Page 67 of Blood Day (Blood Alliance #7)

Cedric

Emine offered Lily a pair of jeans and a sweater as soon as we boarded the jet. Rather than refuse the gesture, Lily accepted the clothes and left for the bathroom to put them on.

As we weren’t going anywhere else anytime soon, I didn’t protest. Besides, I preferred her to be as comfortable as possible since this was going to be a long flight.

I took a seat across from Khalid in the executive chairs on his jet and waited while he fixed us both a blood-laced bourbon cocktail. He made what appeared to be a clear, fizzy drink spiked with blood for Emine. And pulled out a bottle of water for Lily—one she eagerly accepted when she returned.

She’d tied her blonde hair up into a ponytail and had wiped off her face. I suspected she’d cleaned up other areas as well because her scent was refreshed, but she still needed a shower.

If our conversation went well, I’d take up Khalid’s offer to borrow his.

He sent a message up to his pilot, saying we were cleared to leave, then sat idly and sipped his bourbon. It seemed he wasn’t kidding about waiting until we were in the air.

I relaxed into the chair and grabbed Lily’s hand, her nerves hitting my senses.

She’d only flown the one time, and her memories told me it hadn’t been a very enjoyable flight.

I didn’t comment about this one being better because that remained to be seen.

Instead, I offered her my strength and softly suggested that she look out the window.

She obeyed, her wonder touching my heart as she admired the land growing smaller beneath us.

Another first experience , I marveled. Which wasn’t necessarily true, as this was her second time on a plane. But this was her first time witnessing the true beauty of flying, and that was a refreshing sensation indeed.

“You know, Erositas used to be revered,” Khalid said over the rim of his glass. “Alas, Lilith has changed all that. Not because she doesn’t respect the bonds—she has her own Erosita —but because personal relationships threaten her platform.”

Had , I thought. She had an Erosita . But I didn’t bother correcting him because that wasn’t the point.

And he wasn’t done, either.

“What dear Lilith fails to understand is that there are plenty of ongoing relationships that were formed before her very creation. I mean, some were during her lifetime, but my point is, some friendships are untouchable.” He glanced at Emine. “Same with Sire bonds.”

“Not all Sire bonds are favorable,” I replied. It wasn’t meant as a rebuttal to his logic—I agreed that it seemed this society had been founded on a lack of commitment to others. But I’d always been a lone wolf, so it hadn’t bothered me.

Until now .

Until Lily.

“Which is precisely why I had to audition you properly, Cedric.” He set his glass down on the table, his expression darkening.

“I needed to know you still possessed some of your humanity. Because many of our kind do not, and Lilith has spent the better part of the last century grooming that mentality and praising it.”

“You make it sound like she has some master plan for us all,” I hedged, more curious now than I’d been before.

“Her plan is a moot point; she’ll be dead before she can see it through. What concerns me more is the upcoming war.”

My eyebrow arched upward. “Upcoming war?”

“Mmm,” he hummed, relaxing a bit into his chair. “Cam was always a clever man. And it’s just like him to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Or, in this case, as a way to temporarily appease Lilith’s delusions.”

Who is Cam? Lily whispered into my mind.

Rather than reply, I showed her a bit of his history—namely, the day Lilith had publicly annihilated him for rebelling against her cause.

“You’re suggesting he died with a cause,” I translated aloud.

“Oh, no. He’s not dead,” Khalid replied with a chuckle.

“Lilith has him chained up somewhere. She just wants everyone to think he’s dead.

Which has worked to her advantage—or so she thinks.

But his imprisonment is all a cover for the real threat—the revolutionaries he left behind. Which brings me back to the Sire bond.”

He retrieved his drink to take a sip while I processed everything he’d just said. There was clearly a point he would be arriving at eventually; I just wasn’t quite sure what it was.

So I’d play along for now .

“Darius,” I said. “That’s who you mean, yes?” He was Cam’s only progeny, and as Khalid had just brought us back to the Sire bond, then Darius must be important to this discussion. “He just claimed a sovereign role in Jace Region after living in silence for the last century or so.”

“That he did,” Khalid mused. “He’s been playing his part perfectly, first by picking a blood virgin, then by mate-bonding her, and using her as a demonstration of how little regard he truly has for an Erosita bond. It’s all bullshit, of course. But no one bothers to look beneath the surface.”

I frowned. “He’s rumored to be sharing her with Jace.”

“Yes, Jace. And who was his best friend for thousands of years before his death?” Khalid canted his head to the side. “Why, it was Cam, I believe. Coincidence, that? I think not.”

“So you’re suggesting they’re doing what, exactly? Carrying out Cam’s wishes to rebel against Lilith?”

“I’m not suggesting anything, Cedric. I know they are planning to revolt against the current system. And I know they’re not alone, too.” He finished his glass and stood to make another.

As I’d barely touched mine, he didn’t bother topping mine up. But he did fix Emine another drink as well.

And he brought a second bottle of water for Lily.

“Viper is one of my many assets, lying in wait and observing the chess pieces on the board for me. I had originally intended to make you an offer to serve as the same, but you taking an Erosita complicated matters. So I’m improvising a little.”

He settled into his chair again.

“Besides, it won’t really matter. Removing you from Silvano’s clutches will ensure he self-implodes in a matter of years, maybe even months.” He gave me a look. “That imbecile is hopeless without you, and he’s too gluttonous to see reason.”

No argument there , I thought.

“So I don’t really need you in his region for information. You would be much more useful within my territory where you can help ensure we survive the pending fallout. Which is why I want to make you a sovereign of Khalid Region.”

He’d hinted at that several times before, so I wasn’t shocked by the position offer.

But his reasoning certainly came as a surprise. “So this is what you meant about an upcoming war—you mean Cam’s followers against those who support Lilith’s ideas.”

He nodded. “Yes. The final pieces are in play—which was indicated by Darius taking the sovereign role—so we’re on the steps of the endgame now.

Which means I want to secure my borders as quickly as possible.

And I need powerful men within my region to ensure that happens both efficiently and effectively. ”

Khalid pressed a button on the table, causing a translucent screen to appear between us.

“I’ve spent the better part of the last century creating my own version of utopia.

” He started pulling up feeds from around his region.

“Hence the reason I rarely let anyone visit my home.” A series of images of humans appeared, most of them moving in groups.

Some were smiling. Others were stoic. And a few appeared abundantly lost.

“These are members of the new shipments from Blood Day,” Khalid explained, pulling up footage of two girls walking with hunched shoulders. “It looks like one of my elites is showing them the ropes.” He clicked a button to enable audio, allowing the elite’s voice to come through the speakers .

“You’ll sleep here,” he was saying, gesturing to a room with a pair of beds in it. “We share the communal kitchen and living area downstairs, but you have your own private bath through there.” He pointed to somewhere in the room that we couldn’t see through our viewpoint.

“We only have cameras in the residence hallways,” Khalid explained before I could ask. “And honestly, they’re used more for protection than for spying. I only chose this feed as it’ll give you an idea of what I’m trying to preserve.”

“I-in here?” the smaller of the two females asked.

The man whom Khalid had referred to as an “elite” dipped his chin in confirmation. “There’s a key on the dresser for you to use to lock up after you leave. And your closet is filled with a week’s worth of outfits to help get you settled.”

Both women looked at each before glancing up at the human male. “I don’t… I don’t understand,” one of them whispered. “Do we stay here until it’s time for dinner service?”

The male clicked his watch, pulling up a screen similar to the one on the table before us.

“Ah, food service,” he murmured. “I see. That explains your confusion.”

“Is he looking at mortal assignments?” I asked, noting the familiar file on the screen.

“My team uploads copies from Lilith’s logs every day and distributes them through our own private database,” Khalid explained.

“And you let humans have access to it?” Not that I really minded, it was just a surprising detail.

“Only those in certain positions, like this elite.” Khalid’s gaze was on the male in question, watching as he gentled his expression and tone .

“Your designation from Blood Day no longer applies,” he informed the two females. “You’ll be retrained and attend another school here. Upon successful graduation, you will be given a new role—one of your choosing. And the only payment you need to worry about is a monthly blood donation.”

They blinked at him again, reminding me of deer caught in twin headlights. “M-more university?” the one with darker hair asked. She was slightly bigger than the other female, but not by much.

“Yes, but not like the one you just left,” the male replied. “This is a more traditional one with real classes. There’s more information in your room. Just press the button that says Play, and the on-screen tutorial will explain everything you need to know.”

Khalid shifted to a new screen as he said, “This is what they’re going to watch.” His gaze went to Lily. “I think you’ll find this more interesting than your mate will. I know Emine did when I showed it to her six months ago.”

My eyebrow lifted, but I didn’t comment, instead waiting for the video to begin.

“Hello and welcome to my world.” Khalid’s smooth tones came through the speakers, his expression just as stoic as ever on the screen before us.

However, there was a glint in his turquoise irises that spoke of a deep-seated secret. A hidden agenda. A purpose not yet realized.

But one he obviously intended to share.

Finally .