«May I?» Ian reached for the photo and Hastings handed it to him. Ian looked at it for a few minutes before passing it to Marc. «I've seen him before.»
«Recently?» Cameron asked.
Ian shook his head. «It was some time back. Mexico in the eighteen hundreds. Mario Gonzalez was his name back then. He was a bandito. We crossed paths when he robbed the night stage I was on. He's a mage of some kind. I smelled the magic right off. When he realized what I was, he took what he could and headed for the hills. I tracked him down a few weeks later, but he claimed he'd gone straight. I watched him for a bit, but he seemed okay, so I let him be. Figured he'd have been dead long ago, but maybe his magic is such that it gives him long life.» Ian shrugged.
Cameron nodded. «Venifucus magic has been said to extend the life of mortals. At the expense of others, usually.» His attention turned to Christy. «If it's as we fear, you're in more danger than you know, milady.»
«This is definitely not cool.» Christy sagged back against Sebastian. «You're telling me some kind of evil human magician has teamed up with one of these Altor guys-who are only supposed to watch-and is coming after me because I'm newly turned and therefore weak? Great. Just great.»
«Hey, girl, don't sweat it,» Matt tried to cajole her with a smile. «You've got a bunch of angry vamps, some equally pissed off were, and a fey warrior on your side. Not to mention the tricks you have up your own sleeve, sweet thing. They won't know what hit them if they start messing with you. I can guarantee it.»
«What tricks?» Cameron wanted to know.
Sebastian sighed and ran his hands through his hair. «You really want to tell them, Matt?»
The werecougar shrugged. «Why not? Besides, I think they need to know.»
«What do we need to know, Sebastian?» Marc stepped forward, asserting his authority as Master.
Christy stood, not liking the implied threat to her man. She surprised herself a bit with the instinctive action, but nothing and no one would threaten Sebastian while she was present. Sebastian stood behind her, placing calming hands on her shoulders, while Matt stepped in front of her, using his imposing height to face down the Master Vampire.
Matt shrugged again. «It's no big deal, really. It's just that I was her first meal.» Matt seemed to gloat as he spoke the words. «Come to think of it, her second and third as well.» A smug smile lit his face while the vampires wore expressions of shock.
«What have you done, Sebastian?» Marc wanted to know.
Sebastian pulled her back against him. «What I had to do, to keep her safe from the mad dog who was her husband.» His words dared the other vampires to object.
Marc backed down, shaking his head. «You know her better than anybody. Can she handle the power and responsibility you've given her?»
Christy didn't like the way they talked about her as if she wasn't there, but she understood this was something the men had to work out between themselves first. After all, they'd known each other longer than she'd even been alive. She was the newcomer here. She was the one who had to prove herself.
«Her heart is pure and almost too self-sacrificing.» He kissed the top of her head. «She'll be a strong addition to our people and she'll protect her friends to her last breath.»
Atticus stepped forward. «It could be useful to have a woman who can help protect our mates. For one thing, no one would ever expect it of her. For another, Lissa and Kelly already know and trust her. Maybe they'll be able to learn some defensive skills from her, once she's trained.»
Marc seemed to think through the possibilities. Sebastian pointed to the silent, half-Asian vampire who sat nearby, observing. «Hiro's already started her training.»
«How good is she?» Marc asked the sensei.
Hiro smiled for the first time since entering the room. «She's a natural. Light on her feet, with a cat's grace.» Hiro nodded in Matt's direction. «She will surprise anyone who challenges her when she's ready. I have no doubt.»
Christy enjoyed the warm feeling Hiro's words inspired, but at the same time worried she would never be able to live up to his expectations. Still, she would try. She'd enjoyed their lesson the night before and had looked forward to renewing the experience tonight, until all this happened.
«My intention was to make her strong enough that she never felt threatened by me or any other man ever again,» Sebastian said. She leaned into him, needing his warmth, his reassurance. «I wanted her to face her past and conquer it before we could start our new life together. I figured when the divorce was final, we could get married.» He squeezed her, a hint of playfulness entering his tone. «Or we could go on living in sin for the rest of eternity.» A few chuckles met that statement before Marc brought them back to the matter at hand.
«The question remains,» Marc spoke directly to her, «can you handle the power you've been given? I trust Sebastian's judgment, but the real decision rests within your own heart, young one.»
Christy swallowed hard before answering. «I won't let you down.»
Marc nodded and moved back. Sebastian turned her in his arms, his gaze searching her face. «Then you'll confront Jeff about the divorce?»
He looked so hopeful, she couldn't bear to disappoint him, though the thought of facing Jeff, after what he'd done the last time, still gave her the willies. «If it'll help.»
Sebastian kissed her, right there in front of everyone. A wolf whistle finally penetrated the sensual fog that surrounded them, and he lifted his head with a rueful grin. «I love you.»
«I love you too, Sebastian.»
«Knock it off, you two. We've still got work to do.» Matt's teasing voice sounded through their connection.
She turned back around, heat staining her cheeks red with embarrassment, but the men seemed to have gone on without them. Sebastian held her around the waist, her back to his chest, his chin resting on top of her head as she tried to follow the conversation.
«When will she be ready?» Atticus was asking Hiro.
Hiro shrugged. «A week, maybe less.»
That soon? Christy couldn't believe she'd be ready for anything in so short a time, but she trusted Hiro to know his business better than she did.
«That gives us plenty of time to plan this out.» Cameron nodded as he turned to the others. «Will you keep up surveillance on Steel and this Mario character?»
Hastings nodded. «I have agents on it right now, but this pair is hard to track. Now that we know there's a mage involved, I can guess why. Do you have anything we can use to help dispel the mage's influence?»
Cameron thought about that for a moment. «Perhaps,» he finally answered. «I'll work on something tomorrow and stop by your office later in the day, if that's all right. I need to consult with a friend who knows this kind of magic better than I before attempting the spell.»
Hastings nodded. «That works for me.»
«And you can send the surveillance bills to me,» Sebastian said, drawing their attention. «You and your team deserve just compensation for your efforts, and it's our little problem that drew you into this, so it's only fair I pay you for your time.»
Hastings seemed to take Sebastian's measure for a moment before replying. «I've heard good things about you from Matt, though I'll be honest, I've never dealt much with your kind. Now that I've met you, and now that I know who and what we're dealing with, I'll do the job for free. Our current Lords have sent down directives about this kind of thing. They've impressed upon us how very real the Venifucus threat is. They even warned that we might have to work across species to solve this problem. I wasn't crazy about the idea, but I can see the advantages. I'll work with you on this. No questions. No bill either.»