by Sophia North
It was Penny's Dragon cloak and when she saw it, their de je vu act sent her into a rage. She'd been prepared like this once before, when Haan had tried the same trick with her in Scotland.
"No!" Penny screamed. "Haan will not have my babies."
Hannah's heart broke at her friend's wail of terror. This couldn't be happening. Suddenly a flash of a scene appeared before her eyes. It showed her being married to Pierce in some sort of a temple and...Gabe! Gabe had come to save her.
Attempting to calm her friend, Hannah whispered, "Penny, don't struggle. Trust me...Gabriel will save us."
Pierce's cruel laughter put such thoughts to bed. "Is that what your vision tells you, darling? I think you'd best take another look...cos according to my source, your precious Gabriel may indeed arrive on the scene. But he'll never leave."
"From what I hear your source is a demented megalomaniac who doesn't know how to stay dead," Hannah challenged back. "How could you betray your own kind by allying yourself with Haan? He will destroy us all before he'd ever share power with those he believes to be beneath him."
"My, my look at you, all well-informed after years of the OO treating you like a simpleton," he sneered, again enjoying her look of surprise at his knowledge about her lack of inclusivity in OO business. "Or does your vampyre lover's pillow talk drift towards matters of state after he's fucked you? Perhaps he lacks the correct technique in order to satisfy himself to the point of speechlessness. Fear not, darling, I am well versed on how to achieve such bliss."
Clicking his fingers, one of the White Women came to his side, carrying a midnight blue velvet cushion. On it laid the necklace Gabe had bought for her. Pierce must have found it along with the bowl and cylinder in her coat pocket, which meant he possessed two of the three pieces of Chalice of Karma. Did he even know the significance of what he'd stumbled upon?
Pierce lifted the necklace from its resting place and held it to the light. The stones glittered magnificently. "It was good of you to bring this along, it saved me the hassle of retrieving it. However, you really went above and beyond with the bowl and cylinder. My Master couldn't believe the stroke of good fortune bestowed upon him to have both the Dragon and Chalice of Karma delivered to him on a platter. Feels like he's being backed by divine provenance now."
Hannah felt faint knowing she'd unwittingly aided the enemy and almost buckled completely when Pierce fastened the necklace around her throat and whispered: "I wondered if the Consul would recognise this at Christie's. The blue diamond at its centre once graced another setting long ago. Do you remember it, Hannah? You should, you've worn it many, many times. It is the diamond that holds yours and Gabriel's love within its reflective heart. And tonight, I will shatter it. Time to go, ladies. Destiny awaits."
Chapter Forty-Three
LIFTING HIS HAND FROM the carpeted floor, Gabe clenched it into a fist. Fucking Pierce and his cronies were able to stay one step ahead of them. They'd arrived at the Embassy, searched it from top to bottom, but to no avail. Hannah and Penny were no longer there.
"He's moved locations with the women. Somewhere ceremonial it would seem, given the way they were dressed before they left," Gabe said flatly, relaying what he'd seen from reading the energy in the room. He couldn't bring himself to talk about what Pierce attempted to do to Hannah. Nor about the mysterious presence who'd saved her from being raped, whom he now believed had to be Aiden. His protection of Hannah gave Gabe false hope that perhaps his Prefect had not been turned completely, but to mention the possibility when they were about to go into battle wouldn't help anybody, least of all him. If it came down to it, Gabriel would send Aiden to his permanent death without hesitation. Sentimentality had no place at this late stage of the game.
"Haan's fucking with my family again and he really, really needs to die properly this time. I don't give a fuck about Darius being his vamp double. This shit has to end. Any ideas how we're going to find them?" Vlad growled, back at his caged lion pacing. He too had experimented with his Praetor ability to read the room's energy and he was close to punching through a wall based on what he'd glimmered. Whoever those Women in White were, he didn't give a shit about their delicate sensibilities. They were fair game to him the moment they'd fucked with his wife and babies.
Marcus replied first. "My pack could try, but from what I picked up when we were searching, their scent has been masked. The last time I detected them was down in the parking garage, but it did not continue outside. And it should have. So either they magically disappeared or never left - which doesn't make any goddamn sense either. Brother, you're the detective in the family - any clue as to what's happened?"
Ethan inhaled deeply. "No. It is as you said. Nonsensical."
"Are you telling me I've become a fucking Yank for nothing?" Vlad ranted, pacing the room. "Like I need the IRS crawling up my ass looking for their cut when already have Her Majesty's greedy hand wrapped around my balls."
Dante always marvelled at how Vlad would choose to crack jokes when he was scared shitless.
"Although, if Bojo doesn't sort out this zombie parliament, I may consider making the move," he ended with. Yup, the fear was deep. He couldn't stop with them.
Gabe rubbed his eyes, exasperated by the lack of options. "Bring the OO woman in. Maybe she can offer us something useful."
"I'll fetch her," Simone said. "Something tells me she'll be more cooperative if she's not hauled in here and interrogated."
Melinda walked in freely with Simone a few minutes later. Those males in the room who were uncommitted gave her a good once over, and even a couple of the committed ones had to admit, the OO bird was an attractive woman.
"Simone has explained the situation to me. I'll see what I can do."
"You can do something can you, love?" Marcus asked, grinning wolfishly at her. Melinda didn't appreciate his leering stare. Werewolves never knew when to tone it down.
"Jesus Christ, Marcus, cool it," Ethan snapped at his brother before turning to Melinda and giving her his best 'aw shucks ma'am'. "Please, Miss. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated."
Melinda warmed to his gentle tone. "Thank you, Inspector. It is refreshing to meet a wolf with manners. I shall indeed do my best to assist any way I can."
"Unbelievable. My whelp of a brother always has a way with the ladies."
"Not all. I hear he has issues with the Canadian ones according to Penny," Vlad said, giving the fine young Inspector a well-earned dig.
Ethan bristled at the remark. When he'd been investigating the theft of Penny's artwork, she and one of his former subordinates had become rather chummy. A Canadian named Isabella Wylde with whom he had had many run-ins with over her lack of deference to his position of Detective Inspector. Nothing had given him greater relief than her being sent back to the Basement with the other Tech rats. The woman drove him mad.
Melinda sat in a chair. "Prepare yourselves, everyone. Things may get...weird," she instructed to the onlookers, leaning back. Tilting her head upwards, her eyes rolled back and began to glow and pulse until finally two shafts of light shone out.
"Holy fuck," Vlad said, echoing everyone's sentiments.
But Melinda wasn't done with her performance. When her jaw slackened, another voice emerged from her mouth.
"Rome lays deep in the belly of the golden beast,
Follow the Walbrook through the eye of a saint,
It will lead to what you seek.
Make haste, time is not as it seems,
A reckless Temptress tries to change fate,
Letter H."
Blinking, Melinda returned, her blue eyes glowing with the remnants of what she'd experienced. "What did I say? Did it make any sense? More times than not, no one can make hide nor hare of what comes out."
"Prone to possession driven speech are you, sweetheart?" Marcus asked cheekily.
Simone cuffed the wolf round the ear for his insensitive observation. "Are you a Sibyl too, Melinda?" she asked, putting two an
d two together.
"Of a sort, so I am told. I'm working on it. But enough about me, did I say something that will help us find Hannah and Penny?"
"You spoke in a fucking riddle," Vlad complained, "And I don't know any riddle cracking fuckers at the moment."
"Ah, but you do, Brother," Dante interjected. "You know me. And I believe I may have an answer to Miss Rowan's play on words."
Vlad went over and bear hugged Dante. "Fuck mate, I'm so happy you're back. I had to read books and shit when you were gone. It hurt. Bad."
Gabriel couldn't take anymore of the bro love fest. "For fuck's sake, spit it out! I'm halfway there - they are going to an underground Roman temple, but my knowledge of London's landmarks is shit."
"The temple in question in under the Bank of England," Dante provided.
"Now we're talking," Vlad exclaimed.
"Know your way around the place, I take it?" Gabe asked sarcastically in response to his exuberance.
"It's like my second home. I never trusted those Liberal political elites with all that gold. And I was right. Sold it off at the worse time ever. Dumb humans, they never learn. Mind, I made out like a bandit and bought a pile, so I shouldn't complain."
"Are you about to make a relevant point anytime soon?" Gabe asked, exasperated.
"Aren't you the tetchy one. My point is I've been to the Roman temple underneath the Bank many times and know the way. Appears that my love of riches pays off again."
Gabe took a deep breath. "Then it is time to take our stand."
Dante went to join Vlad, Lash his Legatus, and last, but not least, the Lang brothers. Simone was about to take her place, when her husband's hand stayed her.
"You will take Melinda to Lowerton and remain there," he informed her.
"I will not abandon Penny," Simone said defiantly.
"Simone, don't make me send my Watchers to ensure you do exactly as I say. I will not have you at risk," he added with meaning.
"Fine," she snapped, "but if you are not back in Lowerton by midnight, no Watcher will stop me from coming for you."
Chapter Forty-Four
THE SLICK COBBLESTONES of old London town shuffled or clomped, dependent on the level of frustration felt, as the Vamp-Wolf allied rescue party made their way along its narrow streets and alleyways. Passing by many notable government buildings and institutions, Vlad brought the group to a halt at the doors of their desired destination by raising his fist.
The church St. Steven Walbrook was tucked down a seemingly unimpressive lane, itself a rather ho-hum offering compared to the grandeur of St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey. The original had been one of many destroyed in the Great Fire of London, but its current structure could boast that along with St. Paul's, it too had been designed by Christopher Wren - London's preeminent architect of the time.
"Are you certain this is where we need to be?" Ethan asked, as they passed by the residence of the Lord Mayor of London. "The Bank of England is on Threadneedle, which is back that way."
Vlad was having none of it. "Listen, pup. Who has lived in this city since the eighteenth century? I know exactly where the Bank is...the original one, that is. Now shut it and follow me."
Entering the chapel, Ethan looked up, wondering if a stroke of lightning might make an appearance. He'd always been under the assumption vampyres were not able to enter consecrated ground. But thankfully, the iconic Wren dome suffered no such damage.
Approaching the altar, Vlad went to one end and lifted the top like it was nothing. Inside, a narrow staircase went down into utter blackness. "I found this entrance to the temple after the Great War. It's not well known and should hopefully give us the advantage of not being detected by the Warlocks until it's too late."
Gabe peered down into the inky darkness. He was still of two minds as to whether or not they were in the right place. Could Melinda really be trusted? The OO were responsible for taking the pieces of the chalice from his safe. It did not make him feel particularly confident.
"What if it is a trap? The OO cannot be trusted and could be working with Haan," he stated, giving voice to his concerns. "Maybe we should split into teams and approach the temple from different directions. Could give us a tactical advantage."
Vlad scoffed at him. "Listen, mate. If the OO know about this tunnel I'll...never crack another joke at your expense again."
Gabe conceded to Vlad's confidence. He would never make such a bold declaration if he wasn't sure of himself.
Vaulting over the edge of the altar, Gabriel dropped down into the tunnel, by-passing the stairs. Tuning his vamp sight to the low light, he spotted a torch placed in an iron holder on the wall. Lighting it, the flame whooshed to illuminate a narrow passageway carved from stone. From behind, the others descended one by one to join him.
Tossing the torch to Vlad, Gabe stood aside. "Lead the way, friend. If we are met by enemy forces, you'll be the first one into battle."
"Sounds good to me, I'll relish the warm-up. But have a little faith Consul cunt, when have I ever steered you wrong before?"
Gabe paused, but decided they didn't have the time to go through them all. How like Lash this Viking was, quick tongued and oblivious to the trouble it created. Although, to be fair, neither walked away until their fuck-ups were righted. And surprisingly, things tended to end up turning out better than first anticipated.
The party moved swiftly now the Lang brothers had transformed into their wolf selves. Coming to an iron gate, Vlad held up a fist, commanding everyone to stop. Marcus approached, his nose to the ground.
When he emitted a low growl, the force braced themselves for an attack. The glow of another torch came into view, casting shadows along the walls of the junction of the two tunnels.
"Dante, is that you?" Simone's harsh whisper carried in the deathly silence.
"Simone! I told you to return to Lowerton. How dare you defy me." Dante barked.
Coming to stand at the gate separating them, she replied, "I dare many things, husband. And you will be wise not to forget it."
Standing behind his warrior vampress were Melinda and Lawrence. Dante gripped the iron bars. The force he applied to them causing a faint groan in complaint. "You cannot bring humans into this," he growled from behind gritted teeth, nodding at the pair standing behind his wife trying to look innocent but utterly failing. No doubt deals had been done behind the scene in order for each party to gain what they most wanted out of the bargain.
"We're a package deal, isn't that correct?"
Melinda nodded silently, whereas Lawrence, who'd been unconscious for most of the excitement, could not resist piping in with his two cents. "I will give my life to save Hannah, and resent not having been included. So, whether you like it or not, this human is in."
Gabe swung open the gate to enter their part of the tunnel. "Enough chatter, we need to get moving." Wandering over to the trickling Walbrook river that coursed its way under London, he gathered up a massive mound of mud, then sauntered back to Lawrence and dumped it on his head.
"Mr. Rosetti, what the hell are you doing? This is no time for a facial," Lawrence cried in distain, as the mud slid down his outraged face.
Leaning against the slick damp brick wall, Gabriel crossed his arms. "If you're coming, you need to cake yourself in some of London's finest. Keeps a Praetor from reading your mind."
Vlad gaped at him. "You mean to tell me, crystal magic does shit, but mud...fucking mud keeps you the fuck out of my mind." Walking over to the muddy bank of the streaming river, Vlad held out his arms, fell back into its welcoming gooeyness and proceeded to make mud angels. Thoroughly covered in the foul smelling stuff, his silver grey eye's glittered from his caked face. "One cannot be too careful, Consul cunt."
"I don't recall saying it would stop me," Gabriel replied, studying his very clean nails.
"Fuck."
Lash started laughing at how stupid Vlad looked, followed by the rest of the crew.
"I don't why you are laughing, br
other," he chided Dante, throwing a handful of mud at him. "Mud up. And don't get any ideas about you and Simone lingering."
Chapter Forty-Five
MARCHED ALONG A TORCH lit corridor, Hannah nearly slid on the uneven cobblestones. The silk shoes on her feet had no grip, and barely passed as proper footwear, being more like ballet slippers.
Ahead of her, she watched as Penny was led by her iron manacles by two of the Women in White. Her long red hair hung down from her bent head, as if to say she had given up hope and was resigned to her fate.
But Hannah knew different. Gabe would come. They had nothing to fear.
Walking through a pair of tall iron doors, Hannah gaped at the sight. Four tall pillars rose to support a large central dome in the temple. The stone arches bridging them, fanned out like large palm trees and were covered in paintings. Some depicted brightly coloured scenes from Roman myth and other ancient stories. But, it was the intricately patterned fresco floor that most impressed. Captured in the tiny squares an array of symbols spread across its circular pattern. Astrological, alchemical and others Hannah could not place.
Fires burned at each pillar's base, along with a number of wall torches, casting the temple in a low, flickering light. Set off from the expanse of the domed area, and perfectly aligned to the centre, was an alcove. Its high walls rose halfway to the dome ceiling, and was as beautifully painted as the rest of the temple.
Within it, a large granite altar was placed in the middle, flanked by two fire pits. It was incredible to think about how long it had been under the feet of an unknowing London populace.
Brought to stand at the centre of the temple, the Women in White left the two prisoners and departed through an identical pair of doors opposite from where they'd entered. Hannah went to her friend, eager to assure Penny that help was on the way. Her vision of Gabe fuelled her confidence, otherwise she'd be a mess over the prospect of becoming Pierce's wife.