Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(127)

“Yes, perhaps,” Isobel allowed. “But this is going beyond you and your mortal and Rafe and her sister and even Julian wanting to get himself some. Orlando was seen at A Feast with his concubine and they were embracing. And Hermes selected his new concubine only a week ago and, just like you, he moved in with her the night of her Bloodletting.”

Lucien knew this as Avery had told him just that morning. He couldn’t say it was unwelcome news. Orlando was vicious in battle and Hermes equally coldblooded. Both, like Lucien, Cosmo and Stephanie, were roundly feared. It was surprising news that they’d acted so swiftly but it wasn’t disadvantageous. If it came to it, his army was clearly amassing and their ranks were such others would avoid challenging.

Isobel kept speaking. “So now it seems The Council’s hand is being forced. They don’t like that. They so much don’t like that, even if they were to find in your and your concubine’s favor, they’d find against it just to retain a vestige of control.”

Lucien’s jaw got hard before he said, “Leah.”

Isobel’s head twitched to the side before she asked, “What?”

“You call her my concubine, my mortal but her name, Bel, is Leah,” Lucien returned and Julian looked to his boots again but Lucien kept his eyes locked on his daughter.

Her face went hard before she replied, “I’m not like Etienne.”

“No, I know. I know your words are said out of concern for me. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is not my concubine, my mortal, she’s Leah,” Lucien replied.

He watched his daughter’s face pale. “But she is, Father. Regardless of the taming, of what you’re doing, she’s still your concubine.” She hesitated before asking, “Isn’t she?”

“She is. She’s also Leah,” Lucien stated.

“I don’t get it,” Julian put in.

Lucien crossed his arms on his chest and he looked between his son and daughter before saying, “Then I’ll give it to you. As you know, I’ve been waiting to have her for twenty years and I can tell you now that wait could have been a hundred years and I would not have been disappointed.”

Isobel pulled in a sharp breath. Julian’s gaze grew intense.

Lucien continued, “There is more to her, much more than I expected. Just Leah being Leah and more.” He studied his children and then shared, “She can mark me, with practice she may even be able to track me, tune me to her. I sense when she’s trying and it takes some effort to stop her from doing it.”

“Oh my God,” Isobel breathed.

“You’re kidding,” Julian whispered.

Lucien didn’t answer his son, he went on, “She senses danger either on her own or through me. She can speak to me with her mind not only when I’m reading hers but when she wishes to do so.”

Neither of his children responded, they both simply stared at him in shock.

Lucien continued, “And she and I are sharing dreams of The Sentence.”

“Christ,” Julian muttered on a wince but Isobel’s face went even paler.

Lucien carried on, “Leah’s dreams are vastly more powerful to the point where, if I’m not with her, even awake the dream doesn’t leave her. Indeed, the other night she nearly died by hanging such is the power of her mind.”

“Oh Father,” Isobel whispered.

“She’s special,” Lucien stated. “It will be intriguing to watch and see if these abilities form more fully and how. But I need to guard her, protect her in ways I didn’t fathom when I began this. I need to protect her from those who would harm her because of what she means to their way of life, concubines who wish to halt a change or vampires who wish the same. I need to keep her abilities a secret. And I also need to protect her from these dreams. I shared her dream just last night. It’s hideous. Simply her having them is bad enough. Her physically experiencing them, I will not abide. Her dying from one, I will not tolerate.”

“Of course not,” Isobel said softly. “That’s terrible.”

“It is,” Lucien agreed. “Now, we need to be certain Etienne doesn’t discover these things. We also need to be certain that Cressida nor even Magdalene learn about what Leah can do. And we need to be certain that Leah does not learn from any of them about Maggie or the fact that the additional component to the physical nature of our relationship is not commonplace with concubines.”

Isobel lost her ability to hide her reactions and her mouth dropped open.

“What?” Julian asked. “She doesn’t know?”

“No, she doesn’t know,” Lucien answered, his children glanced at each other but wisely did not question this and Lucien went on. “Also, Julian, you need to keep a tight rein on your mother. Leah is not like other concubines. She’s not even like other mortals. She’s spirited and unused to obedience. If Cressida presses for a reaction, Leah will likely give it to her and if that should happen, I will side with Leah.”

“You’ll side with Leah?” Julian asked. “Against a vampire?”

“Absolutely,” Lucien answered.

Suddenly, Isobel’s eyes narrowed and she queried, “Why are you both dreaming of The Sentence?”

“I’ve no idea,” Lucien replied.