Battle of Forces: Sera Toujours Read online

  “Do you feel any remorse for what you’ve done? Things have changed and I have no choice but to grant you forgiveness, but I don’t like being defied.” He picked up the glass and took another sip of his drink.

  Kendal sat next to Piper and put her arm around her. “I’ve denied myself long enough, and I couldn’t anymore.”

  “Yet you’ve brought this plaything with you instead of this great love you’re willing to throw everything away for.”

  “You’ve given yourself to the Clan, as have I,” she said, and he nodded. “In all that time, haven’t you ever wanted more?”

  “We all do,” Rolla said, and held his hand palm up to her. When Kendal accepted, he walked her to the empty corner behind them. “She’s lovely, so I partially understand why you defied our laws, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s a prophecy come to life.”

  “Thank you for my reprieve,” she said sincerely. Morgaine had always been the one she answered to, but she’d worked directly for Rolla numerous times in the past. She’d always found him fair-minded and kind. “I suppose it’s too late to ask for your forgiveness, but I regret only doing what I did without your blessing.”

  “You’ve always exceeded my expectations, so had you asked, I believe I would’ve given it to you. That you didn’t angered me enough to want to punish you, but I care about you too much to have been too harsh.” He whispered in her ear to keep their talk private, and she smiled when she saw his ink-stained fingers. Another thousand years of scrubbing would never get the stains out. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, will you help us? A majority of the Elders know the legend, but there’s a split amongst us.”

  “Half want the power and half want to stop it?”

  “If that were true I wouldn’t be so worried,” he said, and sighed. “Half want the dragon to wake and the other half believe it to be a fairy tale with no merit. Those nonbelievers aren’t motivated to stop something they think is impossible.”

  “Do they all know about Piper?” Kendal glanced back to see that Travis had moved closer to Piper.

  “Only I know that, and I’ll keep it that way because I don’t know who to trust, and the numbers unhappy with my rule grow by the day.”

  She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. In years Rolla was old, but he still resembled a cherub. “The day they replace you with someone who tries to impose a hard line as to world affairs is the day I walk away. I’ve served you faithfully because I believe in you.”

  “That’s comforting as well,” he said, and smiled. “So shall we finish this charade so we can get back to finding our Judas and his allies?”

  “Have you found anything new on who might have knowledge of the sword?”

  “I’ll send word through Lenore when I do.”

  She moved back to Piper quickly when Travis lifted his hand to touch her. Before he could, she’d pulled a dagger from her boot and slammed his head to the table. “Who told you it’s okay to touch other people’s property?”

  “Let me up, bitch,” Travis said as he pushed against her hand.

  She pressed the tip to the side of his mouth hard enough to cut through his bottom lip. “Stick to fights where you have a chance.”

  “Travis, go back to your seat,” Rolla said, finally raising his voice. “Asra, let him go and stay out of my sight until I decide what to do with you. I forbid you to lift a sword to anyone until we’ve dealt with your insolence.”

  “Remember what I said,” she said loudly, pointing the dagger at Rolla as if she were about to fling it at his head. “My allegiance to you is held only by a thin thread, so don’t make me angry. I’ll join the first group who offers me the chance to bring you down.”

  “Your loyalty or lack of it will be known by the others,” he said, and winked so no one with him would see.

  “Now what?” Piper asked when they stepped on the dance floor again.

  “We wait and see if someone approaches me for the sword. Even if they don’t, they’ll think Rolla is in a weaker position because of the dissension in his ranks.”

  “Is he still mad at you?”

  “I’m not perfect, but he doesn’t doubt my loyalty to him and the Clan.” She held Piper and swayed to the beat. “He also knows the dragon’s time is coming, and it mustn’t be allowed to spread its wings.”

  *

  “I’ll be home in just a few minutes.” The young woman juggled her phone as she put her briefcase in the trunk of her car. “After a week of overtime, I think the boss has finally noticed me.” She put the sack of groceries down next and stooped to pick up the keys she’d dropped. “I love you too, and I’ll see you in a bit.” After she finished her call she seemed genuinely scared and surprised when she noticed the woman standing in front of her.

  “Excuse me.” She tried to go around the stranger with her keys held out as if she planned to stab her with them.

  Vadoma used her strength to pin the woman to her car and quickly punctured her neck, moaning when the hot gush of blood filled her mouth. The woman struggled against her but had no chance at escape, and the fight left her a few moments later. Vadoma drank her fill and disengaged before death.

  She hadn’t been terribly thirsty, but the damp cold was more bearable with the woman’s blood in her belly. One of her fledglings wiped her mouth for her as the others placed the woman in her own trunk. All of them owed their immortality to Vadoma, and after her spells and hard work, they’d all gained tremendous strength when she’d harnessed her cousin Ora’s power at her destruction. She was now the oldest, so the crown of queen had passed to her, as well as all of Ora’s knowledge, and she planned to use both wisely.

  Ora had tried for centuries, with Henri’s help, to destroy the Genesis Clan and their slayers, and their ignorance and arrogance had cost them their existence. The only way to succeed in getting the Clan to leave them in peace was to help them destroy themselves. She’d thought the opportunity was years in the future, but the chance was here and she planned to take it.

  “Are you sure about this, mistress?”

  “Make sure the others are positioned around the grounds.” Vadoma bound her thick red hair with a leather thong, irritated with it and the wind. “I’m anxious to meet this fallen Elder Julius, but not so much so that I’ll fall into some pathetic attempt at a trap. He also doesn’t sound like he’s at full strength, so we’ll be fine even if he brings a few protectors.”

  “But why go at all?” He had to quicken his pace to keep up with her.

  “His offer sounded too interesting to ignore. After all, it’s not often an Elder of the famed Clan calls with such tempting enticements.” She scaled the wall surrounding the Tower of London with little effort and jumped down onto the grounds. This place, considering its history, seemed perfect for their talk.

  “I’m glad you came,” the man she figured was Julius said. He stood on the spot where Anne Boleyn had lost her head to the executioner’s axe. “From the way you move and the number of followers keeping watch, the rumors are true. You have managed to harness Ora’s power as well as inherit her title.”

  “I’m sure you’re not here out of curiosity as to how I came to be the queen, so tell me what you want.” Vadoma used the title seriously, but she was sure her jeans and casual sweater made her look like anything but royalty. “And tell your little pet to come out from his hiding place.” She stared at the dark side of the tower until a smallish man stepped out. “Who are you?”

  “Bailey, mistress,” he said as he walked to Julius’s side.

  “An Elder and an Elder archivist. I’m a lucky woman to have captured the eye of such important men.” She laughed. “Tell me, Bailey, what have you written about me so far in those scrolls you all love so much?”

  “You have a gift for magic, or so say the stories among your people. You were given the gift by your cousin Ora herself to fulfill a request made to her by her uncle, your father. I couldn’t find much on your father except that he and Ora’s father were brothe
rs. Before you were turned, you were a powerful witch revered by your tribe, and the Elders think with a few more centuries your power will surpass your cousin’s.”

  “Such flattery might make me send them a tribute,” she said, and sat near Julius. “But you should change the tense of the last sentence.”

  “What do you mean?” Bailey asked.

  “I am still powerful in the dark arts, and I detest the word witch.”

  “Unless you need more fan mail read to you, can we get down to business?” Julius asked.

  “You called me.” She crossed her legs, unconcerned by the other smallish man near the wall. Julius so far wasn’t impressive, considering the company he traveled with. “Tell me what you want.”

  “I wanted to see you before we moved on.” Julius sat next to her and she stared into his pale-blue eyes, as fascinated with them as the first time she’d seen the same color on a member of the Clan.

  To her what the Clan considered their greatest achievement was their biggest weakness. It was the one aspect of yourself you couldn’t hide—the eyes. No Clan member could ever hide in plain sight.

  “For what? Are you slumming?”

  “I needed to see what Asra created.”

  “The slayer has nothing to do with me.” She was close to leaving, not finding Julius worth her time.

  “You’re wrong.” Julius moved closer, and she morphed a little to keep him back. “Asra destroyed Ora and in turn created you.”

  “Do you intend to talk about nothing all night or what your archivist called me about?”

  “Can you do what we asked?” Julius asked, and moved even closer.

  “I can do more than you asked, but why would I?” She trusted her fledglings, but the sound of someone coming over the wall concerned her. “You must think I’m stupid, because no Elder would allow me to exist for long, no matter what I do for you.”

  The soft thump of someone’s feet hitting the ground made her stand and completely transform, and that change brought forth half her followers. “You dare to set a trap?” She was close to draining him. It wouldn’t kill him, but she’d rip out his throat to teach him a lesson.

  “Wait,” Julius said, his hands out in front of him as if to placate her. “His name is Travis and he’s with us.”

  “He’s a slayer,” she said, taking a step toward him. “Do you think the Clan members are the only ones who research their enemies?”

  “He is a slayer, but he wants the same thing we do.”

  “Just spell it out before I take a piece of you that’ll take a month of sunny days to heal.”

  “If we combine forces they’ll never see it coming, and we both get what we want. Once we destroy the Elders and Asra, you’ll have peace and I’ll have my revenge for the betrayal they carried out against me.”

  She came close enough to run her tongue across his throat and almost laughed at his shiver. “Okay, but I’ll hunt you for eternity if you turn on me once you get what you’re after.”

  “I could warn you of the same thing.”

  “You could, but remember which of us asked for help. I already know you’re in the weaker position, and so will Asra.” She circled him as she taunted him, and he stiffened as tight as a board. “Threaten me and I’ll stand back and watch Asra bury you.”

  “I’ll have Bailey call you when we’re ready,” he said, as if he couldn’t wait to flee.

  “Remember, Julius, someone like Asra might worry me, but you and those weaklings will fall easily if you’re lying.” He turned before he reached the wall and stared at her before he nodded.

  “Are you sure you want to make an enemy of the slayer, mistress?” her most trusted follower Boldo said.

  “Even without this bargain we must bring her down. Ora was family and deserves to be avenged. Without Asra, we will also have peace.”

  “And these others?”

  “Send a few of our day protectors to keep watch over them. Julius speaks pretty words, but he’s not to be trusted.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kendal, Piper, and their houseguests spent the rest of the summer in London and their routine didn’t change, but neither did Piper’s vision of the night the dragon awoke. It was the only sight of the future she had repeatedly, and Kendal always lost the sword to a man who made the gems glow red.

  Piper worked to try to expand her gift, but the only new vision came from the night they met Rolla, and while the other times the sight came while she meditated, this one had come from watching Rolla whisper to Kendal.

  Before Travis had disrupted her, Piper had seen a rolling black cloud over Rolla that would consume him and plunge him into darkness. While she watched it coming for Rolla it grew and totally enveloped him, fueled completely by hate. That was all, though; no other hint as to its origin and who fed it.

  At the beginning of September, Piper was frantic to see something other than Kendal on her knees bleeding, those red glowing eyes and the man’s infuriating laugh. Adding to her stress, Lenore’s and Rolla’s research hadn’t found anything that would at least give them an idea of who to prepare for. She had nothing to convince her the vision could be changed.

  “Not one thing will stop this, will it?” Piper asked Lenore as they shared tea together and watched Kendal and the others go through their workout.

  “You know what is the most important lesson I’ve learned in a very long life?” Lenore looked her in the eye with her always-open expression.

  Piper shook her head, glad for the conversation since it put off having to relive the vision of Kendal’s demise one more time. Granted she, as Kendal did in her fairy circle, as she called it, exercised her special talent every morning, always hoping for a different result. “Do you mind sharing it with me?”

  “Life is too long to ever give up hope,” Lenore said, and smiled at the twist in her words. “Almost everyone at one time or other has thought life too short. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last that darkness threatens not only our ranks, but the world. And you have to believe that the threat and its outcome do not simply lie at your feet. You aren’t to blame for this, Piper, and you have to set your sights with that belief in your heart.”

  “Let’s try again, then.” She closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths before she looked down at Kendal as she taught Hill some new moves. A curtain seemed to fall on her sight and she shifted to a different scene.

  The three mysterious men weren’t waiting this time, though, but a group of vampires like she’d seen Kendal fight at Oakgrove. Hordes of them stood around a woman, but Piper could see only her red hair. Unlike her recurring vision, in which she could do nothing but observe, this time she asked what they wanted and the woman answered.

  “I saw a group of vampires, but they’re not interested in the sword. All they want is Kendal,” she said when she returned to normal. “When I wanted to see something different, that’s not what I had in mind. We already have enough problems.”

  “You’re right, but your sights are expanding.” Lenore stood to get Morgaine’s attention. “This situation might be easier dealt with than the others, since we have the two best slayers in the house.”

  Lenore told Morgaine about the new vision so she could arrange better security around Piper and Kendal. “You don’t want to get Kendal up here for this?”

  “It’s better if you tell her alone,” Morgaine said.

  “Because?” she said, dragging out the word so Morgaine would elaborate.

  “She loves you, and her presence in your life will feed your abilities. Bruik’s vision of you mentions that indirectly. Maybe we haven’t been giving you both the opportunity to share the energy you generate together.” When the sound of clashing metal stopped, Morgaine glanced to the yard. “While you do that we’ll track down information on the new covens formed after Ora.”

  “Vampires still exist?” Piper asked, figuring Kendal had eradicated them all in New Orleans.

  “Unfortunately they’re l
ike cockroaches. Not even nuclear warfare will kill them all. Ora was simply the strongest, the oldest, and the biggest headache.” Morgaine took her hand and held it. “Rolla will have information on this, so we can prepare. I’m also certain that you’re growing stronger, and I’m glad you’re here with us and with Asra.”

  “Let’s hope I can come through.”

  “You already have,” Lenore and Morgaine said together.

  *

  Julius lay on his stomach next to Bailey and marveled at the high-powered binoculars Bailey had given him. It was as if he’d been transported to where Lenore and Morgaine were talking to the beautiful blond woman. He couldn’t hear them, but it seemed they were comforting her about something.

  “Who is she?” he asked in a whisper, even though they were far from where Asra practiced.

  “Piper Marmande is from New Orleans and someone Asra met on her recent trip back. Lenore hasn’t finished recording the full account, but from the rumors that filtered back to Rolla, Asra started a relationship with her after destroying Ora and Henri.”

  “So she’s a new plaything.”

  “Travis did hear from Rolla himself that she was almost a twin of some woman from Asra’s past.” Bailey appeared to look from Piper to the practice circle.

  Travis had been gone for weeks to keep Rolla happy and to warn them of any travel the old man planned. They’d been in Egypt most of the summer, and so far Rolla had shown no signs of suspicion.

  “Who are the older people and the woman with Asra?”

  “The couple is Miss Marmande’s grandparents, who raised her, and the woman is Hill Hickman, a friend of Miss Marmande.”

  “What are they doing here?”

  Piper stood up and leaned on the stone wall that surrounded the balcony. She was stunning as the sun broke through the clouds momentarily.

  “I really don’t know for sure, but I guess it’s because Asra likes them. This isn’t much different than what she’s done in the past. She finds playthings, like you said, and spends time with them.”