Page 54 of Vampire Visions

“Gotta have one to lose it,” I shot back. Calming myself enough to get the rest of this shit-show underway, I gave Blaire a genuine smile and marched the length of the room with purpose.

Time to get this over with.

“Dick, it’s so good to see you again,” I gushed to the vampire elder giving me a go to hell look. He’d never liked me, and he wasn’t about to start today.

“I prefer Richard.”

I smirked at him. “I’m sure you do.” Turning to Novak and Dominic, I took charge and addressed what I thought should be our main concerns. “We need to send a team over to Kadence’s house, search it, and clean out all the drugs. Her assistant's name is Marge. She’ll have to be brought in for questioning. We should also set up some teams to dispose of any infected vampires.” I held up my hand to Richard. “There is no cure, yet. I have the research staff at CBP working around the clock to find one, but there hasn’t been enough time. Our only options are to lock them up while they go insane or kill them.”

“And you’d have us just kill our own, knowing there could be a cure for it in a few weeks?” Richard’s angry words were barked loud enough to draw more attention than we needed.

“Look, I’ve seen what this magic-infused injection does to shifters. It drives them mad, makes them turn on their own packs, and it takes less than a few weeks to set in. Now, imagine what it would do to a vampire. It might take longer to affect them, but it’ll be ten times worse.” I waited for him to argue with me, but he didn’t. “They won’t just attack other vampires. They’ll fall into a bloodlust so strong that they’ll attack anything. Anyone. I don’t want to kill them or lock them up, but we only have those two options as of now.”

“And what of a cure?” Another elder inquired.

“We’re working on it.” I shrugged my shoulders. “At this point, I can't tell you how long it will take and I can’t promise that there will be one. We’ve only been working on it for a few days. It could be weeks, but it could also be years.”

“From what I’ve witnessed,” Novak began, shaking his head. “Killing them would be a kindness. Once that drug starts eating away at their minds, they aren’t themselves anymore. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s going to be the best call. Lock them up if you wish. Just know when they start to deteriorate mentally, that it’s too late to help them.”

“I’ll call in any reinforcements that we can spare,” Dominic solemnly stated.

“Good. Tell them to come armed, but to show compassion. Quick and merciful is the game.” I hated making this call. The looks on the elders' faces made it so much worse. I didn’t want to slaughter them when they didn’t have a choice in the matter. I wasn’t sure that all of them, or any of them, had willingly agreed to being dosed with a drug that would eat away their minds.

“The vampires didn’t ask for this, Kadence forced them,” Papi commented as he and Dad joined our very public meeting.

“The shifters weren’t forced,” Dad admitted, sighing in frustration. “They chose their path. It’s why I made the decision to have the infected ones killed. If they’ve used the drug, then they’re as good as dead animals walking. The vampires will be no different. It doesn’t matter if it was their choice or not. Let’s just hope that the numbers are smaller than the shifters.”

I didn’t like the expressions on my parents' faces. Wherever they’d been, they’d found something that neither of them were happy about. It wasn’t a subject to be talked about in the presence of so many nosy vampires, though. We needed to move this conversation somewhere else.

“Please let Dominic know of your findings,” I commanded the Heads. “He’ll be in charge of all Vampyre territory until further notice, as well as the acting voice for Novak and me. Thank you for stepping in and fighting. We do appreciate your bravery.” I bowed my head curtly. “You’re dismissed. Safe travels home.”

“Nate’s quarters or the guest house?” Dad asked me as the vampires turned to leave. Papi placed his hand on Dad's shoulder, preparing to pull him into the Void.

“Guest house,” I whispered almost inaudibly, but I knew he’d heard me.

Novak and I joined the guys just as Palmer was testing his newly mended leg. Vaughn rolled his eyes as the mage bounced on his toes, checking the fae’s work. We were all tired and weary, and I knew we deserved a break after all the mess. I hoped the Fates had dealt us a few days off before they conjured up the next episode of A Day in the Life of Sloane King. We could all use a fucking vacation.

I thought about what a few days off would feel like as I watched York grab Briggs by the arm and haul his naked ass into the Void. As Stone took Palmer through, I wondered what kind of dates we’d go on if we didn’t have the weight of the world on our shoulders. Was that what was holding us all back? The regular, everyday things seemed so small right now compared to everything that was going on. Next, Vaughn stepped back with Novak in tow, then Jack and Grim followed.

I gave the ballroom one last look, knowing it’d never really be the same to me again. I let myself remember the nights I’d spent dancing with my father, my feet dangling as he held me up to his chest. The classical music that played in the background, echoing off the walls as he twirled me around the marble floor. The melancholy memories took me back to a time when things weren’t so complicated. When I’d been tickled about dancing with a man who’d shaken hands with Claude Debussy.

But now I had an abundance of more, and that was a terrifying feeling that I didn’t think I’d ever get over. More to love, more to lose. That was the last thing I thought about as I stepped into the frosty embrace of the Void.

* * *

“Call him, Sam,” Dad snarled as I crossed the barrier into the guest house. My hackles immediately rose at the tone of his voice. It was a rare occasion when Charles King lost his cool, and I suspected I’d already missed the first part of this argument.

“I’m trying,” Papi gritted out through clenched teeth. “If you’d shut the fuck up for a minute, I could concentrate on finding him.”

Dad paced the carpeted floor of the living room while Papi knelt in front of the coffee table. They both stared intently at the short, white candlestick balancing on a pointed end. Two fat drops of blood ran slowly down either side. Blood magic. That’s how they were going to find my father.

Jack stood in the kitchen doorway, worry etched all over his face and two bottles of beer held between the fingers of his right hand. He offered me one, and I took it without thought. It wasn’t the tequila or whiskey that I was craving, but it'd work until I made it to the dry-bar to fix myself a glass.

“They haven’t said anything,” Jack whispered to me. “I’ve never really seen them fight like that, Lo. They found something when they went to check Kadence’s office.”

“Where are the guys?” I asked, looking around the empty kitchen. “And when did they go to Kade’s office? Is that where they were before they joined Novak and me just a few minutes ago?”

“They went to change,” he stated, not taking his eyes away from Dad and Papi. “And yes. They went to search her office before anyone else went in there.”