CHAPTER FOUR
Kendrick sighed. "I should have known you'd pick up on that." He pointed to his table. It was evident from the multi-colored plates that he was testing for elemental influences. "Technically, finding out the elemental magic used in the virus can help. I have deduced that there is a sort of self-destructive command encoded within the virus. Once it drops below body temperature it erases any traces of the virus and magic within seventy-two hours, give or take."
Serenity nodded. "So by isolating the elemental magic used, you can nullify that magic giving Vivi more time to study the virus."
Kendrick nodded. "Exactly."
Serenity stared. "And?" He gave her a devilish grin. "And, if I can figure out which element was used I can begin tracing the magic back to the witch." He eyed the table. "There are very few witches in the world who can create something this intricate. I mean, you're talking about magic on a molecular level." He shrugged. "I can do it, but that's not really saying much."
"Kendrick..." Serenity growled impatiently.
Kendrick blinked. "Right. Anyway. There are only a handful of witches it could be, and I know all of them. If I can determine who it is, I can take the steps needed to ensure that this virus or any other like it never happens again."
Micah frowned. "But by creating this virus and infecting people, killing people, wouldn't the witch who created the virus turn feral and lose their magic?"
Kendrick shrugged slowly. "Welcome to Magical Ethics 101."
Serenity groaned. "It falls into a grey area doesn't it?" When she was studying for her exams she and Kendrick had gone round, for round discussing magical ethics. He always played devil's advocate and she usually ended up screaming at him. His favorite arguments took full advantage of what he liked to call 'grey areas'. Scenarios that were neither right nor wrong. Neither white magic nor black magic. Neither overtly helpful nor harmful. Just a vast, bleak, grey zone where some good was done, but mostly bad.
Kendrick nodded. "Technically, the virus in and of itself is harmless. The witch who created it didn't infect anyone." He held up a finger. "Now here's where it gets even trickier. DeLaFontaine is the one who distributed it, yet he's not feral. Why?"
Micah closed his eyes and shook his head. "Because he wasn't the one who created the virus." He opened his eyes to stare at Kendrick. "That's one of the most brilliant loopholes I've ever seen." He paused before continuing. "Who in the hell is behind this?"
Serenity stared down at the table. What Kendrick was doing made a lot more sense. If they could figure out the witch, they could use them to trace this back to whoever was pulling the strings. She glanced back up at Kendrick. "Whoever is behind this used one of the oldest Founding Family heads as a pack mule," she whispered.
Kendrick nodded. "I knew you'd see the depth of this issue quickly."
"They must have solid brass balls," Micah murmured.
Serenity rolled her eyes. "What makes you think a man is smart enough to do this?"
"Hey," Kendrick and Micah protested.
She grinned. "Just saying." She walked over to the table. "Earth magic huh?" she said pointing down to the bright green tray.
Kendrick nodded. "I can use the twins to stabilize the magic in the virus, this should also help make it more visible."
"The boys?" she asked feeling anxious. She didn't want them anywhere near this magic.
Kendrick patted her shoulder. "They are grown now Serenity, you can cut the apron strings." He chuckled. "Besides, they rival me for earth magic power."
"Their test scores were barely passing," Serenity argued. There was no way Nigel and Neil had the same amount of power as Kendrick.
Kendrick rubbed the back of his neck while Micah chuckled. "I may have taught them how to hide their magic for the exams," he confessed.
Serenity looked to her mate. "You said something similar, about fudging your test scores."
Micah nodded. "Most witches who want to continue to serve as unit warriors have to hide their abilities to get lower scores or they would be contracted out by Storm Keep to earn money for the city. If you have mediocre scores they allow you to remain a warrior since the city is obligated to provide warriors for the units. It's why Leif and Travis were hiding out in Vegas. They accidentally displayed their magic when they prevented that mudslide while visiting home a while ago. The test administrators wouldn't have been fooled. Magnus did everyone a huge favor getting them reassigned back to Noctem Falls and their tests cancelled."
Serenity clenched her teeth in frustration. Instantly Micah was wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "What's wrong? What's upset you?"
She looked up at him tears in her eyes. "They barely even tested me because I'm not a full blooded witch. 'Half-breeds' are assessed at two-hundred and fifty years old instead of five hundred years old like full blooded witches. I had half the amount of time to study. They gave me the score they thought I should have. At the time, I fought for every point thinking I had a chance at working for the council, but after I received my score I was informed that although I had potential they were reserving those open positions for other candidates, in other words, you need not apply."
Kendrick nodded sympathetically. "I never did put much faith in their scoring system."
Micah rubbed her back soothingly. "Look at this way love, Kendrick's been sabotaging the system for centuries, that shitty score they gave you is meaningless." As the words tumbled out of his mouth they turned to each other, then to Kendrick who began to whistle and stare up at the ceiling as if he weren't single-handedly responsible for ruining an entire social structure.
Micah chuckled and Serenity wiped her eyes. "In a way I'm glad they turned me down. They initially asked me to act as a low-level secretary in the Magical Academy. I was stubborn and deliberately moved to the Lower City to take the position as the Water Temple head." She exhaled. "Thank the gods for whoever insisted on keeping the temple there, otherwise a lot people would have been denied care. Since it's in the Lower City the temple was hard pressed to fill positions. The placement board thought it was an appropriate assignment for me." She smiled. "It has allowed me to help so many people and has made my life so full that I can't imagine working in the Magical Academy, even if it is in a nicer part of the city."
"You've done a lot of good work, you should be proud," Kendrick said giving her a rare compliment.
"I get to work with Laelia and Radclyffe and I was able to help the boys," she listed.
"Speaking of the boys," Kendrick looked to Micah who took down the soundproof spell. Kendrick picked up his walkie-talkie from the table. "Frick, Frack, report to lab as soon as possible."
"On our way," one of the twins responded.
Kendrick put the walkie-talkie down. "I can never tell them apart over these things."
Serenity smiled. "That was Neil. He usually takes charge and speaks up more than Nigel."
"Of course, you would know," Kendrick said putting his hands on his hips then leaning back to crack his spine.
"We'll leave you to it then," Serenity said before looking up at Micah. "I'd like to go check on Prince Magnus now."
"I can take you," Vivi volunteered. "Rheia can test the vaccine against the pure strain of the virus we got from DeLaFontaine. I'm praying we'll get a reaction we can see."
"I'll be able to help with that." Kendrick said. "My testing is done. We've figured out that it's earth magic in the virus. Now that we know the element, I'm going to have the twins help me stabilize the magic which should prevent it from wiping itself out and make it visible."
Vivi practically sagged in relief. "Thank the gods," she murmured reverently.
As they were leaving the twins were jogging up to the door. They both dropped a kiss on her cheek before going to meet with Kendrick.
"They are good boys," Vivi said once they were heading toward the prince's quarters.
"That they are, despite their rough start in life. You have no idea how much it means to me to see them so happy." Serenity felt like calling the Magical Academy gloating that the three of them found a place where they belonged, even with low test scores.
Vivi opened the door and walked in the same way that Adriel had. "You don't knock?" she asked.
Vivi shrugged. "We're kinda beyond knocking at this point. Why pull Sebastian away from whatever he's doing?"
"I appreciate that more that you know," Sebastian said walking in from the dining room wiping his hands on a towel.
"We're about to check on Magnus," Vivi said.
Vivi looked around. "Where's Meryn?"
Sebastian chuckled then coughed into his hand to hide his mirth. "Since the twins had to report to Kendrick in the lab, Master Pip decided to go visit Master Avery in the office. That left Meryn alone to keep Magnus company."
"Oh gods," Vivi whispered, then began walking down the hall.
Serenity and Micah followed. As they approached they noticed the door to the master suite was open and they could hear loud hissing and thrashing.
"Go ahead and try to bite me one more time Hissy. Remember Beth likes you, I have no problems punching you in the balls to get you to simmer down." Meryn's voice was clearly audible. Vivi covered her face with her palm.
Surprisingly enough the hissing softened. "There. Now Rheia says I have to have eight hours of quiet time or she'll shove a feeding tube down my nose. So, I am going to share one of my favorite relaxing TV shows with you. Okay Ryuu, press play."
"Of course, denka," Ryuu replied.
A soft soothing voice started speaking. Serenity frowned. "Are they watching Bob Ross?" she whispered.
"Happy little stormtroopers," Meryn said.
Micah nodded. "Yup."
Vivi walked through the doorway and they followed. Sure enough. Meryn had propped the prince of the vampires up in bed and was lying down beside him while Bob Ross played in the background. When Magnus saw them, he sat up and bared his fangs. Meryn raised a hand over his crotch and Magnus laid back down growling lowly.
Sebastian watched the entire scene looking like a proud father. "Only Meryn has been able to handle him."
Vivi shook her head. "I wonder why." She turned to her. "Do you need to touch him for this to work?"
Serenity shook her head. "No, I just need to see him."
"Do I need to get up?" Meryn asked plaintively.
"No Meryn, you're fine. Just try not to move around."
"Okie dokie," Meryn yawned and closed her eyes.
Serenity took a deep breath and called on her magic. Instantly her eyes were drawn up to the brain. Flashes of purple ignited in clusters. His testosterone levels were off the charts. She had never in her entire career seen anyone with levels that high and she had treated unit warriors after battle.
"Vivi, what exactly was in the treatment you gave him. The exact components," Serenity asked, keeping her eyes focused on Magnus.
"We used an older vampire's blood then mixed it with Caspian's to ensure compatibility and to prevent any type of bonding," Vivi explained.
"You're telling me the only thing he received was two strains of vampire blood?" Serenity asked.
"Yes."
"Who was the other donor?"
Vivi hesitated.
Serenity could understand the reluctance to share names, but in order to help Magnus she needed to know. "I'm not asking to be nosy and I am bound like any other physician to confidentiality. What you tell me, stays with me," she promised.
"You might as well tell her," Sebastian said. "It is bound to come up in conversation later anyway."
"It was Gavriel's blood," Vivi answered.
"Hmmm." Serenity continued to watch the lights flash in his brain. To her it looked like the Fourth of July. No wonder he was restless. His brain was sending mixed signals to his body.
"Hmmm? What?" Vivi asked.
"You said older vampire, right? Magnus is pretty old, can I assume Gavriel donated because he's older?"
"Yes, much older. In fact, he's probably twice Magnus' age."
Serenity blinked and turned away from Magnus to look at Vivi. "Really?"
Vivi nodded. "Gavriel is our Dark Prince, the son of one of our Originators. He's over ten thousand years old. We thought his blood was the answer, but then this happened," she pointed to the restraints.
Serenity looked around the room. "Does anyone have a walkie-talkie?"
Meryn pointed to Ryuu. "He has mine." Ryuu held it up.
"Could you call Gavriel down here please?"
"Of course," he said and lifted the walkie-talkie. "Gavriel could you report to the Rioux quarters please."
Meryn scowled. "You never use the call signs," she muttered. Ryuu winked at his charge.
"On my way," Gavriel replied.
Meryn giggled. "I bet he thinks it's Beth. He'll be here in two seconds flat."
"You would be right," a deep voice said from behind them.
Serenity stared. "How fast are you?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or were you just close by?"
Gavriel raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you called me down to ask me?"
"No. I'm trying to help Magnus. I was told you donated the blood for his treatment."
He inclined his head. "I did."
"Are you helping uncle?" Beth asked, walking into the room. Immediately Gavriel pulled her close to his body. She gave Serenity a lop-sided smile. "I didn't mean to interrupt but I heard Gavriel getting paged and came down." Serenity could see the wealth of love Beth had for her uncle. It had nothing to do with him being a prince. From the way she smoothed her hand over the sheets Serenity could tell that Prince Magnus was adored by his niece.
"You're not interrupting at all, I'm just assembling some facts so I can try to help." She turned back to Gavriel. "I know this can be a personal question for vampires, but I assure you, it is relevant. Have you recently gone through transition?"
Gavriel blinked. "As a matter of fact I have." He tilted his head. "How could you possibly know that?"
Serenity smiled as the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "I think I know what's wrong with him."
"You do?" multiple voices asked incredulously.
"It's an educated guess mind you, but..." Serenity walked over to the bed. "Meryn, could you pop up for a minute?" she asked reaching down to help the pregnant human stand. Meryn waddled over to her squire.
Immediately Magnus began to thrash about and hiss up at her. She ignored him and placed a hand on his forehead. She slowly sent her magic into his body. As she worked he became less agitated. She took her time making sure everything that could be returned to normal levels was. Once his chemistry was balanced she withdrew her magic and stepped back. Micah placed a hand on the small of her back and she could feel his magic seeping into her. He replenished what she expended, alleviating some of the fatigue. She looked up at him gratefully and he kissed her nose again. The man seemed obsessed with her nose.
When she looked around the room everyone was staring at Magnus who was sleeping peacefully a faint smile on his lips.
Beth turned to her, hope a living thing in her eyes. "What did you do? Is he okay?"
"I'm sure Vivi would have caught it eventually, but you all have been stretched so thin with the virus."
"Caught what?" Vivi asked.
"His testosterone levels were out of control," she pointed to Gavriel. "I think it's because he was reacting to Gavriel's blood which was still amped up from transition. Something in the virus reacted to those transition markers triggering aggression."
Sebastian gasped. "He was not feral, he was going through a transition?"
Serenity nodded. "Gavriel's blood triggered one. His body was caught in a loop. His transition was stuck due to the 'fight or flight' mode his body was in from the aggression triggers from the virus. Once I toned down the testosterone levels his transition ended."
"What about the virus?" Beth asked anxiously.
Serenity grinned. "Completely burned off."
Beth burst into tears at the news causing her mate to cuddle her closer. Sebastian was dabbing at his eyes with his tea towel as he walked over to Serenity. Without warning he pulled her into a warm hug. "Thank you!" he whispered, emotion making his voice harsh. He stepped back then hurried over to comfort Beth.
Serenity shrugged. "I feel like I'm getting all the credit when I just helped with the final steps. Vivi is the real hero."
Sebastian shook his head. "You brought him back to us, thank you," he repeated.
Meryn looked down at Magnus nervously. "Do y'all remember stuff from when you're raging from transition?"
Gavriel eyed her closely. "Why?"
Meryn was instantly a figure of innocence. "No reason."
Serenity looked over at the prince. "I'd leave him strapped down just in case, but he should wake up completely himself." She looked over to Sebastian. "He will need a lot of fresh blood, his body is nearly depleted."
Sebastian nodded. "Of course. It was just so hard trying to get him to feed when he was being..."
"Hissy," Meryn volunteered.
Sebastian winked at her. "Yes, hissy." He headed toward the door. "I'll get a feast ready for tonight's dinner in your honor and to celebrate Magnus returning to us! Hal! Oh Hal! I need help in the kitchen!" Sebastian called down the hallway.
Gavriel eased Beth into the chair by Magnus' bed. She was wiping her eyes. "Stupid pregnancy hormones," she complained.
Serenity looked down at Beth's belly. "Your daughter is sleeping at the moment, so you can't blame her."
Gavriel looked up at her then down to stare at Beth's nearly flat stomach. When he looked back up he had tears streaming down his cheeks. "We have a daughter?"
Serenity nodded. "I checked earlier when going over her curse. She is doing just fine, perfectly healthy."
Gavriel wrapped his arms around his mate and buried his face in her shoulder. Beth held him close. When she looked up at them she was smiling broadly. "Thank you for this day."
Meryn sniffled. "Okay, so not Jack." She tapped her lips with her finger. "What about Jackie or Jacquelyn?"
Beth shook her head laughing. "No Meryn."
Meryn shrugged and turned to Serenity pointing down at her belly. "Do me."
Serenity shook her head. "I've been trying, but your baby is turned in such a way I can't tell. But I can tell you this, they are very happy. I've never seen a baby radiate such happiness. They know they are loved."
Meryn blushed and stared down at the floor. "It's probably the Magic Pudding," she said quietly.
Ryuu placed his hands on her shoulders. "Come along denka, you still need your quiet time, especially if you wanted to be rested for tonight's feast."
Meryn brightened. "Oh yeah! Tons of squire food."
Ryuu rolled his eyes as he steered her out of the room. "Yes, because you're so deprived of squire food," he teased.
Serenity took Micah's hand. "We'll give you some privacy." They were about to turn toward the door when she found herself in Gavriel's arms. When he stepped back his eyes were still bright but the tears had been wiped away. "Thank you," he said simply.
"It's why I'm here," she answered.
She walked hand in hand out of the room with her mate leaving Gavriel and Beth alone to discuss their daughter.
*****
Once outside by the transport tunnel Micah turned to her. "Where to next boss?"
Serenity pulled out her phone from her pocket and checked the time. "When will dinner be?"
"Usually we meet up for drinks in the antechamber around six, then dinner is at seven. We go around the table and everyone reports in. We get our medical updates from the doctors. Unit updates from Adriel and Aiden. City updates from Gavriel, Kari and Beth. And the rest of us just fill in anything pertinent."
"So, we have a couple hours then." She put her phone away. "How about we check on the children?" she suggested.
Micah smiled. "You're on a roll. It wouldn't surprise me if you cure everyone by dinnertime."
She blushed. "If they are cured any time soon it will be because of the tireless efforts of Rheia, Vivi and Ellie. Those three are truly miracle workers. Working with so little they've managed to not only treat a growing patient load, but also figure out a partial cure. They've used human ingenuity and science, which to me is amazing. I feel like I fall back on to my magic too quickly. I'm hoping to learn as much as I can from them while I'm here. I bet Laelia and Radclyffe will feel the same way."
"I'm just teasing. Trust me, I know how much these ladies have done. But you really should get used to the gratitude and the compliments, if Magnus is able to join us tonight everyone will be singing your praises," he said as they stepped into the tunnel.
"Why?" she asked feeling confused. She really hadn't done much, just lower his testosterone levels and end his stalled transition.
When they stepped onto Level Six he placed a hand on each shoulder and turn her to face him. "Because you didn't have to come. In fact, coming here could cost you your position. But that didn't stop you. You may feel like you've only done small things, but those small things are tipping the odds in our favor. Even if what you do gives us a slight edge, that tiny advantage could mean the difference between celebratory dinners and another tragic funeral."
"Well said Micah," a male voice commented.
They turned to see Adriel beaming at them. He walked up to Serenity and hugged her. When he stepped back his mate took his place giving her another embrace.
Eva's smile was contagious. "Meryn texted us what happened. We understand a general announcement can't go out yet, but those of us who have been living out of Level One and fighting this day in and day out know what you've done. Everyone who received an update is walking around grinning like an idiot."
Serenity smiled feeling a bit like a fraud. "I keep telling Micah I didn't do much."
"And as my wise unit brother already told you, what you have done, no matter how small, has giant ramifications," Adriel reminded her.
Serenity threw up her hands. "Fine! You're welcome," she said laughing.
Eva bumped hips with her. "That's the spirit."
Adriel turned to Micah. "Have you considered my offer?"
Micah nodded then pointed to her. "I have, but need to run it by my mate before I can give you a final answer."
Adriel smiled. "As you should." He turned to Serenity. "Are you checking on the children?"
"Yes, and my dedicates. They have a tendency to go overboard with their magic if I don't keep them in line."
Eva turned to look back at the hospital. "Those two have worked miracles today. I haven't seen the children feeling so good since that first infusion of warrior blood."
Serenity couldn't help feeling proud. She knew how hard both Laelia and Radclyffe studied so that they would be able to help others. "They are two of the most selfless people I know."
"We will not keep you from them any longer." Adriel said looping his arm around his mate. "Do not forget to speak with Serenity about my offer."
Micah nodded. "See you at dinner." Adriel and Eva waved then dropped out of sight.
Serenity turned to Micah. "Should I be worried?"
He gave her a boyish grin. "Nope, it's actually a really cool offer. One I don't think we'll turn down. But we can discuss it later when we're alone."