Betrayed in Blood (Of Blood & Dreams #6)

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

I watched Devon walk out the door, unsure what to do. I rubbed my eyes, still waking and not sure if that was a remnant of a dream or the real crazy deal. Did he say he wanted to send me away to Oasis? I dropped back on the bed. My brain was fuzzy at best from too much champagne the night before.

He released me from my debt.

Shit.

I’d forgotten all about it. Sorrento was long dead.

He’d set up a bank account for me?

I threw off the covers, scrounged for my clothes, dressed, and stormed down the hall to my room. I slammed the door, surprised by my building anger.

Should I be angry? God, I needed coffee.

I went to the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush, then dropped it and leaned over the counter. A tear fell in the basin. I wiped my eyes. Why was I crying?

The outer bedroom door opened. Devon?

“Cressa? Are you there?”

Ginger.

“Here.” My voice cracked. The stomping of feet across the floor was the only indication she might have heard me. She stuck her head in the door.

“Oh, my god, what’s wrong? Has someone died?”

I glanced up, caught her grimace, then dared a peek in the mirror. Black smudges from my mascara made me look like the Joker, and the fresh tears had created streaks through it. I turned on the water and waited for it to get hot.

“Devon released me from my debt. Something about sending me away to Oasis. Setting up an account.”

“What?” If I’d been more awake, I might have heard something more in that single word, but I was pretty much in my own head at that moment.

Ginger entered the bathroom, pulled a wash rag from the rack, and tossed it to me. “Clean up and meet me in the bedroom. I’ll call for coffee.”

I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and peed. More awake than I’d been several minutes earlier, my head was still fuzzy from a hangover. It had to be the champagne. Damn vamps. The champagne wouldn’t have affected Devon.

I shuffled out of the bathroom as Ginger was closing the door holding a tray of coffee and a plate with a silver dome.

“Come sit by the fireplace. We’ll talk after you’ve finished a full cup of coffee.”

My face must have reflected some form of petulance because she gave me that mama bear look.

“Don’t argue with me. We’ve been through this rodeo before. Sit.”

Yep. Not the first time she’d nursed me through a bender. But all I remembered from last night was Devon’s hands. A shiver ran through me at the memories of the sensations those touches created.

I was halfway through my first cup when it hit me. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Colantha and Lucas?”

“Well, you’re part way to recovery. Keep drinking.” Ginger opened the silver dome to reveal scrambled eggs and bacon. “Bacon first. You need the grease.”

I did as she asked, mostly because the heavenly smell was too good to resist. And she knew me better than anyone when it came to hangovers. Bacon and coffee usually did the trick. Once the bacon was gone and half the eggs, I was well into my second cup of coffee.

I fell back against the couch, definitely feeling better. “Thank you. Now, shouldn’t you be with Colantha and Lucas?”

“They don’t need me to translate. I’ll catch up.” She bit her lower lip, then shook her head. “So, tell me what happened.”

I ran a hand through my hair and sipped the coffee. “It’s all a bit vague, to be honest. He woke me up and said he released me from my debt.” I replayed in my head what I could remember, but there were gaps. “Something about setting up a bank account and sending me to Oasis.” I glanced at her. “I think he said you should go, too.”

Ginger tidied up the tray, her eyes not meeting mine. Then she bit her bottom lip again.

“What?” When she didn’t say anything but kept rearranging the tray, I leaned over and grabbed her arm. “Just tell me. No secrets. Right?”

She blew out a breath and fell back on the sofa. “I think this is all my fault.”

“What do you mean?”

She picked at her scarf. This was one of the knitted ones her mother had sent her. It was lime green and somehow fit with her ensemble of a rose-pink, short-sleeved T-shirt and black print leggings. “When Lucas was on the mend from the vamp attack, we shared some personal stories.”

I sighed. That was enough for me to know where this was going. “You told him about the debt.”

She nodded. “I didn’t think he’d tell Devon.” She didn’t look at me.

“It’s alright. Go on.”

She gave a single-shoulder shrug. “There’s nothing more to tell. Lucas knows you covered my debt with Sorrento. He must have said something to Devon.”

I leaned my head back against the couch. Now, it made sense. Well, not really, but it was a start.

We sat in silence for a while. Not a sound pervaded the room. Not even the sound of a ticking clock, which would have been appropriate.

“But this is a good thing, right?” Ginger got a second wind. “I mean, I’m guessing you and Devon haven’t spoken about the debt. So much has happened since then. But now, he’s settled it. You said he renegotiated with you. If you helped him, he’d clear your debt and pay half back. That explains why he set up an account.”

“I suppose.”

“That’s why it’s a good thing. It puts your relationship on even ground.” She took my hand. “This means no contract is holding you here. I’m not sure I understand what he really said about sending you away to Oasis. Maybe he just wants to make sure you’re here because you want to be and not because you owe him something.”

More of his words slipped into my fractured memory. “He said something about the war. Making a decision if I’ll be at his side or Colantha’s.” I shook my head. “Something about it not being my war or yours.”

“That makes sense.”

I glowered at her. “So, explain it to me.”

She scooted to the edge of the sofa, sipped her coffee, then turned to me. “Your contract was to help him get his censure removed. We’re way beyond that now. This has turned from a seat on the Council to something that could upturn the entire vamp society. He’s going after Lorenzo. This is bigger than either of us. He wants you to make a decision on your own. Do you want to be in this fight? If so, would it be by his side?” She took my hand again. “Now, you have Colantha. You’re both dreamwalkers. Would you prefer to stand with her during the war instead of Devon?”

“Why can’t I do both?”

She shook her head. “You’re being obstinate. It’s not about that. Dreamwalkers are going to be part of this one way or another. Standing by Devon doesn’t mean you’re not standing with the dreamwalkers. It just means you want to be with him. Not as a boss or a House leader but as a vampire.”

“I told him I loved him.”

“For the first time?”

I shrugged and rubbed my face. “I only vaguely remember saying it. Sometimes, I can’t remember what was a shared dream or the real deal.”

“Maybe that’s why he suggested Oasis. We’re on lockdown. He’s not going to let you just take off to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Oasis provides a buffer between you.”

“And why bring you into it?”

She rolled her eyes. “I think you need another cup of coffee. Or maybe the hair of the dog.”

I was still confused, so I finished the second cup and poured a third.

“The only reason I’m here is because of you. Everything has changed now that I’m with Lucas, but maybe he’s concerned about whether both of us are here because of the debt. We could take that bank account and find a place to hide until the war is over.”

Everything was starting to click. I touched my lips. He’d given me a passionate kiss before he left. He wasn’t sending me away. He was giving me the freedom to choose.

“I don’t want to leave.” The words seemed strange, but the more I repeated them in my head they seemed to be true.

“Well, good. I don’t want to leave, either.” This time, she took both my hands. “I love Lucas, and I don’t want to leave him, especially if he’s going into battle. Whatever that looks like. But if you need to go, I’ll go with you. You’re not leaving here alone.”

I nodded. Tears welling up again. This time, because of how much I owed this woman. When had she become the adult in the room? I snorted out a laugh. “I’m okay now.”

She gave me a long look, squeezed my hands, then stood. “I think that’s still open for debate, but I’ll leave you to your thoughts. I need to run.” She gave me a look before leaving, and I just waved with what I hoped was a convincing smile.

I turned back to my coffee, curled my legs underneath me, and pulled a blanket from the back of the couch to wrap over my shoulders.

I was free.

I had no idea how to face that reality. I had my own account with a shitload of money. Ginger and I could disappear until Devon’s war was over. Did he want me to go? Did I want to go?

Some days, it seemed better not to have the freedom to make my own choices.

After my talk with Ginger, I worked out in the training room for a couple of hours. Nothing too physically demanding as I ran through a mini obstacle course using the climbing walls and ropes before cooling down with a couple martial arts routines. They were exercises I could perform by rote, which was good since my head wasn’t in the game.

The idea that I no longer owed a debt, that both Ginger and I were free, was slow to accept. It seemed we’d lived with it over our heads for so long it had become as natural as breathing. Even though my last job before Sorrento had captured me all those months ago would have only scraped a portion of what I owed, it kept me focused on finding larger jobs with bigger payoffs. Then, I landed in the world of vamps.

My entire life had changed, and I’d forgotten all about the debt.

Was that because of Devon or because I discovered a part of myself that I’d been sheltered from my entire life? I was a dreamwalker. When I tried to separate Devon, his mission, and my knowledge of my heritage, I couldn’t. They seemed irrevocably connected.

After training, my mind calmer, if still not accepting of the fact I was debt free with a sizeable bank account, I hit the pool. By the time I took a shower and dressed, I went in search of Devon to have a deeper conversation, only to discover he wasn’t at the manor. No one could tell me where he went. At first, all my insecurities returned with Devon’s whispered words about sending me to Oasis.

I shook it off. It didn’t surprise me that the vamps I’d asked wouldn’t know Devon’s schedule, and other than Lucas, who was locked down with Colantha, the rest of the cadre couldn’t be found. Colantha had wanted me to join them, but Ginger would give me an out. Then I cringed at how much she might share with Lucas and Colantha and decided to hide away with Lyra. My plan was destroyed when I found a vamp stationed at her door. She was resting and wasn’t to be disturbed.

I somewhat expected that. She was no doubt depressed over Hamilton and needed time alone. It made sense, but it left me with absolutely nothing else to do.

Cook was my last resort. It was after the lunch hour, and I could use something to eat since I’d missed lunch. The kitchen smelled of savory meats, and Cook was at his counter, making small pie shells.

“Hey, Cook. Is this a bad time for a visit?” I poured a cup of coffee from the urn he always kept filled.

“Ah, Cressa. I have a few minutes to talk before we start dinner preparations. It will be a full house tonight.”

“Really? It seems pretty empty right now.” I plucked a biscuit from a basket and found half a platter of sliced cheese in the fridge. “Is it safe to take some of this cheese?”

“It’s left over from lunch. There should be another one with sliced meats, and there’s some fresh marmalade for those biscuits.”

I made a small plate of leftovers and sat at the corner of the counter to watch him work.

“What are you making?”

“Meat pies. They’re The Wolf’s favorite. It took some doing, but Decker got me in touch with The Wolf’s personal chef, and he gave me a few ideas.

A slice of cheese fell out of my biscuit. “The Wolf? Is he coming here today?”

Cook nodded and ran a sleeve under his nose. “Argh. My nose always itches when I have my hands filled with dough.” He placed the shells in tiny pie pans then pulled over a mixing bowl that had been covered with a towel. Each tiny pie was filled with a spoonful of an herb-scented mixture. “In fact, he should be here soon, but I heard Devon was running late from his meeting at Oasis.”

So that was where he went. “He must be checking on the security since the attack.”

“From what I hear, everyone else has gone to one of the safe houses. Although they weren’t part of the Oasis attack, Sergi wanted to add some additional features since Venizi’s men have been doing drive-bys.”

I picked at my food. I could have helped with that if anyone had bothered to ask. “I’m starting to feel useless around here.”

Cook’s brow lifted. “I heard you were in the thick of it at Oasis.”

“Yeah. But what do I do between the attacks?” I worked up a grin. “A girl can only train for so long.”

“Ah. Yes.” He pointed a spoon filled with meat mixture at me. “You need a project.”

I slammed my fist on the counter. “Exactly. I’ve been thinking the same thing. I just can’t figure out what it might be.”

Cook finished filling the pie shells then placed little pie crusts on top. He began fluting the edges. “What skills or knowledge do you have that you could share? Maybe Sergi has something you could help with.”

“My specialty is stealing things.”

Cook grinned. “And I hear you’re very good at that.”

I laughed. “But it’s not a skill anyone needs on a regular basis.”

“What about your defense skills?”

“I’m pretty sure the vamps don’t require my assistance in that area.”

“What about the humans?”

“Ginger was doing that.”

“Then she went on a mission and has been busy with Lucas and the translations since she returned.”

“Sergi was filling in for her.”

“Somewhat. His schedule was impacted while everyone was on missions and the training was canceled.”

My gaze flickered to the far window that looked out at the sycamore tree. “I wasn’t aware.”

“Maybe you could get that running again.”

“I don’t know. That’s Ginger’s project.”

“Can’t you have more than one instructor? You have different skill sets. Don’t you train with different members of the cadre?” He finished the last pie and pushed the cookie sheet aside, wiping his hands on a towel he wore over his shoulder. “Think of it this way. With two instructors, there’s a better chance classes won’t have to be delayed or canceled if one of you is sent on a mission.”

I nodded. “Ginger was teaching defensive moves during an attack. Maybe that could be augmented by what to do if you’re captured. I could teach skills like picking locks or scaling walls that could help with an escape. Not everyone will be interested, but there are always a few who don’t like feeling helpless. We could call it a how to survive an invasion course.”

“Now you have it.”

And once Cook filled my head with ideas, I was itching for a pad and pen to start jotting them down. I shoved the last piece of cheese in my mouth and was picking up my dishes when a vamp I’d seen a number of times but never knew his name raced in.

“Cook.”

Cook turned as he moved the cookie sheet to the top of the stove. “Walter. What’s wrong?”

I grinned. Not so much at the panic on his face. My heart jumped at what could be wrong, but Walter? What kind of name was that for a vamp? For some reason, it hit my funny sensor. But I bit my lip when the vamp noticed me.

“Miss Langtry. Thank the stars. The Wolf is at the gate and there’s no one to receive him.”

I really struggled. The Wolf is at the gate. Maybe part of my day could be spent in psychotherapy. I couldn’t stop myself. I laughed. Loud. Wake the dead loud.

I was aware that no one else laughed. Even Cook appeared concerned—his mouth open with no words coming out, his brows meeting his hairline, his hands rubbing together as if he was dry washing them.

This was all Devon’s fault.

He’d given serious news to a woman who’d just woken up with a hangover. Then he stormed out, leaving me with gaps in what he said. Then Ginger laid it all out like it made perfect sense. The manor was close to a ghost town, and now we had a vamp called Walter worried about a wolf at the gate.

I bent over, hands on knees, to catch my breath. The action made my head spin, and when I straightened, I grabbed the counter from falling over. I wiped a hand over my eyes and cheeks, drying the tears. But when I glanced at Walter and Cook, the giggles erupted all over again.

But now, whether in solidarity or simply to make it look like I hadn’t blown a fuse, Cook joined in the laughter. Walter, his head swiveling left and right trying to understand, began to smile and nod like he had a clue what the hell was going on.

I heaved out a huge breath and picked up my dish and glass, leaving them in the sink. Then I wiped my hands and clapped them once. “Let’s welcome our visitor.”

I winked at Cook on my way out. He smiled, his brows still lifted, and I stifled more giggles that were eager to erupt. I had to get a hold of myself. When I stopped at Devon’s office, I gave Walter his instructions. “Bring The Wolf to the office as soon as he arrives.”

As soon as I closed the door behind me, the rest of my pent-up laughter rushed out of me. Good grief. I needed to get a hold of myself. This was the worst time to lose it. But honestly, sometimes humor was just lost on these vamps.

I strode to the bar, figuring I had maybe five minutes before The Wolf made it to the front steps. I poured a double shot of vodka, swallowed it down in one gulp, closed my eyes for a minute, then faced the desk.

I couldn’t. The desk wasn’t mine to command or greet from. Besides, this was just a welcome until Devon arrived. It had been some time since I’d spoken to Remus without an audience. That had been the day I walked into the paper mill to save Devon from his beast.

The desk might be off limits to greet an ally, but I searched the drawers and swiped a pad of paper and pen. I plopped into a chair near the fireplace and scratched down the ideas Cook had given me for a training course. I’d just listed the sixth item when the knock came.

Walter stuck his head in, and I bit my lip. Remain calm. You’re the ambassador for House Trelane. That did it. My stifled giggles turned to nausea.

“The Wolf is here.”

I set the pad and pen down and rose. “Send him in.”

Remus strode in, noticed I was the only one in the room, and asked his two bodyguards to remain in the hall.

His smile was warm, and he held out his arms in greeting. “Cressa. It’s been too long.” He gave me a hug, and when he stepped back, he grabbed my shoulders. “I see a bit of sun on your skin. From Madrid?”

“We took a detour to the southern coast.”

“Aah, the beaches of Spain. Some of the best in the world.” He glanced around the office. “I was expecting others.”

I laughed and guided him to the chair opposite me. “I was as well when I came down after training. But I’m sure they’ll arrive soon. Can I get you a drink? Maybe an espresso?”

“An espresso would be wonderful. Tell me of Spain.”

I gave him a recap of our visit to Aramburu, leaving most of the important stuff out, unsure how much Devon wanted to share, as I made our drinks.

Remus played along, the consummate guest, and didn’t ask any important questions. “How did Venizi know you’d be in Spain?”

“Gregor believes they were on assignment to watch his House, and we might have been a surprise.”

“Do you think they told Venizi?”

“If they did, it would have been before they followed the limo. House Aramburu has a rather deadly policy about strangers on his land.”

He shrugged. “Not so different from shifters. Not nearly as much as in the old days, but you’ll still find that behavior in less populous areas.” When I lifted a brow, he explained, “In the old days, we were hunted. If a vampire found their way onto our land, they didn’t leave.”

“Makes sense when you put it that way.”

“So, what’s new other than that.”

I don’t know why I said it, but the topic was still fresh, and he’d been there from the beginning. “Devon just released me from my debt.”

He sipped his espresso. “I would have expected him to have done it after you saved him from his beast.”

“He might have if I hadn’t been kidnapped the day after he was cleared of the Council’s charges.”

“It did get complicated after that.”

I grinned. “And here I thought it was just another day in the life of vamps and shifters.”

He chuckled. “Now that it’s done, what will you do?”

“And that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”

“I imagine you have many options open to you.”

That made me pause. How many did I really have? Before I could answer, which was a blessing since I had no idea what I would have said, multiple voices came from the hall, and the door opened to a string of people. It was like they were coming back to work after a long lunch.

Devon, looking like the House leader he was in a three-piece dark charcoal gray suit, made my heart thump. “Remus, I’m sorry I’m late. I trust Cressa has kept you occupied.”

“As only she can do.” Remus stood, and they met in the middle of the office to shake hands. “I wasn’t sure this day would ever come.”

Colantha had been behind Devon, and she bowed her head to the shifter. “Only the first step in our journey.”