Darkness Embraced Part 25

"When did you get the piercings? I've never seen you wear them."

"I've had them," he said, "since Pantaleone."

I nodded, procuring a black band to secure at the end of the braid. The braid fel to the middle of his back.

"You should finish getting dressed. We need to find Renata and meet with the others."

Vasco stood and I suddenly found myself wrapped in the circle of his arms. I hugged him back, resting my cheek against his bare chest.

"It'l be okay, Epiphany."

"I hope so, Vasco. I truly do."

"We'l figure it out, mia sorel a. It's not the first treacherous conspiracy we've had to unravel within the clan and it won't be the last."

Hate and love. Love and hate. I wondered if Vasco had a point. If so, which was it? Or was it something else entirely?

Chapter Twenty.

I learned that the vampire the Dracule had taken was named Karsten. I had never spoken to him and did not know him, but he was one of the Underlings and in his years of servitude. Once Renata refreshed my memory, I knew he was the one who had been turned by the Elder Rosabel a.

The turning of a mortal to vampire is not a common thing and only happens when the Queen herself decides or grants permission to bring someone over. In my years among the Rosso Lussuria, Karsten was the only mortal I had known chosen by one of the Elders to become a vampire. Like me, Karsten had been taken by the Cacciatori.

Unlike Renata, I do not think it was a matter of pity with Rosabel a. Karsten had been healthy when she had taken a fancy to him. She was a creature of whim. She desired Karsten and so sought Renata's permission to turn him some thirty years ago. Renata gave it, al owing Rosabel a to give him the kiss of death and rebirth.

Rosabel a had taken the news surprisingly wel . She had seemed disappointed when Renata told her of Karsten's fate, but other than that, she showed no outward signs of grief. Nor did I empathical y sense any from her.

Renata had cal ed upon only the Elders that she knew without a doubt were loyal to her. I was surprised to find that the list was not as short as I had thought it would be. Out of the twelve Elders, eight of them were in attendance. We met in the sitting room connected to Renata's chambers. I sat on the floor next to Renata in her high backed chair. Even if she had been seated on one of the couches, I would not have sat next to her. She was the Queen of the Rosso Lussuria, and so had her throne. Vasco sat on the end of the couch closest to me. Since I was not yet an Elder, I did not sit beside him, as I was not yet in status equal to him.

Nirena, with her long white-blond hair and pale face, sat next to him. Vittoria and Vito sat beside her. They were twins. Both had clear blue eyes, narrow chins, and hair the color of dark coal.

Alessandra and Lorrenzo were seated on the smal er couch. Alessandra's slim face was blank and youthful. Her brown hair that was several shades darker than Lorrenzo's cupid-like curls fel loose around her shoulders. They were lovers and had been since before I was introduced to the clan.

My gaze flicked from them to Severiano. His hair was pul ed away from his face, showing the severity of his sharp features. It was the same reddish brown of hawk feathers. He had never threatened me, but the way he watched everyone as if he were the bird of prey that his features mimicked had always been a bit unnerving.

Rosabel a s.h.i.+fted in her seat at his side and I turned to look at Vasco, who was watching the two very intently.

"So it is true," Severiano said, "Epiphany is indeed your pet again?"

"Whether she is or is not my pet is none of your concern, Severiano. Does Epiphany being my pet hinder my ability to rule as your Queen?" She fixed him with a look of cool disinterest.

Severiano inclined his head. "I meant no offense, Padrona. I was only curious to find out if the rumors were true or not."

"You did not answer my question, Severiano." Her words were spoken very careful y, very slowly. The warning in them was something tangible, like a match near the tip of my tongue. "Does Epiphany being my pet hinder my ability to rule as your Queen?"

"You know it does not, Padrona."

"How is it a matter of such importance to so many of you when it does not concern any of you?"

Nirena gave a short laugh. "There are those that feel spurned, Padrona. Those that would gladly give you their affection were you to offer your attention and make them feel special."

Renata looked at her. "And are you children squabbling over a mother's doting affection?" Her dark brows arched splendidly with the question. "No,"

she said, "you are vampires. You are the Elders of the Rosso Lussuria. It is time you start acting like it. The last concern any of you should have is whether or not I have taken Epiphany to my bed again." She fel silent for a few seconds before turning to Vasco, giving them her profile. "What is your concern?"

"I am concerned with finding the traitor that summoned one of the Great Sires to kil us while we slept," Vasco said, and I knew he'd said "slept" for a more politic term.

I looked at each of the Elders. Despite the fact that most of them had enough practice at keeping a face blank from emotion, I knew more than what was readily seen. I opened myself, and like stretching out a hand to feel the folds of different fabrics, touched their emotions, drew that material into myself.

Rosabel a was shocked at the mentioning of the Great Sire, as Renata had not told her that Karsten had been taken by one of the Dracule. It was the first true sputter of emotion I'd sensed from her since she'd walked into the room.

When I had asked Renata how the Dracule kil ed, she would not tel me. The only wisdom I gleaned was that they do not leave a mess. I stopped questioning at that point.

Lorrenzo was fil ed with disbelief. Alessandra's emotions changed, at first disbelief and then settling on a reserved fear and hope that it was not true.

Vittoria and Vito were somewhat appal ed, but at the same time their emotions seemed calmer, steadier, and more certain than any of the other Elders. I knew then that they believed Vasco's words and did not doubt. I sensed Severiano's curiosity, which did not surprise me. After al , he led the Cacciatori.

From Nirena, I sensed uncertainty, as if she were not quite sure how she felt.

Vittoria spoke then, in a voice that was low and clear. "If what you say is true, then we are in grave danger."

"That is why finding the traitor responsible for summoning one of the Great Sires is of utmost importance," Renata said. "That is what you should each be concerned about."

"How do we even begin to figure out who is the summoner?" Vito asked his sister. "It could be any number of us, any one of us sitting here in this room right now."

"He's right," Vittoria said, watching Renata. "It could be any of us or any one of the vampires in the Sotto, lesser and Elders alike."

"It's a suicide mission for an Underling to summon one of the Great Sires," Nirena said. "Not to mention the fact that none of them know who the Great Sires are or what they once were. The Donatore have no power to use to make a summons-"

"The Dracule said that the summoner was a man," I said softly.

They looked at me then, every one of them, and I fought years of court instincts not to turn away. I returned their stares, forcing myself to face them. In order to become one of them, I first had to think of myself as equal to them.

It was not an easy thing, after so many years.

Vittoria and Vito shared a glance with each other.

"You spoke with it?"

"Yes. I spoke with her."

"How do we know you did not summon it?" Alessandra asked and I turned to meet her light golden eyes.

"I did not summon her, Alessandra."

"You could have," Lorrenzo said. "You have been close to the Queen, close enough to learn things you wouldn't normal y have known if you had not been her pet. You came into your powers long before your two-hundredth year of rebirth."

"As loathe as I am to agree with him," Nirena said, "he is right. She has been your pet. Perhaps she summoned the Great Sire to gain revenge on us?"

She sounded more thoughtful than accusatory. "Or simply to gain revenge on you for casting her aside those years ago."

"How do we know you are not saying it is a man merely to rule yourself out as a potential suspect?" Rosabel a asked.

I shook my head. So far, Renata was not stepping in. I had to handle their accusations myself. I raised my face and smiled, but not like I meant it.

"If that was my plan, Rosabel a, it didn't work out very wel , now did it? In fact, why would I speak up at al if I knew it would only attract your attention? I could have simply kept my mouth shut and none of you would be aiming accusations at me."

A heavy silence fel over the room.

Renata laughed.

"Very wel reasoned." She touched my hair briefly. "If it were not for Epiphany, many of you might not have risen this night."

Severiano leaned forward. "What exactly do you mean, Padrona?"

"Epiphany," she said, "show the Elders of the Rosso Lussuria what I mean."

I raised my sleeve and bared Iliaria's sigil at my wrist.

For some, it erased doubts. For others, it only added to them. I had wondered if those Renata had cal ed upon were worthy enough to be trusted. I tried to read them while they gazed at the sigil and did not sense anything that gave me a clue as to who the traitor was. There were only four Elders that were not in attendance, and the ones before me were not giving anything away.

"You are bound to the monster that took Karsten?" Rosabel a asked. I might've thought that the horrified sound in her voice was over her lost Karsten but knew it was not. She emphasized the word monster, and I knew by looking at her that her horror was at the fact that I bore the sigil of one of those monsters, not that the monster had taken someone she al egedly loved.

"Yes. I would not cal her a monster, Rosabel a, as she was kind enough to spare your life."

"What did it cost you?" Nirena asked and I respected her for the fact that she knew enough about the Dracule to know that I had given something for the Dracule's favor. I hesitated to cal it a price, though it had been. An enjoyable price, but stil a price, nonetheless. I wasn't exactly sure how to answer Nirena's question without feeling like my privacy was being a.s.saulted.

Renata answered for me. "Epiphany and the Dracule struck a bargain."

"What kind of bargain?" Vito asked, seeming more curious than intentional y invasive.

"That is for Epiphany to tel , if she wishes."

"If she wishes us to believe her, then she should tel us," Severiano said.

I narrowed my eyes. "I took the Dracule to my bed, Severiano. I gave the Dracule my body in exchange that she would harm no more of the Rosso Lussuria."

After a few moments, Severiano leaned back in his seat. It was a white flag of sorts.

"You must not scare very easily," Vittoria said, scrutinizing me with her icy gaze.

"Is that a question?" I asked.

Her slim shoulders rose in a shrug.

"How do we know that your sick perversion for this monstrous creature has not clouded your wits and caused you to turn on your Queen, your Siren?"

Rosabel a scrunched up her nose, looking positively disgusted. "How do we know you haven't met many times in secret with the demon?"

The look Renata turned and pinned her with would've made me sink from the couch and to my knees. As it was, Rosabel a flinched.

"I once had several al iances amongst the Dracule, Rosabel a. A couple of those al ies I would have considered almost friends."

"You are the Queen," Rosabel a said, "and within your rights to have al iances."

"How do we know that Epiphany has not been meeting with the Great Siren in secret?" Alessandra seemed a little paler than usual, but her voice was steady enough.

"When Epiphany first met the Dracule I was there, Alessandra. When Epiphany took the Dracule to her bed, I was there. Do you have any more questions that are a waste of my time?"

"Vasco said that the Dracule was summoned to kil us?" Nirena asked. Out of al the Elders, I was noticing that very little slipped past her studious attention. She was observant, which was a powerful tool but potential y a dangerous weapon, depending on how she wielded it.

"Yes," Renata said.

"How is that possible?" Nirena asked, brows furrowing. Her eyes widened slightly. "They have a stone."

We had already spoken with Renata of the Stone of Shadows. She had already suspected that whoever had summoned the Dracule was using one.

After al , it was one of the few relics that kept a vampire alive and safe during the daylight hours.

"So it would seem," Renata said. "Whoever summoned the Dracule is working with one of them, I suspect."

"That's the only way they could get the stone," Vittoria said.

"One of the stones, at least," Vito said.

"How many stones are there in existence?" I asked.

He shrugged much as his sister had earlier. "Al of the Great Sires are capable of creating them."

"Ah, but they are not so easily made," Nirena added.

"No," Vito answered, "not easy, but not impossible either."

"I wil give you that," she said smiling coyly.

"What do you want us to do?" Vittoria asked Renata.

"I have cal ed upon only those of you I trust without a thread of doubt," Renata said and I resisted the urge to glance at Rosabel a and Al esandra.

Rosabel a might not have liked the Dracule, but it did seem she was strangely loyal to Renata. Alessandra, I sensed, was too afraid of the Queen to go against her. Renata turned to Lorrenzo and it wasn't until I saw his Adam's apple bob and felt the wash of fear from him that I knew he too was afraid of her.

"I want you to be Elders," she said. "I want you to protect your people. I want you to offer your aid in finding the traitor who summoned the Great Siren."