Page 55 of This Blood that Bonds Us

“When do we get to ask questions? You’re not the only ones who need information,” Felix spat.

“How did you all kill Akira? Was Will there?” Halina asked, her eyes sparkled with something new. Desperation.

Maybe that’s why they were looking at us like that. The death of Akira was a big deal, and I’d hardly had time to process it all. They didn’t know the story. Will and Thane were supposed to fill them in when they met up with Kilian.

“How did you know we killed him?” Kimberly asked, a question I hadn’t thought of.

We’d left the building in flames. They had no way of knowing.

“The flight in the area came from Ireland. We have reports from our scouts that Ezra was away on business. They would never leave the queen with one member of The Guard without good reason. If Akira had lived, there would be no reason for Ezra to disappear.” Kilian’s voice stayed steady.

His calming voice helped me to focus. They had more resources than I thought, and I wondered if my brothers knew.

“Will helped us fight. Everything was great until Ezra showed up in the forest and took them. They would have taken all of us . . . but Will sacrificed himself so me, Presley, and Kimberly could get away.”

Felix’s blue eyes seared into mine. “How did they know where you were? We didn’t even know.”

“Thane. He was . . . taken over. He betrayed us. He must have been keeping tabs for them the whole time.”

Halina shook her head. “He wouldn’t.”

“I don’t think he chose it. Akira got to him somehow and used him.”

Felix and Halina shared a look. My stomach dropped. I guess twin telepathy was common. With a white-knuckled grip on the table, Felix’s hand shook.

I ran them through the rest. How Will snuck us out of the frat house and we’d found my brother and Kimberly. I told them about the fight with Akira and the blood my brothers and I consumed in order to kill him.

“So it’s going to be a battle, then? As you said before in the diner . . .” Kimberly brought us back to the plan.

“I’m afraid so. It will not be easy. And we are likely outnumbered, outmatched, and at a disadvantage,” Kilian said. “But as I said before, we have reason to hope and believe that this is the most advantageous time we have. There is a celestial event I have a feeling is closely related to the queen and Her power. I’m awaiting more intel. But there will be a solar eclipse in that region in March.”

“March,” I spat. March was so far. Too far away.

“It’s tentative. But I believe the event is important enough that we need to figure out its purpose. We need the time if we’re going to acquire victory.”

“You said celestial event . . . What does that have to do with this?” Kimberly asked.

“We’ve been collecting data for centuries, and one thing we know for sure is that Her strength is closely related to the moon cycles. Though She is the most powerful in regard to psychic and mental abilities that far exceed even the oldest vampires, we believe She does not always possess Her powers every day. On the night of the full moon, She’s the strongest and gradually through the waxing phases loses that power.”

“The . . . moon?” I scratched my head. “You’re saying that’s what Her power comes from?”

“We don’t know for certain where it comes from, but we have charted Her abilities with the moon cycles. I know it’s hard to believe. There are many things that were not pertinent to tell you before. I never imagined you, Aaron Calem, would be helping us in a battle. Keeping vital information about the queen hidden is what I’ve been trained to do for centuries.”

“Right. Okay. So we need to track the moon. Got it. And that’s going to help us defeat Her?”

Kilian nodded and lowered his head. “There’s something I want to show you. Just a moment.”

He went upstairs, leaving us in silence with Dom and the others. Kimberly and I shared an equal look of confusion as we processed Kilian’s words.

“So, Calem, how’s life treating you without big brother?” Felix didn’t smile. He seemed genuinely curious. Something about him was softer and open. And me . . . I was harder.

“Been better.”

“You changed your hair,” Halina said to Kimberly while looking her up and down. “It’s . . . interesting.”

Kimberly’s brows furrowed as she took on the weight of that comment, and I kissed the top of her head. She was so beautiful, and I’d never let her forget it.

“My sister would have liked it,” Dom said, looking down at his shoes and running his thumb over his bare knuckles.