Shaman - An Enchantress Novel Book 2

Chapter 18

Rick paced the floor outside the baggage claim area, restlessly waiting for the 18:20 from Dublin to arrive. He glanced at his watch for the tenth time since the announcement for the flight delay came over the tannoy.

"Wearing a hole in the tiles won't bring them here any quicker," Felix advised, turning the page in the book he'd brought in anticipation of this very incident.

Rick slumped into the seat beside him and started jiggling his leg, bouncing on the ball of his foot, which caused vibrations to reverberate along the length of the seating.

"That, is more irritating than watching you pace," his dad complained from his other side. "Why don't you go get us all a coffee? Take Joel with you, the constant beeping of that damnable game is doing my head in."

The flight was delayed for a total of two hours, finally touching down just before darkness set in. Sam emerged from the tunnel with an entourage in tow, each dragging large suitcases. He acknowledged Rick's yell with a nod and swiftly changed direction, barely managing to avoid the elderly couple dawdling along beside him. Firmly clasping Felix's hand, he pulled him close for a manly black slap.

Outside, a row of four gleaming, red 4x4's sat in wait at the pick-up point normally reserved for cabs. Harley, Dan, Max, and Rose sat behind the wheel of their respective vehicles.

Alexander's meeting, scheduled for 23.00hrs at his home, was at least two hours' drive away, which meant they had no time to freshen up from the long journey. Alexander had insisted they meet at his place to discuss the problem as a matter of urgency, refusing to elaborate any further over the phone.

Dan drove the lead car like a professional race driver, reaching speeds in excess of 200kmh.

"Daniel!" Ben barked from the passenger seat. "If you don't slow down, Son, you'll either lose the others or kill us. And I won't be paying the speeding fines this time."

He immediately took his foot off the accelerator and slowed to a more respectable 130kph, glancing in the mirror to see the headlights of the following vehicles in the distance.

Sam smiled at the exchange between the two and withdrew his supper from his briefcase, passing a bag to Felix. "Drink up, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night," he said after ripping a corner with his teeth.

*****

By other master's standards, Alexander's home would be considered plain, but to the average working class Joe, it was huge. It stood in the centre of vast forested grounds, two stories tall, at least 6000sq.ft floor plan, swimming pool, sauna and a gatehouse. For all intents and purposes, a mansion.

Several pairs of eyes stared back at the car occupants from the tree line as it travelled the winding dirt road. Alexander had his shifters out in force patrolling the grounds in both animal and human forms. He was taking the threat of Devon very seriously. That in itself, indicated Devon's powerbase had massively increased since the last time Sam had come across him.

Felix shifted uncomfortably in the seat beside Sam and loosened his tie a little. Sam could feel the reason for the discomfort, but continued to reign in his own power, refusing to rise to the challenge that instinctively beckoned.

"Alexander is transmitting his powers to full effect," Sam explained to Ben when he turned to investigate the distressed whimpers emanating from Felix. "Felix is fighting the impulse to flee from the suffocating weight of it."

Dan glanced at him in the mirror. "Is that what I feel? It's almost like the feeling you get the second you realize something bad is about to happen?"

Sam laughed at the irony of the statement. "You feel that way because something bad is bound to happen. Alexander is renowned for his quick temper." He placed a calming hand on Felix's arm. "What Felix feels is the full depth of Alexander's power pushing him away. Although, I do believe he may be testing me to see if I will answer the challenge with a show of my own, or if I feel threatened by him enough to ask him to stop."

"Do you?"

Sam roughly counted the pairs of eyes he could see as they continued driving toward the house in an attempt to try and asses the manpower at Alexander's disposal. "Do I what?" he asked not looking away from the window.

"Feel threatened by him?"

"No." He didn't elaborate.

"Because you're more powerful?" Ben asked after a moment, curious to know the extent of power at his friend's disposal.

Sam shook his head in the darkness of the backseat. "Perhaps. I've no need for his territory so showing my hand at this moment in time would be a waste of effort. And would spoil the fun should I change my mind sometime in the future."

Felix smiled in relief. Sam's touch helped to lessen the effect of the overwhelming urge to run. He knew how powerful his sire had become the moment he bonded with Callie. The surge of her power, when she claimed it from her witch ancestors, had rebounded through every vampire in Sam's lineage. He missed Sydney and her ability to block this type of challenge from them all.