Betrayed in Blood (Of Blood & Dreams #6)

Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

After his morning meeting, Devon read security reports regarding the safe houses from his private office in his bedroom. It was the easiest way to ensure privacy from the dozens of calls and requests he received each day. And it gave him time to continue his plans for dealing with whoever was sending Cressa text messages.

He laid down the tablet and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. A grin touched his lips as he thought about Cressa and the surprise on her face with his request that she attempt a meeting with Willa or, if necessary, her friends. The dinner invitation for Harlow and Trudy had put a spark in her eyes, and she met his unspoken challenge. There was no doubt she was somewhere in the manor working through various scenarios as to why he wanted Harlow to come to a meeting.

He could have given her, and the rest of the cadre, a hint about Venizi’s party, but that would have made it too easy. Was he giving her what she wanted before she knew she wanted it? His smile widened. Yes, he was. And if that made her want to stay with him after giving her her freedom, well, as they say—all is fair in love and war.

He chuckled when he realized he was currently playing at both.

He glanced at the clock on his desk, closed his tablet, and pulled on his jacket.

He jogged down the stairs and strode to the solarium, whistling a tune. It was a haunting melody, though he didn’t know the words. He grabbed a doorjamb, almost stumbling when he realized where he remembered it from.

It had been in one of Cressa’s earliest dreamwalks. They were by the lake at Oasis, and there had been a party under a large tent on the other side of the lake. The music had traveled across the water, where they watched and danced. Other than the melody coming easily to him, he’d never heard it before. It must have been a song that meant something to Cressa. He shook it off but continued to whistle it as he strode through the solarium and out the French doors.

Colantha was already seated at the table, staring at the garden or perhaps the ocean beyond. Her fingers began to tap the table as he drew near, still whistling the song. She startled when he pulled out a chair and sat.

“Vampire.” She gave him an odd look. “Was that you whistling?”

He grinned sheepishly. “I’m not very good at it. I didn’t mean to surprise you.” He scanned the table, ensuring everything was in place. Condensation was forming on the pitcher of black peppermint tea, Colantha’s favorite, and he filled their glasses.

“I haven’t heard that song in a long time.”

“You know of it?”

“Yes, most dreamwalkers do. It’s an old song, what humans might call a lullaby, though there’s more meaning behind it than a simple song to sing a child to sleep. How do you know it?”

He shrugged as he lifted the lids from the platters revealing a light lunch of finger sandwiches, potato salad, and fruit. “I heard it in one of Cressa’s dreamwalks, either the first or second one. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard it since.” He chuckled as he pushed the plate of sandwiches toward her. “I’m not sure why it came to me now.”

Her only response was a light grunt, but she gave him a look of interest. There was more to the song, but he set it aside for now.

They spoke of generalities until they poked at their fruit.

“You’ve either been locked away in your room or with Lyra these last couple of days,” Devon started. “Is the codex giving you a problem?”

“No. The codex was completed a day ago, and Lucas sent an encrypted version to Philipe Renaud. Didn’t he tell you?”

“I admit to being behind on some of my reports, but it pleases me that you’ve made such excellent progress.”

She didn’t appear convinced. “That will depend on whether they can find more than the one text with dreamwalker language. Without that, it will be difficult to sway the Council.”

“From what I know of the Renauds and Lucas’s reports on his visit with Philipe, he’s a stubborn vampire where ancient texts are involved. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t send someone to the home library to search.”

“The one in France?”

Devon nodded as he chewed a chunk of pineapple. “I’m sure they already have someone combing the one in New Orleans. I’ll ask Lucas to provide an update on the search.”

He refilled their glasses and let silence take over, hoping Colantha would share what else she was up to without him asking. They sipped the tea for several minutes as they appreciated the view. Colantha was the first to speak.

“I’ve been dreamwalking with others around the country and overseas. At least those I can reach. I’ve had to contact many by conventional means. I never realized how many were out there and how little of their powers they understood, let alone controlled.” She tapped her fingers on the table again, then gave him a side glance. “Do I have your permission to take us to a construct?”

The request surprised him, and he couldn’t help the smile that accompanied the nod. “I’m honored you asked this time.”

Before he could take another breath, he found himself in an old pub with comfortable leather chairs. A glass of dark beer was in front of him, and Colantha sat across from him, gripping a martini glass.

“I recognize this place. You brought me here when I met you in New Orleans.” He glanced around, turning in his chair to check behind him. “Dublin, right?”

She nodded as she sipped her martini, a light sigh escaping after her first swallow. “I thought for the next part of our conversation, we could use something a bit stronger.”

“I could have asked Letty to bring us something.”

Her predatory smile was similar to Simone’s. “It doesn’t carry the same flair.”

“I would agree with that.” He tasted the beer. It was excellent. “So why the secrecy? While I appreciate the fine beer and comfortable atmosphere, it doesn’t explain the need for a construct.”

She took another drink and tapped her nails on the base of the glass. “After reading the De f?rste dage , and specifically the dreamwalker portion, it reminded me of how much we’ve lost over the centuries. Loss of our abilities, loss of rights, loss of life, all due to unwarranted fears. I’ve always known about the dreamwalkers who were accused of controlling the minds of others. But I’m no longer convinced that they were the extremists the Council believed them to be.”

“Over time, stories change, especially if only told by word of mouth. A story can expand to great exaggeration or become anemic and eventually die. I assume you believe the first to be true in your example.”

She nodded. “I believe someone saw an opportunity for great power and wealth, and to the detriment of their race, forced events to their benefit.”

Devon hadn’t been expecting that, and he swallowed a quarter of his mug, anticipating he might need a scotch or two after this discussion. “Are you saying a vampire made a power play knowing it would not be in our best interest?”

“Who’s to say for sure? But based on what I see as the outcome of the decision to purge dreamwalkers, it’s hard to believe otherwise. Consider everything occurring within vampire society over what, to us, is a rather short period of time: the creation of Magic Poppy, the decline in vampire fertility, the increased cases of vampire blood disease, and the growing numbers of halfling creations.”

If he’d been standing, he’d be on the floor by now. “Are you saying all of these events are linked?”

“What I’m saying, as The Wolf will soon discover, is that the Blood Poppy is vital to both vampire and dreamwalker. That without it, both species will eventually die out.” She gave a tired laugh. “It would take hundreds of centuries, of course. But here’s another secret hidden by time and ignorance. Each species needs the blood of the other. This is the foundation of unity between vampire and dreamwalker. Not ideological but biological. And it’s only been proven to me now by how weak the dreamwalkers have become.”

“I feel as if my mental fugue has returned. What do you mean we have a biological connection? I’ve never taken dreamwalker blood that I know of. And the only time I’ve had association with Blood Poppy, or at least it’s our working theory, is through Magic Poppy, and I can assure you, that was not a positive effect.”

“That depends on your point of view.”

“What do you mean?”

“For you and your Family, the beast taking control was of great negative consequence. You were losing control.” She leaned closer. “Think of it from the perspective of war. If you had the ability to force the beast out, possibly permanently, and then direct them…”

“You’d have an almost unstoppable army.” Devon sat back. He’d always considered himself a leader who thought big and understood the stakes. He’d been so wrong.

“Don’t beat yourself up, vampire. You couldn’t know all of this because you didn’t have all the information.”

He stared at his beer. Then blinked. A glass of what he presumed to be scotch appeared next to the beer.

“I thought you could use something stronger.”

He swallowed the two fingers and reveled in the burn. When he sat back, he noted the glass had been refilled. “I’ll need some time to consider all of this. What’s next?”

“I once mentioned the Seven Tribes while bringing Hamilton back to us. I need to reform the tribal structure, assuming there’s at least one member of each tribe still alive. From what my mother told me, each of the Seven Tribes used their dreamwalking powers in different ways. Most for forms of healing, others to stay in communication with members who lived in distant lands, and so on. Each tribe had enough power to ensure one wouldn’t become more powerful than the other. But if all Seven Tribes came together in the Nexus, our combined powers could be a rather formidable force. I believe this, more than the rogue dreamwalkers, was the reason for the purge.”

“But you don’t have access to all Seven Tribes.”

Her face lost all emotion except for the sadness in her gaze. “The leaders of the Seven Tribes were the first purged, including my mother. Though I was very young, she had passed on many of the old ways, which have guided me through the years. Now, I must call upon all I can remember. Three tribes are easy enough to find. My own of course, Hamilton’s, and then Cressa’s.”

“How do you know one tribe from another?”

“It’s not something outsiders would know. The only reason the vampire Council knew who they were was because we never hid them. Each dreamwalker gives off a different essence within their link to the Nexus. Most dreamwalkers today have no understanding of it. The closest way I can describe it is that it’s similar to a person’s aura. I felt it immediately when I dreamwalked with Hamilton and Cressa.” She gave him a wry grin. “Last names can also be used to identify a tribe, but typically only through the family of the leaders. Rasmussen isn’t a common name. I wouldn’t mention it to her, but I believe Cressa might be an heiress in her tribe.”

He barked a laugh. “I’m not sure that would do anything more than make her give up her dreamwalking.”

“Exactly. And that would be detrimental to our plans. I will continue my search for the other four tribes. You need to find out what The Wolf’s lab results show, but I suspect they’ll prove my theory.”

He took a sip of the scotch then pushed it aside. “There’s no question as to what this information would do to the vampire community. There would be outrage, denials, and, most likely, the complete eradication of the entire Council. There might even be a move by the Houses to greatly curtail its power. But a civil war is now more likely than ever.”

“That would depend on how the Houses divide themselves if they do.”

“Agreed.”

The bright sunlight forced Devon’s hand up to shield his eyes. He blinked several times to acclimate to being home.

“I wish you’d give more warning when you do that,” he grumbled.

Colantha laughed. “I can’t help myself with parlor tricks. It’s a good way to stay in practice.”

“I’ll contact Remus and see where they’re at with the lab work.”

“Yes, but first, you must take care of this issue with Rasmussen. Someone is after Cressa. It’s critical you find out who and put a stop to it.”

“Do you know this for certain because you know where Rasmussen is?”

“No. I wish I did. He would be instrumental in reforming the Seven Tribes. I don’t know whether he’s alive or dead. What I do know is that whatever is happening now, it’s not safe for her.”

“We’re in agreement. And I already have a plan to take care of it.”

I ran at the rock wall, attempting to hit it three feet higher than I normally do. In perspective, three feet doesn’t seem like much, but considering I was already hitting the wall at four feet off the ground, I was asking a lot of myself. I wasn’t expecting to achieve it, but sometimes it’s good to have something to constantly strive for. Besides, I was bored to tears.

The lockdown was having an impact. After days of working with Lucas and Colantha on the translations, Ginger was basking in the pool, reading her women’s magazines, and catching up on the shopping channel, enjoying a couple days of doing nothing.

The only relief was Devon’s surprise announcement that instead of surveillance, I was going out to not only find my mother but also talk to her. The question was why.

The answer was obvious. She didn’t want me to call her, and I assumed it was fear of whatever April was up to. My suspicions were based on that single call, Mom’s whispered voice, and the man’s voice in the background. When I had more time to think about it, maybe she merely wanted time for April to cool off, and if Mom remained in contact with me, it could make the situation worse. The man’s voice might have been one of April’s boyfriends, who just happened to be an overbearing asshole.

The bottom line was I didn’t know what was happening in that house, and the only way to know for sure would be to talk to her outside of the house. I had done it before when I surprised her at the spa. What if she had vamps escorting her everywhere? What if they were actually going into the salon with her? How creepy for the stylist and the other customers. But that was where Bella and Jacques came in for diversionary tactics.

After the third failed attempt at the rock wall, I studied it from a different perspective. Maybe if I hit it at my usual four feet, then used the first rock as a springboard while I grabbed for a higher hold. I ran, jumped, hit the first rock, but my foot slipped, and I slammed into the wall face-first before landing on my ass.

Damn. That hurt. I touched my nose. It hurt but wasn’t broken. That was something.

“I’d ask what you were attempting, but I’m not sure I want to hear the answer.”

I twisted around from my seated position and glared at Devon. He’d changed from his suit but wasn’t wearing his normal spandex gym shorts. The loose-fitting, sleeveless shirt was normal, and my gaze locked on his lean muscled arms for a second too long. The board shorts were a surprise. He looked like he was ready to strip off his shirt and go surfing.

My gaze drifted down to his legs, and my attempts not to imagine those strong legs tangling with mine under the sheets failed.

He held out a bottle of water and nodded to the single bench in the room.

I dragged myself off the floor and took the bottle as I sat, drinking a quarter of it.

“How was lunch with Colantha?” I was a little hurt at not being asked to join them, but Devon had been in House leader mode the last couple of days. A sure sign he was up to something.

He gave a half-shrug and a deprecating smile. “To be fair, I came here hoping to run aimlessly at the wall myself.”

“Wow, that bad?”

Then he told me about his discussion with Colantha, and by the end, I stared at the wall, wanting to slam into it over and over again.

“Are you sure you heard her right? She’s saying all the issues with vamps over the centuries—the declining fertility, the increase in vamps with the rare blood disease, and the Magic Poppy production are all tied together?”

“We should know if she’s right or not once Remus has the lab results back.”

“How long is that going to take?”

“Decker is checking with him. He was going to drive over to discuss it rather than use a phone.”

“You must be feeling sick.”

He ran a hand over his head and leaned against the wall. He looked tired—almost beaten. But every leader needed time to regenerate. Right? Maybe a change of topic.

“I get why I’m going out tomorrow to find my mother, but what are you up to with Harlow?”

He’d closed his eyes, and a slim smile appeared on his face. “Still trying to figure it out?”

I huffed and slumped next to him. “I knew you were playing with me.”

When the silence continued, I considered for the umpteenth time what he was up to. It must have something to do with Rasmussen and my mother. He must think she was being kept in the house against her will. My task tomorrow would confirm that. So, if she was being held hostage, why would he want Harlow? A vamp strike team would be better suited for pulling her out.

“You don’t want Harlow, you want Roxie to deal with the house security, but you have to go to Harlow for that. But if there are vamps, wouldn’t there be more than a couple? I don’t want my mother getting hurt.”

“I haven’t told the cadre everything yet. I’ll do that with Harlow present, but Simone already knows because she’s the one who gave me the information.”

“You’ve been holding out on me?” I said it jokingly, but I was a bit hurt until he told me the rest.

“I only found out while I was at Oasis. The rumor is that Venizi is holding a Family-only party on Friday.”

I let the news sink in, and everything made sense—for the most part. “So, if April is working for Venizi, she should be attending and probably taking most of the vamps, however many there are, to the party with her.”

“It would only take one vampire to contain your mother. Or they might just lock her in a room where she can’t get out until they return.”

My blood boiled at how they might be treating her. Though April, regardless of how far off the ledge she might have gone, wouldn’t take it out on their mother. Would she?

“So, you need Roxie to handle the security while you send in a strike team.”

“I’ll have a strike team, yes, but they won’t go in first.”

When he didn’t finish, I sat up. “You’re going to let me go in first?”

He gave me that wicked beast grin with a light glow in his eyes. “You know the house, and though we’re waiting for Sergi to get the latest security details, you know the security.”

I laughed. I had to do something to release my excitement. Not at my mother being held and us having to go in, but that Devon was trusting me to do what I did best. And to be honest, I’d always wanted to break into Christopher’s house and prove that I could. Too bad the asshole was dead.

Then my laughter died. “Are you expecting my mother to leave? Because I’m not sure she will if April is committed to her path. Regardless of April’s beliefs, Mom won’t abandon her.”

“Of course, not. That’s while we’ll give you time to discuss things with your mother and see if she knows if April is behind the Rasmussen texts. Perhaps she’ll know who April is working for. Once we have those answers, I’ll send in our strike force and a full security detail. When April and her escorts arrive home, we’ll be waiting.”

“Waiting to do what?”

He pushed a strand of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear, taking the time to run a finger down my cheek. “We’re taking over the house, unless your mother wants to leave. Then I’ll be sure she has a safe location with all the luxuries she’s used to in addition to a security detail. If she prefers to stay, then the security detail will remain until our war with Venizi is over.”

“What about April?”

He sighed. “That’s a more difficult resolution. I’m hoping your mother can tell us how involved April might be. Maybe she’s lashing out because of her father’s death and now finds herself in a position she can’t get out of on her own. If that’s the case, this is her chance to break free. She doesn’t have to like you to make that decision.”

“And if she’s fallen for Venizi’s lies?” A thought struck. “What if she’s been mesmerized?”

“It’s a possibility. There are ways to deal with that, depending on how deep the mesmerizing. The best course would be to remove her, then see what we can do for her.”

“You’ve worked it all out.”

“I always like to think so, but after many battles, I’ve learned that something can always go wrong, so we need to be prepared as best we can. April and your mother are the gambles here. The plan might need to be modified once you get in and make contact.”

I nodded. “And what if the texts didn’t come from April?”

“One worry at a time.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I hate to have to say this, but Colantha believes this is all about you, not your father. She doesn’t know whether Rasmussen is alive or dead. She’s never met him, but she is searching. What she does know, and she had no hesitation in telling me this, is that whoever is sending texts about Rasmussen is lying to you.”

I didn’t want to admit it. It was foolish to think my father might be out there somewhere and needed my help. I didn’t doubt Colantha. Not where other dreamwalkers were concerned. But hearing it out loud. Well, that crushed that tiny ball of hope.

I leaned against Devon’s shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around me. We didn’t move for a very long time.