Blood Recall

by Connie Suttle

  The vampires are panicking inside the chamber, Bree reported. Just as Lissa wrote. Another explosion followed, crushing the doors to the chamber and cutting off the vampire's escape from inside.

  Now we see if the sloughing shield works, Erland's sending sounded grim.

  Lissa will be the only one to get through the sloughing shield—I tuned it to her mist, Erland said. Anything she carries inside her mist will be safe with her.

  She should be making her selections of vampires to bring out, Bree noted.

  I feel her bouncing against the rogue's shield, Ilya almost shouted. Erland, link with me. We have to get her out of there!

  Chapter 10

  Refizan, Past

  Erland Morphis

  Breanne ended up adding her power to Ilya's and mine to allow Lissa passage. The sloughing shield had been only partially successful, and that spelled a powerful rogue to me.

  What—or whom—had Liron allied himself with?

  As for the spheres—we managed to capture one rogue who'd come our way to escape the chamber, but Breanne said he only held the strength comparable to the Powers That Be.

  Small potatoes, she'd added, although she sent the sphere to Nefrigar in the Archives for safekeeping.

  It was one less rogue for us to worry about on Refizan, but we all wondered how many rogues Liron had managed to recruit to his cause this time.

  "Dad looks tired," Drew sighed.

  We sat at a café across from Dragon and Karzac's apartment, discussing what had happened after Lissa finally escaped with her load of vampire refugees. Somewhere in Gabron's library, they were currently holding a meeting about Solar Red and the Ra'Ak, whom Solar Red believed to be their god.

  Dragon arrived and walked wearily up the steps to the second-floor apartment while we watched. According to Lissa's journal, she'd begun cleaning the dojo for him, to obey the Refizani law of having employment.

  Dragon knew about the implosion of the vampire caves, and also understood that Lissa had finally escaped. He still worried about her—I could see it in the set of his shoulders before he disappeared inside the apartment and shut the door.

  "Doesn't look like a fun assignment, from any perspective," Drake shook his head.

  "Most of them weren't." Karzac—the future version—arrived and pulled out an empty chair to sit with us. "Since this was my home world, I chose to come with Dragon rather than waiting at home for the final battle and aftermath. I'm glad I made that choice. We were both needed here, as was Lissa."

  "Lissa almost didn't make it out of that cave," Drake said. "This time."

  "I know. Breanne sent mindspeech. That's why I came."

  "Do you think Liron knows now that Lissa is in both places at once?" Ilya asked.

  "If he doesn't, he's a fool," Karzac huffed. "He knows she is pivotal to so much of the future. She falls, the rest of us fall—or mostly so."

  "That may be why he's gone recruiting—beneath the General's notice, of course."

  "There are many of the hidden—we know that," Karzac leveled his gaze on Breanne.

  "Yes. We know that," her eyes dropped to her hands, which were folded in her lap. "Liron has searched them out, obviously."

  "He's working really hard to prevent his death in the future," Ilya rumbled.

  "I would, too, if I knew it was coming," Drake agreed. "This isn't just tied to Lissa, I think. It's tied to Zaria, too."

  "Zaria did kill him," Breanne acknowledged.

  "Most of us were there to see it," I offered. I'd stood beside Rylend while it happened.

  "So. The future is built by Lissa, and held up and added to by Zaria, to bring about Liron's downfall," Ilya sorted through what he knew.

  "That doesn't include the God Wars, which involve Breanne," Karzac pointed out. "Without those three, who knows what may have happened?"

  "That's true," I dipped my chin in a nod to Karzac. The man could have been a philosopher rather than a physician, I think. He would have been a success at either.

  "I hope this doesn't upset Lissa on Earth—she doesn't need the distraction," Breanne sighed. "And we have to get back to work—to make sure things go as they should. We have no idea how many rogues are here with us, working for the opposite to happen."

  Washington, D.C.

  Lissa

  I wish I could call it a fucked-up dream, but I knew it wasn't. On Refizan, someone was attempting to change things there, too. Somehow, I figured Breanne or someone else was handling that part of it.

  I'd dreamed I almost didn't get out of the vampire's cave before it collapsed on all of us. I'd gone to mist, but my mist had been bounced back inside the cave rather than allowing me through. I'd panicked as my mist bounced against that blockade, several times, in fact, before something changed and I was let through.

  Zaria knew something had happened the moment I sat down opposite her in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. "I kept it warm for you," she said, pushing the Starbucks cup in my direction.

  "I love you," I said, lifting the cup and sipping the caramel mocha as if it were ambrosia.

  "I suppose you're wondering why I called this meeting," Breanne pulled out an empty chair adjacent to mine.

  "Here's your vanilla latte," Zaria passed another cup to Bree.

  "You knew she was coming?" I frowned at Zaria.

  "I told her a few minutes ago," Bree admitted. "I said you might have had some new, not-so-nice memories crop up. I wanted to set your fears at ease."

  "I have to tell you, my claustrophobia was sounding the alarm all over the place," I grumbled before sipping more coffee.

  "I was afraid of that," Bree sighed.

  "Ah, did you get something for me?" Charles arrived and took the last chair at our four-top.

  "Yes." Zaria didn't sound pleased as she handed the last cup to him.

  Breanne frowned deeply at Charles, who suddenly appeared flummoxed, although he didn't respond. "Don't make me sorry I invited you," Bree told him.

  "I'll do my best," Charles held up a hand.

  "As you've probably figured out, Liron is hitting us on two fronts," Bree began. "Here, and on Refizan. I think he wants both versions of you out of the way. He's just hiding behind the Russians' desire for Winkler and his security program to do it."

  "You mean Winkler's not the primary target?"

  "For the Russians, he is. Not for Liron. Winkler holds little importance to Liron."

  "Fuck." I pinched the bridge of my nose with my free hand.

  "Is someone helping you on Refizan?" Zaria pointed her question at Bree.

  "Yes. Several someones, Ilya included."

  "Good." I watched her mouth tighten as she considered what could happen to Ilya in both places. At least on Refizan, he wore a medallion that I'd bet my entire treasury on to keep him as safe as he could possibly be kept, given the circumstances.

  "Are you all right—after your bout of claustrophobia?" Zaria now turned to me.

  "I'll get past it—the dream was terrifying, and I figure the real me at the time was scared to death."

  "We managed to capture one of Liron's rogue helpers, but he's low-level," Breanne went on. "Hardly strong enough to cause a stiff breeze, actually."

  "Where is he now?" Zaria asked.

  "Stuck inside a sphere in Nefrigar's keeping."

  "Good." She visibly relaxed. "Whoever it is won't get away. I take it you had Quin's help in trapping him in the sphere?"

  "Yes. Without her, it wouldn't have been possible."

  "I like using Liron's own weapons against him."

  "Me, too."

  "You saw him creating those spheres, didn't you?" Charles asked Zaria.

  "I did. I was terrified he'd find out I was stealing some of them."

  "You stole some—from under his nose? That took, well," I hesitated, trying to find an appropriate word.

  "A lot of stupidity?" Zaria smiled and shook her head. "I felt that way the whole time—that I was being stupid and he'd catch me." />
  "But you got away," Charles pointed out. "Thanks for this—I didn't realize caramel hazelnut lattes would be so good."

  "It's my backup," Zaria said. "If I've had too many vanilla lattes."

  "I hope we'll be exchanging information as things proceed," Charles then spoke to Breanne and me. "I warn you, too, you were gone three weeks during this period the first time around. You only have half that time left. Liron will up his game soon, unless I miss my guess."

  I looked at Breanne, whose eyes had gone wide. I'd forgotten that. Griffin had bent time to get me back three weeks from the day I'd left. Fuck. Fuck to the eighth power.

  "Don't underestimate what happened shortly after Lissa returned, either," Zaria pointed out. "Liron could be upping Jovana's game, and we'd never know it."

  "Oh, dear God," I dropped my face into my hands.

  "I suppose you've read all the records concerning Earth in the Larentii Archives?" I heard Charles ask while my mind buzzed with worry.

  "I had plenty of time to do so, after Kal grabbed me and hauled me to the Larentii homeworld. I focused specifically on the Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first centuries."

  "Wise of you to choose those records."

  "I'll take that as a compliment."

  "It was meant as one."

  "What do you think he might do with Jovana, to up her game?" I forced myself away from my temporary stupor.

  "Anything, including sending someone else in there with her," Charles shrugged. "I just don't have an idea who that might be, up to and including Liron himself."

  "You're not making me feel any better, you know."

  "I wasn't intending to. He could throw anything at us. Best to be prepared, no matter what or who."

  "But the original you has to go in there," Breanne pointed out. "Those events can't change. Jovana has to be taken to Wlodek, and he has to pass sentence and hand her execution to Tony."

  "I can go in with you—to take care of anyone else who might show up," Zaria volunteered. "The other you doesn't have to know. If you want, I'll make sure the other you is protected while you handle anybody else who thinks to cause trouble."

  "That sounds great, except we don't have any idea who it will be."

  "I know. The way I see it, we don't have much of a choice. I'd say we also need to be there when Tony gets hurt in the bombing. It could mean the difference between him being whole while bleeding out and being in pieces, which is far too late for a vampire's turning."

  "You're not making me feel better about any of this," I sent Zaria a hopeless glance.

  "I know. I'm sorry."

  "It's not your fault," I sighed. "I appreciate your extrapolation, too, it's just—hard for me to hear it, that's all."

  "What do you think we should do in the meantime?" Charles asked Zaria.

  "I'd like to harass General Baikov some more. I just don't have a plan on how to do that at the moment."

  "Well, Ilya knows somebody who knows somebody who watches the Baikov family in the Czech Republic; maybe we should start there," I suggested.

  "Baikov has a family," Charles breathed as a light appeared in his eyes. "How fortunate for us."

  "Fortunate for them that we're not assholes, like he is," Zaria interjected.

  "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Breanne lifted an eyebrow as she gazed across the table at Charles.

  "We can show them such a good time, they'll never want to go back," he grinned.

  "While we're blackmailing the General, you mean? This sort of thing doesn't come without consequences," Zaria pointed out.

  "People have already died who weren't supposed to," Charles turned to her. "Those kind of consequences?"

  "What sort of leverage do we have against vampire Baikov?" Zaria locked eyes with Charles.

  "I can inform the Honored One," he said, tapping a finger against his paper coffee cup.

  "Do you have a way to do that so he won't send anyone else here to muck things up?" I asked. The last thing I needed was for the original Gavin to come gallivanting in to chase down Baikov and find me in the middle of it.

  "I can tell him that Baikov has allied with rogue Russian werewolves, and then ask Weldon to have a conversation with him regarding what he knows. We can also say that Winkler is handling the werewolf end of the investigation and we're cooperating on the vampire side—Rhett, Dalroy and I."

  "Make sure he thinks that you're enough to handle this," Breanne pointed a finger at Charles.

  "Not to worry, my Love," he smiled at her.

  "I'm not sure I like this," Zaria said, looking from Charles to Breanne, then meeting my gaze. I felt as if I were in the middle of it, and worried that this plan could go in several directions, most of them wrong.

  In other words, I agreed with Zaria.

  Besides, if Liron were involved in all this, we had no idea whether he'd planned for this contingency, and what he'd end up doing either way.

  Plus, we had a Sirenali to contend with, and who knew how many reproductions from the reverse-engineered drug. Ghosts from our past were already popping up like mushrooms, seemingly overnight.

  That spelled a devious, carefully crafted plan made by Liron, and if his past machinations were any indication, we might not be ready for what he'd unleash.

  If we took people, well, he could take people, too, and that terrified me.

  "I will not cooperate with this plan," I announced.

  "Neither will I," Zaria nodded to me. "Not the part about the kidnapping, anyway. You can tell Wlodek whatever you want, but for me, Baikov's family is off the table. Liron will intervene, even if the Baikov's don't. All I will agree to is watching that family, to see if the human Baikov visits. Then we could take him and find out what he knows. He's just a large cog in this giant machine," she said.

  A slow smile spread across Charles' face. "I was hoping you'd argue," he told her. "It's a stupid idea to kidnap the family."

  "This was a test?" Zaria asked, her words stiff and angry.

  "I should know better than to test you." He was still smiling. Zaria shook her head before scooting her chair back and walking out of the restaurant. Her latte disappeared a moment later.

  She wasn't about to let Charles deprive her of her coffee.

  "You really shouldn't bait her like that, and use me to help you do it," Breanne frowned at Charles.

  "You, know, I'm kinda with Zaria on this. Have fun." My chair scooted back and I rose, taking my coffee cup with me. "Let me know when you're treating people like equals again."

  I followed Zaria out the door.

  Breanne

  "She knows more about Liron than anyone else," I said, sipping my coffee. Zaria had placed a warming spell on it, so it stayed at the proper temperature until I finished it. "I'm not sure why you wanted to feel her out on this."

  "She has some of me in her, remember?" Charles said softly. "Thankfully, she has something from her mothers, too."

  "Ah. The secret you won't tell, huh?"

  "I borrowed from three, you know," Charles sighed and sipped his coffee.

  "Three?"

  "Of the strongest and best I've ever known."

  "Do they know?"

  "Of course not."

  "Are you going to tell them?"

  "I want to tell them before I tell Zaria. This way, if I have to withdraw the information and go into hiding over it," he spread his hands. "On two of them, anyway."

  "Why would you need to go into hiding? Any woman should be proud to have Zaria as a daughter."

  "Even one they never knew about? Women generally don't like it if they're not included in things like that."

  "Well, you owe them, I think," I insisted. "And why only two of them? What about the third—does she already know?"

  "She's dead."

  I went still. "I think you ought to tell me," I demanded. "At least about the dead one."

  "Hmmph. I figure I'll hear from Wlodek in the future if he finds out," Charles stared at the white tablecloth
beneath his cup.

  "What the hell does Wlodek have to do with any of this?" I demanded.

  "Because the dead one is Sarita."

  "Sarita? The Vampire Queen who walked into the sun because she couldn't have children? That Sarita?"

  "Yes. I'll likely hear from Merrill, too, because she was his turn."

  "She has a child, and you fucking didn't say anything?"

  "It's more complicated than that. She died before I was born humanoid. I had to bend time to get her blood—before she was turned."

  "And then had plenty of time to bend time again and tell her she'd have a daughter."

  "See, I knew you'd get upset over this."

  "I'd get more upset if I were in Sarita's position and found out I had a daughter after it was too late."

  "When you're dead, you usually don't get emotional like that."

  "Are you calling me emotional?"

  "Well, that's why I chose the women I did to be Zaria's mothers. I don't get emotional often, so I went looking for strong women who carried themselves—and their emotions—well."

  "I really want to punch you, right now. Let me say again, any woman would be proud to know that Zaria is her daughter. I think you cheated Sarita, and now you're cheating two other women at the same time."

  "Hypothetically speaking, what would you do if I told you that you were one of those women? How would you react? Tell me."

  "I'd go straight to her and give her the biggest hug and the best Love I could, because she'd deserve it."

  "See—that's why I haven't said anything. I think that sort of information would interrupt and distract her from the current mission. When it's over, I may consider letting all parties know."

  "Charles, I never knew how cruel you can be at times."

  "Bree, I," he dropped his gaze. I watched as he shifted in his chair before squaring his shoulders and looking at me again.

  "You know who I was, once. You saved me from being that—by giving me Love. I can never repay that. You opened my eyes. Power isn't everything. I learned that on the day I tried to kill you, eons ago. I have a lot to answer for, and I feel that burden. Zaria is my gift to the universes, and a piece of my atonement. Bree, my Love, you are one of Zaria's mothers."