A Tangle of Hearts (A Shade of Vampire #44)(60)

“I’m not talking about the incubi here,” Draven said.

“Then who are you talking about?” Hansa shot back, losing her patience.

“The Dearghs, the Sluaghs, the Lamias… All the other creatures that call Eritopia their home, as savage as they may be. They’re threatened by Azazel too. Just because he’s targeting the incubi now doesn’t mean he won’t come after them later.”

“They’re wildlings, Druid. They don’t make alliances!”

“Then persuade them! And if you can’t persuade them, seduce them! You’re natural born seductresses, after all. There’s nothing you can’t do if you set your minds to it!” Draven replied. “We need them all to join us. If we can’t get the incubi to fight, we get the others. There is a war coming, and we need the numbers.”

I listened to his impassioned speech. His hand still clutched mine. Our fingers intertwined, and I felt the determination pouring out of him and into my body. I could’ve sworn he was opening up to me further, letting me feel what he felt—hope, despite everything that had just happened.

Hansa took some time to deliberate, looking around the camp until her eyes settled on Anjani. Her gaze softened at the sight of her sister, and the slightest smile passed over her face.

“Why would they want to help us? Why would they want to fight alongside us?” Hansa asked Draven.

“You mean, besides the survival of their species?”

“You don’t know them, Druid. You’ve been stuck in that mansion of yours for too long.” Hansa smirked. “Most of them live out there in the jungle with no use to Azazel whatsoever. We need more than some bombs and Oracles to spark their interest. The Dearghs and the Sluaghs believe that whatever happens in Eritopia is the will of the Daughters, for example. How will you convince them to go against that?”

A moment passed before Draven answered.

“We have the last Daughter of Eritopia.”

Many jaws dropped once he said that, including mine. He’d been so adamant about keeping this a secret. What was he thinking?

Hansa’s eyes grew wide, and she tipped her head to one side. “What did you just say?”

“I said we have the last Daughter of Eritopia. Her sisters entrusted me to look after her until she awakens. I’m pretty sure the Dearghs and Sluaghs will wish to serve someone who has the Daughters’ favor. And the last Daughter, on top of that,” Draven continued, his confidence bolstered.

“How did that come to happen?” Hansa asked with sheer fascination.

“We made a deal in exchange for my mansion’s protection. The safety of the Oracle in my home in return for the safety of their sister. We need to gather all forces available and strike Azazel, Hansa. The last Daughter may awaken, like her sisters have predicted, and play her part in this, or she may not. We don’t know for sure. But we can’t shy away from this fight. We have to come together and give it our best shot regardless. Eritopia belongs to all of us.”

Seconds ticked by before Hansa replied. I figured she was going through all possible scenarios in her head. And, like all of my previous musings, she arrived at the same conclusion—all roads led to the sleeping Daughter, one way or another.

“So it shall be, then,” she said with newfound calm. “I will send my sisters out to find the wildlings and broker alliances.”

A sigh gusted from my chest, relieved to see them agree on this. Draven nodded and tightened his grip on my hand.

“We will return to the mansion and work with our Oracles to gain insight on Azazel, then.”

Jovi, Bijarki, and I looked at each other and nodded. We had our work cut out for us since Phoenix, Aida, and Vita were still very new at this Oracle stuff and hadn’t fully developed their abilities. Draven seemed to have deliberately omitted that little fact from Hansa, but I couldn’t blame him. We had to sort of fake it to make it. But there was a common sense of determination between us. We’d all give it our best shot and support the Oracles.

I was eager to return to the safety of the protective shield while the rest of the pieces arranged themselves on the chessboard. Hansa snapped her fingers and called out to her generals.

Three women as tall and imposing as Hansa stepped forward from the crowd clad in metal plates and black leather. They’d painted vertical crimson stripes on their faces, and long heavy swords hung from their belts.

Hansa instructed them to form search parties and spread out to find the Dearghs, the Sluaghs, and the elusive Lamias far south, whatever those species even were. Anjani didn’t move. Her arms were wrapped around her torso, and she stared at the ground.

“We’ll be going soon, then,” Draven said to Hansa. “We have a day and a half ahead of us for the journey. We need to take advantage of the daylight.”

Hansa dismissed her generals. The succubi scattered, each preparing for their assignments. She came up to us and placed a hand on Anjani’s shoulder, startling her back into the conversation.

“That’s nonsense,” Hansa grinned. “I’m not letting you risk the long journey back.”

“Unless you have a better way, we’ll have to. My vision impairment won’t let me use my travel runes,” Draven replied.

“But I do have a better way. Follow me.”



Hansa took us to her tent, the biggest in the camp. It was covered in massive black furs. The interior was dressed in layers of semi-transparent fabrics in shades of red and white, the complete visual opposite of the menacing exterior.