Page 69 of Cryptic Dreams
And my eyes go directly to hers before they narrow on her gorgeous face. “The Hollow is a myth.” A bedtime story vampires tell their young to keep them in line. An underground group of vampire extremists that dabble in the worst of things, that will go to any length and conspire with anti-fangers to take out both governments and leave nothing but anarchy and chaos behind. It is nothing but an urban legend.
“There’s been a surge in illegal weapons,” she says as she ignores me. “Humans have had an easier time getting their hands on weapons that can do a lot of damage to us.”
“That’s always been a thing.” Edith stares at my mate curiously.
Zephyr nods slowly. “Yes, but there’s been a surge. One of my jobs at the library has been cataloging births and deaths amongst our kind.”
That’s news to me. Not that I should be bloody well shocked by that. It seems my mate has kept much from me still despite the way I have easy access to her thoughts. And the fact that she kept this particular thing from me definitely means there’s more, more that she doesn’t want me to know she’s aware of, most likely.
Which is why I can barely keep the growl out of my tone when I ask, “This is relevanthow?”
Her eyes cut to mine. “There’s been an increase in deaths caused by some sort of UV or silver poisoning.”
“Ruled as such by our healers?”
“No, but—”
“Then this line of thinking, while intriguing, is pointless.” Well, there goes my restraint when it comes to undermining my mate.Fucking berk. “Which means—”
“Wounds that wouldn’t heal, blood that wouldn’t clot.” Zephyr glares back at me. “Veins that were destroyed and hearts that all but disintegrated.”
Declan grins as Orion snickers. “Telltale signs, I’d say.”
“Right.” Zephyr gives me a rather pointed look before facing the group. “If there has been a surge in those kinds of fatalities then that also means a surge in weapons that can cause them.”
“And you think that maybe that’s what Randolph and Hans are having transported.” Her cousin nods. “But doing it in a way that won’t be traced back to Atticus.”
“Which means if they are truly loyal to him, it’s for his safety.” Edith agrees. “But again, we’re posed with why? Why do it at all?”
“I think they may be supplying The Hollow,” Zephyr says flatly.
I open my mouth to tell her that this is absolutely absurd, that if The Hollow was an actual thing, if anyone knew about it, it would be me and since I don’t, it’s still just a bloody myth. I don’t get that far though.
“Ian,” she whispers and my blood chills under my skin. “His uniform was all wrong for a construction worker, his hours too. He never came home looking like he’d been working on anything but getting hammered and the weapons he… ” Zephyr swallows thickly. “They became deadlier every time.”
I didn’t need the bloody fucking reminder of that.
Still, there are holes in her theory. “If The Hollow is real, if that eejit Hans is supplying them with weapons, then what good does that do him if Atticus is overthrown by them?”
“It’s better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path, right? No one knows that better than Hans since he’s been Atticus’s right hand for centuries, but what if there’s someone more deadly, more dangerous out there? Either within the Counsel or just some other vampire of noble blood, but what if there’s someone out there privy to the treaty and all of the High Elder’s activities, someone who hates him more than anyone else does and wants him gone just as badly as we do?”
“It’swenow, is it?” I shake my head. “If there is such a creature out there, why not search out the Purists? Join up and help return things to the way they were?”
She levels me with those golden eyes. “Because they don’t believe in the monarchy either.”
“Which means not only do you have the Counsel and your own damn father putting hits out on you because of your suspected involvement with the Purists,” Orion says with a sigh. “Now you have another group that opposes both forms of structure and won’t hesitate to eliminate either means of ruling. That target on your back keeps getting bigger, my friend.”
“This is absurd. Completely daft.” I wave my hand dismissively at all of them. “If The Hollow did exist, Atticus would know, just as he would know if there was turmoil or mutiny amongst his ranks. Just as he knows in his gut that I am involved with the Uprising.” I narrow my stare on my mate. “And as you’ve seen, Atticus will not hesitate to eliminate a threat no matter what kind of connection he shares.”
Is getting angry with Zephyr the way to go about this? Not at all, but I can’t seem to help it. While her intelligence and infuriatingly rational line of thought is undoubtedly arousing, I do not wish for her to be a part of this. I do not wish for her to become wrapped up in things that have the potential to put her in danger or ultimately take her from me. I need to squash her theories and prevent her from participating further in order to keep her safe and I’ll bloody well do it anyway I can, making her feel stupid in front of my team included.
But my mate isn’t ready to back down. “That just proves Atticus is an ass. He suspects your involvement with The Purists, you are next in line, you’re an immediate threat. It does not account for Hans and Randolph going rogue, it shows there is—”
“Enough!” I bark. “If Hans or that sorry little twat, Randolph were conspiring against the Great Counsel and Atticus, my bastard sire would know and he would handle it accordingly. He has never hesitated before and will not do so now, need I remind you of the relatively fresh bullet holes in my arm.”
“Then maybe he does suspect them.” Zephyr’s chin lifts defiantly. “Maybe he knows the same way he knows about you, but doesn’t have the proof and won’t act until he does. Maybe—”
“You are flirting with dangerous territory,love.”
