"If I get out of here, that will be the first thing I do," he vowed.
Just because Lachlan had survived the crash didn't mean the dickbags who had kidnapped him hadn't finished the job after they had snatched Apollo. He would know if he was dead, wouldn't he? His dragon would sense it, and he would be a wreck like Cosimo had been.
A knock at the door jolted Apollo out of his spiraling thoughts. The door opened, and an elegant man dressed in a suit came in with a silver tray.
"Bonjour, Monsieur Greatdrakes. I am Alain," he introduced himself as he set the tray down on a small table. Apollo's stomach grumbled at the sight of a rich-looking stew, fresh bread, and a glass of red wine.
"Where am I?" he demanded.
"You are in France, and a guest of the Sanguis Vitae, whom I serve in the capacity of a butler. If you have any food allergies, please let me know," Alain said, his English accented but perfect.
"You guys kidnapped me. What makes you think I will be dumb enough to eat your food?" Apollo replied, crossing his arms.
Alain smiled, the picture of politeness. "The leaders of our order wish to meet you, not harm you. The food is not poisoned, and neither is the wine."
"If they just wanted to meet me, they could have sent me an email."
"Alas, our society is still a secret one, and there are some traditions that cannot be let go of. Even though magic is moreaccepted now, it is easier to work in the shadows. The leaders of the order are old-fashioned, so they took you," Alain replied.
He made it sound like it was completely acceptable behavior. Apollo supposed that for super secret societies it probably was. He sat at the table and placed the heavy linen napkin on his lap.
"I don't suppose I will meet these mysterious leaders any time soon?" Apollo asked.
Alain smiled again. "You are. I will wait until you have finished eating, and then I will escort you to them."
Apollo sipped his wine. Like everything else, it was expensive. "Do you know where my driver has been imprisoned?"
"The man who was with you was not taken. He lives if that comforts you?" Alain replied.
"I don't particularly care. He was only an Uber driver," Apollo replied as nonchalantly as he could. If they didn't know Lachlan's real identity, he wasn't about to tell them. He smiled and drank his wine.
If they had left Lachie alive, then he would be hunting for Apollo. Not finishing him off would be one of the biggest mistakes this mysterious order had ever made.
Apollo ate a few mouthfuls of stew, the panic in him easing now he knew Lachlan wasn't dead or imprisoned. Apollo would meet with the heads of the order...and then he would dismantle their whole operation from the inside out.
The Sanguis Vitae might have survived in secret since Catherine de Medici's death in 1589, but they sure as hell weren't going to survive him.
8
Lachlan paced around the Greatdrakes library, where Cosimo, Valentine, Bas, and Bridget were all standing around a table.
Layla had called to say she had traced the van to a private airfield but was having trouble getting details of the plane. Sanguis Vitae were covering their tracks better than most.
Lachlan and Valentine had gone to the Greatdrakes manor to try a tracking spell. Lachlan hadn't slept and doubted he would be able to relax even if he tried.
"Please stop pacing, Lachlan. You are making me agitated, and I need to concentrate," Cosimo said, gathering a small tuft of Apollo's hair from one of the brushes arranged before him.
They had already ruled out Ireland and England. Lachlan hoped the plane had landed; otherwise, they would keep getting negative results.
Lachlan moved to stand beside Valentine. Bas was quietly whispering to Bridget, explaining the magic Cosimo was doing. It all sounded way too complicated to Lachlan, but Bridget seemed to understand and soak it all in like a sponge.
"We are going to run out of hair at this rate," Lachlan grumbled to Valentine.
"Apollo sheds like a German shepherd. There will always be more hair, trust me," he reassured him.
Lachlan shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to sit still. He hated waiting at the best of times, but not knowing where Apollo was? That was enough to drive him insane.
Cosimo was whispering under his breath, and he dropped the small tuft of hair. It floated over the map before landing on Paris.
