

Lord Traver got down on one knee in front of her so the two men knelt side by side as if they both were ready to ask for her hand. “Milady,” he said gently. “The potion will alter your physical appearance only temporarily. It also adds iron to your blood, but only enough to mislead Trackers who have targeted you."

Transformation into an animal would be too much to ask of any woman.

"'Twill not work on me. I do not want to be a wolf.” She imagined herself howling at the moon.

Lord Traver lifted a quizzical brow. “You will not shape-shift into any animal. Your facial features will alter slightly. You may not be as beautiful as you are now, but you will remain a woman. You will look like—another woman."

Aislan touched her face and imagined herself plain. Lucien watched her all the time because he found her beautiful. He desired her because of her physical appearance. No matter how he would insist otherwise, would he look at her the same way if her face altered? She could not bear it if he did not find her beautiful anymore.

"I do not want to.” She set her mouth mutinously.

"Aislan, please.” Lucien gave her a pleading look.

"Now, what could I have missed with you two wooing the lady so devoutly?” Lord Jaden's voice came from the doorway, and all three occupants in the room turned to him. Lucien got to his feet, his mouth pinched. He glared at Lord Jaden with barely concealed hostility, his long, lean body tight with tension.

Lord Traver also got to his feet.

"You did not handle this too well.” Jaden came into the room. “You need to spend more time with women instead of your chemistry set. You do not tell a beautiful lady you will transform her from butterfly to moth, brother."

"Aislan is right. ‘Tis not a good idea after all. Come, milady.” Lucien drew her to her feet, and she clung to his arm as her only anchor.

"What is the matter with you two?” Traver looked between Lucien and Jaden.

"Now, now, cousin. Calm down.” Jaden looked instantly contrite. “I am on your side. You want to hide Lady Aislan? Who better than I would understand this process?” He turned to Aislan. “My brilliant brother is an alchemy sorcerer. He can create miracles. I am the inspiration for it all.” He spread his arms. “When you have such a handsome source, how could you be anything but a butterfly, as beautiful as ever?"

Aislan looked him over curiously. “You contribute to this—potion?"

"In a manner of speaking.” Jaden smiled.

Both Lucien and Lord Traver stood unmoving like two stone statues. Aislan looked from one man to another, and then pressed the front of her entire body along Lucien's arm. “You play me for a fool,” she told Jaden coldly.

Jaden's smile faded, his amber eyes no longer twinkling. “No, milady, I would not. No Tracker can find me. Cousin here will confirm that."

She turned to Lucien. “I trust you. What do you say?"

Lucien exchanged a glance with Jaden. “'Tis true. I cannot find him."

Jaden returned Lucien's glacial look with a blank one. Despite Jaden's rascally behavior, Aislan's sensed no evilness in him. However, if Lucien did not trust Jaden, then Aislan would not, either. Her instincts could be completely wrong. She had done a few foolish things based on instincts.

"You should go through with your original plan,” Jaden suggested coolly. “You have no other option since you are pressed for time."

If anything, Lucien turned white. Aislan cast Jaden a look of dislike for whatever he did that made Lucien look positively sick with distrust. Lucien gave Traver an almost accusing look.

"What?” Traver looked between the two men with obvious confusion. “Whatever problems you two have with each other, I did not say anything."

"I only referred to the message,” Jaden said in a tone too bland. Aislan now knew her instincts about Jaden's goodness had to be wrong. The rat was lying about something.

Jaden continued in his trademark cool tone, “I assumed you wanted to keep Lady Aislan from being found because you ran off with her. A little drastic to hide her, but she is the most beautiful lady, so I can imagine your infatuation with her."

Lucien looked ready to throttle Jaden who, in Aislan's opinion, sounded utterly ludicrous in his simple assessment of the situation.

"You will have to trust me,” Jaden told Lucien before he turned to Aislan and smiled. “Now, please, milady. Do not look at me with such distrust, for I would die before I allow any harm to come to a lady. The potion will only work if my glib brother can mix your blood with his magic and keep you safe. If it makes you comfortable, I'll leave. See. I am gone."

Only Aislan watched him leave. When she turned her focus on Lucien, he and Traver exchanged a glance, and Traver shrugged as he waited for whatever the outcome.

Lucien looked resigned as he turned back to her. “'Tis needed, Aislan. I have tracked you twice. One of the wolves tracked you. Any Tracker can find you. We have traveled a long way here for this. Without this, I will fail to protect you, and everything will be for naught. We put Traver at risk, too, if we are found here."

Aislan did not know what to do. Their being here put Lord Traver in jeopardy. He had gone out of his way to help her, a perfect stranger. What else could she do now? What choice did she have?

Lord Traver picked up a long, thin needle and held it over the flame of a large candle. Lucien propelled Aislan back to the chair and remained standing by her side. She hung onto his arm with one hand while offering her other hand tentatively as if she expected it to be cut off. For the first time since she met him, a small smile flitted across Lord Traver's face, probably because of the pathetic sight she must be presenting.

"'Twill not hurt, milady,” he said gently, and Aislan realized he was not amused at her expense. For the first time, a very faint hint of warmth sparkled in his amber yes. “You will not even feel a pinch.” Traver took her hand. At his mere touch, Aislan felt a sharp vibration, startling her. Even though his touch was cool and impersonal, he vibrated with energy.

Squeezing her index finger lightly, Lord Traver pricked her skin. As he had promised, she did not even feel the pain. Perhaps he had distracted her with the energy exuding from him. He was a powerful sorcerer, almost as powerful as Lucien. She wondered how she could tell considering he did not use sorcery on her.

Traver used a tiny straw to receive her blood as he squeezed her fingertip. “That does it.” He wet a small cotton with a solution and swabbed the almost nonexistent puncture in her skin.

"What—what happens now?” Aislan asked tentatively, unable to pull her attention from the man.

"I'll mix the potion and let it incubate in three stages. I'll administer the first dosage in a few days, then two more doses, each one every other day. This entire process will take about a sennight.” Traver stared at her thoughtfully. She wondered what he thought and found the darkness in him disconcerting, making him as puzzling as Lucien. On the surface, Lord Traver was physically attractive, although standoffish. From his mere touch, Aislan felt a menacing presence not entirely evil but did not sit well with her. She could not determine if Lord Traver's power was good or bad.

Finally, Aislan dragged her attention from Lord Traver so she could look at her finger. Though good as new, she did not regret fussing so loudly. She looked at Lucien, who had moved away, his back to her as he looked out the window. Uncertain with his moodiness, Aislan got to her feet.

"I—I thank you, Lord Traver,” Aislan said politely. This entire situation gave her a deep sense of disquiet. When she looked at Lord Traver, she saw only one image of a blank, gray wall. This potion was not meant for her. Had her instincts gotten unbalanced? She saw no evilness in Jaden and darkness in Traver when it should be the other way around. If she could no longer trust her own instincts, then what else could she trust? Aislan wondered what else could go wrong with her.

Lucien turned when Aislan neared him, regarding her with an implacable expression. She wondered if her rapt attention with Lord Traver made him jealous. She gave him a small smile of assurance. Drawn to the darker side of sorcery, Aislan's interest in Lord Traver stemmed from her curiosity about his sorcery power hinting on dark magic, like hers. How could Lucien not know by now how much she adored him and no other man?

"I cannot thank you enough, Traver,” Lucien said. “I appreciate the risk you took harboring us."

"'Tis the least I could do. You never ask for anything, Lucien."

"I'll check back with you later.” Lucien touched Aislan lightly on the elbow and then walked on without holding her hand. She sighed. His jealousy could become worse than Hayton's. Possessive men made her feel trapped. As they made their way back to Lilypad, Aislan quickened her steps easily to keep up with Lucien's long strides.