Page 68 of Inevitably Yves

“Right,” Yves agrees, then his expression lifts. “Ah, yes. He’d be weak and require vast amounts of human blood to heal and be strong again. That’s what he’s been doing. He lures vulnerable mortals to him, drains them, and then turns them.”

“Yes,” I say. “That’s what’s tainting this place. Every person he turned carries his weakened, sick blood in him.”

“Does that mean they’re weakened too?” Thorn asks.

“Could be,” Yves answers. “Normally when Hadrian turned someone, their scent was intoxicating. Indescribably wonderful. Irresistible.”

“Right,” I add. “That was part of his allure. He used it to lure us to him. But this? This is foul.”

“That’s why he has to steal souls,” Kyson whispers. “He can’t get them the way he used to.”

Yves turns to the sweet vampire, nodding. “Yes, that’s right, Kyson. It explains so much.”

“Okay, but what I want to know is why this Admiral bullshit?” Midnight says.

“Yeah, we used to hear rumors about this guy,” Bowie says. “Way before I knew Syn. It was legit Mafia stuff too. Drugs, trafficking, embezzlement. It was always like, a low-key fear that he would get to New Onyx. It doesn’t seem like it could be the same guy.”

“That’s a good point,” Thorn says, leaning against a column. “Bowie’s right. There were rumors about him for a long time before stuff started happening.”

“Uh, guys,” Justice says. “Hate to bring up old shit, but remember Nightsky? The blood king and the supreme being?”

“Yes,” Eros says. “Same guy.”

“Right, but what if, and I’m just spitballing here, but vampires are pretty crafty, right? That’s how we survive so long. What if somehow Hadrian came across the Admiral, found out how powerful he was, and…” He shrugs.

“And took over the Admiral’s life,” Eros finishes. “The Admiral is dead.”

“Or maybe a vampire,” Thorn adds. “If Hadrian is smart, he would’ve turned him and his whole crew. He’d have a bunch of unhinged, violent criminals at his command.”

“Hungry for blood,” Yves whispers. “It’s a nightmare.”

“What do we do now, boss?” Thorn asks. “How do we find him?”

Yves smiles, but it’s dark and hard. “If my instincts about my maker are correct, we don’t have to do anything else. He already knows we’re here. He’ll come to us.”

“So we just…sit here and wait?” Thorn asks, clearly agitated.

Yves grips my wrist, his head tilted back slightly. “Do you hear it?” Everyone falls silent, and there it is. A quiet rumble, as if the earth moves beneath us, threatening to erupt, but this is no earthquake.

“He’s coming,” I whisper.

“And he wants us to know it,” Yves says. “The potion to block him isn’t strong enough. He knows where we are, where we’ve been, everything. He knows.”

I place my hand under Yves’s chin, drawing his gaze to me. “That’s just fine. We’re ready for him.”

Yves blinks slowly. “I want to tell you something.”

“Now?”

He nods. “Maybe if I tell you, if I take away its power over me, it will make me stronger.”

“Oh gods, Yves,” Syn says. “Are you sure?”

Yves nods, his expression pained but determined. “Now that Damiano is back, it’s all that’s left that can still hurt me. Hadrian may try to use it, so I’ll use it first. I’ll face the pain now while he’s not here to exploit it.”

“Fuck,” Thorn mutters.

Eros, Raphael, and Midnight look equally distraught, while the mates look on curiously.

---