Blood Royal (Blood Destiny #5)

by Connie Suttle

  "Raona, I hope you do not have to be sick later," Roff was concerned, too; I could tell.

  "We'll see. I haven't coughed up any wine or water lately, and I always had to before."

  "Lissa, I have a confession to make." Griffin was there in the kitchen, scaring Bill, Winkler and Michael half to death. Well, Kifirin and the Larentii weren't the only ones with Nexus Echo. Winkler looked as if he were about to pull me to safety and start fighting with Griffin. I patted his arm.

  "Winkler, this is my father," I said, nodding in Griffin's direction.

  "You're the werewolf?" Griffin held his hand out to Winkler. Winkler took it, still eyeing my natural father with distrust. I knew what that look on his face meant; he couldn't scent Griffin any better than I could and the news that I had a father was shocking. I'm sure Winkler had all the old records on me, just as the vampires did. More than likely, he knew all about Howard Graham. Griffin was reading Winkler's mind, too.

  "That man was never Lissa's father," Griffin huffed. He turned back to me, then. "Lissa, sweetheart, I gave my blood to you after you were wounded on Refizan. It was during the day and you were nearly asleep. That's why you don't remember, baby. My blood will allow you to walk in daylight and eat normal food if you want. You can still live on blood, but you don't have to. I also removed the shield disc on the back of your neck. You don't need it, now."

  I was gaping at him, my mouth likely hanging open in shock. Griffin offered a crooked smile. "The blood of my kind can do wondrous things, little girl. Did you think I would hold back from that as soon as I had permission?"

  "I don't know what you might do," I mumbled, staring at my half-eaten sandwich. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"

  "Something to drink would be nice," he agreed. Roff slipped off his barstool before I could and brought Griffin a glass of wine. Griffin sat down with us to drink it.

  "You don't look old enough to be Lissa's father," Bill said. He was getting information he never thought existed.

  "I am more than one hundred thousand years old," Griffin smiled at the Director of the Joint NSA/Homeland Security Department. Michael was the one who gasped. I did my best not to look shocked, even though I was.

  "Can you tell us where Jimmy Hoffa is?" Winkler grinned and stuffed a corner of his sandwich in his mouth.

  "I could, but that is considered interfering. I can't do that," Griffin was also grinning now.

  "Now we know why Lissa's special," Winkler responded.

  "Lissa's special for many reasons and not just because I'm her father," Griffin replied.

  Tony seemed a little worse for wear when he, Gavin and René wandered into the kitchen. He looked like he'd been in a fight and I wondered what Gavin was teaching him. Whatever it was, I wasn't getting those lessons. "Dude, you look like you need a good laundering," I lifted the tail of Tony's shirt; it was hanging out and appeared to have slid through the grass more than once.

  "Are you calling me dude?" One of Tony's dark eyebrows lifted.

  "I called you dude, dude. Want to step outside now?"

  "I don't need another ass-kicking," Tony grinned, a dimple appearing in his cheek.

  "Uh-huh," I said, handing Gavin an accusing stare.

  "Cara, he needs to know these things," Gavin huffed. Griffin laughed.

  "Where's that superhero costume now?" I poked Tony in the ribs.

  "I landed on a planet with bigger, badder superheroes," Tony said. "Have to work my way up again."

  "Poor thing." I patted Tony's back. Gavin frowned and cleared his throat. I slid off my stool and went to him. "Poor thing," I patted him on the back. René burst out laughing.

  "Cara, if your father were not here," Gavin threatened.

  "He means that in the nicest way possible," I patted his flat stomach. I was thinking that most men would kill to get abs like that.

  "She just paid you a compliment," Griffin said, sipping his wine.

  "I failed to hear it," Gavin grumbled.

  "She thinks that most men would kill to have a body such as yours," Griffin smiled mischievously. Tony snickered.

  "And that's why I didn't say it out loud," I said, smacking Tony on the arm.

  "I should go, Amara is telling me dinner is ready," Griffin stood and gave me a lop-sided grin. "Lissa, will you give me a hug before I go?"

  I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I gave him one anyway and asked him to tell Amara hello for me. He hugged me tightly before he left and kissed the top of my head. Then he was gone as quickly as he'd arrived.

  Gavin was waiting to pounce, and as soon as Griffin was away, he snatched me up and hauled me out of the house.

  I got a lecture inside our bedroom on being more circumspect, and it didn't do anything to improve my mood. I heard Roff at one point; he'd sneaked inside the guesthouse to make sure things were all right and when he heard Gavin handing out the lecture, he left again.

  How was I to know that teasing with my friends wasn't acting in a dignified enough manner? I was born in the wrong century for Gavin. I was sitting on the bed, my back against the headboard with my arms crossed angrily over my chest. I wasn't even looking at Gavin as he had his little fit. I had no idea why he was so out of sorts at the moment. He finally let me go after an hour because I hadn't responded to any of his complaints. I wasn't speaking to him right then. He probably didn't care.

  * * *

  "Raona, the wolf was watching you closely and you put your hands on Anthony. Gavin did not like that," Roff whispered to me later, after I'd gone out to the grounds for a walk in the dark. Roff caught up with me while I made my third swift and angry lap around the fence.

  "He should know by now that I'm not about to jump in bed with either of them," I grumbled. I'd had plenty of opportunity with both while Gavin had been absent. Why would I consider it now, while he was here?

  "I think he wants your attention," Roff was doing his best to keep up with my swift, angry strides. He wasn't a vampire and I realized that after a bit. I slowed down so he wouldn't have to trot.

  "What's your suggestion, then?" I asked. "I can't bake him a pie or anything."

  "What would you do for your first husband, Raona, if he were still alive?"

  That question made me stop in my tracks and Roff almost collided with me. I sighed, rubbing the space between my eyebrows.

  "What is it, Raona?"

  I looked up at Roff's face. How had I forgotten that he was more than three hundred years old? How? "Don got depressed every now and then because he couldn't do what he wanted to do or treat me the way he wanted to treat me. He wasn't in good health for a long time and well," I didn't finish.

  "Perhaps Gavin would like to take you home, Raona, so he could protect you. He did not like it at all that you were up in daylight, capturing criminals while he slept. I believe he feels inadequate in some way."

  "But he shouldn't—I wouldn't want to take him on, I've seen him fight," I said. "Come on, Roff, let's go back inside." It was nearly four in the morning, which meant two good hours of night left. I found Gavin reading in the bedroom when I went looking for him.

  "Gavin, come with me for a minute," I put my hand on his cheek. He looked up at me, his dark eyes puzzled.

  "Where are we going?" he asked, setting the book aside after marking his place.

  "It'll be a surprise—I have to turn you to mist," I said. He allowed it without arguing, which surprised me. It only took a few minutes to reach Centennial Freeway, the highway that passes by the state capitol. There was a deep blue, cloudless sky all around us, with a few stars winking far off in the distance.

  The statue of The Guardian atop the capitol dome was lit up and beautiful as we circled it. When you're in an airplane or a jet, that noise is all around you when you fly. All Gavin and I had was peace surrounding us as we flew. I had never imagined stepping onto the top of the capitol dome and leaning against The Guardian so I could kiss Gavin, but I did. The winds whipped our hair and clothing but neither of us mind
ed.

  I love you, Gavin, I sent. He kissed me harder and deeper. When his fangs nipped my lower lip and then moved to my throat, I didn't object.

  Chapter 9

  I didn't wake in the day after Gavin and I continued our lovemaking in the bedroom, but I did dream. Why are my dreams so disturbing, now? If I'd felt comfortable asking Griffin, perhaps he could have told me. I didn't feel comfortable with that so I was left with a conundrum of sorts. I saw the High Demons' palace in my dream, but somehow I knew that the time in which I saw it was far in the past. The High Demon King presided over what I imagined was his Council.

  "The Ra'Ak have taken Harifa Edus, Raoni," a High Demon informed the King. "Only Le-Ath Veronis now stands out of all the worlds in the Dark Realm."

  "Are you willing to go and help the vampires?" The King snorted, blowing a bit of smoke from his nostrils. "We are safe here, are we not?" He looked like a king, his face handsome and stern, his eyes a deep blue as he gazed out at his Council.

  "I would go, if you asked it of me," The High Demon backed down, muttering.

  "Nedevik, I think you would be alone in that venture," the King replied. "My troops do not wish to go. What care have we if the others die? The balance will be maintained as long as Kifirin stands."

  "The Veronis Imperea is asking us to accept the comesuli—they are the most vulnerable to the Ra'Ak. She says they will work for us if we offer them shelter." Nedevik's words drew the King's interest.

  "Are they willing to work our fields and tend our herds?" the King asked. He was intrigued by the idea, I could tell.

  "As well as cook, clean, and manufacture clothing, wine and other necessities; they eat just as we do," Nedevik replied.

  "How will they come here?" The King thought of a major obstacle.

  "The Queen of Le-Ath Veronis has offered payment to several Karathian Warlocks to accomplish this. They are standing by if you give consent, Raoni."

  "What say you all?" The King set the question before his Council. He had a nearly unanimous decision in a very short amount of time. The High Demons saw profit in bringing the comesuli, although they refused the subsequent request to harbor some of the vampires as well.

  "We do not need those creatures," the King waved a hand in dismissal and the fate of Le-Ath Veronis was decided on a beautiful afternoon, upon the planet named after a god. I was weeping when I woke at dusk. Thankfully, Gavin was already awake and out of the bedroom. How could I tell him what I'd seen? I was still wiping tears as I had my blood and took a shower.

  * * *

  "Raona, Gavin said to bring you to the main dwelling as soon as you were up and dressed," Roff was in the bedroom, waiting for me to come out of the bathroom. I nodded at him. He would probably know the answers to the questions I had, but they would have to wait until I could ask them without crying. I followed Roff down the stairs to the ground and then over the green and well-kept yard to the main house. Bill was there with Tony, René, Gavin, Michael, Winkler and a pile of luggage. Gavin or Roff had packed for me while I slept. Bill seemed grim and Tony looked angry. René and Gavin had no expression, which was normal. Winkler didn't really care, I could tell.

  "What happened?" I asked.

  "Lissy, we need your cooperation on this, even though we know how you feel about him," Tony said, working to get his anger under control.

  "Feel about whom?" I was getting a bad vibe about this, whatever it was.

  "Lissa, Lawrence Frazier has been taken," Bill supplied the information. The news caused me to draw in a painful breath. Larry—Tony's friend who'd taken blood from me while I'd slept (and that after I'd pulled him away from a boatload of pirates in the Arabian Sea) had been kidnapped.

  "Taken by whom?" I was now attempting to stop the quivering of my skin; I had no love for Dr. Lawrence Frazier.

  "We think either Rahim Alif's colleagues or those associated with Xenides. Agents White and Townsend said they had both vampire and human scents from his home in Maryland. Lissa, we can't allow his knowledge and expertise to fall into the hands of the enemy," Bill was pleading with me to understand the urgency of the situation.

  "You know what he did to me?" I was hugging myself.

  "I know, Lissa. I was briefed by Director Hancock," Bill nodded in Tony's direction.

  "Cara, think," Gavin said. "If Xenides controls Frazier, he could cause a great deal of damage to all. With Frazier's knowledge backing these rogues, the influenza vaccine could only be the beginning of more terrible things."

  "Dear God." I shuddered at Gavin's words.

  "Little rose, we will be with you," René offered, his brown eyes smiling kindly and his fingers brushing my neck briefly.

  "Lissy, this is important," Tony said. "Larry could be forced to supply a vampire DNA solution to kill presidents, heads of state, diplomats, world leaders—anyone that Xenides or Rahim Alif's contacts and associates desire. It would be easy if vampires were involved. Only a small amount of compulsion and they can get in anywhere. You and I have seen this already." Tony was begging me to get on board with this.

  "Fine," I muttered. "Where are we going? I see I'm packed already."

  "Maryland first, and then wherever the leads take us," Bill replied. "Our jet is waiting; we just have to get to the airport."

  At least the flight was uneventful and we landed at Dulles in four hours, leaving enough time to drive to Larry's home in Chevy Chase to sniff around.

  "Two vampires," I said, as we walked inside the house. It was a nice house—a two-story brick that had been renovated. Both vampires had Xenides' scent about them, not Saxom's. Therefore, these would be younger. Three humans were with the vampires; their scent hung heavy in the house. I didn't smell blood or death, so Larry was alive when they'd taken him away. I let Bill know that. He and Tony both breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't sure how I felt about Tony's reaction. The guy must have been a friend, but after what he'd done to me, I wasn't feeling charitable toward Tony or Larry at the moment.

  "He was taken yesterday," Bill explained as we concluded our search. It was now Wednesday, September eighth; Roff (and his watch) made sure I was updated as we boarded the plane in Oklahoma City. "As near as we can figure, between two and six in the morning," Bill was giving the particulars on Frazier's kidnapping. "He didn't leave the hospital until after his rounds were finished at midnight, and we have records of an email sent after one a.m. from here at the house."

  "Bill and I have checked all the flights out—there weren't any commercial or private flights scheduled during the time he was taken," Tony said. Now I knew why he and Bill had been huddled around Bill's laptop during our flight. Even I knew the vampires would have to hole up somewhere for the day unless they were willing to be hauled around in body bags. Somehow, I couldn't see that happening with Xenides' bunch.

  "Larry the lizard still has patients?" I stared incredulously at Bill and Tony. That bothered me—a lot.

  "He has some of the cases that come back to us; potential germ warfare and that sort of thing," Tony frowned and coughed into his hand. He hadn't appreciated the lizard comment. Gavin was now frowning at me as well—I wasn't being circumspect. Again.

  "And how much of that sort of thing is Frazier responsible for?" I snapped at Tony. Germ warfare? That sounded right up Frazier's alley.

  "Lissa, we understand that you dislike this man," Gavin placed an arm around me, pulling me against him in a tight grip. He was silently telling me to shut up. I shut up. For the moment.

  "Where do you think we might start looking?" René asked.

  "Any dead bodies?" The words just came right out of my mouth as I pulled away from Gavin.

  "We will be looking for slashed throats or for those who are listed as missing," Gavin added, pulling me against him again. "Or reports of weakened conditions with no medical explanation."

  Bill made calls, asking for updates. "Does a burglarized blood bank interest anyone?" he asked, terminating a call. I slapped a hand over my mouth before Gavin coul
d.

  The blood bank was near the National Naval Medical Center, where Dr. Lawrence Frazier's patients were hospitalized. No doubt, the vampires were using his knowledge to their advantage. Bill got us into the building after hours by flashing his ID. The Deputy Director of Operations met us there, although he had no idea why the newly appointed Director of the Joint NSA/Homeland Security Department was interested in his break-in. Bill wasn't about to tell him, either.

  "The door was forced," the Deputy Director informed us after we were led to the break-in site. It was a metal door at the back of the facility, where employees came and went.

  "Was anything taken?" Bill asked as we examined the replacement door.

  "Some medical equipment—needles, bags, IV poles, tubing, just about anything necessary to take blood or give a transfusion, plus frozen blood from the freezer. Those vandalized rooms are still taped off, but the military police have already processed everything. We were going to clean it up tomorrow." The Deputy Director was military, with a buzzed haircut and neatly creased clothing. He didn't appreciate the mess left behind and wanted it gone as quickly as possible.

  I learned the blood bank was one operated for the armed services and that was why military police had investigated the crime scene. All of us examined the vandalized rooms. Equipment and supplies had been flung recklessly about, but the scents inside both rooms told me that the vampires, one of the humans and Lawrence Frazier had been there. Winkler moved behind me—his nose was good, but he couldn't separate the scents as well as I could while he was human.

  "I'll see about making contacts and running any fingerprints and other evidence in the morning," Bill said, thanking the Deputy Director and shooing the rest of us away from the building.

  "It was them," I told Bill as soon as we were inside the van he'd commandeered for us. "Both vampires, Larry Frazier and one of the humans."