TrueSide [The Forgotten Vampires, Book Three]

by Holly Hook

  And at last, Stella and a dark-haired man emerge, taking the two second-place podiums. They climb stairs and sit. They're the assistant heads.

  The doorman shouts, “All rise for Li Xingiang, Head of the High Council.”

  Everyone rises, and I push myself to standing for the woman who will announce our fates.

  A long silence drags out, and then the Head of the High Council emerges.

  The woman who climbs the steps behind the tallest center podium shocks me, not because she's barely over five feet tall, but because she looks so young, like she must be in her upper twenties. Dressed in a long black coat that hugs her waist, she straightens and surveys the crowd with sharp, almost black eyes that make her copper flecks stand out. Her raven-colored hair is up in an elegant bun and hugged by a golden tiara encrusted with red jewels.

  I sense her mental wall immediately. She's focused and impenetrable as she passes over us with hard eyes that have seen everything. How old is this Trueblood?

  “Sit,” Li orders, lowering herself to her leather chair. The word rings over the Convening like a gong. “Official business is about to begin.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Like a harsh judge on a prime time TV show, Li flips through some papers on her podium, papers we can't see from our angle, and wastes no time. Li is not one for a lot of words, and that makes her terrifying. She won't stall, and she'll shout the order to kill us in a heartbeat.

  My throat is dry.

  But it's Stella who speaks, running her fingernail down a paper on her podium. “We have several items to get through tonight. The Martin coven would like to merge with the Scranton coven, and we will vote on the safety of having such a large coven in a mid-sized city. We are to renew our truce with the hunters, and we will vote on that as well. And of course, we will vote on whether to legitimatize our newest coven.” Stella nods at Riley. “We are applying the same rules we have for hundreds of years. Each coven master will have one vote, so long as they are already legitimate. Riley Johnson, you may vote next year if you win tonight.”

  Riley nods, not missing a beat. “Thank you.”

  I tense. They're lulling us into a false sense of safety, trying to make us believe we have a future.

  “Now, for our first matter.” Li looks to the man on the other side of her, her other assistant. “Enrico?”

  He rises. “Would the masters of the Martin and Scranton covens rise? State your cases.”

  We're going to go through the less bloody issues first. Nobody's going to want to sit and listen to legal jargon when there are bodies on the floor. I have no saliva left. They're going to drag out the torture, but that gives me time to penetrate Stanley's defenses. I'll force a confession from him. Either he's the Originator or he knows the killer. If I show the High Council that I'm willing to work with them, I might not have to fight.

  Do not stay calm. There's a place for your rage.

  And this is it.

  The masters state their cases for merging their covens, and then Enrico directs them to sit. They do, and then Stella calls for the vote.

  Twenty ayes and ten nays.

  And Stella announces that the coven may merge, beginning at the start of next year. Applause rings out. The next item will be to renew the truce with the hunters.

  The hunters, standing at the sidelines, draw closer, waiting in a perfect line. Lily stands at the very end, expressionless.

  Enrico reads out the entire truce out loud, speaking as if he's read these words a thousand times before. Most fade into the background. I'm watching Stanley.

  He sits with his legs crossed, calmly watching the proceedings. So do the other Nightsides. Riley has told them time and time again to look calm, as the High Council will sense nerves.

  He looks too calm.

  In fact, his slight smile makes him seem sure of himself.

  I've got to control him before he controls me and makes my emotions go out of control. I will not be the Originator's puppet.

  “Aye.”

  “Aye!”

  “Aye!”

  One by one, the masters vote to renew the contract with the hunters. The hunters all back away when everyone votes yes, and Stella announces, “The truce is renewed!”

  Roaring applause breaks out, and Riley straightens in his chair and dares to look at me before the clapping dies.

  I take a deep breath and tense.

  Now's the time.

  I must act before Li shouts the order.

  “Riley Johnson. Rise, please,” she says with a smile.

  This is a woman who enjoys power, who bribed the other covens to vote against us ahead of time. She's corrupt, and her cruel eyes tell me she's driven a knife into the backs of others many times to get where she is now.

  Riley rises.

  I tense, and my senses, desperate for me to survive, explode. I hear Walton going completely still, because his chair stops creaking. Becky does the same. So does Trish, and Stanley, and the other Nightsides in our row. We're all getting ready to fight and prove we're more than just humble servants. We've all been training.

  And I keep one eye on Stanley, just in case he's seen through my disguise. He'll spring into action, making me lose it. He has the real possibility of making me the monster I dread.

  “Please, state why we should vote to make your new coven legitimate,” Li says with the wave of her hand. Already her posture is leaning towards a no.

  “I am a former Beaumont, but I have shed that name,” Riley says. “My father has broken Trueblood law more than once throughout history, and he has endangered Trueblood society and our delicate balance by killing off-limits humans and allowing his one Nightside servant to go out of control. But by breaking the law, he has taught me some valuable lessons, such as how not to run a coven.”

  A few laughs rise from the rows behind us, and the sound almost lulls me into relaxation. Almost.

  “Go on,” Li says.

  “I will not repeat my father's mistakes. I have trained my Nightsides well. Soon, I will bring more Truebloods into my coven and continue to obey Trueblood law. My new coven will be named the Johnson coven, and we will work with the Rivera guild to ensure balance and to ensure that the outside world does not find out about us.”

  Can I influence the other masters to vote yes? If they do, then we won't have to fight. We'll get voted in, get to leave, and go back home to figure out the rest.

  I can sense minds, but I’ve controlled no one without looking before, but my senses stretch back and I hear the Truebloods and the other Nightside servants picking at their suits, shifting in their chairs, and tapping their feet on the concrete. Which ones are the masters? There seems to be no seating arrangement for masters and servants. I've spotted them throughout the night, the older Truebloods who lead the covens, but I don't know who controls what for sure.

  I should have planned for this. Shit.

  I remain still, not daring to betray my panic as Li lets more silence drag out. That's her weapon.

  “Is that all?” she asks. Already, they've decided, so why are they wasting their time with this?

  Then I hear motion behind me, in all thirty rows.

  One vampire in each row is scooting to the end of their chair, ready to rise. Or to pounce. Yes. It's to pounce. They all fear this Prophecy and want to contain the threat.

  “Stella?” Li asks at last.

  Stella shifts in her seat, almost as if she's uncomfortable, and then she produces a piece of notebook paper. “I received this note from an anonymous source,” she explains. “It concerns this new coven, but first I will read the Nightside Prophecy, which many of you in the audience are familiar with, thanks to Dominic's former friendship with Duke Carrington, the first known Nightside.”

  A few mutters ring out behind us. Clearly not every Trueblood knew about this twist.

  My heart rises into my throat. Riley remains on his feet, and most of the Nightsides rise to stand with him. I'm the last up.

 
We have to fight. Now.

  “Sit,” Li orders.

  “Why are you reading the Nightside Prophecy? Is this an attempt to make me and my new coven look bad?” Riley asks. “I'm telling you that none of my Nightsides are the chosen one, if that's what you're about to imply.”

  Gasps ring out. Riley's standing up to the High Council. And as he does, he shuffles closer to me, as if to shield me from what's to come. We will not take this sitting down.

  “Read,” Li snaps at Stella.

  I could stop Stella, but she’s hyper-focused and Li would override her, anyway. What am I supposed to do? I feel out Li and Stella’s minds, but they’re steel. Stella squirms in confusion as she reads and looks to Li, but Li’s glare forces her to continue. “One shall rise, of the day walking race, who shall be twice the power of any other, who shall subdue those of the nightwalking race, who shall be the master of all those who feed on the blood of the living. One shall rise, once in all time, who shall spill the blood of the nightwalking race and feast upon the living, and who shall be the greatest abomination ever to walk the earth.”

  The words fall like hammers, and I take a step back.

  I'm shaking.

  I can't do this.

  No. I will, because no matter what happens now, people will die. I'll protect Riley and the other Nightsides, and I can't let the Originator—this Duke Carrington, if he stands among us—take control of me and make this Prophecy real.

  “And also, we received a note from someone anonymous,” Li says, raising her voice. “This monster we have all feared for the past centuries is among this new coven. A Nightside with two copies of the mutation has finally been born, through pure chance.”

  The pressure explodes in my chest.

  The High Council rises.

  “Li? Are you sure? Where did this note come from?” Enrico asks.

  “Wait!” I shout, wrapping my influence around Stanley and preparing to toss him forward. “We have a gift for you. This Duke Carrington guy has been working against us and plotting to overthrow the High Council. He probably planted the note to start a fight.” Or it was Dominic. Whatever.

  But Stanley resists, staying back in the line. He looks to Trish.

  More mutters rise in the audience. The hunters all tense on the sidelines, and Lily looks back and nods at someone behind her.

  We've got no way out except through the High Council. If we want any chance at surviving, we must barricade ourselves in the lounge. Even the High Council will be easier to deal with than hundreds of Truebloods. I look to Riley, and he also eyes the door and nods.

  “You have him?” Enrico asks, eyes widening.

  “Yes,” I shout over the loud chatter, sweat gathering under my dress.

  “He is not the one in the Prophecy,” Li shouts, bashing her fist against the podium. “I cannot allow your coven to live. I'm sure you understand that we must protect our society.”

  More mutters rise, and Riley shouts, “But the vote!”

  “I invoke emergency powers,” Li shouts. “Eliminate them!”

  “To the door!” Riley shouts, not missing a beat.

  Chairs tip and Truebloods hiss behind us, and I whirl to find two dozen of them rising and ready to pounce. I back away by instinct, towards the podiums, and the other Nightsides, and Riley, back up with me. We're a unit, closing ranks.

  Not all the Truebloods rise. Some look around, confused, but that doesn't matter. An older Trueblood man lunges over the chairs, fangs bared at Riley, and then my powers explode.

  I make him miss Riley by inches, and then leap at the podium to attack Li. He claws at the wood, climbing, eyes wide and confused as Li screams and picks up a gavel.

  And then the world bursts into motion.

  The hunters stay back, but more Truebloods rise, following their masters, and a hundred snarls advance.

  “Get in the lounge!” Riley shouts.

  Zaza leads the charge over the chairs, eyes red, fangs bared. But Li tosses the first attacker back into the crowd, and he lands on his back, springing up. He tussles with Riley, who throws him back into the advancing crowd, making three more Truebloods trip.

  “Stay back,” Walton shouts at me, appearing at my side. He glares at a pair of Trueblood women, and they hiss and claw at each other as he seizes control. On the other side of Riley, one of the younger Nightside guys holds back a Trueblood man with a chair. Other Truebloods hang back and shout.

  It's chaos.

  “But we didn't vote!”

  “We need to vote!”

  “This isn't standard!”

  Some hesitant Truebloods grab for the attackers to restrain them, including the guy who was friendly with Riley earlier in the night.

  “Kill them!” Li orders. “The monster is among them!”

  “Yes. They're just Nightsides,” Zaza shouts, motioning for others to join her.

  I seize three Truebloods at the front of the charge and make them turn around, shoving the other Truebloods back. I don't want to kill them. But I fear I'll end many tonight, before they take me down.

  “Back! Back!” Riley shouts, punching another man trying to claw at his throat.

  Keep shoving them back. Don't kill. Just shove them back. The pressure in my head intensifies, and my anger at the High Council rises. I want to destroy them. I want to end them for being unfair to us, for damning us before we had a chance.

  “Is this necessary?” Enrico shouts at Li. “Protocol states—”

  “I am the head of the High Council,” Li growls.

  No. I want to destroy Li. I want to end her corrupt ass. If I do that, I can stop this. She orchestrated this. She and whoever sent that note.

  I whirl.

  Li looks down on me as the other Nightsides fight, holding back the crowd, and we make eye contact. Li's eyes narrow, and she moves to stand on top of her podium, over me, daring me to try something. The rest of the High Council waits in silence.

  “Who are you?” she asks, and I hear her over the shuffling feet, hissing, crashing, and cursing.

  I let my disguise melt away. I focus on the image of Miranda dissolving, and I stand there as Olivia as Li's jaw drops ever so slightly. But she closes her mouth, determined to keep control. “My name is Olivia, and I killed the highest members of Dominic Beaumont's coven.”

  “You,” Li growls, crouching and ready to pounce like the predator she is.

  Walton brushes me as a Trueblood shoves him back, and Stanley curses as he wrestles with another. But then more hissing breaks out as more Truebloods turn on each other, under Nightside influence.

  Lily shouts something from the sidelines, but it's lost in the noise as I stare down Li.

  “Did you break Trueblood law to do this?” I ask. “Talk about hypocritical. Come down here. Fight me.” My influence wraps around her limbs, but she's hyper-focused, and her mental shield is as strong as ever.

  “Over there!” Lily shouts.

  Li leaps down to the ground, graceful and perfect. Her long coat snaps around her, and I hear armor shifting underneath it. The bitch. She came prepared to destroy us. She knew about me already.

  “So be it,” she says, baring her fangs.

  I don't hold back on my power. This is what Riley meant.

  She's a danger to everyone.

  But then she leaps, making the first move.

  Her nails rake like claws, digging into my throat on the other side of a blink. “You abomination,” she snarls as I fall in shock. “You should have never been born. You deserve nothing.” Her words are burning venom, pumping hot pain into me.

  A wet trickle follows the maddening pain.

  She's digging into my throat, and with a smile, as the fighting continues.

  “Get off me!” I shout, gaze darting, dizzy with the pressure, and I seize the closest Trueblood, Zaza, and force her over to claw at Li. But Li is undeterred. The pain in my throat intensifies, and her nails feel as if they're digging into my windpipe. Breathing burns and stab
s. Spots dance in my eyes.

  “Her! Only her!” Lily shouts to the tune of trampling feet.

  Figures appear above us, shoving Zaza out of the way, and a Nightside woman I saw earlier raises a metal fork and plunges it into Li's back.

  Li hisses in agony and rolls off me, facing Lily and several Nightsides from the kitchen. Forks, knives, and pots of hot oil shine in the light, and a Nightside man spills the hot oil over Li, who screams as it scalds her skin. Sizzling follows as I push myself up, and Lily advances on the High Council woman as the other Council members watch in awe.

  No one from the Council is defending Li.

  Maybe we have a chance.

  Li screams as the oil cools, and the smell of fast food and burning flesh fills the air. I push myself up, throat burning, as Lily plunges a kitchen knife into Li's back, barely missing her heart, to join the fork already there.

  “Lily!” her father shouts.

  A chair lands beside me, thrown by a Trueblood, a loyalist to Li, and I seize it, putting it in front of me as my throat continues to burn. But Li, still impaled, rises and seizes Lily in a flash, throwing her to the ground.

  “You broke the truce,” she snarls as she bares her fangs.

  “Get off her!” I kick Li as the rebelling kitchen Nightsides beat on Li, but they might as well be beating on a boulder. She's strong. Impossibly strong and resistant. Zaza leaps on a kitchen Nightside who’s trying to help, and the two go down. Riley’s fighting another man ten feet away. He can’t help.

  And Li falls on and bites Lily, who holds in a scream.

  “Lily!” Mike Rivera appears with a chair, beating savagely on Li's back, driving in the knife and fork.

  I go to dive in, but then a rage overtakes me. Why aren't the other High Council members stopping this? Why are they just watching? I eye them, forgetting about Lily, and—

  Lily can't hold back. She screams. Li is not making it fast.

  No. The killer is trying to control me.

  And then the other hunters shout, leaping into action, charging into the fray.

  Lily. Lily. Lily.

  I turn to her and let my full power rise. Blood runs down her neck and drips onto the floor as Li feeds.