Devil’s Blood: Shade of Devil Book 3 Page 2

  “Go outside and tell your High Priestess that Sorin Ambrogio,” I growled, heavily enunciating my name, “does not respond to demands—from anyone. Reassure her that I trapped Dracula. I’m not his damned ally. I will execute him after I have a chance to interrogate him. When I am ready, I will permit her to sit in the front row. She can be close enough to catch some blood spray if she really wants proof. For now, send them on their way. I’ve got important work to do.” Nosh abruptly fell into a coughing fit, his cheeks flushing bright red as his eyes darted towards the errant blouse on the ground. I pressed on, ignoring him. “Vampire work. It is very dangerous, and it will require my utmost attention—”

  Izzy was shaking her head, licking her lips nervously. “They said their arrival was simply a courtesy,” she whispered. “A formality. If you do not meet the Sisters of Mercy right now, then you have two hours to deliver Dracula into their custody or they will consider your actions a declaration of war.”

  I stared at her incredulously. “They don’t even know my name!” I sputtered. “Are they serious?”

  Izzy looked up at me, and I realized that her eyes were red-rimmed—that she was doing all she could to hold herself together. “They have already ex-communicated me,” she whispered. “Just for knowing you.” She lowered her eyes and I watched a tear roll down her cheek. “I am no longer a Sister of Mercy.” She wiped the tear away, looking back up at me. “I would say they are pretty goddamned serious,” she said with an edge of menace.

  Well, shit.

  2

  I somehow managed to bite down on my intense desire to go out there and murder them all.

  “Why would they ex-communicate you?” I demanded, struggling to gather my thoughts and continue to think rationally rather than emotionally.

  “I have been living in the city while you took over, working with you, in fact. At best, they think I’m incompetent for not stopping you. They do not trust me any longer.” She shrugged. “The Speaker to the High Priestess addressed me as a messenger, not as a fellow Sister. None of them would look me in the eyes when she handed me the letter stripping me of my title.”

  I ground my teeth, deciding that I didn’t like the Sisters of Mercy or their High Priestess very much. I shared a long look with Nosh, who was squeezing Izzy’s shoulder comfortingly. She stared down at the ground and I watched another tear fall from her cheek. I felt the flint arrowhead in my pocket, and I smiled faintly. I discreetly tapped my pocket with a finger and Nosh smiled, looking surprised at my indication. He stared at me for a long moment, obviously torn.

  Because it was a token of his trust. A gift he had given me. A gift a son had given his father.

  If that story was actually true. Nosh had been delirious when he’d let it slip, and he was a skinwalker, so I had no way to verify his claim. It would be better for him if he wasn’t related to the Olympians. Safer. Which was why I hadn’t told anyone about it.

  Even if we weren’t related, he had extended me his trust in letting me have one of his arrowheads—the totem for one of his magical tomahawks. They were somehow tied to his skinwalker abilities, but I wasn’t quite sure how.

  I leaned forward and gripped Izzy’s upper arm. I placed the arrowhead in her palm and closed her fingers over it. “I freely pass on my claim to this tomahawk, which Nosh entrusted to me. I’m not sure if there is something he needs to say to make it official, but my gesture has nothing to do with magic.” I cupped her cheek, drawing her focus to my face. Her eyes glistened as she stared back at me. “Forget the Sisters of Mercy. Welcome to my family,” I said kindly. Because I’d decided that love would no longer be a curse for my family. For Nosh, if he really was my son. But my family wasn’t restricted to blood. Izzy had been a good friend, going out of her way to help me do the right thing—even when it went against what the Sisters of Mercy had wanted.

  Family was loyalty and trust. Not blood. The irony of a vampire not making blood a priority was not lost on me.

  Izzy’s chin trembled as she nodded, more tears spilling down her cheeks. “I can feel it inside me,” she whispered, staring down at it. “Like Nosh is holding my hand.”

  I wasn’t sure if she knew about him being a skinwalker, but she sensed the magic from the tomahawk. That topic was for him to share at his leisure. I had enough secrets on my mind. “You’re a saint compared to the rest of us, Izzy,” I added with a wry smile. “We need some good to outweigh the bad.”

  Surprisingly, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. I felt the stiff bulge of pistols beneath her jacket, letting me know that she loved me. The smell of strawberries filled my nose as she tried to suffocate me with her thick red hair. “Thank you, Sorin. Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing me tightly. “And I’m glad we are no longer pretending your relationship is a secret.” I stiffened in surprise and she laughed, squeezing me tighter. “Which you just gave away if I had any doubts.”

  I grumbled in displeasure, casting a frown at Nosh. He smiled crookedly. “She’s devious. Used some magic to get it out of me.”

  Izzy pulled away, rolling her eyes at Nosh as she pocketed the arrowhead. “I massaged your ridiculously beautiful hair, shaman. It was remarkably easy. No magic needed.”

  Nosh sighed, dipping his chin at me. “Thank you.”

  “She’s family. Unless you mess it up,” I warned him. “Don’t mess it up, Nosh.”

  Izzy nodded matter-of-factly. “I concur. Listen to Papa Ambrogio.” I winced at the term, surprised at the sudden terror that flooded through my stomach at the simple four-letter word.

  Nosh held up his hands with a laugh. “Deal.”

  I folded my arms, staring at her thoughtfully. “If I’m allies with Dracula, why is he currently imprisoned in my castle and unable to get out? Shouldn’t we be out on the town, drowning the city in blood?” I asked dryly.

  She shrugged. “They do not trust you. They fear that you saved Dracula from their clutches and are now protecting him with your mist. If you could move the castle, you must also have the strength to kill him. Therefore, you must be his ally.”

  I scoffed. “You’re kidding me. What does any of this have to do with them anyway?”

  She blinked at me, frowning. Then realization seemed to dawn on her. “Of course,” she whispered. “I didn’t even think about that. The Sisters protected humans from his castle overseas, making sure humans didn’t wander too close. They were an extra barrier to make sure humans didn’t wander in, and monsters didn’t wander out. It was a permanent siege since no one has ever been strong enough to break in or destroy the castle. It is also why Dracula uses others to do his dirty work—he couldn’t afford to step out of his castle and get caught. So, when you came in and stole the whole fucking property, you made them look like incompetence reincarnate. It looked like a prison break.”

  I blinked at her, turning to Nosh. “And no one thought to tell me this when I was formulating my grand plan to move the castle?” I demanded.

  Nosh shifted from foot-to-foot. “I was preoccupied with legal battles,” he said lamely.

  Izzy studiously avoided eye contact.

  “You two didn’t think I would pull it off, did you?” I whispered, feeling surprisingly wounded by their lack of faith.

  They grimaced, tripping over themselves in an attempt to reassure me with hollow platitudes.

  “That hurts,” I said, cutting them off. “That really hurts.” I began to pace, thinking out loud. “Since I made them look bad, the only way for them to weasel out of ridicule is to point the blame at me. It’s a political scheme,” I said. Then I burst out laughing. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! I invented these games! They’re doubling down on a bad bet, letting their emotions get the best of them.”

  They were staring at me incredulously. “Did you just quote the Godfather?” Nosh asked.

  I stared at him for a few quiet seconds. Then I envisioned a world where he hadn’t spoken and made it my rea
lity. Izzy glanced at him with a slow shake of her head. “I think that was all Sorin,” she mused. I nodded affirmatively. “Wow. Well, you nailed it. Was that your first pop culture reference?”

  I closed my eyes, holding my palm to my forehead as I took a deep, calming breath, vividly aware of the fact that I could be tangled up in damp sheets with my devils right now. I could also be fighting witches.

  Both would have been better.

  I lowered my palm. “Alright, so I made them look bad and now they want to save face. That about right?”

  Izzy sensed my obvious frustration and focused back on the matter at hand. “There is also the chance that they actually believe it,” she admitted. “I think it’s both.”

  I nodded absently, thinking. “Of course it is both. That’s how you play the game. Always have at least two paths to victory,” I murmured to myself, thinking out loud. I paused, glancing over at her. “You mentioned a Speaker to the High Priestess.”

  Izzy nodded. “The High Priestess never, ever, gets directly involved. She always uses her Speaker—a carefully vetted witch from the Sisters of Mercy. Even we don’t see or speak to the High Priestess. That is why I’m so concerned. For her to come to town and instantly demand a meeting with you—a vampire—is alarming.”

  I scratched my chin, wondering if Izzy knew as much as she thought she did. Royalty had been using ‘Speakers’ in some form or fashion for hundreds upon hundreds of years—usually to set them up as a scapegoat if and when they made a poor decision. A quick I never told them to say that! And their integrity was safe while the poor speaker was slapped in irons and beheaded or strung up in the city square the next morning. Odds were good that the High Priestess was playing the same game. Maintaining distance from your followers often produced a high level of fanaticism and zealotry, binding the ties of loyalty even tighter, and closing off the weak links in the chain with instant alibis. If no one ever heard the ruler speak, all fingers would point to the speaker rather than the ruler.

  Power begets power.

  “Okay. She threatens war, which is fine. But what does she really want? Specifically?”

  “Um. War is not fine, Sorin,” Nosh said with a concerned look on his face. “We should clarify that up front.”

  Izzy took a steadying breath, collecting her thoughts and looking as if she was debating her answer. “She wants Dracula in her custody. Period.”

  I cocked my head. “If she’s not angling to take me down as well, she’s even worse at this game than I first assumed.” I threw my hands into the air, muttering. “Fucking hobbyists all over the place. Does no one know how to properly set up their enemies anymore? It’s embarrassing.”

  The two of them watched me in silence for a few moments, giving me some time to calm down. “I have been exiled, so I only know what I’ve been told as a messenger,” she said. “But I do know how the Sisters from the Castle Guard detail think. Only the most powerful, most obedient, and most fanatical get that job—like their own noble court basking in the radiance of the omnipotent High Priestess.” I grunted my agreement. That sounded right.

  “Their potions explode more zealously,” Nosh said, smiling.

  Izzy shot him a stern look, biting back a grin. “The only vampire they ever speak about is Dracula. The rest of you are not worth their attention. Just another body to bury.” Her eyes widened and she winced. “Their words. Not mine. The Sisters of Mercy are rather jaded, being stuck outside the castle for decades. They don’t involve themselves with the church or the happenings of mankind. They consider themselves an army with one purpose. To stand between the world and Dracula. That is one reason the lower echelons of the Sisters of Mercy work through the churches—so we know where we need to go to fight the other monsters of the world.”

  I grunted, scratching at my chin as I processed her words and put myself in the position of the High Priestess. How would I maneuver out of such a predicament? After a few moments, I faced Izzy. “Everyone knows that I am not turning over Dracula, even your High Priestess. This is all just a dance.” Nosh stared at me so intensely that it looked like he was trying to video record me with his eyeballs. “They want to drag me out of my home tonight as an act of dominance—a power play in front of my army of vampires and werewolves—only so that we can confirm the real meeting with the High Priestess. Two hours from now, you said?” I asked, not waiting for a response. “Let me guess. It’s at a church.”

  She stared at me, her lips moving wordlessly for a few seconds. “Y-yes,” she finally whispered. “Trinity Church in the Financial District.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. I assume my army is surrounding them?” Izzy nodded. “Perfect. Tell this Speaker that I will be out in twenty minutes and ask if they need any refreshments while they wait outside.”

  They blinked in unison. “Just like that?” Nosh asked. “You’ll go to their meeting.”

  I shrugged. “Sure. The whole point of these charades is to make the other party second guess themselves. They’ll be wondering why I agreed so easily and why I humbly treated them as welcome guests. But they’ll also be annoyed that I’m making them wait on my front steps. Which one is my true angle?” I smiled at him. “The devil is in the details.” I turned to Izzy. “What can you tell me about this High Priestess?”

  She winced. “I’ve never met her before, but I know she is very powerful. No one else is even close. She wears a veil over her face when she does make one of her rare appearances, and even then, she does not talk. Sisters have died for accidentally seeing her face or hearing her voice. I knew one of them. Her own Speaker had her eyes gouged out so as not to see what should not be seen.”

  Nosh blinked at her. “That is monumentally ignorant. Who the fuck does she think she is?”

  “Are you up for the task?” I asked, sensing her trepidation.

  She nodded firmly. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it.” She turned to Nosh. “It would be best if I approach them by myself.”

  He pursed his lips. “They won’t do anything stupid, will they?”

  She hesitated. “They won’t do anything with an army of monsters surrounding them, and I intend to stick close to the museum doors, just in case.”

  “I’m going to change and let my devils know what’s going on. I’ll be out in twenty.”

  Izzy smiled approvingly. “I think it’s cute how you call them that.” She cast a suggestive look at Nosh before striding away. He gave me a forlorn look and I chuckled.

  “Don’t ask me, Nosh. I’ve got two of my own problems to deal with.” I pressed the button for the elevator again, surprised that Victoria and Natalie hadn’t come looking for me.

  3

  Nosh stepped into the elevator with me. I pressed the button, wondering why he was following me rather than waiting in the lobby where he could keep an eye on Izzy.

  “For the record, I do not appreciate being taken away from my work,” I said meaningfully. I pointed at two piles of clothes lying on the floor of the elevator as we began to descend. Natalie and Victoria had finished undressing. Right here, reminding me what the High Priestess’ distraction had cost me.

  “Work,” Nosh said, dryly, nudging one of the piles of clothes with the tip of his boot.

  They had even left their shoes. I closed my eyes for a two-count, accepting the pain of knowing that today was just not my day. I opened my eyes and turned to look at him. “I never said it was father-son appropriate work,” I admitted with a guilty grin.

  Nosh flashed me a hollow smile. “Same boat,” he said with a frustrated sigh. “Your relationship with them reminds me of the Brides of Dracula.”

  I frowned at the abrupt shift of topic. “What?”

  He gestured at the pile of clothes, sensing my confusion. “There is a story about Dracula having three brides, written after you were put to sleep. They give him power and live with him inside the castle. Details are sketchy, but it reminds me of your devils,” he said absently. “Even though it’s not you
r story, it’s like you’re rewriting it. Maybe it’s a vampire thing.”

  I studied him thoughtfully. Was it? Was that the explanation for my bond with the devils? Something to do with my power? It had never happened in my earlier life. Did that mean Dracula had a similar power source to mine? Was that why the Sisters of Mercy were so concerned?

  Sensing I wasn’t going to comment, he let out a breath, his face growing somber. “On that note, the Sisters aren’t our only problem. Eve was waiting for me outside when we were leaving. Thankfully, she left before the Sisters showed up or things could have really gone south.”

  I stared at him, frowning anxiously. I hadn’t even considered Adam and Eve in this whole mess. They had been allies to the Sisters—at least to Izzy, anyway. In my opinion, they had been more like willing prisoners, stuck in the sewers below Central Park. But that had all changed when I turned them into vampires. They were much happier with their new life, but Nosh had a solid point. Their transformation into Nephilim vampires definitely wouldn’t help my relations with the Sisters. Especially not if they attacked the Sisters on the steps of the museum. They were ridiculously protective of me.

  “What did Eve want?”

  He must have noticed the panic on my face because he held out his hands in a calming gesture. “It’s okay. She went back to the castle gates before the Sisters showed up.”

  “What did she want?” I repeated in a low growl.

  “She was concerned about the castle,” he said, scratching at his jaw. “She thinks something is wrong with it, and she wanted your reassurance that all was well. I think she was embarrassed that she might be panicking over nothing, but she didn’t want to take the risk since she’s still trying to accept the fact that she can now talk to your castle.” He glanced at me pointedly. “Which is really fucking weird, Sorin. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”