“She’ll live,” he announced, though his tone suggested this was mere professional assessment rather than concern.
The blood sang through me, restoring strength I’d forgotten I possessed.Colors seemed sharper, sounds clearer.Even the persistent ache where my soul should be felt dulled, though I knew that was temporary.The monster was sated, not tamed.
But it wasn’t what I’d hoped.It felt wrong; it felt evil.Pangs of guilt washed through me even as the victim’s blood flowed through my veins.
Later, after they’d returned us to our quarters and the guards had retreated to their posts, we gathered in what had once been a chapel.Crumbling saints watched from alcoves, the paint that colored the statues faded and chipped.Moonlight filtered through a hole in the roof, illuminating dust motes that danced like souls seeking heaven.
“We cannot actually kill the people they send us after,” Desiderius said without preamble.“Whatever the Order’s ultimate purpose with this weapon, we need them to trust us long enough to discover it and stop them.”
“So we lie.”Ruth’s voice had lost its desperate edge, blood having restored her cynicism along with her strength.“Pretend to be their loyal hounds while secretly undermining them.”
“I can alter memories,” Desiderius continued.“Make the targets believe they need to flee, give them visions of their own deaths if they remain.Bodies can be procured from morgues, burned beyond recognition.If I act fast, they’ll never even see me make the swap.”
“That’s...horrible,” I said, though I couldn’t deny the logic.
“More horrible than actual murder?”Desiderius met my gaze steadily.“This is war, Alice.We’re fighting for survival—ours and every vampire’s.The Order plans to purge us from existence.Would you rather we completed their missions honestly?”
I thought of Father O’Malley, somewhere in this vast city, dying by degrees while we played these terrible games.Would he approve?Would he understand the necessity, or would he see only the deception, the compromise of principles he’d tried to instill?
“Brother Marcus will have people watching,” Desiderius added.“We cannot appear to hesitate, cannot show mercy they might interpret as weakness or, worse, betrayal.Every action must seem to serve their cause while actually serving ours.”
I shook my head.“I don’t understand.How are you going to procure the bodies needed, get them into place, and make these body swaps with the targets without Marcus’s people noticing?”
Desiderius smirked.“Matthias can find out about the mission.I can…convince… him to tell me everything and make him forget we even had the conversation.”
I titled my head.“Your ability works on vampires?”
Desiderius shook his head.“Not typically.But I’m Matthias’s sire.Our relationship is unique.Not every sire can manipulate their progeny that way, but my gift, well, it works on him.For what reason other than the uniqueness of our bond, I cannot say.”
I pursed my lips.“We have a day to prepare.A day we were told to rest, to allow the blood to heal any of our wounds, to restore our strength.”
“It won’t take me that long,” Desiderius said.“I’ll use the time we have to make arrangements with Matthias, to figure out where I can secure the bodies.”
“How, though?”I asked.“The mission begins after nightfall.You can’t go out and start robbing morgues in the middle of the day.”
“I don’t have to.”Desiderius shrugged.“The mission will require strategy, there will be a briefing.There’s always a briefing.I will compel Matthias to get everything in order.He’ll use our connection to find wherever the mission takes us, so he knows where to deliver the bodies.”
“But you still have to get rid of the actual victims.The witches, if that’s what they really are, so we don’t end up killing them.”
“I’ll need a distraction, Alice.Keep the Order occupied.I won’t need long, a minute or two at most, to speed into their rooms, push the memories into their minds that will force them to flee, and once I’m done, according to my previous commands, Matthias will place dead bodies in their place.Ensure that when you attack, be as obedient as possible, but try to make the killings look real.The bodies probably won’t match the intended victims perfectly, so if fire is an option, use it.If you’re instructed to attack, be brutal about it, make sure the bodies are left unrecognizable.”
I shuddered.“I don’t know if I can do something like that—“
“It’s saving lives, Alice.You will find the strength.This isn’t about brutality.It’s about undermining the Order of the Morning Dawn.”
“What about us?”Rebecca asked.“We have different missions.”
He paused, his gaze shifting between Ruth and Rebecca.“Ruth, in the archives, test those artifacts with care.If any cause you pain, note them for future use.Figure out if there’s a weakness, a way to shut it down.It’s important intelligence we might need in the future, particularly if Marcus discovers are true purpose here.”Ruth nodded, determination flashing in her eyes.
Turning to Rebecca, Desiderius’s expression softened slightly.“As for you assisting with the donors, you must learn to manage your hunger while appearing compliant.Your mission isn’t one that requires you to compromise our values.So, embrace the task as a challenge—Marcus half-expects you to fail, but through persistence, it will make you stronger.”
Chapter 8
Footstepsechoeddownthecorridor—measured, purposeful, yet somehow empty of genuine intent.Matthias appeared in the doorway, his wounded face catching what little light filtered through the stones.Those gouges still wept dark blood, refusing to heal properly despite the feeding.His eyes, though—his eyes were already going vacant, pupils dilated as Desiderius’s will pressed against his mind.
“Sire,” Matthias said, the word emerging flat and mechanical.“You summoned me.”
“I did.”Desiderius opened his eyes.“Come closer, son.”
