My One and Only (Bewitched and Bewildered #10)(28)

Magnus' face became unreadable. He turned to Warrick. "You have my permission to restructure Level Five however you see fit. If you need to establish new Noble houses let me know. I never, ever want another citizen of mine to believe they are nothing," Magnus bit off the final word.

Warrick nodded. "It will be done."

Pip looked up his face drenched with tears. "New Noble families?" he asked.

Warrick nodded. "I am trying to get rid of all the bad men." The giant man said softly trying not to upset Pip anymore. "But the people are afraid of me, so I am having a hard time figuring out who the bad men are."

Pip sat up straighter. "I can help. I know all the bad men, even the scary ones who used to live in the Pits."

Around the table everyone quieted. Meryn turned to Pip. "Say what?"

Pip looked around. "That is where the scary bad men used to live, who ate people."

Aiden leaned in. "What else Pip? We don't know anything about those men, so whatever you tell us could help everyone." Like Warrick, Aiden made sure to keep his tone even.

Pip ducked his head. "Sometimes I was bad and listened when father had his meetings, it was the best way to know how to make him happy so I could have food."

At the end of the table they heard wood crack as Magnus snapped off the arm to his chair. He gave Pip a smile. "Do not mind me. This chair is old. Please continue." He let the wood fall to the floor.

Pip nodded. "After the wolfies got here father was furious when the bad men ate some people on Level Six. He said they were going to ruin everything. I heard him tell the nasty tunnel escort to kidnap someone from Level Six so that the wolfies would think he killed the refugees. After that he started sending bad people from our level to the Pits for the scary bad men to eat." He looked at Meryn. "That is why you have to be careful not to say bad things on Level Five or you get sent down to the Pits."

"My gods!" Adriel choked out the words. He turned to his mate. "It was not Augustus Pettier who attacked you in the Pits, it was one of those monsters."

Gavriel's eyes burned scarlet. "How many scary bad men were there Pip?"

Pip shrugged. "I do not know. But there were enough that when they left the city the tunnel escort had to use a platform to get them to the Grand Hall."

Aiden sat back. "The door alarm, when Marek was knocked unconscious during the attack on Vivi."

Colton nodded then looked over at Vivi. "Looks like killing you was meant to be a distraction."

"How in the hell did they get in?" Magnus exploded. "Why do any of this?" Like Gavriel his eyes were burning red.

"The blood. They took the older blood," Vivi whispered.

Magnus paled. "How much?"

Vivi began to shake. "Dozens of bags."

"Oh my god," Meryn whispered.

"I know love," Aiden said sympathetically, pulling her close. Meryn leaned away from her mate. "No. Not that." She looked around the table. "We were motherfucking played!"

Pip looked at Meryn. "Yeah! Motherfucking played!" he shouted before leaning down. "How?"

Meryn stared at Pip. "I freaking love you right now."

Pip beamed. "Because I am your brother."

"And you're awesome." She turned to Magnus. "I think that the random attacks in the area were to get you to open the city. I think those bastards piggy-backed into the city when the first batch of refugees arrived. We ended up using platforms to lower the wolves into the city because there were so many of them, if our killers were invisible, then we wouldn't have seen them," she paused. "We really need to figure out a way to modify my flour glue spell so it doesn't ruin shit."

Serenity exchanged looks with Laelia and Radclyffe before speaking up. "Vampire blood has to be one of the most potent substances in the paranormal world. Unfortunately, there are probably dozens of ways to use it illegally and they're all bad."

"Oh!" Kendrick gasped. "Oh! Oh!"

Anne blinked. "I'm not sure I want to know whatever he's figured out. He's never at a loss for words."

Kendrick simply rested his forehead on the table. Serenity looked from Laelia, to Anne to Meryn then to Law. Whatever Kendrick was about to say would be horrible.

Kendrick sat up and turned to Ryuu.

Ryuu waved at him. "On it," he said heading to the kitchen. Without asking Hal, Sebastian and Pavil were hot on his heels.

Magnus rubbed a hand over his mouth. "Am I to assume that they are retrieving something that will make whatever you tell us easier to face?"

Kendrick nodded looking ill. Beth stared. "Is this worse than discovering the beads were made from the souls of the murdered unborn babies?"

"What!" Serenity demanded.

Beth covered her mouth with her hands. "I am so sorry, you didn't know."

"What?" Laelia and Radclyffe echoed.

Kendrick turned to Kari. "While Ryuu fetches us something that will keep us sane, can you get everyone at this table on the same page?"

Kari stood and began going over the events starting with the feral attacks in Lycaonia. As she kept talking Serenity felt her world shatter into thousands of pieces. Beside her Micah rubbed her back soothingly as Kari revealed the most tragic events she had ever heard.