to the Council. I wanted—no, I needed—her trust. “Christ, Aleixandre! That was the
reason I waited so long! When she finds out the truth—”
“She would have never known!” Aleixandre yelled, launching to his feet. He towered
over me and moved around the desk at a speed that made me flinch. “You have ruined
our chances of ever controlling her, Jace! It matters not that Santiago is now Chorý,
with Laurent! You had the sole responsibility of bringing her here, and you failed.
You are lucky that I even allow you to go as leader in a Blood Hunt!”
Aleixandre was breathing hard, and his muscles tensed. He had never laid a hand on
me, but I had seen his anger in battles. His current temper made me a bit nervous.
“Control her?” I asked, my anger deflating.
Aleixandre growled and walked back to his seat. What had gotten into him?
“She would never have known? They were her parents, Aleixandre,” I said softly. “She
lost everything, and now we wish to deny her the simple truth of what happened to
them, as well as control her?”
I couldn’t believe what he’d said. The Council’s job was to protect the Arc and give
her a normal life, one as normal as possible. What had changed? “What kind of life
would that have been?”
Aleixandre was no longer paying attention. He sat back at his desk and picked up the
phone. I waited for him to dismiss me or at least speak to me again, but instead he
spoke into the receiver.
“Marieth, if Vesco isn’t suited up, in the weapons room, and then on that jet in the
next thirty minutes, let me know.”
The coldness in Aleixandre’s eyes floored me.
“Jace, I suggest you get on that jet and leave this mess to Tamsin and Servitto to
handle. I have been lenient thus far. Please, son, don’t test me any further.” He
pointed to the door. “They are all waiting on you.”
With that, Aleixandre looked back down into his papers.
I headed out the doors and back to my room. This situation was wrong—everything was
wrong, and I had to fix it. To do that, I needed to get back to Cedar. That meant
disobeying an order from Aleixandre, and though I had done it before, there had never
been so much on the line.
For the first time in more than a century, my faith in the Council weakened.
Chapter 6
Kale
My body ached, and that distressed me, but not more than the satisfying taste of blood
on my tongue. Where had it come from, and where was I?
The stench of chemicals and sickness bombarded my senses. I got up, and my muscles
groaned in complaint. I hadn’t felt a twinge of unease in years, and now I felt as
though I were falling ill.
I closed my eyes and took a breath. I finally processed what had happened: another
blackout. The sticky sweet substance that coated my lips and chin wasn’t from an animal
this time, but from a human.
The blood was fragrant and fulfilling, but the hunger still burned beneath the surface.
The change seemed imminent, and I was powerless to stop it.
I sought to save Ella, but in reality, I was probably an even bigger risk to her safety.
How could I protect Ella from Laurent if I wasn’t even sure I could protect her from
myself? I looked around again, this time seeking the source of the O neg that still
had my taste buds tingling and my stomach pleading for more. Contrary to popular belief,
blood type meant nothing to a full vampire, but each Chorý preferred a certain type.
Ella was AB neg, and every whiff of her scent drove me wild.
I was in a hospital lab, and an intern lay before my feet by his desk. To my relief,
he still had a pulse, even if it was a weak one. What stopped me from draining him
completely? I could only assume I still had some semblance of control over the beast
that was la Luxure.
I turned him over and checked his neck for teeth marks only to be surprised when I
found none. I searched each side of his neck and then ventured toward his shoulders
reason I waited so long! When she finds out the truth—”
“She would have never known!” Aleixandre yelled, launching to his feet. He towered
over me and moved around the desk at a speed that made me flinch. “You have ruined
our chances of ever controlling her, Jace! It matters not that Santiago is now Chorý,
with Laurent! You had the sole responsibility of bringing her here, and you failed.
You are lucky that I even allow you to go as leader in a Blood Hunt!”
Aleixandre was breathing hard, and his muscles tensed. He had never laid a hand on
me, but I had seen his anger in battles. His current temper made me a bit nervous.
“Control her?” I asked, my anger deflating.
Aleixandre growled and walked back to his seat. What had gotten into him?
“She would never have known? They were her parents, Aleixandre,” I said softly. “She
lost everything, and now we wish to deny her the simple truth of what happened to
them, as well as control her?”
I couldn’t believe what he’d said. The Council’s job was to protect the Arc and give
her a normal life, one as normal as possible. What had changed? “What kind of life
would that have been?”
Aleixandre was no longer paying attention. He sat back at his desk and picked up the
phone. I waited for him to dismiss me or at least speak to me again, but instead he
spoke into the receiver.
“Marieth, if Vesco isn’t suited up, in the weapons room, and then on that jet in the
next thirty minutes, let me know.”
The coldness in Aleixandre’s eyes floored me.
“Jace, I suggest you get on that jet and leave this mess to Tamsin and Servitto to
handle. I have been lenient thus far. Please, son, don’t test me any further.” He
pointed to the door. “They are all waiting on you.”
With that, Aleixandre looked back down into his papers.
I headed out the doors and back to my room. This situation was wrong—everything was
wrong, and I had to fix it. To do that, I needed to get back to Cedar. That meant
disobeying an order from Aleixandre, and though I had done it before, there had never
been so much on the line.
For the first time in more than a century, my faith in the Council weakened.
Chapter 6
Kale
My body ached, and that distressed me, but not more than the satisfying taste of blood
on my tongue. Where had it come from, and where was I?
The stench of chemicals and sickness bombarded my senses. I got up, and my muscles
groaned in complaint. I hadn’t felt a twinge of unease in years, and now I felt as
though I were falling ill.
I closed my eyes and took a breath. I finally processed what had happened: another
blackout. The sticky sweet substance that coated my lips and chin wasn’t from an animal
this time, but from a human.
The blood was fragrant and fulfilling, but the hunger still burned beneath the surface.
The change seemed imminent, and I was powerless to stop it.
I sought to save Ella, but in reality, I was probably an even bigger risk to her safety.
How could I protect Ella from Laurent if I wasn’t even sure I could protect her from
myself? I looked around again, this time seeking the source of the O neg that still
had my taste buds tingling and my stomach pleading for more. Contrary to popular belief,
blood type meant nothing to a full vampire, but each Chorý preferred a certain type.
Ella was AB neg, and every whiff of her scent drove me wild.
I was in a hospital lab, and an intern lay before my feet by his desk. To my relief,
he still had a pulse, even if it was a weak one. What stopped me from draining him
completely? I could only assume I still had some semblance of control over the beast
that was la Luxure.
I turned him over and checked his neck for teeth marks only to be surprised when I
found none. I searched each side of his neck and then ventured toward his shoulders
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