Page 3 of The Vampire and the Ravens

Liam was too old to play games with himself. He wasn’t going to go running off on a fool’s errand. He put it out of his mind and continued on to his quarters.

Master DuCane was everything they’d expected and more. His presence was powerful and intimidating. They’d heard him described as sinister and dark, but they did not get that vibe from him, at least not at this meeting. There was a definite foreboding in the room, but it wasn't evil.

“Come in.” He said and the two of them approached, not getting too close. They were birds after all and cautious by nature. Luke took the package from his coat and placed it on the table to his left and then he and Riall stepped back. Master DuCane walked over and took the package and opened it.

After he thoroughly inspected it, he returned it to the original packaging, walked over, and placed it on his desk. Luke noticed that Riall was taking in the room, and he was not trusting the scents and sounds beyond. Luke got the sense that Master DuCane was good to his word and was as honest and respectable as a man with his kind of power and influence could be.

He turned to face them, and Riall tensed as if ready for whatever was to come. His brother was always ready, always prepared for the worst. He loved his brother's carefulness, and it saved their lives many times.

Master DuCane felt the tension exuded by Riall and raised his hand palm out and relaxed his brow to ease the situation. Riall eased off but remained on guard. All of this was communicated without a word being spoken Master DuCane was that compelling.

“Please extend my gratitude and deepest regards to Lord Fenrah.” He stated.

"Yes, sir," Luke replied.

“Ira.” He indicated the vampire standing at the door. “Take our guest to the Dining hall and make them comfortable.” He then addressed them. “We have the finest chef in the Midwest. Please be my guest.”

"Thank you," Luke answered, although he could feel Riall's trepidation.

“You’re welcome to stay the night.” He added and it was sincere. Luke was perplexed by the generosity. He assumed they would be shown the door as soon as the handover was complete. He didn’t wait for an answer but rather instructed Ira to make arrangements for them and then he said his goodbyes and they were entrusted to the vampire guard, Ira.

“Their manners are impressive or they’re simply playing us.” Riall spoke softly as they headed out of the office back into the hall. “Dinner, but we’re not staying.” He finished as they fell into step behind Ira.

“Agreed.”

They made their way down the hall to the staircase, and something was different. Both he and Riall noticed a change in the air, and it was not unpleasant. They exchanged looks both recognizing the sweet aroma for what it was. Their mate was somewhere within the Coven. The scent broke off to the left down an adjacent hallway. Luke stopped and glanced down the hallway.

Ira indicated that they should keep moving; he wasn't ready to allow them to go exploring, and they weren't ready to tell him they had found something interesting in the air. They had originally decided not to stay the night but reconsidered that decision.

They followed Ira up the staircase to an upper floor, where he showed them their accommodation for the night. He was nice enough about it, but there was a definite tension in the air. He wasn't stupid; he could feel their sudden interest, so the surveillance on them was going to be thick.

He then brought them to the dining hall and appeared to leave them there, but both he and Riall knew there was more than one set of eyes watching their every move. Normally, they would have been able to conceal their reaction, but scenting your mate is not something anyone can prepare for.

“Everyone in the room is watching us.” Riall said under his breath as he took a sip of his coffee. Neither of them was hungry so just opted for coffee.

"He belongs to both of us." Luke pointed out, and Riall nodded. It was common for ravens to share one mate, so it did not surprise them that they both responded to the divine scent. What remained uncertain was how the vampire, whoever he may be, would react to having two beloveds instead of one.

“Are you sure it’s he and not she?” Riall again spoke in hushed tones.

“You experienced it.” He chided. “That’s the scent of a man.” Riall looked relieved and Luke just smiled and shook his head.

“How are we going to find him if they got eyes on us constantly. We won’t be able to just roam the halls?” Riall stated the truth of the matter and Luke did not have an answer. Just then someone entered the dining hall and walked through the room. They brought with them a rush of that same heavenly scent. Both of them turned and took in the tall handsome man who walked with grace and sway.

Riall covertly took a couple of pictures, and then the man disappeared into the back room. "That was him," Luke stated.

“What do we do now?” Riall asked.

“We can’t just go barging into the back room without causing an upheaval.”

"I have a clear picture of him. We could ask Master DuCane; he's a staunch believer in the sanctity of the bond." Riall looked away and amended his statement. "He's a staunch believer when the bond is with someone suitable. What are the chances he'll respect a triad with two raven soldiers in the mix?"

"I'd say slim to nonexistent." They had another cup of coffee and hung out for an hour, but their mate never came out of the back room.

“Let’s go to our room and try to figure this out.” They stood up together and headed for the door and immediately they felt the attention in the room focusing on them. No one moved but calls were made, and the halls were conveniently filled with soldiers.

Luke and Riall shared glances as they made their way to the room they had been assigned. Once inside, they secured the door and searched the room for surveillance tools.

They spoke not a word until Luke took the scrambler from his pocket and attached it in the main room. Not satisfied that they were sufficiently secure, Riall threw up a cloaking spell to plug any holes. They did not want to be overheard.

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