Page 15 (1/1)

Keeping rim as theirs, I said, "Preservation? Not supposed to be possible"

"Joses’ blood is different," Sabina said, her dark eyes on her teacup She sipped, her robes shushing in the quiet library as she lifted her arm "It has been known to survive the test of ti aze, but watching Sabina, a disturbing light in her eyes Bethany wasn’t always sane, even as vamps went, and the jewelry in her ears and twisted and knotted and braided into her hair caught the lalint of rubies "It is necessary to h to defeat the Blood Challenge of the Son of Darkness, when our enemies come to us for war" She meant the other Son of Darkness, Joses’ brother The EuroVa plans to show up there When they found final proof that Joses had been held prisoner in NOLA va for any parley date decided upon Joses was already an open secret even before draining a few vaht / killed true-dead / whatever, that just increased the chances that the EuroVaht up with hiht, like he needed, or capture hi a rabid va him And from where I sat, ere all screwed, no rave;s expensive tea

"Our master did not drink of the blood of the son of his body Think on this"

I had a feeling this arcane tidbit of info was important, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it just then "Yeah Whatever How am I supposed to track and capture one of the two Sons of Darkness, the onna shoith the Blood Cross and herd hie?" I asked Sabina

She still didn’t meet uilt or if she was afraid I’d read soaze that she wanted kept secret Orfro eye contact when asking a favor or standing in a crowded elevator So like that I didn’t know, and there was no way to ask

"I still cannot embrace the true Blood Cross," Sabina said "The injury I suffered the last time I wielded it burned deep I am not healed froh to wield it again," Bethany said "You should give it over to a stronger priestess To me"

Oookaaay, I thought The rift between the priestesses wasn’t getting any sreement on the subject of Joses Bar-Judas

"When it is deterer able to carry outto sound testy, "I will turn it over to another For now, I a for too long!" Bethany said, anger ringing in her voice

I had seen paintings of the last ti to stop the Daic on witch children That had taken place hundreds of years ago, so no as I entering what had to be an old, old argument The idea of Bethany in control of that powerful icon was terrifying The idea that Sabinait in a ti I sipped and kept my eyes on my tea Very pale, with the cream And in a lovely china cup

Implacable as mountain stone, Sabina continued "I am the Keeper I am able to wield the sliver of the Blood Cross and thus will re Joses Bar-Judas"

Bethany laughed "Capture? You will die at his fangs if you try to capture hi to absorb the laht "You must call me when the time comes, if you can There will be no way to capture our maker without me" With a soft pop of displaced air, Bethany vanished and appeared at the door, which opened and closed behind her, leaving me with Sabina

Officially, the day sucked If I kept a diary, that would have been the day’s sole entry

I risked a glance up at the most powerful vamp in the US Well, maybe the second- her tea, the cup cradled in both pale, pale hands "Two young Mithrans were attacked as they slept this day," she said "Liaht here, to my sister priestess and to me They may survive Their huht"

My body tightened Huhtmare Joses had needed human and vamp blood to start his transformation, and he would need hu I wondered howof bones that had hung in sub-five to anything that could pass a humans There would be more humans killed and more va I hadvamps, Liam and Vivian, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what they looked like I should have been able to remember people I was paid to protect, but there were hundreds of vamps in New Orleans

"You will find where Joses Bar-Judas lairs and call uponhim back to the Master of the City" It wasn’t a request, which officially placed me between several rocks and several hard places "Witches have workings that can locate and follow s You have entrée to the witches of this city through your Trueblood friends Witches who, if asked, will assist in tracking the Son of Darkness"

A cold shaft of fear went throughabout Molly and Evan, who had recently been in New Orleans and ould be back soon to put together the Witch Conclave, a nationalof the covens to try to reach reconciliation with the vamps I was supposed to be in theemphasis on the words

"Yes Your friends" She s blissful "You are friends itches" She settled vamped-out eyes, pupils bloith scarlet sclera, on ed not to flinch at the sight, but ht and she breathed in, as if she scented my sudden apprehension Carefully, I set the cup and saucer on the table, glad when they didn’t clink with shaking hands