The Seer (101 page)

‘Oh my!’ 
She murmured after a long moment and smiled, her unfocussed gaze drifting
hazily back to meet the twins’ narrowed eyes.  ‘But aren’t you two popular
–
gorgeous
even –’

‘Well we are,’
agreed Phantom immodestly.

‘Oh, no –’
Mistral groaned, a look of repulsion cutting through her dreamy
expression.  ‘But that’s just disgusting!’

‘What is
it?  Who’s planning something?’  Phantasm demanded in an urgent
whisper.

‘That woman there
– with both of you –’ Mistral sighed and let her gaze wander across the sea of
people once more as the twins glanced at the over-made up woman in a tightly
fitting scarlet gown.  She giggled and waggled her fingers at them.

‘Please focus
Mistral!’  Phantasm hissed.

‘Or at least
listen in on someone under five hundred years old,’ muttered Phantom, giving
the woman a horrified look. 

‘Greed … envy
… lust … pride … vanity … ambition –’ Mistral intoned dully as she heard the
thoughts of the gathered officials, delegates and their partners.  She
tilted her head fractionally towards a tall Mage with a moustache and smiled
vaguely.  ‘He wonders which of you is the father,’ she paused and gave a
short laugh.  ‘Now he wonders if I even know which of you is the father –’

The twins
rolled their eyes at each other before looking intently at her again.

‘Mage
Rosenberg –’ Mistral frowned dreamily.

‘Yes?’ 
Phantasm prompted in a hushed voice.

‘He can’t
believe I am the same scruffy assassin who caused all the trouble last year …
he worries that I will cause trouble again tonight … especially since …
No!’  Mistral’s eyes flew wide open and she stared uncomprehendingly into
space. 

‘What?’ 
Phantom hissed, his eyes staring impatiently into hers.

Mistral
frowned sharply, hushing him with a raised hand, ‘I need to
See –’

The twins fell
silent; their pale faces drawn tight while Mistral’s eyes slid out of focus
again.  She stood completely still, her hands resting protectively over
her unborn child as her mind searched through the murmur of thoughts for the
one voice she heard in her nightmares.  

Suddenly her
eyes narrowed to slits, the words escaping her lips in a savage hiss, ‘She’s
here.’

The twins
watched her, both silent and tense.  Mistral raised an eyebrow and tilted
her head slightly, blanking out the other sounds in the room and focussing
purely on one voice.  ‘She is filled with hate … and envy … she sees me
with you both … she is shocked …
how can
she be with child?  She
is a half-breed!  If not  … then what?  …  Is she Mage
born? ...  Is that diamond real? 
Mistral’s voice rose slightly,
taking on the tonality of the thoughts she heard.

‘Damn! 
Where is that bitch!’  Phantom hissed, swearing uncharacteristically while
his green eyes raked the room.

‘She is looking
down from above –’

Instantly both
the twins tilted their heads to gaze up at the long balcony running along the
back wall of the atrium.

‘There!’

Phantasm’s
green eyes narrowed, following his brother’s gaze to see the willowy form of
Golden, leaning over the marble balustrade and staring straight at them.

Mistral’s eyes
abruptly snapped into focus to meet Golden’s hate-filled stare, ‘I will kill
you,’ she mouthed silently, knowing that despite the growing level of noise and
laughter around them, Golden had understood every syllable.

Golden threw
her a contemptuous look and turned away, weaving her way through the crowd on
the balcony to be quickly lost from sight.

‘Damn
it!’  Mistral cursed and turned sharply to look at the twins.  ‘Give
me a knife!’

‘What?’ 
Phantom demanded, looking quickly around to make sure no-one had heard.

‘You always
carry a knife in your boot!’  Mistral hissed impatiently.  ‘Give it
to me!’

‘And if I did,
where exactly would you hide it?’  Phantom snapped, looking pointedly at
her dress.  ‘Or would you just wander around with it in your hand – or
maybe clenched between your teeth?’  he suggested sarcastically.

Mistral swore
at him and abruptly turned away, striding towards the stairs leading to the
balcony, ‘I’ll just have to kill her with my bare hands then!’

At once
Phantasm’s hand was on her arm, holding her back, ‘Don’t you dare to pull a
reckless stunt tonight Mistral,’ he warned her in a sharp undertone. 
‘It’s about more than you!’

Mistral spun around
to glare furiously at him, ‘You know what she did!’ 

‘I
know.’  Phantasm said softly.  ‘But tonight is not the time for
revenge.’

‘Yes it
is!  I will kill her for what she put me through!’  Mistral hissed,
twisting her arm against his grip.

‘She did you
no harm in the end … it was her that lost everything.’

Mistral froze
and stared at him, her face incredulous, ‘Did me no harm?’  She echoed in
an astonished whisper.  ‘She made me watch Fabian die over and over! 
She needs to pay
for that!’

‘No, listen to
me.  You didn’t see Fabian die.  It was all an illusion.’
 Phantasm corrected sternly. 

‘Just because
it wasn’t real doesn’t change the way it made me feel!’ 

‘We’ve been
through this Mistral!  Let it go … let her go … Golden will always land on
her feet, but there are only so many times she can switch allegiance so
blatantly and get away with it.  What is she now but the Rochforte
whore?  She will come to nothing, I know you detest the very air she
breathes, but tonight is not the time for your vendetta… think of your son –’
Smiling his angel’s smile, Phantasm gently laid a hand on the swell of her
pregnancy.

Mistral
scowled at him for making such an obvious play on her emotions but couldn’t
help placing her hand over his, holding it briefly so that they both felt the
baby kick in response to their touch.

Phantasm
laughed as she winced, ‘See, he agrees with his godfather.’

‘At least one
of us does.’  Mistral muttered, casting a long dark look up at the
balcony.  ‘So … I wait.  But I will have my revenge.’

‘You already
have Mistral, why can’t you see that?’  Phantasm sighed.

‘How? 
When that bitch still breathes?’ 

‘Look at
you!’  Phantasm exclaimed.  ‘A Seer!  Wait, I need to clarify
that …
The
Seer…  and if that wasn’t enough, you are Lady De Winter
… and do I even need to point out the fact that you have successfully
accomplished something she’ll never be able to do?’  he paused to give her
a bemused look and shake his head.  ‘You really need to stop being angry
with Golden and start feeling sorry for her Mistral!  She’s a pitiful
creature that exists only as a reflection in the eyes of others – whilst
you!  You are wilful, strong, independent and, not least of all, with
child; which she will never be.’

Mistral
regarded him silently for a moment and then sighed, ‘You have the gift of
forgiveness brother,’ she smiled.  ‘Which is probably why we’re still
friends.’

‘You do
realise that I must be the only one who hasn’t felt my godson demonstrate his
fighting abilities yet, don’t you,’ said Phantom in a slightly petulant tone,
wandering up to her side with another glass of champagne in his hand.

Mistral cast a
longing look at the narrow glass he was holding and quickly drew him towards
her with a conspiratorial expression on her face, ‘I’ll make you a deal
brother,’ she whispered, shooting a quick glance at Phantasm to see that he had
been cornered by the predatory looking woman in the scarlet dress.

‘Oh
yes?’  Phantom enquired innocently.

‘Give me that
drink and I’ll let you feel your godson trying to kick his way out anytime you
wish!’

Phantom gave
her a long calculating look and suddenly grinned, ‘Done!’

‘Oh, thank
you
!’ 
she gasped, reaching out to grasp the stem of the glass.

‘Anytime!’ 
He laughed and took a long drink before passing it to her half-empty.

While Mistral
took a guilty sip of champagne Phantom hovered a hand over her belly and
glanced at her uncertainly, ‘Is this right?’  he whispered.  ‘And is
anyone looking?’

She laughed
and promptly choked as the bubbles of champagne hit the back of her throat,
‘Here,’ she took his hand and pressed it firmly against her curved belly. 
‘Ouch!  There you are … say hello to your godson!’

Phantom’s
green eyes widened and a huge grin lit his face, ‘That’s amazing!’

‘For you
maybe,’ said Mistral drily and took another sip of champagne.  ‘But,
believe me; it gets a bit wearing after a while –’

‘Why, whenever
I leave you for the briefest of moments, do I return to find other men holding
you?’  Fabian’s voice made her and Phantom both jump guiltily.

‘Oh, I do apologise
Mage De Winter – I was just, er, feeling my godson?’  Phantom looked
apologetically at Fabian.

Mistral shoved
the nearly empty glass of champagne into Phantom’s hand and forced a laugh, ‘There,
you’ve felt him now, so I don’t need to hold your drink for you anymore!’ 

Fabian eyed
Mistral’s guilty face with an amused smile, ‘It’s time for the banquet, have
you Seen enough?

Mistral
instantly grasped his meaning, ‘Yes, I’ve Seen quite enough so far.

‘Tell me,’ he
murmured and took her hand led her towards one of the doors at the back of the
room.

‘The usual
nefarious delights of the Council, oh, and Golden’s here.’

Fabian nodded,
‘I suspected she might be.  She is, after all, Christophe’s lover.’ 

‘Why are they
here anyway?’  Mistral asked with a scowl.  ‘I thought the battle at
Holdridge would’ve put pay to any good will between Mage Grapple and the
Rochfortes.’

Fabian
shrugged, ‘The world is changing.  Eximius knows that our kind cannot hope
to exist freely amongst mankind for much longer.  Despite all that has
occurred with the Rochfortes, he is committed to the idea of the Isle being a
sanctuary to all Mage and Arcane races, even those that persistently try to
take his rule from him.’

Mistral gave a
short laugh, ‘I’m actually quite impressed that they dared to accept the
invitation!’

Fabian smiled
coldly, ‘Ambition can install bravery in the least likely of us.’

They had
reached the long row of doors set into the back wall of the atrium.  True
to his word, Mage Grapple had placed two warlocks on either side of one of the
doors.  Ignoring them, Fabian led her through and into a long room. 
Mistral’s feet stalled at the sight that met her eyes.  The vast room was
almost completely filled by a long table draped with pristine white
cloths.  Her eyes ran over the confusing array of crystal glasses and
gleaming silver cutlery before being inexorably drawn to the most frightening
sight she had ever seen.

‘Please tell
me that’s not what I think it is,’ she moaned quietly.

Fabian
followed her frozen stare and laughed, ‘Yes Mistral,’ he said in a bemused
voice.  ‘This is a banqueting hall … and a ballroom.’

‘Let’s hope
someone tries to kill me before the dancing starts then,’ she muttered while he
pulled her on to find their seats at the banquet table.  ‘Because I would
rather die than step one foot on that thing!’

Fabian laughed
softly and strolled along the long line of velvet-backed chairs, studying the
name cards at each place setting.  Mistral trailed along in wake, holding
his hand and gazing around at the room.  The high ceiling was decorated
with ornate painted plasterwork; intricate flowers weaved amongst depictions of
the various Arcane tribes and creatures of the Isle, painted in unnaturally bright
colours.  It should have been breathtaking, but the overall effect was
almost trite, as though the artist had been trying too hard to please. 
Something about their simpering frozen stares and the way the artist had
unthinkingly positioned a smiling band of goblins next to a group of unusually
well-groomed trolls suggested to Mistral that he’d obviously been a Mage with
little or no experience of Arcanes. 

Three of the
four walls were hung with voluminous drapes of white silk, but the long wall
behind the table consisted entirely of elegant glass doors leading out into the
ornate rose gardens.  Night had fallen, turning the polished glass into a
long row of mirrors.  Mistral studied their reflections, moving slowly
along the table; he so tall and handsome, his dark hair shining under the light
of a hundred candles hanging from elaborate candelabras; whilst she just looked
–

‘Do I really
look that fat?’  she demanded suddenly.

Fabian turned
sharply, his face shocked, ‘No!’  he exclaimed and then smiled, lifting
both hands to gently cup her face.  ‘You are carrying our child
Mistral!  And you are glowing with the promise of the life inside
you!  Beautiful … so beautiful –’

Mistral met
his liquid gaze and looked away again, frowning slightly at her reflection,
‘Are you sure I don’t look fat?’  she persisted in a quieter voice. 
‘Because I’m looking at myself in those glass doors and … well, there’s a lot
more of me than there used to be.’

‘Oh, I know –’

Mistral
glanced at him sharply only to be instantly trapped by the heat of desire
glowing in his eyes.  The hands cupping her face slid slowly down her neck
to rest on her bare shoulders, the warm touch of his fingers against her skin
making her heart jump erratically. 

‘Are here we
are!’  Phantom called breezily.  ‘Ri all together, what a
coincidence!’

Mistral closed
her eyes and sighed wearily, ‘He still has this … knack … of appearing at just
the wrong moment.’

‘Hmm,’ agreed
Fabian, stroking her bare arm thoughtfully.  ‘I think he’s preparing us
for what it will be like to have children.’

Mistral
laughed and allowed herself to be led to where the twins were peering intently
at the name cards.  While Phantasm and Fabian began a murmured
conversation, Mistral wandered over to stand next to Phantom.