Page 22 of Obsessed in Blood
“You can’t blame a woman for finding out for herself. There’s a battle coming. I thought it might still be years if not decades away. Whether by manmade design or the force of spirits, it doesn’t matter which. The genocide the vampires once attempted can no longer be hidden. Your journey to the truth is far from over, yet it must be completed before you’re ready for the final test.”
“You mean Lorenzo?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Who’s to say? But if it’s him, he won’t be alone.” She twirled an umbrella in a blended drink that wasn’t there a second ago. After giving it a moment of consideration, she took a long swallow and sighed. “This is the only place I can find sangria smoothies that have just the right amount of rum.”
“I need training on how to use the medallion. There must be something that can be done to break through the mesmerizing.”
“I have made two additional attempts to contact Cressa, but the same barrier is blocking me. We need more familiarity, a stronger bond if you will, in order to find a crack.”
“And how will we do that?”
“You are still missing information critical to your mission. You must learn the secrets of the dreamwalkers and their connection to vampires. You are close. But you have far to go to find the one object that can bring more allies to your side.”
“Aren’t you the one to help me with that?”
“I will come to you when the time is right. Until then, go home, vampire. I’ll leave you with one thing to help you take the next step.”
She leaned over and crooked her finger, beckoning him closer. And like a fool, he leaned in.
She was swift when she raised her palm and hit him with the red dust.
He shut his eyes, but it was too late. This time the dust stung, and when he tried to stand, he fell. He waited a moment then opened his eyes and blinked.
He was on the floor of his hotel room, and his head ached to the beat of a drum solo. The pressure built like that day at the scene of Cressa’s accident. When he didn’t think he could take any more, there was a pop, and in an instant, his mind cleared. All traces of pain were gone. He stretched his body then stood, almost stepping on something.
He bent over and picked it up. It was a bloom from the Blood Poppy.
ChapterSeven
Devon and Sergisat next to each other on the flight home. The Blood Poppy sat in a domed clamshell container on the polished wood console between their seats. The red-tipped edges appeared to drip down the sides of the white petals like blood. Devon had only pulled it out of his bag after he told the flight attendant to give them privacy.
Sergi had slid away from it, which, even though the seats were spacious, wasn’t far since he still had his seat belt on.
“Where did you get that?”
“Colantha paid me a visit last night. She was waiting for me in my room.”
“Did you try reaching Cressa?”
“Colantha tried several times, but she didn’t have any more luck than me. She agrees Cressa has been mesmerized.” And that confirmation didn’t sit well with him. They had to get to her before Lorenzo charmed her too often and too deeply.
“The whole event was unnerving.” He wasn’t sure what to think, especially when he could have sworn a full day had gone by, not just a couple of hours. He thought he could tell the difference between a construct and reality. He’d been positive he’d been at her compound or whatever she called it. He remembered walking from one cabin to the next, changing into the gi, and drinking the juice.
He explained the entire night, starting with the red dust blown in his face, waking in a pit, walking to a cabin, and then shifting to other constructs. After she gave him a cryptic message about a coming battle, she’d hit him with the red dust again before he woke in his room with the Blood Poppy.
“Your description of the cabins and her compound is accurate, yet I agree that it seems inconceivable that everything you experienced was from your hotel room.”
“Did Cressa ever mention red dust to you?”
Sergi’s gaze never left the flower sitting between them. “No. And I think she would have.”
“I agree.” He tapped the top of the clamshell container. “What do you make of this?”
“I think if anyone knew we had it, the Council would rethink your involvement with Magic Poppy.”
Devon’s laugh was menacing. “We’ve always assumed the Poppy came from the Blood Poppy, but there’s never been any proof. And it makes me wonder. Is Lorenzo growing his own, or is she a supplier?”
“She doesn’t seem the type to be involved with Lorenzo, but at the same time, she’s hiding something.”
