Ascended (War of the Covens 3)

He puffed up his chest. “Me man, me need more food than tiny waif female.”

The Musée d’Orsay was wonderful, but Caia decided it was time to leave when a bored Ryder thought it a great idea to clamber up on a priceless sculpture of the Archangel Gabriel to get his photograph taken. She masked the incident with magik and hurried them out of there with one last look at the stunning clock that graced the high wall above the exit.

“Now the Louvre?” Jaeden queried as the cold air nipped at their skin.

“No.” Caia blanched, thinking of the damage Ryder could still do. “I don’t think we should take the risk.”

“I wanted to see the pyramid from The Da Vinci Code.” Ryder took hold of Jaeden’s hand and led them toward the museum.

“OK,” Lucien gave in. “But we’re not going inside the actual museum.”

“OK, Dad.”

The rest of the afternoon fell away in laughter and ease. They tucked into a great lunch at a café on the corner of Rue d’Arcole beside Notre-Dame Cathedral. Despite the weather, Caia insisted on sitting outside at the wicker tables. During lunch her eyes continually went to the cathedral.

“It’s something else, isn’t it?” Lucien mused, following her gaze.

She nodded. “I wish we could go in.”

“Why don’t we?” Jae asked, munching on her crêpes with gusto.

Caia laughed humorlessly. “We have a battle tomorrow … I don’t think we should piss off the gods the night before a fight by entering the home of the god who stole their fan base.”

“Ah, true.”

After lunch, they jumped on the Métro to Montmartre, where they got lost before eventually finding the steps that led up to the Sacré-Cœur. Ryder raced past them like a big kid, using his lykan grace to bound up the stairs past tourists without knocking them over.

Caia grinned as he bounced at the top, punching the air before raising his hands in triumph.

“What the Hades is he doing?” Lucien muttered in amusement.

Caia laughed. “Rocky!”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Sylvester Stallone!”

He shrugged. “Some actor, right?”

Caia raised an eyebrow. “I have no idea how you and Ryder became best friends.”

The Basilique was beautiful, but as the light started to fade, they shuffled back down the steps to find the nearest Métro station. The pack was having a special dinner tonight and had invited Marion, Vanne, Reuben, Nikolai, and Saffron to join them. Of course, Laila and Vil would be there, but they were part of the pack now; they weren’t guests.

There were only two seats available on the train and, like the gentlemen they were, Lucien and Ryder made sure Caia and Jae got them before wandering a little away to stand in the middle of the aisle. Everyone else held on to the poles and handrails. With their balance, Lucien and Ryder didn’t need to.

“I hope Alexa likes her gift.” Jae bit her lip, worry creasing her brow.

“Let me see it again.” Caia held out her hand.

Jae pulled out the jewelry box and Caia took it from her, opening it to look over the necklace nestled on velvet. They’d been passing the window of one of the many antique stores in the city when a silver necklace had caught Jae’s eyes. The pendant was stunning. Lounging on the silver crest of a half moon was a sleeping wolf carved in jet.

“She’ll love it,” Caia whispered.

These last days had not been easy for Alexa. Not only was she still mad she hadn’t been able to take revenge against Marita personally but she’d felt betrayed by Jaeden who she thought had become a good friend. Jae was trying her best to make it up to her. Last night, when Lucien gave Alexa permission to fight in the battle, her mood improved somewhat. Jae was hoping the necklace would finish the job.

When they reached Notre-Dame Cathedral, Caia cloaked them with magik and took hold of them all as they entered the portal that Penelope had promised to leave open and guarded for the day. They stepped back into the Center, now old pros at using the portals.

It was a bit of a hurry to get back to their rooms and wash up in time for dinner, but they got to Ella and Magnus’s suite where the dinner was being set up with time to spare.

When they arrived, however, everyone was already there. The anxiety and fear over the next day had brought them together early. Even the kids knew something was up, sticking close to one another and eyeing the adults perceptively. It made Caia feel guilty for not telling them what was going to happen in the morning.

Isaac, Imogen, Christian, Lucia, Julia, Mal, and Cera would not take part in the fight tomorrow. They had children and siblings who needed them. As for Draven and Kade, they wanted to fight, feeling they had nothing else to lose but each other. That meant Vil, Laila, Lucien, Ryder, Jaeden, Irini, Alexa, Aidan, Ella, Magnus, Draven, Kade, and Caia were the members of the pack who would be on the battlefield in the morning. They would be joined by Marion, Vanne, Reuben, Saffron, the Council, Phoebe MacLachlan, her Alpha, and fifteen members of their pack. That was only the beginning. The entire Center would be there, along with thousands of Daylights. It was going to be the most awe-inspiring thing Caia had ever witnessed.