Page 13 of Betrayed in Blood
“You search for theDe første dage.”
That brought me around. “Who told you that?”
“If you remember, I was privy to the Council’s discussions regarding the dreamwalkers. I knew about the book that was written after the Battle at Omar. It’s the only document I’m aware of that can reveal the truth. But I’ll leave that discussion for Devon.” He checked his watch. “For now, let’s go to the conference room. They’ll be waiting for us.”
The conference room,painted a robin-egg blue, was large enough to fit a mahogany table that sat twelve with comfortable high-backed leather chairs and two side tables topped with vases of fresh-cut roses. Four people, who were already seated, had been conversing lightly and immediately stopped when the door opened, falling back in their seats.
I wasn’t sure if that had to do with me or whether that was their typical reaction to Gregor entering a room.
“Good morning,” Gregor said as he strode toward the head of the table. Instead of sitting, he pulled the chair out for Sonja, then took a seat in the corner where a few extra chairs lined the wall.
“Cressa, please take a seat at the other end of the table.” Sonja pulled herself closer to the table and nodded at me.
I did as she asked and smiled at the two pairs of men and women who sat across from each other. They were dressed for success, with the men in tailored suits and the women in slacks and blouses, similar to me.
I couldn’t see everyone’s medallions, but a couple were prominently revealed, where the others, like my own, dipped below the shirts.
“Let’s begin.” Sonja pointed to the man and woman on her left. “I believe you remember Joseph and Nancy from your dreamwalk yesterday.”
The two appeared embarrassed, but I smiled. “I do. I’m Cressa, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” My tone seemed to relax them, and while Joseph nodded, Nancy managed a weak smile.
Sonja waved to her right. “This is Antonio and Genese. They have equal powers to Joseph and Nancy, and I thought it would be a good group to work with.”
I nodded and gave them my same smile, but their expressions remained reserved, if not slightly hostile. I wasn’t sure why. They must have heard about my encounter in the construct built by Joseph and Nancy. Were they concerned about my abilities, scared of them, or unbelieving?
My first thought was to coddle them and find a way to make them like me. But then Devon and Colantha invaded my head with how they would handle this type of situation. We were searching for allies, but it was more than that. We were building an army. An army of vamps, shifters, and dreamwalkers. This wasn’t the time to grovel for acceptance or for making friends.
I was a member of House Trelane. I wasn’t cadre. I was a thief. And I was sleeping with the House leader. Not sure that deserved a title, and I had to stifle a laugh that bubbled up. I wasn’t a pushover. I might not be cadre, but I needed to act like one.
I turned my attention to Sonja and ignored Gregor, who silently watched. I gave her my most winning smile. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Sonja nodded, her smile predatory. She closed her eyes, and the others followed her lead. I kept mine open, waiting to see if they could pull me into a construct.
It was an experience difficult to describe. It was like someone tapping at my consciousness, trying to get my attention. Then, without warning, I was snapped into a construct.
It reminded me of a time when April, my half-sister, and I were really close. It was the first year I’d been out on my own. She picked me up in her brand-new Audi that Christopher had given her. We’d taken a run down the coast, stopping at little stores and galleries. It was the best day I’d ever had with her, but on the way home, April wasn’t paying attention. It might have been my fault, or that she tended to focus on who was riding with her than watching the road. Either way, she didn’t notice the car in front of her slow to make a turn, and she smashed into them. The jerk of the hit gave me light whiplash and a headache that lasted a week.
That was what it felt like when I found myself in the same diner from the day before. I slowly rolled my neck from side to side, ensuring I was alright and satisfied there wasn’t a headache. At least not yet.
We were sitting at a round table, the other five all staring at me. A light film of perspiration covered Joseph’s brow, and Genese squinted as if she was using all her mental ability to remain in the construct.
I took slow breaths as I glanced around. The construct appeared complete. No half images of walls, the chair felt firm beneath me, and the people around us didn’t seem to notice the six newcomers in their midst.
Everyone wore the same clothes as in the conference room. Certainly not the flare of Colantha’s constructs.
“How do you feel?” Sonja asked.
“Like someone clubbed me in the head. It was a bit jarring.” I took another look around. “I’m not familiar with this place. Is it one of the restaurants in the village?”
She nodded. “Everything is the same.”
“Can you make modifications to it?”
She closed her eyes, and the colors on the wall changed from an off-white to a light coral color.
“Good. What about clothing?”
Her eyes opened, and the color on the wall faded back to white. Interesting.
