Blood Royal (Blood Destiny #5)

by Connie Suttle

  "She is still recovering, Honored One," Gavin said and I muffled more laughter against Gavin's neck.

  "Gavin, this is good for her," Wlodek informed him. "It gives me pleasure to make her laugh."

  Gavin got off the phone shortly afterward and our audience disappeared as Gavin pulled my arms away and held my face in his hands. "Cara, I was so frightened," he said and kissed me as carefully as he could. "Your father tells me you have a muted heartbeat since he gave you blood. You could have died, my love." I was placed in my bed and Gavin crawled in beside me, holding me until I fell asleep.

  * * *

  "Listen to me carefully," Xenides struggled to hold his anger back. Lawrence Frazier, his human pawn, had not received the best of instruction and had almost killed the little princess. His spy informed him of this, although he hadn't been able to get updated information on where she'd been taken. The fools in the U.S. had botched this completely. Xenides would see that they paid for this mistake later. In the interim, he still needed them. "You will instruct any others to protect her life, not take it," Xenides' anger came through in his voice.

  Rafael hadn't been the one to give Larry Frazier instructions, but he was bearing the brunt of Xenides' wrath. He knew not to make excuses—that was extreme foolishness and the punishment when it came would be harsher if he attempted it. He held his tongue and accepted the verbal abuse.

  * * *

  "I'm not going to argue if she wants to go eat," Winkler said. We had very little in the house other than blood to consume and I knew Roff was tired of sandwiches. Winkler, too, actually. I was trying to talk Gavin into going out so some of us could enjoy a decent meal. I know he didn't like letting me out of the house, but it had been three days since Karzac left and there was only one more day that I had to take it easy anyway.

  "Cara, if this is what you want, then we will do this," Gavin finally caved. "What do you wish to eat?"

  "Is there a good prime rib nearby?" I asked. Bill had come to the safe house, after making sure he wasn't followed.

  "I know a restaurant," Bill nodded. He'd dropped by to give us updates—there still wasn't any word on Admiral Hafer, although everybody was looking for him, now.

  "How did Larry get to the hotel?" I asked Bill later.

  "He had a stolen car," Bill said as we climbed out of the van at a restaurant. "We're checking the area where the car was taken, but we haven't found anything yet." Gavin, René, Tony and Winkler were all scanning the area as we walked toward the restaurant. I discovered that all of them were forming a circle around me, Bill included. Roff walked alongside me; Gavin had one of my arms, Roff the other.

  Winkler ate half my prime rib, since it was too much food. It was good, though. I hadn't had anything like it in a long time. "What I can't figure out," I said, pushing half my baked potato in Winkler's direction, "is why they let Larry go to the hotel to do what he did. Surely, they didn't think he was just going to walk away afterward with his life. I thought he was valuable to them, giving them his expertise along with what he took from me."

  "I am concerned about this as well," Gavin agreed. "What changed to make him expendable?"

  "We still don't have a line on the three humans that Lissa scented," Tony gestured with the swizzle stick from his obligatory drink. "Who are they? Did they work with Rahim, or did Xenides pick them up somewhere and force them to work with his vampires?"

  "Maybe they have medical training, too," I suggested. "Larry was too well-known, and maybe these three were there to learn what they could from him before Xenides dumped him." Bill was jerking his phone out of his pocket and punching a button. I was thankful we'd gotten a private alcove at the restaurant since there were so many of us. Bill was asking questions the moment somebody picked up on the other end. Questions about doctors, medical personnel, EMTs or such that may have gone missing recently.

  Bill was on the phone for maybe ten minutes while somebody did research somewhere. We were all listening in except Roff, whose hearing wasn't quite as good as everyone else's. I was leaning my forehead against Gavin's arm when the conversation was over. Three research biologists had disappeared from the Atlanta area just before Tony and I had gone there to check things out. The official story was that they were friends and had gone camping together. They'd been lost somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. The three men still hadn't been found, although their campsite had been searched thoroughly.

  "Let me guess—they worked for the company in Atlanta that manufactured the flu vaccine." I mumbled against Gavin's arm; I didn't want to pull my head away. Honestly, I wanted to be somebody else, right then. Anybody would do. It just had to be somebody who didn't know what I knew and wasn't worried about what Xenides might be able to do from this point forward.

  "Yes." Bill confirmed my worry after Gavin repeated my words to him—his hearing wasn't very good, either.

  "At least we have names, now," Tony said. He was upset about this too, I could tell. René was rubbing Tony's shoulders.

  You're such a good parent, I sent to René. He smiled slightly, although he wasn't looking at me. He could receive, just as Gavin could. They just didn't have the talent to send back. Not normally, anyway. If Gavin got my blood, though—I sighed, thinking about what Xenides might do with my blood that Frazier had likely handed over.

  "So, have we done any more research on Hafer and Larry Frazier?" I asked pulling my mind away from more frightening thoughts. "Since Larry did his hip replacement and heart surgery?" Bill's fork stopped halfway to his mouth.

  "Lissa, I completely forgot about that," Winkler said. "Too many things happened and it went right out of my head." We hadn't mentioned it before—we'd speculated about Larry Frazier, figuring he'd pointed a finger in Hafer's direction as someone Xenides might target for information and state secrets. We'd never done any speculation on Hafer himself.

  "Yeah, well, we got privileged information from a mutual source I can't name who said Hafer got Larry to do a hip replacement a few years ago and that he had some heart surgery done, too, but all of it was hushed up for some reason." I grimaced and knotted the napkin in my hands beneath the table. Things were starting to fall into place, and I didn't like the picture it presented.

  "More than likely so the president wouldn't ask Hafer to retire—we always suspected he had other health issues and shouldn't have been involved in national security," Bill said, hauling out his cell again. "If Frazier was treating him and keeping it under wraps, that would keep him in the thick of things, wouldn't it?" Bill was repeating exactly what Daniel Carey said. "Frazier might know exactly what kind of information Hafer might offer to Xenides, but there's another way this could go as well," Bill muttered.

  "You don't think—oh my gosh." I wanted to slap my forehead again.

  "I'm thinking the same thing, I'm sure," Bill said and punched a number on his cell.

  "You think Hafer was spying, don't you Lissy?" Tony leaned around René and gave me a look. That would explain why Hafer was after me—I could get in anywhere and find any information.

  "Hafer probably knew Larry was on that boat, didn't he? And even if Rahim or one of the others didn't get that information from Larry, they may have gotten it from Hafer. Which explains why he wanted me so bad." I wanted to get up from the table right then and go looking for the bastard. We had to shut up when the President came on the line. Bill outlined his suspicions and asked for help from the FBI and CIA to pull financial records and such, including any aliases that Hafer might have used. The wheels were turning before Bill stopped talking.

  "Lissa, I should have dinner with you more often; I get more work done that way," Bill sighed, slipping his phone in a jacket pocket.

  "I remember when you were looking at me like I was the demon from hell du jour when Tony spilled the beans before," I lifted my wineglass in a toast.

  "First impressions are often misleading, don't you think?" Bill smiled at me and held up his own glass. "I had no idea what Director Hancock was thinking
when he dragged you along with us to Atlanta. You obviously weren't an agent; I could see that from a mile away. I was worried that Tony had developed an infatuation."

  "I did, but Lissy wasn't having any of it," Tony grumbled. Gavin gave a satisfied grunt.

  "Did you put Tony under compulsion and ask him?" I was now giving Gavin a hard stare. He was deliberately ignoring me. "You did, didn't you? You slime." I slapped him on the arm.

  "Cousin, she just called you slime. Are you going to retaliate?" René was enjoying himself. So was Winkler; he was grinning. Our waiter came over and Winkler and Bill ordered dessert; I was too full even to think about it. Too bad Gavin hadn't heard the conversation Winkler and I had in the coffee shop of the hotel before I'd been shot. If Gavin knew that Winkler had offered to take me somewhere so I couldn't be found, I figured the fur would fly.

  "I will see about retaliation later," Gavin huffed.

  "Uh-huh." I was contemplating misting away, but that would cause chaos, so I left things alone for the moment.

  * * *

  "I don't think we can save him." The physician was trying to tell Franklin as gently as he could that it was only a matter of time. Greg was dying and there wasn't anything anyone could do.

  Merrill's arm was around his human child's shoulders and he was doing his best to comfort Franklin. "Give us a moment, please," Merrill said. The physician nodded and walked out of the counselor's office, leaving Franklin and Merrill alone.

  "Son, now is the time if you wish for me to take him and make him vampire," Merrill said softly, pulling Franklin's head against his shoulder.

  "I want to but I promised I wouldn't," Franklin sobbed.

  "Son, look at me," Merrill lifted Franklin's face. "If I turn him, then you'll have to agree to it, too. It won't do either of you any good if I do one and not the other. That's the way this works. Franklin, decide now if this is what you want."

  "I can't do it, father. He said no. I promised."

  Merrill sighed. "Child, we will get through this." Merrill kissed Franklin's forehead and pulled him closer. "Come, my child. We will sit with Greg." Franklin wiped his eyes when Merrill handed the handkerchief over, and then Merrill helped him stand and held him up as they made their way down the hospital corridor toward Greg's room.

  * * *

  "Lissa, I do not call you names when we are with others." Gavin was pointing out something I already knew.

  "I know. I didn't mean to hurt you."

  "Lissa," Gavin sighed. "I know I deserve most of what you level against me, but I would prefer that you do it when we are alone so I feel free to discuss these things with you."

  "Are you going to listen or are you going to pretend to listen while you go through baseball stats in your head?" I asked tartly. "Just let me run down until I lose steam, pat me on the head and say that's nice, dear and go on about your business?"

  "Lissa, please."

  "Please what, Gavin? If you want me to do something or treat you a certain way, then you need to say something. I can't read your mind, you know. All I can do is send mindspeech. Not the same thing."

  "Lissa, I am old. Sometimes I do not know how to deal with your youth or your humor. Mostly I have worked alone in the past, only occasionally working with other vampires. Even the ones three or four hundred years of age irritate me at times because they are so young."

  "Gavin," I held up my left hand, wiggling his rings with my thumb. "You did this to yourself. Not that I don't love you—I do. I never thought that forty-nine would be young to anyone. In the human way of thinking, that's definitely on the down side. I'm sorry I can't add a thousand years to my life and behave in a more circumspect manner."

  "Lissa, I know I am asking the impossible. How can I expect you to force that much time and experience into less than fifty years? I must be the one to develop patience, I think."

  "I'm sorry I disappoint you," I muttered and misted away.

  Chapter 12

  Why pay for an aerial tour of our nation's capital, when you can mist? I might have been brushing away the occasional tear if I'd been anything other than mist. As it is, I got a good view of everything. I saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, flew over the Smithsonian (which I still wanted to see, someday) and breezed over the National Mall. I saw all sorts of things until I got to the White House. Been there, done that, I was thinking, until I saw the helicopter out on the helipad and Secret Service surrounding the President. Director Bill Jennings was walking alongside said President.

  Bill, I'm misting overhead, I sent to him. What's going on?

  Bill broke away from the President's side as soon as I sent mindspeech and he was waving his arms, shouting, and then making gestures toward the sky, motioning me down. I went. I didn't know what those Secret Service guys thought when I suddenly appeared right next to Director Bill, but a barked "stop" from the President kept me from being shot again.

  The helicopter was making a bit of noise—it was revving up. "Lissa, please say you can come along!" Bill's jacket was whipping about in the winds created by the rotor blades and he was shouting to make himself heard. "I wanted to bring you, but I couldn't get the others to agree or stay behind and the President didn't want a committee."

  "I'll come," I nodded. Gavin and Wlodek would make sure there was hell to pay later, but then there was always hell to pay, no matter what I did. "Where are we going?" I thought to ask as Bill hauled me toward the President and the waiting helicopter.

  "Camp David!" Bill shouted as I was hustled on board the helicopter, right behind the President.

  We were flying along at a fast clip and I was still getting odd looks from the Secret Service guys. Maybe they'd never ridden in a helicopter with a vampire before. How was I to know? We were almost to our destination when I got mindspeech from Tony.

  Lissy, Gavin is about to take the house apart. Where are you?

  With the President and Director Bill, I returned. Tell Gavin he can have his hissy fit when I get back.

  Lissy, I just told him where you were and I think it's a good thing you can't see his face right now.

  Tony, find out if vampires can have a stroke, I sent back.

  René says no, but apoplexy might be an option.

  Is he yelling yet or calling Wlodek?

  The phone is in his hand; I think he's waiting to calm down, first.

  That could take a while. Tell him this is all my idea—I didn't know Bill wanted to take me; I just happened to be misting over the White House while they were revving up the helicopter.

  Lissy, telling him this is all your idea may be a mistake right now.

  Tony, you tell him and Wlodek too, that they'll never put me in one of those holding cells again.

  Lissy, I don't have enough clout to tell anybody anything. I can give the info to René, but that's the best I can do.

  I know. I hate being treated like a six-year-old.

  Yeah. I'm right there with you on that.

  * * *

  "What did she say?" Gavin snapped. René was right beside Tony in case Gavin became violent. He didn't want to fight Gavin, but he also didn't want Gavin attacking his newest child because he was the one receiving Lissa's mindspeech. Winkler and Roff had left the safe house the moment Gavin became angry.

  "She said something about not liking the holding cells," Tony said, watching Gavin carefully.

  "Inform her, please, that she is still recuperating from two gunshot wounds to her chest. Inform her please, that I am about to lose my mind. Inform her, please, that I have already lost my temper and I have been commanded by Wlodek to let him know if she goes off on her own at any time. Inform her, please, that the hole I am about to put in the wall is her fault and no other's." Gavin set his cell phone carefully on the tiny kitchen table and then punched his fist through the cinderblocks of the wall so swiftly even Tony couldn't follow it. Bits of crumbled concrete followed Gavin's fist as he withdrew it from the newly formed hole in the wall. Tony could see the thick
steel plate behind the cinderblocks was dented severely.

  "Gavin is not angry with you," René assured Tony. Tony was worried about Lissa more than himself. Gavin lifted his phone after brushing bits of concrete off his hand and dialed Wlodek's number. It would be day soon in England, so Gavin was making the call as quickly as he could. Charles picked up immediately.

  "Charles, I need to speak with the Honored One," Gavin growled. Charles wasted no time, getting Wlodek on the phone immediately.

  "Gavin?" Wlodek's voice held a question.

  "Our little Queen has gone off the reservation," Gavin snapped. Tony stood by and listened while Wlodek cursed fluently in Greek.

  * * *

  "How did you like the helicopter ride?" The President gave me a big smile as we climbed out of the SUV that had taken us from the helicopter pad to a nearby building. The sign out front said it was Aspen lodge and I learned that all the cabins and buildings had tree names. There were guards everywhere—all Navy, I learned.

  "It was fine except for the noise," I answered the President's question. Bill was right beside us, so I wasn't completely uncomfortable. I was dressed in jeans with a nice blouse and flats. Hey, I didn't know I was going to end up next to the President.

  "You really do have sensitive ears?" The president was grinning as we walked inside Aspen Lodge.

  "I can hear the other end of a cell phone conversation, even if you were standing over in that corner," I pointed to the corner farthest from us.

  "That's outstanding," he said. "Come on; let's see what we can do about hammering out some peace." Bill and I walked behind the President; Secret Service agents and elite Navy guards drew in and surrounded us as we made our way into another room.

  I recognized the Russian President right away and thought I knew who the other two were—Pakistan and Afghanistan came to mind. I was getting to see something I'd never thought to see; world leaders talking about what could be done concerning the current situations. Things might have come to some sort of congenial conclusions, too, if Admiral Hafer, five vampires and three former research biologists hadn't come to call.