Alejandro growled in approval. The jaguar stood next to Kaden in a show of support.
“Kaden’s right. It’s too risky,” Olivia agreed.
“Risky, yes -- but possibly the only real option we have,” Lucian countered. “We need to get this creature to come out of hiding so we can face her. As long as she remains in the shadows, there is nothing we can do. The only thing that seems to get her to face the light of day is the thought of Kaden with another. If we created that threat, then she would likely appear ready to face the latest challenge. We can all be waiting for her.”
“What happens to Reysa if this stupid plan doesn’t work? Another death on my hands. I’d rather the Council take me away now.”
“No!” Reysa grabbed Kaden. “That solves nothing. This monster will still roam free until she finds another reason to kill an innocent. This being needs to be silenced permanently. We can make that happen together. I need to do this. Madeira was my friend and I owe it to her and Yasmine to find her killer. It’s my duty and I will not let you prevent me from doing it.”
“Kaden, Reysa is right,” Lucian added.
“You don’t give a damn about Reysa or what’s right. You just want to solve your puzzle. This is just a game to you.”
“I will not allow this.” An unfamiliar voice echoed in the room. The voice hinted at a sexy Spanish accent. Everyone turned to see an impeccably sculpted naked man standing next to Kaden.
“Dude, take a few steps to the side, all right?” Kaden motioned to the corner of the room. “Don’t point that thing in my direction.”
Alejandro ignored him and approached Reysa. “You cannot put yourself at risk like this. You have other considerations that you must account for -- mainly Tatiana. You’re her mother. If something happened to you, that child would never recover. She’s your number one priority, not Madeira, not Yasmine, and certainly not that obnoxious imbecile vampire.”
Reysa stroked his long wavy black hair. “Alejandro, protecting all of the Lore, including my daughter, is my responsibility. I cannot ignore this task because there are risks. The best thing I can do is strategize appropriately to mitigate those risks. What would my daughter think of me if she knew I ran from the slightest hint of trouble? I would rather die in battle then be a living coward. That’s not the kind of mother I want my daughter to grow up thinking I was. My daughter will know that whether in life or death, her mother was a fighter. She will have a mother she could be proud of even if I don’t survive.”
“I bet if you ask Tatiana, she would prefer you alive as a coward than dead as a hero.”
“Maybe, but I could never live like that.”
Alejandro kissed her affectionately on both cheeks, and then shifted back into the jaguar. He lumbered to the corner of the room furthest away from Reysa, the disappointment evident in his movement.
“The cat’s right, Reysa,” Kaden stated. “You should listen to your pet. He speaks the reason you stubbornly refuse to see.”
“It’s you who are being stubborn, Kaden,” Lucian urged. “You’re looking at things through an emotional lens. Reysa and I are looking at this from the eyes of soldiers, enforcers. Reysa’s suggestion is a practical and logical way of solving this crime. It’s not without danger, but if done with proper preparation, it can be executed almost flawlessly.”
“Or it can be a complete disaster leading to another crime for you to solve.” Kaden stormed out the house.
Lucian confronted the group. “Despite his misgivings, this is the best option I can see unless someone can come up with a better one.” He paused and faced everyone left in the room, waiting for another suggestion, but none was offered. “I’ll assume the silence means no. Reysa, I want you to be sure about this. We do not know what we’re up against, and the best plan may not work when the object of our mission is such an unknown variable.”
“I’m sure,” Reysa assured Lucian, her confidence never faltering.
“This won’t work without Kaden’s cooperation,” Olivia reminded the group. “He’s not willing to risk Reysa’s safety and I can’t blame him. Unless he agrees to whatever plan you come up with, it’s guaranteed to fail.”
“Well, cara, then we must come up with a plan that Kaden cannot refuse.”
III
“Lucian, there is another variable we must take into consideration.” Lucian, Reysa, and Lorenzo were meeting to discuss logistics when Lorenzo voiced his concern. “Maybe we should discuss this in private?”
“No.” Lucian refused. “Reysa’s risking her safety to make this work; the least we can do is make sure she doesn’t go in blind. She deserves all the facts.”
“Very well. Among the case files we reviewed were the toxicology reports of the victims. Kimiko and the fairy victim, Anya, had blood on their fingernails that was not their own. The report indicates that both women fought the killer. The interesting note is that the blood test was not surprisingly of unidentified origin as humans don’t detect vampire blood, but it also revealed the presence of certain drugs like coca, opium, khat, mescaline, and other unidentified elements.”
“Mescah?” Lucian asked.
“I believe so. I sent a copy of the report to Amalia.”
“Ok guys, what the hell are you talking about? What’s mescah?” Reysa asked.
Lucian massaged his temples, trying to ease the growing tension. “Mescah is something I need to trust you to keep quiet. I will confide this to you.” Lucian motioned for Reysa and Lorenzo to move further into the corner of the room away from the others. The Council did not want news of mescah to leek to the general public, as it might cause a panic. Reysa could be a valuable ally with her resources, and he trusted her to maintain discretion. “Mescah is a drug we detected in some vampires last year who died from it. It started out as vampire killer, but seems to be impacting other immortals of late. We don’t know much about the origin. We suspect a sage was involved and possibly others. All we know is that the drug is powerfully addictive and so far, assuredly fatal. The addiction impacts everyone differently. Some become increasingly violent and aggressive. Some vampires fall into a deep sleep from which they never awake as their brains turn into pudding. Those that are deprived of the drug suffer such a painful withdrawal that they destroy themselves.”
“Good grief! How big of a problem is this?”
“It has been manageable, but the drug is advancing, becoming more powerful. At first it was limited to a handful of vamps in northern Europe. Now it has spread to other parts of Europe as well as the States. It looks like our killer may be an addict as well.”
“How do we stop this?”
“We have a sage alchemist working on a cure. There are others involved as well.”
“A sage?” Reysa questioned. “I haven’t met one I could trust yet, and believe me, I know many creatures. Most of them just seem corrupt to the core. How do you know yours is truly helping you and not working against you?”
“This one I have worked with for years and she has proven to be a reliable pain in my neck. She is not evil. Her nature is pure.”
“Most sages are not evil. They are just amoral. They just care about profit. They are easily bought and sold. I have opened my doors to all kinds and I consider myself to be pretty liberal when it comes to all creatures, but sages are dangerous. I hope you’re right about yours; otherwise, this could lead to a bigger problem. If the sages have found a way to destroy immortals with this drug, we’re doomed. If they ever united against the rest of us, they could erase us.”
“It’s not just the sages we have to worry about. We suspect that a witch is involved as well.”
“Dios Mio! Another problem clan. I have many witch friends, but they will be the first to tell you that many of their kind are loyal to their wallet above all else.”
“Your witch friends may be of some help to us. It would take a powerful witch to work a spell to make this drug. Maybe they could help us identify those powerful enough to do this.”
“Probably. After this first disaster is resolved, I’ll introduce you to some of my friends.” Reysa shuffled her feet, debating whether or not she should say more, but being quiet was never her forte. “If you don’t mind me saying, I think keeping this a secret is a mistake. If others knew how dangerous mescah was, they wouldn’t try it. If we warned people in advance, they would stay away from the drug.”
“Maybe, or maybe they would want it even more. Humans have been warned about the effects of drugs. They see real life examples everyday of addicts, yet they continue to consume these drugs until they kill themselves. For some odd reason, they believe they can defy the odds and survive addiction. Humans know they are mortal, yet feel impervious to the dangers of drugs. Are immortals any different? Immortals would be worse, I fear. They know they are practically invincible -- so who would believe some drug could destroy them? Sages have been concocting potions for millennia, yet no one ever feared them. Finally, they have come up with something that could destroy us, but do you think immortals would believe it? Not until it’s too late. We’re all too arrogant for our own good. It was hard enough to convince the Council that mescah is a real legitimate threat. Even now, some still have doubts. No one wants to believe that the lower species of sages and witches have finally developed something to top us ‘superior’ beings. Our pride will be the death of us.”
“Ignorance, if you ask me.”
“True, but never doubt the power of the ignorance of the masses. That has led to many wars for humans and immortals.”
“We don’t live that way in the Lore. Everyone is equal regardless of species.”
“Maybe you can teach the rest of us something, but for now, we have to tackle this problem before it worsens. The Council has debated this and the decision, for the time being, is to try to get rid of the mescah supply. If that doesn’t work, then we will focus on eliminating the demand.”
Reysa nodded in agreement. “Fine, but the only way to tackle the supply is to find the source. You will not find the source unless you get close to those who may know the answers—sages and witches. They will not trust the elitist vampires, Lycans, and shifters from your Council. I don’t mean to insult you, but I’ve done some research about your Council. Although it claims to represent all immortals, that’s a fallacy. Your Council represents those considered to be the strongest of the species. They dictate to the rest of the populace. You underestimate the peon races of the immortals. Individually, they may not be as strong, but together they could topple the majority. Sages were at the bottom of the food chain, followed closely by witches. If mescah succeeds, they will one day find themselves on top. Even if we resolve this problem, there will be another until all immortals are treated equally. Discrimination breeds discontent, and the victims of hate will learn to hate until they destroy the majority.”
“You’re right,” Lucian acknowledged. “I want so much to change things, to change the Council. I will try, but I will need help from people like you.”
“You can count on me.”
“You’re an amazing woman, Reysa. Thanks for all your help. I know we started off on the wrong track, but you’ve proven to be an excellent ally.”
“Well, you’re not so bad either. You’re still pretty arrogant,” she teased, “but you seem to care about doing the right thing and I respect that. You’re a good man, Lucian. But, enough of this mushy nonsense. I’m going to vomit.”
IV
“Jules, can we talk?” Olivia entered the kitchen where her younger son was hiding from the others. Julian had become a recluse the last few years, so having so many people constantly in and out of his house had to be a struggle.
Julian poured his mother a glass of blood and served her a plate of food. Olivia was rarely hungry these days, but she would not turn down a home-cooked meal from her son.
Olivia breathed in the enticing aroma of the pasta dish. “This smells divine. What is it?”
Julian sat next to her. “It’s just manicotti.”
“My darling, I’m Italian and my cooking skills are pretty good, if I do say so myself. I know good Italian food when I taste it. This is not just manicotti.”
Julian’s cheeks reddened. “Well, it does include my special sauce. The ingredients are a secret, but I can tell you that it’s perfect for vampires.”
Olivia ate a huge chunk of one cheese-stuffed shell. “How did you learn to cook like this? You used to cook for me all the time, but I never taught you how to cook.”
“Genetics, I guess. I love creating things, whether food or photography. I experiment until I find something that works. Lately, I’ve had plenty of time on my hands to create new things.”
Olivia reached for Julian’s hand. “Are you at peace?”
“Once I get my house back, I’ll be at peace again.”
“I’m sorry that we all intruded on your life like this. I know it must be hard.”
“It was at first, but I’m glad you’re here. I know you’re here for Kaden, but it’s been nice having you around again.”
Olivia fought to restrain her tears. “I love you so much, Jules. I just wish I could make you see that.”
Julian reached for his mother and held her tightly. “Can you tell me the truth no matter how bad it is? I just need you to be honest with me.”
Olivia pulled away and looked into her son’s intense eyes. For so long she tried to shield him from the horrors of the truth and it just left him bitter and angry at her dishonesty. He needed truth from her, and that would be the best gift she could give to him.
“Ask me anything, Jules, but know that no matter the answer, the one constant truth I have always told was that I love you with everything in me.”
Julian nodded and kissed her on the cheek. “There’s so much I don’t understand and I probably never will, but there are some questions I need answered. I know Dad wasn’t perfect, but I thought he was a good father and husband. It thought he loved us. Was he really some kind of monster that hurt you? Was I blind to all of this?”
Olivia’s both of Julian’s hands tightly in hers. “I do believe that your father truly cared for you. He was a good father to you. Regardless of all his faults, his feelings for you seemed real. It was different for me and for Kaden. How do I explain? Our marriage was forced. In fact, it wasn’t a marriage. I was already mated to Lucian. The reality was that I was his possession, not his wife. He bought my body and my obedience, but he couldn’t compel my love or force me to stop loving Lucian. He hoped Kaden would bind me to him forever -- and in a sense he did, as I could not abandon my son, but Kaden’s presence did not soften my feelings toward your father. I grew to hate him more each day and he knew it. So he punished me for it as if he could beat me into submission, but on this point I would never relent. He wanted me to love him the way I loved Lucian, but I could not ever feel more than disdain for him. I think my hate led to his madness.”
“How did he hurt you?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Knowing won’t help you.”
“Does Kaden know?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then I need to know.” Julian stood up and paced the floor.
Olivia rose and poured herself and Julian a glass of wine. She left it for him on the counter as she returned to her seat.
“You know your father had the ability to compel others to hurt themselves. He loved that ability and used it frequently on me and Kaden. There were limits to what he could compel, especially as I got older, but in the beginning there wasn’t much I could resist. Sometimes he liked to use his own hands to hit me, but he seemed to get more pleasure out of compelling me to hurt myself. When I displeased him, he would force me to tear at my own skin or bash my head into a wall. He would sit in his old wooden rocking chair and watch as I continually tortured myself. It’s ironic how your father’s ability controlled only physical actions. He could not compel emotions, but I always felt more emotionally damaged after his games than physically impaired. I felt so weak and pathe
tic. I knew logically your father was much older and stronger than I, so I was powerless to stop him, but I hated feeling so defenseless, especially when he hurt Kaden. To not be able to protect your son is the worst feeling for a parent. I could survive whatever your father did to me, but hurting my son was too much to bear.”
Julian guzzled the glass of wine and poured another. He kept his back to Olivia, not ready to face his mother. “D-did he compel you to have me?”
Olivia gripped Julian’s shoulders forcing him to face her. “Your father could not compel that. He did not have that ability.” Not a lie, but not the complete truth. He did not need to know that Kaden was the result of nonconsensual relations. Daughton used his physical strength to force her to submit to him, not his mental powers.
“Why did you have me, then?”
The truth would hurt, but the lie would hurt more. “I wanted Kaden to have a sibling. I didn’t want him to be alone.”
Julian pulled away from her. “Even though you knew that there was a chance my father would hurt me the way he hurt Kaden, you chose to give him another child so that Kaden wouldn’t suffer alone? You though it better for Kaden to have someone to share his suffering with? Maybe I could be Kaden’s punching bag when he couldn’t defend himself against Dad? I’m glad I served such a useful purpose for you and your precious Kaden!”
“Julian, please. It wasn’t like that. I thought I wouldn’t survive your father, so you and Kaden would have each other to lean on. Neither of you would be alone.”
“Wait. This doesn’t make sense. You chose to have me, but you didn’t choose Kaden… did you? He forced you to conceive Kaden. That would ensure his hold on you. Answer me. Don’t start lying again now.”
Olivia collapsed in her chair, no longer fighting the tears that wanted to escape. “Kaden’s conception was not of my choice, but I never regretted him or you.”
Lover's Betrayal: Misfits of the Lore Series Page 22
