Page 15 of Fae Divided
Not yet.
“Were our vampirefriendssomehow involved?” he asked, sarcasm thick.
On the day he met Grayson, James was taken to a house near the local college campus where an elder Dádhe interrogated him. The male vampire wanted to know how many warriors traveled in Lady Rose’s security team and what weapons they carried when escorting her off-island. The information was easily obtained by anyone paying close attention to the queen’s routine and solidified James’ assumption that his responses were another test.
James relayed the details of Guard protocol truthfully. If he hadn’t found out later that Noah had been placed in danger during an assassination attempt on the queen at a downtown clothing boutique as a result of his information, he would have been amused. The vampire’s cohorts hadn’t anticipated Clan Walker’s príoh and his beta pulling Guard duty that night; the males the strongest two Ferwyn in the entire ESC region.
More significant to James’ current mission was the startling detection of another five recently transitioned vampires in the home alongside the questioning elder.
Every vampire was magically tied to a region by the Calling, the magic of the ancient covenant making it physically impossible for them to act against the ruling Dádhe House’s best interests. Rose Standish was not only the East South Central’s queen but the region’s Dádhe matriarch. The two-story bungalow’s six vampire inhabitants should have smelled like Standish blood-bound—and none of them did.
Turning a single unsanctioned human carried an automatic death sentence for the Dádhe maker. Successful transitions weren’t guaranteed and the bodies left behind held the telltale signs of a failed transformation. Partially developed fangs and blue-green spider veins covering every inch of the dead human’s body were hard to hide. The failure rate had dropped in the past eighty years, but the severe penalty for unauthorized Infusions remained the price for ongoing peace.
Stirring up dissension between the magical and nonmagical communities made less sense for the Dádhe than it did for the shifters and witches who were aiding the Athair. Vampires relied on the goodwill of humans more than any other Fae Touched race. What would they gain by instigating a war with their meal tickets?
“Or was it our mysterious leader I’ve heard so much about, but have yet to meet?” The identity of their benefactor a crucial piece of the puzzle James needed to solve. The rumors circulating throughout the outcasts at the farmhouse too fantastical to be true.
“You haven’t earned that honor, I’m afraid.”
“I didn’t sign on to kill anyone. I was clear on that point when I agreed to join the pack.” And he wouldn’t be used to compromise Samuel’s loyalty to Clan and crown, although he suspected that was the Athair’s reasoning for keeping him around.
“No one died tonight.” Grayson waved away his concern with a flick of his fingers.
“Not for lack of trying,” James spit out, anger barely in check.
“And you still belong to my brother’s pack. Not mine,” he added, ignoring James outburst.
“Why are we playing right into the knights’ hands and giving them an excuse to wipe us out?”
“It won’t come to that. Trust me, Reed. You’ve picked the right team.”
“This isn’t a game,” he cried, jumping to his feet. “There were women in that club. We protect females, Grayson. We don’t cause them harm.”
“What happened at Chess was unfortunate, but necessary.” The scar on the Alpha’s cheek ticked. His lips were pinched, and his eyelids flickered. “We should be ruling this world, not bowing and scraping to a weaker species. Humanity’s increasing boldness proves they are aware of that fact. Technology, along with humanity’s sheer numbers, negates every magical advantage we once held. The Dádhe barely survived the European Blood Wars, and none of the Fae Touched would last long in a modern-day battle unless we’re smarter and fight dirty.”
“I’ve heard the rhetoric. I need to know how you plan to make it a reality.” James waited for his answer in a silence that went on too long.
“One calculated step at a time,” Grayson finally said, eyes opening. He abruptly smacked the leather armrests striped in duct tape, rising from the patched chair to stand. “You need to leave.”
“What—” Had he pushed the mercurial Alpha too far? Blown his chance at gaining his trust and obtaining the information the region desperately needed?
Grayson headed toward the kitchen; his fluid stride relaxed. “You want a beer?”
“Yeah, sure.” James swept the hair from his face. “You told me to be straight with you. Has that changed?”
“Nope,” he replied, standing in front of the circa 1990s double door fridge. Grayson grabbed two Bud Lights and tossed one across the room.
James easily caught it but left the can unopened. “So, why are you ordering me to leave?”
Grayson leaned his hips on the black Corian countertop. He popped the tab on his beer and took a long drink before calmly saying, “Your Ca’anam was at Chess.”
James’ clawed fingers compressed the cold aluminum, the sticky liquid shooting straight up into the air. He tossed the can aside and charged the Alpha with his fangs fully extended. Caramel-colored fur rippled along the forearm he shoved beneath Grayson’s chin. “The only reason you aren’t dead is because the bond would have told me if Sarah was injured.”
Tucker’s twin’s scent was as bland as his expression. “You might want to release me before I have a change of heart about letting you go to the island to check on her.”
James blinked. “What?”
“I expect you in your room by dawn.”
