Half-Blood Secrets: A Paranormal Series (Half-Bloods Book 2)

by Natasha Brown

  Deane and Verity walked over to the table just as Martin retreated into the kitchen, likely to get away from Emery’s outrageous comments. Though Deane didn’t have an appetite, he put some food on a plate and started eating, knowing he needed every bit of energy and focus he could get. Beside him, Verity crossed her arms and rested them on the edge of the table, clearly having decided not to have breakfast simply for the show of it. With Marisol across from her not eating, he figured it didn’t matter.

  Deane finished a mouthful and went into the kitchen to track down Martin. “Thank ye for everything. We don’t mean to intrude on yer space.”

  “It is nothing.” Martin slipped on his white lab coat and started for the enclosed glowing room. “If you would excuse me, I have an experiment I need to return to.”

  “Right.” Deane watched him disappear into his workspace. He’d always seemed to prefer being around his experiments and data rather than having company.

  Deane didn’t feel comfortable just standing around in his underclothes and went to get into a fresh shirt and trousers. Upstairs he found a dry erase board and brought it down to the living space, laying it flat on the coffee table. Verity joined him with a questioning expression.

  Deane handed her a pen. “We need the layout of the house. Can ye sketch it out?”

  “I’ll try.” She kneeled on the floor and started drawing the outline of the home.

  Things began taking shape when Marisol wandered over and sat on the couch. The young woman pointed at one of the rooms. “That’s where Riley is being held.”

  Verity scribbled his name in the space, then started filling in other names on other rooms. “Things could have changed since the last time I was there, but this is what I remember.”

  “How big is your family?” Deane watched her continue to list names, wondering how outnumbered they’d be.

  She turned her blue eyes on him. “Nissa and Dolan have had ten children I’m aware of, and I would assume they’re all at home with Lycos at this time. We know about Marika, Ramsay’s daughter, who Opal has taken under her wing. And Ramsay could have had more kids I don’t know about, since I didn’t realize he was even reproducing.”

  “Who is Nissa?” Marisol frowned.

  Emery came to sit down beside the girl with a handful of cut bell peppers. “Verity’s sister.”

  Marisol’s frown deepened. “But I thought Dolan, the guy who came with those thugs, was her brother?”

  Emery nodded and crunched on a piece of pepper. “He is.”

  “But that means…”

  “Yes.” Emery nodded with a smirk. “Inbreeding, baby. You can’t make this stuff up, it’s better than a soap opera.”

  “Gross.” Marisol’s lip lifted in disgust, then she glanced apologetically at Verity. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Verity seemed to mean it, but her sad expression remained.

  Deane cleared his throat, wanting to change the subject for Verity’s sake. Emery turned to him and took the cue. “So that means there could be fourteen vampires total?”

  “Possibly thirteen,” he corrected her. “Georgina was pretty confident she killed one of them, but they loaded him into the SUV, so we couldn’t be sure.”

  Verity glanced down at the whiteboard and muttered, “All of them are dangerous. While I listened to music and daydreamed about having a normal life, they practiced their fighting skills. Even the weakest of them will be a threat. It will be near impossible to get Riley out safely. There’s only two of you.”

  “Three.” Marisol straightened.

  In unison, Emery and Deane shook their heads. “Two.”

  The young woman looked as if she was about to start talking when Deane headed her off. “We might need yer help getting into the place, but that’s where yer help ends. I cannot have ye risking yer head in a home full of predators.”

  “You both may be strong and powerful”—Verity looked at both of the enforcers—“but can you promise me you won’t get hurt? That Riley will remain safe?”

  Deane knew what she was getting at and shook his head. “No. It isn’t any safer sending ye in to talk to yer father. It isn’t an option.”

  Her lips pursed together. He could tell she wanted to say more on the subject but held back. Deane walked up to the whiteboard and pointed at the upstairs room where Riley was being held. “If Marisol can let Emery and me into the home, we can make our way to Riley. But do ye think we’ll need a distraction?”

  Emery folded her arms and furrowed her brows. “A fire in the garden?”

  Deane exhaled slowly, considering the thought. “That might work. Though it could alert them to our presence.”

  “Do you think they’d suspect?” Emery questioned.

  Deane shrugged. If Lycos was preparing to leave the home he’d resided in for a century or more, then the man sensed danger. He would be on edge already.

  “What if you called the nearest lodge?” Marisol suggested. “They might be able to send more enforcers to help.”

  Emery gave Marisol’s shoulders a squeeze and tisked. “Oh, sweetie, we can’t do that. We’re not even supposed to be here rescuing Riley to begin with. We’re on our own.”

  The debate continued through the morning and into the afternoon until a plan firmed up. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but they had to work with what they had, which was two enforcers and a youngling shifter who could only be used to let them in. Verity remained quiet as she listened to them plan Riley’s extraction. Deane knew she was worried for their safety, and he was too. But their options were limited. Since their deadline was the following day, presumably the morning, their operation would take place that night, leaving at ten to await an appropriate opportunity in the quiet of the night.

  Over the course of the day, they didn’t see Martin appear from his workspace until early evening. Their host provided another meal, at which time he carefully avoided looking at Emery.

  Verity ate a few bites in silence. Desperation consumed her eyes as she remained close to Deane. Her hand rested on his thigh near the end of the meal, drawing his attention back to her. While Martin returned to the kitchen to do the dishes and Emery engaged Marisol in a conversation about the strengths of their animal halves, Verity led Deane upstairs to her room.

  She shut the door behind them, leaning against it. Deane stepped closer to her, and her fingers traced down his abdomen and hooked under his waistband, pulling him against her body. Her voice came out in a whisper. “This could be our last time together.”

  “Well then, we’d better make it count.” He felt her breath on his neck, sending his pulse racing. He grabbed hold of her and searched for the warmth of her skin.

  Verity’s fingers deftly unbuttoned his shirt and unzipped his pants while she led him to the bed. She pushed him over, and he fell onto the soft comforter. He let her guide him, enjoying their intimate time together. Though she was clearly worried about his return, he had confidence in their plan to extract Riley. This didn’t stop him from allowing her to give him a passionate sendoff.

  When they were through, and Verity lay in his arms, the billowy comfort of the mattress and amazing smell of her beside him eased him into a deep state of relaxation. Too long had he been without a proper night’s sleep. Exhaustion took over, and he fell asleep.

  Nineteen

  Verity kept checking the rearview mirror for headlights, half expecting Deane to have woken and chased after her mere minutes after she’d slipped away in the rental car. But there was only the cypress-covered hills’ silhouettes in the twilight. Easing out of bed and taking his keys without waking him hadn’t been easy. But while the others were distracted, she’d exited the warehouse and driven away.

  The risk involved with Riley’s rescue was too great. She couldn’t allow any of them to get hurt. She’d tried to tell them that her family was dangerous, but they didn’t listen. Maybe if there had been more shifters to help to even things up. Thirteen against two
was more than unbalanced. She didn’t care just how strong Deane and Emery were.

  And there was the fact she felt she owed her family something. It had been nagging at her since she and Julian had approached the shifters. Though she hated Lycos, she didn’t wish to see him dead. If he became aware of the true situation, she hoped he would make the right choice—return Riley to the shifters as a show of faith and choose to avoid all conflict with Genus Society. Everyone could get what they wanted. Things could end peacefully. She hoped.

  Verity approached the avenue of cypress. Their bleached trunks arched over the road, creating a tunnel. She took a shaky breath and continued on, aware her presence would now be known. The large iron gate loomed before her, and she pulled to a stop at the control console. She was confident the old code she’d once known would have been changed by now, so she rolled down the window to stare into the camera lens that was pointed in her direction.

  Moments later, the gate jerked into motion, pulling the decorative iron aside so she could drive past. Verity exhaled, knowing the point of no return had already passed. She put her foot on the accelerator and drove up the drive.

  The home looked no different from the time she’d left. Its pale stone façade made it appear even larger than it was, and it was easily ten thousand square feet. Ornamental trees lined the paved avenue all the way up to the circular drive. She pulled around the large moving trucks that were in the way and parked.

  Verity got out. She remembered the first time she’d seen the immense wooden doors when Lycos had brought her home for the first time. She hadn’t believed her luck. Her father was the wealthiest person she’d ever known. Her amazement at being born into his family had quickly turned into regret.

  Just as she began walking up the front stone steps, one of the double doors opened, revealing Opal’s grim expression. Her niece didn’t appear very pleased to see her.

  “Lycos will see you in his office.” Opal lifted her chin and glared at her as Verity walked into the marble entry.

  Verity looked beyond Opal to the grand staircase that led to the second floor. The painting of Lycos and his long-dead wife with Dolan and Nissa as children still hung as a focal point on the wall. The other paintings he’d commissioned of his beloved family were wrapped with brown paper and leaning against the entry wall. Verity remembered posing for hours on end with Ramsay when they were young. He’d sat in a chair while she stood by his side in a beaded dress that Lycos had picked out. Verity wondered if their father had kept their likeness after they’d left home.

  Opal cleared her throat and started walking to the right of the staircase. She looked expectantly over her shoulder at Verity, who sighed and followed after. They went in silence down the wood-paneled hallway to a closed set of doors. Opal turned the knob and swung them open.

  Verity slipped into the dark room covered with oriental rugs and adorned with unique findings from across the world. A heavy mahogany desk stretched before a fireplace at the center. The silhouette of a man sat with his back to her, facing the empty hearth.

  “Come back to me with your tail between your legs?”

  The sound of his voice sent a chill up her spine. Verity glanced at Opal before taking another step inside. She heard the doors close behind her and felt herself trapped in the same room as her father, something she’d never imagined would happen again.

  “Hello, Lycos.” Her voice had lost its strength.

  He remained still. His long dark hair hung past his shoulders. She wondered if he’d aged since she’d gone and if she’d notice any difference.

  “Have they sent you to me?” His head tilted ever so slightly. “Your new friends, the changelings?”

  “No, I haven’t been sent by anyone.” Her voice wobbled as if she were denying she’d broken her father’s favorite vase. Verity reminded herself she wasn’t a girl anymore. “There has been too much death. I just want to see everyone living in peace.”

  Her father’s soft laugh echoed through the room. A scoffing snort behind her drew her attention. Verity turned to find Nissa sitting and glaring at her on a chaise at the back of the room. Beside her sister was Dolan, standing with his hand resting consolingly on her shoulder.

  “I find that laughable.” Lycos’s accented voice bounced off the walls. “Had you wanted us to live in peace, you would have paired with your brother Ramsay, keeping us all from this terrible moment we find ourselves in.”

  “Do not put this on me. He was your son and your failing,” she whispered.

  “Ah, well—” Lycos stood up and turned to her. Answering her curiosity, his faintly wrinkled skin hadn’t aged him beyond the appearance of forty, although he was far, far older. His pale eyes focused on her. No semblance of love or affection could be found in his face. Only disgust. “We shall have to agree to disagree, dear one.”

  Verity realized in that moment she’d made a terrible mistake. There would be no negotiating with Lycos.

  He leaned over his massive desk, bracing his hands against it. “I doubt you would care to learn that your little tantrum over coming home cost us the life of Michael, one of my obedient progeny.”

  Verity glanced over at her brother and sister. “I am sorry for your loss.”

  “They do not wish to hear your condolences.” Lycos pounded his fist against his desk, drawing her attention back to him. “Time and time again, you have proven where your loyalties lie, and it has never been to us, your family. Tell me, why I should lower myself to listen to you?”

  This was her only opportunity to try to reason with him. Verity cleared her throat. “The shifters are organized, and they far outnumber us. It would be unwise to antagonize them. They have the ability to end us all if they wish.”

  “And?” His brow arched.

  “They are attached to Ramsay’s son, Riley, and want him back. If you were to return him to them as a show of faith, maybe that could move them toward a peaceful coexistence with us.”

  She’d often enjoyed debating with her family when she was young, but now that her cause meant so much, it was frightening. She’d had so many things she’d wanted to say to argue her point, but now she couldn’t think straight. Verity knew Lycos cared most about self-preservation and protecting his dearest kin. She hoped it was a good enough argument.

  “Who are you with? Did you come alone?” Lycos’s eyes narrowed.

  Deane’s face traced through her thoughts. She couldn’t risk his safety. Verity nodded. “I’m alone.”

  Lycos pressed his hands against his desk and hunched over, dropping his head down. “It fascinates me that you do not understand that I would rather kill my own than hand them over. I am your creator, and it is my blood in Riley’s veins—in each and every one of my offspring’s. If you will not live by my word, you will die by my hand.”

  Her knees almost gave out. Short bursts of air escaped her lungs. “What?”

  “I will dispose of you along with your nephew if he will not obey me by the time we leave tomorrow.” Lycos sat back down in his chair and leveled a hardened glare at her. “I will not risk my loyal flock for anyone who would not protect me. We will leave this place and never return. Your brother should be easy enough to track down. That daisy picker couldn’t protect himself from the rain.”

  “No.” Verity’s throat closed up, and the food she’d forced down at Martin’s threatened to come back up. She sank to her knees as her cheeks were bathed with tears.

  “Deane, are you sure?”

  He’d listened to Emery the whole drive from Martin’s warehouse, which had put him in an even worse mood. His old friend didn’t appear to mind lending him the keys to his truck, but Deane found it confounding to ask just the same. That didn’t beat the moment Deane had woken and realized Verity had gone.

  “We could be walking right into a trap,” Emery repeated yet again.

  And once again, Deane answered, “Ye don’t need to come with me, but I won’t leave Riley to die by the hands of that bastard.”


  His partner pinched her lips together and chose her words carefully while she peered out the window at the dimly lit hills. “I will not leave you. I’m not saying I won’t fight by your side, but I want you to consider the possibility you got played. Or at the very least, to save her own life, Verity could have spilled her guts to Lycos. They could be expecting us right now.”

  Deane gripped the steering wheel tight and looked through the rearview mirror at Marisol, sitting in the back seat. The girl hadn’t said a word the whole time. Something he appreciated about her.

  Doubt had taken its hold on Deane. His stomach was clenched into a solid mass of pure anxiety. He couldn’t admit out loud that he’d been duped, or that Verity could have betrayed them. So he turned his annoyed gaze to Emery. “Verity wouldn’t sell us out. Despite the fact I could throttle that woman for running off, I believe she did what she thought was right, though it was daft. She cares for Riley’s welfare just as much as I do. Maybe Lycos knows we’re coming, but family sticks together, and that lad’s my family. I will not leave him to die.”

  He tried to believe everything he’d said and focused instead on Riley.

  Emery seemed to consider saying more on the subject but remained silent. She looked past him at the pale sea beyond the hills. “What’s the plan then?”

  “Should be dark soon enough.” Deane braced his elbow against the door and rested his head on his hand. “Once it is, we can approach the home. We’ll send in Marisol to locate Riley’s whereabouts and Verity’s, if she’s there, while we try to find the best way to get ye over the wall without being spotted. The rest I’m working on.”

  She didn’t seem to like the idea of not having a plan with the odds against them, but he was thankful she finally quieted down for the first time since they’d left Martin’s. It didn’t take him long to arrive at the fence and the place they’d parked before. He pulled to a stop and cut the engine.