In the Beginning... (25 page)

Hope.

“No.”

Cormac’s sister crossed her arms over her
chest and looked at him in that damnably calm way of hers. “I am
going. We need this information.”

“Now? When we were just attacked by Lupoiux?
Kinney…” Cormac freely let his frustration with his sister show.
Why did the women in his life seek only to defy him?

“I don’t think you should go. Not yet.”

“The longer we wait the greater chance that
we lose another woman. Another infant. How can I not go? The next
one may be Josey, or one of her cousins. Are you willing to take
that risk? I am not.” His sister’s eyes, the same gold as his, were
frank and determined when they locked on his. He knew he would not
change her mind; obstinate was only a mild word for his younger
sibling. She was a true brick wall when she wanted to me.

Yet she looked so fragile standing before
him. Her hair was a few shades darker than Jocelyn’s platinum, but
she could still only be described as fair. Delicate. She was far
too thin, especially for a Dardaptoan woman. She had no reserves of
strength, save her strong will. She looked like a good wind would
blow her to another realm.

She, her daughter, and now
his
Rajni
were all
he had left in this world to love. And she wanted him to let her go
halfway across the state alone on some quest for a Witch’s
medicine?

“You go, but you take
someone with you. I don’t want you out there alone.” Belnus,
perhaps. A distant cousin of theirs, Belnus was a strong warrior
with healing talents. He also understood the science of medicine.
If his
Rajni
would
part with him for a few days, he could accompany Kindara on her
quest. “Promise me.”

“I will take someone with me. Barlaam or
Belnus.”

“Swear to me you will not go alone.”

“I swear.”

“In the meantime…” Cormac stood and rounded
his desk. He towered over his sister, who was petite for their
Kind. “Jocelyn has asked to see her grandfather’s research. For
D-Palitren. She thinks she may be able to…I don’t know…reverse
engineer some of the properties. Cause the drug to actually clot, I
think. Apparently she’s worked with the drug before. Not knowing
where it came from, of course.”

Kindara shivered, then stared up at him.
“That research has been locked in my office for twenty-eight years.
I don’t even know if it’s still…if the papers haven’t rotted by
now.”

“I know. And I told her…that…”

“That her grandfather is a sick, murdering
monster?” Venom coated Kindara’s words and Cormac could not blame
her. He still despised the Taniss patriarch and all he had done. To
Kindara. To Jierra. To the thousand or so other Dardaptoans who he
had claimed and destroyed. Kindara approached the window that
overlooked the gardens. She stared at the spot where Jocelyn had
been attacked.

“I will give you the key.
You can get the files out of the third drawer, brown metal cabinet.
Everything is in there, including copies that
Dahr
Rydere also possesses. But
Cormac, go through them first. There are several images that Josey
does not need to see. Her grandfather was an active participant and
is in the videos, the photos. No grandchild needs to see those
things.”

Cormac nodded and he
understood what else she was saying. He knew there was video
of
her
being
tortured by Leo Taniss. She didn’t want Jocelyn seeing
those
images either. And
he would ensure that his
Rajni
was hurt as little as possible. Even if that meant
keeping some of her precious research from her. “I will take care
of it. And Kindara, I want you to phone me when you get there. And
when you are preparing to leave.”

“Yes, daddy. I’ll make sure I’m home before
curfew. It’s not like I’m over four hundred years old or anything
like that!”

Why was it that all the
women in his life got enjoyment out of mouthing off to him? Didn’t
they know he just wanted them safe and happy? That
that
was his main purpose
for still existing?

“Go. And be careful.”

Josey followed the vampire jerk down the long
hallway that ran beneath the main lobby of the hotel. The blue
walls were the same color as the trousers and tunics worn by the
healers who had treated her just a week before.

Where are we going? Why?

To the Healers’ Hall. It’s
where my sister’s office is located. And now yours. It runs beneath
the lobby and starts here.
He opened a
nondescript door and led her through.
I’ve
had Barlaam set up a small office and lab for your private use. If
there is anything else you need or want you are to tell him and he
will gladly get it for you. No matter what the cost.

Seriously? So if I want a
new mass spec, I tell Barlaam and he calls Mass-Spec-R-Us and
they’ll deliver the same day?
Not even her
family’s company could manage that. She would have had to fill out
six different forms, then have them approved by the accounting
department. Who would then have to get them approved by the CFO of
the company, Josey’s uncle Mitchell. Mal and Mickey’s
father.

Something like that, smart
ass. Here. I had them bring down this desk out of Jareth storage.
It was my great grandfather’s. The first Cormac. He made it in a
time long before humans even recognized the need for desks. It has
been in our family for that long. It’s yours now.
He led her to the third door from the end and
placed the key in the lock.
Kindara’s
office is three doors down. Barlaam’s is down that hallway there.
It’s the only door in that area. Barlaam likes his privacy, but he
has agreed to help you get settled. If you need anything, don’t
hesitate to ask him. He actually knows a bit of sign language,
too.

So someone else I can
actually talk with? How nice of you to let me know!
She said it without thinking and without heat. A
defensive reaction to hide what she felt. The desk was beautiful,
with ornate markings carved lovingly into the front. Markings she’d
seen in the suite décor. Markings that had been echoed in some of
the tattoos covering Cormac’s chest.

Family symbols?
She ran her fingers over the wood, recognizing
what appeared to be old English letters. A “c” was easily
defined.
Your name.

Yes. Irish in origin. As far as we can
remember. It means ‘son of defilement’.

That fits. What does this
mean, here?
Josey traced what appeared to
be a phrase or saying.

Love, protect, wield your
sword well and with precision.
Live, or die
with all your heart. Cherish, for time in its infinity is in fact
short.
His eyes stared at hers.
We’ve interpreted it as such. My great-grandfather
was not the most of literate men. But he could see things. He was
the one who named me.

Beautiful.
Josey couldn’t help but be overwhelmed.
Are you sure you want me working here? This is
yours. You should be using it…not me.

I want my Rajni to use it.
To know that what is mine is always hers.
His hands covered hers on the wood.
If
you must spend your time down here instead of in our suite reading
files and medical books, running your experiments, I want you
surrounded by the items that are our family’s. Yours and
mine.

But what if I spill
something or something happens? And you went to so much trouble and
I won’t even be here that long. My father
will
be coming for me. You know that;
we both know my family will be coming eventually. Emily has already
spoken with Rebecca, Mickey and Mal’s sister. My father, at least,
will not be satisfied with that much longer. He will come for me
specifically.
Josey swallowed. What would
happen after her father did come for her? Would she just go back to
her life, as if this whole ordeal had never occurred. As if she had
never met the damned vampire, never learned that other species of
beings existed. Never learned of her grandfather’s psychopathic
behavior toward those other Kinds? Could she just go back to living
in completely ignorance once again?

She didn’t think so.

She couldn’t go back to that, but she
couldn’t stay in this world either. Not as an extension of this
man.

But did she have much choice? And what did
she say to him? He had obviously gone to some serious trouble this
afternoon to get her this office ready. It was beautifully
furnished, a surprising blend of modern technology—complete with a
tablet resting on the desk—and Old World antique. The curtains and
upholstery were a mix of the healer blue and the green that Cormac
somehow always wore. The color suited him, making his eyes appear
even more golden, and his skin a richer tan. Someone had draped a
sash made out of a healer blue and Jareth green plaid. It hung over
the back wall, over a symbol carved out of what looked to be old
ivory. The symbol was one she recognized from the suite and from
Cormac’s chest.

She knew what every design on his skin looked
like. She may not know their meanings, but she recognized them when
she saw them.

This is
your
room. You are of my family now.
It is yours.

She started to protest
again, but the slight vulnerability in his expression had her
simply thanking him.
It is beautiful. And I
should be able to work here, easily.

Good, then.
The vulnerability extended to his eyes when he
looked down at her.
Do you think you will
be ok down here? I have a meeting with Rydere in ten minutes. I
cannot miss it. But if you aren’t ready to be alone down here, I
can stay. Or get someone to stay with you. Bronwen is a few doors
down.

I’ll be fine. I think I need some time
alone. You said you had Grandfather’s research?

His face tightened.
Yes. But I ask you one thing.

I’ll not violate anyone’s privacy, I
promise. It’s for my eyes only.

That, but there’s more.
Don’t look at it
today.
Just take your time to become accustomed to the
office.

Why?

Because I don’t want your
first day’s memories to be overshadowed by that evil. And because I
don’t want you looking at all of it alone.
The images she would see in those files were enough to make
anyone shudder. Even him, and he’d been through several battles and
wars over the last half millennia. Knowing it was a member of her
family responsible for the carnage—it would affect her. And he
needed to be there.
Just, please
wait.

She bit her lip and looked at the filing
cabinet. The key hung from the lock. She could look at the research
any time she wanted to. But his eyes were pleading, his body
language clearly showing how tense he was.

What would one day hurt?

He finally left her alone,
and Josey stared at the space surrounding her. It
was
a nice office. It had
a small lab connected to it filled with state-of-the-art equipment.
It was meticulously clean. And waiting for her.

Whose office had it once
been? She explored the books that lined the shelves. Some were
human texts, books she’d used in her own medical studies. Some were
similar to the books Cormac had already given her. Still others had
writing on them like she’d never seen before, followed by English
translations. Her eyes widened as she read the titles listed on the
spines.
Lupoiux Medical Findings Throughout
History, Physiology of The Druidic Races & Witches, Elhydran
& Other Lesser Beasts—
it would take her
weeks just to read those books and learn what she could of those
creatures.

She slipped the book on Lupoiux werewolves
off the shelf. She shivered at the dark image on the cover. Those
beasts had nearly ripped her to pieces and while she may play it
tough in front of her vampire man, she knew she hadn’t dealt with
the attack yet. How could she? It had only been a little over a
week since it had happened.

The first page told of the creation of the
Lupoiux. How the wolf god Eiophon had shed his fur and each strand
had created a fully formed Lupoiux wolf in Eiophon’s image. The
rational part of Josey’s brushed off such a tale as pure myth. Just
another race of beings creation myth.

But these animals did exist.
She had seen them. And this was a
text
book. A scientific journal,
written in—she checked the copyright—1962. By Kindara Jareth Black
and Barlaam Dardanos. Hardly likely that they would perpetuate myth
if there wasn’t something to it. Josey set the book aside. That
would be the last book she would look at.

She just wasn’t ready for them, yet. She
pulled the Druid book free and took a look at the first several
images recorded inside. A beautiful woman with dark hair and violet
eyes represented the Witches. A dark man with a calm exterior was
labeled God of the Druids.

Were all of the creatures that populated this
strange world the results of gods and goddesses Josey knew nothing
about?

It made her scientific mind extremely
curious, especially when she considered where humans fit in to the
equation. Where had all the gods come from? The humans?