Inception (The Reaping Chronicles, 1) (32 page)

Chapter Fifty

Lucas ~ New Truths

L
ucas watched as eight Elders walked, almost glided, into the room. They dressed in expensive suits and carried themselves purposely—refined in appearance and demeanor.

All except one—the female Elder—the first to enter and whose eyes the firelight danced off. As Lucas considered her beauty, he found he only could describe her as … dazzling.

She was svelte, dark hair styled in a sharply angled bob, and elegantly dressed in a fitted, full-length black gown that was slightly longer than the stretch of her long legs. A high slit beginning in the front and angling to the left caused the extra fabric to sway back and forth on the floor behind her as she walked, as though its purpose was to remove any trace of her footsteps. The neckline plunged deeply, and as she turned slightly, Lucas saw that the back plunged even deeper.

They all looked to be in their twenties except for two, and they appeared to be no older than thirty-five.

Lucas found it interesting that the physical appearance of most of the male Elders wouldn’t have drawn attention to them in any part of the world. Only two were exceptionally good-looking. But every one of them were exceptionally alluring. They all garnered his attention so strongly that it left him almost stunned. Or maybe the feeling was caused by one of their abilities. A way to make it easier to get their victim to do what they want.

The Elders bowed their heads slightly to Gabby in greeting as each walked by her and took a seat across from them. If she was tense, it didn’t show. But he knew his own body language was bound to be transparent. Still, he was glad he came.

At least, I will leave knowing the effect they can have on me.

He felt his heart begin to betray him as it skipped a couple of beats, then sped up. The Qalal seemed to notice. Eight sets of eyes looked in his direction, staring at him incredulously—eyes belonging to bodies that also had a set of fangs each. He felt their eyes search him. Maybe they were trying to figure out why he was there.

Or wondering how I will taste.

Lucas felt a shiver begin to creep down his spine, and he suppressed it the best he could. The silence seemed to drag on for an unbearable amount of time. It was so quiet even he could hear his heartbeat. Just like the vampires seemed to be able to.

How hard was it for them to resist their urge to pounce on him at that moment? To puncture his veins and release the warm, fresh nourishment he held beneath his frail skin?

Finally, the first male to walk in the room spoke, never withdrawing his gaze from Lucas. Lucas tried to do as he was instructed by not returning the look for long. He was sure it made him look like terrified prey, but he didn’t care. This was far more intense than he’d imagined it would be.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Gabrielle?” the vampire asked in a flat tone, soaked with disinterest.

Lucas wondered if this was the leader among leaders since he was the one who spoke. He appeared to be in his late twenties, brown hair, perfect skin, and looks that would make any woman fall at his feet—
or fangs
. He was tall but not overwhelmingly. What was overwhelming was his allure. Gabrielle had been spot on; Lucas was drawn to him—frightfully so. He was very glad she was here. There was no way he would make it out of this room, otherwise.

“I’ll get to the point, Phillip,” she said in a calm, imposing voice.

Lucas couldn’t fathom being able to form words and push them out of his mouth in their company. He was completely incapacitated.

“Please.” Phillip smiled, but it didn’t alter his smug expression.

“I had a vision. It involved an attack on a group of humans by Qalal.”

Lucas finally felt them take their eyes off him, their interest piqued by Gabby’s statement—releasing him from their mental snare.

Phillip seemed to ponder her words. When he answered, his tone remained the same, as did his expression. “Was it a provoked attack?”

Lucas knew he was asking if the humans knew of the vampire’s existence. His thoughts flashed back to Gabby’s concern that he might be the cause of the attack. He still didn’t think his being here would turn out to be the reason.

“I don’t believe so, but it was unclear. I wanted to meet with you in case you know of any rogue covens that might try something this brazen, and to make you aware it’s coming so you can assist me in hindering the occurrence all together.
If
it’s your desire to do so.”

Lucas thought her last statement was wrought with a subtle warning. Based on the momentary shift in Phillip’s expression from arrogant to fearful and then back again, he would bet he was on target.

“Gabrielle, you know it’s always our desire to assist you as much as we can. Have we not always done so in the past?” Phillip’s tone didn’t convey the fast shift Lucas noticed in his expression. It remained as flat as when he first spoke.

“Yes, Phillip, you have. And it hasn’t gone without notice, I assure you.”

With her reassurance, Lucas thought he noticed Phillip and the other Elders relax a little.

“But,” Gabrielle continued, “difficult and dangerous times are approaching, as I’m sure your Seers have told you. I don’t know where some hearts are at this time. I’d like to believe your desire to be forgiven is still intact and not overcome by the Darkness that taunts you with the misery of your relentless, unquenched thirst. But how am I to be sure?”

“There is no reason for us to falter, especially now. Our Seers, in fact, have brought to our attention many …
differing
scenarios. None of us knows which will come to pass. But we do know the fabric that makes up what humans
think
their world consists of is going to be altered,” he replied, making a point to glance at Lucas with a fleeting smirk when he said the word humans—like they were insignificant. “Or, maybe a better choice of words would be … shredded.”

Lucas noticed eyes on him again, and he began to feel a desire come over him to stay longer in the manor with the Elders.

Why would it matter? We could still catch our flight in plenty of time tomorrow if we stayed here instead of going back to London this afternoon.

He shut his eyes tightly against the thought. Why would he think such a thing? He opened them, and they immediately focused on the female Elder. He had been trying to avoid looking at her in particular. As soon as his eyes met hers, he knew he had been right to do so. Penetrating, red eyes—the eyes of a predator—soothed him. Lucas felt the room recede and the vampire draw closer to him. Lucas didn’t think what his mind thought he was seeing was really possible but then questioned how sure he was that the Qalal was, in fact, still sitting with the others.

Is she getting closer to me … or am
I
going to
her
?

He wanted to look at Gabby for reassurance, but he couldn’t move.

It seemed to Lucas that the conversation was growing faint. The words spoken between Gabby and Phillip became muffled, like he was hearing them through an unseen wall.

Like it’s taking place in another room entirely.

He could still see Gabby in his periphery, though. Time seemed to have slowed, but he couldn’t reconcile why he thought so.

Lucas’s thoughts about the strange feelings began to lessen as his mind drifted further away from Gabby and the male Elders. He had become almost entirely oblivious to everyone and everything but the female vampire when he thought he heard his name spoken. It was the voice of his angel—a voice that, even with the intense power the vampire had over him, he was unable to ignore.

“Lucas!” she said again in a tone somehow urgent and controlled at the same time. “Tessa …” Gabby said in a much deeper, imposing tone than he’d ever heard, “this
will be
the only warning you’ll receive from me—I assure you.”

Lucas felt control return to him instantly. As the room and everyone in it crashed into place, he gulped in air, realizing he hadn’t taken a breath for some time. Lucas snapped a bewildered, terrified look in Gabby’s direction.

The Elders simply sat, just as they had been, with the same pompous expressions they’d had for the entirety of the meeting.

“I’ve taken up enough of your time. Thank you for your information and for any you can supply me with in the future.” Gabby began to stand, and as she did, she placed her hand behind Lucas’s elbow to signal him to do the same. Lucas did as she wanted but thought the gesture was also to help steady him as he stood. He was grateful. His mind was still thick with fog, and he felt almost drunk
as they walked back toward the huge wood doors they’d entered through.

He could have sworn he heard the Elders snicker darkly, but when he turned to look at them one more time, he saw only faces carved in snobbery. As Lucas looked back, he noticed Phillip walking close behind them. Phillip closed his eyes, made an exaggerated sniffing motion with his head, and smiled—showing his perfect human white teeth.

How do their fangs come out?

“Gabrielle …” Phillip said, “it’s puzzling. I know your scent well. Even in this form you’ve taken, I would have known it was you. Lucas’s is new but distinct. Unlike any …
human’s
I’ve ever encountered.” He was walking next to Gabby, now. “Why is it I smell his scent so …
heavily
on you?” he asked as he moved his hand next to her neck, wafting her scent through the air toward his nose—his focus was where Lucas had been kissing her prior to arriving. Phillip’s nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath. He turned and smiled a knowing smile at Lucas, who felt his cheeks warm.

“
I see
,” he said, with a great deal of self-satisfaction, knowing his presumptions were correct by the scarlet color Lucas knew was rising in his face. The Angel of Karma was involved with a human—a human he could kill freely if he chose. He continued to speak; however, he turned his attention back to Gabby. “You …
like
this human, Gabrielle,” he said with more than a little innuendo in his tone. Gabby remained unaffected by his insinuation. “This
is
unexpected. And
very
intriguing, I must say.”

“
Must
you?” she retorted. “
I
must say that it’s really none of your concern. Phillip, I have been more than patient and understanding of your condition since I am the one who brought a human here. I know what I’ve done tests you. But after what Tessa just did,” Gabrielle paused as she glared in Tessa’s direction, “don’t push me. I’ve had a really annoying streak of bad karma to deal with lately.” She met Phillip’s gaze. “I’m sure you can imagine what that means for all of you if you cross me.”

Gabby’s response shut down Phillip thoroughly, and they all walked quietly until they reached the large entry area. The Elders stopped, decidedly, as if they’d rehearsed it a hundred times.

“As I’m sure you’ll understand, Gabrielle.” Phillip’s eyes shifted quickly to the front door and back to Gabby. “We won’t be accompanying you the rest of the way to the door.”

Lucas looked toward the massive windows on either side of the front doors, mostly to keep from looking at any of
them
again. The front of the house faced westward, and bars of sunlight now stretched deep into the room. He hadn’t noticed the sun’s rays penetrating the rooms earlier.

We must have been here much longer than I thought.

This added to the confusion he already felt and to the overwhelming sense of being completely defenseless. If it hadn’t been for Gabby …

How am I ever going to protect myself,
or
my family, against them in an attack?

“Of course.” She stopped and turned to their hosts. “I will see you again.”

“Very well. Until then,” he heard Phillip say in response.

The Elders all bowed their heads to Gabby, once again at the same time, as if she was royalty. The way Lucas had seen her handle the Elders, and their obvious respectful fear of her, had affected him. He was falling in love with her; of that, he knew. But now, he was in awe of her. This angel, who looked like a teenage girl, was absolute.

And
absolutely
out of my league.

What could she see in him? What would make her want him? There was nothing his mind could come up with.

Gabby’s hand was still gently, but firmly, holding his elbow to make sure he was
close to her. As they made their way to the door, all Lucas could focus on were his new truths …