Chapter 31

RED

I find Octavia in Castle Beaumont bar, half cut with Xavier.

She knows the moment I walk into the bar because her head snaps to the door. Fucking bond. It's like she can sense the problem before I can even communicate it.

I can imagine I look quite the state. Xavier sits on the stool next to her, laughing, with his head thrown back. But as if he perceives the problem too, he stops quite suddenly and stares at me.

Sadie, Gabriel and Keir are missing. But Dahlia, Lincoln and Amelia sit in various spots around the room.

The tension in here is palpable. Most of us don't really like each other, and yet, tonight, we all fought as a team. A strange reality when we're meant to be fighting against each other for the city. But tonight, the city drove us to fight against it.

So here we are again, relegated to corners of the room. Dahlia and Lincoln are whispering to each other. Strategising, I suspect.

Xavier leans into Octavia's ear and whispers something. Both of them catch my eye and then Amelia's. They want to talk.

Dahlia catches sight of our shared glance and narrows her eyes.

Gabriel barges in behind me with Keir in tow. "These trials are a fucking shit show," he says, slumping down on a large chesterfield sofa in front of the fire.

"Quite agree," Xavier says and swivels to face Dahlia. "But you always were Mummy's favourite, so how's about you go have a word and sort it out before we all end up dead because the city's lost its fucking mind?"

Dahlia's jaw flexes but her eyes never leave her twin. "And where were you two tonight? Hmm? Not like you got your hands dirty fighting with us."

"Not all fights need to be with fists, Dah," Gabriel drawls.

Dahlia tuts like she wants to protest, but she also knows there's truth behind the words. She hesitates a moment longer, but finally marches out, scruffing the collar of an unhappy-looking Gabriel and tugging him along with her.

Xavier strides over to and kneels before a rather pale looking Talulla. "Why don't you get some rest," he says and kisses her knuckles.

"I'm fine," she says, though she looks anything but.

He drops his tone, the waves of compulsion licking out around the room. "I think you should go to bed."

Talulla's expression shifts, melting into a gooey complacence.

"Yeah, you're right," she says and stands up and leaves without looking back.

"You too, Lincoln," I say from the door.

He frowns at me, shakes his head, but makes for the door. When he reaches me, he leans in and drops his voice. Not that it makes a blind bit of difference.

"I don't know what's going on with you, but we used to be friends. It used to be me you wanted to talk to."

"Linc—" I start, but he shoves past me into the hall, and I'm left gawping at the space he occupied.

Am I really a shit friend? Under normal circumstances, he would be the first person I'd go to, but since he's on Dahlia's team, and we are pitted against each other, how can I?

When the only ones left are Amelia, Octavia, and Xavier, I glance back down the hallway to make sure it's empty and I close the door.

"We need to talk," I say.

Octavia glances at Xavier and nods, "Us too."

"Me three," Amelia says. "Actually, no. I just felt left out. I think I told you everything I had in the office."

Xavier hops behind the bar and grabs two bottles. A vintage Sanguis Cupa and a bottle of blood for Octavia, Amelia, and him.

He pours out their blood and drops a shot of Sangui Cupa into each one. Then he pours a shot for me and digs up a bottle of wine and hands me a glass.

"I figured we'd need this," he says.

Octavia rearranges the sofas so that there's space for us all, and we nestle down in front of the fire with our drinks.

Then we all start talking at once.

Xavier wafts his hands at us. "One at a time. Amelia, you first."

She sighs, her shoulders sagging. "I've already told Red and Octavia. But to catch you up, I've been doing research. In order for Red to transition, she needs to kill someone. A human, specifically."

Xavier shifts in his seat. "Okay, that's a lot," he says.

I nod and sigh, preparing to chip in everything I've discovered. "When we were in the spirit trial, I passed the test and then witnessed a vision of the past. It was two women in love. At first, I couldn't see who they were, but the vision dragged me closer until I could make out their faces. It was Cordelia..."

"And?" Octavia says.

"And Eleanor. Only I recognised Eleanor's face. I mean... she's changed, like, a lot. It's hard to explain how much time and battles and scars inside and out can change the shape of a person's smile. But her eyes, they were the same. I knew it was her."

"Who, Red? Who was it?" Xavier says and even Amelia sits forward in her chair.

"I wanted confirmation before I told you, but there's no question, after the conversation I just overheard. It's the Chief. She's Eleanor."

Octavia's eyebrows try to climb off her brow.

Xavier's eyes widen. "How the fuck did I miss that? I thought I was good at reading people."

"Because someone cursed them. But forget the past for a second because it gets worse. They incited and coordinated the riots in the city tonight. I always suspected it was Cordelia, but I had no idea it was the Chief too."

"Why the hell are they colluding?" Amelia whispers.

I shrug. "It's to do with me. They want to control me for something."

"Something more than opening the door?" Octavia asks.

"I guess? I honestly don't have a clue."

Xavier swigs the entire rest of his goblet and starts pouring more drinks. An appropriate response. I glug several gulps of my glass. Amelia puts her head in her hands.

"That's not all, is it?" Octavia says.

I shake my head. This is the bit of information I've been dreading sharing.

"No. It's not," I mumble, pulling my eyes away from her. "I…Well, I fucked up."

"Red," Octavia says, her tone deeper.

"Define, fucked up," Xavier says and passes Amelia a top up.

"I told her. Before, I mean. The Chief knows I'm the dhampir," I say, and the three of them fall deathly quiet. Xavier swallows and pops the bottle of Sangui Cupa over the sofa arm and on the floor and then sheepishly glances at Octavia.

"What the fuck?" Octavia booms, standing up. Xavier grabs her by the wrist and pulls her back into the seat.

"Say more. Make it better," Amelia says.

"I was pissed with you, Octavia, you'd tried to take my memories... again?—"

"To protect you," Octavia barks.

I glare at her, unimpressed, and then fire an equally pissy look at my sister.

"Point is, I didn't trust you, and let's be real. I am a hunter. The Chief sent me into these trials to spy on the St Clair's, so I assumed..."

"Hold on a minute, aren't we missing a really fucking important point? Aside from the fact hunters and vampires hate each other. If the Chief is really Eleanor, why the hell are they working together? They were cursed to hate each other," Amelia says, a furrow forming between her brows.

"Are you saying they don't hate each other?" Xavier asks.

I shake my head. "Oh, they hate each other, alright. At least, from what I overheard, anyway. But they seem to think they have a common enemy, and they want to use me for something. But that's the limit of what I've discovered."

We all fall silent for a while. Octavia's fingers knead her knuckles. When I can't take her fidgeting anymore, I'm about to say something, anything, when she pipes up.

"I know who my birth mother is," she says.

My eyes bug wide, Xavier's do too.

"She's the witch-god," she laughs. It's a short, sharp bark. "The Mother of fucking Blood. That's who my real mother is."

"Wait, what?" I breathe.

Xavier chokes on the mouthful of blood he drank, and Amelia outright gasps.

"Yeah, Cordelia's been lying this entire time. The only reason she adopted me is because she killed my birth mother. Or so she thought. She left her bleeding out on the tiles of her kitchen floor. But she was praying and praying. And the witch-gods saved her and turned her into one of the monsters she'd created. I can only imagine that was some kind of god-humour." Octavia is dry and monotone as she speaks as if she's already resigned to all of this.

"But… what was her name? The other original vampire?" I whisper.

But it's Amelia who answers. "Isabella. Her name was Isabella Montague."

"What happened to her?" I ask.

Octavia shrugs. "That's the thing. There's no clear answer. I couldn't see her face in the vision. But I can't let go of the idea that maybe she never really disappeared or died. What if she's alive and wasn't lost to history? What if she's been in hiding this entire time?"

"Fuck," I say. "Have you confronted Cordelia yet?"

Octavia shakes her head. "What am I supposed to say? Fuck you for lying to me for a thousand years? Oh, and I found out you killed my birth mother. Oh wait, no you didn't. You're just the reason she chose to become a fucking vampire."

"Right. Good point," I say, because what the fuck else am I supposed to say to that?

Amelia blinks into the void. Xavier leans back and necks the rest of his drink, then outright reaches for the bottle and starts drinking from that instead.

And I grip the arms of the chair, wondering how fucking deep this rabbit hole goes.