21 Shades of Night, page 249
Ephraim glanced at her, and she shook her head at him when Sutherland remained silent.
Ephraim tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel and said to her, “Kisaro’s too abrasive. Sutherland and the others wouldn’t like that, I’m sure.”
Her heart and head pounded with anxiety. “Sutherland?” Alena prompted into the phone, hoping to solicit his help in freeing David.
If Kisaro killed David, she would have no other recourse but to fight every last one of the bloody Brotherhood, Sutherland included. Hell, if she could get David’s vote on the Hunter League, as well thought of as a hunter as he was, they may very well get some vampire concessions. But if Kisaro killed him, that couldn’t help but send them hurtling into another deadly war between their kinds.
“What do you know about Kisaro’s plans?” Sutherland asked, his voice dark and lethal.
Pleased at the sliver of progress she’d made with the Scottish warrior, Alena turned to Ephraim, and covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “Sutherland wants me to tell him what I know about Kisaro’s plans to take over the Brotherhood.”
“Aye, I heard. Tell him the truth.”
“Which is?”
“Tell him my Aunt Isobel Campbell had given me an elixir that will enable me to return to the past. Kisaro wants it in exchange for David’s life.”
She waited for him to say more, but he motioned for her to tell Sutherland what he’d relayed to her. Sutherland could draw his own conclusions.
Alena explained the situation to Sutherland.
“Damn. Aunt Isobel—the witch.” A lengthy pause ensued. When he spoke again, Sutherland’s voice sounded concerned. “Does it work?”
“Ephraim met me in the past, so yes, it does.”
“You remember this?”
“Yes.”
“Bloody hell.”
Again prolonged silence followed.
Her blood pulsed faster while she waited for his response. Ephraim reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her a small amount of solace. Was her blood calling to him now with its rapid beating? She shook loose of the notion and considered their current dilemma. Would Sutherland agree to help them, not wanting to risk taking the chance? Or would he figure Kisaro couldn’t do the Brotherhood any harm?
Ephraim pulled into the driveway of Molly’s Texas style ranch house, the lights on in nearly every room in the house.
Alena barely breathed while she waited for Sutherland’s response.
“What happened when Ephraim returned to the past?” Sutherland finally asked. “Obviously he didn’t rescue you then, or you’d have been at his side for all of these years.”
She was afraid to tell him the potion was unstable. That no one who used it might be able to affect any change. If Sutherland thought so, he might not put much stock in it. Then they’d again be at Kisaro’s mercy concerning David’s life. “He returned to a later time... when I didn’t know him. He couldn’t save me in time.”
“Then possibly, nothing Kisaro could do would matter either.”
Her heart plummeted at the realization she might have lost a powerful ally. “Possibly. Do you want to risk it?”
Again, the silence hung between them like an invisible web, tying them together.
“If you become one of us, Elizabeth, I would take your part in this.”
She couldn’t believe he’d agreed to side with them, but with the caveat she’d blood bond with Ephraim. The gladness she felt in his offer of assistance was marred by the stipulation he’d posed. “Why do you want me to join you before helping us?”
“Because I believe as Ephraim does, only your being one of us will break the cycle of your family killing you. Hasn’t he suffered enough without your love?”
She knew then, his friend cared for Ephraim to a greater extent than she could see on the surface. For this, she admired him. He would attempt to force her to do what Ephraim desired of her, but what would Sutherland get out of it? However, she still believed she would serve everyone better if she remained a huntress for the time being. “I believe my people will listen to me more if I haven’t been turned.”
“‘Tis your choice. But I’ll only help you if you’re one of us.”
“Again, I ask why?”
“Hasn’t Ephraim told you about how he saved my life? Not one time, but three times? I owe him and the only way I could repay him is to give him that which he wants more than life itself.”
“I’m not yours to give.”
Ephraim chuckled. She cast him an annoyed look.
Molly peeked out the curtained front picture window of her home, undoubtedly wondering why Alena and Ephraim were parked in front of her place, but not leaving the car.
Sutherland said, “Aye, you’re mine to give, lass, if you want me to save David’s life. Ephraim’s aunt posed a riddle to me one day when I remarked how bonny you were, not in front of Ephraim, of course. She told me then, one day I’d find myself in a predicament where I’d hold your life in my hands. Through you, I’d be given the opportunity to repay my debts to Ephraim. It seems the time has finally come.”
Alena could almost hear the amusement in Sutherland’s words, like a child who had checkmated his opponent at a game of chess, thrilled to be winning in a maniacal sort of way. Maddening vampire games. Her cousin’s life hung in the balance. Irritation ran through her blood when Sutherland wouldn’t help her without her doing as he insisted.
“Blood bond with Ephraim and I’ll aid you in forming the new council. Sit on it with me, if you like. But you’ll be one of us.”
“I’ll have to think on it. Thanks, Sutherland.” She hung up on him, squashing the words she really wished to say. Somehow she had to ensure that the potion didn’t fall into Kisaro’s grasp. No telling what he planned to do in the past and whether he’d be successful at it when Ephraim was not.
“Well,” Ephraim said, motioning to Molly’s house, “are we ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Alena and Ephraim hurried up the long brick walk and when they reached the massive oak door, it swung open before Alena could even ring the doorbell. Normally, Molly wore a cheerful expression whenever she and Alena met, but tonight the woman’s countenance was strangely somber, her violet eyes a little red as if she’d been crying, but every gray hair was still in place and her designer slacks and blouse were impeccable as always. She gave Ephraim a long look, then said to Alena, “Come in. Where’s David? He was supposed to—”
“The vampire named Kisaro has taken him hostage. Listen, I have a bit of a mess to deal with on my own for a while—”
“You intend to rescue David,” Molly stated, her tone wooden. She gave Ephraim a harder look, and Alena felt suddenly wary. Molly said she’d be on their side, but was she changing her mind because of David’s situation?
“Yes, but, Molly, I need you to organize a force of hunters to attempt to persuade my father and the others—”
“Your father...” Molly stopped speaking at the entrance of her great room, the place filled with leather seating for large League meetings, but some brightly-colored, plastic toys decorated the coffee table and Alena assumed Molly had been babysitting her three grandchildren again. Molly spoke again, her voice choked with emotion, “Your father has been murdered.”
For several seconds, Alena didn’t say a word, too shocked at the news to respond. Then when the horror of the news finally registered, she stifled the sob that rose to her throat. She was barely aware that Ephraim had grasped her around the waist before her knees buckled.
“No.” Her eyes filled with tears and her head fogged as she attempted to reconcile the facts as they now stood. All of a sudden the vampire’s cause didn’t seem as important. Now all she could think of was making the one who’d killed her father pay for his crime. It didn’t matter how distant or cold he’d been toward her after her mother had died because he’d been so distraught. Or the way he had wanted to eliminate Ephraim when she felt there was no just cause. He’d still been her father, and she’d always felt deep down he’d loved her.
“I’m sorry, dear,” Molly said, her voice cracking with emotion, trying to keep her huntress composure in front of a vampire. More tears collected in her eyes. She reached out and touched Alena’s shoulder. “You’re needed at once to take a seat on the council.”
“I’m going after the ones who did this.” Alena wouldn’t sit quietly in the Hunter League and issue orders. She would hunt like she was trained to, only this time she had to avenge her father’s death.
“You can’t, Alena. The League needs you. Believe me, it won’t be easy. He was murdered by one of our own.”
Alena’s heart felt as though it had been ripped through a shredder. “A vampire didn’t murder him? A hunter did?” Alena choked back the tears, her stomach twisting. “Why?” She forced the word out as if she was living a nightmare and nothing came easily. She couldn’t even imagine that anyone in the League could have murdered one of their own.
“Your father talked of making sweeping reforms. He talked of allowing vampires to represent themselves.”
“My God, he agreed with me.” Overwhelming feelings of love and admiration for her father washed over her. And regret for him not telling her how he’d come to change his mind. Would he have accepted Ephraim as a son-in-law after all? She wasn’t sure he’d have gone that far. But if he’d known what had happened between her and Ephraim, he might have changed his mind and gone against the notion of changing the status quo between the hunters and vampires.
Now it was too late, and a morbid gloom settled over her.
But in that instant, she made the decision—right or wrong. Nothing mattered but Ephraim and her happiness. The situation between the League of Hunters and the Brotherhood of the Vampires would be resolved one way or another. Or maybe never.
She might not be able to do anything about that. With Ephraim, she had a choice. And whether they lived or died, she had to give themselves the chance to be together, to see if they could break the curse.
Ephraim moved her to the nearest couch when she couldn’t stand any longer.
Molly took a seat across from her, the look on her face now tired, but not wholly defeated. “Yes, dear, your father agreed with you. I believe he considered what you told him, realizing our kind could be wiped out if enough vampires are created to fight us. The last time we had a revolt, the vampires wouldn’t stoop so low as to create an army of vampires from just any humans. This time, they’re changing tactics so that they can win at any cost. We can’t risk it. But some League members can’t see it that way. Arrogance runs rampant. They believe we will win, when in reality it could be the end of us.”
Alena tested the waters with the plan she wanted most to succeed at. Would the woman who was the most open-minded on the League Council be against it? If Molly couldn’t be swayed to believe in Alena, no one could. Alena patted Ephraim’s hand while he hovered over her as if he wanted to console her in some way but wasn’t sure how. “I want to marry Sutton Bastrop. The man I’ve been assigned to kill.”
Molly let out her breath and gave Ephraim a severe look. “You might be able to, if you’re able to influence the League. But you can’t blood bond with him. They might listen to you, but they won’t if you’ve become a vampire.”
Alena took a deep breath. “Maybe that’s how this needs to begin. To show hunters and vampires we can live as one.” She rose from the sofa and took Ephraim’s hand. “We will do what we can to bring this about peaceably. But my mind is made up. We won’t be separated again.”
Besides, Alena had to free David and have him on her side. Since he was one of the most well-respected hunters of their time, she knew if David backed her, they’d have a chance to make sweeping changes in the League’s policies. He’d already shown a desire to change the League.
But she didn’t think she could free David without Sutherland’s help, and he wouldn’t give it to her if she didn’t blood bond with Ephraim.
“Your place is with the League now,” Molly reiterated, sliding a sideways glance at Ephraim as if she was worried the vampire was unduly influencing Alena
“But what about trying to organize the hunters to form a new council? To allow the vampires a say? Will you help?” Alena implored.
“Yes, but it’s really up to you now, dear. Several hunters have been scouring the countryside looking for you. They expect you to meet with the assembled League at once.”
Taking a deep breath, Alena braced herself for the next question she had to know the answer to, but was reluctant to learn which hunter would commit such a hideous crime. “Who killed Father?”
Ephraim rubbed her shoulder with reassurance, his eyes showing compassion, but she could see the fire burning in their depths, too.
Molly didn’t offer a name right away, which was not a good sign.
“Molly?”
“Jared MacLeod,” Molly replied with resignation.
Alena gulped back her surprise. How could David’s older brother have done such a horrid thing? Murdered her father, his own kin? Would David take arms against his own brother for what he’d done, or change his mind and side with him? After all he was a closer relation than she was to David and no matter the trouble Jared had gotten into over the years, David had always stuck up for him.
God, how could the situation get any worse?
“Do you know if Jared planned the killing as a coup to take my father’s place, or had he truly not wanted the changes to the League to occur? He isn’t half the hunter that David is. Bastard. I don’t believe the other members will follow Jared. Do you?”
Molly shook her head. “I don’t know his motives, Alena. We have a few upstarts that will go along with Jared, I’m afraid. Go to the League and stop those who threaten further mutiny. If the League falls apart now with the Brotherhood killing our kind, too, we’re doomed.”
Ever since she’d become involved with Ephraim, Alena was torn over what she had to do—now even more so, when everything before this had been easy for her—take care of renegades, train more, enjoy outings with Misty. Now her whole world was turned upside down again just like when her mother had died.
Ephraim wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry about your father, lass.”
“As hard and unyielding as he could be…” Alena fought to hold back the tears. “Oh, Ephraim, why didn’t he tell me he wanted to make the changes?”
“He was a man.” Ephraim lifted a shoulder. “Maybe it had to be his idea? What is it that you want to do, lass?”
She took a tearful breath. “We’ll go to your home.”
“But won’t you be able to better sway them as a member of the League?”
“No. I think some will want me dead. As they wanted my father dead.” She tried to settle the lightheadedness she felt from learning the news about her father’s death. Yet another concerned continued to nag at her. My family will kill me again. She had assumed her father would put a contract out on her, that David might even be the one to terminate her once they discovered she’d had relations with Ephraim.
Maybe it was her cousin Jared who’d be out for her blood. Would blood bonding break the curse like Ephraim assumed?
Ephraim took hold of her hand. “I’ll take care of Kisaro myself.”
“But how? What if he tells the one who’s holding David, to kill him if he doesn’t return by a certain time? Kisaro will have the potion, and God knows how he’ll use it.”
“We have forty-five minutes, Alena. I was to meet Kisaro at my house and—”
She pulled out her cell phone and called David’s number.
“Hello? You have reached...”
She cursed inwardly. When the answering machine beeped she said, “Kisaro, this is... Elizabeth.”
She caught sight of Ephraim looking at her with unabashed joy.
She smiled at him, then said to Kisaro, “There’s been a slight change of plans. Ephraim and I have to meet with the League at once. We’ll give you a call as soon as we’ve finished conducting business there.” She hung up, then called Sutherland back.
“Elizabeth, do you wish to negotiate further? Have we a deal? Will you blood bond with Ephraim?” Sutherland asked, his tone of voice darkly enthusiastic.
“Father’s been murdered while trying to convince the League to allow your kind to be represented on a newly-formed League.”
Stunned silence met her ears. Then Sutherland groaned. “So close to getting what we wanted. But if the murderer is still loose, then you could face the same kind of—”
“Hopefully, Ephraim and I can protect ourselves better. Father wouldn’t have expected violence. Unlike him, we’ll be armed.”
“I want to join you.”
“We need you need to look after Mona.”
Ephraim glanced at her, surprised.
“Will you do this for us?” Alena asked Sutherland over the phone.
“Will you blood bond with Ephraim?”
Alena let her breath out in exasperation. “Not because you’ve asked it of me.” She squeezed Ephraim’s hand and looked into his darkened gaze. “Because I love Ephraim and can’t live without him for another three hundred years.”
“You cannot go wrong, lass. And though I will no longer have any chance at winning your heart, I give you both my blessings.”
“Thanks, Sutherland, for your friendship now and in the past.”
“Keep yourself safe, lass. I’ll not forgive Ephraim if he allows any harm to come to you,” Sutherland said in a heavier brogue.
And that’s when she vaguely recalled Ephraim’s friend, drinking with him in a tavern, fishing with him in the loch, sailing together on the Irish Sea. For all time, they’d been friends. Then Sutherland cut the connection.
Feeling their situation was doomed at best, Alena closed up her phone. She couldn’t turn her back on David now when his life depended on it, not when he’d been like a brother to her. But even more than that, the eerie feeling that her own kind would terminate her and separate her from Ephraim to repeat the cycle sometime in the future was more than she could bear. If it was the last thing she did, she had to take a chance. She had to prove if Ephraim’s theory was right or wrong, once and for all.
