With his final words, the light began to fade and Cameron didn't seem quite so imposing. Steel guessed he'd only seen a small portion of Cam's true power, but it was enough. The AC's lessons had included information on the Order. They were even more secretive than the Venifucus, and had been fighting evil far longer than the Venifucus had been in existence. Even the AC was afraid of them, not even trying to ferret out who might be part of their ranks.
«Thanks, Cam. You're right. I did have questions, despite what I've seen so far.»
«That's understandable, lad. It's a lot to take in-especially for a mortal. Sensitive or not.»
Steel felt the magic die down and then disappear completely. Cameron had some amazing power there. «I won't say anything to the others about you.»
Cameron chuckled as he headed for the door. «I knew that already. You're the kind of man who knows how to keep a secret. I'll trust to your discretion. Now get some rest. I'll be back this afternoon to take down the shield and escort your sorry arse back to Sebastian's. I think you should consider moving in there until this is over. He's got the room and I believe a contingent of were are planning to prowl the grounds to help keep the bloodletters safe until we're ready to face your Mario again. Something tells me you need to make more friends among their numbers if you're going to be of help to us in the coming battle.»
«You mean against Mario?» Steel asked as the fey knight turned the doorknob.
Cameron's eyes narrowed. «Aye, in this fight, and the rest of what's coming. I don't see much beyond the next battle, except that there will be more.»
«You have the sight? What am I saying? You're fey. Can't all your people see the future? Or is that a myth?»
Cameron paused. «Most of us can see a bit, but it's not entirely reliable, you understand. And I've made my home in this realm, so I don't always interpret what I see clearly. All I can say for certain is that once we take care of Mario, there are more out there that need dealing with, but I didn't need the sight to tell me that. Your Altor Custodis has been corrupted, lad. A housecleaning is in order and I think you're just the man to do it.»
True to his word, Cameron picked Steel up several hours later. He felt good after a hot shower and some much needed sleep. Mario hadn't come by, but Steel wasn't really surprised. They'd had little contact except when Steel called on Mario for backup, which wasn't all that often.
He still couldn't quite believe he was traveling around town with a fey knight. He'd had minimal instruction on the fey realm when he'd joined the AC because the fey were said to be rarer than rare here in the mortal realm.
Of course, the AC had also taught him that weres and vamps didn't work together either, but he now knew that was false. At least in this instance. But then, these were extraordinary circumstances.
Steel took his duffle bag with him when they went down to the truck, but didn't bother checking out. For one thing, the room was on the AC's tab. For another, Mario might come looking for him and it would look strange if he'd checked out without telling his backup. He also wasn't certain of his welcome at the vampire's home, though Cameron seemed pretty sure of it.
It was late in the afternoon when they drove through the gates of an impressive estate in the hills outside town. Steel noted the tingle of magic as they went through and the creatures who paused to look at the truck as they drove up the long drive. Two hawks, an owl, a wolf or two, and some big cats that were most definitely werecreatures paused to allow themselves to be seen. He knew it was for his benefit. These special creatures would never have been spotted by a mortal in the thick forest unless they allowed it.
«Nice house,» Steel commented as the big mansion came into view. Surprisingly, he meant it. Most fancy places like this annoyed him, but there was something about Sebastian's home that seemed welcoming.
«It is, isn't it? Sebastian modeled it after his ancestral estate, but on a smaller scale. He's young enough to miss the comforts of his mortal life. From what I understand, he still pays for the upkeep of the old place in England through a blind trust or some such. After his mortality was forfeited, he gave up his claim to the lands and title, but he's kept it safe for his brother's heirs all these years.»
«So he was part of the aristocracy? What was he? A duke or something?» Steel chuckled at the idea.
«An earl, actually.» Cameron's tone was dry as he parked the truck by the side of the house. Nearby, a giant garage stood open to showcase one hell of a collection of high-priced automobiles. The Lamborghini especially, caught Steel's eye. «But he left England penniless, three centuries ago. All you see here, he earned himself.»
Steel caught the hint of pride in Cameron's voice. «You like the son of a bitch, don't you?»
Cameron laughed. «Aye, that I do. He's a special lad, for all that he's English.»
«He's got a lot of power for a vamp on the young side, doesn't he?»
Cameron nodded as they headed for the big house. «His conversion wasn't a pleasant one. His maker found him near death, turned him to save his life, and abandoned him deep in the woods, all in one night. Not many would survive that ordeal, but the lad not only survived, he saved the life of a hurt little werewolf girl in the process. He brought the girl home to her parents, though he was weak as a cub himself, and forged a friendship the likes of which hadn't been seen in this realm for centuries. It's my belief he was put there, in those woods three hundred years ago, for just that purpose. He's a proven friend to the were. He's never played a single one of them false and they trust him. The trust he forged over three centuries will be key in the troubled times ahead. Mark my words.»
Steel was startled by the idea, but if anyone could predict the future, he knew it would be a creature like Cameron. Steel stood beside him as he rang the bell at the front entrance.
Matt pulled open the heavy door a few moments later. They exchanged greetings and entered the spacious foyer.
«Hastings has set up an office of sorts in the media room. Sebastian already had these giant monitors, so we hooked up the computer to one so we could all look at the images and data together.» Matt strode down the wide hall, ushering Steel and Cameron to a large room near one end of the big house. «We've also got the kitchen working, so if you're hungry, food's available.» Steel's stomach growled at the mention of food and he knew he'd partake of dinner once he saw what the setup was.
CHAPTER 12
Matt didn't quite know what to make of Benjamin Steel, but so far, his quiet ways were endearing rather than annoying. The man was almost as still as the night. He had that creepy Special Forces way about him – like Hastings, and Matt's older brothers. It was odd to encounter in a person who wasn't supernatural at all.
Not that Matt didn't like human folk. From time to time, Redstone Construction employed some of his brothers' former comrades-in-arms. They were invariably good workers with strong ethics. The few who were close enough to his brothers to get a job with the company knew about the were, and their integrity was unquestioned. They wouldn't go blabbing to anyone about werecreatures anytime soon, though were, in general, weren't as obsessive about secrecy as vamps. For one thing, there were a lot of highly placed were in positions where they could be helpful in covering up any indiscretions. For another, were could pass for human with few exceptions. Unless blood tests were involved-and those could be gotten around in many ways-folks who claimed their neighbors were werewolves ranked right up there on the credibility scale with alien abductees and UFO nuts.