The Blood Bride (Blood Secrets) (32 page)

“Not yet. We need to round up the Brethren here, but Catriona has done an excellent job of keeping our men apprised of their location.”

Hope shuddered as he led her back towards the car. Cries of anger filled the air, but the sounds of battle had now quieted. They watched the others rounding up the Brethren vampires.

* * * *

The journey back to Cressida’s house was silent. Cressida opting to join them in the vehicle, sitting primly across from them, looking out of the window at the passing buildings. Hope waited quietly, twining her fingers firmly in Xavier’s as they made the trip in silence. The vehicle sped through the night, before finally turning into the sweeping drive. The glow of dawn was a distant hint of colour on the horizon as they entered the house.

In the hours that had passed since the battle, the human government had become involved, overseeing the transportation of the prisoners to the carefully reinforced cells. Each of the vampires they had captured was now fitted with a collar, copper on the inside and silver on the outside. Each now fitted with a tracking system, which would keep tabs on them until they were to be brought before the Council.

“What will happen to them?” Hope’s question was met with a sad smile.

“How about we discuss this inside?” The car stopped, the door opened. They carefully climbed out of the car and swiftly made their way up the shallow stairs. Others cars stopped at the steps to disgorge their passengers. All were weary, and many limped carrying their injuries. Each face bore testament to the long and hard-fought battle. Those who required extra help were given support towards the doors and beyond into the cool interior.

Within the safety of the house, they watched the doors sealing and the shutters slowly dropping, as Cressida led them to a room Hope hadn’t entered before.

The room was comfortably furnished with deep lounges and chairs in blue. Hope dropped down next to Xavier. Those who could do so dropped ruined coats and shirts at the door, others disappearing briefly only to return moments later wearing clean attire. Hope felt dirty in her battle-stained clothing, but took the lead from Cressida taking a comfortable position. She sighed as she relaxed in the deep cushions.

Even as she watched, the humans of the household once more entered bearing goblets, and she grinned to see Javed limping into the room, his arms around a blonde woman, her mouth going and him nodding furiously. Something in his eyes told Hope this was more than a passing acquaintance.

Emily, bearing scratches and scrapes, and Catriona also entered, hand in hand. Once everyone had settled in, Cressida held her goblet up, taking a sip before declaring, “We have won this battle, but it’s not the end of the war. This war will continue through the ages, just as it always has and always will. Tonight we have lost good men and women. To those who gave their lives in the sacrificial defence of the innocents we salute them.” Her quiet words met with weary nods.

“Yet, we have prevailed once more. Tomorrow we shall mourn them, but for now, we may celebrate our victory.” Her tone was sombre, and Hope felt the rippling emotions on the air.

“Cressida, what will happen to Estersham now?” Her voice was uncertain, but it was closure she sought on this front now.

“His remains have been transported to a location where they will be left for the sun to finish the job started so many years ago.” Hope nodded, understanding exactly what that meant. There would be no memorial for them to mourn his passing. He had cast away that right once he had turned rogue.

A quiet sob erupted from the back of the room, a rustle of movement, and she turned to watch another vampire kneel before a woman, and others hurried to attend to her also. Hope’s eyes burned at the sounds of sorrow but when she looked back, Cressida was watching them intently.

“Xavier, you and Hope will wish to return to your house, tonight. There is some nest cleaning to do, I fear.”

“Cressida… Before we retire, I just have one question.” Hope’s voice caught her attention, or at least the puzzled quality.

“Yes, my dear?”

“When Xavier was injured, you let him feed from me, knowing that I had that thing in my blood? Why?”

Hope watched in fascination as a crimson tide appeared on Xavier’s cheeks. Cressida chuckled quietly. “Yes, that’s a good question. Xavier knew about the anomaly in your blood. He also had it tested against his. Since you were already intimate, he was concerned about the ramifications. But there is one thing about blood sirens.”

Cressida leant forward conspiratorially and unconsciously Hope also leant forward. “They only have one perfectly matched partner. There is only one who is unaffected by their blood. That is how they know their perfect mate, it is said.”

Hope’s mouth formed an ‘O’ as she looked at him. He swallowed. Now she knew, and she felt her face forming a smile.

“Indeed.” He cleared his voice, changing the subject. “Together, Hope and I will look to the future and rebuild our nest.” He held her fingers tight, even as a yawn tried to break through. “But for now, Hope is tired and I must admit to being wishful of retiring too.”

Cressida chuckled. “Yes, Hope is just a baby and it is past her bedtime. Go.” Cressida waved her hands at them in dismissal. They left the room hand in hand as they walked, albeit unsteadily, towards the stairs.

* * * *

Xavier watched Hope’s face as they entered the hall. Lisi moved quickly towards them and dipped a small curtsey to Hope, who grinned and caught her in a hug. “It’s so good to be back.”

He looked around, spying David and his wife Alexa, waiting, and the guard waiting behind them. Their faces looked sour, but he knew not half as sour as they soon would be.

Javed followed behind giving directions for the baggage to be dealt with, looking at the bright flares of light. He strode forward to the waiting couple.

“David? Alexa? Please join us in the office.” He turned to watch Hope pull away from her friend and step forward, taking his side. He caught a flash of panic in Alexa’s eyes, realising Hope was no longer human.
Finally, the worm turns.
He smiled at the whimsy, even as he indicated for them to go before him.

“Master? I just have to…” Alexa’s words died away. He stopped her.

“No. Now.” There was no way he would put this off, giving her time to regroup or get away
. She must be made to pay for her decisions and actions
, he reminded himself. He nodded to the guards, knowing they would follow at a discreet distance in case she chose to run.

“She’ll run if we leave the option open
.” Hope’s angry thoughts made him smile. She was ready also.

They entered the room. Two matching chairs now sat side by side. One for him and one for Hope. He watched David’s eyes widen at the tangible evidence of their union and waited. Hope took the position he indicated to her, not saying a word, just quirking a fine eyebrow and smiling.

He waited until they were settled. “Alexa. We have a problem. Why were you making a delivery to the medical centre last evening?”

Her eyes widened, and if he hadn’t been a vampire he may have been fooled, but the scent of fear filled the air. “I wasn’t… Who said that?” Instead Alexa feigned a startled expression, laying a hand on her flat stomach.

“We know. We saw you, Alexa. We also know about your parents, your background. Not the carefully crafted one that everyone seems to know.” He let the words settle, watching her in silence. She continued the ruse, though.

“It’s lies. Whoever has told you anything else is lying.” But her blue eyes hardened once more.

“Alexa Yvonne Dunlap. But that’s not really who you are, is it, Alexandra Maree Monson?” She made to stand, but Xavier was around the table, hovering above her. He could feel David’s confusion.

“Hope, your brother may need you
.” He let the message float through the shared link, knowing she would understand soon.

“You were a child of the head of the rogue clan. Your father and mother were killed in their service. Estersham took you, educated you. Showed you how evil we were. Told you he was your benefactor and father. Didn’t he?”

Xavier reached for her. Alexa—no, Alexandra—rose, pushing him away with hard fingers, her nails long and sharp. He let her go. She wouldn’t leave the room, though, not with the guards outside the door. He had already given instructions to Javed for his men to be in position. She had nowhere to go now.

“You and your nests. They are an abomination.” Her tone now turned frigid. “They took the free will from those who would make their own decisions. He promised to turn me, once this was over. Make me one of them. One of his own. It was my birthright. All I had to do was pretend to love this helpless bastard. Marry him and become one of the nest.” She laughed, and it was a cold and angry sound. “But I had a plan, the one we had formulated together. Once I knew about Hope and passed my misinformation on, it was all too easy.” She stopped, realising finally, he was sure, there was no way she could escape the charges that would be laid against her.

Her eyes took on the look she had perfected for the family, and her face softened, but he wasn’t fooled. “But I can help you.” Her voice now turned crafty. It sickened him.

He knew there was more. To clean out the wound, you had to release the poison first. So he went to work. “You undermined Hope with her parents, feeding them false stories of her wild college antics.”

“My father told me to. He said it would make taking her easier.”

“Then what would happen?” His anger built, but he held it back. He needed a full confession from this woman, so that David could see, and maybe salvage something from the shipwreck of the nest.

“He would use her skills. Create others in his likeness. Set those free who had no wish to remain vampires. Then we would take the city. Start with that, and then the country. Removing the strictures that kept them bound for centuries to archaic ways.” She smiled, it was cold and brittle. Alexandra’s voice was totally devoid of warmth and he stopped the shiver that wanted to escape at the lack of penitence.

“And David?”

She shrugged nonchalantly, not even sparing him a glance. “He would be discarded when the time was right. Dealt with, as was appropriate at the time.” She turned to her husband, smiling that cold, heartless smile she excelled in. “And I’m not pregnant. It just got me what I wanted in the short term. I wouldn’t want a mewling brat by you anyway. Ruin my figure and future as a vampire? I don’t think so.”

“It’s too late, Alexa, for that future now, anyway. The authorities will be here for you within the hour.”

She laughed and Xavier knew the woman still thought no one would touch her because of her position in the nest. It was erroneous thinking, of course. “Only if they can find me.” She turned lightly, heading to the door, opening it to find the guards. “You bastard!” Xavier heard the hiss of her words.

“Take her away.”

Alexandra screeched while they grabbed her arms and manhandled her from the door. Once she was gone, Xavier turned back to those waiting in the room. Hope sat in silence, watching David.

David’s face was bone white and he breathed harshly as if he’d just run a marathon. For several moments he sat looking at them in silence. “She never loved me.” He muttered the words bitterly. “She was using me all this time.”

“No, I doubt she ever felt anything for you. She used you to further her own ends.” What else could he say, except to tell the truth? “She wanted a way into the nest, and you were the easiest option.”

“David. We only found this out last night.” Hope rose and moved around the table, squatting beside the chair and laying a hand on his arm. “Do you want…?” Xavier watched tiredly, while David pulled away from her soft touch. He felt Hope’s devastation at the movement.

“He’ll come round in time. He needs to work through the truths and she messed with his head so much. He’s confused and doesn’t know what to believe.”
He sent the message, hoping she would understand. The glint of a tear sat on her lash, but she turned away from her brother.

“I just want to help him.”
Her cry of despair cut him.

“I know.”

He moved towards her, laying a soft hand on her shoulder. “Come. David? Let us know what you wish to do. We will help any way we can.”

Hope rose in silence. “Wait.” Hope’s voice cut through the air. “Mother and Father?”

“They left the day you did. Went to the summer house.” David’s voice was quiet.

“Will Mother be all right?”

“Why wouldn’t she be, Hope?” David’s tired voice broke as he rose.

“She’s sick…”

“No. She’s not. She was using that to get you to do what she wanted.” Xavier felt the impact of the words on her, moving soundlessly to her and grabbing her hand as David left the room.

“She lied to me.” The words filled the air, and he wanted to take her pain away. She slumped miserably against him. “What about David?”

“All we can do now is be there for him. It will take time for him to heal. I hope in time, too, your parents understand, and are willing to make reparation. It’ll be tough.” She breathed raggedly, and while the knowledge of her pain hurt him too, he felt a determination to begin their life together on a happy note.