Page 5 of Master Oradea

“Good, they mean well.”

“They act like I’m sixteen instead of twenty-one. Michael is the worst, but he’s quiet and authoritarian about it, you know, like my dad. All the weight of the world has fallen to him since Dad died.”

Chara puts her arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. “He needs time to settle into his role of father, big brother, and leader of a family who just lost their don. We’ll get through this, Natalia. We always do. Best friends since kindergarten, and we’ll be besties until we die.”

I give her a reassuring smile, but inside the cold, dark chill of the rogue vampire stays with me, as though warning me of impending doom. I’m just not sure how this one plays out, Chara.

Chapter 5

Oradea

My jaw tightens with angst as I sit at my desk and listen to the fifth of my lords tell me the same damn thing. Not one person saw Lucas after he left the club last night, and no one has seen him since. The traitor will not disappear and get the best of me. I will hunt that beast until I’ve found him and made him pay for every atrocity against the masters and the pureblood vampires he and the rogues want to eradicate.

I disconnect from the line and begin sifting through pages of the vampire guide, searching the Vade Mecum for a historical clue that will help me determine the beast’s intent for the future. Someone has to stop Lucas and these rogues dead in their tracks. After last night, I’ve determined that it will be me, because my patience has come to an absolute end.

A sound at the door causes me to glance up. Overmaster Descallia takes up the frame of the entrance. I wave him in and to the seat across from me. “How was the journey?”

He folds himself into the chair and sighs. “I have to admit, it’s been a long few days since finding out about Lucas. It was bad enough to learn about the others, especially Isala and Dragos. You don’t expect family or someone you spent so much time mentoring to turn on you, yet they did.”

I shift in my chair. “I’m sorry.” It’s all I can say because while the betrayal has hit us all, it’s more personal to Descallia who helped hand pick each and every one of us with the goal of becoming exactly who we are in the communities today. Vampires who are viewed with respect and with positions of authority in the towns we live in. But to be constantly looking over our shoulder, waiting for the rogues to swoop in with the next ploy to take us out must be much harder for him to take, century after century. Yet we’ve managed to prevail, time and time again, and this attempt will be no different. “We will find the bastards and make them pay.”

Descallia shakes his head slowly. “It’s become complex, hasn’t it? Everything was simpler centuries ago. Then we were fighting for our freedom, to be the purebloods we knew we could be. Holding onto the gains and positions we’ve achieved seems much harder to do when it’s not just one faction who wants to drag us down, but many, for a variety of reasons that don’t always make sense at the time.”

I tap the burgundy leather of the Vade Mecum. “We’ll find Lucas and the rogues. The answers have to be in here. When we do, we’ll learn what they’re after. We know pieces; it’s just putting them together like a puzzle.”

He nods. “You’re not wrong, Oradea. Lucianna feels strongly that while the Vade Mecum is not specific, that Raven, Willow, Madria, and their stones are key to finding the rogues.” I flip to the page I’ve bookmarked.

“The stone of the witches will light a path to send evil to a fiery hell.” Descallia nods.

“Exactly. We believe destiny meant for the stones to come together and we were to wait to look for the rogues until they did. How or what the power of the stones hold, Devora would not say, but it’s written in the witches’ history, in their bible of sorts, that when the three stones come together, a play for power will surmount anything ever seen. Every time we get close to the truth or to the rogues, the witches are involved. It’s undeniable.”

I nod. “Devora was pretty convincing when she came to the consulate meeting to meet with the masters about putting things in the past. I have to tell you, it was a hard pill to swallow having her there. But to her credit, she was up front and honest about her inability and unwillingness to let the land dispute lie.”

Descallia’s eyes redden. “They believe it’s theirs as much as we believe it belongs to us. Romano and Campania were telling me some of the stories that Raven and Willow told them about some of what they were taught at the academy, about their history and ours. It’s hard to blame the witches if that’s what they’ve learned from Devora and the High Priestess.”

“I’m still having a hard time believing they aren’t part of this, and I’m trying hard not to let their schemes of the past cloud my judgment, but it’s an effort.”

He stands and goes to the window, looking out at the sky that’s just barely turned dark. “We seem to have developed an amiable truce, but not where the land is concerned. The entire war with the witches has been about that land. I was hoping if we could fix that, our problems would go away, but this thing with Lucas … He knows the secret that we keep and the powers of the stones.”

“What about Embry? I heard you both stayed back to deal with her.”

Descallia growls under his breath. “He was the one who brought Embry into our fold. They have a history that ties them together. That bond may be deeper than her commitment to us. Even that has brought dissension to our group. The ladies are convinced that Embry would never betray us. Lucianna believes they’re right, but she isn’t willing to put the future of the vampires on the line until we know for certain. In the meantime, Embry isn’t talking to anyone, and Lucas hasn’t said a word about her or come back to claim her.”

I heard that. “It’s a real cluster, that’s for sure. Did you have time to think about our call last night and how you want to handle Roman and the Benzini family?”

A half growl barrels forward from deep in his chest. “Those brothers should be thanking Roman for agreeing to take them into his fold, instead of acting as though they’re doing him a favor. They have no don, the elders of their group want to dissipate, or have them merge with another family. That tells me they don’t believe the leadership structure the Benzinis have is solid enough to withstand anything without merging. Roman’s in the driver’s seat on this one. He just needs to hold his ground with these thugs.”

“I spoke with the lords this evening. They’ve had all of their soldiers with their ears to the ground. No one has seen or heard a word from Lucas. I have a couple stops I want to make this evening. Given his appearance last night, maybe going in alone but having backup watching the perimeter would be smart? There are a few people I need to talk with, and then I’ll head over to the Descallia and see if I can learn anything there. At least we know all the vampires there are loyal to us.”

His eyebrows raise. “At least we used to. It’s a solid plan. At least until we know more about the possibilities of where he’s gone. I’ll ask Lucianna to work with the ladies and their stones and see if they can find out anything about his whereabouts too.”

“Did you bring Embry with you and Lucianna?”

He exhales a deep breath. “We brought her, but she’s about as pleasant as a little viper at the moment. I hope you don’t mind, but I gave her your lower level. It gives her enough space and keeps her close by, which soothed the ladies who feel I’m the most unjust person on this earth for not trusting Embry. The masters can take their ladies to see Embry, but I’d rather not have her anywhere else but where we can keep an eye on her until we know for sure. There’s far too much at stake.”

“Sounds reasonable to me. I’ll talk to Embry tomorrow. I have questions for her that may come better from me than those she was closer to. In the meantime, Elda will have our staff keep her comfortable, with food and drink and anything else she needs.”

I glance at the clock, anxious to take leave. “I’m sure you and Lucianna are famished. Why don’t you grab something to eat. Elda should be putting a meal on shortly. I want to get back to the clubs as quickly as possible. Maybe you can have Lucianna ask the ladies to focus on making those stones sparkle or glow or whatever they do to tell us what we need to know while you and Lucianna recover from the journey.”

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