Page 100 of Vampire's Hearth

Conall looked at the ceiling, the silence stretching out. “I can’t imagine how Lorcan is going to take this. He hated how Aiden changed.”

“This power does not differ from any other. It is only a gift or a curse based on how you use it, brother.” I sipped my drink, allowing my words time to settle on him.

He pressed his teeth together, anger burning in his eyes. Conall furrowed his brow as he glared out the window, watchingRuna. “Why is she here again?” He took a drink before cocking his head. “What do you think she meant when she said she could find Father?”

I took a sip of the whiskey in my hand and glanced at Jade and Aurora, sitting huddled together like sisters, sipping on their wine. The whiskey burned as it trailed down my throat, reminding me I was alive again, but apparently, we were done with that conversation. My voice lowered as I dropped my chin. “I can tell you where I think they are.”

Conall shifted his weight to his other foot, his eyes narrowing. “How?” He clenched his jaw tight before continuing. “Have you heard from them in the past twenty years?”

I shook my head, turning to look out over the water—the water that would eventually lead to my family. My heart longed for us to be reunited. “I haven’t. I haven’t heard from Lorcan, either. But when Amara did the spell, it showed me where they were. Given the way my blood was fanning out, I believe that someone is near the Faroe Islands and the other is in Australia.”

Conall furrowed his brow. “Australia, huh?” A smile played on his lips as he took a drink. “Any idea where?”

“The eastern side, somewhere in New South Wales, it appeared.” I felt the burn of the whiskey again as I emptied my glass.

Conall’s eyes seemed to find Runa on the beach as she stared over the water. The air thickened between us as he raised his glass to his lips before he spoke. “We may need to find Lorcan.”

I glanced at my youngest brother from the corner of my eye. It was good to be standing here with him at my side in our family home. “I don’t disagree,” I replied, uncertainty tinging my voice. A weight settled on my shoulders, as I knew Lorcan’s assistance was not guaranteed. “But when we do, we’ll need to make sure he wants to help us. And then to find Mother and Father.”

Conall did not respond, so I turned toward him. His fingers gripped the glass, anger darkening his eyes, his jaw clenched. Suddenly, he drained his drink before he turned to the fireplace and threw it, shattering it across the marble. The sound of breaking glass echoed around the room. Rory jumped closer to Jade as a gasp escaped her lips.

Rage flashed in his eyes, his fists clenched, trembling as though he were about to strike out. His breath was ragged as he shook his head before growling. “How the hell could they do this to us? They learn that something is different with Aiden and fucking disappear without a word. They knew. They knew it was us all. What are they hiding?”

I took a step toward him. “Brother,” I said, keeping my voice calm. I placed a hand on his shoulder. It trembled beneath my touch. “You need to calm down. We want nothing like what happened before to happen again.”

“And why not? Apparently, I can’t be killed. Even if I wanted a way out of this existence, I couldn’t find it. Why is this happening?” he yelled, small flecks of spittle flying from his lips.

I shook my head and tightened my hand on his shoulder. “At the moment, brother, I’m not worried about the why. I’m just worried about how to stop it.”

He twisted out of my grip, glaring at me. “And what are you going to do if you can’t, Cormac? The great Cormac O’Cillian, always wanting to help, always wanting to take care of his brothers, his family. But where has it gotten you? Where has it gotten us?”

I shook my head, understanding his anger. What had happened that our parents didn’t tell us about? My throat tightened, not wanting this fate any more than he did. But it was ours, and we had to figure out what it meant. My brothers and I had the same blood. Blood that allowed vampires to walk in the sun, and blood that allowed us to heal, even from a mortalwound. “I understand you’re angry,” I said softly, calmly. “We will find Mother and Father and learn how this became our destiny. We also need to find the Cure and stop our brother from his descent into madness.”

Conall looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are we sure it’ll stop him? How do we even know it’s the truth?” His voice was softer now, yet still laced with frustration.

Rory sat forward, her gaze fixed on my brother. “It took an act of magic, of sacrifice, in order for us to find the Cure. If it hadn’t, we would have been able to go to Scotland and do a simple locator spell, which we thought would happen at the beginning. But it isn’t. Something larger is at play here. I’m with Cormac—I don’t know what it is, but we’ll have to figure it out.” Her voice carried the conviction of the High Priestess.

I turned back to my brother, my voice firm and filled with the authority of the eldest. “Do not go out tonight, please,” I asked. “You feeding in anger is never a good thing. If the thirst comes, there’s plenty of blood-laced whiskey. I’m sure Dani or Joshua can find you anything your heart desires. We don’t need any deaths.”

Conall clenched his jaw. “And who are you to command that of me? Why do you think that’s your place? We should just fucking join Aiden in his lunacy.” His fists tightened at his sides as he glared at me before he turned on his heel.

I heard the door to the beach close as my brother left. My drink fell to my side as my heart tightened. There was nothing more I could do except hope. Following him would only enrage him further, causing more mayhem. In the end, he would be back. A small sigh escaped my lips as I wondered how many bodies I would have to help him hide tomorrow.

Aurora

Ilowered my glass of wine, suspending it from my fingertips, allowing it to hover above the coffee table between the two sofas. The red color of the beverage seeped into my mind as I contemplated if I should ask about family business or not. After all, it was a family I undeniably hoped to be a part of. I forced myself to keep my voice steady as I searched Cormac’s face. “What was that about?” I asked.

Cormac sighed and rubbed his brow. “Conall has—anger issues. This is what happens when his silence finally breaks.” He walked to where I was sitting and set his drink on the coffee table in front of me. He trailed his fingers along my jaw. My heart leaped at his touch, and I closed my eyes. A gentle smile came to my lips. Tension melted from my shoulders; his closeness was allI needed to keep myself together. “It is nothing for you to worry about,” he said.

Without another word, he walked to the fireplace and scooped the broken glass into his hands. He disappeared into the butler’s pantry next to the solarium and came back. “I suggest the two of you use the other door until we can get this properly cleaned.”

Jade shifted in her seat next to me. “Rory, what about the coven’s mission to kill Aiden?”

I glanced at Cormac before looking at her. “Killing has never been the coven’s mandate. That is for the hunters. Our mandate is to protect the Cure and keep the balance. And right now, Aiden is after the Cure, so that is our priority. And our allies are whoever will help us find him.” I smiled at Cormac before catching her gaze again.

As though I answered a different question, her eyes darted between Cormac and me, and she appeared uncomfortable and out of place.

I tilted my head at her, scrunching my face into an unasked question. She hopped up, walked over to the cart, and refilled her wine. She turned toward us, Cormac standing by the fireplace and me sitting on the couch she had just vacated. “You know,” she started hesitantly, “I think I’m just going to go retire to my room for the night.” She gave me a sly smile as she started toward the door. “Good night,” she threw over her shoulder as she walked into the great hall, her voice betraying her thoughts that she wouldn’t be seeing me again before morning.

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