Fate of a Blood Moon (The Hades Blood Moon #2)

Chapter 11

Jase

A s I rested my palms on the cool, polished marble of the balcony railing, a soft breeze swept across my face, carrying the sweet scent of magnolia flowers and grass. A strange sense of calm washed over me—a peace I hadn’t felt in decades. Under the light of the half-full moon, I could see the grounds of Andrei’s estate and frowned.

The view from the third floor offered a stark reality of how far Andrei had slipped since Rachel left. A thin film of algae, dead leaves, and dirt coated inside the once pristine, now drained fountain. Even the lawn had overgrown, and the well-kempt ivy was now wild, consuming the mansion’s walls. Since Rachel fled this place, Andrei had let it fall into ruin, not allowing his staff to maintain the property. He met those who did with rage and a termination letter.

It was like his blackened soul now bled into the world around him.

My brother knew only anger and obsession. They fueled his every move and decision, affecting everyone who came into contact with him. Now that he possessed that Burning of Angels’ Key we had just retrieved in Atlanta, I was worried about how much farther he’d fall before dragging the rest of us with him.

Andrei had always been unrecognizable to me after the night he killed our parents, but this … this was a new side I’d never seen. He was becoming an entirely different man. Vastly different from the one I knew four months ago in the church, who offered me a safe haven while he devised a new plan to get the ring back.

Initially, I was supposed to play the part of a repentant figure to appease the Black Onyx Coven and prevent retaliation for unleashing Valentina back into the world. But I somehow convinced them I was only trying to help. Rachel was the real villain. Our plan tied up loose ends after that disaster in the church when I broke the sealing spell and awoke Hell on Earth. Andrei had manipulated the coven to spare my life and convince them to assign Liam to our clan to help us find the two women.

Andrei was losing his grip, and it felt like I was the only one in that goddamn room who realized it. He commanded such loyalty from those grovelers that no one questioned why he would want to do something so fucked up. Something that would doom us all.

He was going to ruin everything.

“Jase?” The sound of Meredith’s voice behind me made me recoil a little. I didn’t turn around, and when I felt her arms slide around my waist, it took all my will not to shudder with disgust.

I turned around then, forcing her to drop her hands. “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked, struggling to hide my tone.

“I wanted to check on you. You seem distant since we broke into that museum,” Meredith said, hurt shining in her eyes. “Do you not trust Andrei’s judgment on this? You know it’s the only way.”

I knew what this bitch was doing. Andrei must have tasked her with trying to poke around in my head, thinking she could seduce me into spilling my secrets.

“I don’t trust anyone, Meredith,” I replied. “Especially my brother. A lot changes in over two hundred years.”

Meredith’s brows furrowed. “He’s doing this so you don’t end up burning in the pits below us. Even though we’re immortal, we can still die. The moment someone stakes your heart, your soul will be ripped from Purgatory and dropped right into the Underworld. You will suffer something far worse than roaming Earth as a bloodthirsty corpse.”

My lips curved into a wicked smile. “Andrei isn’t thinking this through,” I told her. “He’s motivated by his dick. While he claims Rachel is essential to all this, I know he’s let his selfish desires cloud his judgment. He’ll get this entire clan killed with his idiotic and reckless plan to summon the Warrior. If he accomplishes this, he’ll kidnap Rachel, taking her against her will again.”

“Oh, God. Why the hell do you care what happens to her? She hates both of you,” Meredith reminded me, moving closer into my personal space. “I have been Andrei’s friend and companion for over a hundred years. I know his intentions, and if he says this is to help you, I believe him.”

I turned to her and stepped forward, closing the gap between us. Placing my right palm against her cheek, I gently ran my thumb over her skin.

The gesture revolted me to my core. I didn’t want to touch a woman like her, not one fucking bit. But Meredith was the easiest to manipulate. Her loyalty to Andrei made her blind, which played to my advantage.

“Maybe …” I whispered, “Maybe you’re right. I probably should trust him.”

I dropped my hand to move past her toward the door, but she reached out, snaking her fingers over my stomach before inching lower, lightly cupping my crotch. “When will you stop pretending like you don’t want this,” Meredith purred, her green eyes filled with feral lust.

I didn’t want it.

“I’ve been rather lonely the past few months,” she shamelessly admitted. “Aren’t you? When’s the last time you were with a woman?”

I cleared my throat, shoving the boiling urge to rip her throat out down in my mind. “Meredith, you may enjoy fucking anyone that so much as glances in your direction, but I’m not interested.”

With that, I broke from her hold and went inside, leaving her alone on that dirty marble balcony.

When I walked into my bedroom, I removed my leather jacket and tossed it onto the chair. I made my way to the small end table and pulled out a whiskey decanter, pouring two fingers into the crystal tumbler. After settling on the bed, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and eyed the dark screen, ready to send some messages to my contacts.

My thoughts went to the idea of my brother using Rachel to save our souls and then bringing her back here so he could put his hands on her, claiming her as his. The image provoked an unwanted physical response in my stomach––my shoulders tightened, and my veins pulsed with anger. The feeling was all too familiar. Over the last four years, I had to watch Rachel take men to her bed, watch as strangers followed her as she walked past them, the lust burning in their eyes, mentally undressing her.

One fucker got a little too close. I smiled, recalling the sound he made as I snapped his neck before dumping his body in the river.

After sending my texts, I leaned back against the propped-up pillows and sipped my drink. It made sense if what Valentina told me was true. Was Rachel really my mate? Or was she still just a tool to achieve my goals of absolute power and security? I swore to kill her that night of the Hades Blood Moon after I took possession of the ring.

Instead, I hesitated.

Since then, the urge to find Rachel, to possess her, had been slowly burning these past few months, consuming my mind like a blue flame. Valentina was right; I was supposed to hate Rachel. But even after everything, I still didn’t. All those years watching her, learning her routines and habits, only added to my obsession.

The burn of alcohol anchored my spiraling thoughts, and I knew in my gut what had to be done. I had to beat Andrei to Italy and take Rachel for myself. Whether it was by divine cosmic power or a bunch of bullshit Valentina spun, I needed to know.

After hearing Andrei’s plan for taking Rachel back after all this, I concluded my brother was more unhinged than I was. If I had learned anything from the past, it didn’t matter how much Andrei cared about someone; he wouldn’t hesitate to spill innocent blood.

This plan with the key, the sword, everything, wasn’t about saving our souls from the Devil’s grasp. It was to claim dominance over everything and forcefully take what he wanted.

After tossing back the rest of my drink, I left my room and headed to the library. Once settling into the chair, I picked up a book from the coffee table in front of the couch. I had flipped through it once since arriving at the mansion—a dark romance with a cover depicting a skull and a butterfly tattoo. As I opened to where I had left off, my phone buzzed with an incoming text. I pulled it out and glanced at the new message.

Andrei: Jase, we need you in the dining room. The members of the Boston’s Black Onyx Coven is requesting we join them tonight. You have ten minutes before we walk out the door.

“What the fuck?” I whispered. Since when did they come back to New Orleans? They had left a few behind to delegate and keep an eye on us, but not the entire coven.

Did they fly down and only tell Andrei?

Knocking back the rest of my drink, I stood up and felt a slight buzz in my head. For a vampire, it took a lot of alcohol to feel its effect. I had been drinking since seven a.m., much more than I usually did. It was the only thing to help numb the chaos in my head since I arrived at Andrei’s home four months ago.

I left the library and walked down the stairs toward the dining room. Jackson was leaning against the wall just outside the door. When I approached, he looked over and greeted me with a strained smile.

“Hey, do you know what’s going on?” Jackson asked, worry flashing in his warm brown eyes.

That surprised me. Andrei always kept Jackson and Meredith in the loop. He trusted those two far more than he trusted his own brother.

“Not a damn clue,” I shrugged, pushing the door open and walking into the room. Meredith and Liam were already inside, but there was no sign of Andrei. Meredith offered a smile when she saw me. I tried not to grimace.

One thing I learned through the decades since turning into a vampire was that no one is what they seem on the outside. Meredith’s attempt to have me trust her only amplified my suspicion that she wasn’t the kindhearted, loyal friend Andrei made her out to be.

I would never trust her.

“Meredith,” I called, standing beside her and folding my arms over my leather jacket. “Did he really keep all of us in the dark?”

“A need-to-know basis,” Andrei’s voice rang out as he walked from the kitchen. “What I’m going to share stays between just the four of us.” He picked up his suit jacket from the dining chair. “Now, has everyone fed?” he added.

We all nodded, still confused. Why the hell would that matter? It’s not like any of us would dare try to attack and feed from a Black Onyx witch.

“Given the limited details from your text … is the original members of the coven holed up in New Orleans?” I asked.

Andrei moved to the head of the dining table, resting his hands on the back of the chair. “They are now. With Valentina awake and hiding alongside Rachel, they’re establishing new divisions across the country to hunt for them if we are to fail. That includes potential allies overseas. Their headquarters will now be just a few blocks from the French Quarter. The Black Onyx realizes this could be war, and the last time they were here, they established some key players to help with their cause.”

I furrowed my brow. “Are they planning to march into Venice and drag them out of that house?”

Andrei shook his head, irritation flashing in his eyes as his jaw tightened. “Do you think I’m a fool for allowing them to reach her before I do? They don’t know where she’s at. Their endgame was to kill them both after using Rachel’s blood for the spell, but I’ve ensured that doesn’t happen. At least not to Rachel. However, the coven can have Valentina and the other dhampirs once they find them. The ones I learned about during your trial that existed before she did.”

His gaze made it clear he hadn’t forgiven me for that omission. Tough shit, brother.

“Whatever they say in the meeting tonight, know that the coven is merely a tool for me. I have my own agenda, and I expect you all to keep it to yourselves.”

I met his gaze. “Where do the witches think she’s gone if they don’t know she’s in Venice?”

Andrei straightened. “They suspect Rachel and Valentina fled to Europe. That’s it. They’re unaware of the tracker in her arm, so they can’t demand that I disclose anything. This house they’re staying at is likely one of Valentina’s allies, but I want to reach her before anyone else does.” His expression darkened.

Meredith frowned. “What about Liam?”

“Liam will learn everything when I’m ready to trust him. Right now, they are relying on me because of the guardian bond. Tonight’s meeting is to outline those plans. Everyone will remain silent and let me do the talking. If all goes as intended, we’ll be on a flight tomorrow morning.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What is your endgame, anyway?”

He smiled. “Rachel, Jase. I’ve made a deal with them to guarantee her return to me. Even if she tries to fight it.”

After removing my bike helmet, I noticed a stony trail leading into the forest. Andrei, Meredith, and Jackson were already at the edge to go inside.

“What is this place?” I asked Andrei. “They’re in the woods?”

“We’re just north of the city. This property has been closed to the public for a few years, so the Black Onyx thought it best to hold their confidential meetings here,” he replied.

“A coven of witches gathering in some dark and secluded woods … That’s not creepy at all,” I said sarcastically.

Jackson snickered quietly before speaking. “Don’t sound too excited, Jase.”

We all turned as leaves rustled under footsteps, and Liam appeared, wearing a red robe that reached his ankles and tied at the neck. “Gentlemen … Miss Meredith.”

Andrei gave him a brief nod before we followed him deep into the forest, leading to an underground cave with a tall wooden door built into the rock.

Liam climbed the broken stone steps to the door with runes etched into it. He reached out and pulled out his pentagram fastener. After murmuring a few words, the pentagram glowed with a faint blue light before Liam pressed the pin into a hole in the wood. He turned to look at us before opening the door. “Once we’re inside and the meeting begins, you’re not to speak with each other or anyone else unless Gerald gives permission. You’re not to share any information about what occurs here, or we’ll burn your heart inside your body. Is that clear?”

What the hell are these witches doing?

Andrei nodded, which surprised me. He never came off as a leader who’d let anyone speak to him that way, especially a witch.

Liam spun around and gestured for us three to follow him. I glanced at my brother; I couldn’t tell what the hell he was thinking, only that he had a stern look on his face.

As I stepped through the threshold, the scent of incense and sage stung my nose. A snap echoed through the space, and rows of gas lamps flickered to life. I let out a low whistle as the cave’s interior emerged in front of us. Sunken several feet into the ground, the floor created an ideal hiding spot, its wood and stone surface easily concealed from human eyes.

Just then, a hooded figure approached us. The silhouette held out four black cloaks with silver dagger-shaped clasps, and when we took them, the figure melted back into the shadows.

What the fuck? I blinked. This meeting was nothing like the gatherings we had when I was a member of Black Onyx over two hundred years ago.

“These cloaks are to show that you are vampires, therefore outsiders,” Liam explained smugly.

Dick.

“This is far more archaic than what I remember the coven being like,” I remarked.

“This is more efficient than you think, vampire. Just watch,” Liam whispered before heading to the cavern’s left side.

The entire space was massive and had staggered wooden pews on both sides. At the center was a tall podium with a black runner hanging over the front. I saw the pentagram embroidered into the fabric with a glimmering gold thread. Brightly lit lamps lined the ceiling and cast a warm light on the walls. There was a creaking noise, and a second door on the left swung open. Several witches walked in, their crimson cloaks floating behind them as they moved to the pews. A few of them spotted me and sneered in contempt. I grinned wickedly and wiggled my fingers at them in a wave.

“Don’t cause trouble,” Meredith hissed in my ear. “Gerald’s here, and we need to play nice with these sycophants.” She pointed to Gerald Madison, leader of the coven, as he walked in and headed to the podium. Andrei walked up to Jackson and whispered something in his ear. He then came to me and leaned in close.

“You three will stay in the pews while I go down to Gerald,” Andrei said. “We still need to play the part of you being repentant for your actions as a would-be traitor and serving in my clan. So, you can’t be foolish. Don’t say a word. ”

I snarled at him. “Fine, but I’m no one’s dog, especially theirs.”

Andrei smirked, then went to where Gerald was sitting and took a seat to the left of him.

“Witches of the Black Onyx,” Gerald’s voice boomed through the tower. “You’re summoned to discuss matters most severe. But first, we have a traitor in our midst. Someone who has broken our most sacred laws and endangered our coven. Bring in the perpetrator.”

The doors at the back swung open, and two more hooded figures dragged inside an unconscious man. He was pale, with reddish-blond hair and multiple purple bruises on his face and neck. The figures threw the man onto the stone floor before the podium, drawing a moan from his bleeding lips. Gerald sneered down at the beaten man.

“Wyatt has broken the laws of our coven by revealing our name to a human. His betrayal forced us to spill innocent blood. For that, we invoke his crimes as the sacrifice for the Runes of Silence.”

I looked around at the witches; they all, in unison, held their left arms over small golden chalices embedded in the pews. They lifted tiny black daggers and drew the sharp edge over their exposed wrists. The scent of fresh blood hit me then, and my fangs pressed against my lips. I found the smell delicious, but my hunger had been satiated earlier that day, so the thirst didn’t burn as much.

Explains why Andrei ordered us to feed from the suppliers.

As the blood flowed into the chalices, the coven began to chant.

By the wind, our words are carried away.

By the moon, our breath draws no more.

By ageless darkness, no words this night be uttered.

By stone, we are bound.

By fire, speak and become ash.

Wyatt jerked and grabbed at his chest and throat, agonized wails pouring from his bloody mouth. Between his fingers, black smoke seeped through. The smoke trickled across the floor and into the chalices, turning into dark blood. It set my nerves on edge as the cups glowed with a red aura. The witches dipped their fingers into the liquid one by one, tracing a symbol onto their foreheads. The blood seemed to crackle on their skin, and Wyatt screamed even louder.

He tried to speak, to plead, but smoke started pouring from his mouth. Finally, his scream faded to a guttural, wet sob, and then … nothing. His smoke-stained hands fell away from his chest, and there I could see the blackened holes where his heart and vocal cords once were.

Liam was telling the truth about keeping our mouths shut. As the red light of the blood magic faded, there was a collective hiss of pain before the bloodied runes faded on the witches’ skin. Gerald followed suit, wiping his hands with a black silk handkerchief before they carried Wyatt’s body out the same back entrance. Once they removed the body, Gerald spoke in the same booming voice. “This meeting is crucial for the safety of our coven and all witches. It serves as a reminder of the importance of loyalty to our trust and coven.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Jackson muttered quietly beside me.

“As you all know,” Gerald said disdainfully, “a few months ago, our ward, Rachel Hardmann, resurrected her mother, Valentina Vasile. While we believe they have fled the country, that doesn’t mean they won’t return seeking vengeance. Since Andrei is still bonded to Rachel, we’ve tasked him with finding and retrieving the dhampir and eliminating Valentina so she’s no longer a threat. We’ve also granted Andrei access to an ancient artifact capable of summoning magic powerful enough to rid the world of our true enemy—the Dark King of the Underworld, who has caused so much destruction.”

My stomach lurched, an icy dread settling in my gut. I knew this was the plan, but if I failed to stop Andrei, then we’d be fighting the Devil and whatever demons crawl through the gates by the end of the week.

“Andrei and Jase foolishly wore Valentina’s ring,” Gerald started again, his eyes moving to mine, “which puts them in a unique position. Not only will they be doing us a favor, but they can also save their own souls in the process. We have given Andrei the Burning of Angels’ Key and will soon provide him with the Book of Shadows. This book will guide him through the spell needed to retrieve the Upper World’s most coveted weapon, the Sword of Ezrylos, which will finally destroy the Devil once and for all.”

The coven’s collective whispers bounced off the walls.

“He who controls the Sword of Ezrylos controls the Underworld, thus enabling the Upper World to seize and transform Hell into a realm that erases evil souls—not tortures them—from existence.” His gaze slid over to mine again. “Yes, this includes vampires, but we’ll ensure to save those who ally with us. There will be no redemption for the others, no resurrection; once gone, they are truly gone. By using divine power to eliminate Lucifer, we can assume his role, merge Heaven and Earth, and ensure that no one can challenge our authority.”

What. The. Fuck? This wasn’t part of the plan that Andrei told us.

Andrei turned to face us and smiled. “In exchange for delivering the sword, Gerald promised to grant me complete control over the dhampir. If she’s simply part of the family again, she could run. So, Rachel will remain without protest in my possession for as long as she breathes. I’ll ensure she’s kept far away, where she can no longer be a danger to herself or anyone else. In time, people will forget her existence, and the dhampir fable will again be just a fable. That is, once they have found and killed the others like her.”

A slow, burning rage curled in my gut. Rachel wasn’t something fragile to be hidden away like a dirty little secret. The image of Andrei sinking his claws into her, caging her like some helpless creature, made my hands clench into fists. He didn’t deserve to be the one to control her fate.

I did.

I also hated that he’d planned to hand over a magical sword to the most notorious coven in the Western world. Fuck the Black Onyx and their power trip to control the realms. They weren’t getting shit.

My plans just got moved up a notch.

“What the fuck is he doing?” I heard Jackson whisper. When I glanced over, his eyes widened in shock.

“I hope Andrei locks her in that basement cage and leaves her to starve,” Meredith said. “If we don’t support this, they won’t save our souls when the time comes. We’ll be gone just like the rest of them.”

I whipped my head to her. Her green eyes, now crimson, burned with rage and disgust.

“Are you fucking crazy?” I asked. “How could you agree to any of this?”

“Your brother has fallen since that little whore came into our clan. This eliminates several problems that have harmed us.” Meredith glared at me, and I pressed my lips into a thin line. An ember of panic replaced the fear and grew into a flame. Rachel was in more danger than she could ever fathom, and somehow, I cared enough to let that bother me.

My thoughts were spinning out of control. I needed to leave. “I’m going to step out and wait for these … witches to finish their little chat.”

As I backed away, my back pressed against a solid wall. When I turned around, the mouth of the cave we had come through was gone, replaced with stone.

“What the fuck is this?”

“No one can leave until Gerald unseals the door. Ensures that no one runs off or causes trouble ,” Meredith said, patting my shoulder before returning her eyes to Andrei.

“Then open the fucking door,” I growled through my teeth.

Meredith folded her arms like a defiant child and walked down the stairs to where Andrei stood. I heard her say, “Jase needs to go outside. I’ll go with him. Tell Gerald to let us out.”

Andrei gave her a nod before turning to the coven leader, but my stomach still hollowed out. My brother had lost his goddamn mind, and he would destroy everything I had planned. I needed to act before he stole that sword and took Rachel away.

Away from me.…