Kenna blew out a mouthful of smoke. "I have. Some days, though, I just need one. You heading out?"
"Paris. Layla is finding me a location."
"Good. I don't like the idea of fuckers bold enough to snatch one of the family like this," Kenna said. She stubbed out her cigarette. "That boy is going to break your heart. You know that, right?"
"I do, and I don't care. I just need him alive to do it," Lachlan replied and stepped out into the rain.
9
Apollo finished his wine and his food, and his headache eased back to a tolerable level. He drained the bottle of water that was also on the tray for him.
He didn't know how long their goodwill was going to last. Probably not long unless they showed Apollo the door after this ridiculous meeting.
Alain opened the door for him, and Apollo took note of the keypad just outside of it. No keys. That was annoying.
They walked out into a corridor made of brick and stone—no windows, just the soft glow of electric lamps. Definitely underground. Also annoying. Of course, Apollo had to be taken by smart people.
"Where do these doors go?" Apollo asked, pointing to the ones beside his own. "Am I not the only guest?"
Alain only smiled his placid smile. "Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to say."
"Of course," Apollo replied and slid his hands into his pockets. He was good at masking his emotions and playing the fool, and he had a feeling he was going to need both skills to get out of this mess. It was all too organized and creepy.
They walked and Apollo tried to count the turns they made before they came to an elevator. Three left, one right. He didn't ask any more questions. There was no point unless he wanted to try and beat them out of Alain, which didn't seem fair. He was only the help and wasn't the one responsible for his kidnapping.
The elevator went up and up and up, and Apollo's skin crawled at just how far he must have been underground. When they stopped, it was on the top floor. He stepped out into a world of light and glass. Before him was the skyline of a nighttime Paris.
So he had been held in a part of the catacombs. They ran under the city in a maze, and it seemed the Sanguis Vitae had repurposed them for their own uses. He started humming 'Court of Miracles' fromHunchback of Notredamebut quickly stopped himself. He had to be professional.
They walked through the foyer, the silence broken by their footsteps. The reception desk was unmanned and the screens above it showed a commercial forChrysopoeiaproducts. There was water and a mermaid, which made Apollo think of the ad inZoolander. He bit his tongue so he wouldn't slip out, 'Moisture is the essence of wetness.' Somehow, he didn't think Alain would get the joke. He needed to get his brain under control.
The butler knocked three times on a polished wooden door before entering. A woman and two men sat at a table made of black glass.
"Madame, messieurs. Apollonius Greatdrakes," Alain said with a bow.
"Thank you, Alain. You may go," the woman replied. Her pale gold hair, streaked with grey, was done up in an elegant chignon. She wore a tailored black suit with a crimson shirt.
"Monsieur Greatdrakes, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please sit," she said and gestured at the chair on the table opposite her.
Apollo slid into the chair and crossed his legs so they wouldn't bounce. "I don't appreciate being kidnapped, even for the sake of tradition."
"Our society has remained secret since 1560 only because of such traditions," the woman said, completely calm. "I am Dr. Marianne Bellerose, the head of the Sanguis Vitae."
"AndChrysopoeia Labs?" Apollo asked sweetly.
Dr. Bellerose smiled. "They are the public-facing arm of the order. We have many areas of interest besides cosmetics, as you will soon learn. Allow me to introduce Dr. Antoine Mercurie, a geneticist specializing in cellular regeneration and manipulation." She gestured to a fox-faced man with tortoise-shell glasses. He inclined his head and said nothing. "And this Dr. Lucien Delavie, our neurochemist. He also is responsible for translating ancient alchemical concepts into more scientific processes, including using AI to de-mystify some of the more obscure texts."
"There is no taking the mystic out of the mystical. Especially when it comes to alchemists," Dr. Delavie said cheerily. He had to be in his seventies but was beaming with life and good humor. He gave Apollo a big smile. "It's an honor to meet one of the famous Greatdrakes clan. I come from an old family that has been practicing alchemy since the eleventh century. I have grown up listening to stories about the magicians in your family."
Apollo raised a brow. "And yet this is the first time you have reached out?"
"This is the first time an alchemist of your caliber has come through the bloodline," Dr. Delavie replied.
"And youareobsessed with blood, aren't you?" Apollo said.
Dr. Mercurie cleared his throat. "The Sanguis Vitae have always known that blood is the key to life and the greatest of magics."
"Yes, I have seen some of your work. Alas, Jean won't be coming back to the fold any time soon."
