“Not what we need.” Hecate frowned.
“No kidding.” Mormo tapped long, graceful fingers on his knee, his ankle crossed over his thigh. He wore jeans and a sweater looked almost normal except for the white hair and dark eyes that tended to blaze with red. Yet he didn’t come across as a vampire to her.
To Hecate, he asked, “Do you think this is more danger to precede the Darkness that comes? Or just an unlucky break for us?”
“I’m not sure. You see, Riley, what’s coming wants discord among its enemy. And the surest way to cause unrest is to allow demons to enter our plane.” She sniffed in Shadow’s direction, and Riley had a very bad feeling about the identity of her lap cat. “They don’t belong here, and their presence in our reality can create an imbalance. But that can also be said for gods who walk among mortals,” she added with a self-deprecating half-smile. “In any case, with the remaining Bloode Stones still out there, our enemy has a chance to fight us and win. We can’t fight a war on two fronts. We must get those three last Bloode Stones so that we can form a united opposition, so that when the fight comes, we’re ready.”
“I see. Lycans and vampires fighting would only cause chaos, which is just what this Darkness needs to get a toehold in our world.”
“Exactly.” Hecate nodded approvingly. “I’m so glad you understand.”
“I just don’t see why you think the artifact has these stones you need. Trust me when I tell you no one has mentioned gems or ‘Blood Stones’ in conjunction with Hirpus. There are no hidden compartments or invisible maps carved into that little statue. It’s old, made of some black rock, and beaten to hell. There’s nothing of value to the thing except to our packs.”
“Be that as it may, I still need to see it to be sure. After I’ve held it, studied it, you may have it back. We mean only to borrow it to track down what we need.”
“The most powerful gems on the planet,” Mormo added.
“They can’t be that powerful, can they?”
Mormo leaned close. “Imagine if you could get all the vampires in the entire Bloode Empire fighting on the same side. Fighting for you. You’d be an unstoppable force. All that power, that potential for bloodshed right at your fingertips.” He shook his head. “Now imagine all that power in the hands of a master draugr or strigoi. Vampires who live to cause destruction and war. It would be Armageddon.”
She recalled how fast and strong Kraft and that old vampire had been, mowing down everyone in their way. “I understand.” Riley blew out a breath. “But I don’t get why sorcerers and lycans are working together. I think there’s something else at play here than a bid to rule the vampires. I mean, if this rogue had already found these Bloode Stones, he’d be using them to boss around vampires.”
“Not necessarily,” Mormo said. “They can only be wielded by a Worthy vampire.”
She had no idea what that meant. “Still, that sorcerer had an undead vampire on his payroll. If he wanted a vamp to control your stones, he’d get one.”
“You make a good point,” he conceded.
“That sorcerer had no problem getting lycans to do his dirty work. He’s on a mission to do something with lycan blood.” She frowned. “That blood circle in the house, it used the blood of magic users and the lycan for some purpose. It only faded when we used water on it.”
“Water is life. Change. Flow. It cleanses.” Hecate nodded. “A good thought to use that element to wash away evil.”
“Kraft thought of it,” Riley had to admit.
“He’s a lot smarter than he seems,” Mormo said with a surprising grin. “Thank the goddess.”
Hecate laughed. “I like him. He’s got a good heart, and he’s steadfast.” She looked into Riley’s eyes. “Use him, Riley. He’s your partner on this. You’ll both need to work together to gather what we need. I’ve been told this, and my source is never wrong.”
Riley huffed. “Great. Some obscure prophecy, right?”
“Something like that.”
“I promise to find this artifact for you. In fact, I’ll ask around when I get home. But I have to go. We need to find out what that sorcerer was up to. I have a bad feeling about what his manipulation might mean for my pack.” Hell, for all the packs.
“I understand.” Hecate nodded. “When Kraft wakes, he’ll follow you. Stay in your territory, and he’ll join you there.” She glanced down at the kitten, and her eyes glowed. “Take Shadow with you. He’ll guard you until Kraft arrives.”
“I don’t need a guard.” How insulting.
Hecate shook her head. “Please, Riley. Do me this favor.”
Riley looked down at the purring beast. “Be honest. Is this guy a...demon?”
“Kind of,” Mormo said, less than helpful.
“What does ‘kind of’ mean?”
“He’s safe enough. He belongs to the White Sea Witch.” Mormo sneered. “Apparently, he’s a cuddler.”
