Page 50 of Secret of the Vampire
“That’s the question I’ve been asking myself,” I told him.
“Wait,” Keira held up her hand. “If you can kill your father—adjinn—then why wait until now? Why did you need to create the demon army?”
“Because, until now, he’s kept himself hidden away on the mountain of your ancestors, surrounded by witches whose magic he could reinstate at the slightest sign of a threat.”
“But aren’t you the great Oz, all mighty and powerful?” Aiden asked. He waved his hand in the air. “I can feel that power scurrying about the room from here.”
“I am,” I said. “But even sorcery such as mine could be hampered if fifty witches all attacked me at once. Long enough for my father to get away. The demons were to keep the witches busy, so I could get to my father with no resistance.” Even I could hear the bitterness in my voice. I’d done the right thing, helping Shea send the demons back. And I don’t know that she ever would’ve forgiven me if I hadn’t. But still, itirkedme.
“So, what’s changed?” Luukas asked. “Other than the fact we have five very capable witches here to help you?”
“What’s changed is that just last night I was informed my father is no longer hiding on his mountain but is alone and exposed. However, I have no idea how long he’ll be this way.”
“Which is where the sudden urgency comes from,” Luukas surmised.
“That’s correct.”
The master vampire shared a look with his mate, then turned back to me. “What do you need us to do?”
“I need you to keep Shea here.”
She pulled her hand from mine and stomped around to confront me, her lovely face animated in her anger. “Yeah, that’s not happening, Jesse. And you damn well know it.”
I smiled down at her and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. “I know. But it was worth a try.” Pulling her against me, I whispered for her ears only, “I would die if anything happened to you, love.”
“As would I,” she responded. “Quite literally.” Pulling away enough that she could look at me, she added, “But that’s not the only reason I need to go with you to make sure you stay safe.”
“I know.”
Dropping a kiss on her dark hair, I looked up and met Luukas’s eyes over the top of her head. “Originally, I wanted you to agree to allow everyone to come to the mountain with me. Between the vampires and the power of the witches here, I was hoping it would be enough to distract the others long enough for me to get to my father.”
Shea pulled away to return to her seat, and with a bit of reluctance, I let her go.
“But, I don’t understand,” Emma said. “Why would the witches there fight for him? If we all showed up, children of the coven, wouldn’t they help us?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Yeah, I don’t get it, either,” Grace added.
“Because my father is a master of manipulation. He turned the loyalties of their parents by force and kept the loyalty of the children through fear. I’m sure by now he has them thoroughly convinced the world will end if they dare to worship another.”
“And now that he is no longer on the mountain?” Dante asked.
“Now I would like you to come as backup. My father is in New Orleans. I’m not sure why he felt the need to travel there alone, but I’m sure the spirits will let me know as soon as they figure it out. What I do know is there is a coven of witches who reside in the Garden District, the High Priestess one who fled from the mountain when Marcus returned.”
“More of us?” Keira asked.
I gave her a nod. “But there is also a coven of vampires. Apparently, they’ve come to some kind of agreement with the witches and live peacefully in The Quarter. I need you to help me make sure they don’t interfere with what I need to do.”
“That would be Killian Rice,” Luukas said thoughtfully. “I’ll call him and explain what’s going on. I haven’t talked to him in a long time, but I’m sure he’ll allow us into his territory once I explain why we need to be there.”
“Maybe he’ll even have more info on Marcus,” Keira added.
“If they even know he’s there,” I told them. “All I need is one opportunity to confront my father with no outside interference.”
Luukas looked around the group before bringing his attention back to me, feeling out their reactions. They were reluctant to help me but would follow where their master told them to go. With a nod, he gave me his agreement.
