Page 73 of The Court of Truth

Only Brody could be so… Brody, but if I know anything about that man, it’s the fact that his ego is almost always well warranted. I have no idea what he’s about to deliver, but if it’s enough to call a meeting, it’s enough to get me sweeping through the halls like a crazy woman.

Slamming to a stop, I reach the open doorway of the pinpointed destination to find the man in question standing in his usual spot at the long wooden table with stacks of books before him. His eyes snap from the open book in front of him to me, a smile instantly spreading across his face.

“Hey,” I breathe, before sinking my teeth into my bottom lip to stop myself from demanding information. He must sense it though, because he waves me over with a knowing glint in his eyes.

“I should have known you would get here last,” he states as I round the table, noting the fact that all of the other seats are already filled.

“How?” I ask in confusion as he wraps me in his arms, breathing me in for a second before turning back to the table with one arm slung around my shoulders.

“Because I sent a text and you are the worst with your cell. The guys were just arguing about who was going to come and get you,” he muses, pointing between Raiden and Kryll.

I roll my eyes at them, while also noting Flora, Arlo, and Beau’s presence. I ache at the fact that Cassian isn’t here, but he’s not ready for a seat at the table yet. He needs life with the wolves to calm down first.

“What are you about to deliver?” I ask, redirecting the topic back to what we’re here for, and his grin only seems to grow.

He leans in, pressing a kiss to my temple before pointing down at the open book and those stacked beneath it. “I got us all the information on dark magic I could find.”

I freeze, my veins zapping with adrenaline, the rush consuming my body as I gape in a mixture of surprise and awe. I tentatively reach out to ghost my fingers over the open pages, not taking in a single word as hope and excitement blossom in my gut.

“How? Where?” I stutter, and he rubs his hand down my spine before releasing me to focus on the book.

“I’m just saying the mages trust me. I was allowed access into the restricted section,” he whispers the last few words with exaggeration, and I can’t stop the smile from spreading over my face.

I’ve been searching for something, anything, for what feels like forever, and now here he is with almost a dozen books stacked and ready. “Have you started reading?”

“Some, but there’s still a lot to go through. But what I have found… Addi, it’s important.”

I look up at him, the strain in his eyes now showing as he turns the book to me, pressing his finger against the pages, but I shake my head. “Just tell me, please.”

He nods, glancing around the table at everyone. “Dark magic can be used to ensure your location is hidden. You can hide yourself from anyone and anything you like. Which is likely why our trail ran dry on Clementine. But the truth of the matter is, if we couldn’t find her at all, she was likely closer than we realized.”

Fuck.

Nodding in understanding, I rock on the balls of my feet, desperate for more, but when he doesn’t look back at me, settling his eyes on Raiden instead, I know I’m not going to like whatever comes next.

“Dark magic, controlled by blood, can consume an origin, bring out their worst side and send them into a manic state of aggression.”

My pulse rings in my ears as his words wash over me, but it’s Flora who speaks first.

“The frenzied vampires.”

“Fuck,” Raiden grunts, and Brody shakes his head.

“There’s more.” He wets his bottom lip, clearing his throat as he tries to find the right words. “Magic controlled by blood ends when their leader dies, and they didn’t die when your mother met her demise, Raiden.”

“So whoever is running them is still out there. But I thought Raiden learned that the vampires were in control,” I interject, and Brody nods.

“It could have been a guise. It could have been my father,” he admits, disappointment etched into his stormy eyes, and I squeeze his arm in an attempt to comfort him. “I know all the information we have points to Clementine at the moment, but the frenzied vampires became an issue while she was trapped in the amethyst,” he adds.

“We can figure it out,” I insist, and Kryll clears his throat.

“Is there anything we can do to be sure? Or do we just have to go around killing everyone until the frenzied vampires fall?”

Brody sighs, the sound more of ease than trouble. “From what I’ve read, if we can take a sample of the frenzied vampire's blood then we can try to match it to its source. Kinda like a magical tracking device.”

Holy shit.

Is this the positive step we’ve been desperate for?

---