Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations (16 page)

Besseta crossed her arms over her chest. “I can damn well guarantee you it won’t be till all this is over with.”

“Ah, very wise, little Besseta,” Maliki nodded. “Too much to risk when you’re uncertain of the gain.”

“Tiffany’s right; you’re being an ass.”

“Why, little Besseta,” Maliki smiled, looking at her, “do I sense a true fondness of this…Kenneth?”

Dropping her hands to her side, Besseta balled her fists again. “Maliki, don’t push your luck.”

“I wasn’t reading your mind,” he assured.

“I know. I didn’t feel it. That’s not what I was talking about,” Besseta almost growled.

A wide grin filled Maliki’s face. “So little Besseta has had someone steal her heart.”

“That’s it; I’m breaking your face,” Besseta growled, moving to Maliki only to have Tiffany grab her.

“Besseta,” Tiffany said. “He’s just saying what’s written all over your face.”

Glancing over her shoulder at Tiffany, Besseta turned her gaze back to Maliki. “You try anything with Kenneth, and I’ll make you suffer a thousand years before I kill you.”

“Tsk, tsk, Besseta.” Maliki shook his head, not seeming worried by her threats. “I’m truly happy for you if you have found someone. Very few of our kind ever do; I’ve only known two,” he said, looking over at Tiffany.

“Enough,” Tiffany snapped.

Maliki bowed at the waist to Tiffany. “Like always, I feel for your loss of Herotho, Tiffany. He was the only one I ever considered a friend.”

Thankfully too stunned to speak, Besseta’s mouth fell open. “Maliki please,” Tiffany said, “but thank you.”

Straightening up, he asked, “Did little Besseta tell you she wiped what you owed in tribute and waived your future tribute?”

“Pfft,” Tiffany huffed, “I don’t see the need to pay to live in this world anymore. If you think otherwise, I pity who you send to collect.”

“I never allowed the League to send anyone, did I?” Maliki asked, grinning. “It was not out of fear, I assure you.”

Shaking her head to try to stop her mind from running, Besseta held out her hands. “Okay, both of you stop.” She looked at Tiffany. “You have some explaining to do later.”

A look of remorse was on Tiffany’s face, but she was looking at Maliki and not at Besseta. “Yes, I know Maliki very well, and he can’t read your mind. Like most telepaths, he can’t read another telepath unless they let him. He and Herotho were very good friends.”

“Little Besseta,” Maliki said, making Besseta look at him. “My presence brings back memories as she does for me.”

“I’m sorry,” Besseta said, stepping over to Tiffany. “Let’s get this going.” Tiffany nodded, still looking at Maliki with longing and remorse.

Besseta guided her to the table, and Maliki moved to the other side as Besseta stepped away from Tiffany. “Maliki, the box on the table is a recorder. Kenneth wants to know what was said so he can form a better picture,” Besseta said, pointing to it.

Relieved, Maliki nodded. “Very smart, and I agree something could be left out.”

Besseta reached down and slid the Bible over. “Take this,” she said. “We will send you messages using this as the code. Only this version can be used as the key, not just any bible. The text will just be numbers. The number by itself is the page, and the first number in the group is the line, and all numbers following are the letters on that line. That’s how we will make words, understand?”

Maliki’s eyes got wide. “Genius,” he exclaimed. “Even if they intercept it, they can’t break it. I trust this came from Kenneth?”

“Yes, and I don’t like how you’re grinning when you say his name,” Besseta said, lowering her voice.

Maliki laughed and looked up at Tiffany. “My, she has it bad.”

For the first time in centuries, Tiffany smiled at Maliki. “Trust me; Kenneth’s just as bad.”

“This renews my hope for our kind,” Maliki smiled back.

Besseta handed over the envelope. “Inside explains the code again and is a list of message boards we will use. Rotate which one you use each time. You will find a red flash drive that will encrypt what you send to us and we send to you. Careful who sees that and who you tell because that is the key, and if someone gets it, the bible code can be broken. The black flash drive has a program on it that will allow us to communicate over the internet encrypted. There is a list explaining that and the other two flash drives. Kenneth asked if you could read that and destroy the instructions or write them in a code only you would know.”

“My, this man is beyond anything I’ve imagined,” Maliki mumbled and saw a dark look cross Besseta’s face. “Besseta, I’m just stating what I know. I mean him no harm.”

“He’s mine!” she snapped.

Maliki tilted his head to her. “Anyone that should try to harm him, I pledge to you, I will attempt with everything I have to hand you their head.”

Surprised by the statement, Besseta stumbled back. “Ah, thank you, I guess.”

“I can’t wait to meet—” Maliki stopped. “Is the notebook for me as well?”

“In a way,” Besseta said, opening it. “It’s the questions I’m to ask.”

“If I may?” Maliki asked, and Besseta nodded. She turned the notebook toward him, and he read the questions. “Well, we’ve had no contact with the European League in two days and lost contact with the South American League yesterday. We contacted vampires that live in Europe and have only been able to contact a few. Only the last one we contacted said anything useful. She told us everyone was going underground after several unexplained disappearances.”

Maliki continued reading the questions and said, “Ah, you told him about my gifts.”

“It was necessary for Kenneth to understand how you could come by the information from the ones you caught,” Tiffany spoke up.

“Ah yes, that would be important,” Maliki agreed. “Well, we got our hands on two of the council members. After reading what you sent me, I went and had another chat with them. There are several people close to the council that could be incubi and succubi. The most promising is a female scientist who is leading the ‘virus research.’ It’s difficult to know because human males are very susceptible to the succubi. They fall under their influence without touch. She was due to show up at the site you destroyed the next day. We don’t know where she is now.”

Besseta cleared her throat. “The succubi have telepathy to control without touch?”

“No,” Maliki said. “Many human males are just that blind to beauty. I compare human males to lustful dogs around a succubus. Granted, I’ve run into a few succubi that had powerful mental abilities and one incubus.”

“I know you’ve killed three,” Besseta told him.

“Thankfully, it wasn’t those three,” Maliki responded, shocking her. “From what I’ve gathered, unlike most of our kind that have telepathy, they aren’t hindered by one that possesses that same ability.”

“I’m grateful I never met one,” Besseta sighed.

“Yes, you should be,” Maliki agreed.

Thinking of something, Besseta asked, “Maliki, do you block your thoughts from me?”

“Of course.”

Looking at Tiffany, Besseta said, “Told you; that’s why I only get a word now and again.

“Ah see, little Besseta, you are one of the gifted that aren’t hindered by others’ abilities,” Maliki said. “I could talk about our abilities for decades, but we need to move on,” he said, looking down at the notebook. “There is another one that is close to the council that could be an incubus. He’s a recruiter; I think that’s what the man called him. I sent several to try and collect him, but they didn’t find him.”

Reading further, Maliki looked up. “Your Kenneth wrote these questions?”

“Yes, and I know his handwriting is very neat,” Besseta replied with a sigh, wishing Maliki would quit referring to Kenneth.

“No, question nine: Have you heard any word or rumor of any vampires acting hostile to other vampires without implants?”

Besseta nodded, and Maliki just stared at her. Besseta looked over at Tiffany, who started shaking her head. “I take it you have?” Tiffany asked.

Slowly, Maliki nodded. “Today, I received word that a member of the South American League was killed by one of his guards. The guard had passed through a metal detector. I sent out word to all the other Leagues about that. I just thought it was just a guard wanting a position on the League.”

“What about our laws?” Besseta asked. “If you kill unprovoked, your life is forfeit.”

“Please, Besseta,” Maliki said. “How do you think Bereno got his seat on the League?”

Besseta cringed at the name. “So to take a seat, you have to kill the one sitting in it?”

“More or less, but others might challenge you for it. Bereno was lucky only two challenged him,” Maliki said, and Besseta cringed again. “Really, Besseta, I never knew what you saw in him. Bereno is a total ass.”

“Okay!” Besseta shouted. “Enough about him. I know I was an idiot to even think about him like that. Shit, I don’t need both of you telling me I fucked up.”

“I tried, Maliki, so don’t look at me like that,” Tiffany warned.

Sighing, he said, “It’s just so many of us, me included, look at Besseta with envy. She has a purpose other than just living. She has a drive and spirit.”

“Maliki, I tried, so drop it and continue,” Tiffany said, seeing Besseta blush in shame.

“Yes,” Maliki said, following Tiffany’s gaze. “I take it Kenneth told you why he wanted these questions asked.”

“No,” Besseta mumbled, looking away.

“I surmise he wants proof of his theory,” Maliki said, and Besseta didn’t respond. “Well, he has it. Only a succubus or incubus can take over a being like that.”

“It’s only one case,” Tiffany pointed out.

“Confirmed case,” Maliki objected. “There are rumors it happened in Europe.”

“Damn,” Tiffany mumbled as Maliki looked down, reading the notebook.

“I’ve heard no reports or rumors of werewolves working with vampires or the Strong Hands,” Maliki said, pausing his reading. “No, I’ve not heard anything strange about werewolf activities.”

“You would think we could get along,” Tiffany huffed.

Maliki looked up. “Hey, I’ve tried, and they just change and attack me.”

“I have as well,” Tiffany said as Besseta finally turned to look at them.

“No, we haven’t found any more of the council of the Strong Hands. I received reports of a compound in Arizona, but the two I sent never returned,” Maliki told them.

“Maliki,” Besseta said. “When you send others off, from now on, tell them to just watch. You’re losing too many sending them off to attack.”

“That’s what I sent those two to do, Besseta.”

Besseta grunted. “Maliki, you need—” She froze, and her eyes got wide. Leaping up, Besseta landed on the table, looking past the basketball courts into the trees. “Something is close and moving toward us,” she said in a low voice.

Spinning around, Maliki tossed the notebook on the table and stared into the tree line. “I don’t see anything,” he said, smelling the air. “I only smell my guards.”

“I’m telling you; something is coming,” Besseta warned, and Tiffany floated up and settled beside her.

“What makes you think this?” Tiffany asked, staring into the trees and sniffing the air.

Shaking her head and trying to figure out what was going on, Besseta said, “I caught a scent and for a second heard a thought. But it wasn’t like any thought I’ve heard before.”

“Neither a succubus nor incubus would attack us. They aren’t stupid. That’s the problem; they are very intelligent. What they lack in strength, they make up with cunning,” Maliki said.

Gasping and feeling her legs getting weak, Besseta mumbled, “Oh shit. I’ve smelled it before.”

“What!” Maliki shouted, looking around.

“Werewolf,” Besseta said. “It’s just walking to us now. Somehow, it knows I smelled it.”

“Impossible. Werewolves don’t have telepathy to vampires. They only have telepathy to their pack and kind,” Maliki protested.

Besseta crouched down. “Well, you can tell him when he gets here. I’m thinking this is a good time to leave.”

“Hold on, Besseta,” Tiffany said, holding her arm. “You know if he’s alone?”

“Yes,” Besseta whispered.

“Why didn’t you recognize the scent?” Tiffany asked.

Shaking her head slowly in disbelief, Besseta said, “This one smells kind of like the ones I’ve smelled but different.”

“Different how?” Tiffany asked.

“Like powerful—real powerful,” Besseta mumbled with fear creeping up her spine.

“If he’s alone, we needn’t run,” Tiffany spoke confidently.

Maliki relaxed. “Yes, one is of little worry.”

“Uh-uh,” Besseta disagreed. “I think this is one to worry about.”

Suddenly, Tiffany grabbed her nose. “Oh my, he does smell different.”

Maliki nodded. “It’s a pack leader, the alpha male of a large area.”

“Oh good,” Tiffany smiled. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to one in years.”

Besseta slowly turned her head, looking at Tiffany in shock. Maliki gave a soft whistle, and two gusts of wind blew up beside them. A male and female vampire appeared next to him. “We have a werewolf coming.” He pointed toward the trees. “Circle around, and see if more are coming. I’m not in the mood to fight a pack tonight, so if you find more coming, let me know.” Both took off in a gust of wind.