Calista. The tumbler of whiskey back in his now-human hand. “Tell us why the hell you’re here, Calista, and then get out of my lair.”
Calista kept her gaze steady on me. “I know who you’re hunting, Rena. I’ve seen them.”
I raised my brows in confusion. “Yes, I believe I just dispatched some of them in the garden. What I need is their Master. I’ve already decided to ask the Council for a warrant of execution. They’ve killed too many humans. And if I keep hunting the minions, then there will only be more to take their place. The Master is my priority. But now I have a separate problem. The FBI has become suspicious. I was questioned this morning.”
My arm was numb from the damage, and I was losing a lot of blood. I’d have to take at least a vial full of dragon tears to heal enough to hunt.
“You have no idea what you’ve been dealing with,” Calista said. “Your investigation has only skimmed the surface of what these Drakán are capable of. You’ve only been focusing on the humans they have butchered because those are the visions you’ve seen, and your humanity closes off your senses to the rest of it. But these Drakán have a vast hunger, and they’ll keep hunting your humans and laughing at you as you continue to clean up their messes. It takes many victims to feed an army of this size.”
“An army?” I asked as dread filled me.
“Yes. The humans are inconsequential. This is what you always fail to remember. The Drakán remains you found last night are not the first to have been found. The ashes of dozens of our people have surfaced over the past two months—different clans from different parts of the world.”
“I didn’t know,” I said.
“No, you wouldn’t have seen as I have. Your powers are strong, but you’re hampered by your lack of knowledge of the other clans, and your lack of connections to them. That is your father’s fault for keeping you secluded here. He is the only one who could grant you permission to meet the other Archos. If you met them face-to-face, your visions would encompass all of the Drakán and not just our clan. And then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Alasdair growled, but I could understand his anger at being provoked. I could also understand Calista’s view. An Enforcer’s powers had everything to do with connections. I had visions and was able to keep track of the members of our clan because I’d met them all—a little over two thousand at the last gathering. We’d be minus three at the next one since Alasdair had killed Marcos and I’d freed his children from the Drakán bond.
Calista went on. “It is also the fault of the Council that other clans are ignorant to what is happening. Not even they are fully aware of what is going on under their noses. The clans know only of their own losses. All the while, the Council keeps their heads buried in the sand and hoards their power, avoiding each other and the knowledge they could share because of the hatred that existed between their fathers.”
I took a chance to look at my father. His face was hard and impassive, but his anger was growing hotter.
“So how do I find them?” I asked Calista. “I’m ready to begin hunting.”
“Patience, Rena. I haven’t told you the rest.” The whiplash of her voice almost made me flinch, but I continued to hold myself still.
“I said remains had been found, but there are hundreds of our people who are simply missing. This is what I’ve seen in my vision. What I’ve come to tell you.”
“Missing? I don’t understand,” I said.
Calista and Alasdair shared a look filled with knowledge—secret knowledge—and silent words passed between brother and sister I couldn’t interpret. A warm wind rushed through the room. My father’s rage was a palpable thing, thick and heavy as it lashed against my skin.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Rena?” Alasdair asked. “I would have gone to the Council if you’d told me this group of Drakán was
Calista kept her gaze steady on me. “I know who you’re hunting, Rena. I’ve seen them.”
I raised my brows in confusion. “Yes, I believe I just dispatched some of them in the garden. What I need is their Master. I’ve already decided to ask the Council for a warrant of execution. They’ve killed too many humans. And if I keep hunting the minions, then there will only be more to take their place. The Master is my priority. But now I have a separate problem. The FBI has become suspicious. I was questioned this morning.”
My arm was numb from the damage, and I was losing a lot of blood. I’d have to take at least a vial full of dragon tears to heal enough to hunt.
“You have no idea what you’ve been dealing with,” Calista said. “Your investigation has only skimmed the surface of what these Drakán are capable of. You’ve only been focusing on the humans they have butchered because those are the visions you’ve seen, and your humanity closes off your senses to the rest of it. But these Drakán have a vast hunger, and they’ll keep hunting your humans and laughing at you as you continue to clean up their messes. It takes many victims to feed an army of this size.”
“An army?” I asked as dread filled me.
“Yes. The humans are inconsequential. This is what you always fail to remember. The Drakán remains you found last night are not the first to have been found. The ashes of dozens of our people have surfaced over the past two months—different clans from different parts of the world.”
“I didn’t know,” I said.
“No, you wouldn’t have seen as I have. Your powers are strong, but you’re hampered by your lack of knowledge of the other clans, and your lack of connections to them. That is your father’s fault for keeping you secluded here. He is the only one who could grant you permission to meet the other Archos. If you met them face-to-face, your visions would encompass all of the Drakán and not just our clan. And then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Alasdair growled, but I could understand his anger at being provoked. I could also understand Calista’s view. An Enforcer’s powers had everything to do with connections. I had visions and was able to keep track of the members of our clan because I’d met them all—a little over two thousand at the last gathering. We’d be minus three at the next one since Alasdair had killed Marcos and I’d freed his children from the Drakán bond.
Calista went on. “It is also the fault of the Council that other clans are ignorant to what is happening. Not even they are fully aware of what is going on under their noses. The clans know only of their own losses. All the while, the Council keeps their heads buried in the sand and hoards their power, avoiding each other and the knowledge they could share because of the hatred that existed between their fathers.”
I took a chance to look at my father. His face was hard and impassive, but his anger was growing hotter.
“So how do I find them?” I asked Calista. “I’m ready to begin hunting.”
“Patience, Rena. I haven’t told you the rest.” The whiplash of her voice almost made me flinch, but I continued to hold myself still.
“I said remains had been found, but there are hundreds of our people who are simply missing. This is what I’ve seen in my vision. What I’ve come to tell you.”
“Missing? I don’t understand,” I said.
Calista and Alasdair shared a look filled with knowledge—secret knowledge—and silent words passed between brother and sister I couldn’t interpret. A warm wind rushed through the room. My father’s rage was a palpable thing, thick and heavy as it lashed against my skin.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Rena?” Alasdair asked. “I would have gone to the Council if you’d told me this group of Drakán was
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