Scion's Avalon [House of Dracul 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by J. Annas Walker

“Well done, Lady!” Mills offered with a chuckle. “I don’t think they are going to want to come back anytime soon!” He gave an involuntary shiver. The January night air had chilled considerably.

  “It was an unfortunate incident but unavoidable. Now, Cassy, I believe they mentioned your sister-in-law is missing and money being transferred into and out of your trust accounts. Is that correct?” The elder witch’s tone still held her well-practiced calm.

  “Yes, Lady. They seemed to think I had something to do with her disappearance. I can’t imagine Liz being involved in anything criminal. Max is next in line to the throne. All she has to do to secure her place is to produce an heir to replace me as Scion,” Cassy explained.

  Worry and tension filled her. Reid and Dmitri never told her what happened. What if Liz was kidnapped? What if she was hurt? So many what-ifs swam around in her head. The sound of the others talking died away as she retreated into her thoughts. It sounded vaguely like someone calling her name, but she did not respond. Someone was touching her, and she knew it was David.

  He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her up for a kiss. It was hard and full of heat. Her lips tingled with the passion. It brought her out of her worry and melted away the tension. The tingling spread from her lips to the rest of her body. Desire flared deep within her core. Energy began riding her skin. It rippled out to her fingers. She reached out to touch his cheek. The magic flared with a bright silver glow. Before it could flash into something more, someone cleared their throat in an unnecessary way.

  “Uhem! If you two can take a break for a minute, the gatekeeper is here,” Mills interrupted.

  Cassy let go of David. He dropped her back to the ground but did not take his hand from her side. Instead, his fingers made small circles on her back.

  “The two vampires have left the estate grounds, Lady Ursula,” the gatekeeper reported. “Another team attempted to place surveillance equipment across from the gate.”

  “That’s bold,” David said. “With you right there watching them?” He sounded awestruck by their audacity.

  Cassy had to agree. Knowing the gatekeeper was at home and still doing it was beyond bold. It was suicidal.

  “I retained my mist form. They did not see me. I did not harm them, Cassandra. I only provided future frustration,” the gatekeeper replied, obviously having picked up on Cassy’s thoughts.

  “Frustrated in what way, Maiden?” Ursula asked.

  “I deactivated most, but the others I moved. The only information they will be gathering will be a good view of the city’s duck pond!” For the first time, Cassy heard the gatekeeper laugh, a sound like high-pitched bells.

  * * * *

  Cassy sat in her classroom lost in thought. Where could Liz have gone? What would have driven her from her home? What if she had been kidnapped? Who would do such a thing? Her father considered Liz to be almost as good as a daughter and not just a means of continuing his line.

  The bell rang as the documentary came to an end. The shrill tones snapped her out of her dazed state. Someone turned on the lights. Papers rustled, and chattering broke out among the teenagers. A steady chorus of “Good evening, Lady Cassandra” followed the students as they flowed out of the room.

  “Be ready for a quiz on Monday!” Cassy called out after them. A few waves and smiles were cast her way. Most of them simply hurried on to their dorms. Cassy was glad the night was over and the weekend had finally arrived.

  David stuck his head in the door. “Would teacher like an escort home?” He gave her an impish grin. “I’ll even carry your books.”

  “I think that can be arranged,” she said, returning his smile.

  A few minutes later, she met him in the hall. He took her briefcase in one hand and held her hand with the other. They left the small schoolhouse built at the back of the property and walked toward the main house in silence.

  The air was brisk and invigorating. Cassy looked up at the stars spread out across the night sky. They reminded her of silver sequins sewn to a thick piece of rich, black velvet. The greenhouse ahead of them glowed an odd orange-pink from the interior lights. The lights kept the tropical flowers alive during the winter.

  She saw the Ramp Duex to their right as they strolled closer to home. The bright moonlight made the white marble statue of Diana stand out against the dark forest backdrop. Despite the rocky start, it turned out to be a peaceful night.

  As they entered the house, Cassy smelled dinner being prepared. Aromas of blood sausage and black soup wafted up from the kitchens. She heard David fangs snick into place at the same time her fangs dropped. Until then, she had not realized how hungry she was. She had skipped lunch, worrying about Liz.

  Sharp, high male voices talked in rapid foreign speech. Cassy did not understand what was being said, but she knew who spoke and what they were. Someone tampered with her money, and these little voices had some explaining to do.

  “What’s that noise?” David asked. A puzzled look coupled with a tilt of his head, as if he tried to understand what was being said.

  “Don’t bother. You’ll never understand them. They’re leprechauns and our accountants. Apparently, they’re here for dinner,” Cassy replied.

  “Leprechauns? Real leprechauns?” He seemed more amazed at their being real than at them coming to dinner.

  “Yes, real leprechauns,” a small man nearly three feet tall in an emerald green three-piece suit said from the sunken palm court. “Seamus O’Hare, at your service, sir.” His Irish accent rolled the words. He scratched his neatly trimmed light-reddish-brown beard with short, stubby fingers. His clover-green eyes stood out against his alabaster skin. He seemed stiff and formal.

  A second leprechaun stepped out from behind a side table in the sitting area. He was dressed like an eighteenth-century gentleman farmer. A creamy yellow paisley silk vest over a white cotton peasant shirt topped his tan pants. His face matched Seamus’s features. Except his bright, cherry red hair replaced Seamus’s brown. They passed as relations. He gave a playful wink and a wide, toothy smile. Each of his teeth was very square and similar in size.

  “Finn O’Hare, Mistress,” the second man said, extending a hand up to Cassy.

  Cassy held out her hand. The leprechaun curled her fingers over his and laid his forehead against the back of her hand. A zing of energy passed between them. She suddenly glimpsed a room full of gold coins and a rainbow-colored skylight above. The walls of the room sparkled with gems.

  David pulled Cassy back, breaking her contact. “What was that?” David looked from Seamus to Finn.

  Seamus gave Finn a scowl. The more serious leprechaun said something sharp to his playful counterpart. Then, he pointed at the redheaded man and growled.

  “A test of power, Mistress. Nothing more. My apologies to you and your mate,” Finn offered with a sly smile. Cassy had the feeling he was not sorry in the slightest.

  A glittering crystal bell floated into the sunken courtyard. It gave a light, happy, tinkling ring. Moments later, several elder witches descended the sweeping spiral staircase from the left of the entrance hall and foyer.

  “It would appear dinner is served,” Seamus announced. He tugged down his vest and brushed off the shoulders of his suit jacket. Without waiting on Finn or the two vampires, he followed the line of witches into the dining room.

  Finn gave a shrug and tottered off behind Seamus. He looked back long enough to wave them forward and took off once more.

  “How do we know leprechauns?” David face held a puzzled expression.

  “I suppose those two are our personal accountants, and they’re here to discuss the transactions Reid talked about earlier,” Cassy guessed.

  She knew leprechauns were the bankers and financial brokers of the supernatural world. She thought their money resided in a regular bank, now that supernatural creatures no longer hid. When the financial system restructured after the economic collapse, called The Fall, leprechauns and goblins played a major part. Many stayed in the
industry. It occurred to her only now that her father may not have trusted a mortal’s bank to hold her money, no matter who was at the helm.

  The dining room looked the same as it always did on chilly winter nights. A low fire burned in the enormous hearth. The long dining table held seventeen place settings with crystal goblets, fine bone china, and real silverware. Only Cassy and David’s seats held stainless steel.

  At the head of the table sat Lady Helena, the oldest and wisest witch in the covens. She wore her traditional black robe with a silver and gold handwoven belt. Beside her sat Lady Ursula. The other eleven elder witches filed in to take their usual seats. Together they made up the Council of Crones.

  Lady Helena smiled sweetly and made an offering gesture to the two leprechauns. “Please, gentlemen, take your seats.”

  Cassy and David sat down across the table from their visitors. When seated, all that was visible of them was the tops of their heads. She worked hard to stifle a laugh. Glancing to her right, Cassy saw David doing the same thing.

  “Ehem, Ladies, if you would be so kind…” Seamus trailed off.

  “Of course, my dear sprite.” Lady Helena consented to his unspoken request. She held out her hand in the direction of the two men and lifted her hand upward. The chair legs grew until the two men were at the right height to use the table.

  She clapped her hands once. Plates of food floated down, landing in front of each person. The witches’ plates held their customary dishes of roast meat and seasonal vegetables. The vampire plates held blood-based food products. However, the leprechauns’ plates held strips of bacon fat, leafy greens, and sides of steamed Brussels sprouts. They seemed very pleased with the contents, nodding in approval.

  The crystal goblets filled with wine. Cassy smelled the blood additive in hers and David’s. The goblets in front of the two guests changed into crystal steins and filled with a dark Guinness. Cassy detected the heavy aromatics and knew the alcohol content was higher than the stuff she was used to in bars.

  “So,” Lady Helena began, “tell us about the unauthorized use of Cassandra and David’s accounts.” She kept her tone neutral, as if she were starting any general conversation over dinner.

  “Well, Lady, we found a series of null transactions on several dates,” Seamus said. He did not sound surprised or alarmed. He and Finn continued to eat, stopping only to pull large swigs from their oversized steins.

  “A null transaction? You mean something happened but worked out to a zero, right?” David seemed to understand what they meant but appeared to be asking for confirmation. Cassy knew leprechauns were not the most forthcoming creatures where information was concerned. David’s time in law enforcement was going to be handy.

  “Yes, Master David, that is correct. The amount transferred into the accounts was transferred back out the same day. It would appear to be a mistaken transaction,” Seamus admitted. He seemed uncomfortable divulging business secrets or confessing mistakes occurred.

  “Somehow I hear a ‘but it wasn’t’ being tacked onto the end of that statement,” David prodded further. He did not look up from his food. A few moments passed with only the sounds of clinking goblets and scraping utensils on plates.

  “No, t’was no mistake. Each of the transactions happened on a date of significance in the vampire world,” Finn chimed in while Seamus gave him a baleful glare. Finn responded by giving Cassy and David a wink and a knowing smile.

  She was sure he meant to bring up something more out of mischief than to be of help. The leprechauns earned their reputation for mischief. Often, the tricks played amused the creature more than they harmed the one being tricked.

  “I think that is a bit too much, Finn. Money is our only concern. What goes on in another’s household is not our business,” Seamus admonished. He turned to the head of the table, gave a slight bow, and muttered an apology.

  “Actually, Mr. O’Hare, this is the sort of information we are most interested in acquiring,” Lady Ursula said. “My dear leprechaun, we would be willing to work out an exchange, your information for something of equal value. Say a prediction on market values?”

  Seamus looked like he was struggling internally. Finn, however, brightened considerably at the mention of a market prediction. He seemed to vibrate in place with excitement.

  “Done!” Finn exclaimed. Seamus just nodded in accent.

  “Alright, Lady, I’ll accept the terms on the condition the High Prince does not know we were the ones who told the secret. It would be ruinous to our business, it would,” Seamus agreed.

  “Fair enough. Now please tell us how the transaction dates correspond with vampiric events and how they involve Cassy and David,” Lady Helena said, finishing her meal. She waved her hand over the top of her plate. The plate and its contents vanished.

  “Finn was the one to spot the pattern. He is often times out in the world more than the rest of us. He should be the one to report his findings, Lady,” Seamus said.

  “I noticed that within a fortnight prior to the money going into and then back out of Mistress’s accounts, a woman of the line disappeared without a trace,” Finn announced. He seemed gleeful at the shock this information produced.

  David looked at Cassy with confusion written all over his face. “A woman of the line?”

  As they did not live in vampiric society, David knew nothing of his new world, even though Cassy should have instructed him in vampiric court life. She hoped never to return to it again. She gave a deep sigh.

  “It means a full-blooded vampire woman from one of the four born households. One of the lines was destroyed in the Russian revolution, thanks to Gregory Dubrovsky. Finn is telling us a born vampire woman disappeared within ten to fifteen days prior to the transactions taking place,” Cassy explained. She shuddered at Gregory’s name.

  Once, her father arranged a marriage for her to Gregory during the late 1880s to seal a treaty between the families. Not wanting to be forced into marriage, Cassy ran from her birthright as the Scion of the House of Dracul. She found out only three years ago Gregory incited the Russian Revolution and brought about The Fall in an effort to destroy Cassy’s family. Millions of people died because of his wounded pride. He murdered Erica to drive Cassy out into the open.

  “And that’s not all, Mistress. They were all conduit mates,” Finn added, grinning so large all his teeth showed.

  Cassy felt sick. David laid a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “No, I don’t think so. They were all conduits, David. All the missing women were to produce the next heir for their respective houses. Elisabeta may not have run away after all. She could have been kidnapped!”

  Finn practically bounced in his seat with anticipation to spill the next bit of news. “To top it off, they were all pregnant for the first time in a century!”

  Chapter 4

  Cassy fell into David’s arms. Tears welled up but were wicked away by his shirt. Everything suddenly seemed like her fault.

  Gregory used politics to punish her family, but he had also poisoned their food supply with quicksilver, mercury. It had affected the fertility of all born vampires. He made a determined effort to wipe out all born vampire families in his quest for vengeance.

  Now with the poison removed and the needed treatment pinpointed, Cassy hoped Liz could produce the next heir. Even though she was the oldest, her brother, Maximilian, became the Crowned Prince, heir to her father’s throne. Because Cassy had refused her birthright, there had not been a Scion for the House of Dracul in three years. There was no second in line to the throne without one. Liz’s child would have fulfilled that role. Besides, Liz had always wanted a baby.

  “Your mischief has been accomplished, Finn. Now if you and Seamus will accompany Lady Ursula to the library, she will fulfill our end of the bargain,” Lady Helena said, sounding displeased by the turn of events.

  Cassy looked up to see the two chairs shrinking back to normal size. Only the tops of the two men’s heads were visible.
They hopped out of their seats and made for the library.

  “Wait!” Cassy called out after them.

  They stopped and turned to face her. “Yes, Mistress?” Seamus asked.

  “What about the other born women? Who is left?” She was afraid to ask but had to know the truth.

  “Only you, Mistress. You are the last full-blooded born woman of the line in all the houses,” Seamus replied solemnly. He looked at his feet and shook his head. “I am sorry. I did not want to have to be the one to tell you this.” His apology was sincere and seemed deeply felt. Seamus was not the trickster Finn clearly was. Both of the O’Hares scurried off to catch up with Lady Ursula.

  “Thank you for telling me the truth,” Cassy said. She sniffed. A tear rolled down her cheek. Dabbing the tear with a napkin left a red-tinged stain on the linen. She took David’s hand.

  The bond flowed between them. His anger at the leprechauns and his sympathy for her lost friends diluted the pain. His love made her better able to handle the bad news.

  Quietly, the other elder witches filed out of the dining hall, each one touching Cassy’s or David’s shoulder. Calming warmth spread between them with every touch until all the turmoil Cassy felt subsided. They thanked each witch in turn.

  “I think you have had enough for one day,” Lady Helena said gently to Cassy. “Dawn will be here soon, and I’m sure the two of you would like some time alone. Don’t worry about the night’s reports, David. I’m sure Mills will understand. Until the morrow then.” She glided out of the room silently.

  Cassy wondered if Helena’s feet ever really came in contact with the floor. Being eight hundred plus years old and a witch came with its perks, like floating soundlessly.

  Tugging her hand, David pulled her out of the room. She followed him up to their room. The magical bond between them coiled around their joined hands like a multicolored shimmering cord, mimicking the swirl of her emotions. It reminded Cassy of the silken cord used during their hand fasting service.