“I don’t know,” was Zia’s hard reply. “And that is worrisome.”
The personal connection between Zia and Astoria was clear-cut in the haunted look crossing Zia’s expression. “You have history with her, I’m taking it?”
The moonlight shone down on Zia, amplifying the soft, delicate lines of her face. “We had some trouble with her many years ago when she first came into her black magic. Sadly, the power she wields left us unable to destroy her.” Darkness drifted into the depths of Zia’s normally bright eyes. “Our forces were equally strong and she couldn’t defeat us, either. After that night, she vanished without a trace. And she’s been quiet ever since.”
Nexi shivered, unsure if it came from the breeze or from what Zia had declared.
“Christ.” Kyden’s curt voice blasted from behind Nexi. She spun around to face his wide eyes as he added, “That witch was the one whose scent vanished at the assignment earlier.”
Odd coincidence. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Very sure.” To Zia, Kyden asked, “Theories on why she’d watch that vampire in bloodlust and also take part in Trefan’s murder?”
“I have none whatsoever.” Zia shook her head, sending her long hair flowing over her shoulders. “What could Astoria possibly gain from murdering a guardian, or from watching a vampire fail to complete the transformation?”
Nexi didn’t know, either, and she didn’t like it.
She studied Astoria, memorizing the witch’s features and wondering about the connection to this all. More questions rose than answers, which simply sucked. Sliding her glance to Zia, she went with what she did know. “If you couldn’t destroy her, she’s extremely powerful, I take it?”
As the strongest witch in either world, Nexi couldn’t imagine anyone being able to go against Zia and walk away from it. She was completely kick-ass with her defensive magic. And who knew what Zia meant by we had some trouble with her many years ago—as immortal creatures that stopped aging at thirty years old, many years could have been centuries ago.
“Astoria holds extreme power,” Zia replied, voice grim. “When a witch accepts dark magic, it consumes her with a power that’s limitless.” She hesitated, and her expression soured. “It troubles me that she’s here.”
A witch with limitless powers?
Nexi nodded. “No shit!”
Zia’s lips parted, but Haven’s sharp cry had Nexi spinning around. The sight of Finn sticking the tip of his sword into Trefan’s stomach filled Nexi with such profound grief that she wobbled on her feet.
Then all that remained in the quiet night was the moonlight casting a glow over the field and the freezing sadness coursing through Haven and Nexi’s bond.
Chapter 4
The shimmering blue light pooling out from the portal faded and the squeeze of the vortex ceased as Kyden stepped through, last. He shut the heavy wooden door and then led the group through the Council’s Foyer and beneath the arched doorways of the Council’s Hall.
With a tight chest and a heavy heart, Kyden entered the large cathedral. The headquarters of all things Otherworldly resembled a medieval church similar to those he’d seen in Scotland. From stained-glass windows and pointed stone arches, it was impressive. This, and the foyer outside the main doors, was the center of the Otherworld’s castle. The surrounding four towers making up the structure of the castle were the housing for the Council’s Guard.
On his way through the cathedral his mind drifted to thoughts of Astoria. The design of the castle proved enough that supernaturals preferred to stay among their races. Kyden believed the reasons Astoria joined the vampires was to lead them down a path of dark magic, bringing forth mayhem. With his every thought Kyden was becoming anxious to rid the world of her.
The witch concerned him.
While his mind stayed centered on the loss of Trefan, he also did not want Nexi anywhere near that witch. Knowing his Nexi, with thoughts of avenging Trefan on her mind, she wouldn’t run from that danger, she’d run straight for it.
Kyden clenched his jaw and was an inch away from demanding Nexi be taken off this case. Yet that control belonged to the Council, and he knew they’d never suggest it—Nexi had proven to be one of their strongest fighters, as well as being a powerful witch in her own right.
Feeling utterly helpless, Kyden reached back, taking her hand in his, keeping her safe, even if for only this moment. He’d never loved a woman so deeply, not like he loved Nexi. Nor had he needed anyone before her. His life amounted to nothing much before her and he had enjoyed a bachelor’s life. Now that he’d tasted happiness and a life with Nexi, she had become his drug of choice.
An addiction he never wanted to give up.
Torn between his duty and his heart, he regarded her desolate eyes, and the pain there wrenched his gut. Trefan’s death was a clear reminder of all she’d lost. He assumed that Nexi believed he simply beat his chest because he wanted her safe, but there was more to it. He wanted to keep Nexi out of danger, not only for her protection but also because of the sadness she had endured from her past.
He didn’t want her to relive all she’d mourned because of Lazarus.
On the other hand, death had unfolded on their home and blood would be shed in retribution. His hope: Nexi would stay close in the process. He didn’t beat his chest because he didn’t trust her in her abilities—she was strong and he’d given her the combat training to become a fine guardian. He protected her because he couldn’t lose her.
His heart clenched as he turned away, focusing on the four throne chairs resting in the center of the room. Before him sat the impressive Masters of the Otherworld: Zade, Master of Vampires, the tall, pale vampire that most Earthborn folklore was based on; Holtin, Master of Werewolves, a big and burly werewolf that had a mean bite; and Kyden’s father, Talon, Master of Guardians.
Though Kyden shared his father’s green eyes, he always thought his father’s eyes had a harder edge, due to the three centuries of wisdom held in their depths. While Kyden preferred his hair long and shaggy, Talon’s brown hair was gelled back and tidy. He wore the same guardian gear as all male guardians, though Talon’s kilt had intricate designs along the sides, marking him a Master of the Otherworld.
These three supernatural males, along with Zia, had led the Otherworld for the last two centuries.
Once Finn, with Haven wrapped in his arms, settled in next to Kyden there was deadly silence among them. Talon slowly stood from his chair; his muscles were strained and veins protruded in his forearms. “Who’s responsible for Trefan’s death?”
“Vampires,” Zia responded, hurrying to his side. “Astoria was there, too.”
“The black witch?” At Zia’s nod, Talon frowned. “Did you discover the reason behind the murder?”
Zia paced in front of the chairs, her long black skirt waving behind her. “The vampires spoke of wanting revenge.”
Zade bared his fangs. “Revenge for what?”
“That’s a very good question.” Zia turned to pace in the other direction, her shoes scuffing the concrete floor and stirring up dust. “I’ve tried to find a connection here, but I’m at a loss.” Her fierce glare landed on Talon. “Astoria has been in hiding for over a century or more. I don’t understand why she has returned now, and furthermore, Kyden said she was at the scene with the newly made vampire in Salt Lake City.”
His father looked to him, so Kyden said, “Alazar couldn’t track her.”
“Bloody smart witch knows how to hide her scent.” Talon rubbed his chin. “So she’s been at the scene in Salt Lake City and now at the one in North Dakota?”
The location of Trefan’s murder hadn’t been made known to Kyden, but that information hadn’t been essential. Though now that he knew where the murder had taken place, it did seem strange that Astoria had been in two different states. It also confirmed to him that Astoria was of dark magic, since she’d have access to her own portal.
In white-magic terms, there were three portals—one in t
he Otherworld, one at the gateway in Scotland, and one in Earthworld given centuries ago as a gift of peace to the leader of the werewolves, Patriarch of Wolves, Valor—and no dark witch could access any of them.
Zia said in a clipped voice, “Yes, and why she’s been at both murders is beyond me.”
Talon returned to his seat, stretching out his legs and patting the seat next to him. Once Zia joined him, he continued. “We sent the trackers on the scents in North Dakota as soon as Trefan was discovered.”
Kyden thought over the murder, remembering only a few of the vampire’s features. “Any leads from the trackers?”
Holten leaned his huge frame forward in his chair, his long dark hair spilling over his shoulders. “We’ve gotten word that they’ve captured many scents, but once they follow them, they end up losing the trace.”
Nexi released Kyden’s hand and folded her arms. “Vanished, you mean?” At Holten’s nod, she added to Kyden, “Well, now, doesn’t that sound familiar?”
Kyden nodded in agreement, pressing his hand against her lower back, always needing her close. He considered all he’d heard, and before he could come up with next steps, Holten said, “Clearly Astoria is helping them for some reason.”
Zade added, “Even so, that doesn’t mean we’ll stop searching.”
Kyden figured that was for Finn’s benefit, since the guardian next to Kyden had waves of anger rolling off him. But Finn would know, just as Kyden did, that without a scent to track the killers they would be difficult to find. That typical manner of hunting killers wouldn’t work, and they needed to find an alternate solution. Determined to do so, Kyden said to his father, “The vampires tonight were powerful.” Older vampires, like Zade, had a palpable energy emanating from them. “They knew exactly what they were doing.”
Nexi added, “And, to me, it seemed like they were making a point, a point that I wonder if they knew we’d see—because why else would they be talking to Trefan?”
Kyden agreed wholeheartedly. He had a bad feeling that Astoria knew of Haven’s talents. “It was odd—they spoke almost as if they were talking directly to the Council itself.”
Talon slid a concerned glance to Haven before returning his attention to Kyden. “Let’s stay focused on what we know for sure at the moment. The rest we’ll deal with as it comes along.”
Kyden assumed his father didn’t want to add fear to Haven’s already weakened state. He obliged and said, “The vamps tonight weren’t acting reckless and wild. They were definitely determined to kill.” He pondered Trefan’s death and searched for anything that made sense. Coming up short, he added, “What was the assignment leading Trefan to the forest?”
Talon scraped a hand across his eyes—a move Kyden had seen repeatedly growing up. His relationship with his father was a tight one, seeing that Talon had raised Kyden. When Kyden was a month old, his mother had left the Otherworld to live in the Earthworld and had cut off complete contact. Kyden didn’t know much about her, but he also didn’t ask. Why focus on something he couldn’t change? But that one move from Talon indicated his father was stressed.
Talon finally said, after lowering his hand, “We were called out on a classic bloodlust killing.”
“It was nothing out of the ordinary,” Haven interjected, her voice shaky. “I went there with Trefan and re-created the scene. A young vampire seemed wildly out of control and killed a mortal. I didn’t see any other vampires or anything like that.”
Kyden frowned. “There was no mortal body when we arrived.”
“Perhaps they had, in fact, presented the mortal vampirism,” Zade offered, and all eyes went to him as he continued. “Perhaps the mortal had been fed vampire blood before death,” which meant the mortal would be reborn as a vampire the next night.
Nexi interjected, “Why do that, though? I thought turning a mortal was like a gift or something?”
Zade agreed with a fierce nod. “Usually is, but we have never had a black-magic witch working alongside vampires before. A missing body lends me to believe they intended to turn the mortal.”
“It’s a theory that makes sense,” Talon agreed with a grave voice.
Though the question remained, Why?
What could be Astoria’s motive for wanting to create new vampires? Kyden didn’t like being left in the dark, though one thing did make sense. “It would explain why Astoria was with the vampire in Salt Lake City. Maybe turning him had failed and she left him for us to clean up her mess.”
Every member of the Council nodded.
Haven said, “After Trefan altered the wound on the mortal it all seemed fine.” Her voice hitched on a sob. “And I left him—”
Nexi groaned, sagging and nearly sinking to her knees, apparently under the weight of Haven’s despair. Kyden wrapped an arm around her, bearing her weight. This time, a pale Nexi didn’t look at him. Sometimes Kyden hated the bond between her and Haven. At times, it helped. At other times, he wished he could remove all of the heartache that lay inside Nexi.
“Don’t do that to yourself,” Finn interjected softly, turning Haven in his arms and peering down at her. “If you were there when it happened, you would have died, too.” He wiped the dampness off her cheeks and comforted her in the way Kyden expected from his friend.
Finn added, “Trefan wouldn’t have wanted you to be in danger. He would’ve wanted you safe.”
“He was all alone, Finn…” Haven’s chin quivered.
Silence swept through the Council’s Hall as Finn closed his eyes. When they reopened, tears welled. “I know, Haven. I will always know that.”
A blast of rage enveloped Kyden. Trefan had been defenseless against those vampires, and for that Kyden would not stop his search until each of those vampires was dead by his blade. And even if Astoria hadn’t killed him herself, she’d die alongside them for not stopping it.
Zade heaved a sigh, breaking the silence, scanning the faces in the room. “Did any of you recognize the vampires?”
Kyden shook his head, as did everyone else.
Unless the vampire belonged to the Council’s Guard, typically they wouldn’t know them personally. The vampire population in the Earthworld was in the hundreds of thousands. Besides, those in the Otherworld didn’t get involved with vampires in the Earthworld, unless they took a mortal’s life.
The two worlds, while connected, were, in fact, very different. In the Earthworld, vampires had Mistress Vampires who ruled them. Werewolves had Valor, who governed the Alphas of werewolf packs in the United States. Though the treaty had been made to link the worlds together—and both the Mistress Vampires and Valor believed in the treaty and lived by those rules—the Otherworld stayed out of politics in the Earthworld, except when they weren’t given a choice.
Zade stood from his chair and approached Zia, reaching out his hand. “Let me have a look. Maybe I’ll recognize someone.” One of Zia’s magical abilities gifted as a Spirit Witch allowed Zade to see Trefan’s death as Zia had witnessed it—through her memories, almost as if Zade had been there himself.
Focused and determined, Zia took Zade’s hand, and then both of their eyes fluttered shut. Only a second passed before his eyes reopened and glowed bright with power. “I’ve met three of them before. They’re vampires from the Midwest Territory.”
Holten raised his brows in obvious surprise. “Thalia’s vampires?”
“Yes, I believe so.” Zade returned to his seat. “I met them a few months back when Thalia invited me to her summit to witness the ceremony to rebirth five new vampires.” A summit was a gathering of vampires by the Mistress Vampires to celebrate new vampires, discuss trouble, and issue punishments in their territory. But the summit also included a party that could lead to a lust-filled night of sex and blood sharing between vampires, which was likely why Zade had been there.
Kyden pondered this new development, doubting Thalia had any involvement in Trefan’s death. He’d been close to Thalia a year ago, and still had a friendly relationship with her. Sh
e wasn’t cruel. In fact, she was the complete opposite, gentle and caring. “I can’t image Thalia issuing such an order to take Trefan’s life.”
Talon bobbed his head in agreement. “I suspect you’re right, but we can’t rule anything out.”
Zade added with dark, stern eyes, “If Thalia’s not involved, she’ll be furious anyone from her territory is involved. We need to go to her immediately. Trust me when I say she’ll want to discover those behind this.”
“I’ll go,” Finn stated.
Talon leaned back in his seat, regarding Finn with one of his long considering looks that Kyden had seen many times as a child. He finally shook his head. “You’re too close to this. Tempers will flare with you involved.” When Finn’s mouth parted, no doubt to argue, Talon added, “Let Zia, Kyden, and Nexi gather the information to locate the accused. Once they have that, you can join in the fight.”
Finn stayed silent, his fists clenching.
Kyden didn’t doubt that Finn wanted to refuse, but an order from the Master of Guardians couldn’t be ignored. Besides, Kyden thought his father had made a good decision. The fire burning in Finn’s eyes called for blood. Finn would likely kill first and not bother asking questions. And Kyden doubted Thalia would appreciate such treatment of her vampires.
“I agree,” Zia interjected in her soothing voice that seemed to affect everyone around her, always calming emotions. “I think it’s best we handle this delicately. If we all bombard Thalia and make accusations, this case could worsen.”
Talon nodded at Zia and then said to Kyden, “The rest of the Council needs to stay in the Otherworld to see if any developments come about with the trackers.” To Zia, he added, “Show Thalia what you saw and see what she has to say.”
Kyden anticipated what was going to happen next, and he felt the tension blast through him as he glanced down at Nexi. Deep down, he hoped that she’d decide to stay back with Haven—seeing how distraught her soul-sister was. It came as no surprise when her blazing eyes stared back at him.
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