Page 66 of Blood Descendants
“Do you believe him?” I ask first. Because I’m not totally sure that I do.
“I’m not sure what he would stand to gain by lying about it,” Ares says, his eyes snapping back up. “But I think I should probably confirm what he’s claiming. If he’s right, the Barons won’t like it.”
“I get it, the Barons are powerful and very rich,” I say, recalling every experience I’ve had with them. “But there are only six of you. Against a worldwide system of vampires. No offense, Ares, but the Barons wouldn’t stand a fucking chance if all of what James said is real.”
“You’re right,” Ares says, giving a little nod. “They could have us squashed in a day. Again, if what James says is true.”
I eye Ares, trying to read his emotions. “How are you feeling about all of this?”
Ares scrubs his hands over his face before lacing his fingers together behind his head and leaning back. “It doesn’t sound real. The fact that there’s a fucking king of vampires. Then there’s his reincarnating wife. And these Houses? It all sounds like a story, not reality. But the explanation of how vampires came to exist? I’ve kind of always thought it was some kind of curse.”
I nod. “We could confirm at least parts of it. What if we did… a drive by of this House of Marshals? We might even be able to talk to someone without drawing too much suspicion. I mean, technically, they rule over this area, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for you to talk to them.”
Ares nods. “I think that’s a good idea. It’s, like, a four-hour drive to Boston, but that’s nothing. I?—”
He cuts off when an alert sound I’ve never heard from his phone goes off. His eyes instantly darken as hepulls it out of his pocket. “There’s been another Red party scheduled,” Ares says, his tone rising. “Friday night. This one is in SoHo.”
“Finally,” I say breathlessly.
Meeting some Royals is going to have to wait. For now, we finally have a lead.
It’s about damn time.
I’m coming, Ophelia.
Chapter 17
Over the next four days, I see very little of Ares. He’s constantly wrapped up in business with the Barons and his father. So, I go back to work. I restart my classes. And while it feels amazing to be using my body again, to be moving and striking, there’s something different.
My heart isn’t in it. Not like it used to be.
My mind keeps wandering to other places. To visions of a king, to musings on a resurrecting queen.
Ares made some calls to other vampires he knows outside of New York.
They confirmed every damn detail James shared with us.
There really is a king.
There really is a queen.
There really are Royals who rule over the entire world.
Holy shit.
No wonder I can’t focus on work. No wonder my heartisn’t in it.
My world has expanded exponentially. And against all logic, I feel… enamored by it. I feel consumed by it.
I wonder what Sysco is up to and if Giovanni is causing trouble. I try to plan for Friday night.
Another Red party. Finally. It’s been three long weeks since the last one, which means Ophelia has been missing for five fucking weeks now. And I’ve not really gotten any closer to finding her or the answers to what happened to her.
I’d make a truly terrible detective.
And with all of this constantly going through my mind, I have to consider. Do I still want this? My job. The gym that has meant so much to me for my whole life. Last week, I would have said a resounding yes because what Ares and I were doing was still technically fake. Once we found Ophelia, we would go our separate ways, and I would need a life to go back to. I’d need this job, and I’d settle back into my small, shitty life.
But Ares and I are for real now. He’s mine. I’m not giving him up any time soon, and the way he touches me, the way he protects me, the way he looks at me? I don’t think he’s giving me up anytime soon, either. Lana and Ares are a package deal now.
