Chapter 8
HIS LIPS WERE soft against mine as he brushed my hair back from my face, his fingers lingering on my cheek. The flames from the fireplace brightened, the sparks crackling as they consumed the wood. My breath caught in my chest, and I shifted, allowing him to slide his hands beneath my shirt. A cool ripple raced up my spine from the chill of his fingers. I still wasn’t used to his touch, and part of me hoped I never would be. The thrill was still new and even though old loves were often the best, that vibrant sense of still being in the Getting-to-know-you phase appealed to me on so many levels. I slid my legs apart, the material of my jeans chafing at me as he nestled his hips between them. I moaned softly.
“I want to feel your skin against my fingers,” I whispered. “I want to touch you, to feel you inside me.”
“Do you want to go up to your bed?” His voice was muffled as he buried his nose in my hair, nuzzling my neck.
“No. Here, by the fire.” I didn’t want to traipse all the way upstairs. The sofa was comfortable and all I wanted was to ride him, to connect body to body, heart to heart.
He pushed himself away from me, sitting up, and began to strip off his shirt. I scrambled to my knees, yanking off my own top. As I unbuckled my jeans and stood to shimmy out of them, Aegis tossed his pants across the room, then threw several of the large sofa pillows on the floor.
Turning to me, he stood at full attention, a lascivious look spreading across his face. Oh, he was smoking, all right. One look was all it took to make my blood pulse heavily in my throat. His chest was taut, his muscles finely developed but he wasn’t too bulky. Just the right amount to fill out a muscle shirt nicely. He had a thin layer of hair on his chest and I was grateful he had never shaved it because I liked my men with a little chest hair, not all smooth and shiny. Although bald wasn’t bad…a bald scalp was one thing. A blank chest devoid of hair was another.
Shaking my thoughts away from his chest, I followed his muscled abs down toward the V of his waist, biting my lip as my gaze reached his groin. My mouth watered as I took him in, all firm and swollen, waiting for me.
“Is that all for me?” I whispered, suddenly realizing how corny I sounded. I blushed, hoping I hadn’t destroyed the mood.
“Oh, Maddy, it’s all for you. Want me to give it to you now?” His eyes were twinkling and he looked ready to laugh, but then the energy shifted and he began to stalk me around the room. I backed away, not afraid, but daring him onward.
“You want me, come and get me.”
We had played this game before, though it really wasn’t a game. He was the hunter and I was his quarry, and yet the hunter was actually the hunted.
Gaze locked with his, I slowly crept around the sofa. Aegis responded, darting around the other way. I paused as he headed toward me, then sidestepped to behind the desk, my blood racing as he grunted and shifted direction.
“You can’t get away from me,” he said, his eyes bright.
“Ah, but are you worthy to catch me?” I ducked behind the chair and around the other side as he made a lunge for me. “Come on, show me what you’re made of.”
We went on this way, cat and mouse, vampire and witch, lover and lover until I was panting, aching to feel him inside me. He was hungry, I could feel it—not for my blood but my body. As I rounded the sofa, he leapt over the top, landing in front of me. I turned to run, but he caught me in his arms, pulling me toward him, and I melted, my breasts heavy and aching for his touch. As I pressed against his chest, he swept me up in his arms and tossed me on the pillows that we had scattered in our foreplay. I leaned back on the thickest, bending my right knee and ever so slightly spreading my legs.
“Touch yourself,” he said, his voice rough.
My sex was wet and I reached down and slowly trailed my fingers over the thatch between my legs. “You mean like this?”
I fingered myself, slowly circling the raised nub of my sex, luxuriating in both the feel of my finger and the sense of him watching me. Conscious of my breasts, I began to breathe rhythmically as I picked up the pace. I raised my other knee, spreading my legs wider as I reached lower, sliding one finger inside me as I let out a little moan.
Aegis dropped to his knees, staring. I brought my other hand up to trace one of my nipples, pinching it so hard that I gasped. Closing my eyes, I focused on my body, my breath quickening as I became more aroused.
“You’re so fucking sexy, Maddy.” The hunger was thick in his voice, and I recognized it as both desire and thirst. Witches’ blood was an aphrodisiac to vampires, almost an intoxicant. Aegis had never drunk from me, but I knew he fought the longing.
“If I’m so sexy, what are you doing way up there?”
That did it. He dove for me, burying his head between my thighs as he pushed my hand out of the way. His tongue fluttered over my clit and I arched my back, gasping as he quickened the pace. The frantic lapping drove away all thoughts of anything but the feel of his tongue rasping against me, the roughness jolting me toward a climax that I didn’t expect so soon. I came, almost spiraling out of my body, then slammed back in as he came up between my legs to grasp one of my breasts between his lips, worrying the nipple like a dog might worry a favorite bone. He pressed his cock against me, and all I could think about was feeling him inside me.
“Fuck me, Aegis. Fuck me, now.”
As I arched up toward him, he drove himself inside me, swiveling for better position. I wrapped my legs around his back, pulling him tighter. He was thick and hard, cool as ice and the chill penetrated my body as he hunted, thrusting as deeply as he could. I squirmed beneath him, dizzy from the pleasure.
But still, I could sense what he wanted—to drink from me. To taste my blood.
“Aegis—” I started, ready to capitulate, to give him what he so very much wanted.
“No,” he whispered back, stopping inside me, holding me close. “I know what you’re going to say. Don’t even think about it. I refuse to drink from you. Maddy, I want you, all of you, but I won’t take anything from you that you aren’t ready to give. Blood is the most sacred of elixirs. It’s life force and energy. I won’t take that from you unless…until…” Pausing, he leaned down and kissed me, long and deep. He lingered on my lips, reaching up to softly caress my cheek. “Love me, Maddy. Love me and let me love you, and that’s enough.”
And then, he started moving again, slowly building his strokes, thrusting deep as we lost ourselves in the rhythm of our bodies.
BY THE TIME I woke up, Aegis was gone to his lair. I drowsily remembered him escorting me upstairs, where I promptly fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. I blinked, pushing myself to a sitting position, squinting as I glanced out the French doors leading onto my balcony. Even from here, I could see the snow falling heavy and thick. I pulled the blankets up around my neck, not wanting to get out of bed into the chill that pervaded the room.
“Murp?” Bubba bounced onto the bed, landing solidly by my side.
“I’m getting up, yes. You’ll get your food. Just give me a moment.” I yawned, stretching, then pulled Bubba to me and scratched him behind the ears. He purred, shifting so that I could reach the good spots. The next moment, he was drooling on my arm. Happy drool, I called it, when his cat nature overtook his cjinn nature and he reveled in all things feline. “You like that, don’t you? Hmm, boy? Good boy.”
He rolled out of my arms and onto his back, exposing his belly. I thought for a moment about rubbing it and wishing Rachel voted off the island but, considering the potential for backfire, I decided to forgo that little pleasure.
“Thanks for the offer, Bub, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. Come on, let me get dressed and then we’ll head downstairs.” I bit the bullet, throwing back the covers. The chill of the morning hit me full force and I groaned, shivering as I made my way to the bathroom where I turned on the shower full force. As the room began to fill with steam, I made sure my bedroom door was locked. Ralph might be in jail, but his stunt had left me paranoid. With Aegis asleep, I didn’t want to have to face any new unwanted visitors.
“Bubba, dude, can you watch the door for me?”
“M’rrow.” He took up his post, guarding the door with a stare so intense it was almost comical. He had a way of frowning that reminded me of a grumpy troll.
I wasn’t sure what he could do if something came through, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have a repertoire of attacks, even if he just latched onto an ankle and bit. Feeling a little more secure, I draped my robe over the back of my vanity chair and stepped under the steaming water. The pulse beat down on my back, and I finally began to loosen up. My body felt sore—and it wasn’t just from wild monkey sex with Aegis. Apparently, I was holding onto far too much tension. My muscles were all knotted up. I turned the showerhead to “pulse” and let the throbbing water pound against the back of my neck and shoulder blades. It wasn’t quite as good as a massage, but it helped.
Ten minutes later, I lathered up my hair and rinsed it out, then turned off the water and cautiously emerged from the shower. Wrapping a towel around me, I lowered myself to the chair, leaning my elbows on the granite counter. Running over things in my mind, I took stock of the situation.
One: I needed to furnish the Bewitching Bedlam so I could open on time.
Two: I had to assess the damage Rose’s death had caused to my reputation and start deflecting any collateral damage. Speaking of Rose, I had to—three—go see her parents. I’d call Sandy in a little while and go over that.
Four: the coven was having a meeting tonight, since we were on the verge of a full moon, and I needed to prepare for the Esbat.
Five: I should talk to Delia and ask her what she learned from Linda.
Six: Ralph was sitting in jail for a crime I was pretty sure that he didn’t commit, and I felt like there had to be some way I could help prove him innocent. But a little niggle of doubt flickered in the back of my mind. What if he had killed Rose? Even if he had been in thrall, he would be the one to face the harshest part of the punishment. If we caught the vampire—my guess was Rachel—who enthralled him, the Moonrise Coven could mete out its own punishment. But still, the law of the land would see Ralph punished far harsher than her, if he had been her triggerman.
All of these thoughts jumbling together in my mind, I combed out my hair and began to dry it. By the time I had my makeup on and my hair done, the warmth from the steam was wearing away. I slid into my robe and padded back into the bedroom. Deciding jeans and a turtleneck would work well for the day, I dressed and pulled on a pair of rumble boots. I clattered downstairs to feed Bubba and get some breakfast. It was time to start the day.
“DAMN IT.” I was staring at my computer.
“What’s wrong?” Franny appeared beside me.
I steadied myself. I was starting to get used to her popping in and out.
“I haven’t checked my email in several days and now I find two cancellations for our opening weekend. We only have one guest room left booked.” I gnawed on my pencil, trying to decide how best to approach this. I scribbled down a note to refund their deposit and stared glumly at the screen.
“Do you think they heard about Rose’s death yesterday?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. They’re both locals from Bedlam, so my guess is probably. Either that or Ralph’s trash-talking campaign is working. Either way, it sucks.”
I glanced at my reservation planner. Hoping our one remaining guest wouldn’t take it into her head to cancel as well, I jammed the planner back on the shelf above my desk and quickly glanced over the rest of my to-do list. Except for furniture, the inn was pretty much ready to open. We still needed a lot of landscaping done, but that wouldn’t happen till the spring.
“Is there anything I can do?” Franny’s offer was tentative, but it was the first time she had shown any interest in the bed and breakfast and she seemed genuinely concerned.
“Thanks, Franny. I appreciate the offer, but unless you can scare up customers or quench the rumors going around, I don’t think so. But thank you.”
“All right. But if you need anything. Well, I’ll let you think.” Franny silently vanished.
As I sat back, deciding what to do next, my phone rang.
“Yo, Maddy.” Sandy’s voice was perky but breathless. “I thought we could go over to talk to Rose’s parents this afternoon. I really don’t want to wait much longer.”
I rubbed my forehead. A headache was rapidly brewing. “You’re right.” I glanced at the clock. “It’s ten now. I need to run a few errands. Meet you at the Blue Jinn at noon?”
“Sounds good. We can take your car—you’re better at driving in the snow than I am—and you can drop me off at the diner afterward. Listen, I’ve been thinking about where Rachel could be staying and I have a couple ideas. I’ll run them by you on the way to the Williamses’ house.”
I knew exactly what that meant. “You aren’t thinking we should perhaps pay a visit to her if we can find her, are you? That I should unleash Mad Maudlin: Vampire Hunter again?” Visions of old crypts and mausoleums and creeping through a cobweb-shrouded labyrinth flashed through my mind.
“Why not? Rachel can’t do anything to us during the day, can she? And if we can find her and stake her, well, problem solved.” Sandy sounded so matter of fact that I hated to burst her bubble.
“Aren’t you forgetting the treaty Linda set up with Essie?”
“That doesn’t cover Rachel since she’s not part of Essie’s court.”
“True, but even though by rights we could take her out, we just can’t go around staking vampires right and left. How do you think that’s going to go down if we just willy-nilly stake somebody we think is behind this? We have no real proof right now.”
Sandy snorted. “Proof, schmoof. For one thing, Essie herself said that Rachel’s not welcome in her court. And second, we both know that Rachel’s the ultimate reason Rose is dead. So we find her, stake her, and say nothing. Nobody’s going to know. There won’t be any proof left behind except a pile of ashes, and those are easy enough to clear away.”
I pressed my lips together, mulling over the idea. It would take care of the issue, and it wasn’t like I didn’t have the experience behind me. But this was different. If I staked Rachel without ever telling Aegis and he later found out, it could destroy our relationship. And the truth was, we didn’t have any proof.
“Sandy, this isn’t the 1700s. We have to do this through the proper channels.”
“I think the proper channel may find her hands tied. At least hear me out.”
Letting out a long sigh, I caved. “All right. We’ll talk this afternoon. Meanwhile, I need to dash. I have to cast a quick Prosperity spell and then I have a couple errands to run. We had two cancellations this morning. I have to ensure that we don’t end up closing our doors before we even open them. I love this house, but I never intended to just live here and do nothing.”
After I got off the phone, I retreated to the library, which I had turned into my ritual room. This was one room that was fully furnished. Every direction had its own altar on a square table.
To the north, the altar was covered with a green cloth, and held a small oak chest, open and filled with malachite and smoky quartz, with tiger’s eye and hematite, and strings of peridot and citrine. A brass pentacle sat on the table, and statues of a wolf, bear, and stag.
To the east, my altar had a sphere of lapis lazuli, along with clear quartz and apatite, celestite and blue calcite. The crystals rested on a pale yellow cloth. A fan made of raven and owl feathers was propped next to a small censer with a smudge stick in it. And figurines of an owl, raven, and hawk faced toward the east.
My altar cloth for the southern altar was burgundy, and the altar was decked out in carnelian and garnet, with the bones and skin of a snake, a statue of a salamander, and a wand fashioned of copper and crystals.
And to the west, the cloth was blue, and the stones were pearl and aquamarine, rainbow moonstone and selenite. A crystal bowl filled with Moon Water rested on the altar, along with statues of a dolphin, salmon, and shark. I had found a piece of driftwood and it sat at the base of the bowl.
In the center of the room was a round table where I worked my magic and read the bones. On it sat one of my crystal balls and a candelabra with three candles in it—one red, one black, and one white. While most of the built-in shelves were filled with books, I had reserved an entire section for my spell components. Now, I sorted through them, selecting a piece of parchment paper, some Dragon’s Blood ink and a calligraphy pen, a vial of Prosperity oil, and a bottle of Uncrossing Water. I set them on the center table, then lit the candles.
I had put my Uncrossing Water in a plant mister, and now I walked the Circle widdershins—counterclockwise—spraying it every few feet to mist the air. It cleared out the lingering cobwebs of energy from other spells and from anybody who might be passing through on the astral and etheric realms. While I could have smudged the space, the Uncrossing Water was stronger—it also issued a stern warning to stay out if not invited. Once I was done, I removed my sword from the wall where it hung on stag-shaped sword hangers. Facing the north, I held out the sword and slowly turned, casting the Circle.
Between the worlds, in sacred space, I cast this Circle ‘round,
I weave this web of magic strong, I center it and ground
The energy, that it might hold against all with harm’s intent,
I call upon great Arianrhod, that she will, her magic send.
I call the spirits of the Earth, to ground the magic’s flow.
I call the spirits of the Air, sweep through with winds that blow.
I call the spirits of the Flame, burn brightly with your fuel.
I call the spirits of the Waves, temper, cleanse, and cool.
This Circle cast, the magic dance, visions let me see,
Between the worlds, I do stand. As I will, So Mote It Be.
The Circle settled. As the hum of magic flowed around me, I replaced my sword on the wall and took my place at the table. I stared at the parchment for a moment, trying to think of the best way to word the spell. Finally, dipping my pen in the Dragon’s Blood ink, I etched several runes on the parchment and then, in the center, wrote:
Bring abundance to this dwelling.
Keep the coffers always swelling.
Radiate a welcome light,
Bring the guests both day and night.
With purses full and smiling ways,
Let them book their relaxing stays.
So Mote It Be.
After the ink dried, I dabbed a drop of the Prosperity oil on all four corners, then placed my hands over the paper and focused my energy into it, chanting the incantation three times. As the energy settled, I placed the paper on the altar to the north, and opened the Circle. That should hopefully counter some of the bad press the Bewitching Bedlam was getting.
Returning to the kitchen, I gathered my keys and purse and coat, and headed out for the day.
FIRST STOP: THE sheriff’s office. I needed to feel out Delia for her take on what was going on. The Bedlam Town Hall was a large, brick building on the opposite side of town. The sheriff’s office, fire department, county clerk, courthouse, utilities office, mayor’s office, and library were all contained within the sprawling stone building. Built over a hundred years ago, the Bedlam Town Hall was a beautiful monstrosity of brick, stone, and masonry.
I parked in the lot and, zipping my jacket against the chill, dashed through the snow that continued to fall to the side stairs leading to the nearest entrance. The hallway wasn’t exactly crowded, but there were more people hurrying through the building than I would have expected. Maybe there was a run on building permits or something.
The hall intersected with another shortly after the entrance and I turned left. To my left was the library. To the right, City Hall. I continued straight, toward the wing that sprawled out in the back section. There, was the fire department, the courthouse, and the sheriff’s office. As I headed straight toward Delia’s office, I caught sight of Joel Purdy—the fire marshal. He was a werebear, and the president of the Bedlam Arborists Society. We had talked briefly when I was hunting for a landscaper, but he recommended waiting till spring, promising to hook me up with a gardener who was also a landscape designer. We waved as I hung a right and pushed through the swinging doors leading into the sheriff’s office.
Delia was standing beside the receptionist, who was also the dispatcher, reading off of a tablet. They both looked up as I entered.
“Maddy, I’m glad you’re here. But give me a couple minutes, please. Just take a seat over in the waiting room and I’ll be with you in a moment.” She wiggled her fingers toward a seating area.
I gave her a quick nod and sat on the microfiber sofa. As I ran my hand along the arm, I realized I liked the feel of the material. Hmm, maybe I should consider microfiber instead of leather for the living room. It wouldn’t be sweaty during summer, and microfiber was easy to clean. As I jotted a note to myself about it, I realized that a text had come in earlier that I hadn’t noticed. I didn’t recognize the number as I opened the message.
There, in bold letters, it read: durholm hall. tunnels. be cautious. she’s not alone.
I stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out who had sent it and exactly what it meant. There was no greeting, no other words. The number was the same one that I had received the text of the painting from.
who is this? I texted back and waited. Nothing. I tried calling the number but nobody picked up and there was no voice mail to leave a message.
As I puzzled over the text, it clicked in my head. Of course. The text had to be about Rachel—it couldn’t be about anybody else, could it? Straining to remember anything I might have heard about a Durholm Hall, I didn’t notice Delia was standing beside me until she spoke.
“Maddy? Maddy?” Delia’s voice penetrated the fog of my thoughts.
I jerked my head up. “Oh! I’m sorry, I thought you were going to be longer.”
Delia grinned. “Nah. Not much cooking around here today. I just had to clarify something with Bernice. Come on back to my office.” She led me through the maze of desks, then through a door with a frosted window. Stenciled on the window was her name, along with the word “Sheriff” below it.
As I settled into the chair opposite her desk, she poured a cup of coffee and offered me one.
“Thanks. Milk and two sugars, please.”
Delia fixed my coffee, handing it to me when she was done. “So, what brings you here?”
“I wanted to find out how your talk with Linda went. Also, I wanted to ask about Ralph. I kind of want to see him, but I’m not sure if that would violate protocol.” Truth was, I wanted to snoop around as much as possible, but I wasn’t going to tell her that, nor was I going to mention the text I had gotten. Not yet.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Maddy.” Settling in at her desk, Delia blew on the steaming coffee, then took a slow sip. “Oh, I needed that.” She leaned back. “Okay, here’s the thing. I tried to talk to Linda, but she was evasive.”
“Evasive?”
“She really went out of her way to sidestep most of my questions. I wanted to get a feel for what was going on with the vampires and the coven. After all, the treaties were forged between Lena—the previous vampire queen—and Linda.”
“Right. And?”
“Linda wouldn’t talk about them. So I did a little digging. Now, I know you’re going to discuss this with Sandy but please, don’t let it reach any other ears. Especially anyone who might be involved in this mess.”
By her tone, I knew she had discovered something disturbing. “I promise. So what did you find?”
She held up one finger. “Wait.” Crossing to the door, she peeked out, then shut it carefully and came over to sit beside me. In low tones, she said, “We have a serious problem in town, Maddy. Since you’re on the Inner Court Council of the coven, you need to know, especially since I think Linda knows, but she won’t talk about it. But you can’t tell Aegis—at least not now.”
“Because he’s a vampire?”
“Right. So here’s what I managed to dig up. Essie has been chafing at the bit ever since she moved to town. As I said, the previous vampire queen of this region was named Lena. Apparently, she was dusted a few years back when her watch stopped on her and she didn’t make it home in time. I know that vampires are supposed to have some sort of internal chronometer, but apparently Lena’s was on the fritz that day. She didn’t realize it was near sunrise until it was too late.”
“Where did Lena live?”
“She lived here in Bedlam. She was out on the water fishing—don’t ask me, I gather it was a hobby of hers—when the sun started to rise. She tried to row to the docks, hoping to hide under it, but she didn’t make it in time. Whoosh—so much dust and ashes. Even worse, a group of school kids from Neverfall were there. Their teacher had taken them there for a sunrise lesson on water sprites. They saw the entire episode.”
Neverfall was a magical school for gifted students located on the other side of Bedlam Island. Children of all ages were sent to Neverfall from all over the country, and the academy had earned a stellar reputation among the elite magical circles.
I grimaced. “That must have been traumatic.”
“Well, yes, it was. And the school ended up soothing a lot of parents of upset youngsters, even though it had nothing to do with them. On the other hand, there were enough witnesses that we knew exactly what happened. Except…”
“Except what? There wasn’t anything suspicious, was there?”
“Maddy, think about it. Lena was in a boat. The motor gave out. Because she was out on running water, she couldn’t dive in and swim for cover.”
Vampires could travel over water, but they couldn’t swim. They also had to remain in their corporeal forms and couldn’t transform into mist or a bat or anything else until they were back on dry land. Which meant if Lena had gone out in a boat, then she couldn’t have returned to shore any other way than via the boat. And if the motor conked out near sunrise, she was shit out of luck.
I suddenly realized what Delia was getting at. “Did you examine the motor?”
“Yes. Somebody had deliberately disabled it. Even a cursory examination showed evidence that it had been rigged to work for a short period, then burn out. So why would Lena go out on a boat that had been tampered with near sunrise?” Delia shook her head. “Somebody wanted her dusted. We’ll never know why she was out there, but we can damned well bet that she was killed.”
“When did Essie take over?”
“A few days after Lena died. Essie moved to Bedlam, took the crown, and instituted a number of changes. Lena had been working with your coven to establish good grounds. Essie has been far more resistant. As I said, when I tried to bring up the treaties and Essie, Linda clammed up. But from everything I’ve discovered, I now believe that Essie’s doing her best to gain a foothold in Bedlam free from the coven’s oversight.”
“You mean the vampires want autonomy free from the treaty that Lena worked out.”
Delia shrugged, then leaned her elbows on the desk. “I can’t say for certain, but given what I know about Essie, I’m beginning to think so. And given the fact that we are pretty sure Lena was murdered and Essie swept in within days, I’m thinking she may have been behind it.”
I thought about it for a moment. If we couldn’t trust Essie, then we couldn’t trust that she didn’t know where Rachel was. But why would she warn me about Rachel if they were in cahoots? Then, a light bulb flashed. I snapped my fingers.
“Essie and Rachel seem to have some power control issues. My guess is that Rachel is after Essie’s throne, like Essie was after Lena’s throne. Essie wants to get rid of her so of course she’s going to warn me that Rachel is dangerous.”
“I was thinking over what you told me about your meeting with her. That’s when I remembered Lena’s death. When I told Linda everything I was thinking about, she seemed reluctant to go there. She briefly took Essie’s side and insisted that Rachel’s the real danger.”
“Either way, the vamps are looking to make inroads on Bedlam.” I shook my head. “Who do you put your bets on? Rachel or Essie being the main problem? Well, Rachel’s a problem for me, but I mean for Bedlam?”
Delia paused, then blew out a long stream of air. “I don’t know, but Rachel’s rogue. She’s not bound by the treaty. Though if she wrested control from Essie, she would ostensibly be, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t abide by it. Essie’s bound by a treaty she didn’t create, but she’s more subtle than Rachel.”
“So, on one hand, if Rachel ousts Essie, she’ll outright defy the treaty, while Essie may be working behind the scenes to dismantle it. No matter who’s in charge, Bedlam is in danger.”
With a nod, Delia added, “Remember, too—if the vamps are attempting to break the treaty, the only way to do that is to destroy your coven. Or at least, cripple it. The Moonrise Coven is the one group that was vested with controlling the vampires. Bedlam can make all the laws we want, but when a vampire doesn’t want to follow the rules, there isn’t much to force them to.”
“But there aren’t that many vamps on the island.” I really didn’t like the can of worms that we were opening.
“Essie is the vampire queen of the entire Pacific Northwest. Her nest—her court—may be here, but her reach extends throughout several states. Can you imagine the number of vamps that she can potentially call to her bidding?”
“And perhaps Rose’s murder—whether or not they thought it was me—was the first attack against the coven. Ralph’s feud with me was public. He was a convenient pawn.” With another headache looming, I let out a long sigh. “I’ll see if I can talk to Linda and get some answers. The Inner Court needs to prepare against more potential attacks. So, Rachel is after Aegis. She wants him back. But she may also be out for Essie’s crown. And Rachel—or Essie—or both—may be out to destroy the entire coven.”
With that lovely thought on my mind, I made my good-byes and headed out to finish my errands before meeting with Sandy. We had a lot to talk about, and I wasn’t looking forward to any of it. As I crossed the snow-covered parking lot, the morning took on a silvery gloom, and for the first time, I wondered if spring would really come again.