Page 22 of Fated Midlife Christmas
“No.” There was a lot Lars didn’t yet understand about what he was seeing and feeling, but this much he knew was true. “It feels different. I know that’s not very helpful or definitive, but it’s the best I can do right now.”
“That’s perfectly fine, dear,” Lucille assured him. “At least we’re finding out now, and hopefully that means we can do something about it.”
Just then, a woman appeared through one of the few arched doorways that led off into other parts of the house. She was also young, perhaps in her mid-twenties. Her almond-shaped eyes tipped up at the corners, framed by her sleek black hair. Her cheeks and jaw were long and angular, and she looked at each of them as she swept into the room.
“Hello,” she said in a sultry voice. “Forgive me for taking so long. It was quite the surprise when Lorelei told me we had guests. My name is Corinna Blackthorne.” She extended one long-fingered hand.
Maeve shook it firmly and with a bit less elegance, which made Corinna’s bright red lips turn down a little at the corners. “I’m Maeve Wright, and this is my sister, Lucille. My niece, Amanda, and Lars.”
“How very nice to meet you all.” Corinna openly ran her eyes down Lars’s body and then back up to his face. “Very nice, indeed.”
Lars could feel Amanda’s energy seething next to him.
“I had tried to reach out to you last year when I heard that The Crimson Veil had been formed,” Maeve told her. “I never heard anything back, and I haven’t seen you at the convention, either.”
Corinna perched herself on the edge of a chair, crossing her legs and placing her hands on top of her knees. She reminded Lars of a wildcat waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike. “I’ve been very busy, Maude.”
“Maeve,” she corrected.
“Hm, yes. Well, it’s quite a bit of work to get a coven up and running, as you well know. Although perhaps it’s been long enough that you don’t quite remember anymore.” She gave the two older women a haughty smile.
Maeve returned it with a steady gaze. Lars got the impression that Maeve didn’t put up with any bullshit, and she’d only engaged in this polite small talk because she’d felt she had to. Corinna, however, had pushed her past that. Maeve slapped her hands down on her knees. “I’m going to get right to the point. We believe that something odd is going on with the ley lines under Salem, and it all points back to this house.”
Corinna slowly tipped her head to the side. “Why would you believe that?”
“I’ll let Lars explain it to you. He has a lot more experience with this.” Maeve gestured for him to go ahead.
“I noticed that there was essentially a shortage of power,” he began, deciding it was best not to say anything about the dragons. Just as the energy in the room felt wrong, there was something about Corinna that he simply couldn’t trust. “It’s very unusual, so I—well, Amanda and I—traced that energy drain back to this house.”
Amanda lifted her chin and straightened up a little. Her boiling anger died down a little.
Corinna’s dark eyes snapped to Amanda for only a brief moment before returning to Lars. “My goodness! What an accent you have! It’s just lovely.”
That was enough to make Amanda boil again. Lars was beginning to feel her emotions more and more, a signal of how their bond was growing.
“We’d really like to figure out what’s happening here,” Lucille said, trying to redirect the conversation.
But Corinna was still focused on Lars. She now braced her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand as she looked at him. “And I’d like to figure out how you uncovered this. I mean, we haven’t had anyone else come to us about this.”
Lars glanced at Maeve, who nodded. “I’m from Longyearbyen, in Norway. My family has been guarding the polar node for generations, so we’re very sensitive to the ley line energy.”
“Interesting,” she purred. “An expert on ley lines, right in our midst!”
“Corinna, we need to understand what’s going on here. Is this something you’re doing?” Maeve asked pointedly.
“Well, of course!” Corinna tipped her head back and laughed. “You don’t think I’d have such a thing going on right underneath my own covenstead and not know about it, do you? I may be young, Ms. White?—”
“Wright,” Maeve growled.
“Right. I may be young, but I’m not stupid. My coven is indeed harnessing the ley energy. In fact, we’re working on developing a way to store it.”
Lars’s polar bear revolted at the thought. “Store it? Why would you do something like that?” The power was something that moved continuously through the earth, and it was readily available for whoever needed to tap into it. Pulling it out of the ley line system didn’t make any sense.
She waved her fingers and gave a little shrug. “It’s just a little project we’re working on.”
“And what is this project?” Maeve pushed.
Corinna stood and walked to the door. “Every coven has its secrets. I wouldn’t dare ask you about every spell you’re trying to perfect.”
