Lily held his arm tight as she walked beside him through a grand but very dark hotel entrance, a dozen chandeliers illuminating what turned out to be walls of glimmering obsidian detailed with white crystals in small, scattered diamond-pattern designs.
She reached out for Josh, and maybe it was her mother’s heart or maybe her tracking ability, but she knew exactly where he was, even though at least two miles of rock separated her from her son. I know where Josh is.
We’ll get to him, Lily, as soon as we can. But first the weapon. I’ve been thinking maybe we could destroy it before Daniel got to it.
If only we could.
Too many ifs and maybes in this equation.
She wanted to reach out to Josh telepathically, to let him know she was nearby, but she feared alerting Daniel. What if he could discern her telepathic communications with Josh? She just didn’t want to take the chance.
One step at a time.
With such a large gathering of Ancestrals, even the air felt different, humming with power as she descended a wide, carved staircase into the Beijing resort.
Moving down a large hall, she used her tracking ability and focused on the weapon. What came back to her was a massive machine not far from where Josh was being held, and the pull from this machine was enormous.
The extinction weapon.
She truly had found the weapon, or at least one significant version of it.
She shared the news with Adrien, who stiffened.
Another frightening thought intruded. Do you think Daniel already knows where it is?
Adrien shifted to meet her gaze, shaking his head. I sincerely doubt it, but he may have had reason to guess it might be here.
You’re probably right. If he knew where it was, he wouldn’t have gone to this much trouble.
When she entered the banquet room, she climbed three steps, grateful because of her heels to have Adrien’s support. The tables were laid out on a raised portion of stone and carpeted with thick, plush burgundy-and-black carpet.
At the far end was a dais beside which Daniel, his two subservient sons, and other elegantly garbed Ancestrals chatted together.
She had to admit, though, that of all the male Ancestrals present, Daniel exceeded them all in basic charisma. He had a champagne glass in hand and smiled, always his smile. He wore a finely tailored tux, like Adrien’s, his black hair oiled and combed straight back.
“He seems to enjoy his role,” she whispered to Adrien.
“That he does.”
Daniel stood smiling, his gaze roving the guests, of whom there had to be at least three hundred present. Since there were only about five hundred Ancestrals in the vampire culture, the number here tonight was significant.
Every race was present, so that it would seem the vampire world truly did share basic human genetics. But somewhere a couple of genes had taken a hard turn that had to do with the ability to grow and release fangs, increase bodily strength, and develop a severe reaction to sunlight. The rest, even Daniel’s behavior, was very human. In her opinion, he was a contented psychopath who had somehow maneuvered his way into a position of power, reveled in his rule, and intended to do whatever he needed to keep it, including acquiring, and probably using, a weapon that could wipe out his species.
As she glanced around, and saw that many vampires were staring at her, she sensed a kind of group curiosity and amazement, especially since the chain she wore drew a lot of attention. Adrien’s chains were less evident, hidden as they were beneath his shirt. But as she let her own gaze wander, she noticed that a lot of women present wore chains similar to hers, though enhanced with other jewelry. There were even women with multiple chains.
From a nearby group, Gabriel joined them. She greeted him with a kiss on each cheek, something the Ancestrals tended to do. He seemed grateful that she was there, but especially Adrien, whom he clapped on the shoulder a couple of times. “Rumy has kept me informed,” he said quietly.
Adrien merely nodded, then patted Lily’s hand. She still clutched his arm, her heart pounding in her chest, thoughts bouncing rapidly from Josh, to the weapon, to Daniel and back again, over and over.
Gabriel drew a small, silk-wrapped packet from the inner pocket of his coat. He offered it to Lily. “I brought you a gift.”
She met his gaze. “You did?” She’d never been more surprised.
“With all that you’ve been through, I thought you needed this, a small gesture. No, don’t open it now.”
Lily felt the air around her waver slightly. At first, she thought she was having another revisiting vision, but the blue silk of the present, cool beneath her fingers, had begun to vibrate.
She looked down at it frowning, then back to Gabriel.
The wave-like feel of the air suddenly made sense, especially when Gabriel’s voice pierced the center of her brain. I’ve created a brief disguise and we have only a few seconds to speak, but by now you know what you’re holding; the companion chain to Adrien’s. Lily, it would be permanent but it would geometrically increase his power for every ability he possesses. Keep that in mind. You’ll have a choice to make soon. Follow your instincts and trust in Adrien’s goodness above all things.
The air warmed up, the disguise dissipated, and Gabriel turned to greet someone else. She slipped the gift into her velvet purse, her heart pounding once more.
Adrien had also turned away, perhaps because of Gabriel’s disguising skill, and she no longer held his arm. She took deep breaths and let the moment unfold.
She had with her now the companion double-chain to Adrien’s, one that would bind her to him forever. She could never escape him or this world.
But she could increase his power.
Josh, the weapon, Daniel, escape.
Double-chain, no escape. Ever.
Her gaze moved to Adrien, who turned and introduced her to a handsome couple, but she couldn’t register their names. Her ears felt full of fog.
She shook hands and Adrien passed her a glass of champagne. She smiled and nodded.
Double-chains.
She looked up at Adrien, seeing him in his element, as a man of confidence and ease among vampires, now his peers because of his rise to Ancestral status. He was already four hundred years old and would live to be much, much older.
What had Gabriel been thinking to have given her the companion double-chain?
She had a choice to make.
But her decision had long since been made the moment she gave birth to Josh. He was her priority. Her mother’s heart demanded it. She would do anything to make sure he lived.
Her gaze drifted to the dais. Daniel watched her from over the rim of his glass. He was forty feet away, at least, yet she felt as though he stood next to her.