Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy #1)(42)

“He means to fight me for my position in the Drake Family,” Josh said in the same tone of voice he used to announce the kitchen’s dinner menu.

“Oh. What’s your rank?”

Josh adjusted the dummy. “Second Knight.”

“For real?”

“Yes. I don’t have a hope of ever achieving First Knight,” Josh said. “No one does. Celestina is a beast to fight. I lose more weapons to her brutish fists in our friendly matches than I ever do in field combat.” He sighed. “So many delightful weapons forever broken…”

I slightly shook my head. “Wow. Staying here is definitely going to make me deal with all of the stereotyping I apparently do.”

It did make me pause for another reason, though.

Why on earth did Killian Drake have his top two underlings playing nursemaid to a wizard? Given that I was such a total beginner, any of his vampires would be more skilled and able to teach me the basics. But he’d chosen Celestina and Josh. (And Rupert, but I suspected that might be an underhanded maneuvering on Killian’s part for some complicated reason I didn’t want to understand.)

“Regardless, the rat-blood should be trained in a different part of the house,” Rupert continued. “Heavens knows she stunk the whole place up when the mantasp monster nearly succeeded in killing her.”

“She’s Killian’s new pet,” another vampire said in a steely voice. “She goes wherever he wants her to.”

“He doesn’t care where she is,” Rupert said. “That’s why he dumped her off. He’s probably just using her for bait anyway.”

He swiveled to stare at me.

What a puke. If my wild speculations were right and the murderer really was an insider, I’d bet Rupert was the one—not because of his terrible personality, but because he just seemed to hate everyone. Obviously, he had some buried issues.

Several long seconds passed, and Rupert still didn’t look away from me.

“Oh, sorry, were you expecting a reaction or something?” I asked. “Because he’s Killian Drake. I’m realistic enough to know he only ever brought me in because he thought he could use me in some way.”

Josh nodded approvingly.

Rupert curled back his upper lip, showing off his fangs.

“Don’t pick fights with the wizard,” the steely voiced male vampire ordered. “It only makes you look stupid.”

“Because I refuse to subject myself to the rat-blood’s stench?” Rupert scoffed. “Please. The rest of you are too soft. I can barely stand to be in the same room as it. It speaks to the quality of your abilities.”

A female vampire sighed and rolled her eyes. “This is why everyone knows you’re adopted,” she said, dryly. “Drake vampires have too much pride to throw temper tantrums.”

“Careful,” another vampire warned as he eyed the female. “More than just Rupert have been brought into the Family externally.”

“And all of us have enough sense not to argue in front of the wizard,” a tall, willowy male vampire said. “Enough.”

He must have been high enough in the pecking order to command their respect, because they all fell silent—Rupert included. (Though he cast me a dirty look—as if his big mouth was my fault.)

Josh seemed unbothered by the tense mood. He studied the clock on the wall with the same meditative scrutiny he gave life. “We have tarried too long; it’s already sunset. Come, Hazel. It’s time for your evening run.”

My magic had faded while I was pre-occupied listening to the fight, so all I had to do was slide my chisa katana into its scabbard with a click that was so, so, so satisfying after a long practice. I tied it to the weighted belt Celestina had gotten me, then followed Josh out of the hallway.

I waited until we reached the stairs that would take us out of the basement before I risked prodding Josh. “What were they talking about?”

“To what are you referring?”

“Being adopted into the Drake Family.” We reached the top stair, and I was pleased I hadn’t lost my breath while scurrying up the steps and talking. (Maybe I was improving!)

“Oh. Rupert was originally part of a European vampire lineage—the Cotelleon Family. Killian formally adopted him into the Drake Family several years ago when everyone in the Family—excluding Rupert—was killed for colluding against their regional committee. Many of us here in Drake Hall are not actually Drake vampires, turned by Killian, but adopted from other Families.” Josh led me through the front door and outside into the purple of twilight as he casually dropped his truth bomb.

Killian allowed other vampires to join his Family? It seemed strangely generous for him—though I suppose it was for his own race, not another. “And Killian willingly took Rupert in?”

“Yes.” Josh made his way around the house, choosing what running path we’d go down. “Of course, it meant he inherited all Cotelleon land and resources with Rupert’s adoption.”

Ahhh. There was the manipulating and selfish Killian Drake I knew.

I actually sighed in relief that I wasn’t so far off my mental picture of the Eminence. “I see.”

Josh selected one of the longer paths—or rather longer for me. (Celestina told me there were trails that wove several miles through the Drake Family’s apparently vast acreage.)