"Hello?" he said answered, questioning.
With my dragon hearing, I heard the voice reply, "Yes, this Elder Atticus of the Circle of Elders."
In a flash I was by Ben's side. What did the elder want? Did he have an update?
"Oh, yes, hello, Elder. Do you have word about my attack?" Ben asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Chieftain Bazer is here at the Circle. He is denying his involvement and attacking you. We would like you to come here and see if you can identify him and testify against him if he truly is the one that attacked you," Elder Atticus said.
Ben looked me in the eyes and I could feel his unease. I was also uneasy about this situation, especially with Ben being pregnant.
"Elder, I don't know if I can make it down to Texas to the Circle. I’m currently in Montana with my Beloved. Perhaps youcould send me a picture of Bazer? I could identify him that way. Also, I could video conference my testimony," Ben suggested.
"No, no. That won't work. While I can send you a picture so you can determine if he is the one that attacked you; all testimony before the Circle must be made in person. If you can’t come down here, we will have no choice but to let him go," he informed Ben with a hint of glee.
Why would he be happy to let this attacker go?I thought to myself.
"Send me the picture. If it’s him, I will be there to ensure that justice is served. Once I get it, I’ll call you back. Good day, Elder," Ben said curtly and hung up the phone.
No one said anything as we all sat there processing the latest information. A chime sounded, indicating a text was received. Ben lifted his phone and looked. He closed his eyes.
"It's him. It's the gargoyle that attacked me," he said and opened his eyes to look at me. I could sense his emotions were as high as mine. "Kris, I have to go testify against him. I can't let him loose to attack someone else," he said.
"I don't like it. I don't trust this Elder Atticus, and we don't know if this is a trap," I said.
"I know, but this rogue came into my coven's territory and attacked me. He nearly killed me, Kris! I can't just let him walk!"
I sighed. As much as I hated the idea, he was right. Maybe I could still take him to my lair and forget everyone else. My dragon was all up for that. Ben must have caught that thought because he smirked and shook his head.
"Roarke, you are to be by Ben’s side at all times. Where he goes you go," I ordered. Roarke bowed his head to me.
"We'll come too. The more friends you've got there watching your backs, the better," Cam said. I nodded my thanks to him.
"I'm coming too. If those gargoyles think they can hurt my best friend, they have another thing coming," Devin snarled.
Ben looked at me again. I conveyed all the love I had for him in that look. He nodded and smiled. "I guess I should call and tell the elder we are coming to Texas," he said.
Ben
Beingamanandbeing pregnant did not go together. So, having to hide the fact that I was pregnant was going to be difficult. We had to make it look like I had just gained weight since Elder Atticus had seen me before. Luckily it was moving into winter, and cooler weather had been forecasted for northern Texas where we were currently headed. Hopefully a sweater and jacket could hide my baby bump efficiently.
We would be reaching the Circle of Elders' location in about an hour. I'd been told the location was a replica of the real-life Stonehenge, and the six elders stood round about in judgement. I was concerned though. I didn't want to see my attacker, but I knew I had to. It wasn't so much I was scared of him; it was the unknown. I felt like something bad was going to happen, and I worried about my son. I knew Kris and our friends would keep me safe, but I could not shake the feeling.
"We should be pulling onto the Circle's grounds and entering their territory in just a moment," Basil said from the front seat.
When I had told Master Stephen that we were going to the Circle of Elders, he’d insisted that Basil go along. He would have come too, but someone needed to run the coven. I felt Kris stiffen beside me, and I tried to ease his tension.Don’t worry.Everything will be all right. Roarke and Devin said they would be right at my side always. Not to mention the others.
It's difficult to relax when I don't trust anyone here. I don't want to fail again. I can't fail again, he whispered softly in my head.
You won't fail, and you didn't fail before. You trusted your brother, and you were investigating the deaths of the other dragons. You didn't fail. I replied adamantly.
All the same, I will kill every last one and burn the sky if they dare touch you.
"We're here," Basil said as we pulled up in front of a large mansion. Hmm, not what I’d pictured. We got out and were greeted by two large gargoyles.
"Good evening. Which of you is Benjamin Morgan?" one asked.
I stepped forward. "I am."
