Page 9 of Tainted Blood

“A year,” Alexius said softly, looking away from the phone. “Since the day I woke up, and he was dead. I feel like I stopped sleepwalking tonight. Something has snapped me out of it, and I can’t…” He ran a hand over his face, unsure of how to continue or if he needed to.

“I see… Well, there is no reason for you to stay up all day alone. Give me a moment, and I’ll find a better place to sit. We’ll talk about the plans for the gathering. You might like to know some of the more… mundane details.”

“I was looking over the guest list for anyone who stood out. Anyone who didn’t like us enough to plot to murder Jacob.”

“Any idea?” There was the sound of sheets and blankets shuffling. A moment later, a chair squeaked. When Alexius finally looked at the screen, not yet answering, he saw Isaiah still shirtless, but seated at his desk, his windows completely covered behind him. Isaiah looked like he was expecting an answer and willing to wait all day to get it.

“No,” Alexius admitted. “Jacob was better at understanding people before I needed to worry about them. He would… tell me things when I went out on missions or have comments after I had to execute someone. Things about how he liked their sense of style or how they always seemed to love the vampires they had Turned. Those things.”

“That’s why I didn’t send you the guest list earlier,” Isaiah admitted softly. “Well, it’s not the entire reason. I just finished getting everyone’s RSVPs and wanted to finalize before I cast anyone under suspicion to be scrutinized. Several names on the list don’t likeme, but lots of people don’t. I have to make rules and uphold them. I have to play nice with other supernaturals to keep us from being exposed. I have to draw the hard line on misbehavior, where many would prefer me to give more allowances. However, none of that has ever seemed to be enough for them to try killing me before, and whoever this was… they didn’t aim for me. They aimed for you and Jacob.”

“And now Everly.”

“Yes, and now Everly. It makes me wonder if the person targeting her is operating with ulterior motives… a parent, a lover, or a child of someone you’ve had to execute.”

“The thought has crossed my mind, but that is difficult information to get,” Alexius pointed out. “We have substantial records of several aspects of our culture, but if someone doesn’t wish to reveal who Turned them, we’ll never know. When you talk about those in our age range, I don’t know who Turned me. Most don’t. As for children, if someone was sired by someone in our age range or had any children for hundreds of years…”

“They would quickly make a splash even if they didn't want to. Powerful children, no doubt. If you killed a sire of an ancient or a child of an ancient, no doubt we would have been able to put that together quickly.” Isaiah’s hum of thought reminded him of Jacob, just for a short second. “Lover, then.”

“I am tired of people trying to kill me because of their poor choice of sexual partner,” Alexius mumbled. Edwin and Camilla hadn’t been the first, and he knew they wouldn’t be the last. After centuries of cleaning up the poor choices of others, he was tired of it.

“Love makes people do stupid things.”

“Lustmakes people do stupid things,” Alexius retorted. He knew all too well how lust so easily took over the mind and how much of a stranglehold he had to keep on it.

“So, if this person isn’t some executed vampire’s family or lover, then we’re dealing with maneuvers to stir up a political upheaval with no other ulterior motives to get you specifically,” Isaiah continued as if Alexius had said nothing. “As we discussed while we cleaned up the Alaska situation.”

“We’ll have to keep our eyes open when we’re together. If there’s nothing personal in this plot, we can’t hope for an emotional signal,” Alexius pointed out softly. “We have to hope to catch someone in the act instead of someone losing their temper or patience. It’s always easier to catch someone when they are personally invested. Emotion clouds minds and hampers decision making.”

“We will. Not that we didn’t understand this already.” Isaiah paused for a moment, long enough for Alexius to wonder if he was done speaking. “I’ve never heard of you being invested in the safety of another vampire. Even with Jacob, who you would have destroyed this world for, you didn’t… fret over his safety. You’re awake right now because they threatened her.”

“Yes,” Alexius admitted softly, then quickly shifted the conversation back to being productive. “Now, about the other vampires coming. Walk me through the list. Tell me who all of them are and where they live. I want to know everything you know.”

“We don’t have time for that, but I’ll do my best to give you and Everly something to work with.”

5

Staring wide-eyed at the mountain of bags and boxes full of clothing, I questioned my decision to go to New York with Alexius for the first time.

Threats against my life?

Fine.

Buying a several-thousand-dollar wardrobe in which every single article of clothing had to be properly fitted?

I wanted to crawl back into my office and never leave it again.

“I like clothes but not this much,” I muttered as I looked at the disaster that had swept over my bedroom.

“I know some of your style preferences and your sizes. Combine that with what I know about the fashion choices of powerful vampires and what I can get away with putting Alexius in, I had a lot to work with. To put your mind at ease, there’s nothing ostentatious. Very few vampires go that route, and it’s not expected.” Rupert was pulling things out of bags as he spoke, laying out long-sleeved sweaters, slacks, beautiful black heels, and boots. That was only the beginning, but as he unpacked it, I was grateful to see the colors chosen. There was nothing white. There weren’t even light greys. Everything was dark, from deep jewel tones to smoky greys and the darkest of blacks.

It was surprisingly conservative, yet not. It should have been, but then he started laying out different sets as particular outfits, and I caught the trend. The colors and individual items were conservative, but when grouped together, he made sure they didn’t seem bland.

“I see why Alexius dresses so well.” I reached out to touch a pair of slacks, enjoying the fabric.

“Yes, though he also helped me gain this insight by letting me work with Isaiah’s staff for events for years. It’s rather easy once you know the way vampires make fashion and style work for them. The vast majority follow subdued modern trends and try to aim for more timeless looks, things they can keep in their closets for a few decades. We’re not talking about the small shifts like skinny jeans versus bootcut. No one will judge you about those types of choices. However, colors and fit are important. Quality materials are a must. It doesn’t need to be flashy, but it must sayexpensive. At the very least, it must show care was taken in the choices. You’ll blend in like you would like to, but if someone stopped you for a look, you’ll have your own sense of style while being… classy.”

“And the fitting is so I don’t look like I pulled expensive clothing off the rack,” I said, holding back a tired sigh. It wasn’t even late. I’d only been awake for an hour before I was told to let them in and take the night off work.

---