Page 49 of Demon Loved
Belshegar shifted on the sofa. It was comfortable enough, he supposed, and yet he wished with all his might that he could get out of there.
For some reason, his gaze moved upward.
Could the voice hear what they were saying?
Levi must have noticed, because he said quietly, “This house is warded…and protected by my powers as well. Nothing that happens here can be detected by anyone else, no matter how powerful the being attempting such an intrusion might be.”
Those words were something of a relief, and yet Belshegar couldn’t help wondering how true they actually were. Although he didn’t doubt that Levi was certainly powerful enough to repel any magical intrusions from a mortal user of magic, did that apply to someone as powerful as the voice, a being who had a seat on the Council?
“I fear that those whose bidding I must do are not precisely human.”
For some reason, Levi didn’t look too perturbed by his guest’s statement. He also reached over to pick up his glass of water, although he didn’t drink right away, instead saying, “Just because they aren’t human doesn’t mean they’re innately more powerful. I’ve lived among mortals for nearly thirty years, and yet they still continue to surprise me.”
“I want to believe you,” Belshegar replied.
Levi didn’t blink. “You should.”
A brief silence fell. Both men drank some water — probably because they couldn’t think of what else to do — and it became clear to Belshegar that Levi was waiting for him to respond, and seemed content to remain quiet until his guest found the courage to speak.
What could he say, though?
The truth, of course.
Those words echoed in his mind, and he realized they were correct. It seemed that Levi was trying to offer some form of help, and Belshegar would be foolish to refuse it.
“Several artifacts are being held in Jerome by your prima,” he said. “The voice told me they were here, but it was unable to provide an exact location — I assume because of whatever warding spells might have been placed upon them.”
“You assume correctly.”
Levi still appeared relaxed enough, but Belshegar had noticed the way he’d sat up a little straighter when the artifacts were mentioned.
So…not quite as casual as he appeared.
But at least now it seemed clear that the wards Angela and Connor — and most likely Levi as well — had placed to conceal the treasures the voice desired were so effective that not even the voice had been able to pierce that powerful magic to discover their location.
“Who is this voice?” Levi asked.
“A member of the Council, I assume.”
The other man’s head tilted to one side. “And what is this Council? Do they function like the clan elders here in Jerome?”
Belshegar couldn’t say for certain, since he knew nothing about the McAllister elders. Brianna certainly wouldn’t have mentioned them, not when she was doing her best to conceal her witch nature from everyone around her who wasn’t also a witch.
“Possibly,” he replied, then sent a curious glance at the other man. “The Council sits above many planes of existence, and has many powerful beings who have roles in ensuring its rules are followed. You are not originally from Earth, so how is it you have never heard of them?”
To his surprise, Levi smiled. “My case is an unusual one. I had consciousness of a sort, but no form, no true reality. It was then that Zoe Sandoval’s magic ensnared me and brought me to this plane. I was nearly shapeless when I arrived, and a horror she fled from. It was only after several days that I became the man you see before you now.” A pause, and he still appeared somewhat amused as he looked down at himself. “Well, a much younger version, I suppose. But because I had no true existence before I came here, there is very little for me to remember.”
Odd, and yet Belshegar knew there were other consciousnesses like Levi’s out there, beings who one day might take shape and form, but who for now were little more than energy with just a bit of self-awareness.
No wonder he had never heard of the Council.
“However,” Levi continued, his voice turning brisk, “something about this doesn’t feel quite right. I’ll admit I don’t know anything of this Council of yours, and yet it seems to me that a body so worried about the behavior of those who also exist on other planes shouldn’t be concerned with corporeal objects like the artifacts currently in Connor and Angela’s keeping.”
Belshegar had to admit the other man had a point. However, he knew better than to analyze the Council’s motivations, not when they operated on such a higher plane than his.
“I cannot say,” he replied. A weak response, but the only one he felt he could possibly give. “I never had any dealings with them before now, so I have no real frame of reference.”
For a moment, Levi was silent. “This is something I will need to discuss with Angela and Connor — and the other two elders. It’s possible they’ll see something I can’t.”
