Page 24 of Betrayed in Blood
“I know. But you said Lucas needed time to decipher the book, and Devon ran into an old friend who had some business deal he wanted to talk about. I should have found a more quaint village.”
Sergi joined us and simply nodded at me. “Simone, Devon has asked to meet with you first. The rest of the cadre will join you in fifteen minutes.”
Simone gave me another blistering look, though her lips were still twitching as she strode past us.
“So, did you miss us?” I asked Sergi.
Sergi’s brow went up. “I forgot how peaceful the manor was with the two of you on missions. And I expect you in the training room this afternoon. You must be soft after two weeks away, schmoozing vampires and playing in the sand.”
He strode away, and I called out, “You meant boring. The manor was boring before I arrived.”
Ginger and I giggled as we climbed the stairs. The vamp wasn’t wrong about the training, but I could tell he missed me. Somewhere. Deep down.
“Where’s Lyra?” I asked.
“She’s waiting for us in her room. She figured you didn’t need a bunch of people crowding you.”
“How is she?”
Ginger shrugged. “She hasn’t heard from Hamilton since he left with Colantha, but she hasn’t destroyed anything in a fit of rage, so that’s something.”
I wasn’t so sure about that and was pleasantly surprised to find Lyra in an upbeat mood, painting a brightly colored landscape scene. She dropped her brush and all but raced to hug me when we entered.
“I hear your visit with Aramburu went well. I can’t wait to hear all about it.” She took off her apron and placed it over a chair before pointing to the couches that faced the west windows. A coffee and tea set was waiting on the coffee table next to two dishes covered with silver domes. “Cook sent something up for us to nibble on. He can hardly wait to see you.”
“It was great to get away, but it’s always good to be home.” I thought about what I’d just said. It was such a normal response. Home. I teared up and blinked it away as Ginger poured the coffee, and Lyra lifted the silver domes, filling three plates with appetizers. Any way I looked at it, the sentiment was true. As strange as it was, the vamps in this House had embraced a human thief and her best friend. It really was her home.
“So, you have to tell us all about Aramburu. What’s behind those walls?” Lyra took a bite of a tiny quiche.
“It’s more amazing than mysterious.” I told them of the drive to El Recinto, the vamps we encountered on the way, and Gregor’s strict ask-no-questions policy with unwelcome vamps. Then, I lightened the discussion as I shared details about the manor, the Family, the local village, and their businesses. I left out the part about the dreamwalkers and the baby vamps. Devon wanted to talk with the cadre first.
Worried that I might slip and say something about the dreamwalkers, I changed the conversation to Ginger’s mission.
“So, Philipe Renaud and Fiona really are a thing, and they have the book?”
Ginger nodded as she popped the last raspberry tart in her mouth and chased it with coffee. Once she swallowed everything down, she gave a quick recap of being overrun at the motel and the scary ride to The Retreat. Vamps do love naming their estates, but I had to admit, it made them easier to remember. One thing was the same between them all—the need for sustainability and secrecy.
“How far has Lucas gotten in deciphering the book?” I asked.
She glanced at Lyra before answering. “He’s read it through once, but it will take another couple of days to transcribe the vampiric portion into English so everyone can read it.”
“What do you mean the vampiric portion?” I looked at both of them since it was clear they knew something I didn’t.
“Well, it seems that the last half, what Lucas considers the critical part of the book, is written in a language no one recognizes or can translate.”
“What? Does Devon know?”
“I imagine the cadre is covering that with him now.” Lyra glanced at an antique clock that sat on the mantel over the fireplace. “And we’ll know his thoughts in another ten minutes.”
“You can’t leave me hanging with that.” I squinted at them. Their furtive glances back and forth suggested they knew more than what they were sharing.
Ginger shrugged. “Philipe and Lucas believe the language might be a dreamwalker language.”
I had no words. Dreamwalkers had their own language? “Has someone contacted Colantha?”
“Lucas was going to but decided to wait for Devon to review it. I guess we’ll know soon.”
Devon staredat Simone across the desk, and she stared back at him. She’d noticed him place the cooler on the corner of his desk but never gave it a second glance as she took her seat.
