Flynn thought about it. “We should check Selene’s home too. Now that she’s dead, the family is unprotected and they could be at risk. Then again, they’re probably all gone, right?”
“Why would they be gone?” Liam asked. His confusion only added to theirs. “They have to fight to survive.”
Jolie was astounded. “When Selene was killed, didn’t anyone take the family in to protect them?”
Liam shook his head. “That’s not how it works here. Our societies are not the same as in other places. We don’t have the wealth that say, you do. We can’t easily take in twenty more vampyres. The only family that can take in Selene’s family would be mine. I head the council, but I don’t want to double my family’s size. It means more fees.”
“Fees?” Jolie was getting that feeling that something was definitely not right with the societies.
“Yes, we pay a monthly fee to the council to belong in the society. It goes to a pool of wealth handled by all the vampyres in Ireland.”
He looked confused. “Don’t you do the same thing in the United States?”
“Uh, no, we don’t charge families to belong to the societies. We support ourselves.” Jolie looked over at her mates and could see both were thinking the same thing.
It was odd. The head of the council was targeted. They definitely needed to dig deeper.
Jacques was the first to speak. “We need to follow up with the other families. Can you call them and tell them we’re coming?”
“I can, yes, but I don’t think your reception at Selene’s will be a pleasant one.”
They figured as much.
Now they knew the truth, they’d killed the head of the family, essentially damning them to be on their own.
She hadn’t known.
This was just one more reason why they didn’t like a fight where vamps were killed.
Liam scribbled the addresses down on some paper. “I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming. I appreciate you helping us this way. You don’t owe us this, especially after Selene cheated. If my mate were here, she would be more than happy to accompany you. She was originally from Selene’s family.”
They appreciated the offer.
Jolie took the addresses and handed them to Flynn. Since he was on the case, she’d let him run with it.
Jacques reached for his mates’ minds. ‘Do you think Liam would let you search his thoughts?’
‘I don’t know,’ she answered honestly.
There was only one way to find out.
“Liam, would you allow me to look into your mind to ensure that you’re not involved in this?”
He looked nervously around. “I would prefer not, Mistress, but I know that you could do it anyway.”
Jolie patted his arm. “I rarely force my will on anyone.”
Flynn snorted.
“Except my mates, who won’t like a cranky pregnant mate.”
Flynn shut up, and fast.
“Anyway, if I’m to help, I must know who the players and innocents are, Liam.”
He stepped closer to her. “Feel free,” he said waiting for her to touch his forehead.
Jolie touched his mind with hers. She delicately wandered around, checking out his memories. He was genuinely upset that this was happening, and that someone had left a spell outside his home.
Then she found what it was he didn’t want her to see.
She was amused.
It appeared Liam wasn’t involved.
“Thank you, Master Liam.”
“Thank you for your help.” He stepped back to move away from her body and the scowling mates.
“We should go,” Flynn stated.
Jacques agreed.
“My mate and I wish you a safe journey to the other homes. I wish the wind to your back, and the road smooth beneath your feet.”
They bid Liam and his family goodbye.
Jolie led her mates to the SUV. Once inside, both men turned to face her in the back seat.
“You’re a menace.”
She started laughing. “I think I handled the situation pretty well. He attacked, and I proved that I’m not exactly helpless. I took him down before my big, lethal mates had to do it.”
Flynn stared at her.
“My love, you know it’s true. I know you and Jacques like to think I’m helpless, but I’m not. Two babies don’t make me weak. In fact, they make me stronger. I’d fight harder for them.”
She had a point.
“Besides, Liam is harmless. You heard him scream. That’s sad, considering he’s head of the council.”
“What was he hesitant about you seeing? Come on and spill it,” said Flynn.
Jacques was curious too.
“Yes, what is the big mystery that he didn’t want you to see?”
Jolie knew she should have fun with it. When they went all possessive, it was hot, but they had to be monitored or they’d go off the rails and she’d be locked up for her own good.
“He thought I was sexy, and his fantasies were pretty extensive.”
Both men growled low and Jolie couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m going back in to kill him.”
Jacques unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’ll be joining you.”
Jolie found them amusing. “Why don’t we wait to kill him later, my loves? We have to have an ally on the council.”
She was right, but they didn’t have to like it.
At all.
While her mate drove, Flynn was busily reaching for the people in their home. His partner was at the house with Cari and Camille, but Percy was missing in action.
“Where are Percy and Mina?” he asked.
Oh, they knew, but they couldn’t say. At that moment, they would be setting up for the handfasting ceremony.
“Maybe they’re cuddled up and having sex,” Jacques offered.
Flynn stopped searching for them. He didn’t want to hear those thoughts in anyone’s head. He wouldn’t like anyone peeping on them.
“How much further?” Jolie asked, changing the subject. They were getting riled up, and the last thing they needed was that when they headed to another family’s home.
“We’re here,” Jacques offered, pulling into a driveway.
“Great. Let’s get this done.”
Jacques opened her door and took her hand. “Please be on alert, Jolie. I really don’t like that we’re wandering around here. It’s dangerous.”
She was aware.
Flynn took her other hand. “Stay between us, and we’ll be more than fine.”
She trusted her mates.
Flynn paused.
“What’s wrong?” Jolie asked.
He didn’t have time to answer. Something felt off at Selene’s homestead.
He felt the energy and moved. Placing his body in front of his mates, Flynn took a chest full of silver.
Jolie gasped.
It took Flynn to his knees.
The blades were right to his heart. Whoever was coming at them wasn’t messing around.
At all.
Jacques didn’t hesitate.
While Jolie handled Flynn, he did what he had to do.
He protected his mates with his life.
∞ Chapter Twenty-Five ∞
Harcourte Rental
Home
As they watched, the homestead was calm. Nothing stirred there, and that was worrisome. There should be chaos, insanity, and killing, but there was nothing of the sort. Someone had dropped the ball.
“Why didn’t it work?” she asked.
“I have no idea.”
“We had to screw this up.”
He wasn’t sure.
“We can put down more spells. Maybe it was a dud. The next one should be even stronger.”
There was that doubt that they could pull this off. So far, it was working on the less powerful vampyres in Cork, but the intruders were stronger. These spells offered cover to grab a human mate here and there. It was perfect.
&n
bsp; No one suspected anything as of yet.
“We can try.”
“Have you given up hope?” he asked. “Are you ready to bail on me?”
She shook her head. “No, but we are playing a dangerous game. If she finds us, we’re dead.”
Oh, he was well aware.
He’d done his research, and Jolie Harcourte was legend. There were rumors flying around her about her ability to channel Death.
They were afraid of her power.
Still…
The humans were worth the risk—and damn tasty.
“Have faith. The others are falling. Before long, we’ll be sitting pretty.”
She hoped so.
“You still love me, right?”
Of course she smiled at him, trying to calm his fears.
“Why would you even ask that? You know how I feel about you.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Shall we head back? We can start preparing for the next batch of spells. Before long, we’ll be in control of the societies.”
She hoped so.
Then once she was in charge, he’d have to go.
There was no need for a mate.
A man.
Or a partner.
No, she didn’t need his help.
At all.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
He loved a fight.
It was in his blood.
As the three guardians and the one male vampyre headed his way, Jacques knew what was at risk.
There was no way they were getting past him.
He pulled two silver blades from his sleeves, and charged straight into the fight. He wasn’t going to give up, and this was war.
They’d attacked and hurt his mate.
As Jacques killed the guardians, he reveled in the thrill of battle.
The tattoo on his chest began warming, as he did what he was born to do—protect.
As the vampyres went down, one by one, he grinned in triumph.
Yes, he’d missed this.
And now it was back.
When there was only the one vampyre remaining, Jacques was prepared to kill him too.
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get his chance.
The vamp dropped his daggers.
Well, crap.
There went his fun.
When the male went to his knees, a sign of surrender, Jacques held back.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Roman. I’m Selene’s brother, and I must avenge her death.”
Jacques wanted to kill him, but Jolie appeared at his side, Flynn not far behind.
“Welcome back to life,” he teased his mate, all the while keeping his eyes on the kneeling vampyre.
“Yeah, thanks. I loved this shirt too.”
When he snapped his fingers, it was clean and there were no holes.
“You came here to slaughter us after killing my sister. I have to protect this family. I’m all they have left.”
Jolie’s laughter trickled over everyone. “Did we watch the same challenge, Roman? She attacked me and cheated. I didn’t come here to kill you.”
“What do you want then?” he growled.
She told him about the spell.
It seemed to confuse and calm him at the same time.
“We’ve had angry vampyres here the last few days. In fact, before you killed Selene, she was trapped in rage. I think that’s why she broke the rules and wanted your blood.”
Well, that told them everything they needed to hear.
Jolie turned to her mates. “Find the spell. I’ll bet big money that there’s one here too.”
They didn’t need to take that bet.
Flynn didn’t want to leave her side. “Will you be okay, baby?”
“Yes, I will be. Our host here is going to play nice, aren’t you, Roman?”
He didn’t want to die. The family needed him, so he fought the anger that was growing in him.
“I think I can stay calm.”
Jolie could take him. Roman, while a killer, was very young.
Hell!
He was so green that Mathew could have taken him in a fight, and that said a lot.
Jolie pointed to chairs beneath the trees as her mates headed around the building. “May we sit?”
Roman followed her to the seating, his body tense. He was expecting the worst.
When they sat, Jolie made sure death was close to the surface. If he were going to lunge, she’d drain him dry.
Roman sat back in his chair.
“Why did you attack without just asking us why we were here?” she inquired.
“You’re here to destroy us.”
That couldn’t be further from the truth. “Actually, I’m helping the society find the person playing with black magick.”
He watched her.
“Did Liam call you?”
He shook his head.
“I asked him to let you know we were coming. Why don’t you call him now?”
The man looked wary.
“No trick. I swear.”
He did as she asked. When he was finished, he shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“He was calling me next. He’d already spoke to Master Patrick and Mistress Saxton.”
“See? It was a misunderstanding. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I’m here to help. I get why you attacked. It’s been a rough couple of days for you and your family.”
“It has been.”
She thought about losing someone she loved. Jolie struggled to think about Alexandre, but she couldn’t focus on him. She didn’t understand why he popped into her head.
Then he popped out.
What was she thinking about?
It was gone.
Roman relaxed now that he knew Liam had sent them to the house. “The pressure is on, and now I’m stuck ruling my sister’s family.”
She imagined it would be.
“I’m trying to hold this family together and it isn’t easy. We don’t have the assets to assimilate into Liam’s family.” He said it honestly with little shame. “We are a new society. My sister inherited it from her mistress when she was killed.”
“By another family member?” asked Jolie already pretty sure she knew the answer. “Was it in a fit of anger?”
“Yes, she was Primus maybe a year, if that. We were struggling to get by. If you look around, you can see the oldest here is a mere one hundred and twenty five.”
They were fledglings.
Jolie could recall being in that exact same boat.
“I remember that age myself.” She sat forward and touched the vampyre’s arm. “Someone came to our home and left a nasty spell outside that affected my mate. It made him angry, and he tried to hurt me.”
“That’s what happened to our former mistress. Her mate just lost it one day, took out a silver dagger, and pierced her heart. Then when he realized what he had done, he took his own life.”
Jolie glanced over as her mates headed their way. She knew by what they held in their hands that they had found spell fragments.
“Jolie, we found glass, bones, and string,” said Flynn, laying it on the table. “In fact, there is more than one spell here. We found remnants of multiple ones. Someone is definitely screwing with these families, just like ours. We have a killer. They may not be doing the actual killing, but they are setting the scene for the murders.”
As a cop, they knew that insulted him.
Roman touched the pieces, “So…it is witches.” They could hear the animosity in his voice.
They weren’t surprised.
“It looks like we’ll be busy trying to find them.”
Flynn held out his hand, and Jolie took it. He then took a seat, placing her in his lap. Jacques immediately went to their back, resting his hands on each of their shoulders.
They were connected and a unified front.
“Why would you help us? My sister tried to kill you and your children.”
Jolie studied the young man. She recall
ed what her life was like at that age. It was nothing but never-ending suffering. If she could help, even a little bit, she would.
“Because one day, when you’re my age, Roman, you’ll have seen many things that touch your life. You’ll have to make a choice. Instead of being weak and powerless, you’ll have the power to change it. I hope you think back to this moment and make the choice to not let someone suffer.”
“Your family is very lucky to have you, Mistress Jolie,” he said honestly. “I’m sorry we tried to attack you. The anger…”
She got it.
“I’m the lucky one.” She felt the love from her mates, and Jolie knew what she needed to do.
She was paying it back to the universe.
“Would you object to me checking your mind? I want to make sure you’re not involved.”
“Normally, I’d be insulted, but I have nothing to hide.”
Jolie moved toward him.
He stayed perfectly still. He did have a guardian and mate glaring at him.
When Jolie swept into his mind, she found nothing incriminating.
He was safe, and she had a plan.
“Roman, I have something I wish to offer you,” she said, as both men tensed. It made her smile. They were two worrying peas in the pod.
“What?”
“I know you are struggling, so I’m going to offer you two choices.”
“We are struggling, but we’ll make it. I’ll lead this family and build us back up again. I’m the next oldest vampyre, and this is my duty.”
Jolie smiled. “You misunderstand. I don’t want to take over your family,” she promised, and it helped him relax. “I’m offering to support you for the next year.”
“What?”
“I’m offering to bankroll your society. If in the next year, you can turn this family around and start showing signs of building it up, you can remain primus. If not, I’ll offer you sanctuary as part of our family.”
He looked surprised.
“Why would you do that?”
Jacques touched his mate’s cheek and knew why she would do it. He’d lived the lean years with her and remembered how hard it was to feed the humans and clothe the family when they had very little. Often, she went without to make sure they had plenty. That was why she’d make an amazing mother.
Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 30
