Blood Love (God Wars Book 4) (20 page)

Instead, Norian had ended up with Steeg, a rookie agent, and a shy woman who walked carefully through debris littering the old temple. He'd have been foolish not to recognize it from the start—Solar Red had once gathered there. They'd left quickly, once the religion was outlawed in the Alliance.

"Perfect place for a gate—or an ambush," Norian sighed. He wished Lissa were with him, but she'd had a Council meeting. He'd thought about asking her to cancel it or allow someone else to take it. Rigo could handle it easily, or Aryn.

"Mr. Keef?" Macy's voice drifted toward him.

"Macy?" Norian turned toward her.

"There's a gate, near that altar." Macy pointed toward the back of the temple, barely fifty feet ahead.

"I see footprints," Norian said, "leading toward it." The trouble was, those footprints in thick dust disappeared only a few feet ahead.

"Where do you see the gate?" Norian turned back to Macy. "Where does it begin?"

"Just a short distance in front of the altar," she said. "But," she sounded uncertain.

"But?" Norian sounded impatient.

"Something's not right," she began. "I think we should leave."

"I need images," Norian pulled a comp-vid from his pocket and prepared to take photographs. "Tell Steeg to get in here; he can help." The hapless rookie had been set to guarding the entrance while Norian and Macy explored the temple.

"All right," Macy turned toward the wide entrance to retrieve Steeg when Norian's shout made her turn in shock and terror.

"Help me!" Norian shouted as something invisible dragged him toward the gate.

Macy shouted for the one person she could think of in a crisis—Ashe Evans.

With a flash of light, Ashe appeared in the old temple, only to watch as Norian, with a final shout, was swallowed by the gate.

* * *

"Ready?" Acrimus grimaced at Yaredolak. "If I don't find them suitable for my purposes, it's fun to watch them die after you bite them."

Yaredolak—Reedy to those who knew him best, waited in serpent form for the hapless humanoid to be spit out on this side of the gate. If Acrimus commanded, he would attack. He was more than surprised at what landed instead. Coiled and hissing quickly, Reedy stared at another lion snake shapeshifter.

* * *

Norian struck first, but his bite had no effect upon another lion snake. Reedy sunk his fangs into Norian's side, but Norian twisted away and bit Reedy a second time. They seemed evenly matched and the fight might have gone on for a while, but Acrimus had seen enough. Raising a hand, he separated the atoms that made up Norian Keef's body, allowing the sparks of life to wink out until nothing remained.

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis—present

Lissa's Journal

The moment Norian died, I knew. My heart squeezed in my chest until I couldn't breathe. Drake, Drew, Gavin and Rigo were at my side quickly, and the Council meeting erupted into speculative whispers.

"Norian's dead," I wept and dropped to my knees.

As Gavin lifted me into his arms and carried me toward the door, a numb detachment settled over me as I heard Rigo calling a recess behind us.

* * *

"Call all the investigative teams back. All of them," Kooper shouted into his comp-vid. "Contact San Gerxon as well. Tell him Director Keef was taken through a gate and died. We have to analyze this and find a way to destroy these things before others are killed."

* * *

"Jett, call your teams back," Tybus ordered. "Director Keef has been killed by a gate on Gorly. We need to study this further before we approach any others."

"On it," Jett replied. "Making calls now."

* * *

"What happened, Macy?" Ashe's voice sounded weary.

Macy could barely speak through her sobs. "I told him we should leave," she wiped tears from her cheeks with a shaking hand. "I told him something wasn't right."

"Norian has never been known for listening to advice," Ashe sighed. "Macy, it wasn't your fault."

* * *

Earth—past

Breanne's Journal

"Norian's dead." I flung clothing on with barely a thought for what it might look like. Hank and I had just gotten to sleep when the knowledge hit me like lightning. Ashe had already gone—he'd gotten a cry for help from Macy.

"I know he's dead," Hank buried his head in his hands. "I'll come with you. Do you want to go to your sister first, or find Ashe?"

"Let's see Ashe, first. Lissa will have at least a dozen mates around her." I jerked my sweater off the floor and blinked at Hank.

"Yeah." Hank stood and pulled his shirt off a chair. "I'll ask Bill and Kalenegar to look after Kay."

"Thanks. Ready?"

"I'll take us," Hank said. He did.

* * *

Kooper, Chazi, Bekzi, Perzi and Stellan stood behind Ashe. They were surrounded by three Larentii and several of Norian's agents.

"I have a shield covering the gate," Ashe mumbled. His arm was around Macy, who wept against his shoulder.

"Bree?" Kooper pulled me into a tight embrace the moment I touched his arm. "Norian's dead."

"I know." Not only would the ASD have to find a new Director, Ildevar Wyyld would have to find a new heir. That didn't include Lissa's grief over losing a mate, albeit a nearly estranged one. I had mixed feelings about his death. I only hoped that he hadn't suffered when he died.

"Let's go to Le-Ath Veronis," Ashe said. "We'll sort this out there."

* * *

"Bree," Lissa held her arms out when I appeared inside her suite with Ashe, Hank and the others. Without hesitating, I went to her and sent as much
Love
as I could. This death followed closely on the heels of Gavril's and was another heavy blow against Lissa's already battered emotions.

While I was embracing Lissa, Ildevar Wyyld appeared with his elvish seer, Willem Drifft.

"Lissa," Ildevar knelt beside us and reached out to touch her cheek.

"What are we going to do?" Lissa turned a tear-filled gaze to the Founder of the Reth Alliance.

"We will keep walking forward, no matter how heavy our steps," Ildevar sighed. He was in pain, too, so I sent him
Love
as well.

* * *

"She doesn't usually look like that," Drake explained to Ildevar. "She's in disguise to throw the rogue gods off her trail."

"She's the one who saved my life twice?"

"Yes. She's Lissa's half-sister," Drew said.

"This is unusual—and disconcerting, to see the one I want on the day my heir dies," Ildevar rubbed his forehead.

"You need to ask Lissa about her—when you're both in a better place," Drake suggested.

"We need to decide whether to send the investigative teams out again, looking for rogue-engineered gates," Ildevar turned deep blue eyes on Drake. "Has a meeting been arranged?"

"It's scheduled in the library in two hours," Drew nodded. "Lissa says she'll come. Bree is trying to put her back together now."

"I don't know what that woman did for me, but it feels as if my heart was cradled in pure love for a moment. I feel better, although Norian's death still grieves me."

"I think that's the way it works," Drake said. "It's something Breanne can do."

* * *

Breanne's Journal

The meeting was to be held in Lissa's library. Ashe had left Lissa's suite earlier to discuss things with Hank and some of Lissa's mates, leaving me, Gavin and Roff with her. Macy, poor thing, had gone with Ashe. I think Jerigar was doing his best to comfort her, too, and that wasn't a bad idea.

"You ready?" I asked Lissa, brushing a few stray tendrils of hair back.

"Yes. I suppose." Lissa was so pretty, and I knew she looked much like her mother, who'd died horribly when Lissa was young.

"Your mother would be so proud of you," I said.

"You think so?" Lissa's lower lip trembled.

"Yeah. Let's ask for some tea when we get to the library."

"That sounds good. Have we ever had tea together?"

"I don't think so," I replied.

"You keep refusing dinner invitations, too."

"I know."

"I'll let Cheedas know," Roff said.

"I'll escort you to the library," Gavin offered.

"Gavin, fold us there, please," Lissa said.

"I will, cara."

* * *

"I will display the images," Reemagar offered, once everyone was seated comfortably in Lissa's library. I sat beside Lissa, and Gavin sat on her other side. We both held one of her hands in ours.

The information didn't shock me, because I'd already read it from Macy. She'd tried to warn him, and he'd kept walking anyway. What we couldn't get was anything past the moment he was sucked into the gate.

"He died quickly," Ashe muttered. "I've extrapolated the time, and his death occurred less than a minute later."

Lissa gripped my fingers tighter, so I sent an extra dose of
Love
to her.

Bree, are you all right?
Hank's voice filtered into my mind.

I'm okay
, I replied. Yes, I was still tired, but that was a constant, nowadays.

"I believe we should still search for these gates—we know how dangerous they will be to the population," Serrigar said. He'd transported Jett Riffler and the teams from the CSD to Lissa's library after a message was sent to Tybus, requesting their presence at the meeting.

"Serrigar speaks for all Larentii," Lenigar agreed.

"I want to keep looking, too." Macy's voice was shaky when she stood, but she seemed determined enough. She'd recognized the danger of the gate somehow, and Norian had ignored her warning.

"We'd barely started our investigations when we were alerted," Jett offered. "After seeing the images, I concur with the Larentii. I feel we should keep looking, as this threat needs to be exposed and people warned to stay away."

"This is like sweeping for mines in a minefield," Lissa muttered beside me.

"I was thinking that, too," I agreed. "I just hope their little trick of expanding gates to suck in unsuspecting victims doesn't fluctuate much as far as distance goes."

"Macy," Lissa said, "How did you feel—what alerted you that the gate was dangerous?"

"I felt it," she replied. "It was wrong, and I knew Mr. Keef shouldn't walk any farther."

"And yet he did." A tear coursed down Lissa's cheek. I dried it with a bit of power.

"I sensed the power of it when I joined the others, there," Reemagar agreed. "I felt it was too dangerous to approach."

"So the Larentii and the Elemaiya can both sense the power it gives off," Kooper said. "The rest of us are blind to this, it seems."

"It appears that those who are blind to it, as you say, should stay with the Larentii or Elemaiya volunteers and keep back when warned," Ashe said. "Do we still have targeted areas to investigate?"

"Several," Jett acknowledged. "It is my hope that we lose no others to these abominations."

* * *

"So they're going out again tomorrow," Lissa sighed as she was offered a plate of food by a kitchen comesula. I was finally sitting at the official dining table in Lissa's palace, and under less than ideal circumstances.

Others had shown up as well and surprisingly, many of them were Saa Thalarr. Grace and Devin had come, escorted by Dragon and his twin brother, Crane. Kyler and Cleo arrived, accompanied by Glendes, Shadow and Harvel Grey.

Conner came, too, with Graegar and Barrigar. Those three sat near me, just past Hank, who hadn't said much but kept an eye on me, just the same.

Last of all, a contingent from Kifirin arrived and that's when the trouble started. Jaydevik Rath, King of Kifirin, with his wife, Queen Glindarok, bowed to Hank. "High Lord," Jaydevik said as he inclined his head in respect. My breath stopped.

Chapter 12
 

Le-Ath Veronis—present

Breanne's Journal

"Breanne, I had an assignment that I couldn't ignore," Hank said. "I had no idea who or what you were when you dropped into my lap. I couldn't deny the attraction, but I worried that you were mortal and that created a paradox."

"Hank, I'm not mad," I held up a hand. "I just wish I'd been smarter. Evidence was there, I just wasn't seeing it."

"Then come back to the table and eat," Hank said. "The others are discussing why we left and making outrageous conjectures."

"I kind of feel sick," I said, staring through the window of my old suite at the eternal twilight that covered Lissia.

"I know. I wish I weren't responsible," he said.

"What level are you?" I asked.

"Ko'Ahmari. The highest echelon of Ko'Ahmari."

"It would take someone that powerful to bring the Dark Realm in line," I sighed.

"I believe the one behind this assignment knew that," Hank agreed.

"Are you really—well, into all that stuff?" I asked.

"Breanne, that was part of the assignment. Some of it I like. Some of it, well, I only participated because the human I was with wanted it. I supplied what was needed and wanted, just as I said on several occasions. I know how much that upsets you."

"You don't need," I began.

"Breanne, I will never harm you. I mean it. I will admit I approached sex with trepidation in the beginning. You know how much I like it now," he grinned at me.

"Uh-huh."

"Baby, I love you. I hope you know how much I love you. This is Hank talking, not Li'Neruh Rath. I'm the guy who leaves his work behind when he's alone with his girl."

"Great. We've wasted so much time," I hugged myself tightly.

"No, baby. We've gotten to know each other without all the god crap messing it up. I can't say how much I've enjoyed the dance."

"What do you want to be called, now?"

"Baby, when you say Hank, it practically makes me melt. You could ask for anything, and I'd get it for you. But first, you need to eat before you make yourself sick or get a headache. Come on," he coaxed, walking toward me, "we'll just tell the people at the table you wanted a quickie."

"You wouldn't," I hissed, staring at him in shock.

"Nah, I prefer not to lie." He folded us back to the dining hall.

* * *

Everything all right?
Lissa sent.

Just a little shocked, that's all. Smoky breath, here, forgot to tell me he's also Li'Neruh Rath
, I returned.

Lissa snickered. Well, she needed a laugh.

* * *

Ashe bent time to get us back half an hour after we left. Lissa wanted to keep me with her for a while longer, but I hugged her and said I'd come back when I could. I had no idea when that might be.

Ashe also had it set up that one Larentii would accompany all investigative teams looking for rogue-engineered gates. I hoped the enemy didn't get any more creative than they already had—we couldn't risk any other lives like that.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?" Bill asked the moment we got back. He'd settled in Hank's room with Trajan, Charles and Jayson.

"Just a big snafu," I muttered. "Somebody died, and that wasn't a good thing."

"Can we go to bed now?" Bill asked hopefully.

"You want company?" I asked. I was exhausted, since we'd left in the middle of the night, but Bill looked as if he needed comfort.

"Yeah."

"All right," I nodded. "You'll know where I am," I waved a hand at the others and followed Bill through the connecting door into his suite.

* * *

"Sweetheart, wake up. I have to make some calls," Bill kissed me before my eyes unglued themselves.

"No," I moaned, holding onto him. His arms were wrapped around me and my head was on his shoulder when I finally blinked my eyes open. "I wanna stay in bed with you," I added.

"That's the nicest thing I've ever heard this early in the morning." Bill gently lifted a tendril of hair off my face and smiled.

"Do I look like a mess?" I asked.

"You look amazing."

"It's a good thing I love you so much," I said, pulling away. "You make me believe you when you say those things."

"Believe me. Always," he leaned in for a quick peck. "I can't tell the President that I'm late for a conference call because I couldn't stop kissing you." Bill grinned and slid off the other side of the bed. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

"I'm up," I heaved myself into a sitting position. "I just need coffee to continue that status. Would you like some while you're talking to the Prez?"

"I'd love some." Bill was snatching clothes off the inevitably useless love seat stuck in his suite.

"I'll be back." Rising, I clothed myself with power and misted to the coffee shop downstairs. Thirty seconds later, I was back with coffee for both of us. Yes, some time bending was involved, but nothing outrageous. I kissed Bill, placed the cup in his hand and opened the door to walk into Hank's connecting suite.

* * *

"Bill Jennings has disappeared completely in my visions. I can't locate him," Wildrif whined to Calhoun. "I used to get glimpses of him, but that is no longer true."

"He has become a secondary target, although this is puzzling," Calhoun admitted. "My associates have laid traps, and we saw results recently. We may focus our attentions there, and on promoting worship of the true god instead."

"I counsel against naming the new churches that," Wildrif sniffed.

"After what happened in Dallas? We are not stupid," Calhoun snapped. "We are more subtle than that, but the doors to those churches will open soon, and ours will effectively control and instruct the congregations. They are still seething over the bombings, so we will hand them those we have no use for, and tell the worshippers that they are responsible for the bombings. I await the carnage eagerly."

* * *

"Are you sure this is wise—withholding information?" Saxom asked his twin. Moxas, the Khos'Mirai, offered his brother a beaming smile.

"Chaos, brother. Isn't that what we want?"

"But it could result in our deaths," Saxom hissed.

"Have faith. I know the quarter-blood slave to Calhoun is having trouble seeing the opposition. We can claim similar troubles. They cannot fault us, when they know these difficulties are happening with others."

"Their fault, as I see it, is that they cannot see their foes either," Saxom nodded. "Brother, you have the true vision."

"We'll keep that to ourselves," Moxas grinned.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

I didn't realize it was Sunday morning until Hank hauled me to breakfast after a lengthy, shared shower. We found Charles already there, reading the Sunday comics. He'd gone through the rest of the newspaper already.

"Good morning," Charles closed the paper and offered me a smile.

"Hey," I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "What's for breakfast?"

"I was waiting for someone to join me," he said. "I'll order with you."

We did. A waitress walked to our table and took our orders, after pouring coffee for Hank and me. "See this?" Charles tapped a section of the newspaper he'd left on top of the others. I saw it was the religion section of the local newspaper.

"Attendance at the nation's churches still up," I read, scanning the headline.

"Yeah," Charles nodded. "They're still up in arms about those church bombings. There are interviews with several militant pastors in the article, and they are encouraging their congregations to carry weapons to services."

"Those guns won't do a thing against vampires, lion snake shifters and chimeras," Hank muttered.

"Not to mention the more powerful," I agreed.

* * *

"Well done, Acrimus," the General purred. "He was a target, and you managed to kill him with barely half a thought."

"It was a pleasure, General," Acrimus bowed with false modesty. "I have no idea who Ildevar Wyyld might name as his replacement, but I imagine that there will be a period of adjustment. Meanwhile, they have learned to respect our traps."

"A confused and frightened population is easy to control," the General agreed. "How is your newest minion doing?'

"Moxas suggested making the traps expandable. He also says that the Larentii and the Elemaiya would be the only ones who might detect their properties, outside the godlings or the Three. The Larentii will not consent to interfere, and the Elemaiya are now mortal and powerless. He says this is his revenge against the bitch who removed their power."

"I feel it is a great flaw in your kind that the Larentii are not traceable," the General grumbled.

"They were created when my kind was created," Acrimus grimaced. "They were created benign. Curious and powerful, but noninterfering. It was a calculated toss of the dice when I sent the Sirenali after them," he added.

"The Sirenali were created with a particular talent, although their creator considered it a flaw after the fact, that they could detect all worlds. They cannot detect the Larentii themselves, but their world was not properly guarded at the time. That has since changed and it is now closed to all, with few exceptions. It's too bad the Larentii were given permission in the beginning to protect themselves and their mates. That's how the Sirenali fell."

"
The
Law
holds us back, but that will change once we destroy the Three."

"The Three made
the
Law
—saying the Larentii are inviolate and to kill one will bring the wrath of the One," Acrimus shuddered. "The One has vowed to leave everything else to the Three, thinking they might be strong enough to withstand us."

"The Larentii will stand aside and observe while everything else falls," the General smiled. "They will live and the One will watch while we rule everything."

* * *

Le-Ath Veronis—present

Lissa's Journal

"We don't have a body to bury," I shook my head at Rigo. "Just as we didn't for Gavril."

"Tiessa, that was a necessity for your child," Rigo offered softly. "We must never allow the enemy to know that they have scored two hits against us, instead of one."

"If we live over this, we'll have a memorial for both," I sighed as Rigo pulled me against him. "Norian wasn't the best mate, but he was still a mate, when all's said and done."

"I know. The rest of us feel the same—he was one of us, although not the most popular."

"Rigo, he was the least popular, admit it," I sighed, pulling away. "The last time I saw Gavril alive, we argued. I may have done the same with Norian."

"Lissa, let that go. Don't you think they know that those are just foolish words and mean nothing? Stop wounding yourself with that. It no longer matters to them. It shouldn't matter to you, either. Focus on your love for both. That is what they have—what they take with them."

"I think I want to talk to Tybus," I said, hugging myself.

"Why?"

"To see what's left of my son."

"Are you sure that is wise? Tybus has his own worries and an Alliance to run."

"I know. I still want to see him."

"Then I will call your Falchani to transport you."

* * *

Campiaa—present

Tybus' Journal

I knew what she wanted when I received mindspeech from her. She didn't say it, but she had suffered another loss—a second, heavy blow. It grieved me that this was so. A part of me, too, recognized the daughter/mother that Gavril and I shared. The two were so much alike.

Drake and Drew, Lissa's Falchani mates, accompanied her inside my study shortly after I assured her that I had time to see her. So many things required my attention, but they could wait. This visit was far more important.

"Lissa, how are you?" I rose and held out my hands. She surprised me by walking around my desk and pressing herself against me. Wrapping my arms about her as tightly as I dared, I smoothed her hair.

"This will pass," I crooned. "I promise this will pass. Tybus is here. Gavril is here as well. You must trust that I am both. We care for you. You have no idea how strongly."

The first sob rocked her body. I held on tighter and murmured nonsense in the ancient language of the vampires.

* * *

Earth—past

Breanne's Journal

"What is your schedule for today?" Gavin asked when Bill took a seat at the breakfast table. I got the idea that Gavin had been doing something similar to Bill and talking with Wlodek while Wlodek and he were both awake. He'd arrived five minutes before Bill.

Opal and the others had joined us while we ate—Charles had wisely asked for a table large enough to accommodate a crowd. Ashe and Kay sat across from me, and Kay seemed happy to eat beside him and talk occasionally to me, Hank and Charles.