“You find anything?”
“Hey, Jade. Yes, but I’m still working on it, and you?”
“It’s not good news. I called because something is going to happen tonight. I heard the boss say he needs to go to The Black Lotus. It’s a club in downtown.”
“What?”
“Yes, he said he has to meet someone there.”
“Do you know who he was talking to?”
“Someone on the phone. I was passing his office, and the door was open. He also stopped Sophia’s mission. She disappeared just after you did. I know she’s still doing her mission.”
The whole thing smells fishy. “What do you think is happening, Jade?”
“Good question. I’m not on a mission, but I wonder if it will happen to me too. There is definitely something going on with Grant.”
I pinch my nose. “Jade, I’m outside the same club. Damaris’s goons are here as well.”
“Fuck. You don’t think he’s meeting him, do you?”
I stay silent.
“Yes, you’re right. Shit. isn’t he supposed to be impartial?”
“Yes, he is, but obviously, he isn’t.”
“Why is he the boss then?”
“You know why, I’ve already told you that. The head of each family in the faction wanted to have one of their own in charge, but that wouldn’t have given them balance. He was the best choice, as without a blood allegiance to anyone he’s not supposed to be swayed by any of the factions. He’s like us, only a full vampire. That’s why our office is underground. It gives the vampire community peace of mind since as per them, it’s in balance. Now we know that’s not the case.”
Jade didn’t say anything. “What next?”
“I have to get inside, but you know how the club is. I think the best thing to do is the enter by the front door. For that, I need a dress, my weapons hidden, and on top of that, clearance or an invitation.”
Most of the clubs allow anyone access, but a few are more select. Unfortunately, this was one of those.
“I’m guessing you have weapons but not the rest.”
Most female daywalkers love to wear dresses, and we certainly have the body for it. I’ve never enjoyed it, though. More often than not, a dress is in my way when I need to fight someone. “Bullseye. How did you know?” I tease her.
She laughs. “Fine, come to my place. it will be dark soon, and the club opens an hour after sunset. I’ll see what I can do to secure an invitation.”
“Thanks, Jade, I owe you one.”
“Yeah, I know, and I’ll try to keep a low profile at the office, just in case.”
“I’ll meet you at your place. I’ll come around the back to your balcony.”
“OK. I’m leaving now. See you soon. Bye.”
She hangs up. The plan has changed. She’d better have a dress that I can fight in and carry my weapons. Oh crap, I’ll have to wear fucking high heels as well.
8. The Lady
Somewhere on the top of the most prominent building.
“MY LADY.”
I look at my personal assistant. “Yes, Selena?”
She sits in front of me. “We have more news from the Internal Affairs office.”
“What is it?”
She takes a deep breath. “Some of the daywalkers have gone rogue. Some haven’t reported for days or weeks, and they’re on missions that could bring them close to us. From what I understand, the head of Internal Affairs is supposed to be meeting with Damaris later tonight.”
I stand and look through the window. “Which of the daywalkers are missing?”
“We know that Casey, Sophia, and Jess are reported as not having been to the office in a couple of weeks, and he doesn’t know where they are. We don’t know where they are either.”
It’s that fucking Damaris’s fault. “We know where Casey is, have we been able to locate the others?”
“No, we’ve tried.”
“Any news from the other factions?”
“We know the witches are also working with the Investigation Team, but nothing more than that. It’s hard to get information from the witches.”
My assistant is right, the witches can be a pain in the ass. “Have you contacted the dark one from the witches?”
“We did, my Lady. Some will join us, but the strongest ones are not on the dark side of magic. Physically, the warrior witches are the strongest and are revered by the other witches. We need to corrupt them while they’re young. We can do that with Paranormal University students.”
“No, we can’t. My agreement with Gorad is simple. He wants the university for himself. I agree with him. We stick with the factions. We need more witches corrupted to our cause, but also fae, demons, and any other creatures that exist in our community. We need to make them see. We also need more vampires. They may be bloodsuckers, but we need their money and influence.”
I look through the window to see night has fallen, and the community is starting to come alive, but I want more than that. Humans will know us, we will be the ones at the top of the power chain. They need to know that for the most part they either mate or kowtow to us. That fucking Damaris needs to know his place. I need him, but at the same time, I’ll be glad to kill him myself. We may have been able to corrupt the boss at the vampire Internal Affairs, but I need some daywalkers. Like the warrior witches, they are hard to corrupt. “So, where is our team right now?”
“We have a team going after Solomon’s Seal. From our research, we also need the Stone of Destiny. We have others on the list too, but we only have a few teams for those missions.”
I start to pace. We need to gather more people to our cause, or it will slow down. Now that we need to deal with Damaris, which could bring attention to us, things are getting messy. “How is recruitment going?”
“It’s a little more difficult since we need to cover Damaris. We have two teams that can gather objects, the third is busy on his case, the fourth is the one that can do the corrupting, but we need more, my Lady. Now that we need to rush our plan, we need followers to go on missions and gather the artifacts we need to succeed.”
I know all this. I know the plan and how it will work. The Damaris situation doesn’t help us, we need fewer eyes looking for us, not more. We need to be back underground and fast. “What do you suggest?”
“We need to start talking with the fae, some of them might be easier to convince. We also need more demons, if not half-demons.”
“You know what happens to half-demons if they go down the dark path, they became full demons. Their human side will be completely swallowed by their demon side, but you’re right. We need more people to join our cause.”
It’s that simple, we need more people to join our ranks. We need to push our plan faster so that we can be victorious.
“I know, but we need people to talk with others who can be corrupted. At the same time, maybe them finding out about us is better and faster. It could work to our advantage and start to spread things about us that could make people change their focus and join us willingly.”
“You may be right. We’ve been in hiding for so long, and we are progressing but not the way I want it. We wanted to go slow to have solid ground, but now we need to speed up. Who will connect with the fae?” I ask.
“Don’t worry, my cousin married one, and they are against the system as it sounds. He told me that black ones exist. It’s something we can investigate. They might be hard to corrupt to join our cause, but we can try.”
We started with a few seeds of this rebellion, now it’s time to spread and grow. “That’s good, we’ll start there. I know that the lower classes in each faction have a reason to join our cause. Their fate is doomed, even before it starts. The system needs to change, everyone has the right to be on top.” I want to be over all of them. I need to be the supreme of all. some way, the people of my past will pay for what they did to me when they exiled me in my own land.
“Do it. Make the necessary arrangements to let our t
roops know that we’re recruiting on a large scale, and we need more teams for the missions. It’s taking too long to find the artifacts and the warrior witches are working against us. The order is simple. Kill them if they get in the way. No excuses.”
“Excellent, my Lady, I will let our group leader know. I think they’ll like it a lot.”
I nod, they’ve pushed me to take this route, so be it. The end justifies the means. The door closes, but I don’t look back. I know I’m alone in my room and can let my guard down as I look through the window. The system needs to crash, every time in history men try to change things, a rebellion is needed to achieve it. Well, so be it. the rebellion starts tonight, and we will not only recruit, but we will hit harder than we have so far. Every rebellion brings bloodshed, so let’s have a blood rebellion that will be the end of this system that doesn’t work and put me back where I should’ve been, and everyone that was involved in my removal will pay.
9. Casey
I’M AT JADE’S APARTMENT, and for the last hour, she’s made me try on dress after dress. Ah, fuck, I hate it. I need a dress that not only hides my guns but my katana too—with my long red hair, I’m noticeable.
“We’ll need to put your hair up so you don’t attract too much attention. Not only that, you need to be able to see clearly. A lot of people attend these parties.”
I smile at her. “Thank goodness you were able to secure me an invitation.”
“It’s fake, so let’s hope they don’t look at it too hard. And don’t ask how I got it because I’m not telling.”
I laugh but don’t ask any more questions. A daywalker never judges how another daywalker works. We all understand that sometimes extreme measures are needed to succeed in our missions.
“Put this on.” She gives me a short skirt, but it’s not too tight against my body. It’s black, and I pair it with a white blouse and put a black jacket with it.
“You really don’t like me, do you, Jade? Why that skirt?”
She laughs. “I’ll always love you like a sister, Casey. You’ll be able to hide your guns with that skirt since it’s less tight.”
“And my katana?”
“No, you won’t be able to take your katana. We can’t hide it. If it were a Halloween party, then it would be easy, but it isn’t. Just so you know, these parties can get pretty wild.”
I cross my arms. “You seem to know a lot for a person that’s never put a foot inside there.”
Her cheeks turn red. “I didn’t say that, Casey. You just assumed I’ve never been there.”
“You’ve been? And not just once, right?”
“Yes. I went as part of a job the first time, but I’ve been since for pleasure too. Especially when I need blood. Which as you know isn’t too often.”
I’m stunned, and it takes me a minute to find my voice. “You’ve done it? You’ve bitten someone like a vampire does?”
She gets redder but doesn’t say anything.
“You have blood here. Why do you need to go to a club for it?”
Jade starts to put the clothing I rejected in the closet. “The first time was an accident. Not only can you find blood there, but also sex.”
I look at her, shocked. “Don’t tell me he was a vampire?”
“No, he was a shifter, a werewolf to be precise. We fucked, and the temptation was too high.”
A daywalker is like everyone else for the most part, but our impulses aren’t as strong, or that’s what I’d always thought. “Do you think other daywalkers have done it? Am I’m the only one that never has?”
Jade sighs. “You know that some of us have regular sex and even try to maintain a relationship. If you’re talking about drinking blood from somebody else, I don’t know. You know that’s a taboo subject. I suspect some have, but I can’t confirm it. Don’t judge me. I’ve only told you because we’ve been friends for so long.”
“Sorry, Jade, I’m shocked. Actually, I’m more than shocked. I didn’t think we had that impulse.” I start to play with the fabric of the skirt.
“Ask me, Casey. I know you well enough to see that you’re dying to ask the question.”
I look out her window. The night is there, and the club door opens in two hours. “What’s it like?” I can’t believe I’m asking her that. I’ve never been attracted enough to anyone to be tempted to drink their blood during sex. I’m always afraid of losing control.
“Do you mean the sex, or blood with sex?”
I’m confused, but at the same time curious. “What do you think? All of it?”
“Obviously the sex is great, but with the power of blood, multiply it by a thousand. It’s almost addictive. Not the blood but the rush that comes with it.”
I’ve had sex a few times, but it’s always left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. This is why I don’t do it often—only when my body craves it, and I can’t control it anymore.
“Your brain is working hard, Casey. You can ask me anything.”
“I’d never judge you, Jade. I’m surprised, that’s all. I know we have needs, but it didn’t occur to me you’d hook up with the same guy more than once.”
She smiles, almost daydreaming. “Well, he said I’m his mate, which I didn’t think was possible. He said his wolf howls inside his head every time he thinks of me. He wants to be with me all the time and fuck me. He doesn’t mind that I’m a daywalker. At first, he thought I was a vampire. He likes that I can be out during daylight.”
“How long have you been seeing him?”
“Five years.”
“Five years? And you never told me?”
Jade is a badass daywalker, we all are. She’s never kept a secret like this from me.
“I know what you’re thinking. I wasn’t sure, to begin with. I thought I’d try and see what happened. I thought after a few months he’d be bored with me, but it never happened. I feel more alive when he’s around me. Desire and love are there, and it’s growing. I know we don’t have anything that says we can’t mate, and we assumed it wasn’t possible. I’m proof it is.”
“Ok, are you telling me he marked you? You don’t have his mark.”
“I do, but not everyone can see it. His wolf pack knows I belong to him. That’s part of the mating—the smell his mark leaves on me.”
If someone had told me my world would be rocked to its core these past few weeks, I would’ve laughed in their face. Damaris’s case has revealed something far deeper and darker is going on in the community. My boss is acting weird, I’m working with the Investigation Team on a mission, other daywalkers have also gone rogue, and now I’ve discovered that we have the ability to mate.
Things are starting to change, and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing. There are forces at work that we still don’t understand.
“Are you mad?”
I look at my friend. “No. I wish I’d known earlier, but no, I’m not mad. As I said, I’m just surprised. Shocked is another word I’d use.”
She smiles. “I know. I always wanted you to be the first to know. You know we don’t have friends. At first, I fought it, and I even hit him. For him, he knew right away and wouldn’t leave me alone. I will say my thirst increased with him around. Other blood didn’t appeal to me, that’s how I knew.”
“Tell me, was it at a party like the one tonight where you found him?”
She blushes. “Yes, and no. As I said, the first time I went, it was part of a mission, and when I did, I saw everyone there. I’d never imagined different kinds of species could be in the same room and not kill each other. Not only that, some were mated and others were talking and interacting like they were friends. Then I saw Lucas with a fae, and I knew it wasn’t a normal party.”
“Lucas? He’s been missing for a while now. I guess he’s gone rogue.”
“From what I understand, he mated that fae. He was on a mission that involved a rogue vampire killing fae. We didn’t discuss his mission or anything. We all know we can be away from headquarters for days, if not weeks
. Then I saw footage of him killing a werewolf. I’m guessing the werewolf was trying to kill his mate. It was around then I started to suspect something weird was going on with the boss, so I didn’t report it. I know if she’s his mate, his only mission was and is to protect her. His mate is his top priority. I’d be the same if something happened to Dean. It seems to be a basic instinct for us. Nothing is important if our mate isn’t there. I destroyed the evidence to give him time to settle things and maybe work with us.”
She starts doing my hair.
“Don’t tell me he met her at that kind of party?”
She didn’t say anything. “As far as I know, yes, he did. Having a place where rank and the differences between the species can be overlooked seems to help. Our guard drops, and we can be ourselves.”
She finishes with my hair. I’ve never seen myself like this. “Do you think it’s a bit over the top?”
“No, Casey, you will see.”
“Are you telling me, Jade, that you believe something magical happens at those parties and it will happen to me as well?”
She comes in front of me and looks me directly in my eyes. “Go with an open mind. You have your mission, and I know that Damaris has to be taken down, but I think what he’s possibly aiming for could be good if we want peace between everyone. A lot of us are tired of these centuries-long feuds that no one remembers or cares about how they started.”
I didn’t reply to her statement straight away. True, there are not only feuds between species but between the different factions and clans within species. “Maybe some of it could be good, but I feel in my blood there’s an evil force behind it, and that force will be the end of us all.”
She hands me my guns with a band that I can strap around each of my thighs. They’re small in comparison to my usual ones, but I know they’re powerful and can’t be seen under the skirt.
“OK, let’s see that invitation.” She surprises me again when she shows me two tickets. “Why two?”
She smiles and heads into her walk-in wardrobe. “You didn’t think I’d let you go alone, did you? Also, my mate will be there, which means I need to be there too since his pack knows about us and will wonder where I am.”
Blood Rebellion Page 5