Mated to the Chaos - Georgette St. Clair Page 0,9
as well.
Carlo cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders, and raised his chin. “Now that we are all here, I think it’s time enough to explain what is going on. Adonis, Alpha of the Moonstone Pack, and Guardian Torin, you are the only ones who don’t know who is among us, but she is–”
“Powerful,” Torin interrupted, his eyes going white for a moment. “Even older than I am. What are you doing here, Wearer of Dust?”
Wearer of Dust?
“My skin. I wear the dust of history.”
Carlo looked again. So that was what dulled the glow of her flesh.
“It’s what we called you all here for,” Arturo answered instead of Nanshe. “Respect my place, Guardian.”
Torin nodded, but the move seemed more out of nonchalance rather than deep respect. “It’s not as if I’d want it.”
Arturo growled but let it go, thankfully.
No one wanted to fight a Guardian, no matter how strong they were. A Level-7 mage was not something to play with.
“As I’ve said, I am the Norn of What Has Been.”
Torin sucked in a breath, but the room was silent otherwise.
“My sister, The Norn of What Shall Be, has decided she is done biding her time. There are rules against our interference in the lives of humans and magical creatures, but she has circumnavigated it. It is the only way I could step in.”
“How? She held me in the Forgotten Tower for centuries and no one interfered,” Asherah argued.
“Because it wasn’t time.”
“Wha’ d’ ya mean?” Zahara looked at Nanshe, a rare puzzled expression on her face.
The Norn closed her mouth and shook her head.
“She can’t say,” Asherah explained.
Adonis shifted in his seat. “Can’t, or won’t?”
“Can’t. Her throat closes and, if she tries too hard, she can’t breathe through the pain. The rules naturally shut down her ability to interfere in our lives. If she provides certain information regarding our decision-making, it would alter the outcome, therefore disrupting what is already supposed to happen in the future. Am I right, Nanshe?”
“As always, Asherah. You played your role, as did others.” Nanshe’s eyes twinkled, and Carlo stepped forward at the sign of one of her tells.
“Heath. She needed Heath, and it had to be the right time.”
“Carlo,” Nanshe praised with a smile, still not answering yes or no but making her point.
“So it was you who helped me get to Asherah?” Heath’s eyes widened, incredulity lighting up his face.
Again, Nanshe was quiet.
“Along the same line, I’d think. It was time to do so, and she did what she could, I’m guessing.” Adonis looked around at the others seated at the table. “I need someone to catch me up.”
“Skuld trapped my Fate. Skuld is the Future Norn. Nanshe here made sure I could get out with my head still connected to my shoulders,” Heath explained.
“It caused an uproar, but we tried to keep things as quiet as possible,” Zoey offered.
Adonis nodded. “You succeeded, and I’m usually good at knowing everything.”
“Heath had previously targeted Silva for grievances in the past, but we later discovered his memories had been manipulated instead. We believe Skuld did that too. She wanted Silva dead.” A momentary look of sadness flashed across Kalinda’s face before she took a deep breath. Her concern for her friend was clear.
“What would it matter if she were?”
Not that Carlo could argue Adonis’s question wasn’t an excellent one, but it was a dick move.
“Because I don’t deserve to die, maybe?” Silva’s eyes snapped with anger.
“Bonita, I meant no offense. But why would she want you dead? If she has so much power, what would you matter? Your attachment with Kalinda is hardly noteworthy compared to that.” The Alpha shrugged, unfazed by Silva and her attitude.
The Fae Queen took a step forward and doubled down. “Because my death leads to hers. She is the Ales and I am her cosantiór.”
Adonis nodded, as if he’d already known.
A rumble filled Carlo’s chest. “You were testing us?”
“Of course. If you aren’t open to sharing information, why should I be? I knew of their connection, but I had no knowledge of Heath and what happened.”
Arturo and Alexi nodded. It was weird to get such an easy agreement from the two Alphas.
“Killing Silva, and by extension me, would have weakened the Mage Council of Encantado and the Lombardi Pack.” Kalinda tossed a look to her mate.
“And by hurting them, it would extend to my pack,” Arturo added.
“An excellent move, if you want others to fall. So why, Nanshe? Can you answer that?”
“Because Skuld wants to rule the world, why else?”
And the room