Blood Ties Read online

  “Time?”

  “Wyatt told me the Order’s scientists are trying to create a new elixir that maintains more of the human consciousness while in magna form. That’s why they’re getting smarter.” Renata furrowed her brow. “He was willing to sacrifice himself to protect us. And I am too.”

  “How do you know all this?” Will crossed his arms.

  “He left me his diary and wrote me a letter, explaining it all,” she continued solemnly. “He was able to do what had to be done.”

  “Renata, just because he sacrificed himself doesn’t mean you have to. We need you. We need you alive. You don’t have to do everything on your own.”

  “How was I supposed to tell you that my actions put the whole House at risk?” Renata’s vehement voice grew in volume.

  “I don’t know, but you should have at least told me!” Will’s voice matched hers. “Sometimes, the truth doesn’t sound pretty, but it’s still the truth.”

  Renata crossed her arms with a huff. An angry silence sat between the two until she burst into tears, the walls she’d built tumbling down. “I’m sorry. I never wanted this, any of this. This responsibility, this duty, any of it.”

  All the emotions she had been keeping locked inside of her flowed out through her sobs.

  “Come here,” Will said softly and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry too. I know you’re under a lot of stress. Just promise me you won’t keep things from me.”

  “I promise,” Renata told him, and she truly meant it.

  Her thoughts drifted to the gorgeous vampire hunter downstairs. “What do you think about Jackson?” Renata asked as she broke away from the hug, wiping stray tears from her cheeks.

  Will stiffened, as if Jackson’s name on Renata’s lips made him uncomfortable or jealous. “I’m not sure. He could still be loyal to Scott,” he sighed. “But he’s shown that he’ll save your butt when you do something stupid, and I’m not there to protect you.”

  Renata and Will laughed. She continued, her worry evident as she spoke. “The others there at the beach saw him save me. He could be going against Scott’s orders.”

  “That’s a possibility. Jackson does seem to be standing against him.”

  “He said Scott’s becoming suspicious of him,” Renata said as she sat back down.

  “Do you trust him?”

  “I do,” Renata said, finally admitting it to herself.

  “Okay,” Will agreed, crossing his arms. “Then, we trust him.”

  Satisfied with the plan, Renata found herself downstairs at the grand piano, her fingers striking a chord. She still didn’t think she was any good, but she closed her eyes and lost herself in the music. When she finally stopped and opened her eyes, Jackson was sitting on the couch.

  There was no doubt in her mind that he had been listening. She was so focused on the music that she hadn’t even noticed him come in. She had been doing a lot of that lately.

  “Sorry to bother you,” he said. “I just wanted to thank you again for breakfast.”

  “It’s not a bother,” Renata assured him. “And you’re welcome, but Edwin’s the one who made you breakfast, not me.”

  “Just accept the thanks,” he chuckled. “You sounded pretty good, by the way.”

  “Thank you,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

  “I should be getting back,” Jackson started. “They’ll be wondering where I’ve been.”

  Renata nodded. He meant the other members of the Order and his Uncle, no doubt.

  With that, he turned and left as Renata’s eyes followed him out until he was no longer in her line of sight.

  Good lord, she was smitten. Despite her logical attempts to resist her brewing feelings for him, she was still hopelessly captivated by Jackson, a dangerous vampire hunter and all.

  ~

  Back at her office, Renata sat at her desk fidgeting. Jackson and Wyatt had been working together inside the Order as spies for the mansion for the past three weeks. She tore her eyes from the email she’d just received with some nerve-wracking information, and sent for Will and Adela, her worry growing during the mere minutes she waited for them to arrive.

  Will emerged from the hall. Adela followed close behind him as he walked in.

  “I’ve just received word from Wyatt,” Renata said, rubbing her forehead.

  “And?” Will asked, expecting an answer.

  “The look on your face tells me that we should be worried,” Adela chimed in before Renata opened her mouth to speak.

  “Yes,” Renata began. “Wyatt told me that Scott plans to attack tomorrow night. We’ll need to evacuate the mansion and get everyone to the safe house today.” Renata couldn’t allow Scott’s hunters to harm any more of her House members, especially when she was the one who had incurred his wrath that day she killed his son during the Order’s last attack. She refused to allow them to be in danger because of her actions. Renata knew she had to strike back before Scott and the Order had another opportunity to strike.

  “Got it,” Adela nodded. “What about Wyatt?” she asked, her obvious concern for her brother bleeding through her words.

  “I’ve asked Wyatt to return to the safe house as soon as he can without causing any suspicion,” Renata told her. “Things could get ugly, and I don’t want him to be in the middle of it.” Vampire or not, Wyatt was still hers to protect.

  “Thank you,” Adela said to Renata, flooded with relief.

  “What else did Wyatt say?” Will looked up at Renata, redirecting their attention to the dilemma at hand.

  Renata inhaled deeply. She didn’t want to tell them the rest of what Wyatt reported back to her. If she did, Renata knew they would worry about her. But she promised Will that she wouldn’t lie to him—a promise she fully intended to keep.

  A lie by omission was still a lie.

  “Wyatt also told me that the goal of this attack is to kill me since their last assassination attempt failed.”

  “The beach,” Will said aloud to himself. “We need to act, Renata. We can’t continue to sit here and do nothing.”

  “I know,” Renata said. “But we can’t exactly wipe out an entire organization. You won’t like this,” she said to him, “but I do have another one of my crazy and dangerous ideas.”

  “Oh, boy,” Adela sighed.

  “The only way the Order can make the magna elixir is by using a certain machine,” Renata explained. “If we could sneak into the Order’s headquarters and destroy the machine and the vials of elixir before the Order attacks, then there would be a more even playing field.”

  “They would be forced to attack the old fashioned way,” Will added.

  “Even if we do sneak in and destroy the machine and elixir successfully, who’s to say they won’t just build a new one?” Adela put her hands on her hips with uncertainty.

  Will crossed his arms. “We don’t, but it’s a way to weaken the Order’s attack. Their main weapon is the magna elixir. They’ll be weak without it and won’t be able to do as much damage.”

  “Exactly,” Renata said. “We will evacuate the mansion today. I sent word to Wyatt, ordering him to meet you at the safe house, and I’ve already asked Jackson to help us get inside. Will, I’d like you to come with me.”

  To Adela, she said, “I need you to stay with the others at the safe house while we are gone, should the Order strike early.”

  “No problem,” Adela said. She gently squeezed Renata’s arm. “Be careful.”

  “We will.” Renata gave her a small smile. “Begin the evacuation while Will and I discuss the plan.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” Adela’s hand slipped from Renata’s arm as she left.

  “How bad is this attack really going to be?” Will asked bluntly.

  Renata’s eyes fell to the floor. “According to Wyatt, Scott is sending every able hunter he has, all of them attacking in magna form.” They’d seen what one magna could do by itself. Even just fifty of them would be lethal.

  Will’s ey
es widened with fear. “When do you plan to destroy the machine?”

  “Tonight,” she said. “If we succeed, this attack won’t be as deadly. If they decide to proceed without the elixir, the Order’s hunters will be attacking with stakes and crossbows.”

  “You’re right,” he said. “What’s the plan? Do you know where we’re going?”

  “Wyatt included the address in his report back to me. The Order’s headquarters here, in Newport, inside what appears to be an office building.”

  “They’re hiding in plain sight.”

  “It seems so. As for the plan,” Renata continued, “Jackson is going to create a diversion, then help us get into the building from a back entrance. Then he’ll take me to the room where the elixir and the machine are kept, while you stand guard, to alert us if any trouble arises.”

  “Are you sure we can trust him?” Will asked firmly. “This plan seems to be completely dependent on his cooperation.”

  “I’m positive,” Renata assured him. “We’ll park the car we take about a block or two away from the building. That way it won’t be seen.”

  “Right,” Will agreed. “Any of our cars could be recognizable, but yours is probably more of a dead giveaway than my truck.” Will furrowed his brow. “Wait,” he added. “Just how do you plan to destroy the machine?”

  “I’m going to destroy it somehow”—she fumbled for an answer—“probably with some type of weapon.”

  “Oh jeez,” Will rubbed his temples. “You didn’t think through that part, did you?”

  “We’ll have to use some quick thinking on our part,” Renata surrendered. “Before we leave, I’m going to make sure everyone made it to the safe house.”

  She stood from her mahogany desk and made her way into the rest of the mansion, while Will followed close behind her. Adela guided the flurry of vampires heading to the mansion’s back entrance, towards the dock.

  “Let’s split up,” she said to Will. “Take the east wing, and I’ll secure the west wing. We need to make sure everyone is out and in the safe house.”

  Without a word, Will nodded, and the two of them swept the halls, looking for anyone that might have still been there. Renata moved swiftly, her heightened senses and speed aiding her search. Her eyes and ears scouted out any possible movement.

  Certain that there was no one left in the west wing, Renata met Will right where she had last seen him.

  “The east wing’s clear. Everyone should be at the safe house,” Will said to her as he walked out of the corridor.

  “Good,” Renata said as she made her way down the grand staircase. “I’m going to make sure the safe house is secure before we leave.”

  Renata and Will swiftly moved through the empty mansion out to the dock, taking a boat to the safe house.

  After taking a headcount, Renata made sure that everyone, including Wyatt, was at the safe house. She gestured to Will, who received her signal. He ducked out of the safe house to wait for her.

  “Wyatt,” Renata said, relieved, “It’s good to see you back all in one piece.”

  Wyatt mustered a small grin. “I’m sorry it’s because of these circumstances.”

  Renata knew he was alluding to the attack, and she wasn’t afraid to acknowledge it. “The Order is simply doing what it does, killing vampires. Thanks to you,” she said, “we will be ready for it.”

  Renata called to Adela, “Will and I should return before the Order strikes. However, if they attack before we expect them to, I want everyone here ready to fight back.”

  Renata turned to address the people who depended on her, the members of the Newport House. “The Order of the Seven Blades plans to attack us with full force.”

  She looked around the small common room. Fear was etched into the faces of the House members, instilled in them after the Order’s last strike against the mansion.

  “I know you’re all afraid, as you should be.” Renata continued, calling upon her bravery. “But we must not allow our fear to hold us back. We will no longer hide out here, while the Order decides when they want to terrorize us. We will fight back. We will stand up to them and defend ourselves from their hatred.”

  The air in the room lightened. “Will and I are going to destroy the magna elixir and the machine that produces it so that we’ll have a fighting chance. We should return before the Order strikes, but if we don’t, I want every single member of this House to be ready to fight back.”

  The small common room erupted in cheers. Renata felt more confident and braver than she had ever felt before. She was ready. She was prepared for what she was about to do as if she was finally shaping up to be the leader Alexander had always known she would become.

  Will was right. She didn’t have to face the Order alone.

  Renata pulled Adela aside. “Keep the safe house secure while Will, and I are gone. In my absence, I want you to act as Mistress.”

  “I will,” Adela said solemnly, her seriousness replaced by a smirk. “Go destroy that machine.”

  Renata nodded and then met Will, where he waited in a rowboat to take them back to the mainland.

  “Alexander would be proud of what you just did back there,” Will said as Renata got into the boat. “I listened from outside.”

  “Thank you,” Renata said. “I wouldn’t have been brave enough to do that without you.”

  “No, you did that all on your own,” Will said with tenderness in his eyes. “Now let’s go break that machine.” He rowed them back to shore.

  TWELVE

  Will slowed his navy pickup truck as they approached the office building Wyatt described in his report.

  “This must be the place.” He maneuvered the large vehicle into a parking spot alongside the road, about a block away from the building’s front entrance.

  Renata checked the truck’s clock, which read six o’clock. “Good,” she said. “Jackson should be ready to meet us at the back door.”

  Will shifted the vehicle into park, and then he and Renata removed their seatbelts and hopped out of the truck. Both Renata and Will casually strolled across the front of the office building, talking and laughing. Any watchful eyes from inside the Order would see a young man and woman simply walking down the sidewalk. Renata hoped that was all the Order’s many eyes and ears would think they were.

  The Order’s base sat between two other office buildings. To reach the back entrance, Renata and Will slipped into the alley. Will took the lead, heading to the location Wyatt described in his report, as Renata followed closely behind him. They stopped in front of a door with a glass window and a security camera above it.

  Last minute doubts flooded her mind. What if Jackson betrayed them? What if he led her right to Scott? Or right to her death.

  Movement through the shaded window demanded Renata’s attention. The figure of a tall, built man briskly punched in what appeared to be numbers on a keypad. The door opened inward, revealing Jackson’s tall frame inside, just as he said he would.

  “Come in, quick.” Jackson urged them inside, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

  Renata immediately dismissed her doubts as she and Will stepped right into the hornet’s nest, as Jackson shut the door behind them. The sound of the electronic lock clicking back into place sent waves of nausea through Renata’s body.

  There was no turning back now.

  “I’ve temporarily disabled the security cameras on this floor, and the others are all at the mess hall,” Jackson said as he motioned for her and Will to follow him. “I’ll take you to the room where the machine is. You won’t have much time, Renata. Others will soon be going there to prepare the elixir for the attack. They’re planning on making the largest batch I’ve ever seen.”

  “They must have captured some vampires then,” Renata said. “Are they dead yet?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Jackson said, his eyes darting around the hall. “There’s still time to save them.”

  Jackson led Renata and Will through the halls of the
Order’s base, as the three of them moved soundlessly towards their destination.

  Jackson stopped in front of another door, flipped open the keypad, and punched in several numbers. The keypad lit up green. He turned the handle, pushing open the door.

  Renata’s heart fell to the pit of her stomach.

  Adelaide’s body was strapped down to a table, with fear in her bright yellow eyes. A tube connected to a large box-shaped machine was inserted into her arms, like an IV in a hospital.

  Scott slowly turned to face Renata.

  “Ah, Renata Courtenay. I must say, I feared that I would be expecting you, one time or another. However, I could never have imagined that my own nephew would have fallen under your spell,” he spat out with disgust.

  Jackson was dead silent, his face hard.

  “You are so much like your so-called father. Dear Alexander,” Scott mused, as he tauntingly strolled closer to Adelaide, grazing her cheek with the side of his hand. “Just like him, you try so desperately to be noble, to keep the other filthy bloodsuckers safe.”

  He brushed Adelaide’s hair to the side of her face as she whimpered in fear, turning Renata’s stomach. Renata was about to vomit all over Scott’s shiny floor.

  “Don’t touch her,” Renata said coolly, standing her ground. Scott was playing a dangerous game, and Renata knew she had to be very careful about her next move.

  “Like him,” Scott said to Renata as he stepped away from Adelaide, “you will die in this very room, the same way he did.”

  “Like hell, I will,” Renata spat.

  Scott chuckled, directing his attention to his nephew.

  “A pity,” he drawled. “Despite my efforts, you’re a traitor, a vampire sympathizer just like your mother.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jackson’s voice was cold and unwavering.

  “I thought your hatred for vampires would be enough to keep you loyal to this family, to Evander’s mission. You are just as much a stain upon this world as your little friend, here.”

  “What are you saying?” Jackson asked again, as anger rose in his voice.