Page 82 of Obsessed in Blood
Everyone turned to the door where Lyra stood. Cressa hovered behind her, and she shrugged her shoulders. Devon rose and waited by the sofa as she entered the office, smiling at the cadre.
“I thought you were napping, or I would have told you of the meeting.” Devon frowned at her appearance—pale and fragile. It had to be difficult knowing that all her early trauma wasn’t a fractured mind but someone pulling her into their own personal nightmare. He wanted to blame Hamilton for all he’d done, but it hadn’t been his fault. There was only one vampire to blame, and he’d get his due.
“Cressa told me, and I was going to let you deal with this, but I’ve been thinking about that evening in San Francisco quite a lot since discovering Hamilton is still alive.” She sat and pulled Cressa down to sit beside her. “I have to admit, the last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all. I’m beginning to see bits and pieces from that time in the city and then the accident.”
“She’s been dreamwalking with Colantha.” Cressa ignored Lyra’s glare. “They have to know. They can help. You know this.”
Lyra rolled her eyes like a petulant teenager. “It could be my imagination. My mind grasping for answers in a sea of confusion.”
“Explain, Lyra.” Devon remained still, trying to absorb this from his sister’s perspective.
She scratched her head and glanced around the group. Everyone watched her—some with curiosity, the rest with doubt. “As I said, little bits of memory have been coming back, but, after all this time, I didn’t know if they were actual memories or fabrications. They became more vibrant after the dreamwalks with Hamilton. When I told Colantha, she thought a dreamwalk of that day might yield more answers.”
“Wasn’t that dangerous?” Simone asked.
Lyra shrugged. “Colantha mentioned there could be some relapse if it triggered the trauma from the accident.”
“For Christ’s sake, Lyra, why didn’t you have one of us with you?” Devon’s fists clenched, and he forced himself to relax.
“This was about me and Hamilton. Not the cadre. I didn’t know anyone in this room but you back then, and I needed to remember it as if it was yesterday. I don’t expect you to understand, but this was the only way I could make the memories fresh.”
There was grumbling, mostly from him, but Devon did understand. With Colantha’s ability to build a construct that would be as real as Lyra could describe it, something might be gained by it. But still, was it worth the risk to her sanity?
“You discovered something.” Sergi, as usual, got right to the point. He, out of all of the cadre, including himself, had always treated Lyra differently. He was patient and supportive, but never treated her as a child, even at her worst moments. He also pushed her harder, and she never rebelled against his actions.
“I think so.”
“About the accident?” Simone asked.
“No. The library. When we arrived, Philipe Renaud met us at the front desk and took us on a tour. It didn’t take long for the men to start talking about the book—theDe første dage. But I noticed this custodian, a woman, who followed Philipe everywhere. He was very secretive around the other custodians when he spoke of the book. But he wasn’t concerned about this particular custodian.”
She gazed off to some spot above the hearth and a soft smile touched her lips. “I remember thinking there was a personal relationship behind their side glances. They both seemed excited about someone else knowing about the book. Someone they trusted.”
“Who was this custodian?” Lucas asked.
“She was young, pretty, but bookish, you know?”
Lucas smiled. “I’ve met one or two of those.” Then he glanced at Ginger, who lightly elbowed him.
“I can’t remember her name. Colantha tried to help me remember, to no avail. But I would think the library must have a record of her employment, assuming they’re willing to provide the information.”
“There are other ways to find out.” Lucas seemed more confident than Devon felt, but he’d proven his resourcefulness many times over.
“Maybe she still works there,” Ginger offered. “Or maybe she moved with Philipe to the library in L.A. and then ran away with him.” Her eyes took on a dreamy look. “So romantic.” Then she sobered. “Except for probably having vamps on their tails.”
“This needs to be checked out, but not now.” Devon glanced around his office at the cadre’s expectant faces. He shook his head. “I know you all want to jump on this, especially Lucas. But it needs to wait. Our first task is retrieving Hamilton. Then we’ll decide how to proceed with locating this custodian and the book.”
He pulled Lyra up from the sofa and hugged her. When he stepped back, her face was set in stone. She knew what was coming. “Thank you for the risk you took. I still would have preferred knowing about it first, but it’s done. However, worry over Hamilton and all this dreamwalking is taking its toll. Simone will call for a blood donor, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Maybe we should ask Hamilton.” Simone typed into her cell, then laid it on the bar. She would have sent for a donor. “He might remember more about this custodian.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask Hamilton yet.” Cressa’s brows scrunched. “Hamilton has held up remarkably well to this point, but that doesn’t mean he’s not fragile. If dredging up memories of that day was a risk to Lyra, it would be for him as well. I don’t think we should take the chance.”
Everyone turned to Lyra, who’d sat down. It took her a moment to become aware of the eyes on her. She sighed. “I don’t know. He seems well, but his whole focus is on how to free himself. It might be the only thing holding him together at this point. If I had to choose a path, I’d select the one with the least risk.”
Devon nodded, seeming satisfied. “That’s my thought as well. We have time to dig into this further once we get Hamilton off the island.” He looked to Lyra, and she nodded in agreement, then laid her head on the sofa and closed her eyes. He considered having Cressa take her to her room, but there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t listen to the rest of the conversation. “Simone, have you discovered a way for us to get onto the island?”
“Lorenzo hosts what he refers to as a fantasy party. It’s in four days. And from what we were told, it’s so daring, that many wear masks to protect their identities. Although I imagine some wear a mask for the kink.”
