24. Corvinus
Chapter 24
Corvinus
I don’t like the way this is playing out one damn little bit. A threat from the witches is never good, and always comes with a price to pay, no matter the winner of the battle. Romano points to the open archway of the great room. “Call Overmaster Descallia and talk to him. I’m sure he’s far more interested in what you have to say than I ever will be. Leave our home.”
Raven gasps. “Romano! You are not helping.”
The witch’s eyes rage and she lets out an evil cackle, glaring at her niece. “Stay with the bloodsuckers, but do not come crawling to the academy when the world you’ve chosen isn’t as safe as it appears to be.”
Raven puts her head down as the electricity around her generates to a dynamic speed. “Go,” Romano says, pulling Raven into the protection of his arms as the witch flies out the door. “We’re not done by a long shot, bloodsuckers!” Devora screeches.
Raven wipes a tear. “I knew it wouldn’t last. She says she wants to keep the peace, but then something always happens that throws her into a rage. Now she’ll go back to the academy and all the school mistresses will be instructed to double their efforts in teaching hatred of the vampires.” She wipes another tear. “She was all for Embry staying at the cavern. Belinda told me so. Then everything blows up.”
Corvinus clears his throat. “I’ll take the blame where it’s due. I should have talked with Romano before I went into the Mystic Forest, let him clear the way with her. I just felt the need to stay with Embry. I wasn’t sure where she was going or who might be lurking. My job was to keep her safe and bring her home. Now we have a clusterfuck with the witches.”
Romano shakes his head. “No, this isn’t on you, Corvinus. I should have held my tongue but damn it, that woman gets the best of my temper no matter what I try. The minute she uses Raven to get to me, I’m done.”
Raven sinks into the protection of his arms. “She knows it too. That’s why she goads you that way. It’s not your fault, it’s hers. She’s never going to be happy unless she’s got a reason to put curses on someone and we all know how much she and the other witches they teach love to hate vampires.”
Romano’s eyebrow arches, looking to Raven. “What do you make of her comments, though? About not knowing what’s coming?”
She shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t have a clue. The witches are up to something though. Something they’re trying to hide, and Corvinus walking through the Mystic Forest threatened what they are up to in some way. It has to be. She was fine with Embry, it's just Corvinus who set her off.”
My cell rings. “It’s Descallia. Guess we’re about to get an earful.” I hold the phone a little away from my ear, placing it on speaker phone and not one person upstairs in this huge estate wouldn’t be able to hear his growl. “You know who I just got off the phone with? A very pissed off witch, that’s who. Devora is livid. She says you were both tromping all over the ground without permission, that you were disrespectful when she came to talk about it, and that Romano better send Raven back or the entire region will be at war.”
I clear my throat. “She was in a rage, and very disrespectful. She told us that we don’t know what we’ve started and we don’t have a clue what’s coming. We weren’t disrespectful but Devora was put in her place and didn’t like it,” I tell Descallia as Romano raises his brow.
Romano may be a master, but if I’m going to work closely with the man it’s as good a time as any to see exactly how that’s going to work and not impact our friendship. He should know right away that I’m not going to let anyone take the blame instead of shouldering shit myself. Letting Descallia assume it was me who let my temper go with the witch is fine by me. Because Descallia is going to need to trust me if I’m going to run the warriors and this is a good way to find out.
“I specifically asked you to keep the peace. Is this your idea of keeping it?” Descallia bellows.
“You gave me a job, and I’m doing it. And there’s more here than meets the eye.” I scan the group and turn, leaving them to walk out into the foyer, and outside into the cold night air.
“Are you still there?”
I take the phone off speakerphone, careful to keep my voice low. “I am, just stepped outside.” No matter that the ghouls are high up in the treetops along the perimeter patrolling, but they may have keen hearing as well. “Raven may have stood up for us, and from what I’ve heard has been a strong advocate since meeting Romano, but the fact still remains. She’s the niece of the witch who has always wanted to run us into the ground. You’re sure we can trust her?”
Descallia doesn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. Her dedication is not a ploy. She’s proven it in battle time and time again, Corvinus. I wouldn’t have allowed her by Romano’s side otherwise.”
His judgement I can respect, but traitor after traitor has popped up out of the wood over time. “Apparently, Devora was fine with Embry coming onto the property to get her head on straight but get this. She didn’t want Raven to know because she thought it may get back to us. So, she didn’t want us to know that Embry was here, but Embry didn’t know that. Then she finds out I’ve been in the forest and goes berserk.”
“You think something is amiss.”
“I would bet anything on it. I’m telling you. This wasn’t just about a breach of trust. Any number of the forest creatures could have told her that I didn’t do a thing that would cause her concern. The witches are up to something, and they don’t want the vampires anywhere nearby.”
Descallia sighs heavily into the phone. “I knew the truce wouldn’t last long, but had hopes it would last long enough for us to get the warriors into place. For the record, I may not be happy that the peace was broken, but good job in setting her in her place.”
I’m not a man to take somebody else’s credit, and I don’t do it now. “I had to bite my tongue, but this is Romano’s territory, not mine. He made damn sure she was put in her place and knew we did not appreciate her behavior, but I don’t think this is the end of anything, Descallia.
“I think this is the beginning of something new. Something spooked her about me traipsing through those woods and being at the cavern. Embry isn’t ready to leave. I’d like to stay a bit and nose around.”
The silent pause on the other end of the phone is long. “A week. No longer. If we haven’t figured it out by then, bring her home. We’re not letting that witch up end the plans we have for the warriors. We need them. We’re completely exposed without a group we can trust completely,” he says before disconnecting.
I’m not sure if a week is going to be long enough to settle whatever it is that Embry is after, but a week is longer than I had a few moments ago. And shows that he’s willing to let me handle things my own way. At least after he thought about it for a while. Letting go of some of the reins after all the betrayal he’s dealt with can’t be easy.
Raven and Embry are talking quietly in the corner when I walk back into the great room. “Where’s Romano?”
Raven gestures toward the kitchen. “He’s fixing us a snack. It’s how he relaxes. Devora’s got him all worked up this time.” She grins. “He’ll probably make a feast.”
I walk through to the open concept kitchen and that’s exactly what he’s doing, cutting cheese into squares to go alongside the slices of rolled beef. He gestures to the far wall. “Make yourself useful. Crackers are in the pantry,” he says, layering the cheese into long rows.
One of his kitchen staff with a big white hat on bustles past Romano and takes the crackers from my hand. “It’s bad enough to have Master Romano underfoot in my kitchen, now you too?” she says with a smile and a wink at me. “Raven told me you would be returning soon, Lord Corvinus.”
“Just Corvinus, please.”
She maneuvers her way in front of the platter and tsk-tsks, rearranging this and that and adding some dill sprigs and fruit to the arrangement. “The guest rooms are all set. Raven went to show Embry around upstairs.”
Romano grins from behind her. “That’s her way of letting us know to get out. I guess we’ll go make ourselves useful somewhere else.”
Her eyebrows raise. “Sure, go find some of that Descallia Red. I replenished the blood and filled the decanter and put out some extra glassware.”
“Thank you.”
Raven and Embry are walking down the curved stairway as we reach the great room. Romano pours Raven a glass of wine and turns to Embry. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you like?”
She gives him a smile. “A quart of blood and then a Descallia Red will be fine, thank you.”
Raven laughs, taking a drink from her glass. “Sure, since the dance music isn’t on. Usually she’s a margarita girl.”
Embry laughs out loud, and something about that melodic sound sends a tightness to my chest realizing that it’s the first time I’ve ever heard her laugh. Not once in all of our encounters has she laughed. Smiled, even a grin once, but a laugh, not once. The thought is sobering, but fuels my desire to make her do it time and time again.
Romano clears his throat, causing me to glance his way as he hands a quart of blood to Embry. He gives me a grin and shakes his head before turning away to take a seat on the couch. Raven tucks in next to him barely leaving any space at all between the two of them.
I fold myself into the couch across from them, watching with curiosity as Embry decides where to sit. She could take the seat next to Raven, or the large chair that faces the ends of the couches, but instead, she joins me, crossing a bare leg over her knee. “It’s been a minute since the ladies got together for girls’ night. Now that’s definitely something I miss.”
Raven smiles. “We can fix it, just like that!” she says with a snap of her fingers.
Embry grins. “Right! With a flip of that magic wand of yours the whole gang will be here, and then the entire reason for leaving will be for naught. It’s nothing personal, Raven. I just need time, that’s all. I can’t just pretend nothing happened.”
Raven nods, taking a sip of her wine before speaking. “I won’t push. I’m just worried about you.”
“Well, there’s no need. It’s just going to take time to find myself again and maybe even longer to decide if I can forgive. But I’m incredibly tired tonight. I think the long days have caught up to me.”
She takes a few crackers and cheese and then yawns. “I’m going to turn in, it’s been a long few days. Thank you for letting me stay here,” she says, standing.
Raven stands and gives her a big hug. “Anytime. You know that. You remember how to get to your room? You can take either of the guest rooms.”
Embry smiles at her friend. “I’ll manage just fine,” she says, walking to the door as I follow the gentle sway of her ass. Coming vampire?