“No.”
“Do you want my help or not?” she snapped.
“My plan revolves around all the Van Wildens dying. All of them.”
“And how do you propose to kill them?”
“By the usual methods.”
“Not with Morgana, you can’t.”
“Oh, and why not?”
“Well, she’s the daughter of a Primus. You see, we only die from a certain wood.”
Ragnorok grabbed her by the back of her hair, tilting her head back up to his. “Now you will tell me.”
Mariza chuckled. “I let you control me in the bedroom.” She reached back, prying his grip off her hair, crushing his fingers in the process. For the first time, she saw a shadow of fear flicker across Ragnorok’s face. He masked it with indifference. But she had seen it.
Her voice turned cold and menacing. “But don’t make the mistake of thinking you have any power or strength over me.” She loosened her grip on Ragnorok. “What I need from you is a way to kill them all at once. My sister, my stepmother, and my creation,” she said the last word with a shudder. “And his little friend. They all know how to fight.” And they possess hawthorn. But she didn’t want to divulge the last part out loud. Not yet, anyway. “But you know all this, and yet you pursue with this plan of yours.” She stepped up to him, Ragnorok watching her with caution. “So what I need to know is how you plan to take them down and how I can be a part of it.”
Ragnorok’s mouth was a thin line. He straightened his fingers out as they were beginning to heal. “What’s in it for me if I do decide we can work together?”
“Simple, I won’t kill you. I can, you know. Without a second thought.”
Ragnorok narrowed his eyes.
“Iz that all?” Svetlana was suddenly behind her and didn’t sound too impressed. “Does not seem like much of an incentive.”
Mariza eyed the second-in-command with contempt. “Fine. Your plan is to take them all down? Even The Council?”
“Yes,” Ragnorok replied. “Every single one of them.”
Mariza stood back, holding her right elbow with her left hand as she tapped her forefinger on her cheek. “If I show you what will kill Primus, you have to promise not to kill my father or use it against me, to only use it against the Council Elders and Morgana.”
Ragnorok arched an eyebrow. “Do you want me to swear it in blood?”
Mariza’s top lip curled. “No. Don’t be so crude.”
“And you have no problem with me killing the other Council Elders?”
Mariza shrugged. “Take the rest of The Council down if you wish.” They were all dead to her anyway.
Ragnorok leaned forward. “So, care to enlighten us?”
“In due time, my friend, in due time.”
***
Ragnorok didn’t like to pretend to cower to the blonde Primus.
His fingers hurt. Of course, she had strength over him, he was willing to admit that, but she was untrained, and her strength was raw. That was why she needed him. He had been training to fight since the day of his turning, ever since he witnessed the Van Wildens in action. She could also get close to them without them fighting her off—well, at least physically.
He had the feeling the prissy blonde in front of him didn’t like to get her hands dirty either.
No, he decided he would pretend to concede to her, let her think she was in charge.
For now.
After all, she had access to the family he had never dreamed of getting until now.
And he needed a way in.
“I don’t like her,” Svetlana hissed in his ear.
“I know, my dear.” He also kept his voice low, so only his second-in-command could hear. “It’s the old cliché about keeping your enemies closer and so on.” He gestured with his hand. “And she says she knows the secret for killing them. We’ll need to procure such information from her.”
Mariza smiled at them as she wandered around the room. They had moved their conversation inside in case any of the Van Wilden riffraff was hanging around listening. Mariza seemed to be inspecting the place. Why she needed to do this was beyond him. But he let her roam. Ragnorok gave her a small wave.
It was the only flaw in his plan—he didn’t know what could kill them. Angelique had known, and unfortunately, the secret had died with her. And as much as he hated to grovel to the bitch, he did need her.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Mariza trailed a hand over the settee. “Well, this abode is certainly a lot nicer than the other home.”
“I don’t particularly care for it.” Ragnorok looked around at the walls. “Living in a house like this seems so very human.” His lip curled up in distaste. “But after your sister discovered our other lair, well, it’s been a necessary evil.”
“I see.” Mariza grimaced. She turned around, a fake smile on her face. “I don’t suppose you have anything to drink? I’m famished.”
“Cedric, would you be a sport and fetch us some nourishment?” Ragnorok asked one of his members.
“Yes, my Lord.” Cedric, a young, lean boy, barely out of his teen years, bowed before exiting the room.
Mariza arched an eyebrow. “You make them call you Lord?”
“Well, I am their leader.”
Mariza snorted, turning back to admire the furniture.
Cedric returned within seconds with a tray of wine glasses almost overflowing with blood. Mariza caught a whiff of the blood. She turned and took a glass off the tray, then sat on the chaise without invitation.
Ragnorok’s lips twisted, but he sat in the opposite armchair. Svetlana remained standing to his right.
Mariza took a hesitant sip, the burst of the blood’s freshness coated her tongue. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. This blood is fresher than the previous blood you’ve offered me.”
Ragnorok’s grin spread wider, and he shared a look with Svetlana. “Yes, we’ve gotten ourselves a new supply.”
“Wonderful.” Mariza held up her glass to him. “So, what are our plans moving forward?”
Ragnorok stilled. “Yes, our plans.” He took a sip of blood.
“I don’t have all year. The sooner I get rid of my dreadful stepmother and whiny creation, the quicker I can get back to my normal life.”
“Succubusing.”
“Entrepreneuring.”
“If that’s what you call it.”
“I do.” She narrowed her eyes.
Ragnorok set his glass down on the small table beside him. “Very well, Mariza.” He stood and walked over to her, offering his hand. She eyed him suspiciously. “If you would follow me.”
***
Mariza followed Ragnorok down to the basement. The entrance was hidden by a bookshelf with a large steel door behind it, which slammed behind them when they entered.
Her nose crinkled. Why was it always the basement where people kept their dark and dirty secrets?
Only this time there was a very good reason for the Forest Clan to hide their secret away. She arched an eyebrow when she stepped down off the last step into the room.
If The Council knew about what she saw, they wouldn’t have been dragging their heels when it came to making a decision. They would certainly want this clan eradicated.
Hanging from the ceiling were young girls, even a couple of young boys, strapped up by their arms and legs. From deep cuts in their skin, blood dripped into plastic kiddie pools below them.
That would explain the fresher blood, then.
Mariza walked through the maze of human blood bags. “How do they not know about this?” They, being her family of Council agents—whose job it was to sniff out vampires treating humans this way because of the attention it brought to their race.
“Soundproofed walls and the room is airtight once the door is sealed. No odors can escape,” Ragnorok replied.
“No windows?” She glanced around.
“All sealed up.”
“How does the blood stay fresh?”
“It doesn’t really. We keep drinking and feasting… none of this waiting to feed once-a-week crap here. We feed quite regularly. Besides, I have quite the hungry horde to feed.”
“So, there’s more of you than what was left outside?”
“Yes,” Ragnorok hissed.
“Impressive.” She stuck a finger under one body, covering her finger in blood before placing the finger into her mouth, Ragnorok watching her movements. “Not a bad system you have here.”
“Yes, and we want to keep living like this, too. It’s a vampire’s right. But to do so, we need to get rid of your family. All of them. All the way back to The Council.”
Mariza crossed her arms over her chest. “Remember, leave Father alone. I’ll get him away from here as far as possible.”
“And how will you do that?”
Mariza grinned. “I have my ways.”
Ragnorok stepped forward, his gray eyes darkening. “I’ve shown you our secrets, and now I think it’s time you held up your part of the bargain.”
“Fine. But I can’t get it to you yet.”
Ragnorok raised an eyebrow.
Mariza sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. “I don’t have it on me. Why would I carry around something that would kill me?” She inched closer to him, dropping her voice into her sultriest tone, “So while I’m here, I may as well hear how you’re going to kill the others.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
After hearing the Forest Clan’s plans for her family, Mariza decided it was best to hold up her end of the deal. Nowadays, she had started wearing wolfsbane to cover her vampire presence, which would come in handy when the time came for her to sneak into her father’s home—she had never thought of it as theirs—her stepmother’s and his home.
After watching the house, she chose an opportune moment when they were all out during the day—most likely at that fatuous campaign office. She entered the house, sneaking her way up to Morgana’s bedroom.
Inside the room, she threw open the wardrobe doors, pushing aside the hanging clothes, and felt along the back wall, knocking on the panel. A solid thudding sound met her ears. Her lip turned up in a grimace. There should be a hidey-hole in here, she knew it. She stamped her foot, causing her to look down. Her head tilted to the side. How odd. There was a gap in the shoes lined up along the bottom.
She knelt and rapped her knuckles on the wood. The duller thud alerted her to the hollow hiding space. Prying the wooden board up, the lingering traces of hawthorn and wild rose wrinkled her nose, but the space was empty.
Dammit.
Her stepmother.
She would have hawthorn too—to use against her.
But where would she hide it?
Not in the bedroom she shared with her father.
He would have detected it.
No, it had to be somewhere else. She ran downstairs, rummaging through each nook and cranny.
A soft scratching sound followed by a low growl could be heard behind her.
Mariza turned around.
The puppy they’d adopted was standing behind her, his hackles raised and his canines bared at her.
Shit, the dog.
For a puppy, he was quite large. His oversized paws showed he was going to be an enormous dog.
The bundle of tan and black fur sprinted toward her, barking loudly.
She stood and laughed.
But the little critter didn’t stop its charge. He looked like he meant business.
Mariza turned and ran. Not because she was scared, but if the dog bit her, the scent of her blood in his mouth, or if any droplets fell on the floor, would alert the others to her having been here.
Out of instinct, she took the stairs to the basement. They led her down into what looked like a training room. She slammed the door behind her—the dog howled and scratched at the door. But Mariza’s attention was drawn to the back wall. Rows of stakes were lined up, all facing down. Her nose led her to the wall.
A smile spread across her face.
Very clever, stepmother.
The hawthorn stake was there, cleverly mixed in with the other scents of various woods.
Hidden in plain sight.
Her father mustn’t come down here much.
She trailed her hands over the ends of the stakes, searching for the hawthorn.
Finally, down near the bottom in the right-hand corner, she found it next to a sweet menthol smelling wood which did a good job of masking the smell of hawthorn.
“But not good enough, stepmother.” She grinned, staring at the hawthorn stake in her hand.
She’ll take the stake and hand it over to Ragnorok to seal their alliance.
Mariza hid the stake in the folds of her dress.
She flung open the door to find the dog glaring at her with his dark eyes.
“Be a good dog and don’t tell anyone I was here.” She slinked past him, trying to pat him on the head. He turned his head and snapped at her hand.
“Geez, you’re a little brute,” she sneered, turning on her heel and exiting the house as quickly as she could. She was sure the puppy followed her as fast as he could until she slammed the front door in his face.
***
Mariza hummed to herself, happy with the success of retrieving the stake. Her footsteps were silent as she approached the sitting room where Ragnorok was talking with Svetlana.
Neither could sense her presence. She was still covered in wolfsbane, and instinct directed her to hang back. She leaned against the cream wall listening to their conversation.
“I don’t like having to pretend we’re not going to kill all of them.” Svetlana sounded like she was pacing.
“I know, but we need to keep up the rouse.”
“He killed Gregovich. I vont to see him dead.”
“Of course, we’re going to kill him. You’ll get revenge for your brother, don’t you worry about that, my dear.” Ragnorok spoke first. “Oscar is a Council Elder, he has to be the first to go.”
“Vot about your deal with Mariza?” Svetlana asked.
“In battles, there are always casualties. We make sure Oscar is one of them.”
“This pleases me.”
“As it does me. You know it’s too bad you and I don’t share our bed anymore. I could do with a fuck. That whiny little Dhampir stopped me from taking another to turn.”
“Why don’t you ask Mariza? I’m sure she will be more than accommodating again.”
Ragnorok chuckled.
Mariza clenched her teeth, biting back the growl.
Motherfuckers.
She went to step into the room to kill them both, but then an idea occurred to her. This plan would hurt them both and ensure her revenge on the others.
***
Later in the forest, Mariza ran her finger over the fine layer of dust inside Ragnorok’s abandoned treetop hut. The Forest Clan certainly hadn’t been back here in a while. When she’d come through before looking for Ragnorok, she hadn’t really stepped into the hovels. She’d passed by them when she couldn’t sense him there.
Good.
Ragnorok stopped her once before from destroying the woods. He didn’t want her destroying their precious homes.
Damn Ragnorok. Fucking bastard.
She was on her own.
Again.
She shrugged. She was used to it by now.
Looking around, a smile spread across her face as she walked out. Well, they didn’t live in the forest now, and she was in the mood to cause some damage.
She also needed to destroy their forest homes first to make some room.
She was going to take away Ragnorok’s satisfaction of revenge by going ahead with their plans, but she was going to be the one to kill them.
Except for Daddy, of course.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“What are we doing in the woods?” Alastor asked, looking around. A few days had passed, and Vivienne decided it was time for an outdoor stealth-training session. Alastor
had agreed.
“Since the Forest Clan is no longer living here, I thought it would be the perfect place for you to practice your stealth moves,” Vivienne replied. “Follow and watch. Remember, speed will be our advantage when it comes to being stealthy. You see—”
Vivienne was cut short by the appearance of Mariza behind her.
Mariza grabbed Vivienne’s head and plunged a branch of wild rose into her stepmother’s back.
“Very good lesson there, stepmother,” Mariza told the unconscious Vivienne, releasing her and letting her drop to the ground. “But you forgot to mention to your protégé that the Primus are faster still.”
“Ye feckin, bitch,” Alastor snarled, stepping toward her, but Mariza had him by the throat within seconds. His eyes bulged as his throat was being constricted by her tightening grasp.
“Even though you’ve insulted me, I’m going to ask you for a favor.” Mariza threw him against the closest tree. The force of her throw caused the trunk to bend in half. “No, scrap that, I’m going to tell you what you’re going to do for me.” She held him up by his throat again.
Alastor tried to talk, but her grip was like a vice crushing his windpipe.
“What’s that? I can’t quite understand your rasping. Nevermind, listen. I have a message for you to deliver.”
She whispered her message into his ear. Her breath was hot and irritating, making him cringe.
She smiled. “Got that?”
Alastor’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what she had told him.
“Good.” Mariza nodded, a distant smile on her face. She tossed him in the direction of the Van Wilden’s home. “Hurry up and run along now. Go use that stealthy speed of yours.”
***
Brutus barked at the door, yelping impatiently for Morgana to open it.
“Yes, yes. I’m getting it.” She yanked the door open to see Alastor walking across the front porch. His face pale and grasping at his ribs.
“She’s got her,” he rasped.
Morgana rushed out and placed an arm around him, helping him inside. “Who has who?”
The Van Wilden Chronicles Box Set Books 1-3 Page 37
