Page 3 of Visions in Blood
Her tinkling laughter sparked involuntary shivers down my spine.I should probably consider myself grateful there wasn’t a chalkboard in the room, though her laugh was growing similar to her nails running across one.
Think, Cressa.This had to be stopped now before I was lulled into a coma.
“You know I’m not actually a Blood Ward, right?”
She stopped writing what appeared to be last names across the top of the board.She didn’t turn around and only paused for a few seconds.“Of course.We can always speed this up by working three hours a day, but Devon will need to approve that.I know he has additional sessions planned for the afternoon.”
I flipped through the pages.The first few chapters discussed vampires from three thousand years ago.Good grief.“I’m here to train for a specific mission.I’m not sure how understanding the Houses before the birth of Jesus will help prepare me for that.”
“Are you questioning my ability to know what to teach you?”She’d turned toward me, and I recognized the stubborn set of her jaw.
This required careful treading, and I continued to flip through the tome as I considered a response.I didn’t want to ruffle her feathers.We’d already had a rough start, and this could spiral out of control quickly.She was a sensitive person who, for a human, hadn’t spent much time among her own species.
I flipped back to the front of the book and ran a finger down a listing of chapters, hoping for inspiration that would get me out of this slow torture.After scrolling through the first page, it was apparent the book was laid out by the names of Houses, but not alphabetically.Perhaps when they were first created?That made sense.My heart rate increased as I searched for the obvious.I found it on the third page.A chapter that covered four Houses: Aramburu, Renaud, Trelane, and Venizi.
I dropped into a chair.Devon and Lorenzo Venizi’s Houses had been created at the same time.Had they been enemies from the beginning or amiable, and the rift began later?If I understood what had made them enemies, maybe I could predict their encounters, weave around them, and best case, find more evidence that Devon needed to restore his Council seat.With that knowledge, I might stumble upon other valuable information when he sent me on an assignment.He couldn’t be mad at that.
“I wouldn’t think to question your knowledge on vampires.”Although I’d mentally done that the previous week.Maybe I could redirect her enthusiasm to match my own.“It’s just that I don’t think Devon expects this mission to last months.”
Her mouth opened, then closed, and her shoulders straightened.“What are you suggesting?”
I turned the pages until I found the chapter where the names of the four Houses were emblazoned across the top.This crazy idea could bring us one step closer to ending Devon’s censure or create my own mortal enemy.Lorenzo wouldn’t be happy with me digging into his past.I brushed at the hairs rising on the back of my neck and tapped a finger on the page.“I thought we could start here.”
She gave me a suspicious look but stepped to the table to see what held my interest.I could see the wheels turning in her faraway stare as the beginning of a smile formed.She leaned over and whispered, “This is one of the more exciting chapters in the book.”She glanced at the door as if worried someone might be eavesdropping.“This was a turning point for the Council and the vampire Houses and set the stage for several wars.”Her fingers tapped a staccato rhythm on the desk as she nodded, seeming to rethink her training plan.“I’ll still need to give you a quick rundown on how the Council was originally created so you understand the importance of this particular time period.”
She erased what she’d initially written on the whiteboard and drew a seven-sided figure, rapidly adding names along each side.“Oh, yes, I think this will work.It will take about an hour or two to review, then we’ll jump into the actions that changed the entire direction of the Council.”She clapped her hands together before giving me a look I couldn’t interpret.“This will give you a clear picture of what started the House Wars.”
My excitement seemed to be gasoline on her enthusiasm.The start of the House Wars was precisely what I needed to know.Something told me that whatever happened during the wars was at the crux of the hatred between Lorenzo and Devon.And that was definitely something I needed to know.
I grabbed a couple notepads and pens, hardly believing this might end up being my favorite part of the day.But something niggled, like tiny pinpricks on skin.Would Devon get upset if my studies focused on the turmoil between his house and Lorenzo’s?I pushed the thought aside.“Let’s get started.”
ChapterTwo
Devon sippedhis scotch and shuddered at the cheap burn.He should have ordered an ale rather than expect the club to offer anything more palatable.If only another drink could mask the smell of body odor or the vomit emanating from the floor, but alcohol didn’t have that effect on vampires.He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in such a rundown bar, but he had no one but himself to blame.Sergi could have dealt with this, but it had become personal.He shook his head.This was the worst time to get involved.It had been a long time since he’d felt the beast stir with such fervor.
Oh, he’d felt the beast rise in the last couple of weeks, but that had been pure lust, and directed solely at Cressa.He braved another gulp of his drink and convinced himself this evening had nothing to do with revenge for her treatment at the hands of his prey.
“Are you sure this is where he’ll be?”Devon rarely questioned his inner circle, especially Sergi, who was the most focused of his guards.
“I could have done this myself.”Sergi’s tone wasn’t accusatory or peevish.Just the facts—as always.
Devon curled his lip.“I need this.”
“He’ll be here soon.I understand he never misses Taco Tuesday.”Sergi’s flippant response earned him a grunt.
Devon glanced around the room, which was nothing more than a large square with a bar on one side, pool tables on the other, and a makeshift dance floor in the back.No one danced to the eighties music blaring over the scratchy speakers even though there wasn’t a single empty barstool and most of the tables were occupied.
He sensed a handful of shifters, but everyone else was human.The bar was in a district that bordered the Hollows, where most vampires and shifters spent their off-hours.So it wasn’t surprising to find magical creatures rubbing elbows with a lesser species.He snorted.At least, that’s what many magical creatures considered humans.A prejudice that could one day lead to another great war if balance wasn’t restored.One that magical creatures might not win.
Sergi raised a hand to their server before nodding toward the front door.
A beefy man had entered wearing a vest with no shirt, displaying his bulging muscles and thick chest.A tattoo of a cobra covered half his face, which Devon understood hid a twisted scar.This was the man who’d put Cressa in a catch box, something created to hold shifters.
“I can’t believe The Wolf didn’t rip the man’s throat out when he brought Cressa in a box.”Sergi voiced his own thoughts.
“I imagine Remus was preoccupied with learning Pandora was the prize.”
“I doubt he’ll give Sorrento a second pass.”
