Chapter Twenty-Six: Apricus Returns

 When they next were together, Sauvageon was tucked into his breakfast and looking over the newspaper. They were into their second cup of coffee when Vanderau's cell phone began to buzz on the table. He picked it up and looked at it. "It's the Chamberlain, I need to speak to him. Excuse me."

 He got up and walked to his office. Sauvageon lowered his newspaper until he could peer over the top of the pages at Katherine. "Are you ready to learn how to cloak your thoughts, Katherine?"

 She turned red, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise into her hairline. Sauvageon closed his paper and folded it next to his finished breakfast plate. "Nicklaus needs to work on cloaking his thoughts too! It is like being in a room with lovesick teenagers!"

 She laughed and felt herself relax. Sauvageon smiled at her. "Believe me, there will be times you need to know one another's thoughts, but you must learn to cloak them from others."

 "He doesn't seem to think that I should be committing myself now," Katherine replied, frowning down at her plate.

 "Of course not," Sauvageon said, "When you are in the Oculus you will no doubt feel many different types of powers. But if I am correct, you already belong to Vanderau. You have for many years and simply did not know it. Your clairvoyant dreams, your feelings of destiny. You were preparing long before Vincent Thys showed up at your door."

 "I thought at one time I was going crazy," Katherine said. "I was even in therapy for the nutty dreams and night terrors I was having."

 Sauvageon scoffed, "No one understands the power of a truly formidable elemental blade, Katherine. Not even the ones you serve. It cannot be bargained with, it cannot be coerced, it cannot be manipulated. You can see that in Makarov, Rares, and anyone else who is hungry for your powers – including Nicklaus Vanderau."

 "Pierre is right," Nicklaus said coming to rejoin them at the breakfast table. "It is a craving we all can feel, Katherine. You are so tantalizing that even when I saw you on the plane, as I stood next to you while you slept, I could feel the rush of it singing in my blood!"

 Sauvageon nodded. He looked over at Vanderau, "What did Chamberlain Jan Huyghs have to say?"

 "On the day of testing, each family will have two additional representatives. Makarov and Rares will be allowed in the Oculus." When Katherine started to object, Nicklaus reached over to place a hand over hers to keep her from speaking. "The Indago will be present, as well as Martine Thys. And Pierre, since I have no other family, I named you to be present. You are the closest I have to family that I will trust."

 "And that will be acceptable?" Sauvageon asked.

 "Yes, additionally, the room will be sealed each time a Potential is tested. No one goes in or out without Martine in attendance with the Indago." Vanderau said. 

 "It's been maybe since the Sept was created that the Oculus included the Huntsmen and its leader."

 "Who commands the Indago?" Katherine asked.

 "Ordinarily the Dominus," Sauvageon told her. "Am I to assume Jan has something else in mind?" He asked looking to Vanderau.

 "This time the Indago are completely under Martine's command. Anything goes wrong, he will order his Huntsmen to deal with the problem." Vanderau said. "Under normal conditions, the Dominus commands the Indago, this time Martine is in command. I will be occupied with trying to reach Katherine."

 "With all due respect, to the Dominus and you, Sauvageon," Katherine began, looking from Vanderau to Sauvageon, "But if each of the other families has two additional members to draw from, will you be able to fight through them to reach me?"

 "With my last breath!" Vanderau declared. 

 "Bravo, Nicklaus," Sauvageon said with a wave of his hand in the younger man's direction. "Why has the Chamberlain allowed Rares and Makarov in with what they are trying to do?"

 "None of it has anything to do with the Sept or the running of it. If Rares or Makarov want to challenge me as Dominus after the testing, and a new blade is installed, then they are welcome to try. Otherwise, they will bow to the seated Dominus, or they will be expelled, and their Guild will nominate new members."

 "Do you understand now why I have been giving you those musty old books to read?" Sauvageon asked Katherine.

 She nodded. "I think so, but will they abide by these conditions?"

 "They must," Nicklaus said. "With the blade installed, the Sept will abide by my rule or challenge me when my term is up. That is their right."

 "Outside the Sept, when no one is looking, will they abide?" Katherine wanted to know.

 "They will," Nicklaus said the hard sharp edge was in his voice when he made the pronouncement. "There is a cease-order in place until the testing is complete, this was agreed to by all members of the Sept."

 "We still have two days," Sauvageon said, and he looked over at Katherine, "We have much to do before the 20th of September!"

 "Then let's get to it!" Katherine exclaimed.

 Vanderau saw them in the elevator. Sauvageon stepped on and Katherine turned to Vanderau. She wanted to say something, anything to him. He stepped past her and pressed the down button, "A moment with Katherine, Pierre."

 The old gladio sighed and sent his eyes heavenward. Vanderau grinned at the gladio and sent the elevator down. When the doors had closed he stood silently before her, and she approached, reaching up and drawing his head down to her. She kissed him. He did not move when their lips parted. His dark eyes opened and met hers. She stepped back but his hands came up to her cradle her face. His mouth covered hers in a kiss that left her breathless! He pressed the elevator button, and it slid open. She stepped inside. As the doors closed he smiled at her.

 Sauvageon was standing in the hallway by the elevators. "Time to learn to cloak your thoughts, Katherine. I do not think I can stand much more of this l'amour!"

 She giggled but agreed she needed the layer of protection, especially when dealing with those around her. "Yes, I think I need extra help in that area."

 "It is fairly easy to master," he told her as they made their way to his suite. "A matter of control that once set, is easy enough to maintain."

 At the end of the day, Katherine was a smooth placid lake of calm. Sauvageon could not penetrate her thoughts no matter how hard he tried. He smiled in triumph. Later in the evening, they reconvened for dinner in Vanderau's tower suite. Collette had come and gone with her night clothes. She was dressed in a long-sleeved maxi dress that she preferred and soft ballet slippers that were of the same color as her forest green dress. The materials were highly embroidered in the same forest green colors with leaves and the scattering of dragonflies was seeded with iridescent beads of all colors. She wore her hair down with a soft headband that held her flowing tresses away from her face. 

 Mrs. Tremeur greeted them, and they found their way into the living area. Nicklaus was dressed casually – expensively casual as was his usual. The instant he saw Katherine he was stunned by the quiet serene beauty she presented. He watched her as she saw Sauvageon installed in his favorite chair by the fire and then she took her regular seat on the couch. 

 "I take it from the quicksilver of Katherine's shields she has outperformed even your expectations, Pierre."

 "I instructed you with the same principles, Nicklaus," the gladio replied. "If you were to need to communicate secretly, Katherine has mastered that lesson as well."

 Vanderau glanced over at her, "A quick study, eh?"

 She answered him but without words. Her mind was even more evocative than when he was in physical contact with her! He liked this different level of communication, and he returned the thought with one that while she maintained her implacable shields made her blush prettily.

 They dined quietly. Katherine had insisted on drawing the drapes and the staff came in, pulled the heavy drapery over the windows, and disappeared as the fish course was served. When they discussed the day, they avoided talking about anything that involved her training with Sauvageon. The bruising under her eyes was still evident but was fading quickly. Vanderau was distracted, but so was Katherine. The time was quickening and soon she would be standing in the Oculus! 

 Dessert came and went and Sauvageon drank his brandy and then after a little while, he made his excuses and asked Vanderau to escort him to his suite. 

 "Nicklaus, you understand that you are dealing with a group of manipulative people all hell-bent on capturing Katherine, yes?" Sauvageon turned to the young Dominus. "You've spoken to the Chamberlain, he's explained how uniquely different Katherine is from any Potential or Gladio we've known in modern times."

 "Yes," Vanderau replied. 

 "Those that have attacked you already have some idea that your Potential is different. Some already have the same suspicion that your Potential is an Elemental. But until Katherine is your blade you both are in grave danger! You need to fight for her, and she can help you. Her ability to distinguish your power tether from the others will give you the advantage you need. Just get control of your blade and forge the bond quickly – that is all you need to focus on!"

 "You sound as if you think Katherine will be drawn to someone other than me."

 "Not Katherine," Sauvageon thoughtfully, "But the Elemental she carries inside her just may be drawn elsewhere. That is why you will have to truly fight for both the woman and the entity that dwells deep within Katherine."

 "Pierre, you are saying that Apricus has returned?" Vanderau whispered with awe and fear.

 "That is to be revealed in the Oculus," Sauvageon told him. "Be ready for anything, Nicklaus." 

 "Then you know something," Vanderau said, he took hold of Sauvageon's arm. "You and the Chamberlain know something that you are hiding! What is it?"

 Sauvageon shook his head. "I cannot reveal what I do not know for certain. If you want to know what the Chamberlain and I have studied for decades, then read the chronicles of Alister of Branda'Noch."