Warriors of Poseidon 04 - Atlantis Unmasked

Nichols.”
     
    Grace couldn‟t help herself. She burst out laughing.
     
    Sam crowded into the kitchen behind Alexios. “What‟s funny? Also, and far more important, do you have any coffee made?”
     
    Grace tilted her head toward the fresh pot on the counter. “Help yourself. What‟s going on?”
     
    Sam took a moment to pour himself a mug of coffee before he leaned a hip against the counter and responded. “We think Vonos is planning something big, possibly something that‟s going to happen at this fancy-schmancy ball of his.”
     
    He filled her in on what they‟d learned after she and Kat had left the courtyard. “So, turns out this ball is day after tomorrow.”
     
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    Alexios and Grace exchanged a long look. “Interesting timing,” she said.
     
    “Well, you know what they say about the Fae,” he replied. “They never lie, but they never tell the truth.”
     
    Bastien appeared and ducked his head under the doorway so he could fit his tall form into the room, which was rapidly becoming crowded. “Who never tells the truth?”
     
    Alexios sketched out the details of Rhys na Garanwyn and his proposed meeting the following evening.
     
    Bastien whistled, long and low. “The elves? I must admit I did not see that coming. I wonder what catastrophic thinking is driving this on the part of the Seelie Court.”
     
    “High House, Seelie Court,” Alexios reminded him. “That‟s never good.”
     
    “My mum met an elf once,” Michelle mused. “Very nearly left my dad over him. Can‟t trust those Fae buggers.”
     
    Grace leaned forward and brushed the curls back from Michelle‟s ear. “Nope. Not pointy. Too bad. Would have explained a lot. Anyway, you can‟t trust them, but you can‟t offend them, either,” Grace said. “They usually don‟t bother with us, since we live our lives so far beneath their exalted presence for them to notice us. And when they do, well—” She shook her head. “It‟s never good.”
     
    Alexios casually crossed the room until he was standing next to Grace. Her pulse reacted to his presence like a trip-hammer, but she tried to portray nonchalant indifference. More and more fuzzy memories of how she‟d acted under the influence of the alpha call kept coming back, and the humiliation factor was off the charts. She felt like she could never face him again, but he kept seeking her out.
     
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    Beg a man to fuck you in public, and that kind of thing is going to happen, said the dark, gleeful voice in her mind. Grace told the voice to shut the hell up.
     
    Michelle looked up at Bastien, who towered over the room. “I understand you have an offer for me.”
     
    “Yes, we do. We‟d like to set up a three-way alliance at Big Cyprus, with human, Atlantean, and shifter members all at the table. From what Grace and Alexios tell us, you would be a perfect choice to spearhead the effort. I understand you have no pressing need to return to London?”
     
    Michelle looked down at the table for a moment, twisting her hands together. Then she smiled at Bastien. “Actually, I don‟t have any need to return to London, pressing or otherwise, and I think I would be perfect for that position. How lovely of you to offer it to me.”
     
    Kat was nodding. “It‟s vital that we find out how panthers are being enthralled. The shifters have always been immune to this type of mind control, but something new is going on. Something deadly for all of us. The sooner we can work together in a coordinated effort, the better.”
     
    “It‟s settled, then,” Michelle said. “Now, if you‟ll all excuse us, Grace and I need a moment alone to say good-bye.”
     
    Everyone filed out of the kitchen. Alexios hesitated for a moment, then bent and pressed a kiss to the top of Grace‟s head. “I‟ll be right outside,” he said.
     
    She nodded, unable to respond, and watched him leave the room. Finally, she smiled at Michelle, ready to say good-bye.
     
    “All right, spill it,” Michelle said. “What happened between you two while I was gone?”
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    Grace hesitated for less than a minute, then she gave in and told Michelle all of it: Leaning on his strength after the battle. The intensity of the soul-meld. What had happened when she‟d been intoxicated by the power of the alpha call.
     
    Her