Page 28 of Always Eros

“You came from Sable Cove?” Yves asks.

“Yes. We… My coven and I—” His voice breaks and he coughs, holding his side. The pain he feels over his loss is written all over his face.

“I was with Nathan. We were ambushed by vampires we’ve never seen before.” Hale shakes his head as if trying to remember. “They took Nathan from me and did terrible things to him. I was wrapped in silver chains to restrain me, and they were asking questions that made no sense. They insisted I knew, but I didn’t. They told me no one in my coven was left alive and dropped their mutilated bodies in front of me. I don’t know how but my rage…” He exhales slowly as his face screws up in anger. “I tore through the chains and grabbed my love, and we ran. We ran so fast, but they caught up. They slammed me to the ground and then the spike came. I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up here.”

I’m sure we all share the look of horrified concern on Yves’s face. “Traitors,” Yves says. “To kill your own kind is a travesty that should not go unpunished. Do you have any idea what coven these vampires belong to?”

Hale rubs his forehead. “I heard a bit of talk about Sable Cove, something about a gang named Dread, but we’d never heard of them before. The rules are different in Sable Cove. It’s less territorial than other places I’ve been. There are numerous covens in the area.”

Yves nods, shifting his gaze around to all of us. I’m sure we’re all making the connection to what Dimas told Yves earlier.

“What kinds of questions were they asking you?” Syn asks.

Hale’s forehead creases again. “They were demanding to know where the blood king was. Who the fuck is the blood king?”

I perk up at that. “Blood king. Tell us more.”

“They said they knew his people were in Sable Cove or the surrounding areas, and so the local vampires had to know where he was. I’ve never heard of anyone like that. The vampires were so… brutal. Not like any modern ones I’ve met. It was as if they had no decorum.”

“Obviously not if they slay their own,” Raphael says.

“Right,” Hale says. “They were hell-bent on locating this blood king they spoke of. I need to find them and take my revenge. Nathan was just an innocent mortal.” His eyes seem to burn with anger. “I will find them.”

“We’ll help,” Yves says. “They entered our city and we are territorial. We have cause.”

Midnight steps closer. “You are absolutely certain neither you nor your coven harbor secrets we should know about that led to this attack?”

Hale meets Midnight’s intense gaze head on. “I am absolutely certain that I harbor no secrets other than my desire to…” His face twists with pain. “To turn Nathan. I had not spoken to my coven about it yet. I loved him.”

“That’s obvious,” Tru says softly. “We’re very sorry for your loss. He was gone when we found you.”

Hale nods, touching the wound in his chest. “They missed my heart?”

“They got the edge,” Yves says. “We found you just in time.”

“How did you heal me?”

“We have a very powerful witch amongst us,” Yves says. “Two actually.”

“Witches who aid vampires? What wondrous place is New Onyx?”

“We have our problems too, but attacking our own or others like us is not one of them.” Yves shifts his gaze to all of us. “Rest, Hale. We’ll see what we can find out about this coven that attacked you and Nathan.”

“Where is Nathan?”

“In the front room,” Bowie says.

“Can I see him?”

Bowie frowns. “Are you sure you want to? It’s pretty bad.”

“I have to,” Hale whispers.

“We’ll bring him to you,” Syn offers. “You stay in bed and rest.”

Hale nods. “Please, if you find them, I need to be included. I won’t rest until mine is the last face they see.”

“I assure you we will not act without you,” Yves says.

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