Tears of the Fallen Ch. 20

He was silent for a long time, staring down at the hardwood floor with unseeing eyes. "Then what do we do, Reasa, because I can't be without you?" he finally asked, turning haunted eyes to her. "You are my mate, the only woman on this planet that owns the other half of my soul."

He was so convinced of that, and the longer she was with him the more she was coming to believe it too. Liam had been so gentle with her, so caring and loving that she had slowly been falling under his spell even as she had fought him with every fibre of her being.

"I don't know," she whispered, sorrow filling her soul as she gazed back at him. "I don't think there is anything wecan do, Liam. All I know is that if we take things any further, the fallout of that will be a thousand times worse than it will be if we don't."

Reasa reached out and took his hand, staring as their fingers tangled together. "You are a good man, one of the best I have ever known. I don't want to be the instrument of your destruction anymore, Liam. Not as I was once convinced that I had to be." It was a huge admission for her and she knew he would be aware of that.

"We'll talk to Rafe and maybe Annie and Caleb," he answered, his tone subdued. "Perhaps they will have better answers for us. Just know this, Reasa...I will not give up on you. I will not give up on us. We are mates and we will find a way to be together."

His stubbornness was endearing but Reasa knew in her heart that there were no easy answers to their dilemma. She had told him she would tell him the truth, and she would do her best to keep that promise...but her thoughts were already turning to ways to leave the pack, to ways to leave Liam Eriksson before a deeper tragedy could befall the Armand-Hanlon Pack, one that was worse than her arrival.

*****

"Can I help you with something?" Dante eyed the couple who were just crossing over the border to Louis territory, his pale eyes intent as they swept quickly over them. In a fraction of a second he could tell that they were both Ancient, the male being the older of the two.

The female was very beautiful, her long black hair secured in a high ponytail. Her scent told him that she was a were shifter but not of the wolf variety...she was a cat. He'd come across very few cat-shifters in his time, so he was intrigued to see one, especially one that old. The male was pure vampire, his deep auburn hair loose about his shoulder, his surprising lavender eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"We want Michael." It was the vampire who answered, expectation in each word. It was clear he was used to instant obedience, and his companion glanced at him with a small half smile playing across her lips before she turned back to Dante.

"What my mate is trying to say is we're looking for a vampire called Michael. We believe he can be found in this area. This is Louis' territory?"

Dante nodded, there was little point in denying it as they clearly were aware of just where they were. "I think you should most likely speak to Louis personally," he answered, "though I would advise a little more of a cordial tone. He tends to get a little waspish if he isn't accorded the respect he feels he deserves."

"Louis had better have the answers I want otherwise feeling disrespected will be the least of his problems," the vampire retorted, his expression remaining bland despite the open threat in his words.

"Gard," the cat sighed, weary amusement lacing her tone. "You do know that you catch more flies with honey, don't you?" Shaking her head, she smiled at Dante. "He doesn't like being away from his sister for too long. He gets a little tetchy. I'm Rayne, and this is Gard...and you are...?"

"Dante, I am acting as Louis' second in command at the moment. We have been expecting you ever since the troubles in Edinburgh."

Both of them stilled for a moment, their expressions turning carefully neutral. "Best not to mention that," Rayne finally said quietly. "That's a very sore point with us so the least said about it the better. Can you please take us to Louis?"

He hesitated, wondering if it would be wise for them to see Louis and then he turned and headed towards the coven hideout. "Follow me..." Events had to play out as they were destined. Dante had learnt that the hard way.

They were at the smallholding deep within the forest in under half an hour. Dante had taken them the long route to ensure that Louis' spies would have enough time to alert the coven leader to their presence. By the time they arrived inside the large house that was currently the coven's main base, the seats around the makeshift throne were lined with coven members and Louis sat atop the dais, one leg thrown casually over the ornate arm of the throne.

"What have you brought me, Dante...trespassers?"

"This is Gard and Rayne. They have come looking for Michael."

"And what would you have with my coven member?" Louis' casual body language was a carefully constructed artifice. None of his coven were fooled by his stance and neither were his visitors.

"We would have his head for almost killing one of ours," Gard answered, "and we want to know what he has told you about a certain individual who is now in our care."

There was hushed muttering around the room as Louis sat forward, fire dancing in his eyes. "How I punish my coven members is of no concern of those from across the ocean. You have my regrets about what happened to your vampire, but you also have the cause of that issue within your ranks. Neutralise her and I will resolve the Michael problem for you."

Lavender eyes glowed with displeasure, a low growl coming from Gard's lips. "You appear to be under the misapprehension that we are having a dialogue, Louis. This is not up for discussion or bargaining. Give us Michael and we will leave your coven alive."

"There are upwards of thirty-five vampires here, old one, and only two of you. Do not think your age evens the score. My coven hasn't survived this long and become this strong because we like each other. We are the most feared coven in Europe and you would be best to heed that fact." Venom dripped from each word, Louis' eyes darkening to almost feral as he spoke.

"I only need one to take down this coven though my mate gets a bit cross with me when I haveall the fun," Gard countered, his voice so cold that some of the younger vampires present shifted nervously as the tension thickened in the room.

"Well yes I do, honey, but we're not getting very far with this train of discussion. Can I try?" Rayne gave him a sunny smile and that appeared to worry the younger vampires more than her mate's fury. It was clear that they were used to some truly dominant females in their coven.

When he nodded, she turned to Louis, her smile appearing innocent. "We have a message for you, Louis, from Freya Eriksson. She asked us to make you aware that Thereasa is her nephew's mate and therefore now a part of her family. Her exact words were, 'Tell Louis St Geraint, that if so much as one hair on Thereasa's head is harmed because of his actions, or inactions, that I will take a personal trip to Europe to have a little chat with him.' I believe that was verbatim, wasn't it, Gard?"

The silence in the room was deafening. For a long time no one moved or spoke, and then Louis let out a long, deep growl and his face darkened with fury.

"EVERYBODY OUT!"

The vampires scattered at his roar, panic and fear filling the room as they filed out of every exit possible leaving only Dante remaining. Louis' enraged gaze connected with Dante and he pointed one long taloned finger at him. "Call Michael. Find out where he is and then give them his location."

Gard shot Rayne a puzzled expression, raising an eyebrow in query. "I definitely need to spend more time with Freya to find out just what all the fuss is about. I don't like knowing that she's scarier than I am."

Louis walked down the steps of the dais, coming to stand before them, his eyes never leaving Gard's face. "I fear no one, old one, but I do respect those who have helped build this coven into what it now is. Freya Eriksson has earned my trust and the right to ask me for a boon. You haven't."

"Then what do we need to do to earn that right, Louis?" Rayne asked, drawing his attention from her mate. "Freya is part of our pack. Your packs may be different over here but where we come from pack is family. Doesn't that count for something?"

Again, silence reigned and then Louis smiled, the first genuine glimmer of humour crossing his face. "Oh, I like you," he laughed, some of the tension leaving his big frame. He thumbed a gesture at Gard, appearing unable to stop taunting the Ancient. "He's lucky to have a mate such as you."

"Can I kill him?"

Rayne laughed, relieved at the more relaxed tone from her mate. "No, dear, we still have some questions that need answered. It would go some way towards better relations if Louis were to agree to answer them with no direct threat of impending death. Try to play nice."

"What questions?" Louis' interest appeared piqued, or perhaps he really did react better to females than males. Some people did relate better to the opposite sex and there was enough age in the coven leader that he could be one of them.

"I'm particularly interested in why there is so much interest in what's going on Stateside. The European covens haven't been the least interested in us before. Why now?"

"That's something I've been pondering for a long time," Dante commented, entering the conversation for the first time. His gaze was fixed on Louis as if waiting for permission to continue.

The coven leader finally relaxed more, nodding his head at his second in command. "Dante isn't a permanent member of my coven. If you're looking for answers he is likely the best person to speak to." The coven leader walked over to one of the tables that had chairs in a grouping of four. The others followed him and sat, Gard and Rayne's gaze now on Dante.

Dante was a little concerned about the level of scrutiny he was under and unclear on how much he should divulge in front of Louis. So far, the coven leader appeared receptive to at least Rayne's charms. The message from this Freya woman had wrought an interesting change in his friend's demeanour towards their visitors too.

He took a deep breath and decided to play it by ear. "As Louis has mentioned, I am not aligned with any one coven here. As such, I have been free to travel all over Europe for the last quarter of a century. As I've travelled, I noticed a strange anomaly among the covens, something so unusual that it piqued my interest. The covens were suddenly speaking with a common tongue. They were all turning their gaze across the ocean; they were all muttering about the mixed matings, and how dangerous the hybrid births were."

He paused for effect, letting the words sink in. "Now, that may not appear strange to you but believe me, for us, it's a loud warning bell being rung. I searched everywhere, listened intently to what was being said, but could detect no sign of where this interest originated. The only thing I could determine was the covens were starting to work together."

"You believe there is a central point to this change in behaviour?" It was Louis who asked the question, his gaze intent as he stared at his second in command.

"Louis, you know our people as well as I do. If there is a central or originating point..."

"Then whoever is at that centre is stronger than all of the covens here put together," Louis completed the sentence.

Gard and Rayne shared a glance as Louis growled in displeasure. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier, Dante?"

The nomadic vampire met his angry gaze without flinching. "Until now I wasn't certain thatyou weren't that central point. You said it yourself, Louis. Yours is the strongest coven in Europe. You were the one who sent Thereasa after de la Rios in Edinburgh. You were the one who was heavy handed with theAmort toxin."

The coven leader jumped up, his chair crashing to the ground as he leaned on the table, fury dancing across his face. "It was supposed to be a simple information gathering exercise. The vampire wasn't supposed to be nearly killed. I didn't anticipate that members of my coven that I had trained personally would suddenly start acting so recklessly and out of character."

"Then why give them the poison, St Geraint?" Gard thundered, rising to tower over the irate vampire. "Why did you even formulate a toxin that could kill your own kind if not to gain dominance stateside as well as here?"

For a moment Rayne thought the coven leader was going to be foolish enough to attack her mate, but whatever murderous thoughts were crossing his mind, Louis held himself in check, the muscle jumping in the side of his jaw the only outward indication of the strength of will that took.

He ignored Gard's questions, turning to look back at Dante. "Where did you start hearing the first whispers of commonality, Dante? Wherever that was, that is likely going to be closest to the nest of whatever viper we have among us."

"Romania."

Gard stiffened, his expression turning thoughtful as he gazed off into the distance. "You're sure?" he finally asked.

"Yes," Dante answered, watching the redheaded vampire extend a hand towards his mate.

Rayne took it without question, allowing him to pull her up to her feet. "You suspect something?" she queried, her expression expectant.

"I think it's time we went home," her mate replied, giving her a pensive smile.

"But...we haven't learnt anything, Gard." Rayne's confusion was clear for everyone to see.

"Notthat home, Sarayne..." He left the rest of the words unsaid, knowing she would work out what he meant

Realisation slowly dawned across her face and a shiver ran through her slender frame as her gaze locked with his. "I haven't been there since I was still a child. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. It's the only logical place to look. If the first whispers came from Romania, then we have to go there and find out just who is behind all this."

"Do you want to clue the rest of us in on this?" Dante asked, a feeling of foreboding beginning to build as the couple continued to have eyes only for each other.

"There are some things it is best not to know," Gard answered, though he was staring at Louis as he spoke. There was more than distrust in his eyes. He was making it abundantly clear that he didn't want to divulge any more information to the coven leader.

"You look at me as if I am somehow the cause of all of this. I am just as much a pawn in this game that is being orchestrated by whoever is in charge."

"Tell that to Pietro de la Rios," Gard growled, his eyes narrowing with displeasure. "Tell that to all the other vampires who may have fallen victim to your poison." Looping an arm over Rayne's shoulder, Gard turned away, heading out of the coven's headquarters.

"How enlightening to see that with age comes narrow-mindedness," Louis spat out, fury lacing every word. "Amort isn't my poison, Gard. It isn't even the making of vampires. It was invented by our Were population here. They made it to exterminate our race..."

To be continued...