The Blood Boss by Davidson King

Chapter Twelve

Cain

It had been hours since Sibell had left, and I had told Jayce to go deal with the painful information dump he’d been given. I closed myself off in my study, scouring over work I had been ignoring for no other reason than it bored me. But every few minutes I’d gloss over a word, phrase, or sentence that would remind me of Jayce’s story or my own.

There was a soft knock on the study door, and while I wanted to tell whomever it was to go away, I knew I couldn’t hide forever.

“Come in.”

Natalie slipped inside and quickly closed the door. “Sir, if I may be so bold as to say I think Sibell is right. You can absorb the Harlow debt and have Jayce leave.”

My head shot up from the crime reports I was reading, not believing what I was hearing. “I know you’re not suggesting I sacrifice Jayce because it’s too dangerous to have him here.”

“Sir, we’ve lived in relative peace for a long time. I fear a war with the Tritons and Sirens will be catastrophic on both sides and leave the humans as fodder.”

“Starting with Jayce, do I understand you correctly?”

She sighed, her lavender eyes looking at anything other than my face. “If we give him over to Rogos and Sable with the agreement of free passage for the ships indefinitely, it would avoid war and create peace. Was it not some great human who once asked, ‘Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?’ I think the answer to that is yes, Sir. One life for many?”

If it were possible for me to get a headache, I was sure I’d be feeling one bloom behind my eyes. “Natalie, I’m going to ignore the fact that you quoted a fictional character from Star Trek to make your poor point. And for the record, while Spock was half human, he was also half Vulcan, and I feel that if you’re going to delve deep into the mind of some beloved character humans adore, you maybe should know with whom you’re speaking of.”

“Sir, please.”

“Natalie, do you remember the day the call came for us to intervene and save Earth? To save mankind from itself?”

“Of course I do.”

“And I vowed that I’d guard humanity with the same respect as I do my vampires?”

“Yes, but—”

“And I wouldn’t sacrifice any of you for ships.”

“It’s more than ships, you know that.”

I understood Natalie’s concern; she was scared. A war with Rogos and Sable would be horrific, but it was an assumption that it would happen at all.

“Until I know what dangers are forthcoming, I will make no rash decision that would involve the loss of life.” I leaned forward, forcing Natalie to look me in the eyes. “If you waver in your loyalty to me, I promise you will be gravely sorry. While I wouldn’t end your existence for some ships, I would end it if it was the reason a war began at all. Do I make myself clear?”

“Ye…yes, Sir. I’m eternally loyal to you. I just felt I needed to say my piece. You’ve always admired my opinions.”

“I do and I hear your concerns, but in the end, it is my call. You need to decide, here and now, if you will abide by my ruling even if it’s not what you agree with.”

“I will, Sir. I promise.”

I glanced over at my grandfather clock. “It’s almost time for dinner. Locate Jayce, please. I will meet him in the dining hall. You and the others do not need to be in attendance.”

“Yes, Sir.” She turned and exited the study, leaving me simmering.

I was well aware of the seriousness of all this and while she had valid points, there was something about sitting there, listening and seeing the path that had brought Jayce into my home that affected me. The difference was, Jayce had experienced a great life with the Harlows, and in some ways that was almost worse. He likely was wondering if it was a lie. He had everything and now it probably felt as though it were slipping through his fingers like sand.

My study door opened in a rush and Emil stood there, eyes wide. “Sir, he’s gone.”

“Who?”

“Jayce! He’s not here. I asked one of the gardeners, but the last time he saw him he was walking through the sunflowers. I went down that way and saw an opening in the gate. I think he got out that way.”

“Or he was taken.” I stood, moving quickly out of the study.

“Where would he go?” Petru asked as he was readying himself to go look for the man.

“A number of places. Home, the bookstore. I don’t think he’d go to the bay, but we should have it checked.”

Emil nodded. “I will go to the Harlows. Petru, you take the bookstore. I will put others to the bay and send a roaming crew to sweep the area.”

“Good.” As soon as they were all out the door, a thought hit me…not a thought so much as a feeling. I suspected I knew exactly where Jayce was.

* * *

The rain was coming down with such force, one could swear it was angry on Jayce’s behalf. I drove as far as the roads would let me, pulled the collar of my long coat up, and stepped out into the night.

The climb would be no problem, but knowing Jayce had taken it concerned me a great deal. I’d examine why anything about him was drawing me in later. Right now I needed to get him, bring him with me, and…what? I had no idea.

The higher I got, the stronger the rain fell. It did make me wonder if there were forces at work trying to keep me from him, but they’d fail. I approached the No Trespassing sign but breezed by it. I’d just made it past the clearing when ice-cold mist slammed against my face. True to who I was, cold didn’t bother me, but I did feel it.

To human eyes Jayce would go unnoticed, but I saw him. He sat at the tip of Gibson Peak, huddled in a ball, the sound of waves crashing below him, sheets of water pelting his back, and yet he was still.

Of course he’d come here, to the place his parents gave their lives to ensure he had one. I wished I could give him time to stay and maybe feel connected to them, but this was a very dangerous spot. Too near to the ocean where Rogos or Sable could detect him.

When I knew I was close enough for him to hear me, I kneeled beside him.

“Jayce.” The moment my hand touched his shoulder, he jumped. Eyes filled with rain and tears met mine.

“How’d you find me?”

“I thought about where I’d want to be after the kind of day you’d had.”

“And you’d pick here?” he scoffed, his disbelief evident.

I didn’t want to talk where Jayce was vulnerable and sure, I could carry him back to my warm, dry car without issue, but for some reason I found myself sitting next to Jayce on the wet rock, rain assaulting us brutally.

“Not here but…you’re trying to feel a connection to them, aren’t you?”

He nodded. “That’s exactly it.”

I knew it. “And I’d want to find anything that made sense in all this chaos too. I’ve often had to cut my way through many bad situations.”

“Do you think it’s true?”

“You doubt Sibell’s story?”

He shrugged, and a shiver wracked his body. “I have so many questions, and the more I sit out here, the more come to mind.”

My eyes scanned the night, trying to gauge how safe we were, but I felt no danger. “Perhaps we can talk in my car.”

He carried on as if I’d said nothing. “Why couldn’t Sibell also hide Asherah and Rigil? Why just me? Clearly, the spell has weakened—we know that from the way Sable tried to kill me at the bay—but by how much? Is this why my parents never took me to the ocean, never let me swim in the sea?” He did have a lot of questions.

“You deserve to know the answers to all of those, and I know none of them, Jayce.”

He pressed his forehead against his knees. I could see his shoulders shaking and the harder he cried, the angrier the wind blew, until I was sure we’d fly away.

“Jayce, we have to get down from here. I’m fine, but you’re going to get sick if you stay.”

His head flew up and with bloodshot eyes he glared at me. “Will I? I can’t remember ever being sick, now that I think about it.”

I opened my mouth to tell Jayce we had to get out of the rain when the rock below me rumbled…we were out of time.

“Jayce, we have to go now.”

“I don’t—” His words were cut off when a huge wave crashed over the peak. It had to have traveled a good eighty feet. “Oh, my God!”

“Now, Jayce.” I grabbed his arm, hauling him to his feet, when a second wave crashed, slamming us in the back, sending us forward. Thankfully in the direction we needed to go.

“Run!” I pushed him and turned toward the water. “Don’t stop until you reach my car. Get in and drive to the estate.”

“What about—” A third wave crashed, and this time it came with a huge figure.

“Now, Jayce!”

Thankfully he didn’t argue; he turned and ran. I couldn’t watch him go as it seemed I had a situation I needed to deal with here. The Triton before me wasn’t Rogos, but there was no doubt he was a soldier, judging by his size.

“Where is he?” The voice cut through the loud weather with ease.

“Well, soldier, you will have to get through me first.”

He smiled, his sharpened teeth as white as pearls. “Gladly,” he said and leaped toward me.