A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)(5)

“What are they thinking, though?” Derek frowned as he looked over the written reports we’d compiled for this meeting, listing damages and casualties from these attacks. “Surely, they must be aware of how easily they can be crushed.”

“Apparently, they’re delusional.” Draven sighed. “I spoke to Mason yesterday, and he said the rebel factions are extremists who are basically hoping to hold on to their little territories, and not be held accountable for their actions by a Master Druid.”

“What, like an authoritarian state within a state?” Sofia raised an eyebrow. “That’s ridiculous.”

“These are creatures that have spent the last few centuries using fear and violence to solve any problem and to stomp any rebellion against them and Azazel,” I explained. “It doesn’t exactly come as a shock to me, but they must be stopped.”

“My biggest issue with this is that these factions are quite large in numbers, and they’re posing a very serious threat toward the free nations of Tenebris,” Jax added. “I think it’s time we start sending some GASP troops in there and put them in their place. The Daughters could get involved, but there’s no need at this point. Not while GASP is active across the galaxy and perfectly capable of handling this with minimum damage. This one’s on us.”

“Which makes sense,” I replied. “The Daughters are traditional in their approach and would rather let the people solve their own problems. They have left us, as protectors of supernaturals, to assist the Druids, since it’s what we do.”

Derek exchanged glances with Xavier, then shifted his focus back to me, his piercing blue eyes analyzing my expression.

“So you’d like to start sending GASP agents there, to stifle the rebellion,” he concluded.

“One strong team, with Shadians and Eritopians,” I said. “To provide Mason with the backup he needs to reestablish order on the planet. The rebels will obviously have to either respect the wishes of the majority, the free nations under the Master Druid’s rule, or face the punishment.”

“Jail time.” Xavier pursed his lips, scratching his stubble.

“Yes.” Jax moved forward, leaning onto his elbows. “Azazel may be gone, but that doesn’t mean the rulers of Eritopia are weak and can be undermined like this. A message needs to be sent. Bloody rebellions do not belong in a peaceful world.”

“Besides, the incubi are like that,” Bijarki interjected. “They’re easily corrupted and need a firm hand to put them back in their place. If we capture and imprison enough of them, the others will give up and fall in line. Chances are they won’t respond to being asked nicely. It’s not in their nature.”

“Yeah, especially the Tenebris folk.” Hansa nodded, her gaze darting around the table and settling on Jax for a brief moment before moving to Derek. “They were never easy to deal with, and were one of the first to join Azazel when he removed the Master Druids from power. They’re not inherently bad people, but they’re not inherently good, either. They need a good kick in the butt—otherwise they’ll always be troublesome.”

“In any case, it’s time for our recruits and seasoned agents to get some real Eritopian action,” I said.

“Yeah, they’re stocked up on theory already,” Jax added with a smirk. “They need some real, heavy experience on the ground in this galaxy if you want them to uphold GASP’s ideals. I know it sounds rough, but it’s the only way for us to produce exceptional operatives to protect Eritopia’s people.”

“No, I agree,” Derek replied, looking around the room and noticing the approving nods. “It seems we all agree. So, it is settled. We’re sending a GASP team to Tenebris.”

We all nodded. Aida and I looked at each other, and she held my hand beneath the table.

“Who should we send, then?” Lucas spoke up, clearing his throat.

That was a good question, since we’d built up an exceptional team here on Calliope. Whoever we sent, they’d provide support for the Master Druid and the GASP subsidiary on Tenebris. The selection process would be tough, as they were all strong, smart, and perfectly capable of tackling incubi rebels.

I knew of one GASP member who would definitely be excused from this mission, though, and I was peering right into her golden eyes.





Aida





I would have loved to go to Tenebris. I’d been droning on about starting active duty from the moment we’d been accepted into GASP. It had been at the top of my to-do list, along with marrying Field and making the most out of our honeymoon. We’d done the first two, but then… something came up, and put me back on the sidelines for a while. But it was okay. It was a good reason for backing out.

“Some of our younger members will want in on this opportunity.” Ben spoke up, receiving several nods in response. “We should allot some spaces for them on the mission.”

“Call me biased, but I would definitely put my vote in for Scarlett Hendry-Novak,” Cameron Hendry chimed in with his thick, Scottish accent and a twinkle of pride in his sky-blue eyes. Scarlett was his granddaughter, and she had definitely taken after the veteran warrior in the fighting department.

“You mean, ‘The Bullet’?” I grinned, thinking of the particular skill that Scarlett had chosen to hone, of all her vampire abilities. It had become common for young recruits to take up additional training hours to develop specific supernatural skills—from Lucas’s side of the family, Scarlett stood out for her speed.