Nine Souls Read online

  The mansion had even been named after her – Falco.

  The ground shook with a faint hum for a moment as Falco acknowledged my thought. I could speak to her, in a way. We kind of had a mental intercom system.

  Either Falco was acknowledging my thoughts or she was having another mood swing from her pregnancy. Before Kai had died, he had told me to take care of his coming son. I felt familiar gooseflesh roll up my arms as I thought about that. A baby Beast. What the hell was I going to do about that? Not only was I incapable of taking care of human children, now I had to do so with a celestial baby… thing?

  I sighed, shaking my head.

  Regardless, this area of the house had been locked away for hundreds of years. Falco only gave access to this part of her… body… to those true Master Temples – those who were or had once been Makers. Since Kai and I had briefly teamed up, making me a Maker, I was the first Temple to see this room since the 1800’s when Matthias had been Master Temple.

  I heard a rustling of feathers and glanced up to see two sets of beady black eyes watching me from the third tier. Hugin and Munin, Odin’s ravens.

  They were on my family Crest, but I had originally taken that as more of a figurative symbol, not literal. I’d been wrong. The two bird brains loved hanging out with me, not telling me things, not helping me, not making my life easier in any way shape or form – things like that.

  Talon glared up at them with open hatred.

  They often tried to use him as target practice when defecating. Seeing he was safe for the time being, he turned away, his tail twitching and his ears rotated in their direction. I turned to Alucard. “Well?” I said, sipping my drink.

  He looked tired. “The meeting was… enlightening. They were very interested in meeting the both of us. Roland, because of his past, and me, because of the Daywalker thing.”

  I nodded. “Anything I need to be concerned about?”

  Alucard hesitated, as if debating whether or not to answer. “In a way…” He took a drink as if readying himself. “Have you ever heard of White Fang?”

  I frowned. “The book?” He shook his head. “I guess not, then. What is it?”

  “Not a what, but a man,” he emphasized, watching me.

  My pulse began to quicken, not understanding where he was going with this. “Just say it plainly. No need to drag it out.”

  He nodded. “I’m trying. It’s not anything I’ve been able to verify. Basically, someone seems to be planting seeds of discord with each family of supernaturals. But no one knows who he really is because he hasn’t actually taken credit for it. People have begun to call him White Fang.” He grimaced, searching for the right words. “In a way, he’s kind of like an anti… you, I guess. You’ve been gathering various flavors of monster together and giving them a home or support or whatever you want to call it. This man is doing the opposite. Encouraging the weregorillas to break away from you when the Greeks invaded. Telling the vampires that they need to encroach upon their neighbors. And…” he let out a deep breath before meeting my eyes. “Possibly encouraging Zeus to challenge Gunnar.”

  I blinked. “You’re kidding, right?” He shook his head, face deadly serious. “Why?”

  “I think it’s retaliation against you. This person doesn’t like what you’ve done. He’s trying to break up everything, go back to the way things were before you began knocking people down.”

  I grimaced. “He prefers anarchy?” I spat. “Or does he just want everyone to solidify their boundaries? And how many groups are we talking about? I’m not even sure I know all the families in town. Wolves, dragons, gorillas, Greeks, vampires…” I shrugged. “Who else?”

  He pursed his lips. “I’m still trying to confirm that. There are supposedly seven families – or nations – in town. But many of them have kept a low profile as a result of your high profile. None of them have wanted to catch your attention for fear that you will roll over them, too.”

  I blinked at him. “Roll over them, too?” I laughed. “What is that supposed to mean? I’m not in charge of any of those families.”

  Alucard blinked at me. Talon grunted. I turned from one to the other, frowning. “You might not be in charge of them – directly – but you helped put almost all of them in their position of power. Think about it. Gunnar,” he said, holding up a finger, “is your childhood best friend, and he took over the local werewolves as a result of drama that fell on you.” I grimaced, nodding. “Raego. You practically handed him his throne, and not just for St. Louis, but for the world. And you embarrassed his grandmother.”

  “That was not my fault. The Academy brought her into it. I didn’t even know she existed.”

  “Ah, the Academy. You’ve shut them down repeatedly, even declared war on them.”

  I closed my mouth, realizing that anything I said wouldn’t really change the facts.

  “You shut down an Angel and his Nephilim, and now the Angel is a guardian for one of your old employees. A fucking Angel, Nate…” he said in a low tone, leaning forward. “The Greeks. You set up their Fight Club, now one of the premier sources of entertainment for all Freaks – those with the invite, anyway – giving them a lot of financial muscle.”

  “The gorillas don’t like me,” I said, latching onto one of the other factions.

  Alucard shrugged. “Yeah, you fucked up there. You almost had them.” His smile turned amused. “But you scooped up a Beast Master, one who can control all shifters. And she runs a school – that you founded – of independent shifters, beholden to no packs. Some consider them an army in training…” Then he pointed at himself. “And you have a Daywalker Vampire living at your house.” He finished off his drink, letting me absorb everything. “None of this is even considering your other friends – Talon, an Elder, the Horsemen… Or your enemies – the Syndicate, Makers, Athena,” he waved a hand, not bothering to list all the people against me, whether they were now alive or dead.

  Talon was watching me, looking impressed. I wasn’t sure I had ever laid it all out like that.

  “And now you’re friends with a Kansas City celebrity, Callie Penrose. Who has been making similar waves in her half of the state. And she just broke the Vatican. Do you see why people are concerned? They liked the way things were. Before you. And this White Fang is encouraging that while not taking any credit for it. Basically, lighting fuses all around town.”

  “Who is it?” I asked, my voice like a rusty nail scraping concrete.

  Alucard shrugged. “No one knows, but everyone talks about a werewolf wandering around town. Big son of a bitch. Gray. I checked with Gunnar before he left. Definitely not a part of his pack. Everyone says he is responsible, but I’ve never seen him. He’s a ghost.”

  “What did you mean about him leading Zeus Fletcher here?”

  “It makes sense,” Alucard shrugged. “White Fang is stirring up trouble, and suddenly Zeus arrives to challenge Gunnar.” He leaned forward, eyes grave. “I overheard Drake and Cowan talking to Gunnar. They said Zeus had an official invitation to the wedding, Nate.”

  I growled at that. Someone had given him an invite? Definitely not Gunnar. “Zeus is dead, now. No more rebellion against Gunnar. Or the Temple throne,” I added sarcastically.

  Alucard was silent for a moment, as if not wanting to continue. He finally sighed. “White Fang met with the gorillas today. One of Gunnar’s wolves was on patrol, keeping an eye on Zeus’ pack. He saw White Fang leaving the gorillas headquarters. The wolf tried to catch him but failed. White Fang is rumored to be very fast. As soon as the gorillas heard about the wolf on their turf, they chased him down with tenacity, threatening war if Gunnar’s pack crossed into their territory again.”

  I blinked at Alucard, shaking my head. “War? A handful of gorillas threatened war against a pack of hundreds of wolves?” I asked incredulously.

  Alucard nodded soberly. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. White Fang is inspiring people to act. Encouraging them to stand up by feeding their paran
oia. Everyone is gearing up for something big, and none of them are working together. Like I said, this White Fang isn’t uniting them behind anyone, just against each other. And against you. And with all the new faces coming to town, everyone is trying to solidify their property lines, so to speak.”

  I reached over to the bottle and refilled my glass, thinking. “White Fang…” I took a big gulp of my drink, growing angry. “I don’t want anyone behind me. They can do whatever they want. But it benefits no one to go to war.”

  “It’s a little late for that. I’m pretty sure it’s a foregone conclusion.”

  I squinted at Alucard suspiciously. “Is this why everyone is pushing me away? Why Gunnar didn’t want me to interfere? Why Raego treats me like a stranger?”

  “Pretty sure.” He managed to look mildly embarrassed as he continued. “It’s also why… I was called to the meeting last night with the vampires. They wanted to make sure I’m not one of your pets. Which means… I’m going to need you to give me some space as well. Roland and I are heading to the Sanguine Council tomorrow. To nominate me for Master of St. Louis. The only reason I was picked is because I’m obviously strong, and… I made it abundantly clear that you held no sway over me. At all.”

  I just stared at him. I was hurt. Even if Alucard was only doing it to get control over his vampires, it still hurt. Anyone with ties to me was fair game. Because of this White Fang.

  “I… see,” I murmured, fighting not to shatter the drink in my hand. Talon also looked torn between murdering Alucard and understanding the big picture. I faced Alucard. “Does this mean you actually want me to get out of your hair, or that you are just doing it for show? To become Master of St. Louis.”

  Alucard closed his eyes. “It needs to be authentic.”

  “Get out, Alucard,” I said through gritted teeth, setting my drink down. “Just… get out.”

  He sucked in a breath – even though he didn’t need to breathe – but I turned my back on him and walked away.

  My fucking hands were shaking.

  Chapter 20

  I realized I was standing before the Round Table, studying its little streams of liquid silver and gold that circled the surface in a constant flow. I studied them, breathing deeply. Be the stream. I heard Alucard leave, but didn’t acknowledge him. I felt Talon walking up to me.

  “I need a fucking mantra,” I said, not feeling at one with the molten metal stream.

  “Want me to kill him?” he asked, not an ounce of hesitation or judgment in his voice.

  I rounded on him. “No! Christ, Talon. I’m pissed, but not at him. Not really. I’m pissed that he has to do this. This fucking White Fang prick. He’s twisted everything around.”

  Talon arched a brow. “Alucard doesn’t have to do what he did. He could walk into their home and slaughter all opposing vampires. I think the Sanguine Council would approve. Bold.”

  I studied his eyes and realized he was being completely serious. That was actually the option he considered most beneficial. A murder spree.

  My pet kitty was a psycho.

  But… he might be right. Alucard was strong enough that he could have done as Talon suggested. But which was better? Murdering a bunch of scared vampires to make a point, or to do it the way he had, by having the balls to tell me to my face that he needed to cut ties to me.

  “If White Fang doesn’t stand to gain anything, why is he stirring up trouble? And if he was working with Zeus, why is he still here?”

  Talon shrugged. “Perhaps you will let me kill him? It won’t take me long.”

  I thought about it for a few moments before shaking my head. “No, not yet. If anyone sees you around town hunting White Fang, it will only put truth to his claims. Everyone will think I’m trying to silence him. That I really do fancy myself some kind of king.” I swore under my breath, turning back to the table, trying to find my center. What was the best way out of this?

  At least Gunnar’s pack had taken care of their own problem. Killing Zeus.

  But who else was facing similar issues in town? Who were the newcomers people kept talking about? Was there perhaps some kind of unified group and Alucard just wasn’t aware of it? Was White Fang causing chaos in hopes that I would shut everyone down and remove his competitors for him? But to plan that, he would have to have some kind of plan for after – how he intended to handle Nate Temple after I cleared the field of all these families.

  “We’ll be busy with our own problems soon. Let them fight over St. Louis. It’s not important. We’ve dealt with bigger wars than their petty power plays. We’ll sit on the lawn and watch the city burn.”

  Talon purred. “Spoken like a true king.”

  “Where’s that squirt bottle?” I muttered, patting my pockets. Talon hissed instinctively. I’d actually sprayed him with one a few times – a small squirt bottle I had carried around in my satchel for a few days.

  The house rumbled again and then let out what sounded like a sigh. The ravens burst into flight with a squawk but roosted again once the house stilled. Talon purred at their discomfort, but he studied the walls for a few silent seconds before turning back to me.

  “How long until that stops?” he asked. Talon knew the truth. He had been there when I found out. I’d also told Pan and Carl, just in case. But that was it.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. She hasn’t been very talkative lately. Maybe it will take a century or something. Or an hour. Without her talking to me, I’m not sure. And the way Kai made it sound – that Beasts weren’t supposed to be free, or to procreate outside of their bonds with a Maker – I’m not sure she would know the answer either. I think this is new to everyone.”

  Talon sighed. “Any thoughts on them?” he asked, not pointing openly, but flicking his eyes towards the ravens who were watching us in silence.

  “They haven’t spoken to me in a while. Just watched. Ever since the fight with Castor Queen when they bravely flew away,” I said loud enough for them to hear. The two ruffled their feathers in response, but didn’t comment. I growled in frustration. I had spoken with Odin. Twice. He’d been kind of a dick, but not more so than I had expected. Cryptic as hell, but that was par for the course with gods.

  But the second time I had seen him, he’d brought a hooded figure into this very room to… look at me, I guess. Odin had asked the wraith if he was satisfied, and then the two had disappeared. I had shrugged it off, assuming it had been Death being a creep. But it hadn’t been my Horseman pal. No one knew who he had been, and neither Odin nor his ravens had deigned to inform me who they had brought into my home, into my most secret room in Chateau Falco.

  Some god? Goddess? Friend? Enemy?

  I had no idea, but knowing that Odin’s ravens were on my family crest didn’t make me feel any better about it. It just made me feel like I was a pawn on a board, and that Odin was moving me about as he saw fit.

  The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to get to Hell so I could start killing things. But it wasn’t time yet. “I’m going to the Fight Club tonight. I feel like letting off some steam.”

  Talon purred. “That sounds positively delightful. Can I come?”

  I thought about it. “Only if Carl will stick around Chateau Falco. Just in case…” Talon sighed in understanding. In case Falco decided to deliver her Baby Beast. I needed someone strong here when that happened, in case the Baby Beast arrived in this world hungry and scared.

  Only to find a dozen appetizing treats walking around.

  My friends.

  Since I had no idea what a Baby Beast ate, I didn’t want to risk it.

  “That is wise. I’ll stay here with the albino.” He sounded as if he was volunteering for torture. I rolled my eyes, motioning for him to follow as I left the Sanctorum and entered the long stone tunnel that led back to the house proper. Purple flamed torches flared to life ahead of us. I glanced back to see the Round Table silently lowering back into the floor and shook my head.

  When all this was over, maybe
I would just move back to Fae with Talon and my Baby Beast.

  Chapter 21

  We walked through the halls of Chateau Falco. Armored statues and priceless paintings lined the halls and the thick woven rugs stretching down the floor were decorated in swirls of muted colors that fit the colors in the paintings of each section of the home like a leather glove. The entire mansion had been tastefully decorated over hundreds of years so that the vast size didn’t just feel like a vacant storage building. It felt like a home. Not just to me, but to those who visited as well. I could always see it in the eyes of my guests, that look of contentment and concealed wonder as they took in the polished chandeliers, the shining woodwork, and the overall feel to the space. But maybe it was just a result of being inside a living Beast.

  After a few minutes of walking we came upon one of the living rooms. Dean, my butler, was polishing a wooden bookshelf, taking care of one of the million details necessary to keep the place up to his exacting standards.

  Carl was speaking with the Huntress a dozen paces away from Dean, but I could tell the Butler was listening. The Huntress was an immortal assassin who had once worked for Rumpelstiltskin before I had taken him out. Van Helsing and Baba Yaga had also been working for him – having made a deal with him in their youth. They hadn’t read the fine print of their contracts with Rumpelstiltskin – Silver Tongue – and had wound up bound to serve him for hundreds of years. He used those agreements to coerce people to work for the Syndicate – a group of rogue wizards who stood against the Academy.

  But I had taken care of the Syndicate, too.

  Alucard’s accusations echoed in my ears, taunting. Maybe he had a point.

  I hadn’t seen the Huntress very much recently, and her relationship with Tory also seemed strained, letting me know it wasn’t just me she had been avoiding. I was pretty sure it had to do with Alex’s sudden changes – from a young teen to a young man. It didn’t sit well with her. The Huntress hadn’t ever been very fond of children, referring to them as it more often than not. But she had begrudgingly taken Alex under her care – opening up a heart she hadn’t known existed within herself – to give him the love he so desperately needed.