“He loves it,” Kellan snickered. “We always said the crocodile hunter was his cousin because his parents always had gator meat.”
“How long did you live in Australia Craig?” He was lost in gator revelation still.
“He moved to Seattle when he was four. That’s why he’s got the accent but none of the actual Australian dialect,” Kellan said.
“I don’t think he even has the English dialect,” I said. Kellan laughed. I observed him staring down at his best friend with true brotherly love in his eyes. I knew he would do anything for Craig and vice versa, which was proven in Craig risking his life to be here.
“Ready?” the server asked. He was a rugged athletic looking guy; messy chestnut brown hair only added to his boyish good looks. I could see him attracting a lot of women, but he seemed a bit more interested in sports by the way he kept staring at the match on the TV.
“Gator!” Craig yelled. “A gleaping glub of the fried fritters.”
The guy cracked a smile. “How many orders is a gleaping glub?”
“Four orders,” Craig promptly replied. He seemed so animated; truly a kid in a candy store. I was definitely going to have to find some gator in Charleston when we returned.
The rest of us ordered fish and chips or sausage and chips. As soon as the waiter walked away, again watching the TV as he did so, the mood changed at the table. It was time for business.
“There’s been some activity on the south end of the city,” Kalel announced. “Flashes of movement have been spotted. Can’t make out the identity or identities though so for now we need to take extra precautions.” He stopped and looked directly at me. “No going out alone for anything. We need to do better than pairs even. We have a better chance in groups of three or larger, but should try to stick with one larger group as much as possible.”
“I’ve contacted the army and was assured that back up is in the area should we need it, but there would be a delay from the time they were notified to arrival,” Al stated.
I noticed John narrowed his eyes at Al. Thinking back to what he’d text me I knew what he was concluding: that Al was the leak. Looking at it from this new angle though, perhaps he was inadvertently. The way Auggy threw me to the sharks at the vampeen embassy didn’t sit well with me.
“Who are you reporting to?” I asked.
“Auggy.”
“Does the back-up know about the mission details?”
“No. They’ve just been ordered to roam the area and stay low.” Something wasn’t adding up to me. The more I thought about the embassy and Auggy the more uneasy I became.
“What’s wrong?” Kellan pressed, taking hold of my hand beneath the table. I looked up at his emerald eyes gazing down into mine.
“John knew where we were because we have a mole in the group or a leak. I think your dad may be inadvertently leaking the information to the real mole: Auggy. How he handled the embassy just doesn’t sit right with me. I think there’s more to it; to him. I don’t think he’d set us up to fail a mission on purpose, but he certainly hasn’t been quiet about what we’re doing this time around. With the Bladangs, no one knew.”
Kellan tensed, squeezing my hand so hard I was surprised he didn’t break anything, vamp or not. “What’s in it for him?”
“What do you mean?”
“There has to be something in it for him. That’s the only reason he would broadcast it. Auggy seems petty so it could be as little as pride to have the people who shut down the oldest vamp on his payroll, but we don’t know for sure.”
“I don’t want to blast your dad, but I want him to stop all communication with the army. No company credit cards, no updates; nothing. We’ll move hotels, go to the outskirts or to another city entirely if we need to, but I want to see. The fact that John works at the vampeen headquarters eliminates a lot of assumptions with this guess.”
Kellan nodded his agreement. He and his dad locked eyes, silently communicating, though I didn’t know how much was fully passed. Al shook his head, glancing at me; he had a stern look upon his face. I couldn’t tell what he was feeling; if he was angry at me or even angry at all.
“Don’t worry babe. He’s not mad at you. He’s mad at Auggy. I’ll talk to him after, but I’m pretty sure he has the same conclusion you have.” It was my turn to nod now.
“Anything exciting happen since the last time I saw you love?” John asked, this time choosing the native accent. He winked at me, eliciting a growl from Kellan.
“Hm. Let’s see.” I tapped my index finger on my chin. “I died; Kellan revived me somehow. We killed a room full of black ninjas. Our dear friend Rafi died at the hands of the bastards. Oh, and we discovered we have a mole in the group.” I squinted my eyes, staring off in the distance. “Yup, that’s it. Nothing major.” The sarcasm was dripping off my voice.
“Well damn. Aren’t you just a pot of rosey?” he lightly chuckled, though it was clear he was now uncomfortable. Luckily they brought out our food right at that moment.
John stared down at the food before him, a war between skepticism and curiosity playing out in his eyes. I promptly opened a few blood packets into an empty dipping container and set it in front of him. He looked at me, silently gauging my offer.
"Try it. You can't turn your nose up to what you haven't tried," I said.
He stared down at his platter once more. After another glance around at all of us, including Al and Aunt Claire, whom I'd turned onto the notion at Christmas with all my delectable treats, he seemed more open to it. We were all absorbed in our consumption with random chatter filling the space between our smacks.
"Just do it!" I shouted.
He narrowed his eyes at me, silently screaming 'Challenge accepted.' He gazed into my eyes, holding my attention as he dipped a piece of sausage into the blood and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, never losing his focus on me. The moment he swallowed, I saw him waiting, anticipating, the regurgitation that didn't happen when we ate food. It was as if our bodies recognized the difference.
After a few seconds with no reaction, he finally beamed with delight at the revelation. "Whoa! That's bloody awesome!" he exclaimed, British accent in tow.
"Told you," I smirked.
He winked, oozing with charm. Kellan cut his eyes at John, but he just shrugged him off. "Don't get your nickers in a bunch. She still reeks of you."
Kellan visibly eased at that while I struggled not to tense. I looked down the table at Kai, who'd pushed his food away at the reminder. How did I ever end up in a Jacob - Edward triangle? I hated the tug and pull Bella endured, but could absolutely understand her hesitation. Unfortunately, for Kai, at this point, he was clearly Jacob and clearly the loser in this game of hearts.
One of the good things about my predicament was it distracted me from Sir Staten. I struggled not to think about what was coursing through my veins. I didn't feel any different, but then again I didn't know what I was expecting or even what to expect.
Chapter 23
As we walked out of the pub, Kellan leaned in close, taking my hand in his. “Are you sure you’re ok?” I gently nodded, always touched by his awareness of me. We both knew I wasn’t ok, but we also knew I didn’t want to talk about it.
Abruptly Kalel stood at attention in front of our pack. Nose up, he sniffed the air, almost how I pictured a werewolf to. The second his nostrils flared and eyes darted to me, I froze. Oh crap.
He was in front of me in a split second, my wrist to his nose. Kellan growled a low, harsh warning; he was tense beside me prepared to spring any second. Kalel inhaled my scent deeply. His eyes narrowed in their focus on me. Oh God, he definitely scents it.
“Where were you?” he demanded, no softness in his tone.
I looked beyond his dominance, overwhelming the space in front of me, to find the others copying his investigative sniff. One by one their eyes landed on me accusatively. I yanked my wrist from his grip and took a shaky step backwards. Kellan cocked his head, as if he was fi
nally picking up on what the others already had.
“That’s you?” he asked. He tried to lift out entwined fingers towards his nose but I pulled back my hand before he could. “Where were you?” His tone was colder than Kalel’s, invisible barriers all around him. It’s not that they instantly thought I’d betrayed them, but they were looking at me as if I was the definition of trouble.
I swallowed the serum quickly rising to my defense and took another step away. “The marina,” I replied, no confidence in my voice.
“With who?” Kalel pressed. I felt the earth, the air, closing in all around me, growing thicker with each second that passed under their scrutiny.
My eyes flashed to Will who immediately pieced together my secret. I didn’t think the man could look more horrified.
“No… Really? No…” he stumbled, flipping through the pages of a binder like a mad man. “It… it just can’t. Oh dear heavens.” He was physically shaking.
“Will you stop muttering nonsense and tell us?!” Gabi interjected.
“I… I… it just can’t be. I mean it’s not possible,” he continued mumbling, now writing with a vengeance.
“Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on and why I have this intense urge to drain Lexi?!” Gabi yelled, a huff quickly following her outburst.
Kellan promptly settled himself in front of me. I looked around, grateful that there wasn’t much human traffic around at the moment, but still all the more uneasy with the situation.
“Let’s just go to the club like we agreed,” I said, hoping they’d forget about my new scent.
I flashed back to the second Sir Staten’s blood hit my tongue. The merriment of delicious flavors danced around on my tongue; his warmth sliding effortlessly down my throat. It felt so real.
“Lexi!”
My eyes snapped open to find I’d bitten Kellan’s neck. In public. In front of the restaurant windows. I jumped away from him, my hand flying to cover my mouth and any blood on it. My pulse raced so loud I could barely hear my own thoughts. They all gaped at me in horror. Al and Craig had positioned themselves to block whatever view the diners would have had.
The concern on Kellan’s face nearly broke me. He held a hard hand on the vein below my bite to stop the blood. The serum regurgitated in my mouth. I quickly covered my mark and ran away. I heard someone hold Kellan back while a few others argued over who should follow me. I didn’t stop or even slow down. I ran at the quickest human pace in no general direction, just wherever the wind carried me.
What’s wrong with me?! I’d never lost consciousness like that before. I was always in control, or at least to the degree of keeping myself in check in public. This mission was testing me. I was either going to crumble or come out stronger than before. Thus far I wasn’t doing too well. I was a mess; a whining whimpering pot of disaster with no back bone left. Where the hell is my courage?! Where was the brave vampeen that started this mission?
“Lost my dear?” I halted immediately at the sound of her voice. I looked to my right to find Imara standing in the doorway of a small shop advertising tarot card readings, psychic readings and few other mediums. At the crease in my brow and confusion on my face, she waved me inside.
Inside, the space was a diverse mix of rich patterns, textures and colors found in the Middle East. Deep reds, dark purples, burnt orange and midnight blue painted a royal palate. The knick knacks of gold Buddha’s, Kali and the sun and moon filled in all the gaps on the wall to wall bookshelf that lined the left wall. Ancient books of varying binds added a warm layer of character to the space. Candles, again in varying colors, sat on the remaining available surfaces as the smell of pungent incense floated through the shop.
She gestured to the dark mahogany table and chair set in the center of the room. She lit all the white candles in the room and closed the purple velvet curtains, instantly creating a cocoon of warmth.
“The white candles will calm your spirit, but likewise enlighten you to its truth,” she stated, taking a seat across from me at the table. She stared directly at me, patience in her aura.
“Um, how long have you had this place?”
She smiled. “That’s not what you really want to know.”
She grabbed my hands, turning them palm up, and placed her own atop mine. She closed her eyes. As if she was projecting her energy over me, a veil of peace settled around me.
“Oh, my dear,” she softly cooed. “Your spirit is lost. Your heart is not speaking with your mind; you are not aligned with your desires. You have lost your tender balance of life. You are wandering aimlessly and will surely suffer at the hands of fate if you do not reconnect with yourself.”
A sob escaped me. She knew exactly what it was I was going through. She probably was the only one. Not even Kellan knew it all. I had lost my focus; I felt like a stranger even to myself.
“Calm down child. You are strong. Your spirit belongs to a warrior; the same silent strength your mother had.”
I swallowed the waterfall of tears quickly brimming. The doctor said that vampeens were the most vulnerable and emotional in their first year after transition, but because of the death of my parents so abruptly following it, I was even more volatile. It didn’t change the way I felt about my weakness and general state. It wasn’t an acceptable excuse for me. I couldn’t be weak. I couldn’t fall apart on a whim. I had to be strong.
“Strength lies in both the tears shed and unshed Alexa. You know what you are capable of; what you are destined to accomplish. You have nothing to fear. Staten has ensured that you will have what you need.”
“What do you mean? How do you-“ She raised a questioning brow at me, challenging my doubt. “Right. Of course you would know about him with all your… gifts?”
“Yes, they are gifts. The gods bless us with the gifts they believe we deserve to aid us in our journeys. You know you are special because of a preset path, but you do not feel that you are special. It is by obligation only that you press on; not from true heart. In order to save your life and those of the ones you love, you must find the missing link. Your heart and mind must align. You cannot love if your mind does not accept. Likewise, you cannot succeed if your mind does not allow.”
I’d only known Imara for a short time, but she didn’t cease to amaze me. She was so connected. It was as if she was the essence of Mother Earth. She had such a strong understanding of life and every facet of self.
“Thank you.” I offered her a small smile. She squeezed our joined hands once before releasing me. I was expecting the blanket of comfort to leave me raw the moment she pulled away, but alas it didn’t.
“They are near,” she stated. I knew she was talking about my friends, my lover; my family. “Take your time Lexi. Do not make haste when your inside is not prepared for the physical fight.”
I heard them round the final corner; the grumbling of Kai, Kalel and Kellan carried into the shop. I stood and extended my hand. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how you knew I needed you, but I really appreciate it nonetheless.”
She reached into a hidden pocket within her dress and handed me a card. “This will tell you how to reach me should you ever need me, although I’m already attuned to you.” I took the card, flipped it backwards and forwards, confusion settling into the creases on my forehead. It was a blank white business card. “When you truly need me, the words will reveal themselves. Until then, rely on your own inner strength that we both know is there.”
I didn’t know whether I wanted to hug her or hate her for her confidence in me. It was unnerving, yet empowering at the same time.
I tucked the business card in my pant pockets right as the guys burst through the shop door, all narrowed eyes passing between me and Imara. I cleared my throat, turning back to Imara. “Thanks again.”
I walked straight up to the guys, grabbed Kai and Kellan’s hands and dragged them out of the shop knowing the others would follow suit. “We need to talk,” I blurted the second we were a good fifty feet f
rom Imara’s business.
“Let’s head back to the hotel to avoid eavesdroppers,” Kai suggested. I nodded in agreement, allowing them to lead the way. I didn’t even recall how I’d gotten to Imara’s; my mind was so preoccupied that I couldn’t find my way back if my life depended on it. Ok, so technically I could follow the lingering scent of the pub off in the distance, but that would only take me back to the restaurant.
~~~
We all gathered in Kalel’s room. He and Al made quick work of their surveillance systems while Will took over the desk, his papers covering every possible square centimeter of it. He was still engrossed in his notes.
Aunt Claire placed a gentle hand on my left shoulder, slinking her arm around me. “I love you Lexi, but we need to nip this thing in the bud. I can’t lose you.”
“I know,” I nodded.
I sat down on the bed beside Craig. He nudged me, a wide grin on his face; he was always breaking the tension. I took a deep breath, looking around at the firing squad. Slowly they gave me their attention, but their arms were folded protectively over their chests. I had a lot of explaining to do.
“What gives Lex? We’ve all sacrificed a lot to be here. I don’t even want to talk about what we’ve lost since we arrived. You owe us an explanation at the very least,” Gabi said, no cajoling whimsy in her tone. I couldn’t blame their attitude, especially hers. I couldn’t say I’d have been as forgiving as her if I’d lost Kellan in a battle that wasn’t even ours.
“I owe you guys a lot. I messed up; I’ve continually messed up. I thought I was protecting you by keeping certain things from you, but I’ve only made things worse. Please don’t take this the wrong way because I appreciate you all so much, but I feel this huge pressure because you all are here. I…” I sighed, trying to find the right words to express myself. “It’s like I have all these kids to watch and protect when it would be so much easier just looking out for myself.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. How about you count how many times we’ve saved your ass while you climb down off your high horse,” she ordered, disdain oozing from her.
3 Hit the Road Jack Page 16
