Page 44 of Tainted Blood

“Thank you.” Alexius knew exactly where Isaiah would have taken the body. There was a building on the grounds Isaiah hadn’t elaborated on when he gave Everly the tour, and it wasn’t without reason. It was designated as a security structure, not something to be discussed on tours. It was where accidents disappeared.

Everly was silent as they walked, and he didn’t attempt conversation. They found Isaiah coming out of the building with the others.

“What are you two thinking?” he asked, wiping his hands with a small towel.

“I want access to the security footage from the mansion, particularly anything from downstairs for the last twelve hours,” Everly said before Alexius could explain. “I want to put together a timeline and maybe some other notes about what happened so we can start figuring it out while Alexius helps you with everything else.”

“Done.” He threw the towel back into the building and got his phone out. “When we get inside, I’ll have one of my people take you to the security office and get you the access you need.” Isaiah rubbed his temples with one hand as he looked at whatever was on his screen. “Marcus is on his way to help coordinate clean-up of the building while the rest of us try to regroup and heal. The estate is on lockdown right now. No one is allowed to leave, and I’ll need…” He sighed, looking at Alexius.

“No one will leave the immediate vicinity unless they want to go through me,” Alexius promised. “We need to figure out everything we can about what’s happened, which means we need everyone here in case they were involved, either knowingly or unknowingly.”

“Thank you. I’m going to leave you and Everly as point on the investigation, but there are some things I’ll be able to do that you can’t. Everly, while you’re looking at the footage, get some printed images of what Samas became. I need to be able to show Maria, and I believe she and I can use our contacts with the Tribunal to see if any other supernaturals have seen this phenomenon.”

“How would they have seen this without us knowing about it?” Sucaria asked, huffing.

“It doesn’t matter. What’s important is exhausting our resources to find out anything we can,” Isaiah snapped. “Now, let’s get back and tend to the wounded. It’ll need to burn all night, but Samas won’t be getting back up.”

Isaiah marched back to the mansion. Alexius hung back, looking at the others, making sure they followed. He wasn’t worried about Idir, but Sucaria and Dago had lost the Master of their nest. Any minute now, they would start going after each other to figure out who would rule over Berlin. The loss of Caturix didn’t hurt Alexius, but it created a mess that would impact many.

Alexius went last, noticing how Everly stayed with him, silent at his side, in step with him. By the time they were back inside, he’d seen more vampires in the entry hall, silently sitting on the steps as they thought about how the night had unfolded. It was almost everyone now.

“Before anyone says anything, let me tell you what we’re working with,” Isaiah said loudly as he moved to the center of the room. “Caturix, Master of Berlin, is dead. Lucas of Rome is dead. Jamal of Rabat is dead. Nailah of Cairo is dead.”

With the last name, Alexius heard Everly’s soft gasp. Nailah hadn’t survived long, not ever truly in the fight from the beginning. She had thrown her body between Samas and Kamose, saving Kamose’s life with her own.

Alexius felt the weight of what he and Everly faced with each name, though. There were too many dead, too many who’d seemed untouchable for centuries to the vast majority of the vampire population.

“We have several wounded and in need of secure rooms, time, and a substantial amount of blood so they can heal. The ancient Sheba.” Isaiah nodded to the unconscious woman in the room. “The ancient Ka. The ancient Ramman. Aelia, Mistress of Rome. Kamose, Master of Cairo. Damek, Master of Prague.” Isaiah looked around, sighing. “I’m certain there are many with smaller injuries, and blood will be provided once the others have been cared for. Alexius and I will need assistance, but we’re going to secure the wounded in my family wing down below. They are welcome to stay here until they are fit to travel, even after the investigation is over.

“No one is allowed to leave before I know what happened in my home. The best-case scenario is this was just an unfortunate incident, something we never thought possible because of Samas’s age and power. At worst, this was an assassination attempt against one or all of us.” Isaiah leaned on the metal security doors that locked everyone in the mansion. Alexius was certain that some of the vampires in the building could eventually break through them, but even he or Idir would have needed time to do it. Isaiah made sure his security measures could contain the best of them for as long as necessary.

“You have my full support in any way you need it,” Gisela said as she stood. Alexius watched as more of the rulers stood, offering their own support. Eventually, every vampire who survived was on their feet, promising to cooperate.

Alexius looked at Isaiah. Neither of them needed to say anything.

They were working against time. At least half of these vampires were going to turn on them the moment they had the chance. That was if they didn't start going for each other's throats, creating more chaos they didn't need.

20

Iwas given the keys to the kingdom, so to speak. It took twenty minutes, but Isaiah was able to get his butler to me, along with fresh blood, so I wasn’t combating thirst while I was around the humans. I drank quickly and alone, so no one felt I was getting blood over the wounded. That had been a personal choice. As I was led into an office, my laptop was brought up from my room for me. I was given the passwords I needed to review the footage.

I felt like I was home again as I signed in and worked my way around their system, figuring it out quickly, thanks to my familiarity with these things.

“Are you sure you don’t need more assistance, ma’am?” the butler asked, hovering ten feet from me, definitely told to keep his distance when he could.

“I’ll be fine. Isaiah told me a bit about how the security works, and that’s all I needed to know to get started. I can figure out the rest easily. It’s what I do.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. I just don’t want you to feel like no one can assist you. We do have the staff capable of the work as well.”

There was something about his phrasing that made me stop fiddling with the computer for a second to look at him. It probably wasn’t intentional, but it had made me think.

“You knew my mother,” I said as it suddenly dawned on me. The butler of Isaiah’s household, the man in charge of the entire human staff. My mother had known Rupert, the head of Alexius’s house. She would have known this guy since Isaiah and Jacob had been close.

“Mrs. Abbott from Jacob’s nest? She was your mother?” The butler looked surprised, but I wasn’t sure I believed it. “I wasn’t sure if the last name meant you had been related in some way. I was just told that you regularly work on digital security systems and other technology.”

“I was the human in charge of Jacob’s IT staff,” I explained, looking back at the computer. “You can go. I’ll be fine. Working alone will help me focus.” I wasn’t thirsty, but I didn’t want to lose focus and think about his heartbeat at any point. “I’ll find Isaiah or Alexius if I need anything.”

“Of course, Ms. Abbott,” he said, bowing slightly before leaving me alone.

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