by J. J. Bonds
She leaves, and Viktor doesn’t waste any time laying into me with a scathing tongue-lashing.
“You are an Elder now.” Yeah, because I need reminding. Should I expect to be reminded every day until Aldo returns or, even worse, the rest of my life? Annoyed, I grab the stack of papers from the side of the desk and begin filing them in the deep drawer at the bottom of Aldo’s desk. He only keeps his most personal documents in the desk, I’ve learned. “You must play your part, Katia. You can be gentle with the house staff, but you cannot allow rumors of weakness to leak out.”
“I know,” I say, slamming the drawer a little too forcefully. After the initial bang of wood on wood, there’s a gentle thud. Curious, I reopen the drawer. The back panel has come loose, falling forward on the files, which still sway from my excessive use of force. I start to push the panel back into place only to realize there is a thick envelope behind it. This is it! What we’ve been looking for. I pull the envelope from the drawer. There’s one word scribed across the front in Aldo’s handwriting: Katia.
“Are you listening to me?” Viktor demands, oblivious to my discovery. “The Council is looking for reasons to…”
“Leave me, Viktor. I need to be alone right now.”
Chapter Thirteen
Alone, I place the yellow envelope on the desk and stare at it. I sit like that for a while, collecting my nerve and wondering what secrets it holds. There may be a clue inside, or there may be nothing but another false lead in the search for Aldo.
When I can put it off no longer, I reach for the thick envelope only to discover it hasn’t been sealed. Strange. Still, I’m sure it remained hidden when the others searched the office. Even I missed it the first time, and if anyone other than Viktor had found it, it would be long gone. Viktor, on the other hand, would have told me if he knew about it. No, this was meant for me alone.
I dump the contents of the envelope out on top of the desk. It’s not much, just a couple of letters. I start with the one bearing my name. The paper is a crisp parchment, neatly folded, and handled with care. The arc and curve of Aldo’s perfect penmanship fills the page. My heart squeezes as I begin to read.
My Dearest Katia,
If you are reading this letter, I am no longer with you. While the idea of losing Lissette and yourself brings me great sadness, I have no regrets, save my inability to lead our people through these dark and transformational days. But alas, change is upon us and we must embrace it or crumble.
I leave my name, my legacy, and my seat on the Consiliul de Batrani in the most capable of hands. Fear not, my child. I have every confidence you will rise to this occasion with the grace and passion with which you meet life’s every challenge. You will do great things for our people. Do not ever doubt this truth. There will be those who discount your abilities because you see the world differently than they, but do not lose faith in yourself.
You possess a goodness and a strength much greater than you realize. I knew it from the first day we met. Perhaps that is why fate brought us together. You opened my eyes to a truth I had allowed myself to ignore too long. With your help, our people will forge a new way of life, starting a new chapter in the Vampire Chronicles. For your sake, I can only hope it will be one of peace and prosperity.
The years will be long, and you will see many things both great and terrible. You will do many things both great and terrible. Be strong. Always be strong, but do not lose your humanity. It is what sets you apart in this world and will ground you in uncertain times. This is the best advice I can offer as you fulfill your legacy.
Always,
Aldo
A tear leaks from my eye, racing down my cheek, and drops onto the page, blurring Aldo’s signature. I swipe the back of my hand across my eyes before another can escape. That’s twice in two days. I take a deep breath, blinking my eyes clear. I’m not the crying type. It’s like Aldo said. I have to be strong. Always strong.
How can he have so much faith in me when I don’t have any myself? I can’t possibly deserve it, but I’ll do my best to make him proud and preserve his family heritage. I reread the letter, drawing confidence from his words.
I understand now what Aldo wants me to do, why he chose me to carry on in his absence. There were only the barest hints of it in the minutes from the Council’s meetings. I couldn’t be sure until now, but it seems clear to me that Aldo intended to broker peace between the mixed-bloods and the purebloods by pushing for more equitable treatment of vampires like me who were made, not born. Aldo was treading very carefully, and I wonder what allies he’d garnered for the movement behind closed doors. I need to find out. Whatever progress he’s made will not be undone. Not if I can help it. I’m just sorry it wasn’t enough to move for change, to appease the Order and keep him safe.
When I’m done, I carefully refold the letter and slip it back into the envelope, moving on to the next. As I unfold the paper, I see it’s another handwritten letter. This one is much shorter. This one is addressed to Aldo.
Elder Lescinka,
The time has come for all the world to know the secret you flaunt before their blind eyes, hiding so plainly in sight. The Lescinka heir is a fraud. The child was not born of your bloodline. She is one of us; not one of you.
The irrefutable proof lies with the Order of the Red Dawn, and we will expose you for the hypocrite you have become. Should you wish to keep your secret, should you wish to keep her safe, you will be at the lake on the first night of the new moon. Come at midnight. Come alone.
-A.
What. The. Eff? How could they possibly know about me? And what proof could they possibly have? More importantly, who the hell is A? I quickly power up Aldo’s computer and search the lunar phases of the moon, confirming what I already know to be true. The first night of the new moon was the same night he disappeared. Aldo went to this meeting and never returned. He went to protect me. Scratch that. He went to protect us. Aldo had as much to lose as I did. Hell, he had even more. All I had to lose was my life.
It still doesn’t make sense. Even if he believed this letter, why would he go out to the lake alone? Surely he knew it was a trap. A gutsy trap laid on his own property, but a trap nonetheless. It would have been incredibly risky for him. What could have possibly compelled him to go alone and tell no one, not even Viktor? It’s so unlike Aldo. He’s thoughtful and meticulous and careful. Slipping away under the cover of night? That’s just irresponsible for an Elder.
I toss the letter on the desk and call for Nik and Viktor. We cannot share this new evidence with the other Council members or the Linkuri, but we need to find answers. And I know where to start looking.
**********
Nik and Viktor read the letter, and I swear I can see steam pouring from Viktor’s ears at the realization that Aldo gave him the slip purposefully. Nik’s response is far more reserved, and I have to give the guy kudos because my feelings are anything but reserved after spending the evening wrapped in his arms. Thoughts of stolen kisses dance at the edge of my conscious mind. Too bad there’s a time and a place for such thoughts and this isn’t it.
“He did what he thought he had to do,” I point out, hoping to placate Viktor. Aldo’s actions anger me too, but what’s done is done. We can’t go back and undo it. We can only hope to decipher the clues and find… what? Aldo? The Order? The truth? Perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to find all three. “Aldo thought he was protecting us.”
“It is my job to protect him!” Viktor bellows, pounding his fist on the desk. He feels betrayed. Can’t say I blame him. He’s sworn his life to protect Aldo, and being shut out at the time he was needed most can’t be an easy pill to swallow. “He should have told me.”
“Feel free to read him the riot act when we find him,” I retort, hoping he can channel his anger into something more productive. I need him firing at one hundred percent. “This letter is the first real clue we’ve had regarding Aldo’s disappearance. It gave me an idea, but we have to keep it quiet, obviously.”
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“What’re you thinking?” Nik asks, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Relief washes over me. I knew I could count on him.
“I still haven’t heard from Shaye, and the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. Something isn’t right.”
“Katia, we need to remain focused,” Viktor cuts in, shaking his head. He picks up the discarded letter. “I know she is your friend, but she is not your priority. This needs to be your focus now.”
“Stick with me here,” I say, needing them to understand. Viktor’s right, Shaye isn’t my first priority, which is exactly why I missed it before. With everything else that’s been going on, I never stopped to consider what was right in front of me all along. How did Keegan know to get her out before the attack? I turn to Nik. “Do you think Blaine could do some digging for us?”
“Why do you need Blaine?” he asks, visibly perplexed. “You’ve got the resources of the Linkuri at your disposal.”
“If Blaine finds what I’m looking for, I don’t want the Linkuri swooping in and taking over. I also don’t want to risk being exposed. I need to be discreet, and I need someone I can trust.”
“Since when do you trust Blaine?” Nik’s skeptical. Rightfully so. Blaine and I are hardly friends, but he’s come through in the clutch before. Besides, Nik trusts him, and that’s enough for me.
“I’m trying, okay?”
“What exactly are we looking for?” asks Viktor, handing me the letter from the Order. I fold it up and tuck the envelope in the back of the drawer where I found it, replacing the wooden panel and testing it to ensure it is securely in place.
“Keegan knew about the attack before it happened,” I explain, energized at the prospect of having a solid lead. “He got Shaye out, and for that I will be eternally grateful. However, it does not mean I will look the other way blindly. There are only a handful of people who know the truth about me. Shaye is one of them. She and Keegan are very close. If she let it slip or dropped even a hint, well, I don’t want to believe he’d betray me like this, that either of them would, but he’s been acting strange, secretive.”
The words are thick on my tongue. I feel like an ass for even suggesting this after all we’ve been through together. I admire Keegan. I thought we were friends. But I can’t let my personal feelings for Shaye or Keegan color my judgment here. There are too many lives at stake.
“He’s been travelling a lot lately. I don’t think it’s school business. I want to know where he’s been going, what he’s been doing, who he’s been talking to.”
Viktor and Nik listen intently, probably weighing the merits of my case against the probability of a solid lead. I’m torn myself. As much as I don’t want it to be true, as much as I don’t want to face the prospect of dealing with such a personal betrayal, I’m hopeful that this is the break we need.
“I also want to know where they are now,” I tell Nik, knowing this may be the most important piece of the puzzle. “Keegan’s running from something. I want to know what it is, and I need to know that Shaye is safe.”
“I’ll call Blaine immediately.” Nik stands, and it’s impossible not to admire the way his black cargos hang low on his hips or the way the muscles in his forearms ripple when he folds them across his chest. He’s the picture of perfection. “It should only take a few days for him to get what you need.”
“I’m counting on it.” I tap my fingers restlessly on the desk. Patience is not my best virtue, especially when the pressure is on. “We don’t have any other leads. Blaine may be our only hope.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Katia.”
“This better be important,” I growl under my breath. I hate having my workouts interrupted, especially when I’m pummeling the heavy bag. It’s the only time I can empty my mind of all the problems I have yet to solve.
“I’d say it is.” Alex joins me at the bag, looking more than a little pissed off. Her blond hair is slicked back and plaited in a thick braid which she flips over her should before handing me a dirty-looking envelope. “This was just delivered to the front gate.”
“What is it?” I ask, eyeing the filthy-looking envelope. What is that smudged all over it? It sort of looks like…. No, it can’ be. I raise it to my nose and sniff, catching the unmistakable coppery scent. “Is that blood?”
She flinches. It’s so quick I nearly miss it. A seasoned member of the Linkuri and billed as one of DeVanie’s best, I doubt there’s much that rattles her. “You don’t want to know what else was in the box. Suffice it to say, it’s from the Order.”
I tear open the envelope and remove the letter. “Can you track the source?”
“I’ve already sent one of my guys to the courier’s office, but it’s a long shot. These guys are a lot of things, but sloppy isn’t one of them. They’ll have paid cash, and I’m betting we’ll get a false name and zero security footage, but I’ll let you know once it’s confirmed.”
For the first time, I feel like Alex and I are on the same page. I’m lucky DeVanie sent her. Even if she is a pain in my ass. I figure she’d say the same about me, so maybe that makes us even.
I quickly scan the letter, the blood I consumed this morning souring in my stomach. They’ve made several demands, not the least of which is two seats on the Elder’s Council. This doesn’t surprise me in the least, and honestly, if it were up to me, it would be done already. Two seats is representation. Hardly a dominant majority. Certainly not enough to change the overall direction of the Council. Too bad the other Elders will never agree. Especially under the threat of violence.
While the Order’s demands seem reasonable enough, the violence that continues to plague our people is not. If the Council does not agree to their terms, I can expect to receive another gory package. In fact, I can expect one per week until their demands are met. I glance at Alex. Her face is a mask of indifference now, but I’m sure that receiving a weekly delivery from Body Parts ‘R’ Us isn’t something either of us wants.
By the time I reach the last paragraph, my blood is boiling.
Do not doubt that we can make good on our promises. You should know now that none among you is safe, not when we have taken the most valuable prisoner of all, leaving you with the most unsuitable of replacements and bringing the Lescinka bloodline one step closer to extinction.
They have Aldo. I knew it. It’s hardly a surprise, but seeing it so plainly confirmed with a casual reference to his death and that of the entire Lescinka bloodline is something else entirely. I do not fear my own death, and maybe that’s the bravado talking, but the idea of losing Aldo? Now that scares me. Still, they used the word prisoner, and that means he’s alive. For now.
An hour later, Viktor and Alex confirm that each member of the Elder’s Council received an identical letter and the same gruesome delivery. Big surprise, they’re up in arms. So are my guards, as it turns out.
“How did they know Katia’s been named to Aldo’s seat on the Council?” Alex asks. She’s been pacing the room for the past half hour, and I’m pretty sure it’s driving Viktor crazy, judging by the way he’s looking at her, like he thinks the only way to put a stop to the endless movement is to forcibly strap her to a chair.
“They’re guessing,” Viktor scoffs. “Grasping at straws.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Alex stops pacing and places a hand on her hip as she pins Viktor with a heated stare. “I think it’s safe to assume they have spies among us. It’s impossible to know who we can trust.”
“That’s nothing new.” Viktor sighs, shifting his gaze to me. “However, it does mean we aren’t going to be able to keep Aldo’s disappearance or Katia’s initiation to the Council quiet any longer. We’ll need to make a formal statement. We’ll also need to host the power families from the coven.”
“Viktor, I hardly think this is the time for a party,” I point out because there is no way in hell I am willingly signing up for an evening of rubbing elbows with the uptight and unpleasant.
“It’s part of the job.” He’s unapologetic in his reminder. If I didn’t know he hated these things as much as I do, I’d think he was amused by my discomfort. “It’s time for your people to meet you.”
“Fine. But what about the Council? What do I do about them? I don’t know about Alex, but I’d rather not be on the receiving end of another of the Order’s packages, and we are no closer to reaching consensus on how to deal with their demands.”
“You need to start making calls. By my estimate, Aldo had maybe five Elders who were open to change, if not sympathetic to the mixed-bloods. With you, that’s six.”
“Not enough for a quorum,” I point out, drumming my fingers on the desk and doing the quick math. If Viktor’s right, Aldo was close though.
“It’s a starting point. None of them will go on record with you until they’re certain you have the votes to pass any type of proposal giving additional rights or recognition to the mixed-bloods. You have to secure a commitment for the seventh vote, which isn’t going to be easy.”
“When is anything ever easy?” I give Viktor a wry grin. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be my life now, would it? “Who are the five?”
“You can count on Elder DeVanie,” Alex promises with a confident nod. “And probably Madison Witte. She always follows his lead.”
“Who else?”
Viktor ticks them off on his fingers. “Erich Wolff, Julien Lefevre, and Victoria Garrott.”
Five quiet allies is better than none, but I wish they weren’t so hesitant to speak up. Securing one additional vote from the most traditionally minded of the Elder’s will be no small feat, especially for me, and I have no idea how I’m going to do it.