Chapter 13 #4
“I’m sorry, good news?” Rafe blinked his eyes in disbelief.
“Every cloud has a silver lining,” Greyson commented.
Rafe didn’t dignify his flippant comment with a response, leaving a silent pause, waiting on his high priestess mother to explain.
“The good news is that it appears she hasn’t been successful yet. She’s distracted, seeking revenge first over her task. And if she’s distracted, she has weakness.”
“What did you do to her?”
“I stole her lover.” Ilsbeth pursed her lips and glanced at Greyson.
The ancient vampire raised his eyebrows and averted his gaze to the carpet.
“I fucking knew it.” Rafe glared at the vampire.
“You dated Ilsbeth?” Skylar asked Greyson.
“Hmm…yes and no. It was a different time. I wasn’t so attached. I was a new vampire. I didn’t realize Ilsbeth was her sister, to be fair. Temptation is a persuasive mistress. Speaking of which. You’re looking good tonight, witch.”
“As if I’d let you touch me with a ten-foot pole.” Ilsbeth prickled, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Someone doth protest too much,” he countered.
“Enough. Enough.” Rafe took a deep breath, his beast wild with anger.
How could they have both lied? Never trust Ilsbeth.
Rafe’s mind raged with anger. “This isn’t a fucking joke, Grey.
I’ve been flying blind. The first time you heard Skylar say her name you should have said something.
And still you let us walk into that blood club. ”
Greyson’s eyes narrowed. “I’m aware this is a serious situation.
But to be fair, I want to remind you that you are my brother’s responsibility, not mine.
He’s the one who turned you. He’s your maker.
I chose to be here because you’re my friend.
I regret keeping information from you, but I had to be certain of her existence before I raised unnecessary concerns.
And for the record, I can confirm that Kade wasn’t aware. ”
“We cannot change what has happened. Yes, Ilsbeth and I stole a few moments of indiscretions. Her sister and I were not bonded. She chose a path of dark magick. Demons. She’s tortured both supernaturals and humans alike.
She was dangerous. She made the choice to go against Ilsbeth.
She didn’t get to be the High Priestess without merit.
So she was shunned, banished to a life away from others where she couldn’t do any more harm. I don’t know how she got out.”
“Are you sure she was in Las Vegas?” Rafe asked.
“Oh she was there,” Greyson said.
“When you turned vampire, I suppose it wasn’t entirely unexpected,… yet I’d hoped it wouldn’t happen,” Ilsbeth told him. “If we don’t work quickly, she will spread disease. Both humans and supernaturals will perish. I’m certain of it. She must be destroyed. By an Alpha. By you, Rafe.”
Ilsbeth went silent as Henri entered the parlor.
“Sorry to interrupt. Dinner is ready, High Priestess. We shall adjourn?”
“Indeed.” Ilsbeth set down her drink and approached the great wall of paintings.
Rafe welcomed a break from the argument. He watched with disbelief as the wall wavered before their eyes. Like a shimmering sheet of silver, its face vibrated, revealing another room.
Staff dressed in white uniforms attended to setting silver domed dishes onto an enormous white marble table. Its legs had been intricately carved into warrior cherubs, brandishing harps and arrows.
Rafe noted the table settings for six, aware there were only four people. Ilsbeth stood at the front of the table, her chair already withdrawn from underneath it.
“Sit here.” Ilsbeth pointed to the seat to the right of her. “Skylar next to Rafe. Greyson. Here.”
“I knew you still wanted me.” Greyson smiled at her.
“In your dreams, vampire.”
Rafe reached for Skylar’s chair and pulled it out from the table.
“Thank you,” she said without looking at him.
Ilsbeth clapped her hands once again, the diligent workers lining up on cue.
“Henri. Please stay. Gayle. Hazel. You may be excused. Thank you for your lovely service this evening.” She took a deep breath and raised her hands.
She snapped her fingers, dimming the room into near darkness.
With a rush of light, the flames of a myriad of pillar candles danced, illuminating the room in hues of blue and purple.
“Much better. We must calm our souls. My sister is devious and I’m quite sure she’s grown stronger.” Ilsbeth nodded at her butler. “Would you mind informing our guests of tonight’s menu?”
“Of course, High Priestess. We shall be starting with snapper soup followed by crawfish etouffee over grilled catfish. For accoutrements, maque choux, fried okra, green beans and of course, French bread and rice. We shall begin with a fine Bordeaux. Liber Pater. For the gentleman, I have a very fine red aperitif for you both. A specialty. Freshly drained from donors.”
Rafe inwardly cringed, aware Skylar once again would be reminded of the bloodthirsty beast inside him.
Though she’d been pleasured by him, she’d also seen the dark side, the need to drink blood.
A bloodsucking parasite. The self-loathing thoughts ruminated and he forced his mind to control it, reminding himself that within a matter of hours, he’d be free. Once again running as wolf.
The trickle of the wine broke his contemplation, his nose teased by the blood Henri poured into the smaller opaque pewter goblet.
Rafe noted the empty place settings towards the end of the table, observing the butler pour two additional glasses.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, his instincts warning him to be cautious of the witch.
“As I’m sure you’re all aware, there are a couple of empty seats at our table. Henri. Please allow our guests to enter.”
Rafe raised a questioning eyebrow at Greyson as he caught sight of the attractive red-haired woman enter.
Dressed in black leather pants with a black velvet blazer, her pearls brushed over her pale skin.
He locked eyes with her, instantly recognizing Kade’s protegee, Dominique.
Thorn followed behind her. Rafe classed the baby blue linen suit as restrained fashion for the otherwise flashy demon.
“Please welcome Dominique. Thorn. We must bring our minds together to fight the demonic forces that await.”
Rafe gave a tight smile and nodded at Dominique. Though he didn’t know her exceptionally well, her brush with Hell had been infamous. Like Ilsbeth, she, too, had grown stronger. Resilient.
Skylar glared at him, her jealousy too obvious to deny. Ilsbeth raised her glass over the table, but he didn’t move to toast. He reached for the goblet, swiftly downing the blood, never allowing it to touch his tongue. It was the last sustenance his vampire would ever require…he hoped.
“Despite our differences, of which there are many,” Ilsbeth began, making eye contact with each of them.
“We must work together. We have all been touched by the curse of the demonic energy that lingers beyond. This is a fact of our world and the underworld. But to fight her, you must subject to the spell.”
“Don’t tell me we have to go back into Hell.” Greyson circled the pad of his finger over the rim of his glass.
“It’s not Hell,” she responded.
“It’s Hell adjacent,” Thorn replied, his demeanor cool as he sipped his wine.
“Technically it’s a dimension,” Dominique offered, her resting bitch face set in stone.
“A playground for the most diabolical witches and warlocks that can only be reached through a portal. But it’s not just witches,” Ilsbeth warned. “The fae are busy, oh yes they are. There are others like them who wander seamlessly between Hell and our world.”
Ilsbeth reached for her glass and brought her wine to her lips. “I’m afraid that this realm you shall enter will be fraught with peril, but I trust you are the one. You must get in and get out. You must retrieve the spell. We have less than twenty-four hours to complete your transformation.”
“Twenty-four hours?”
“The spell must be done during the eclipse tomorrow. This is fate. All of it. Every single thing. From Viktor saving you, to him finding me, asking for my help. We shall defeat my sister. But Rafe, you must be your true nature. Of this world a true Alpha shall no longer be encumbered by the curse of the vampire.”
“If I didn’t know you any better, I’d take that personally,” Greyson quipped.
“Then you should be aware of how it was intended.” Ilsbeth shot him a cool smile.
Rafe shook his head and looked to Skylar who happily accepted a second pouring from Henri.
As he reached for his own wine, he considered this dysfunctional set of characters at the table, all joining together to plot the death of their enemies while two ex-lovers exchanged a deep seeded tension neither had fully resolved.
He’d sat through many a dinner with his own family, with his own pack.
His mom and dad arguing about how they met.
His sister informing the entire pack she’d made the decision to move to Spain.
A raucous banter breaking out between pack members over the loss of a field goal during the finals.
The occasional fight between wolves, testing their strength.
The elders plotted against the enemy pack from the north over a nearby border.
As he looked at Greyson who blew Ilsbeth a kiss in response, this was entirely different yet the same.
His chest tightened as he allowed himself a precious minute to miss his real family, knowing that once again, he’d face death.
The premonition blanketed over him, a foreboding sense of darkness warning him of the danger to come.
“When you arrive you must search the perimeter of the dome until you see the crack. You must concentrate to find it. Go deep within the slot canyon,” Ilsbeth continued. “Rafe, are you paying attention?”
“Dome. Canyon. Hell. Got it. Blah, blah, blah. Might die. I’m cool with it. So why are Dominique and Thorn here?”
“Dominique and Thorn are here to check my memory and possibly contribute.”