Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Xavier’s fist comes down heavy on the desk. “I disagree,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Calm yourself, brother,” Theo says in a level tone, purposely not getting bothered just to further annoy Xavier. “You’re the one who said it’s important to keep up appearances.”
“It’s not the only thing that’s important right now.”
“It should be,” Theo says, losing his cool. “This is a fucking mess!” He extends his hand, pointing to the computer screen. I’m sitting in Xavier’s home office, wishing I could slink backwards out of here yet here I stand, glued to the drama that very much involves me.
And all of us, really.
Xavier’s phone rings, and he reaches down and silences the call. It’s been ringing off the hook for the last hour, ever since the news aired the story about the warehouse burning down. But it wasn’t the story Xavier wanted the news to cover.
Somehow, the Order got to them first and the story being aired all over the fucking place is that a group of vampires attacked human workers at the warehouse in the middle of the night.
After they drained all their blood, they set the building on fire to try and cover up the slaughter.
And while the Malus vampires aren’t being blamed—even the Order knows it wouldn’t be believed by the public that Xavier, the current savior of the city, would lose control like this—they are being blamed for allowing this to happen.
According to social media and intelligence the Vampire Council has received, there are already protests going on to make vampires illegal again and have every registered vampire either de-fanged or arrested. Fear makes people do regrettable things.
Xavier’s phone rings again, and I see Larkin’s name flash across the screen.
I know there’s an unspoken fear among the wolves, too.
If the Order is going to blame vampires and rally the public to go on a proverbial witch hunt, what’s stopping them from exposing the rest of us supernaturals?
History has shown time and time again that men fear what they don’t understand.
Witches were nothing but healers back in the day, and the ones famously burned at the stake weren’t really witches at all.
The world would lose its damn mind if they found out about us.
“You were too busy worrying about her,” Theo goes on. “And they made the first move.”
“They did,” Xavier says calmly. He goes over to the window, which is still closed off from the outside by the lightproof metal blinds.
“And I’ll make the next one. Publicly.” He unbuttons his cuffs and rolls up his sleeves.
“One of the bodies recovered from the ashes was identified as Marcus Henry. He was well known in certain circles for being a supernatural hating extremist. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out he was the leader who orchestrated the attack on Camp Dogwood.
” He looks at Theo, shoulders straightening.
“If the public wants someone to fear, I’ll give them someone to fear.
It just won’t be us.” Xavier’s lips curve into a smirk.
“We didn’t start this, Theo. But we will decide how it ends. ”
I watch Theo’s expression slowly go from annoyed to impressed.
“I’m sorry I ever doubted you, brother.”
“You’d think after seven centuries, you’d learn that I am never wrong.”
Theo’s eyes flit to me. “I wouldn’t quite say that.”
“Do no disrespect my wife,” Xavier growls.
“I wouldn’t dare dream of disrespecting my sister-in-law,” he replies pointedly.
There’s a knock on the office door and Xavier speeds over. It’s Nina, letting us know that Victoria, Xavier’s PR rep from the VC is here. I use it as an excuse to slink out of the office and find Antonio standing by Mabel’s tea table in the front of the house.
“This is weird,” he says, motioning to the fake window.
“Yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” I agree.
“It makes me feel like I’m in an underground bunker or something and this is the best we can do in making sure we can see into the real world.
” I sigh, missing when I used to go outside with Devon.
Duh, Wren, Antonio can go outside instead.
“Actually, want to go outside with me? It’s a nice day.
I, uh, think. I really need my phone so I can check the weather.
Xavier was able to track it. It’s at the restaurant, along with my purse.
I’m not sure about your truck. We were in the middle of trying to find out when Theo turned on the news. ”
“That lady who just came in. I’ve seen her before on TV.”
“Oh, you mean Victoria. She’s a VC rep. The other lady is Nina.
She works for the Malus family. I don’t really know what she does.
Kind of everything? I think.” I shrug. “She used to run me on errands when I first got here and functioned more on human hours. Now I do most of, well, whatever, at night.”
We go outside, both blinking in the sunlight. It is a nice day. “I didn’t realize vampires could travel during the day. I guess it makes sense as long as they’re not exposed to sunlight.” He raises his eyebrows. “They really need to trust their driver.”
“There’s a lot about vampires we didn’t know. On purpose.”
Antonio lets out a heavy sigh as we walk along the garden path. “I tried to ask about the deal. The one the Order made with the Malus Vampires years ago.” He looks at me, eyes narrowing. “Why does Xavier want a woman every twenty-five years?”
“He likes to carry on his bloodline,” I say, fully aware how icky it sounds.
“How does that work exactly?” Antonio comes to a halt and looks at me.
“And what is the relationship between everyone? I was able to pick up that Theo and Xavier are brothers, but they call Zeke a brother, too. And Devon obviously is like our age. Or was our age. And then Mabel? She’s not related by blood, is she? ”
“Xavier was the first to be turned. He was turned against his will, by the way. He never wanted to become a vampire,” I say and pause, watching Antonio’s face carefully.
A lot of people in general forget, I think willingly, that most vampires didn’t choose to be who they are.
It was forced on them. And in Xavier’s case, he was sick and dying and his maker had an obsession with him.
“Back in like the 1300s. Whenever the plague was the cool thing to catch in Spain. Theo is his biological brother, and he turned him. Zeke was his grandson, and he waited until he was the same age and turned him.”
“God, that’s so fucked up.”
“Is it? I mean, hunters are notorious for making their offspring join the Order without a choice.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Obviously,” I say and decide it’s not worth arguing. “From there on out, I guess Xavier wanted to keep adding vampires to the family but knew he needed to keep biological relatives alive to, well, be able to produce offspring.”
Antonio just looks at me, not having to say it out loud for me to know what he’s thinking.
“Mabel was part of the Order,” I say and take a step forward.
“She was given to the Malus family in the 1920s. She and Zeke fell in love and he had Xavier turn her, too.” What actually happened isn’t my story to tell, and it hurts my heart thinking of the pain and mental anguish she had to go through in her human life, and probably still deals with now.
“So Devon is like Xavier and Theo’s great-great-great-times a dozen or more grandson?”
“Or nephew or something. But yeah, they’re all related. I don’t know how many Malus vampires there are,” I tell him, knowing he’s going to ask. Xavier told me he’s very choosy when it comes to picking someone to spend literal eternity with.”
“I can only imagine.” He looks at me. “Mabel was a hunter? And she was traded to the Malus vampires in exchange for peace between the Order and their family. It’s so fucked up.”
“I don’t know who came up with the idea of a trade, and honestly, I don’t want to know.”
“Would it make you think of him differently?”
“No,” I say with no hesitation. “I know who Xavier is. I’m not going to lie and say he’s been misunderstood and he’s secretly a non-violent vampire who only drinks donated blood or something like that.”
“Yet you still love him.”
“I do.” I turn and look at my brother. “Does that make you think of me differently?”
“It should,” he admits honestly. “But it doesn’t.
The whole world has turned upside down. I don’t really know what to think.
” He walks a few paces down the garden path before coming to a sudden halt.
“They left me for dead,” he scoffs and it takes me a second to realize he’s talking about Marco and Vivian.
“They used Gia as bait. We don’t know if she’s safe. ”
“I think she—”
“Wren,” he interrupts. “We. Don’t. Know.”
I swallow back my emotion. “You’re right.
We don’t know. And until I get something of hers, I can’t even do a locator spell.
And even then, what are we going to do? The Order has a demon at its command.
” I throw my hands up, feeling desperation burn inside of me.
“And right now, I’m feeling sorry for this demon!
” I shake my head at myself. “Because I can relate.”
“What do you mean?” He gives me an incredulous look. “How the hell do you relate to a demon?”
“I was used and manipulated by the Order, too. They kept me on a leash, scared of my powers. And I followed orders. I did exactly what they wanted me to do. Did you know that Vivian and Marco—our parents—were drugging me in my sleep and taking my blood? The Order wanted to replicate my powers and make their own little army. I thought it was so they could have super soldiers to hunt demons but now, now I’m wondering if it was something else. ”
“I…I had no idea.”
“You didn’t. Because they lied to you, too. The Order is evil and needs to be stopped.”
“Not everyone in the Order is evil, Wren,” Antonio tries to reason. “I’m not. Leo and Larissa—”