Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Lucas stared at his reflection in the mirror. Their suite came with an array of clothes in several sizes, and he selected a dark-blue pinstripe suit with a silver-blue tie. He hadn’t worn anything so fine for the last two weeks, and he hadn’t realized how much he missed it. Or perhaps his good mood came from the fresh blood he’d received from one of the many donors Philipe housed at The Retreat. Another word for a safe house, though this was the grandest one he’d ever seen.
They’d been directed to their rooms as soon as they entered the manor and given an hour to clean up before returning to the foyer. They met with Iris, the female vampire who played the role of Fiona at the motel and was Philipe’s head of security, for a quick tour of the retreat. Besides the standard features of a grand estate, there was an outdoor swimming pool, two tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, and a twenty-seat movie theater.
Quaint cottages that housed the staff dotted the landscape. There were two stables that housed horses for riding, cows for milk, goats for cheese, and dozens of chickens for eggs. Meat and fish were brought in by House staff every couple of months under extremely rigorous security measures.
The most surprising of all, but perhaps not, considering the Family’s mission, wasn’t the massive library that took up a good portion of the first floor of the manor, but the library building that was connected to the manor by a glass-enclosed breezeway. It was a quarter the size of the manor and was filled with books, most of them memoirs from hundreds of vampire families. Ancient books and artifacts also graced the two-story building. The Renaud Family built annexes around the globe to house an ever-growing inventory, and it made sense that the most valuable might be housed outside of the mainstream libraries. Once the tour ended, they were sent back to their rooms for much-needed rest.
Lucas considered their fight at the motel while he fastened his cufflinks. It hadn’t been much of one. Neither he nor Rom wanted to hurt anyone when they assumed it was Fiona who’d come to their motel room. When they were swarmed by vampires wearing masks and black camo, they weren’t sure what they’d stepped into. It hadn’t taken long to deduce the vampires weren’t fighting to kill.
Once Rom understood the attackers’ hesitancy to draw blood, he dropped his sword, most likely suspecting Philipe had set his own trap. Who would have thought a bookworm was so savvy with battle techniques? Lucas chuckled. Who else but someone who’d had decades to study books on the topic? The Family’s security forces had trained in special combat techniques. Several of which Lucas would share with Devon and the cadre.
When he was satisfied that he was properly attired, he sat next to Ginger, who was dead to the world amid the satin sheets. Neither of them had had proper sleep since New York, and she deserved every moment she got. He kissed her forehead. She’d find him once she was up and dressed—whenever that might be.
The halls on the second floor were quiet, and he didn’t run into anyone until after he’d glanced inside several rooms on the first floor.
“You’ll find Philipe and Romero on the south patio,” Iris called from behind him after he’d peeked into an empty salon.
He turned and smiled. “I’m usually good at ferreting out my way in a new manor, but this one isn’t built like others.”
She returned his smile and led him down the long hall. “From what I’ve been told, Letitia Renaud, who came from the old country a couple hundred years ago, was the one who designed the estate. Of course, only a portion of it had been built back then, but she’d had architectural drawings rendered of her final dream. At the time, it wasn’t considered a safe house. She was an extremely old ancient and had tired of the world. She wanted to build a community of her own making, and her brother found it easier to buy her land, give her money, and not ask questions.
“She developed a blood disease and had been gone several decades before Philipe required a safe house. After Letitia, the manor was meant as a retreat for the immediate Family, though most were uncomfortable with the confinement so far from civilization.” She laughed. “Vampires are social animals. At least, the aristocrats seem to be.”
“I can’t argue your assessment. Even so, it must be difficult living in isolation for so long.”
“I originally had the same thoughts and believed I’d been demoted when the old man asked me to take this assignment. Turns out he knew me better than I knew myself. I can’t think of a better place to live. Every person here is allowed two weeks a year away from the estate as long as they’re willing to go someplace outside the States. A portion of our security staff does nothing but schedule vacations, locations, and security for every vampire and human who lives here. Surprisingly, there are many who only leave every several years by their own choice.”
“It’s truly an amazing enterprise. I think I could probably spend months here just in the library alone.”
“Is that all?” she teased.
He bent low as if sharing a secret. “I was only speaking to the library in the manor. I think the library building would require a couple of years to just scratch the surface of books.”
She chuckled then walked through the solarium to a smaller sunroom where French doors led to a patio. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be sure the rest of your party finds their way once they’re up and about.” She nodded and sauntered off.
The patio looked out over the south end of the valley. Thousands of acres, all owned by the Renauds. Other than knowing they were still somewhere in the South, they were surrounded by mountains and thick forests. No doubt, a portion of that land was owned by the Renauds as well, to prevent development.
A long table that seated twenty was centered on the patio with two smaller tables on the far side and a comfortable lounge area on the right. The seating surrounded an outdoor fireplace where embers glowed, warding off the slight chill in the early-evening air.
Rom and Philipe were in deep conversation and only turned when Lucas stood next to them.
“Ah, Lucas Maynard. Welcome to my home.” Philipe stood and shook Lucas’s hand. “Sit, sit. I have many questions, but have a drink while we wait for the rest of your party. I see the clothing fits well.”
“Yes, thank you for that. I feel like a dignified vampire again.”
Philipe wrinkled his nose. “It’s not easy being on the run. Fiona and I experienced a few weeks of it before we found our way here, though that was decades ago.”
They spent the next hour laughing over tales of the old days. Rom and Lucas shared stories of when Lucas was part of the Rousseau Family. Philipe imparted his memories of a young, restless Rom, and his father’s lost wits at what to do with the cocky vampire.
Surprisingly, Ginger was the first of their group to arrive. She was dressed in a modest mid-calf dress in a bright floral design that hugged her frame. Her hair was pulled back to flow down the nape of her neck. In one word—she was delectable. Her stylish ankle boots clicked on the stone patio floor, and her smile could have lit the place had it been dark.
Philipe stood, took both her hands, and gave her the full European greeting, kissing both cheeks, which she returned without a hiccup. She squeezed Lucas’s hand when she took a seat next to him and winked at Rom.
“Iris was quite impressed with your fighting prowess.” Philipe poured her a glass of wine. “It’s not common to find a human, let alone female, with those skills.”
“Devon’s cadre taught me everything I know. Though I hadn’t planned to be tested quite so soon.”
“Yes, I heard about the trouble with Venizi.” Philipe refilled the other glasses. “That vampire has been a sword in our side toward progress for way too long.”
Minutes later, Bella joined them. She preferred a stately black suit, and her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail. For someone who was more comfortable in tactical gear, she knew how to dress for the occasion.
“Where’s Jacques?” Lucas asked.
Bella snorted. “He couldn’t stop talking about the golf course. One of the security detail invited him to play a round. Jacques said I could fill him in later, then he scurried off like a rat after cheese.”
“I’d say we should wait for Fiona,” Philipe said, “but last I saw of her earlier today, she was headed to the library next door. She’s on the trail of a family history that had been thought lost some two hundred years ago. And similar to Jacques, it could be some time before she reappears. I’ll be sure to have her gathered up in time for dinner.”
He settled back in his seat with a drink in hand and a clouded expression. After a minute, it cleared, and he began his story.
“I’m not sure how you first heard of De f?rste dage , but I’d been pleasantly unaware of it until that fateful call from Guildford Trelane. I’d been lost in the stacks and had to rush back to my office when a custodian told me he was on the line. We’d built a friendship some years before. He was an avid reader and always stopped by when he was in the city. This was San Francisco that I’m talking about, of course.
“I’d been at what was, at the time, the only library on the West Coast for about forty years. When Guildford called, the Los Angeles library was under construction, and because it would be larger, the plan was to make the San Francisco location an annex when the other opened.”
He stopped when a server came in with a platter of appetizers and several plates to pass around. A tea and coffee service was placed next to the food. Philipe laughed when the servers exited. “While she might become lost to time while in the library, Fiona’s hostess skills are always present. This is her attempt to keep us sober before dinner.” He placed two appetizers on his plate and poured coffee for himself. “Please help yourself, and don’t feel obligated to drink the tea or coffee. I can’t tell you how many tipsy vampires we’ve fed over the years.
“Now, where was I? Ah, the coming move. Each of the libraries and annexes would be sending books to the Los Angeles branch, and I’d assigned Fiona to the task. She had books strewn about everywhere. Quite orderly, of course, but she was the only one besides me who understood her filing system. Perhaps that was one reason no one ever noticed the book. It hadn’t been earmarked for Los Angeles, but she happened to find several books that were physically in the inventory without a reference to their location in our files. Strange enough even then.
“When Guildford asked about it, Fiona was the one who located it in her stack of books. I was honestly shocked when Guildford said he wanted to drive down to look at it. If he was that interested in it, I thought I should read it before he arrived in case he wanted to discuss its contents.”
His hand shook, and he set the coffee cup on the table. “Even now, its mere existence scares me and the future of our race.” He shook his head. “When Guildford arrived, and after meeting his family and assistant, I settled him into a quiet room to read. Afterwards, we had a long discussion about it. I’d hoped it was some vampire’s foolish fiction or perhaps it had been written by an ancient who’d lost their senses. But Guildford considered it a true accounting. Something that had been hidden from the general populace in hopes it would never see the light of day.”
He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes. “He told me dreamwalkers were real. At the time, I nodded as if I believed him, though I began to question his sanity at such a statement. Then he invited me to dinner, and I spent more time around his assistant, Hamilton. I’ll never forget that young man. It wasn’t unusual for a vampire, even a House leader, to have a human assistant, but I could tell there was something different about him from the very beginning.
“I was going to ask Guildford about the man the following day, but he’d been called home. Perhaps he felt an urgency to be with his security team. I have no idea why he traveled without them. I heard about the accident the following day. Everyone gone except for his daughter. What a tragedy. But the timing wasn’t lost on me or Fiona, though we set our fear aside for a time.
“Shortly after, I was reassigned as curator for the Los Angeles branch, and I brought Fiona along. It was widely known, at least within the Family, that although we weren’t married, I wouldn’t go anywhere without her. I brought the book with me, but instead of putting it on the shelves, I showed it out for restoration. I didn’t feel safe leaving it where others could find it.
“I traveled to New Orleans and showed it to the old man. He didn’t question its validity or the danger it presented. He said vampire society wasn’t ready to hear the truth and that it was too dangerous to be left within the inventory. He assigned me to a special project to audit all the libraries in the States.”
“A cover story?” Lucas asked.
“Quite so. During the audit, Fiona placed the false book in the stacks and recorded it in the inventory as out for restoration. We wanted to create as much confusion as possible if anyone came looking.” His gaze twinkled when he glanced at Lucas, but he continued his story. “Once we were back in Los Angeles, Fiona and I packed our essentials, left our apartment, told my assistant we were going on holiday, and fled here on the old man’s orders. While we’d been performing the audits, he renovated the manor, vetted and relocated staff, and arranged for a special security team. It’s been quiet ever since—with one exception.
“About forty years ago, or maybe it was longer than that, Venizi came snooping about. When he received continual resistance to his inquiries about the book, he seemed content to let his request go.”
“He must have determined the book was safely underground.” Lucas poured a cup of coffee. If what he suspected to be in the book was correct, Lorenzo would never want it to see the light of day.
“That’s what Fiona said, and I couldn’t argue the sentiment.” He sat back and trained a curious gaze at Lucas. “So, tell me. What made House Trelane become so interested in the book after all this time?”
Lucas had expected the question but wasn’t sure how much to reveal. Now that they’d found Philipe, this mission had become real. He glanced first at Bella, then Ginger.
“He already knows what’s in the book,” Ginger encouraged. “Rom knows now. If Devon is going to ask for allies, they have to understand the risk. This is what we’ve staked our lives on. Cressa would agree to this.
He sat back and gave Philipe a long look. He had to know what was coming. Or maybe he didn’t. Either way, the only way forward was to lay it all out.
Lucas stood on a precipice. He knew what he had to do. This was what Devon and everyone had pinned their hopes on. He’d been adamant that he be given this assignment, but he never fully considered the full ramifications. Or maybe he just set them aside. How many lives would be impacted by this one act? How many lives damaged, and how many more improved? Hamilton had been the one to plant the seed all those years ago. He just hadn’t expected how long it would take to grow roots.
Hamilton was a dreamwalker. Their species had already lost so much, and Hamilton didn’t want to hide anymore. But was revealing the truth of their past just the first step to repeating history?
Ginger trusted him to do the right thing. Devon had as well. This was the moment he walked off the ledge. He stared at Philipe for a long time before finally asking, “What do you know about dreamwalkers?”