I was a little unsure when I reached through space to weave my magic. My gateway shimmered to life in front of me, and I grabbed Austin’s hand.
“Ready?” I asked with a nervous smile. The landscape in front of us matched the photos that Caleb had provided, so I was a little relieved to at least be headed to the right place.
“Always,” Austin answered me confidently.
We stepped through the gateway together, hand-in-hand to see Len, Arminius’s manservant, waiting for us.
“Welcome,” he said stoically. “Please, follow me.”
The mansion he led us into was huge, but I couldn’t help but wonder where they were getting their food from. The area around here looked beautiful, but empty.
Len guided us into an impressive study. Arminius was standing by a lit fireplace and turned to welcome us as we entered.
“Anna, Austin,” Arminius greeted me with a smile. “I’m so pleased you could make it.” He smoothly motioned for us to take a seat.
“Thank you,” I said politely as Austin did the same. Arminius had always been kind to me in the past, but he had a fearsome reputation among the other lamia. I was well aware that generosity would only last as long as he needed something from me. Arminius was dangerous, but I needed to play his game.
“I remembered you have a fondness for chocolate,” Arminius said with some amusement. “I’ve arranged for something special.” He gestured toward Len, who left the room, probably to go get whatever it was.
“I confess that I’m surprised you agreed to meet without more of your mates,” Arminius said with a curious glance at me. “The state of the world makes it risky to leave your stronghold.”
I shrugged. “I thought this meeting would go better if it were just the three of us.”
Arminius smiled with amusement. “I do find you to be the most charming of your pack.” He nodded toward Austin. “And your packmaster the most reasonable.”
“And the most powerful,” I said boldly. Arminius probably had centuries of practice with political maneuvering and word games, but that wasn’t what I was here for. I wanted a straightforward discussion.
Arminius gave me a nod of respect. “You’re growing into one of the most powerful people in this world.”
I leaned forward. “Let’s not play games. The Morrigan and the dark fae are destroying this world. I know you were around during the last battle with them, and I’m here to see if you’ll fight them again - this time beside us.”
With his blue eyes intense, Arminius watched me for a moment, taking my measure.
“You know some of what came before from our previous discussions,” he finally said. “The lamia are no longer the powerful presence we once were. We also don’t have the same numbers.”
I sighed. Arminius previously revealed that the lamia had gone to battle with the fae. While their warriors were occupied with fighting the fae army, the dark fae had attacked their women and children. Their numbers had been decimated, and their warriors devastated. Instead of making the lamia give up, the fae’s actions only inspired them to fight harder. Because they had nothing to lose, the lamia threw themselves into battle, eventually overwhelming the fae and forcing them to return to their world. The dark fae were imprisoned by their brethren - who were horrified by the dark fae’s actions. As a punishment for betraying their own kind, the fae who created the prison were exiled from both Winter and Summer and stranded in this world. They mixed with humans and created a new race – shifters.
“We’re looking to form an alliance,” Austin said smoothly. “It’s not just the lamia that want the fae removed from this world.”
“I agree,” Arminius agreed with a smile. “I’ve spent the last few months preparing both the witches and lamia for battle. We’ve weeded out those who sided with the Morrigan, but some also joined her willingly.”
“As have some wolves,” Austin admitted. “We’re more fractured as a people, but my team has been working on developing relationships with packs we can trust.”
Arminius drummed his fingers on the table in front of him. “And what of the council?” he asked.
Austin grimaced. “Torn apart by bickering, at least for now. Each councilman has retreated to their own pack lands to fortify their defenses.”
“That’s not the way to win a war,” Arminius pointed out.
“It’s not in a wolf’s nature to abandon his territory to defend another’s,” Austin said quietly. “But we’re slowly convincing others that we need to band together to prevent losing