Perilous Partnership by Ariel Tachna Read Free Book Online Page B

Water did not work that way, any point in a given body of water as powerful as any other, but earth was trickier, the combination of minerals, the depth of the bedrock, even the kind of stone all combining to make a difference not always apparent to the naked eye. The vintners of the region were quick to point out how little it took to make a difference in their wines. Perhaps the same was true for the earth‟s magical properties.
     
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    “Not usually,” Thierry replied. “And even if it is, the shore is hardly too far to walk if someone needs that stronger boost.” He knelt where he was, spreading his palms flat against the stones that formed the beach, closing his eyes as he let his power stretch. He felt the initial lethargy Raymond had described, but as he delved deeper, he sensed a solidity that would support any magical endeavor. Opening his eyes, he stood, dusting his hands together.
    “There‟s nothing exceptional about the place, but it‟s solid. The power of the earth probably won‟t add strength to our endeavors, but it will support anything we do here.”
    “The same is true of the air,” Alain added. “Perhaps even a little more so.
    In the country like this, with none of the pollution from cars and factories, its purity could be a source of energy.”
    Raymond smiled. He had suspected as much from his own explorations, but just as Thierry was aligned with the earth, Alain‟s affinity for air gave him even greater insight. “Then unless anyone has a concern I haven‟t addressed, I think the time has come to negotiate.”
    Jean rubbed his hands together. “And that is where I come in.”
     
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Chapter 4
    RAYMOND was still shaking his head hours later when he and Jean returned home after the visit to the abbey and the subsequent negotiations. “I can‟t believe you convinced the bank‟s representative to come that far down on the price.”
    Jean chuckled. “They aren‟t earning any money on a piece of property sitting empty and falling into disrepair, a fact the bank officer was well aware of. Since we agreed to take the loan through his bank, he had a choice between making a sale and earning interest on a sizeable sum or letting the offer pass and going back to earning nothing on a piece of property that decreases in value with each passing month.”
    “Are you sure taking the loan was a good idea?” Raymond asked. “We can afford the price you negotiated without it.”
    Jean shook his head. “And here I thought I‟d taught you something this year. There are no penalties for paying off the loan early. I‟m sure you heard me verify that before we signed.”
    Raymond nodded.
    “Then it‟s really quite simple. When we get the mortgage book, we send the full amount of the loan in the first month. Yes, we‟ll have to pay one month‟s interest, but that‟s still substantially less than the original asking price, and there‟s nothing the bank can do about it. We‟ll have the property. They‟ll have the principal back, and we‟ll be free and clear of the loan.”
    “You are something else,” Raymond marveled. “I think I‟m glad you decided to side with us.”
    Jean laughed. “As if there was another side to consider. Orlando didn‟t know when he met Alain in the cemetery that I‟d already decided to accept the alliance almost regardless of the terms because I could see the way the wind was blowing with Serrier, so he negotiated a fair bargain. He still has no real sense of le Jeu des Cours despite being my protégé for over a century, and now that he has Alain, he‟s outside of that. His Aveu de Sang puts him in a class by himself as far as vampire society is concerned.”
     
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    “So is Sebastien in that same class?” Raymond asked, curious about the bond that united Alain and Orlando so that Orlando could only feed from his partner without being physically ill. Sebastien had made the same vow to a