Daughter of the Tides, Servants of the Moon Book 2

Standing in their father’s office, Lothaire eyed Charles warily. Charles had sat in their father’s place for decades but Lothaire had realized that he had never truly accepted his brother as his Alpha, especially after finding out about Soleil.

“Actually, I can, brother. My spy in the temples says the Delphi is often in contact with one whom she calls the Augur Vampyr, a vampire seer, when she is at the Moon’s Gate. The one who travels through the Sacred Waters with the Delphi and the last Wemyss Alpha is this seer’s protector. If the Moon’s chosen have allied with our ancient foe, I want to know why, and, so should you,” Lothaire pointed out.

“Don’t tell me that delusional girl’s speech about a time of testing has made you doubt our destiny? The destiny of the Des Rues to rule this land.” Charles snarled as his fist collided with the top of the desk.

“I have never stopped working for it, not since our father’s death. But I have done it the wolf way.” Lothaire snapped.

“You have used a witch in battle.”

Lothaire’s jaw twitch, but he answered in a monotone. “Your idea and that battle that failed disastrously. Just like your plan to kidnap Tamaza Ayala failed, just like the attack you ordered to snatch her daughters failed. In fact, instead of building alliances with strong pack alliances like Montreal United, Yukon, and Cascade-Teton, you pander to the weak suburban packs who are more human than wolf.”

“Those weak packs, as you so blandly put it, have given us control of this entire continent north to the Great Lakes, east and south to the coast and west to the Sierra Nevadas.” Charles growled in rage, pointing at his map.

“Not everyone is our ally.” Lothaire blinked at him nonplussed.

“If they are not our ally then they are surrounded by our allies and will have no choice but to accept our rule.” Charles ranted.

“Our father, our grandfather, they would be ashamed of us.” Lothaire looked at the portraits on the wall opposite the map. “We use witches to make up for the weakness of our warriors and breeders.”

Huffing, Charles sat back down and pulled Soleil in his lap, smelling her the way one would smell a mate to calm their wolf. Lothaire eyed them in disgust as the witch cooed to calm his brother.

She turned her baleful amber brown eyes on him, “You should not insult your Alpha. He has had to make many difficult decisions.”

“I’m his Beta, it is my job to remind him of our weaknesses.” Lothaire turned and looked at the map rather than look at them. “We should not be giving our allies the pack lands we find vacated. We should look for the missing wolves, just like we should be looking for the missing covens. Something is hunting us, Charles. The Delphi said a time of testing is coming.”

Charles snorted derisively, “Nothing would dare hunt the Des Rues. The Temples are making it look as though those packs are disappearing to cause fear.”

“Do you have proof? My spy reports that the Temples do not know what happens to these missing wolves, only that they die, and their souls do not go to the Fields.” Lothaire watched Soleil keenly as he said the last.

Her passive mask didn’t change as she said, “If their souls do not go to your Moon then how can they know they are truly dead. It is a deception. This Delphi has hidden them with the Vampires.”

“And why would the Delphi do that?” Lothaire demanded of her but his brother answered.

“So, the temples can push their choice for monarch upon the wolves. A packless, matelost pup who will be a lap dog to the Delphi and the Servants of the Moon. It is about control, brother, and fear is the age-old weapon of religion. She is up to something. This Delphi is clever, savvy, and calculating, like a fox. She wants to rule the wolves as their queen, not as their oracle. She is hiding the missing wolves and vampires to incite paranoia, and it is your job to figure out where.” Charles sneered triumphantly. “So, I can prove that the Temples are deceiving the packs. If this Delphi won’t accept her place in my sons’ kingdom then I will strip her of every rank and respect, just like her mother and grandmother humiliated Valeria.”

“And would you make you breeder Delphi again?” Lothaire scoffed.

“No, there will be no more Delphis. The Moon no longer heeds those who are worthy, so it is time we forge our own destiny.” Charles’ eyes shined with ambition and madness. “Find where the Delphi is hiding the missing wolves.”

“And what of the vampires?” Lothaire demanded coolly to hide his emotions.

“She took that vampire and child there, find where they are hiding. And make them see reason,” Charles ordered. “They will ally to us, the rightful monarchs.”

Lothaire appraised Charles and his witch, “And if they refuse to break their alliance with the Temples?”

“My witches will deal with them if they will not join us.” Soleil purred. “Find them. No one defies my alpha.”

“Go, Lothaire, I am sick of your defiance, you’re my beta, brother, don’t forget your place.” Charles snarled but his Alpha command tone held none of the strength is once had.

Lothaire held his ground easily and glared at the witch in his brother’s lap before lifting his eyes defiantly to Charles’s glare. “I am your Beta and your brother by birth and blood, and you should listen to me.” Then he turned on his heel and walked out, surprised when the door closed behind him without the witch’s knife in his back. He was suddenly certain Charles would let Soleil kill him. Directly or indirectly didn’t matter, he would be dead or she would.

Lothaire spent days going over maps of the areas around the Eye of the Goddess Temple. The Delphi and the Wemyss wolf had appeared in the lower level of the temple without explanation six days after the confrontation on the yacht. He expanded the area of his search to the maximum distance a wolf could run and still found nothing. Finally, in frustration, he sought out Valeria.

His brother’s true mate was sitting in her scrying room in a red silk gown. She looked like she was drunk. “What do you want, Loathsome?” She slurred.

His jaw ticked at the derogatory moniker. “Your Alpha has given me an impossible task. To find a place that can only be reached through the Tides. Has the Moon reopened Her eye to you?”

Valeria sat up straighter, staring at him. “Tell me what has occurred.”

Lothaire almost walked out as she poured herself another glass of wine but instead he explained about the Alpha Gathering and the appearance of the Delphi with the last Wemyss Warrior Alpha. She scoffed when he described the swirling vortex of water.

“I’m serious, Valeria. The Delphi held out her hand and the moonlight formed an eddy. She stepped off the boat into it, then the warrior, then the vampire. If you don’t believe me ask your son, he witnessed it all, including the vampire declaring the Wemyss wolf would be king.” Lothaire snapped at her. He had regretted coming to her since he walked into the room.

“My son will be king,” Valeria growled.

“Then you need to find the place where Charles’ witch claims the Delphi is hiding him and the missing wolves or it will never happen,” Lothaire snarled back. “Soleil plans to put Helios in Charlemagne’s place, so if you want your son to have a chance to be king then I need to prove the Delphi using the temples to manipulate everyone before Soleil and Helios do, or do nothing and watch them take the kingdom you and Charles built for Charlemagne.” At the end of his patience, Lothaire stormed out.

Charlemagne rushed in, “Mother?”

Helios was over his shoulder. “Oracle Valeria, did Uncle Lothaire threaten you?”

She shook her head as she eyed them curiously. “No, I am fine. Your uncle just asked for a vision. He has some foolish notion about the Delphi being able to bring the Tides into the real world and travel through them. I think the stress of being first Beta has finally made him crack. Tell me, my son and stepson, what are you two doing today?”

Charlemagne answered as Helios smirked. “Soleil asked us to try to figure out where the Delphi is hiding the wolves and vampires that appear to have disappeared.”

“Mother wants us to find them, so father can prove it is just a trick to lure weak minded wolves back to the Temples of the Moon. They have fallen from favor since you were wrongly dismissed from your place as Delphi,” Helios added smoothly. “Father was right to build you a temple and school here.”

Valeria preened under his compliment. “Let me see what I can see. If this Delphi is truly acting in deceit, the Moon may grant me a vision.”

Later, after sunset, Helios and Charlemagne waited outside his mother’s scrying room.

“Do you think she’ll be able to have a vision?” Charlemagne asked nervously.

Helios shrugged, “With my mother’s magic counteracting the curse the Delphi put on your mother, I would pray so.”

“Do you really think would a Delphi would act against the Moon’s laws and curse another oracle?” Charlemagne wondered aloud.

“My spy says Delilah Ayala was the most rule-abiding of the Servants, but she is constantly bending the rules and Esther Ayala follows none of the rules.”

Charlemagne scrunched his eyebrows. “Her sister did violently attack me just for dancing with her and asking for an audience with the Delphi.”

Helios looked out at the rising moon, his handsome, perfect features set in a hard sneer. “The Ayala twins are the most dangerous females in the world to us. They refuse to accept their places and will continue to be thorns in our garden until we can put them in a cage, brother. I have no doubt, Esther would have killed you had you not disarmed her. As for Delilah, she has let the brothers of her mate travel using Servant credentials and avenge him with no reprimand. She abuses her power. Father was right to want to move the Temple here so all wolves could have easier access to the priestesses of their goddess.”

“I didn’t think you believed in the Moon.” Charlemagne tipped his head.

“I was raised to believe in my mother’s god but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect other religions. Belief in a deity is very important to some, and as ruling wolves, we should lead the example with tolerance. Do I find the old ways outdated and backward? Yes, sometimes I do. But I won’t disrespect someone who believes differently.” Helios shrugged, “I’m going to get something to eat. Do you want to come?”

“No, I’ll wait, thanks.” Charlemagne responded.