Page 105 of Betrayed in Blood
Lucas nodded.
“I’ll also need you at Oasis to monitor security and see if there’s anything pressing. And take Ginger with you. I’d like her to work with the human staff and extend their training. Let’s make sure the shifters, especially the new ones, are introduced to the entire Family. After tonight’s experience with the wolves, let’s make sure our rogues know who they’re guarding.”
He turned to Bella. “Where’s Willa?”
“She’s in the room next to Cressa’s. According to the healer, who, by the way, could use some rest of her own, Willa has been heavily medicated rather than mesmerized. But she won’t know for sure until the drugs are out of her system. We also don’t know what kind of drugs were used, but we could go back to the mansion and look for them.”
“Duly noted on the healer needing rest,” Devon replied. “Let’s hold off going to the mansion. The cleaners are finishing up. Let’s see if they find anything. Did Madame Saldano give any indication of when Willa might wake?”
Bella shook her head. “She gave her a potion that should help ease her out of the medication.” She leaned against the coffee bar. “Time will tell. I can monitor her until Cressa wakes.”
Devon nodded. “In case anyone asks—especially Cressa—April, Jasper, and the other surviving vampire were taken to the coastal safe house. Interrogations on the vampires have already started. Sergi and I will go over later this afternoon. I was informed April has undergone an initial examination by the healer and then sedated. It’s been confirmed that she’d been mesmerized and probably over a long period. It will be a difficult recovery. Madame Saldano has an interesting idea on a path to recovery, but we’ll wait for Cressa and Willa before we discuss it. Anything else?”
With nothing left to report, the group left. Devon finished his notes from the meeting then turned to stare at the sycamore. It was time to see what Remus brought him.
Devon foundRemus in the library, and he closed the doors behind him. Locks weren’t required in the manor. If doors that were usually kept open were closed, it was for a reason, and no one intruded—except for cadre in cases of an emergency.
Remus sat in a far corner in one of Devon’s mother’s favorite wing-backed chairs. A stack of papers Devon knew to be theDe første dagetranslations sat on the cherrywood table positioned between the chairs. Remus reviewed a page before turning to the next. A manila folder sat next to the stack, which was most likely the lab results. Next to that was a decanter of an amber liquid with two accompanying glasses, one of which was partially filled.
“How many times have you read it?” Devon took a seat opposite him at the table.
“This is the fourth, not counting my review of the original text.” Remus sat back, refilled his glass and poured another one that he slid to Devon.
“A bit early for scotch, isn’t it?”
“After reading this and what I’ve seen of the lab results, it’s never too early.” Remus slid the folder toward Devon.
He let it sit. “What do you make of Colantha’s thoughts on the two languages and the Blood Poppy?”
Remus savored a sip as he considered the question. “I’ve tried reading the translation from a number of views, but it all comes down to the same thing. The exchange between vampiric to Drakrotian is smooth, as if someone picked up a pen and simply carried on with the information, just in their own language. I assume the two languages were a built-in safety mechanism to ensure both sides understood it was both species who wrote and agreed to this. I would have preferred signed signatures so we had the names of the authors.”
“Or a House or Tribal symbol.”
“Perhaps they’re in the original book and no one understood the importance.”
“I’ll have Lucas reach out to Philipe or Fiona and have them take a look. We could only hope. I agree it would give more credence to the text.”
“As far as the Blood Poppy, I’d agree with her assessment.”
Devon wasn’t surprised, but it still created a mix of emotions—fear and hope. Then, anger pushed everything else away. He pulled the folder close and flipped it open. He spent the next fifteen minutes reviewing graphs and the researcher’s summations.
“I don’t understand. This shows that the marker that was in Cressa’s blood, the marker we associated with the dreamwalker species, matches one of the markers in the three samples Aramburu supplied.” He scanned the graphs again. “How is this possible? It also appears similar to the results from the Blood Poppy. So is this marker dreamwalker or Blood Poppy?” He also noted but didn’t mention, that the Magic Poppy results reflected a mere blip of the same marker.
“My researcher was beside himself with ecstatic enthusiasm. I don’t see that often in vampires.” Remus chuckled as he stacked the translation into a neat stack. “He was already comparing the results of the blood work with his work on the decline of vampire fertility rates. He can’t be sure, but at first glance, he’s seeing a correlation. But whether that has to do with dreamwalker blood or the Blood Poppy, without deeper analysis of this particular marker, he can’t make a final determination.”
Devon wanted to punch something. How much of this did Venizi know? He, like Sergi and the cadre, believed Lorenzo was behind the Magic Poppy, but considering the other revelations, further investigation on that could wait.
“Have you spoken to Colantha about this? I know you’ve spent time with her on your visits here.”
Remus finished his drink. “No. We’ve mostly discussed the translations and what she knew of shifters during those times. And before you ask, she has little knowledge of shifters. She believes the dreamwalkers didn’t condone what the vampires were doing, keeping us enslaved, but her species were fighting for their own survival.”
“Cressa mentioned that an orange potion she received from the healer at Aramburu’s compound tasted similar to Colantha’s juice. I think it’s time to understand why that is.”
“If we could get some of that juice, we could test it.” Though Remus’s comments were conciliatory, the yellow glaze of wolf shone through.
“But if we’re all truly partners in this?”
“Then she would simply reveal the truth.”
