Page 161 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“It’s winter,” Axel said, picking up his cutlery. “So snowy and grey.”

“Not the weather I was referring to,” Bree said casually before turning to Julius. “And you?”

“Nothing as big as the Sirana Villas massacre,” the male replied. Rather than blood, his crystal glass held wine.

“Those fools,” Bree scoffed. “But it works out well for us, I suppose.”

“Agreed,” Julius said.

Theon had filled him in with the barest of details about the Sirana Villas, but he didn’t know how much had made its way down here yet. They likely knew more than he did.

“How do the murders at the Villas work out well for you?” Axel asked, cutting into his meat, red juices running all over his plate.

“Forus,” Bree corrected, picking up her glass of blood and taking a sip. “The more they kill off themselves, the less work for us when it’s time to make our move. Let them tear themselves apart.”

“Right,” Axel muttered, eyeing his meat and opting for the potatoes instead.

“A shame, though,” Mansel said. “Losing all those Fae and mixed lines.”

Bree sighed. “There is no news as to their whereabouts?”

“None,” Julius answered. “It’s like they simply disappeared.”

“How do dozens of Fae just disappear?” one of the other vampyres down the table asked.

“The mystery everyone is trying to figure out,” Bree answered. “Although I would like to find them first. Tell our clan if anyone finds them before the rest of the realm, they’ll be rewarded handsomely with a permanent position within the House and at this table.”

The four vampyres all went still, glancing between themselves before the male said carefully, “But you only allow four of us seats at this table.”

“Then I suppose one of you better be the ones to find them if you don’t want to lose your position, hmm?” she mused, swirling the blood in her glass.

“Yes, your grace,” he answered, the four of them all standing. They left their half-eaten plates on the table, quickly filing from the room.

“There are plenty of empty chairs,” Axel commented. There were at least a dozen seats down the table. “Why only allow four?”

“It keeps the competition among themselves rather than letting them entertain the idea they might be able to come formyposition,” she said nonchalantly. “The same principle applies to the kingdoms. Let them fight among themselves, weaken their own defenses. Then we can come in and take it all.”

“And why do you want to find the missing Fae first?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Bree countered. “The Legacy have kept the Fae so caged for years, they’ve forgotten their own power. If they came together?”

“They couldn’t overpower the Legacy,” Axel argued.

Bree laughed. “Child, so much can be accomplished when pushed to your limits. The Fae have been wronged since the inception of this realm, and with the mixed bloodlines? It would not be an easy victory, and there is no telling who would win such a war. But a Legacy victory is certainly not inevitable.”

“Truly if we can find a few of the mixed, it would give us a significant advantage,” Julius said.

“For so long that operation was rumors we could never substantiate,” Bree replied conversationally. “Until you, Mansel.”

“Glad I could be of service,” he replied. “Participation in the program certainly wasn’t a hardship.”

Bree hummed. “I’m sure not, but you do not know if it was successful?”

Mansel shook his head. “They never tell us, and Valter never let it slip. But she was conspicuously kept out of sight for several months some time after.”

Axel was having trouble following all of this, but he didn’t want to seem too eager for information either. Forcing himself to take a bite of meat, he said, “My father kept his secrets close and his motives closer.”

“The motive in this was more than obvious,” Bree said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “If successful, he’ll take the child for his next Source.”

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