Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(80)

“Correct on all points.” Alder glanced at his notes again. “But fae scriptures say that a child born of a quest will flourish in power. That his or her power will easily rival an Arcana, if not more.”

“If the Arcana’s quest was to sire a child at all.”

“Yes, that’s still up in the air.”

Roger stood and stared out the window. “What if she is this child? If she’s the missing link and the daughter of the Second, which still remains childless, last I heard.”

“Then the Second will move the worlds to get her back. She is heir to the throne. More, she’s the product of a quest. Their magical juju people will want to consult with her, and then stars, and then tea leaves or whatever it is they rely on. The elves will want a piece, too, to bend her to their cause. Which is why the vampires—or at least one particular vampire—wants her.”

Roger rubbed his eyes, suddenly exhausted. “What does Vlad know that we don’t? How is he so sure she’s Arcana? There’s no way he can effectively verify it until her blood is tested. And even then, he’d need a comparison with the Second. To wave a child at the warrior fae, claiming it’s theirs, would probably incite a war if he’s wrong.”

“Here’s where it gets dicey.” Alder stared at Roger for a moment. “For you.”

Roger steeled himself for the worst.

“Needing more information, I consulted with Reagan Somerset. I hired her to question a lower-tier vampire that was in the know.”

Reagan was a headcase with a strange magic, bonded to Darius, the other elder playing politics in the Brink. As a rule, Vlad and Darius circled each other. They didn’t cross lines, especially in regard to political pursuits. And as a rule, Reagan, magically bonded to Darius, didn’t take sides between them and the shifters.

As a rule, Reagan made a huge mess out of any delicate situation she touched.

“What’d she do?” Roger asked.

“She accidentally killed the vampire. Well, actually, he was killed by the little mage she always drags with her, the one with the insane mother I quite like. Penny apparently cut off the vampire’s ability to change forms, not realizing Reagan had meant it as a bluff. Unlike with shifters, this killed the vampire.”

Roger leaned back, surprised. “Is that right?”

“Yes. She had to hide her involvement in this from Darius, so she incinerated the body. There will be no trace, but she made it very clear she intends to throw you under the bus if she gets in trouble.”

Roger rubbed his temples. First Steve, and now this…

“Anyway,” Alder went on, “she did discover that Vlad was immediately attracted by Charity’s magic, although he didn’t make the connection to the warrior fae at first. He had other things on his mind—his preparations for you, to be precise. Reagan mentioned that she was annoyed someone smelled better than she does. Penny rolled her eyes. I’m pretty sure that means Reagan was not serious.” He shook his head. “Given that Vlad is over a thousand years old, has certainly met warrior fae before, and likely seen the magic of an Arcana—as soon as he did make the connection…”

Roger let a breath slowly trickle out. “Charity is legit. She’s warrior fae—possibly warrior fae royalty. She’s one of the most powerful fae in existence, she’s heir to the custodes throne, and she is in our protection.”

“No one can be positive.”

Roger laughed humorlessly. “Vlad is going to try to leverage help from the warrior fae by holding the child prisoner. What’s his overall plan, though? There is no way he’s going to try to out vampires in the human world. Last time that happened, most of them were hunted down and destroyed—and that was before modern weapons.”

Alder tapped his notepad. “There’re rumors indicating the Realm is his target…and he may have some dangerous allies. It would be easier on the vampires if they didn’t have to follow the elves’ rules. It would be ideal for the demons if they didn’t have to remain banished to their pits. As you know, Lucifer has an appointment to visit the elf royalty. The popular rumor is that the elves called him in due to the increasing numbers of demons in the Brink.” Alder quirked a brow. “The whispered rumor is that Lucifer had something of a problem in the Underworld, and is now seeking out the cause. He’s searching for a particular type of magical…person. And possibly a vampire accomplice.”

A strange unsettlement traveled through Roger. He was the alpha of an entire region, no small feat, but this news raised his small hairs. Something was coming. Something bigger than anything he’d ever experienced. And he knew he’d eventually be pulled into the heart of it.

“All we have is rumors,” Alder said. “When I asked Reagan, she punched me in the face.”

“She knows the details,” Roger said with certainty. “But that isn’t essential right now. We’ll circle back to it.” He blew out his breath. “Vlad’s leaked plans would explain the visit from Lycus and also all the newbie vamps that keep springing up. The vampires need bigger numbers to take on the elves. But no magical species has taken on that challenge and won.”

“Lucifer has gotten close in the past. If he’d found a few more allies, and the elves hadn’t recruited a certain annoying breed of magical shifters, they might’ve overtaken the elves. The vampires weren’t the stars of that show, but Vlad was involved—or at least looking on. He’s gotten older and wiser since. He’s probably mapped out the weaknesses of everyone involved.”