Page 12 of Kiss the Dawn (Order of Helsing #4)

T he smell hit me first, sweet and sharp, waking every lazy synapse in my brain. I sucked in a sharp breath but exhaled just as quickly.

“Relax,” Lorenzo soothed. “Just breathe slow and even.”

His hand on the small of my back grounded me, allowing me to center myself while dots bounced about in my vision. I did as he instructed, and the sting in the air abated.

“You all right?” He studied me, concerned.

His eyes were brighter, the silver ring around his irises sharper, and his bergamot scent was more compelling to me. I swayed toward him but caught myself.

“I’m good. ”

He nodded, taking my word for it, but kept his hand on my back to steady me anyway.

We were in a bare room with white marble floors, a high ceiling criss-crossed with beams and lit by wall lights. But there were no windows. There was a door, thank goodness, because otherwise my claustrophobia might have kicked in. It was one of those wooden iron-reinforced affairs, made even more ominous by the sentries standing on either side of it.

Armed sentries, with hands on the hilts of their swords. Their pale faces impassive above their black roll-neck tops. Their eyes hard and watchful.

“Hey,” Curi said. “We’re supposed to be meeting Minister Cartwright?”

The sentries made no indication that they’d heard him.

“Someone will be along shortly,” Lorenzo said. “The guard here aren’t permitted to engage with outsiders.”

The door opened a few moments later, and a silver-haired man dressed in emerald robes entered. His gaze swept over us, lingering on me a moment before settling on the gargoyles. “I’m Minister Cartwright, your Isle liaison. Please come with me.”

“Well, maybe we’ll see you around,” Levi said to us.

“It was nice meeting you,” Curi added.

The two followed the minister out of the room, and then it was just Lorenzo and me.

How long would we have to wait? You’d think they’d hurry up and get me considering the fact they wanted me so badly. I flexed my hands to dispel the tingling and breathed past the flutter in my chest. “What is this? Like a holding room?”

“You could call it that.” He gently cupped my shoulders. “Look at me. You’re safe.”

Annoyance flared in my chest because why was he talking to me in that tone? “I’m fine.”

“No. You’re not. You’re on the verge of a panic attack.”

“I don’t have…don’t have panic…attacks.”

But my chest was tight, and it was hard to breathe.

“Here.” He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me. “Focus on the beat of my heart. Breathe with me.”

What the fuck was happening to me? It was a room, not a box. I was fine. I didn’t react like this. I never fell apart like this.

“Orina, focus…”

I closed my eyes and zoned in on his steady heartbeat and even breath. Long seconds passed as my body attuned to his, and panic lost its grip.

I registered the pressure of his hand on my nape and his fingers on my scalp as he massaged the tension away. I allowed my body to relax and mold to his.

He was warm and firm, and he smelled so fucking good. This, being held by him, felt too good. I pulled away, ducking my head. “Thank you. I’m not sure what happened. ”

“It’s a huge toll on a human body going through a witch door,” he said. “You did great.”

I’d take it. “So this place…You were telling me about it?”

“Yes. We’re in the Loop, a part of the Belt which runs around the dominions that make up the Isle. Only residents get to leave this area.”

Wait a second. “You mean we won’t be seeing the Isle properly?”

“I’m afraid not. We’ll be staying here while I examine the contract.”

I’d been hoping to get acquainted with the place that should have been my home. No matter; at least I’d get to meet some of my family.

The door opened again, and this time a woman entered. Tall and athletically built, she had a regal air. Her silver hair was piled high on her head, and she looked to be in her late fifties maybe. She wore a gray dress made of the same material I’d have expected a suit to be made of. High-necked and long-sleeved, it covered her from jaw to foot. And even though we were probably the same height, it felt like she was looking down on me.

A man with dark hair and a beard peppered with silver entered the room behind her. He smiled, and the weight on my chest eased a little because he had kind eyes.

“Mr. Crescent, Miss Lighthart,” the woman said stiffly. “My name is Daphne Bloodmere. We spoke on the phone. This is Frederick, your grandfather. You’ll go with him, and he will get you situated. Mr. Crescent, you’ll come with me to view the contract.”

I barely registered what she said after grandfather because I’d never had a grandfather before. I searched his face to find a similarity between us. Were his eyes the same shade of gray as mine?

“Orina?” Lorenzo gently took my elbow. “Is that all right?”

“Huh?”

The corners of his mouth tightened. “Are you all right to go with Frederick?”

“It isn’t a choice,” Daphne said curtly. “This is how it will be. You don’t make the rules here, Mr. Crescent.”

He slow-blinked and turned to face her, and when he spoke, his voice was colder and more cutting than hers, making it clear that he wasn’t about to be cowed by her. “Miss Lighthart is in my care, and it’s my duty to ensure that she both is safe and feels safe.”

“I promise she’ll be safe with me,” Frederick said. “We have much to talk about.”

I couldn’t help but return his smile. “I’ll be fine, Lorenzo.”

“Very well,” Lorenzo said to Daphne. “Let’s get started.”

The hallway beyond the door was also windowless but had an exit at each end.

“I’ll find you later,” Lorenzo said.

He followed Daphne through the right-hand exit, and Frederick led me to the opposite one.

A prickle skimmed over me as I passed through, and everything went dark for a moment. When my vision returned, we were in a large sitting room and dining space. The furniture was all dark wood, and the rugs were crimson. A chandelier hung above fitted with light bulbs, but once again, the ceiling was hidden behind beams, as if someone had forgotten to hide the framework of this building.

And there was a window, thank goodness.

I crossed to it quickly, eager for the view, to find it obscured by thick fog.

“I’m sorry,” Frederick said. “The Loop is shrouded in wards and fog to prevent outsiders collating data about our Isle. There are powerful relics and artifacts held here.”

“I thought this Isle was dangerous, so why would you keep powerful artifacts here with this virus running rampant?”

“Yes, the virus is dangerous, but we keep it in check, just as we protect the power inside the artifacts to ensure that they don’t fall into the wrong hands. This is the safest place for them.”

“But I won’t get to see any of it?” I couldn’t help but feel put out. “I was born here. Doesn’t that mean something?”

“It could, if you decide to come live here once your duty to Dracul is done.”

“Come live here so I can complete another duty?” I didn’t bother to mask my bitterness, and he flinched before exhaling heavily.

“I suppose it is exhausting to have so many depend on you to save them.”

I found the nearest seat—an armchair with puffy cushioned seating and velvet-soft armrests—and sank into it. “I try not to think too hard about it. It’s fine. I’m here, and we’ll find a way to pass this ancient blessing to Eliza.”

“You truly believe that your mageri escort will find a loophole in the contract?”

“If there’s a weakness, he’ll find it.” I had to remain confident. Had to have faith. “So…grandfather, right?” I offered him a tentative smile, and his eyes lit up.

He took the seat opposite me. “Yes, I’m your grandfather, and I was delighted to hear that you’d been found. That you were safe, and your mother…Well, she would have been here to greet you, but she’s sick. Nothing serious,” he added quickly, “but enough to make the journey here difficult. But two of your sisters will be joining us for lunch.” He glanced at his watch. “In the next half hour.”

“Just two? ”

“Not everyone is as understanding of the reasoning behind your reluctance to embrace your destiny.”

“Don’t you mean fate?”

He winced. “I suppose, having been raised outside of the Isle, you would have that impression. But being able to pass the gift of immunity to more people is a blessing. It’s a calling. It is a destiny.”

Maybe he was right. Maybe I’d see things differently if I’d been raised here, which led me to wonder what kind of woman I’d be. I pushed away the redundant thoughts. I was proud of who I was. Of the woman I’d become.

“What about my father?”

A cloud passed over his sunny features. “Your father is dead.”

“Oh…” I hadn’t considered that one of my biological parents might be dead. That I wouldn’t get to meet them. “How did he die?”

“He lost his life on a hunt.”

“He was a hunter?”

He lifted his chin. “One of the best. He would have been so proud to know that you’d joined the Order. That even though you were taken from us, you’d found a path where you protected the innocent from the monsters of this world.”

A weight settled on my chest because I think I would have liked to have met this man. The person who I probably got my drive to hunt from. Although hunting had been scarce since coming to Dracul territory. I missed it.

“You have a look in your eye,” Frederick said. “I saw it in Wesley’s eyes often. The look that told me he was craving the thrill of the hunt.”

The way he spoke about my father, the pride and love…I’d assumed he was my maternal grandfather but now… “Wesley was your son?”

“Yes, Orina, he was. My only son. Marrying into the Bloodmere family meant he was forced to give up his calling to do his duty and produce heirs. He missed it. I could tell.”

“So your side of the family are all hunters?”

“Yes, we—” There was a knock on the door. “Ah, that must be your sisters.”

He opened the door to two beautiful women with dark, luscious locks. They came gliding in, regal and put together in gowns like Daphne’s, fur lined coats thrown over the top. They looked so similar, like twins with their bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

“Oh…Oh look at your hair,” one of them said. “Silver like Mama’s.”

My roots had obviously grown out too much.

“Why would you stain it with color?” the other asked. “You should wear it with pride.”

“Oh goodness, Clara, stop being so rude,” the other sister said. I noted she had kind eyes too. Eyes like Frederick. Eyes like mine. I liked her.

Clara, however, had a sharp look about her. Like she was searching for faults that she could crow about. I bet she’d only come to see me to do just that. Find faults and report back to the other siblings that hadn’t bothered to make the trip.

What the fuck was I doing, coming here and expecting some kind of family reunion? Fuck that. Lorenzo needed to find the loophole fast so we could leave.

“Orina?” Frederick said gently, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I pushed down my disconcertion. “You said there’d be food?”

“You came all this way, and all you can think about is food?” Clara said.

I pulled myself up from my seat and smiled, cold and thin. “When I’m hungry, I get cranky, and when I’m cranky, I don’t have much patience for rudeness.”

I stared her down, and she had enough grace to look sheepish.

The other one let out a delighted giggle. “Oh, you sounded just like Mama then. I’m Jules, by the way.” She beamed at me as if we were about to become bosom buddies.

Clara looked as if she was biting her cheeks.

Another knock sounded.

“Food’s arrived,” Frederick said.

He opened the door to a man pushing a trolley laden with silver dome-covered dishes .

It looked like we really wouldn’t be leaving this room after all.

The trio stood back while the trolley guy began unloading. There were so many dishes it was going to take forever, so I pitched in and helped. The shock on Jules’s face and the disapproval on Clara’s told me all I needed to know about how things ran here. Not too different from the Dracul territory when it came to pomp and ceremony, then. But the clothes were from a different era to Dracul. The dresses the women wore were high-necked and long-sleeved. I doubted there was an abundance of petticoats beneath the skirts. The material looked hardier too.

I’d barely loaded up my plate when Jules broke the silence.

“So what happened to you?” she asked. “No one will tell me anything.” She pouted. “I mean, you and I would have been best friends. Playmates. But you were taken before I was born.”

“There are eight of us?”

“Nine,” Clara said stiffly.

And only two had bothered to come see me. “Why did you come to see me?”

Jules looked confused by the question, but Clara set her fork down. “Because you have every right to want to hold on to the life you’ve built. The others are being short-sighted. There is more to the world than this Isle.”

Maybe I’d been hasty in judging her. “Thank you. ”

She shrugged. “Also, I was curious.”

I bit back a smile.

“But you didn’t answer my question,” Jules said to me. “Who took you away? Where have you been all this time?”

“The Order, it seems. Or someone working in it, or with it.”

“And the Circle is looking into that,” Frederick said. “There will be a reckoning. I can assure you.”

“I still don’t understand,” Jules said. “It’s impossible to get on or off the Isle without a witch door, so how could they just take you?” She picked at her food and popped some fruit in her mouth. “Makes no sense.”

She was right. It didn’t make sense. I looked to Frederick to find him sharing a pointed look with Clara.

I put my fork down. “What was that look?”

Clara shook her head. “You might as well tell her, Grandsire.”

Frederick looked like he would rather do anything but that, but I fixed my attention on him and waited.

He took a gulp of his wine. “Once the covens realized that Eliza Bloodmere’s inability to produce offspring was not a medical issue, they concluded that the ancient blessing hadn’t passed to her. So they turned to the one person who might have answers as to why…Your mother. It was ascertained, after much investigation, that you had not perished as she claimed. They learned that the dead child she had pr esented to her family had belonged to a serving girl who’d given birth a few days prior. Both mother and child had passed away. Your mother replaced you with that child and gave you to an unnamed individual, who smuggled you off the Isle. We believe your mother orchestrated the escape, including the opening of a doorway, which was struck from our records. The record keeper from that time met with an accident a few days after your supposed death and was also killed.”

It took a moment to absorb it all. “My mother faked my death and gave me away?”

“Yes,” Frederick said. “And now she must answer for her crime.”

I looked to Jules, who’d gone as white as snow, then to Clara, who had her head down. “What is the punishment?”

Frederick took another gulp of his wine. “She will be put to death at dawn.”