by Rye Brewer
“I’ll lock down the current supply. You’re right… I don’t trust what’s there now.” He pulled out his phone and started sending messages off to other clan members, or so I assumed. “We’ll put it in a locked cooler so there won’t be any getting into it. The next batch will be from a new source—anonymous,” he added as an afterthought. “We won’t let them know who’s ordering, just in case somebody’s targeting Bourkes.”
There was the Jonah I knew. “Good thinking.”
“But it’s not enough.” He paced a few strides in one direction then back again, tapping the phone against his chin. “I don’t know who to trust anymore. Our blood supply was the one thing I never had to worry about, but here we are.”
“Well, like you said, once you find a new supplier—”
“It’s not enough,” he replied, shaking his head. “No. I want my own lab. I want us to start producing our own synthetic blood. It’s the only way. I should’ve done this ages ago. If I had, we wouldn’t be in this spot now.”
“Don’t blame yourself. I mean, does any clan produce its own blood? You’d probably be the first. I don’t know if anybody else could even afford it.”
“We can afford it,” he said. “I’ll have one of my guys get on it right away. We’ll put a lab together and keep everything in-house. But that doesn’t change our current situation. Did someone else drink the blood Sara drank? We can’t get anywhere unless we know how much of the batch she fed from was contaminated.”
“I’ll see if Raze knows anything else about these Euro-vampires,” I offered.
It wasn’t the right offer.
Jonah’s face fell the second he heard Raze’s name.
“There’s nothing going on between us,” I added.
“Does he know that?”
“I’m serious. He’s just a friend.”
“If you say so.”
I was about to say something I’d probably end up wishing I could take back when the access door slammed open from inside.
We both jumped.
Gage was standing in the doorway, and when he saw me, he frowned. “What are you doing here? I thought the two of you split up.”
I shot him a dirty look which he didn’t seem to care about because he immediately turned to Jonah. “I need to talk to you.”
Jonah’s shoulders slumped. “What else is new?”
“What’s that mean?”
He shook his head. “Forget it. What do you need?”
“It’s not what I need. It’s what we need. We need to be aware of a new breed of shifters in town.”
That got my attention—and Jonah’s, too. “Who? How are they a new breed?”
And how did Gage know about them? I thought that was a worthwhile question, too, but kept my mouth shut.
“They’re not like the ones we’re used to. You know what I mean. They’re not thugs. They dress well, they’re classy and flashy. Tailored clothes, designer suits and sunglasses and nice cars.”
“How do you know they were shifters?” I asked.
Both he and Jonah gave me a look that said I must’ve been crazy. And I understood why. We could smell shifters.
It was something about their blood or something on their skin. Whatever it was, we sniffed it out easily.
“I followed some of them.”
“Followed them?” Jonah appeared ready to explode.
Gage winced but didn’t back down. “Hey, I had to do something. I couldn’t let them get away without finding out something about them.”
Jonah sighed. “What did you find out, then? Tell me it was worth you putting yourself in danger.”
“For one thing, they can shift at will.”
I glanced at Jonah, whose eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really?”
“Really. They’re not like the ones we’re used to, the ones who can’t control it when the moon is full. The moon doesn’t have to be full for these guys to do their thing.”
I was speechless. I had never seen anything like that before, or even heard of it. There was always something new to discover. I was tired of making discoveries.
I looked at Jonah, who didn’t seem as surprised as I was. Concerned, I thought.
“I’ve heard of shifters who can do that, but they live in Europe.”
Europe? Meanwhile, Raze was concerned about the Europeans who might have contaminated the blood. Was there a connection?
I glanced at Jonah to see if he was on the same page, but his face was blank. I guessed he was used to concealing his thoughts.
“Okay,” he said after a lot of thought, “I’ll check into it. Thanks for the heads-up.”
Gage gaped. “That’s it?”
“What?”
“That’s all? I mean, I think this could be dangerous. We should at least find out why they’re here.”
“Which is why I said I would check into it,” Jonah said through clenched teeth. “There are more pressing issues I’m dealing with right now, Gage.”
Gage’s expression shifted from anger to interest. “Is it Fane? Or Mom?”
“No.”
“What is it, then?” he pressed.
“Don’t worry about it right now, all right? I’ll catch you up later, once I have things under control.”
“I can’t believe you!” Gage exploded.
I took a step back and suddenly wished I wasn’t there to witness them tearing into each other.
“What now?” Jonah’s anger was just as strong as Gage’s.
I took another step away from them.
“When are you ever going to trust me, huh? What do I have to do to get you to be straight with me for once? Don’t you think I’ve earned a little bit of trust after all this?”
I winced as Gage’s voice cut through the air and pierced my ears.
I expected Jonah to shout something back—he was close to the end of his rope, so it wouldn’t take much to make him lose it. Instead, his body language changed. He relaxed. “You’re right.”
It was my turn to tense up.
He couldn’t tell Gage. He couldn’t tell anybody.
What was he thinking?
“There’s a problem with blood we have in storage… a potential problem,” he quickly added. “It might have been contaminated. So you see, I have my own issues to take care of.”
And he hadn’t mentioned Sara. What a relief.
Gage frowned. “I shouldn’t have blown up like that. I didn’t know. But you’ve gotta trust me a little more, man.”
“I know. I’m a little preoccupied. I have to find out who contaminated our batch and how we’ll move forward from here. Was it an inside job? Or did somebody from outside find a way to do it? Was it a deliberate move against us?”
“I get it. And I want to help,” Gage said.
“Keep an eye on the shifter situation for me and keep me informed. When I have more of this figured out, we’ll touch base.”
“Fair enough.” Gage shot me one more look before turning and going back down the stairs.
I waited until the door was closed before I faced Jonah. “Thank you for not giving Sara up.”
“Do you think I would ever do something like that to you?” he asked. “Do you have any faith in me at all?”
“Of course, I have faith in you.” I wasn’t sure if he thought I was worth going out of his way for anymore.
He said he loved me, and I believed him, but that didn’t mean he would forgive easily. I had hurt him, after all.
“So, what are you doing to do next?” he asked. “Are you going to wherever Sara is?”
I shook my head, and the sensation of tears prickling behind my eyes surprised me. I willed them away before they could spill over onto my cheeks. I didn’t know where I was supposed to go or how I would get there, what with Allonic helping Philippa. But I had to give him up so Philippa would keep her mouth shut.
I cleared my throat and pushed back the urge to cry. “I’m sort of low on options right now. I guess if I need to go som
ewhere. I can always go to Avellane, and I don’t think my father would mind giving me someplace to stay while I figure things out.”
“Avellane?” He frowned.
“What’s wrong with that? I sort of belong there, don’t I?” But I sort of didn’t, too. Same as how I sort of did but sort of didn’t belong with vampires.
“I didn’t say there was anything wrong. I was only wondering why you have to go so far away. I wouldn’t be able to contact you if I needed you for something.”
“What would you need me for?”
His lips curled up into a half-smile. “I can think of a few things. Listen. Why don’t you stay here? I mean, you have a pretty large stake in the outcome of this whole blood contamination thing. Don’t you want to know how it turns out? You could help, too.”
It was tempting, but… “What about the others? Won’t they think it’s sort of weird, me being here? Gage sure thought it was weird. What about Scott and Philippa?”
“Only they know we… broke up.” The muscles in his jaw jumped when he clenched it. “And they know my feelings for you haven’t changed, so I think it’ll be okay.”
My eyes started stinging again, and my chest went tight. I gritted my teeth and fought it back again. “Thank you.”
He nodded then glanced around.
I wondered if he was really looking around or just trying to avoid staring at me.
“Where’s Philippa?” he asked.
Your stupid freaking sister hijacked my brother, and now I can’t get to my sister because of her.
I decided against telling him that. Instead, I pointed to the other side of the roof, where she had told Allonic to wait for her.
They were gone.
15
Philippa
As soon as Jonah was on his way to where Anissa waited, I went to Allonic.
He was standing right where I’d asked him to wait. At least somebody knew how to follow directions in that family.
“Sorrowswatch, please,” I said as soon as I reached him.
His freaky eyes went wide. “You don’t waste time.”
“There’s no time to waste.”
He looked over my shoulder to where Jonah and Anissa were standing together.
I waved my hand in front of his face. “Hello? I’m serious. We’re in a hurry.”
He sighed, but he took off his dark-gray cloak and wrapped me in it.
I didn’t ask questions as he led me forward through the portal.
A moment later, there was no more wind around me. There was nothing but cold, stony silence.
Sorrowswatch.
I took off the cloak and handed it back to him then wished I had worn better walking shoes. I’d been in such a hurry back at the penthouse, I hadn’t thought about all the walking we were about to do. I slid out of my sandals and decided to barefoot it.
The floor was worn smooth, anyway.
We started walking together, and I noticed how Allonic didn’t question anything we were doing.
“You’re pretty easygoing, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?” He gazed down at me with a quizzical expression.
“You sort of go with the flow. You don’t put up a fight, you don’t ask a lot of questions. You know so many things, too. How do you know so much?”
“It’s my job. It’s what I do. I’m a Custodian.”
I waited for further explanation. When I got none, I asked, “What does that mean?”
“Custodians are the memory keepers. We’re in charge of all the scrolls and books and other ancient documents which tell the story of… well, of the history of the world. Especially our world, the world beyond what others believe is the limit.”
I took that in. “Did you get to decide who you wanted to be?”
“Not exactly,” he said with what I guessed passed for a chuckle for him. “Then again, I suppose you didn’t get the choice of who you wanted to be. You were born into your clan, into a certain position within the clan. And that was that.”
It was my turn to laugh. “Yes. I guess you’re right.”
“It’s all about duty,” he said. “And whether or not we decide to follow through with what we know we have to do.”
“Was there ever a time when you didn’t think you would follow through?”
“There was a time when I didn’t think I would be allowed to,” he said in a low voice. “There are still some who don’t believe I should be allowed to take on the duties of a shade.”
“Because you’re part vampire.”
“Correct.” He looked down at me again with a half-smile. “I used to envy vampires like you. The ones who knew where they belonged. Who were accepted as they were.”
I snorted. “Sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you. I’m not trying to make you feel bad. But that hasn’t been the case for me at all. I guess the grass is always greener, you know?”
“That hasn’t been the case?”
I shook my head and focused on watching my step. “Not hardly. I’m a girl in a family full of boys. They were the ones who were supposed to be in charge. So I was never expected to be anything or do anything but…”
“But?”
I blushed. “But be pretty.” I heard myself as I was about to say that and felt full of myself at the last second.
“You do a nice job of being pretty,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“That was all they wanted you to do? Be ornamental?”
“You said it so much nicer than I did.” I smiled in spite of myself.
“You’re very smart,” he offered. “I’ve noticed that already.”
“I always knew I was smarter than I was supposed to be, but it never got me anywhere. I mean, I could joke with my father—he always enjoyed a good verbal spar, you know? It was one of the only times I felt as though we spent quality time together. Otherwise, I was supposed to go shopping or go out with friends or go dancing. Maybe Dad wanted me to marry the right person one day. We never exactly discussed it. Although, I thought Dad liked when I was dating Vance.” My heart hurt when I said his name.
“He wanted his daughter to be involved with someone in a position of power.”
“Although, now I understand he might have wished it were anyone but Lucian’s son,” I mused. “I never knew it at the time, of course. I figured he wouldn’t like anybody who dared date his little girl. Fathers can be that way.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
I turned my face away and winced at the sound of emotion in his voice. “I didn’t mean to be clumsy like that.”
“No one ever does. I understand. It’s all right.”
He was so mellow and understanding. I questioned how much it would take to make his calm façade break down. “You’re a lot nicer than your sister,” I muttered.
He let out a sharp laugh. “Anissa? I observed tension between you two.”
“I guess it was pretty obvious.”
“It was.”
“Well, we don’t get along. That’s the long and short of it.”
“Have you ever wondered why? Anissa isn’t a bad person. A bit impetuous, maybe.”
“She thinks I’m worthless, and I think she’s pushy and always getting my brother into trouble he doesn’t need to be in.”
“I don’t think she thinks you’re worthless. I can’t see how she would.”
“As I said, you’re nicer than she is.”
We fell into an easy silence for the rest of our long, long walk.
I was comfortable with him. That was unusual. He was the only shade I ever knew, but I wasn’t nervous. Though we were walking into something I was unsure of, I wasn’t afraid.
“We’re getting close,” he said after what seemed like miles.
“Do you think he’ll be there?” I whispered.
“Do you?”
I shook my head, though I didn’t want to. “I doubt it. Whatever Valerius wants to do, it’s not down here. He has an agenda.”
“I agree. He
isn’t one to waste time.”
Still, we kept walking in the direction of the chamber. The fact was, I didn’t know why I was going back to where Valerius took over Vance’s body. Revisiting the scene of the crime, maybe. Wondering if there was anything I had missed, something I could use to find Vance. Or Nivia.
We reached the inner chamber, where the two of them had been waiting for us—Nivia in her sarcophagus, Valerius in his roots.
The roots were still there, though they had been torn apart to free Valerius. The sarcophagus stood open.
I ran my fingers over the glass and pondered how old it was. How long had it sat there? How long was my mother’s body inside it?
I would never forget the way she’d looked in there—and how she’d sounded when she stepped out. What she said. How different she was, even though she appeared the same. It was cruel, seeing her like that when she wasn’t Mom anymore.
“I wonder…” I didn’t mean to whisper it out loud. My voice echoed in the chamber.
“Wonder what?” Allonic waited by the doorway.
I didn’t know if he was standing guard or simply trying to be respectful.
“I wonder if she’s still in her body.”
The way Vance was sort of in there, even when Valerius was. Did she really die? Or is she alive in there somewhere? And did she know about Dad and Sirene? And the baby? I couldn’t imagine the torture of being locked in a prison with no way to speak, no way to reach out, and no control over my body. If she knew Dad found somebody else—and a witch, on top of that—it would break her heart. But there would be no way for her to say anything or talk to Dad about it. No. Fane. I couldn’t keep it all straight in my head.
Maybe it would be better if she wasn’t in her body. She wouldn’t have to suffer. Nonetheless , I wanted her back. I wanted to hope she was in there, that I would see the real her again someday. Just like I would see the real Vance.
Although it meant she would have to deal with the pain of knowing she had been replaced, part of me wanted her back. I knew it made me selfish, but I couldn’t help it.
“Nivia was a shade at first. Right? Before she was turned?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know her?” I turned to him.
