Page 55 of Obsessed in Blood
“Was it open to the public back then?” Simone asked.
When Devon didn’t seem sure, Lucas answered the question. “Not exactly. You could arrange a tour or request a visit for either scholarly pursuit or to search for Family ancestral documentation.”
“Father knew the curator.” Devon kept the details brief. “He was an old family friend. They had dinner and, on their return home, they were hit by an erratic driver. Their car burst into flames before they could get out. Some helpful bystanders were able to pull Lyra from the car, but our parents and Hamilton weren’t as fortunate. The driver of the other car had left the scene. Since there was no registration found, we weren’t able to locate the owner of the vehicle.”
“The other car didn’t catch fire?” Simone asked.
“No. My understanding was that there was peripheral burning from our House car. It had been hauled away before I returned home, and at the time, I didn’t see a reason to investigate further.”
“It sounds like an accident, but, if I remember correctly, you didn’t believe that,” Sergi said. For once, he hadn’t pulled out his tablet.
“Not then. It was sometime later when I contacted Teller, one of Father’s cadre. He made a comment about Father being secretive for several days leading up to the accident. He had brought on a human assistant for what he referred to as a special project.”
“That isn’t particularly unusual,” Simone offered. “Vampires have been using human assistants for centuries. Why was this one different?”
“Because Hamilton was the gardener.” Lyra picked at her dress with a trembling hand. One might think it was because she was scared or on the verge of tears. She’d have every right to either emotion. But he knew his sister, and it was much more than that. She was angry. Blow the roof off the house raging mad, but somehow, she had the strength to hold it in. He glanced at Colantha and wondered if the dreamwalker had the ability to mentally calm Lyra’s beast.
“A gardener?” Simone asked. “Well, that would have caused some gossip.”
“He was more than that.” Lyra’s face lit up, and she laughed. “He called himself a landscape architect and designed the gardens for the manor. He’s the one that planted the sycamore tree.” Her gaze became unfocused as she stared out one of the windows that overlooked the tree, the tips of its branches nothing more than a shadowy presence in the dark sky.
“From what Teller told me, it was obvious to the cadre the man had more training and intelligence than to be a simple gardener.” Devon kept an eye on Lyra as they discussed Hamilton. “What concerned the cadre were the secret meetings behind closed doors and the assignments Father sent Hamilton on. But Teller couldn’t tell me any more than that. Since I had no proof to say the accident was more than it was, and with Lyra’s injuries and dealing with such a great loss…” He glanced at his sister.
“I had already slipped into my madness.” The light had gone out of her eyes, but she gave him a weak smile. “There’s no other pleasant way to say it.”
“Why did your Father go to San Francisco without his security detail?” Bella asked.
“According to Teller, everything had been quiet for months. Even the Council had taken down time for the summer.” Devon preferred not to dwell on this part. He had no reasonable explanation for a man who’d spent centuries with one eye over his shoulder to take his family but no security. His cadre didn’t have a better explanation, and the truth was, they’d become lax.
“It does appear similar to Cressa’s accident.” Sergi took out his tablet, and Devon held back a smile. Sergi would be aggrieved to know he’d become so predictable. “There would probably be very little online regarding something that happened so long ago, but it might be worth digging through old newspaper files. The House was a large part of the community at the time. I can check if there’s anything available.”
Devon nodded.
“If it was more than an accident, what would be the reason?” Lucas asked. “Guildford…” Lucas stopped and glanced at Colantha. “That was their father, and he was on the Council. Was there a political issue going on at the time? There had to be a reason he met with the curator, even if they were old friends. Or maybe it was poor timing that gave his adversary an opening.”
“Father was quite influential on the Council,” Lyra answered. “He had his enemies, Lorenzo being the main one. Although shortly before the accident, Lorenzo had suggested an alignment of our Houses.”
Devon’s head shot up. “I wasn’t aware of this.”
Lyra shrugged. “I don’t think Father gave it any consideration. Lorenzo wanted to join the Houses through marriage, and thankfully, Father wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Marriage? To Lorenzo?” Cressa asked as her face contorted to a mix of disgust and confusion.
“From Lorenzo’s traditional values, it would make sense.” Simone shifted in her seat as everyone turned to her. “This was a hundred years ago, and since societal changes in vampires move slowly, it wasn’t unusual for Houses to be aligned through marriage. But I agree, this normally happened with Houses that had similar interests and beliefs. To bring two great Houses together with such dichotomy was only seen during times of war as a step toward peace.”
“You mean peace by one House consuming the other.” Lucas was nodding. “There are many Houses that no longer exist due to that. Winner takes all in exchange for saving lives.”
Cressa turned to Lyra, and Devon knew her well enough to see the wheels turning. “I know the Trelane and Venizi Houses have been estranged for centuries but, from what I know of Lorenzo, the proposal seems odd, even for him.”
“I agree with Cressa.” Sergi laid down his tablet and picked up his espresso. “There had to be more to it. Something else was going on.”
“What was your relationship with Hamilton?” Colantha’s tone was firm but sensitive. Her hand stroked Lyra’s arm, and if his sister was aware of it, she didn’t seem to mind. “Was it more than a passing fancy with a human?”
Lyra’s face took on an ethereal expression. “It was much more. We were in love. Not a simple love, yet not complex. There had been an instant attraction from the very beginning. It blossomed after the first time we spoke at a gallery opening in South Rim. He was a sculptor, and I was showing my paintings.”
“I wasn’t aware you showed your paintings.” Devon took a seat near her. “Mother never mentioned it in her letters.”
Lyra shook her head. Her expression reminded him of when she was a young Sangui Genu—a true blood—stubborn and rebellious. “Father and Mother were angry that I went. Avery, my best friend at the time, helped me sneak the paintings out of the House.” Her face clouded over. “After the event, Mr. Sutton, the gallery owner, told me one of the paintings had sold. Then I discovered Lorenzo had bought it. And while he might have taken some fancy to me, I think he was more irritated by my flirtation with Hamilton. It was at that event he seemed to take a particular interest in me.”
