Tempered (Et Lapis Sanguis Book 1)

by Dawn Ibanez

  She shook her head. “That makes no sense. De Leon had my blood. Every morning like clockwork, he would pass out, nearly dead as a doornail.”

  He thought about it and blinked slowly. He looked at her and pressed a kiss to her hair. “We’ll think it through tonight. Right now, I want us to just relax in each other’s company.”

  Gus laid her head on his chest again. She curled up against him and felt her body relax. She didn’t want to examine how safe and cherished she did in that moment. A thought occurred to her. She raised her chin and saw Elijah watching her carefully. She shook her head before she pressed a kiss to his skin and settled at his side.

  The shadows of her past would wait. Right now, she wanted to bask in the feeling of being cherished by someone other than her sister.

  Chapter 16

  Elijah woke to an empty bed. He frowned as he opened his eyes and saw the other side of his bed made up neatly. He sat up and looked around his room. She was gone. “Augustina,” he called.

  The smell of food came from the front of the apartment. He climbed out of the bed and had to take a moment to steady himself. He looked at the clock on his nightstand and blinked. It wasn’t close to sundown.

  He was up nearly two hours early. “This can’t be right,” he mumbled.

  She appeared in the doorway and rushed to his side. She was wearing another of his shirts and a pair of leathers from the training grounds. “Rebecca brought down some food. Are you hungry?” she asked.

  He wrapped her into his arms and kissed her. The taste of bacon and syrup was on her lips. He moaned as pressed her against the wall next to the door. “I should still be asleep,” he told her.

  She nodded and pulled on his hair. “I’ve been thinking about that,” she gasped when he thrust against her. “We’re never going to leave this apartment if you start this.”

  He covered her mouth with his again. The last thing on his mind was venturing out to find a killer. Elijah broke their kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re right. Go eat. I’ll jump in the shower, and we can talk on our way to Sector Central.”

  She nodded as he stepped back away from her. “I also want to check in with Mel. I’ll meet you upstairs.”

  Elijah didn’t watch her leave. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he wanted her to stay with him. There was an insidious voice that whispered that he would lose her the moment he left her to her own devices. He turned on the water for his shower and stepped in.

  After they checked in, he would see what they could investigate. If there was nothing, then he would have Augustina and Mel relax. Especially Mel. She just woke up from a coma. She shouldn’t be working a case. And Augustina wasn’t much better. Maybe he could get Tati to go out with them somewhere.

  He didn’t want to depend on the strange redhead. There were too many questions around her. Where did she come from? What purpose did she have wanting to become friends with Augustina? Why would she just hand over that coat? Elijah didn’t like the possible implications connected to the answers in his head.

  He didn’t take long in his shower. It was easy enough to pull out a suit and dress for the night. There would be no galivanting around the city for him. He would do what he could while he was close to home base and then move from there.

  Nearly 20 minutes later, he crossed the threshold of his private rooms. He went to his office but heard Augustina talking with Mel. Elijah smiled as he went to check his tablet for any messages. It had been some time since his residence actually felt more like a home.

  His smile slowly faded as he looked at the report on his tablet. During the day, there had been two other bodies found. There was another report stating that the Vega sisters had seven more stashes around the city. While most had been found, the final one had been empty. He would have to speak with Augustina to see what she had left around his sector.

  A knock on his door made him turn around. Monica stood there with her medical bag. “Gus called. She said that you were awake when you shouldn’t have been.”

  He nodded and removed his suit jacket. “I was going to call you when I reached Sector Central. You didn’t need to come all the way out here.”

  She waved off his curious look. “Yes, I did. It’s not every day that a Chevalier can step out into the light. Even if it’s only an hour or two.”

  “I will not be viewed as weak. Especially with this killer on the loose. I need to protect the people of the North.” He rolled up his shirt sleeve and moved to sit behind his desk.

  Monica placed her bag on a chair and quickly found a syringe. “No one thinks you’re weak,” she said with a shake of her head. “And we both know it’s only a matter of time before you catch whoever is behind these murders.”

  Elijah rolled his eyes gestured to his tablet. “Finding body after body isn’t helping matters. After the attempt at the hospital, we now know that we are dealing with multiple suspects.” He grunted and frowned at Monica as she stabbed him with the needle. “Monica.”

  She looked at him. “You’re worrying too much,” she said as she drew blood. “Has Master Dominic said anything negative about your rule?”

  “No.”

  “Do you expect him to?”

  “No.”

  “Then keep moving as you normally would.” Monica filled one vial and quickly swapped it out for another. “I could also suggest a statement to the public, but that could be dicey.”

  He had thought about releasing a statement about the bodies being discovered. But there was a risk in that. Humans would hide, other vampires could try to slip their leashes and either hunt for humans or take it amongst themselves to try and find the culprits. He rubbed his face with his free hand and sighed. “I’ll come up with something.”

  Monica removed the needle from his arm and covered the small pinprick with a bandage. “Good. In the meantime, I’ll figure out why you’re up and moving.” She took the vials and put them in a special compartment in her bag. “I have samples from Gus as well, so I could possibly have answers for you before dawn.”

  Augustina and Mel came into his office, both pulling on their coats. Augustina looked at him. “Gabriel’s here. We’re ready to go when you are.”

  Elijah nodded and stood. “Very well.” He looked at Monica and rolled down his sleeve. “Let me know when you have your report ready. I will make myself and Augustina available.”

  Monica nodded and finished packing up her bag. “You will be the first person I call.” She then looked at Augustina and smiled. She nodded at the pair of sisters and left.

  Augustina gestured to her sister. “We’ll wait for you outside. Hurry up.”

  Elijah wanted to call her back to his side. The site of her standing in the doorway. She looked to be every bit of the soldier any member of his Glaive. “Mel, can I talk to your sister for a moment alone?”

  Mel looked between them. A smirk crossed her face and she shook her head. “A moment,” she repeated before leaving them alone.

  Elijah picked up his suit jacket and put it on. When he was sure he and Augustina were alone, he grabbed her by the hips and pinned her against the wall. Before she could say anything, he kissed her. He pulled away from her and frowned when she laughed. “What?”

  “Now you want to sneak around like we’re hiding something?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Never. I just want you to understand that you will be treated as my consort once we walk out of this house.” With another kiss, he let her go. “Your friend is going to be stopping by Sector Central. I want to ask her a few questions.”

  She chuckled as she adjusted the coat she wore. “You realize she’s probably just some townie that doesn’t know about city life.”

  Elijah gestured for her to leave his office. “Perhaps. Or it may be that she is a danger to you, and this is her way of finding an in.” They walked down the hall and Rebecca held out his coat for him. He nodded his thanks and the girl smiled.

  Augustina laughed as she exited t
he mansion. “Why would she do that? I’m no one here in the North.” She then blushed when he grabbed her arm. “Okay, I’m someone to you and to Mel. But you and I are a recent thing. So why me?”

  He didn’t like the answer that came to him, but she needed to know the truth. “There are those that still look to see De Leon avenged. It’s possible she works for them.”

  Her eyes went wide for a moment before narrowing. “I’ll kill her before she gets me to the border.”

  Elijah nodded and pressed a kiss to her hair. “I am hoping things won’t reach that point,” he said as he helped her into the car.

  *****

  Tati wrapped Gus in a quick hug. “I knew that would look good on you,” she said. Her smile then slightly as she fingered a spot of blood. “From the assault at the hospital?” she asked.

  Gus nodded as she examined the spot herself. “Yeah. We were able to get most of it out. I’ll see about having it professionally done tonight.” She then gestured to Mel standing behind her. “This is my sister Mel. Mel, this is Tati. She was one of the techs that helped us at the meat market.”

  Mel nodded. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said lowly. Mel then looked at her sister. “I’m going to check in with Edmund. He wanted me to help him go over a log of everything they found at the stashes.”

  Gus hugged her. “You be careful,” she whispered into her ear.

  “I can say the same to you.” Mel pulled away from Gus and nodded again at Tati. She then made her way to the elevators. Gus couldn’t help but notice how everyone seemed to smile and wave at Mel.

  “She seems pretty nice.”

  Gus smiled as she watched Mel. “People gravitate to her.” She glanced at Tati and saw the woman now looking around to other areas of the lobby. “Never been to the command base before?”

  Tati laughed. “Not through the front,” she said with a shake of her head. “There’s a tech entrance around back. We were called down here last month because a couple of vampires got carried away.”

  Gus wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. “What do you mean carried away?”

  Tati wrapped her arms around one of Gus’s. “They were getting all hot and heavy and wanted to experiment in the bedroom.” She leaned close to Gus’s ear. “So, the female decides that they need to try something called ‘figging.’”

  Gus shook her head. “I don’t need to know anymore,” she said.

  Tati nodded. “Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. At all. The man was so upset that she lost the grip on it. We rushed him to surgery. Last I heard, he’s in rehab over in the West Sector and she was being transferred to the East.”

  Gus shook her head and tried not to laugh. “They can’t be trusted in Central Headquarters. They were probably here to do a job, not get caught screwing around.”

  Tati lead her to the indoor café. “Very true. Business and pleasure can be a messy mix.” She sat down at a table and motioned for Gus to do the same. “But sometimes it can work out. I’ve seen it. You and Lord Elijah make it work.”

  Widened eyes looked up to her. “Lord Elijah and I are a new development. We’ll probably be fighting in a week, and he’ll want me gone in a month.” As soon as she said they words, she knew they were a lie.

  Tati smirked as she set her chin on her hand. “Sure, tell me anything.”

  Gus laughed as she leaned back in her chair. There was something about the redhead that put her at ease. It was almost like when she and Mel spent a lot of time together. More than just sisterhood. There was a type of peace Tati brought with her. Gus stopped and looked into widened blue eyes. She leaned close to her new friend. “Tati, are you Fae?” she asked in a whisper.

  Tati blinked at the question. “Why would you ask something like that?”

  Gus shook her head. “It was just a thought. You remind me of Mel in some ways. So, it was a shot in the dark. And whoever this is going around killing those people are targeting people with Fae blood. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. That’s all.”

  Tati smiled. “You don’t want people to see it, but you’re just as open as your sister.”

  Gus rubbed her nose and shrugged. “I guess. When you’ve seen the heights of cruelty, you never want to be remembered as cruel. Maybe that’s why they want me to teach. They know I’ll be tough but never cruel.”

  Tati leaned forward. “Who wants you to teach? Lord Elijah? He’s giving you a job here?” She clapped her hands together. “That’s so exciting.”

  “I never agreed.” Gus laughed. “I’m still thinking about it.”

  “What do they want you to teach? If you don’t mind my asking. I thought you and your sister were bartenders.”

  Gus nodded. “We are. But our father taught us a few lifesaving skills before he died. We perfected them. I can be of use here.” Gus blinked when a teenager came over to where they sat. The boy wore his chin length hair down, and his hands trembled as he held a note pad. “Yes?”

  “Hello, my name is David. I wanted to know if I could get you and your associate anything to drink, Lady Augustina.”

  Gus stood and made David look into her eyes. Her lips pressed together as she gathered her thoughts. The boy was completely terrified. His eyes were wide, and his pen scratched lightly at the pad in his hands. Gus looked over his shoulder and saw Edmund watching her. She turned her attention back to the teen boy. “Look, you can call me Lady Consort, Lady Gus, simply Gus, I don’t care. I do not want to be referred to by anyone as Augustina. Only Lord Elijah and maybe Master Dominic can get away with that. Okay?”

  David nodded his head in jerky movements. “Y… yes Lady Consort,” he said in a whisper.

  Gus patted his shoulder. “Good. Now, I’ll have an apple juice. And my friend here will have?” She looked at Tati and motioned her head toward the boy.

  Tati smiled. “I’ll have a cola with a slice of lime if you have.”

  David scribbled on his pad and nodded. “I’ll get right on that. Do you want to add anything to eat as well?”

  Gus’s shoulders relaxed. “I’ll have a cheesesteak and some fries.” She looked over and saw Tati frowning at the front entrance. “Tati?”

  The redhead stood. Her eyes were focused on the front entrance of the building. “I think David should run,” she said carefully.

  Gus looked in the same direction and saw it. Particles of light that didn’t flow in the correct patterns. “What is that?”

  “Light magic,” Tati said over her shoulder.

  The scent in the air angered Gus. Sector Central was supposed to be under protection. She reached into her pockets and drew out her throwing knives. “David, run and alert Lord Elijah and Captain Edmund. Tell them I smell sunshine and grass. They’ll know what that means.”

  David looked at the blade in her hands and nodded. “Yes, Lady Consort,” he said before running off towards the main lobby areas.

  Tati grabbed Gus’s wrist and turned to face her. “I’ll explain everything later,” she said. When Gus frowned at her, Tati inhaled and blew air directly into Gus’s eyes.

  Gus blinked rapidly as she stepped back. In the moments it took for her vision to clear, she saw three people all hidden by cloaks. Each one going after a different target. Her stomach dropped. She didn’t have enough knives to use against them all. Her dirks were down in the training room. She never thought the cult would have been so bold as to attack the central hub of the entire sector.

  Gus vaulted over the table and chairs as she went after the nearest attacker. It took little effort to tackle them to the ground and rip their hood off. A woman with long dark hair and pointed ears glared back at her.

  “Abomination!” she growled before lifting her hand and setting off some sort of flare.

  Gus was blinded as she felt something throw her back away from the woman she tackled. She landed hard on a table and groaned when she fell to her knees on the floor. She blinked and her vision slowly came back. Colors started to form as multiple silhouettes danced in front of
her. She shook her head and gripped the knives in her hands tighter. The multiple figures came together as her vision cleared. Gus looked over her shoulder and saw two members of the Glaive picking themselves up off the floor.

  “Lady, what’s wrong?” one asked.

  Gus grabbed the sword on his hip. “There are light magic users here,” she said lowly.

  The screams started that next instant.

  Chapter 17

  The light magic users scattered. As they went after and tried to cut down their targets, people in the lobby area started to scream and run. Gus charged at the one closest to her. She vaulted a table and swung her sword. Her eyes narrowed when the hooked blade of a scythe swung at her. Gus blocked the blow and allowed the momentum to push her back. She faced off with the woman who attacked Elijah in the Tower cell.

  “Finally coming out of hiding?” she asked.

  Her opponent shook her head. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

  She rushed forward. Gus deflected her first attack, only to frown when she spun the blade of her scythe and change her weapon’s trajectory.

  Gus raised her hand up and grabbed where the blade met the handle. The woman facing her tried to pull the scythe away from her. Gus held the weapon in her grip. The temperature of the weapon rose. Gus shook her head. “You went after my sister. That’s all I need to understand.”

  The woman screamed as she dropped the scythe. Her gloved hands smoked as she backed away from Gus. Gus dropped the scythe and went after her. She went forward two steps when an invisible force slammed into her chest. Gus was thrown back and slid across the polished floor of the lobby. She rolled up on her shoulders and flipped over in time to bring her sword up to block another attack.

  The rancid scent of flesh burning reached her nose. Gus turned and sank her blade into the chest of a man attacking her. She turned to the woman that came at her with the scythe. Another foe appeared in front of her. Gus snarled as she slammed her fist into this person’s face. As she straightened, a hand pulled on her hair and lifted her off the ground. Gus turned her blade around and stabbed backwards.