“This wasn’t a trap. It was a message. Jeremiah never intended to give me my aunt, or give up Myrick’s prize. I don't believe they would have left Gwen unprotected in a place like this – not if she’s really as important to Myrick as we suspect – and Aunt Janice has probably been dead since before I even knew she went missing.”
Craven placed a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t know that’s Janice’s blood on the altar.”
“But I will.” From her pocket, Ophelia retrieved a small vial of crimson liquid. “I’ve been carrying this around since Daniel told me she was missing. I guess I knew then that I wouldn’t be bringing her home alive.”
“How can you tell it’s hers, though?”
“She is a Seer. When a flame is put to her blood, it glows bright blue. No two seers have the same magickal compound, meaning different blood burns in different colors. I’ll burn a drop of this next to what’s on the altar, and it will tell us for sure.”
Ophelia gained her feet and crossed the room to stand before Daniel. “Grab that torch, will you, please?”
He did as she asked, and Ophelia placed a dab of the bottled blood next to the largest dried puddle at the head of the altar. Tears already clouding her vision, she took the torch from Daniel and laid the flame to the blood. Both spots went up in identical blazes of neon blue fire. The torch clattered to the ground, and Ophelia crumpled into the darkness behind it.
Ophelia came to in an unfamiliar bed, vague recollections of a bumpy truck ride and flashes of street lights flitting through her overworked brain. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. A small lamp on the nightstand illuminated the mostly dark room. Thin curtains framed large windows on either side of the bed, the light pink color perfectly matched to the baby roses on the marshmallow-white wallpaper. A floor-to-ceiling wardrobe stood against the wall to her right, and a large cedar chest was positioned at the end of the bed.
Beside her, stretched out in all his six-foot-three-inch-tall-glory, was Daniel. One of his sock-clad feet hung over the edge of the bed, while the opposite bare, muscular arm reached out to rest atop Ophelia’s leg. Daniel’s pale hair was untidy, as if he’d tossed and turned while he’d lain beside her. Ophelia couldn’t think of anything sweeter. She rolled over and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
Daniel’s eyes fluttered open, his deep blue gaze locking on hers. His hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb gently tracing the line of her jaw. “How are you feeling?” He asked, his light Cajun lilt thickened by sleep.
“Raw. How long was I out?”
Daniel lifted her wrist to look at her watch. “Most of the night. It’s almost six.”
“Where are we?”
“The Crimson Bayou estate. I thought it would be the safest place after what happened tonight.”
“And Carissa was okay with this?”
“She was justifiably worried at first – about herself, her child, and pretty much everything and everyone else – but she knows everything, now—including the spell you put on her to keep her safe. She said we’re all welcome here as long as we needed to stay, but Aden is waiting on us to debrief the pack. He thinks they should hear it from the source, and I agree.”
Ophelia laid her head on his shoulder. “That’s fine. I was just worried that Carissa would be less than enthusiastic.”
Daniel stroked her hair, twirling a flame-red curl around his finger. “She’s your best friend, Phia. She’s not going to turn her back on you. Now, really, how are you feeling?”
“Honestly? Like I want to cry for a month. I know there’s no way we’ll be bringing my aunt home, now, and I’m afraid there won’t even be a body to bury. Daniel, she was everything. My mother, my father, my sister—everything. I have a hole,” she thumped her balled fist against her heart, “right here, and it’ll never be filled. The only family I have left is Craven, and I only just learned about him. I want to cry, but I can’t. She wouldn’t want me to.”
“Honey, if crying helps, it’s never the wrong thing to do.”
Ophelia shook her head, rising up, positioning herself over Daniel’s lean form. “No, crying won’t help, but I know what will.” She traced a gentle finger across his lips. “You make me feel alive. Daniel, show me that I’m not dead inside. Show me that my fire isn’t out, that I can still burn. Show me that I live.”
The sun was up when Ophelia and Daniel finally emerged, and the house was silent. They went downstairs quietly, Ophelia heading into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee, while Daniel made use of the first-floor shower. With a crooked, satisfied smile, Ophelia debated with herself about joining him, but she didn’t want to get caught. Besides, one more romp this morning, and she doubted she’d be able to walk. As it was, her legs felt like rubber, and her body still tingled in places better not mentioned.
Still grinning as she poured the first hot cup, she was taken by surprise by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Taking the mug with her, she met Carissa in the hallway.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Carissa said, a sly smile on her face.
“What? Have I got a coffee moustache?”
“No, but you look like you’ve been eating cream this morning instead of drinking caffeine.”
Ophelia’s face flushed as she took another sip of her coffee and walked into the living room to take a seat on the couch. “Well, I feel a good bit better than I did last night, to be sure.”
Carissa patted her stomach with a self-satisfied smile of her own. “Mind blowing sex with a gorgeous vampire can do that.”
Ophelia choked on her coffee, the hot brew sneezing out of her nose, making her eyes water. She set her coffee mug on the end table and glared at her friend. “Don’t do that when I’m trying to drink, damn it!”
Carissa grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, not sorry. Call this payback for springing new information on me at the last minute. Next time, let me know before you cast a spell on me, okay?”
“I’m sorry about that,” Ophelia said as she mopped up the coffee mess on her face and clothes with a tissue from the end table. “That’s not how I planned it.”
“Yeah, well, we know what happens with the best laid plans, don’t we?”
“You sure you’re not mad?”
“Well, I’m a little annoyed that I’ve been worried about my own safety when I shouldn’t have. You could have told me about your spell.”
Ophelia frowned. “A spell isn’t foolproof. Myrick could figure out a counter spell at any time, and then he would know you were pregnant. He wants your child even more than he wants your sister’s.”
Carissa laid a protective hand over her womb. “Why?”
“That I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s time we upped the security here. Jeremiah’s going to be looking for me, Daniel, and Craven. I don’t want to bring them down on the pack.”
Carissa took her friend’s tense fingers in her own. “Then we’ll address the pack tonight, and make it happen.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Liam joined them in the living room, still wearing the same smirk that had been on his face when he noticed a gold watch on one of the pack members a few minutes before. “You were saying?”
Ophelia rolled her eyes. “I was saying, before you went all ‘ooh, shiny!’ on us, that I have a lead on where Jeremiah may be keeping Gwen. Carissa and I were doing some research this afternoon, and we came across a deed for a second estate in Mooringsport. It’s owned by Garrett, which means the chances are high that he is involved. When we found the deed, I got online and did some digging, and it’s going to be difficult to get in and out unseen. The place is always under guard—twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week—no exceptions.”
Melina raised her hand. “Not necessarily. I’m fairly adept at breaking and entering without getting caught. Tell me where and when, and I’ll get your girl.”
“Do I even want to know?”
Daniel grinned. “No, Phia, probably not. She does know my br
other, after all.”
Liam chuckled. “What’s that supposed to—is that necklace gold?”
Ophelia pressed one hand over the thin chain at her throat and snapped her fingers in front of Liam’s nose with the other, shooting sparks at the contact. “I can get my fire going faster than yours. Keep your greedy little claws to yourself before I prove it.”
With a grin, Liam held up his hands and took a step back. “Our stealing is a myth, but that doesn’t mean I don’t admire it whenever I can.”
Melina held up her hands between them. “Guys, guys, we’re not playing My Fire is Hotter than Your Fire. When do we want to attempt this rescue?”
Ophelia thought for a moment. “Normally I would say tonight—immediately—but my gut says we need to be more prepared. Tomorrow night, I think, and we should keep the rescuers to a minimum. Daniel, I know you have a target on your back, but your magick could be useful, and I imagine you have more experience with rescues than I – we’ve seen how well my attempts have worked so far – so, I think it should be you and Melina that go.”
Daniel nodded. “I don’t think you wouldn’t be useful, however, I am inclined to agree about my experience. Also, if Melina’s there, the two of us should be able to extract Gwen with no trouble, especially if Mel is as good at breaking and entering as she says.”
Melina smiled. “Oh, I am.”
Aden walked in from outside. “The pack is gathered, and ready when you are.”
Ophelia nodded as they all filed outside onto the porch. She shared a look with Daniel as he passed her, praying he would be okay with what she was about to do. To be open with the pack meant spilling everyone’s known secrets. He nodded his head slightly, spreading his hands as if to say, ‘I’m an open book.’ Ophelia inclined her head as she stepped up to the edge of the porch, and took a deep breath.
“I imagine many of you are aware of your leader’s eccentricities.” Nodding heads bobbed through the gathered crowd, and Ophelia heaved a sigh of relief—at least that wouldn’t come as too much of a shock. “Well, I’m here to fill you in on a bit more than that,” she paused and took a deep breath, “To begin, Daniel is only half-vampire—a dhampir. He can wield some forms of magick, and he can withstand sunlight.”
Her revelation drew a startled gasp from Aden as he looked at his grandfather.
“You weren’t kidding when you said we had more in common than I thought, were you?” Aden said, raising his eyebrows.
Daniel shook his head and shrugged. “No. In all fairness, though, I didn’t know it was like this until the afternoon before Phia was attacked.” Daniel walked closer and put his arm around Ophelia’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t have known at all if she hadn’t woken me up during the day. Things kind of came together after that.”
Ophelia shook her head and cleared her throat, shaking off his arm and making him chuckle under his breath. She blushed and turned her attention back to the pack without saying anything in response.
“Anyway,” Ophelia stepped toward the group and spread her hands, “That’s not all.” She told them about Serena being a fairy, and she explained the mission they’d been on, what had happened, and how everything affected searching for both Gwen and Janice. When she mentioned her aunt, her voice broke, and Daniel once again stepped up to offer comfort. This time she didn’t shake him off. Ophelia took a deep, steadying breath.
“Which brings us to this gentleman standing to my right.” Craven raised a hand in acknowledgement. “After the death of Octavia, I reevaluated my reasons for working with Jeremiah, and I realized that what I wanted—who I wanted to find, and the information we needed—was not a good enough reason to remain that man’s pawn. Then, at my last meeting, before we attempted to trap the dhampir, I had a proverbial bomb dropped in my lap. My mother didn’t just abandon me and my father, she left because she was having an affair, and that relationship resulted in Craven’s birth.”
Aden moved closer—he was the only one who hadn’t been privy to the conversation when Daniel explained the situation to Carissa. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“I’m getting there,” Ophelia told him, “Parts of this are still difficult for me. You see, a lot of false worry was perpetrated by the idea that I was Daniel’s wife reincarnated, but I’m not. The truth of it is far darker. She was raped and had a child before they wed. I am a descendant of that child. The father of which,” she lowered her eyes to the porch, “was Jeremiah. He’s a rare immortal dhampir.”
Aden stepped up to her, anger clear as crystal in his eyes. Ophelia took a step back, bumping into Daniel’s chest. He pushed her behind him and went toe-to-toe with his grandson. Aden made to move past him, but Daniel refused to let him get closer.
“Let me talk to her!” Aden snarled, his eyes focused on Ophelia from around Daniel’s hulking frame.
Her vampire crossed his arms. “Talk to her from here.”
Aden turned his angry eyes on his grandfather. “How do we know she’s not taking everything we learn right back to them?”
At the question, Daniel snapped for the second time in as many days. He wrapped one hand in Aden’s shirt, hauling him off his feet until the two of them were eye-to-eye. Carissa started to run to them, but Liam, Melina, and Serena formed a wall to block her path. The pack moved forward, too, but stopped when Melina threw out her hand, fire shooting from her fingertips.
“Just wait,” Liam told them.
Daniel’s eyes shot sparks as he addressed Aden. “Have you forgotten how you found her the other night, and what it took to save her?” He shook the younger man, jerking Aden’s head back. “Have you forgotten what that bastard did to her under the direction of Jeremiah and his sorcerer?”
Aden’s eyes went wide as he gaped at Daniel. “No, I haven’t forgotten,” he choked out, “I’m sorry.”
Heart hammering, Ophelia moved closer, placing a gentle hand on Daniel’s shoulder. She leaned close to his ear, so that only he and Aden could hear her words, “Have you forgotten your reaction when I told you? Put Aden down, and let’s be civilized, here. Let’s not end this night on a bad note when you know I’m not even done, yet.”
Reluctantly, Daniel did as she asked, and Aden stepped back, adjusting his shirt. He turned his gaze to Ophelia. “I apologize.”
Ophelia smiled at him. “It’s fine, Aden. I understand.” Thinking it was best to keep him from strangling someone, Ophelia hooked her arm through Daniel’s. His body relaxed at her touch, leaving her free to address the crowd once again.
“Now, on the same note as the last revelation, that circles around to the one dropped on me when I found out Craven was my brother.” She paused and moved in front of the man she referred to, her eyes on Aden’s curious face and still-clenched fists. “The man my mother left my father for was Jeremiah,” she said with a wry smile, “so, you see, we’re just one big giant fucked-up family. And none of it is our fault.”
Aden took a step backward, his cheeks reflecting a greenish hue. “So, Jeremiah is your grandfather, and his…father? That’s—I mean—how?”
Ophelia laughed. “Different sides of the family, Aden. I’m a descendant on my father’s side. And for the record, his evil didn't rub off on us.”
“I didn’t mean—ah—I should probably just stop talking, huh?”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed at his grandson. “That would probably be wise.”
Ophelia focused on the pack, “Aden, Daniel, Liam, and Melina know a lot more about the Vampire Council than I do, but I may know more about the sorcerer.” Both Melina and Serena fidgeted where they stood, but no one remarked on it.
Sighing, Ophelia pulled the neck of her shirt down. Above her left breast, centered over her heart, was a black mark. It began as a pinprick, and little black fissures branched out an inch from the impact point.
“This is what happens when his power is ingested. If I had no magick of my own, it would have done a lot more than knock me out. As it stands, I’ll have this mark forever, but thi
s also means I can detect his power anywhere, before anyone has a chance to be injured. Hopefully.”
She heard a startled gasp from Melina, but she ignored it, as well as the shocked looks from the rest of their group and the pack. Looking away, she also avoided Daniel’s gaze.
“Actually,” Craven interjected, his voice soft, “I don't think your mark works like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t sense him at the Barnwell Center, so either Myrick knows and has warded against you, or your wrong. Either way, it’s not something to count on.”
Ophelia sighed. “Fuck. You’re right.” She waved her hand. “Well, moving on, then—scratch that idea.” She turned her head and addressed Aden. “I had a vision when I was unconscious, and it gives us a little more insight into what’s going on. The sorcerer believes Liam and Melina are still on his side, and we thought he would believe that Serena is dead, but he doesn’t. However, he has no idea where she is, either.” Ophelia focused on the fairy. “I don’t know how you got away, but kudos to you. You outwitted their sorcerer, so whatever your exact talents are, don’t tell anyone.”
Serena inclined her head. “I will do as you suggest.”
Ophelia took a deep breath, “Anyway, this brings us around to the main reason he’s having his cronies hunt us down. He wants us to breed for him. Gwen was kidnapped because she’s already pregnant, and the only reason Carissa wasn't was because either Garrett didn’t tell Myrick, or I put protection in place in time. We may never have an explanation. I’m also unclear as to the sorcerer’s exact reasoning, but we need to stop him, and soon.” Liam and Melina flinched, but Ophelia was the only one that noticed. She pushed their reaction to the back of her mind and plowed on, her eyes scanning the crowd before her. “As wolves, y’all will have an advantage: their sorcerer’s power does not work on animals except through potions. Craven tells me Myrick is trying to find a way around that, but so far he hasn’t.”
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