by J. J. Bonds
I bolt upright on the back seat, leaning forward between them. No need to hide anymore. “What about the school?”
“They have guards,” Alex says simply. “Let’s hope they’re well trained.”
“You think they’ll attack the school,” I accuse them, my heart racing as fear pulses through my body once again. “We have to go back!”
The incredulous look on her face tells me we are not turning around, not over her cold, dead body. I never should have left. Maybe it’s not too late. I cut my eyes at the door. I could jump. It would be easy. Sure, I’d get a few cuts and bruises, but nothing I can’t handle. And then what? I chew my bottom lip, reasoning through the best-case scenario. Even if I ran the whole way, I’d never make it in time. And if I did? I’m just one vampire. I’m a skilled fighter, but it’s unlikely my presence would improve the odds tremendously.
“We have to do something,” I say, gripping Alex’s shoulder. I’m surprised to discover the tension in them. She’s worried as well. It goes against the grain to walk away from a fight. “Warn them!”
Alex twists in her seat, eyebrows raised in shock. “You think we didn’t warn them? What are we, monsters?”
I bite my tongue. Nothing good will come out if I open my mouth.
“The Pazitor have been alerted,” Vincent promises, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. “Now they need to do their jobs, just like we do. We have our orders,” he says by way of explanation.
To hell with them. I pull out my cell and dial Shaye, praying I’m not too late. The phone rings endlessly before kicking over to voice mail. I hang up and dial again.
**********
By the time we reach the airport, I’ve called Shaye and Nik more than a dozen times with the same infuriatingly useless result. I try to convince myself it doesn’t mean anything, that they’re taking their finals just as I should be. It doesn’t work. My nerves are frayed, and I’m desperate for answers, answers I hope DeVanie can provide. He owes me that much.
When we arrive at the airport, Vincent drives right onto the runway where DeVanie has a private jet waiting. I’m out of the truck and racing across the tarmac before the vehicle settles into park. I don’t have to look back to know that Alex and Vincent are following. I take the stairs two at a time and blow past the flight attendant in search of my host. DeVanie is seated behind a small table, working on a tablet. He’s deep in thought when I enter the cabin.
“Elder DeVanie.”
“Please, call me Michael.” He doesn’t make eye contact but holds up a finger, indicating he needs a minute. The urge to argue is nearly impossible to suppress, but I remind myself that he is an Elder. It would be unwise to anger him at this point, and the last thing I want to do is embarrass Aldo.
I take the opportunity to study DeVanie as I wait. Except for the wisps of gray in his dark hair, he’s just as I remember. The three words that best describe him? Handsome. Intense. Powerful. He’s not a particularly large man, but he carries himself with the air of one, making the small cabin feel crowded despite the number of empty seats. I wonder if all of the Elders have his overwhelming presence. I’ve never noticed it on Aldo, but to me, he’s not an Elder. He’s family.
DeVanie’s dark eyes scan the screen, his expression grim. Judging by the set of his strong jaw, I suspect he’s received bad news. He feathers a hand through his hair and stands, smoothing invisible wrinkles from his navy pinstripe suit before offering me his hand.
“Katia.” His hand is cold, his handshake firm. DeVanie’s all business. His eyes shift briefly, flitting over my shoulder to where Alex and Vincent have silently boarded. They move like ghosts, not even a squeak of leather giving them away. It’s the tension in the cabin, which has increased tenfold, that tells me they’ve arrived and are shamelessly glaring daggers at my back. I wonder if DeVanie is the one who warned them about my sunny disposition. “It’s good to see you again, though I do wish the circumstances were different. I apologize for the rough handling and secrecy, but it was necessary for your protection. We couldn’t take any chances with your safety. I’m sure you understand.”
“I’m sure I don’t,” I bark, tired of being kept in the dark. My imagination is running wild, and my nerves are shot. “Enough with the cloak and dagger BS. Just tell me what is going on already.”
“Please have a seat,” Michael says, gesturing to the overstuffed leather chair adjacent to his own. Clearly he’s not going to say anything until he’s good and ready. “We’ll be taking off momentarily. Can I offer you some liquid refreshment?”
I grudgingly accept which sends the flight attendant scrambling as I slide into the offered chair. Alex and Vincent take their places near the front of the cabin, giving us as much privacy as the small plane offers, which is basically none with their heightened senses. Alex crosses her slender legs, looking deceptively bored, although I’m certain she’s tuned into every word that’s being exchanged. Vincent is on full alert, hands resting on his thighs, while his eyes alternate between the bank of windows and the cockpit. I guess we aren’t out of the woods yet. Then again, they’re Linkuri. They probably live on full alert, just as Nik will in the coming weeks.
The flight attendant presses a mug of warm blood into my hand, tearing my gaze from Vincent. A third member of the Linkuri boards the plane and seals the door shut behind him, firmly locking it into place. He’s not quite as obvious as the other two with his tailored suit, but his watchful gaze and serious demeanor give him away. Probably DeVanie’s personal guard. He raps on the cockpit door, and we begin to taxi immediately.
My foot beats an anxious tune against the floorboards as we roll toward the runway. I sip from the mug, concentrating to ward off any visions the fresh blood may trigger. Now really isn’t the time for my own personal peepshow. I need to know why I’m here. I lock eyes with DeVanie, willing him to spill already. Preferably before I lose my mind. I get a ghost of a smile in return.
“Katia, we are at a crossroads in our history and while I do not know which way the wind will blow, I believe we are on the cusp of a war that will not be denied.” He pauses, and it occurs to me that, despite his young age, he speaks in the same old world manner as Aldo. He also has Aldo’s flare for the dramatic, which is severely trying my patience. “This war has been brewing for centuries, and neither side is prepared to bend. The Order of the Red Dawn has been… active.”
His words confirm that at least some of the rumors I’ve heard are true. It’s not exactly a surprise. I knew this was coming, didn’t I? I warned Aldo. I told him a revolution was coming, had hoped he could stop it.
“In the beginning they were a nuisance, stealing the cure to the otrava de sange, demanding representation, and interfering with Linkuri business. Lately though, their efforts have escalated. There have been a number of unprovoked attacks against both the Linkuri and innocent pureblood families of power. Their message is clear. The mixed-bloods will cower at the heels of the purebloods no longer.”
“Can you blame them?” I snap, forgetting my place. After all, I’m of mixed blood myself, not that anyone outside my closest friends and family knows it. Why should I, or any other mixed-blood vamp, cower before a pure? I know DeVanie means no offense, but that’s exactly the problem. These people are so set in their ways they have no idea how screwed up they are. “I don’t understand. Why can’t it be worked out diplomatically? Surely there are those on the Council who understand the concept of civil rights?”
“How very altruistic of you, Katia.” DeVanie tilts his head, considering his next words. “The Council will not yield to violence and heathen threats. The Consiliul de Batrani has ruled for thousands of years. We bring structure and order to a society that would otherwise devolve into violence. That is not something to be given up lightly, for all our sakes. The result would be chaos.”
“I understand,” I say through clenched teeth as the plane leaves the runway and begins its ascent. And I do. I’ve read the history books. Before the Cou
ncil, our society was completely unstable. The covens fought for power, killing and indulging their darker desires at will. The Council brought stability and equal representation for all—all purebloods, that is. “Vampires are dying every day, right? Would it not be prudent to hear the Order out and put a temporary end to the violence while you negotiate a peaceful resolution?”
The irony of this statement is not lost on me given I’m a punch-first, ask-questions-later kind of girl.
“We must appear strong. There are members of the Council who believe it is time to send the Order a message.”
I’m fairly certain the message he’s referring to involves the Linkuri and a full-scale assault on the enemy. The glimmer in his eye suggests he’s excited at the prospect of violence despite his sorrowful tone. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. We are vampires, after all. We thrive on bloodshed. Still, his words sound oddly like propaganda, though I don’t know why he’d bother. It’s not like the Council needs my approval, or anyone else’s for that matter, to move forward. Once they’ve decided on a course of action, they will see it through as they always do. Whatever. It’s not my problem. Aldo will deal with it, and I have every confidence he will do the right thing. He’s not only taken me into his family, he’s treated me as such at every turn. Not once has he made me feel like less than his equal, a strong statement given he’s the head of the Elder’s Council.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to respectfully agree to disagree.” No way am I going to voice consent to more violence in the name of oppressing the mixed-bloods. DeVanie’s right about one thing, this has been a long time coming. And it’s likely to get even bloodier if the Council remains archaically opposed to change. “What does any of this have to do with me?”
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this,” he says, taking my free hand and rubbing it gently, “but your uncle is missing.”
My stomach drops to the floor like a lead balloon only to be replaced with a wave of nausea. “Aldo? Missing?” I repeat, unable to process his words. Impossible. He’s heavily guarded and one of the strongest vamps in the world. It can’t be true. “I don’t understand.”
“He disappeared last night,” DeVanie explains, looking perplexed. “He was at the manor, and then he wasn’t. He was just… gone.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I demand, the words pouring from my mouth like molten lava as I yank my hand free of his grip. “Are you suggesting he just vanished into thin air? That’s ridiculous!”
“It was late. He was alone in his office. When the guards went to check on him, he was gone. They didn’t see or hear a thing.” DeVanie shifts in his chair, looking uncomfortable for the first time. “We can’t be sure, but we have to assume the Order got to him.”
“How can that possibly be?” I ask, my voice reaching a feverish pitch. Aldo is my family, pretty much my only family. Without him, I’m lost. “This doesn’t make any sense. Someone had to see something! Aldo is too strong to be taken without a fight.”
“Agreed,” DeVanie says, recovering his composure and folding his hands over his crossed legs, looking every bit the aristocrat he is, “which is why we thought they had leverage over him, but here you sit. It’s quite the conundrum.”
“Sir,” Alex interjects, pinning DeVanie with a meaningful look. A silent understanding passes between them. “We have reason to believe the Order is looking to acquire the girl as well.”
“I have a name, you know.”
She ignores me and continues, only addressing her master. “We passed a suspicious-looking convoy heading for the school. We got her out just in time.”
DeVanie nods grimly. “Keep me posted and arrange for additional security.”
Nausea swirls in my stomach yet again, and I feel like heaving up the blood that’s pooled there. I gently place my mug on the table, unable to finish the contents. “Tell me everything you know about the Order.”
“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to divulge much else. The Council has declared all knowledge of the Order confidential.”
“I’m not just anyone!” I challenge DeVanie, anger flaring from deep within my soul. “My uncle is the head of the Council, and he’s missing. I have a right to know what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, standing his ground and reaffirming that I’ll get nothing more from him regarding the Order. Not today, anyway.
I close my eyes, ceding defeat. This cannot be happening. When I woke up this morning, the worst prospect for the day was failing chemistry. Now? Aldo is missing, and my friends may be under siege. And me? I’m trapped on a plane with the world’s most surly babysitters. I can’t remember the last time I felt so utterly helpless.
Chapter Four
Tucked away at DeVanie’s posh New York estate, I’m on the verge of climbing the walls. We’ve been here a few hours, and his people have me stashed in a private suite under lock and key. Well, maybe not lock and key, but there are guards everywhere. They’re at the gates, in the halls, and patrolling the lush green lawn outside the bay windows in my bedroom. I’ve nearly paced a hole in the carpet waiting for news of Aldo or Crossroads.
I pick up my phone and dial Nik. Again. I’ve called him a few more times since arriving… or maybe half a dozen. No answer. I try Shaye again only to be greeted by a recorded message stating her voice mail is full. I’m pretty sure I did that.
I growl with frustration, seeking an outlet for my anger. If it weren’t the only way for my friends to call me back, I’d have smashed the phone five times over by now.
Staring at my phone, I gather my courage and make the call I’ve been dreading: Lissette. Aldo may be my family, but he’s Lissette’s entire universe. His disappearance has undoubtedly left her devastated, and I’m not quite sure what to say. What can I say? The best I can do is be there for her, and yet I’m trapped in New York, thousands of miles from home.
She answers on the first ring. “Oh, Katia!”
“I’m so sorry, Lissette,” I say, knowing the words provide little comfort. She’s sobbing, but I have to ask. “How are you holding up?”
“He’s gone,” she stammers, one step shy of total hysteria. “I just can’t believe it. What are we going to do? What am I going to do?”
“Lissette, listen to me. Aldo is strong. He’s going to be okay,” I promise, praying the words are true. After all, he’s worth more to the Order alive than dead. Not that I’d ever voice that sentiment to Lissette. “The Linkuri have their best people looking for him. It’s their number-one priority. They will find him.”
Listening to her quiet sobs on the other end of the line breaks my heart. Lissette has always been delicate. I’m not sure she’s built to handle this kind of gut-wrenching pain. Faced with life-altering adversity, some of us come out the other side stronger than ever while others simply crumble and fold. I fear Lissette will fall into the second category if we don’t find Aldo quickly.
“Is Viktor with you?” I ask, confident he’s close by. As Aldo’s personal guard and top advisor, he’s unlikely to stray far from Lissette with Aldo missing.
“He’s right here,” she sniffs. “He hasn’t left my side all day.”
“Good. I need to speak with him. Why don’t you lie down and rest?” I suggest. “You need to keep your strength up. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Take care of yourself, okay? I love you.”
“I love you too.”
As I wait for Viktor to come on the line, I raise my eyes to the ceiling, fighting off the tears that sting my eyes. I hate that Lissette is alone in Romania right now almost as much as I hate the traitorous emotions fighting to leak from my eyes.
“Katia.”
Viktor has always been a man of few words, but I can tell from the lilt of this single word that he too is upset and fighting to maintain control of his emotions. I’ve never seen Viktor lose control, but if anything could send him spiraling, I imagine losing his master would surely do it.
“What do we know?” I ask. Better to focu
s on actions than feelings right now. Wallowing in sorrow won’t bring Aldo home, but maybe there’s something I can do to help find him. I need to do something.
“Not much. He was working in his office, and when I went in to check on him, he was gone. There were no signs of a struggle, and no one saw anything.”
“How can that be?” I demand, frustrated by the lack of information. “The manor is like a fortress. How is it even possible no one saw anything?”
Viktor remains silent, understanding the question is rhetorical. There’s nothing he can say to defend his men or himself for this egregious breach in security.
I count to ten, forcing my temper back. “What was he working on?”
“Your uncle was reviewing the latest reports on the movements of the Order. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just a typical status report. The Council gets them once a week from the Linkuri.”
“Have you reviewed the report?” I ask, wondering if it could be the key to figuring out what happened to Aldo. Maybe the report wasn’t so ordinary after all. Maybe Aldo found something, some key to locating the Order.
“I’ve been over it a dozen times,” he assures me. “There was nothing of significance in the report. Every member of the Council received a copy.”
“This doesn’t make any sense.” I growl. “Aldo is too strong to be taken without a struggle!”
“I think,” he says slowly, “we must consider the possibility that Aldo was not taken by force but left willingly.”
“You cannot be serious!” I argue, my voice raising an octave… or five. Aldo is always preaching to me about responsibility. No way he’d walk away and leave the Council without leadership. No way he’d leave without telling Lissette where he was going. “Aldo would never give himself over to those butchers! He would not abandon us like this, leaving Lissette with so much fear and doubt. It’s not possible.”
“Perhaps he meant to return,” Viktor points out. There is pain in his voice. “It’s just a theory, Katia. We have to consider all possibilities.”
