Morvicti Blood (A Morvicti Novel Book 1) (30 page)

“David, why are you calling me?”

“That’s not how you should answer your phone when the head of your bloodline calls, cousin.” In the background were the sounds of a crowd and a muffled voice over an intercom. “Where are you, anyway?”

“Fuck off. I’m taking the first flight out of this country, if they don’t get to me first. The Imperial Morvicti Council has issued warrants for every Bathry. Most have been arrested already, including your sister. She’s been taken to Romania. You’ve destroyed our bloodline. What the bloody hell happened in the sanctuary today?”

He clicked off his phone, not willing to answer his cousin’s question.

How do I proceed? Perhaps I could just ring the doorbell.

He did have a gun. He could force his way in.

With Austin as his prisoner, he might have a chance at getting Octavian to negotiate. If not, he had to turn the tables on the bastard somehow.

He had placed an APW on McCord’s head. Capturing and taking him before the council would be a first step. The next, convincing them to believe McCord was The Ripper, would not be easy. But it was possible. He just had to make it look like Octavian was behind the conspiracy.

How?

Drake had confessed to meeting The Ripper in Prague. He had remained silent, breaking the law of the Morvicti to protect the halfblood bastard and his traitorous mother, Drake’s cousin, Irina.
That’s how I will convince them.

Walking to Dr. Wilson’s door, Bathry wasn’t certain that information and the head of Austin McCord would be enough to sway the council. If he couldn’t convince them to turn on Octavian, he was a dead man.

CHAPTER 54

8:30 PM

Austin got out of the car with Angelique. While he scanned the area, keeping watch for any sign of The Ripper, Angelique went through the trashcans. There were several on the street.

“Found it,” she said, lifting a package from one of them.

They got back in the car and read the killer’s next letter together.

Dear Angelique,

I hope you and your brother are enjoying this game of treasure hunting, my love. We deserve a little levity in these terrible times.

This is the place Dark Annie’s life ended, my sweet. I was searching for one like us believing, once found, she would be my wife. I was so naïve back then. The only clue I had was this. The daughter of an immortal woman lived in Whitechapel making her living in the beds of men.

The nose inside this box is from the Lady Turellek. I’m sure she won’t miss it. Ha, ha.

The third and fourth courses, the heart and stomach, are courtesy of her two sisters. Taking down the nobles has been more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I just wish you could have joined me in the fun.

Were you shocked I knew about Austin? It took me painstaking research to discover you both. But I did. When Austin got shot in Iraq, I wept, feeling like I had lost a brother, too.

Go to Henriques Street as fast as you can, my dearest Angelique.

All my love,

Jack

“Henriques Street, just like Doc thought,” Angelique said. “I hope we get to the final murder scene before The Ripper.”

Austin nodded, driving to White’s Row.

CHAPTER 55

8:40 PM

Octavian stared at the image on the screen and felt acid rise up from his throat and into his mouth. Duke Turellek’s driver had discovered the bodies of Lady Turellek and her two sisters less than an hour ago. Their heads had been severed.

Lady Turellek’s lifeless eyes were wide with fear, her face disfigured by The Ripper as the monster had sliced off her nose. It wasn’t clear from the image whether he had taken other souvenirs from her. Octavian cycled through additional photos showing more of The Ripper’s handiwork with Lady Turellek’s sisters, who had the misfortune of being with her at the time.

Lord Turellek had been above ground longer than any other sitting on the council. Octavian had known for some time the days were numbered until his dear friend and ally slept. Upon receiving the report of the death of his wife and sisters-in-law, Lord Turellek had collapsed. Octavian had his servants take the old man down to the sanctuary to administer blood. Would he recover or would he slip into slumber?

One of the lords present via videoconference pounded his fist on his desk. “I say we evacuate our children from London until The Ripper and David Bathry are in custody. We should only leave those who can help with that mission.”

“We cannot do that, my lord,” another spoke up from a screen. “It would create a panic that would take years for us to recover from.”

“You only say that because you haven’t lost any of your bloodline, Duchess Sevann.”

She frowned. “Nor have you, Duke Kitholan.”

“Have any of my lords or ladies given thought to the fact that others besides Bathry could be behind these murders?” Nancy Black’s father, Duke Grollin asked. “My daughter was a Grollin. Galene and her mother, Lupeis. The Turelleks lost their lady and her two sisters. And Octavian Drake, our king, his brother. Grollins, Lupeis, Turelleks and Drakes. The other noble bloodlines have lost no one.”

The impact of Duke Grollin’s words was evident on the nobles’ faces.

Duchess Sevann cursed. “You dare insinuate my bloodline could be behind this treachery.”

Lesser events than this one had ignited war between the Morvicti.

Octavian needed to tamp down emotions and get them working together. He pounded the wooden gavel on the table. “Enough, my lords and ladies. We must not fight amongst ourselves. The only bloodline behind this horror is Bathry. None other.”

“And not every Bathry, Majesty,” Darius added.

“That is true, my lord. As I stated earlier, Phoebe Bathry helped Belisarius and I escape The Sanctuary of the Forgotten.”

“Where is Belisarius, Your Majesty?” Duke Marveaux didn’t hold back his anger. “With Bathry’s treachery, he now holds the highest police position in London for the Morvicti. What is he doing to bring down this madman?”

“He’s assisting me on another matter.”

“Another matter?
More
important than this one?” Marveaux frowned. “Forgive me, Majesty, but what could be more urgent than what we face now? David Bathry is still missing and The Ripper has yet to be found. I understand that an APW has been issued by the Met with a description of The Ripper. What a disgrace it would be to the Morvicti if the police apprehend the murderer of our children before we do.”

“The APW was Bathry’s work. The description is of another man, not The Ripper.”

“How do you know that, Majesty?” Duchess Sevann asked.

He weighed his options. Though he was ready to confess how he knew Jack, he was certain it would only exacerbate the current state of disarray and fear of the other nobles.

“Belisarius discovered Bathry’s APW. The man in question had an alibi.” Octavian needed to keep Austin and his sister off the radar of the Morvicti. “Belisarius is working to remove the APW right now.”

“Belisarius should be going to Turellek’s home,” Duke Marveaux stated flatly. “Our resources are spread too thin and Duke Turellek is in no shape to handle the cleanup of his wife and sisters-in-law.”

Octavian knew Marveaux was correct. “I’ll send Belisarius a text now.” He brought out his mobile phone.

Where are you? 

Almost to White’s Row.

Three dead. Needs to be cleaned up.

It will be done, Majesty.

Octavian looked up from his mobile phone and saw the other council members staring at theirs.

Darius leaned over and showed him his phone’s screen. “This just came in from Bathry to all of us.”

I’m innocent. Octavian Drake is guilty. I will have proof shortly. Grant me sanctuary and I will bring it to the council within the hour.

CHAPTER 56

8:42 PM

Driving into the parking garage, Austin turned to Angelique. “Now.”

As they’d discussed on the way, she slid down in her seat to a position that just allowed her to see out of the windshield. In that position she would not be an easy target but could still be another set of eyes that he definitely needed.

Slowly, they drove level by level through the parking garage, scanning every inch of the place. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

He drove up the final ramp that let them out on the very top, which was uncovered and open to the overcast London night sky.

“There, Austin.” Angelique sat up, holding the weapon tight. “Another package.”

He nodded, seeing it sitting on the pavement. Since there were no cars atop the last tier, it wasn’t difficult to spot. “Damn it, the bastard has already been here.”

Deflated, she said, “The Ripper is more steps ahead of us than we thought.”

He pulled the car next to the box, which was a little bigger than the one they’d found on Durward. He opened his door, leaned down, and scooped up the package.

Glancing back, he saw a red Jaguar speeding towards them.

“Get down, Angelique.” He slammed his foot down on the accelerator, sending them cruising down the ramp to the lower level.

The Jag sped their direction, horn blaring and lights flashing.

Was The Ripper driving that car?

If he’d been alone, Austin would have taken the chance to find out. But he wasn’t alone.

“Hang on, Angelique.” He took the sharp corner, barely missing the wall.

Every level down, their pursuer seemed to be gaining.

At the bottom level, he hit the gas, busting through the barrier onto the street.

He barreled down White’s Row the wrong direction, turning left onto Commercial.

He kept making turns, left and right, trying to lose the Jaguar, but wasn’t able to shake their pursuer.

The signal ahead turned red. He made a sharp right against oncoming traffic. A double decker bus careened to the left, trying to avoid a collision, coming to a stop in the intersection and blocking the Jag from following.

Austin sped away. “We’re okay now, Sis. We lost him.”

“I wonder who it was. Do you think it was The Ripper?”

“I don’t believe so. He’s been consistent in how he’s been leading us on this chase, always from the shadows. The Ripper doesn’t strike me as someone who would chase his victims where any eyes could see him. He is setting a trap.”

“Then who was in that car?”

“Someone who is part of the conspiracy that the Doc has been talking about.”

“Maybe there’s a clue inside the box that will let us know one way or the other.”

He thought about pulling over so that they could look in the box together, but he knew he should keep driving away from the red Jaguar. “Open it.”

“God, Austin. He’s killed someone else. It’s a woman’s foot.”

“Is there a note?”

“Yes.” She held up an envelope.

“Read it to me.”

To my dearest Angelique,

Mary Jane Kelly. I killed her here, though I only wanted her to be my bride. Her mother was the queen of them all. When I came to Mary that night, I told her the truth of her lineage. She was drunk and mocked me.
Me
. The one who had searched through the hovels of Whitechapel to find her. The one who had killed just for her. While enjoying riches and treasures, her mother had allowed Fair Emma, which was one of Mary Jane’s nicknames, to live in filth and poverty.

Mary Jane could have been my queen, but she rejected me. She didn’t deserve to live, my love.

I’m certain by now you and your brother both understand we are descendants of Dr. Wilson’s unknown hominid. They call themselves Morvicti. But we are not Morvicti. We aren’t human either. We are the final step in evolution. A pinnacle species that will last forever.

We are the offspring of the Morvicti, but they despise us for our human blood. Their ancient laws demand our deaths. Now, they only are required to shun us, to act as if we never existed. They call us abominations. Can you believe that? Your mother was human. Your father immortal. I met him in Prague. He turned his back on me as he did you and Austin. My mother, his cousin, was a beastly woman. We lived in squalor, hidden away in shame. But I am not ashamed. I am better than any of them. And so are you and Austin. We are the same.