Page 118 of Dark Embers

Hadrian’s smile evaporated. “Did you not hear me? Arya is my daughter. I’ve been searching for her for many, many years. Months ago I found her, but the shifters got to her first.”

This was news Caesar didn’t have. What the gryphon would do if he discovered that Arya was Hadrian’s actual flesh and blood daughter. There was nobody in the world who hated Hadrian more than Caesar. And that kind of hatred could lead good people to do terrible things. Would he be so keen on the young siren if he knew the relation?

“You want a shifter to join the vampires?” I asked incredulously. “Even if she is your daughter, what makes you think she’d side with us?”

Hadrian bellowed a laugh that boomed around the room. “You of all people should know just how compelling I can make our side seem.”

There is nothing compelling aboutourside.

The torture I’d endured just to rejoin the vampires had been a terrible experience, full of memories mingled with falsities. Hallucinations. Was Hadrian really willing to do such a thing to his own daughter?

“Funny,” Hadrian continued. “You’ve been living in Chicago for the past fifteen years, and that also happens to be where we found Arya.”

He’s already putting pieces together. I’d have to do a better job covering myself in the future. If Hadrian knew why I really came back…

“A frightening coincidence,” I said. “Had I any idea we were in the same city limits, I would have told you.”

Hadrian snorted. “I’m sure you would’ve. Fortunately for you, I’ve made a newfriendfrom the Dome who has validated never hearing about or seeing you before.”

“The Dome?” The nickname just spilled out of my mouth, I was so shocked to hear that Hadrian knew about it. The location of the shifter school was a secret that no vampire knew about—besides me.

Until now.

The vampire leader’s eyes shifted to the corner of the room over my right shoulder. Unable to resist following Hadrian’s line-of-sight, I turned around.

Standing sheepishly against the wall was a teenage boy with perfectly combed sandy brown hair and ocean-blue eyes.

“Julian Asher, meet Kendall Green,” Hadrian said, winding his hand backwards like a fishing reel. “Come here, Kendall, and take a seat.”

The young man walked toward us with his chest puffed out, but I could sense the fear veiled by his strong stance.

“Kendall had enough good sense to seek us out,” Hadrian said with excessive sweetness. “As you can probably guess, he’s a mer, and is quite eager to divulge certain secrets to save his own scales.”

“A traitor to his own kind?” I said, gazing at the mer with disgusted surprise.

“Oh, Julian, don’t be so dramatic,” Hadrian chided. “The boy has been through a lot, and is a very gifted seer. You see, he has seen the outcome of the age-old war between shifters and vampires. He has seen the annihilation of his own kind. And like any survivor would, he has switched to the winning side.” He smiled wickedly at Kendall. “Haven’t you, my boy?”

Kendall nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”

“Furthermore, his need for self-preservation has loosed his lips. We know that the school resides at the bottom of Lake Michigan.”

A holographic display appeared hovering in the center of the table, zeroing in on the structure that I’d been helping to protect, though I’d never actually seen it. The vampire leader moved his hands away from each other on the holograph, zooming in on the structure.

“Within, we have the layout, including entry points that are commonly used, as well as the secret ones. We know where the dormitories are, and we even know where Arya sleeps.” He pointed at one particular area where a red light blinked.

The blue lights creating the three-dimensional image reflected in the mad eyes of Hadrian.

I had to alert Caesar about the leak of information, about Kendall’s betrayal.

“All this time, the shifters have been so close,” I said, masking my true feelings.

The display blinked out as Hadrian swiped his hand from side to side. “Under your very nose, Julian. But do not fear for your own life. Kendall has told me that the school director would never have dealings with vampires. Caesar Rex has too much of a history with us.”

Withyou.You murdered his family in cold blood.

I nodded. “The last of the gryphons.”

“His death is inevitable,” Hadrian said. “Delayed, perhaps, but his time is running out. I’m assembling a team to strike an attack. And as you’re a daywalker, you will be crucial to the success of that team.”

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