Virgins and Vampires: Blood Falls (The Blood Falls Book 3)

“I always thought of my room as my safe space,” I said as I cuddled against Kris’s chest. He had his head propped up on a pillow and one arm around me while I lay plastered to his side.

“And now you don’t?”

“I don’t know. I thought my thoughts were safe there. That I couldn’t hear anyone else’s and they couldn’t hear mine. That I could…let go.”

“And you did and instead of it staying inside those walls, it bounced around our mountains.”

“Exactly.” It didn’t feel safe to think anymore. Maybe I should shield myself for the rest of my life. Cut myself off from my samhain gifts and live like a human.

“Your room is safe. There’s no way to account for every possibility.” His hands moved over my arm and back. Normally it would have soothed me. Today it barely registered in the back of my mind.

“How long is the cave safe?”

His hand paused, then kept going. “I’d like to think the stone will keep us safe, but until we know who is after you, I have no idea if that’s true.”

And that was the other complication. “How will I know who to trust? Who to believe?” The image of the Gatlin medallion was burned into my mind.

My own family. I couldn’t process it. And that was probably saving me from having a complete meltdown.

“Trust your instincts. What do they tell you?”

“Well I can start with the easy part. My parents. They may fight like Axls and Wrens, but they would never betray me.” To my delight, my little joke got Kris laughing.

“Axls and Wrens. Funny.”

“Gotta find the humor somewhere.”

“What about Rever?”

I considered my cousin. I had always trusted him. He was a little grouchy and several years older than me, but he was the kind of male who lived by a code and would die by that code. “I trust him.”

“Good, so do I, but it’s nice to hear it.”

Did I trust anyone else? My aunt? I felt like I should, but she flitted about so much it was possible I didn’t know her as well as I thought I did. Shoshanna? She kept trying to control me, but she seemed as surprised as us by the attack. Not to mention her fury after the fact.

But it could be an act. If I wouldn’t bow to her, maybe she felt it would be best to actually imprison me.

“I think that’s it, Kris. I trust my parents and Rever.”

He kissed the top of my head. “I wonder what my mother would think.”

Lorelei was a member of the House of Gatlin and best friends with Bethany and Belynda, Kris’s aunts, before she died. I thought it was interesting how Kris’s mother was best friends with Wren twins before she mated the eldest Wren. It was a story almost identical to my own. It made me feel a kinship to a female I’d never know.

And that gave me an idea. “The twins and I are as close as you can get without actually being sisters.”

Kris frowned. “Okay…”

“Like your mother and your aunts.” The idea started to take shape as I replaced Lorelei, Bethany, and Belynda with me, Cass, and Bridge. “They know everything about me. All my secrets, most of my family, the gossip and politics of the House.”

“Do you think they’re in danger because of that?” He sat up a little more.

“No, no, no. I’m just thinking…If your aunts were as close to Lorelei as I am to your sisters, they might have a very different outsiders’ perspective on my House.”

“It’s pretty out of date.” He cocked his head to the side. “Or at least most of it would be…except they kept in touch with Mom’s family until they died. You know, visits with us kids, parties and stuff. You’re right. My aunts might be a good place to start. When we meet up with Cass I’ll have her get in touch with them.”

I snuggled back into his chest. “The North feels like a lifetime ago. It’s like time has sped up and it’s passing so fast I can’t keep up with it. A few months ago my biggest worry was whether to cut my hair or let it keep growing. But that was before Grista, dragons, rifts, and salishan. Before my own House attacked me. Shouldn’t it take a lifetime for all that to happen?”

Instead of reply, I got a snore. Kris was out. And I really should be too. So I snuggled in closer and let myself drift off.

“Oh thank the stars!” Cass threw herself at me and hugged me like a gladiator. “I’ve been a nervous wreck, convinced they found you and we’d never know.”

“We’re here. You didn’t tell Pixie, did you?”

I couldn’t see her, but I knew she was scowling at her brother. “You told me not to, so I didn’t.”

“Yeah but you’ve got that twin super sense. I can never be sure.”

Cass gave me one last, breath-stealing squeeze, then released me. “We shared a womb not a brain. Besides, your safety was at stake. I’m not messing around with your lives just because I have a twin.”

“Well thanks for that.”

She ignored Kris. “How are you? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

The questions kept coming so I shut her up with some answers. “I’m not hurt, just stunned. It’s very unusual to attempt a kidnapping, let alone inside a House.”

Cass and Kris traded a look.

“What?”

Kris shrugged. “Lou was kidnapped by the Axls. It is unusual, but it does happen.”

“Lou?” Who was Lou? Wait… “Lou Sato? The Lou running the House of Axl right now?”

“I believe Rhysa’s exact words were ‘karma is a bitch’. Apparently it’s a human saying,” Cass chuckled. “Do you think there’s a faction of old Axls up to their old tricks?”

“No,” Kris and I said at the same time.

“Okay…” Cass rocked back on her feet. “Care to share? Clearly you have an idea.”

I glanced at Kris. His instinct was to keep everything to ourselves no matter how much we trusted someone. The more Cass knew, the more she’d worry. The more she worried, the more likely she’d start getting questions. It was too complicated.

“Can you get in touch with Aunt Bethany and Belynda?” Kris said instead. “We think they might be helpful.”

“Someone they know?” Cass asked. “You know what. Never mind. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. Yeah sure. I can get Aunt Belynda. Bethany won’t be thrilled, but when I tell her your life is in danger she’ll forgive me. When?”

“Now?”

Cass groaned and rolled her eyes. “You’re really working hard at getting me the least favorite niece status aren’t you? Fine. I’ll go. But first, there’s been radio silence from Gatlin. No one has come to tell us why you didn’t show up today, no Rever, nothing. I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t seem good.”

My stomach sank. “No it does not.”

“You need anything else while I’m running errands?” She gave her brother a smirk.

“No Cass. We’re good. And thank you.”

She dropped the look and sighed. “Stay safe. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She vanished. I turned my attention to Kris. “No Rever.”

He shook his head. “That can’t be good. You’ve come to our house every day for weeks. They’d at least send word you took the day off.”

“Do you think they were attacked again?” If that were the case then the attackers were either a faction of Gatlin we didn’t know about, or outsiders pretending to be Gatlin.

“It’s possible. But it’s also possible the Guard has locked the House down until it gets answers. Hey,” he pulled me into a hug, “you’re safe here. I promise I won’t let anyone take you.”

“It’s weird not being able to feel anything from you.”

“Yeah, well your emotions are written all over your face.” He hugged me tighter. “I know it sounds like platitudes, but everything is going to be okay. It’s going to be okay because I’m going to make it okay. You hear me?”

He really was the sweetest. “You ready to move mountains for me, Prince Charming?”

He frowned. “Prince Charming?”

“What? You call me princess. What’s that make you?”

His eyes heated in a way that made my panties just a little bit damper. “Your bodyguard.”

I shivered. “Well then…”

“Oh, look at the two of you!” Bethany exclaimed, suddenly beside us. “Rain and Kris. You’re perfect together!” She threw her arms around us. “I always knew Rain would be part of our family one day.”

A moment later Belynda threw her arms around us too. “So what’s this shit about kidnapping?”

“You got here awfully fast.” Kris righted his shirt.

Cass appeared next. “The upside to these two being in love with brother and sister is that they’re very easy to find.”

“Take notes,” Belynda grinned at the way Cass squirmed. The older twins looked exactly like the younger twins, just a few decades older. “Trust me, you and Bridge find best friends, siblings, something close like that, it will save you a world of problems.”

“Okay, why are we talking about my love life right now? It’s Kris and Rain’s that’s the problem.”

“Whoa,” Kris threw up his hands. “Our love life has nothing to do with our problems.”

Cass made a face. “So do I finally get to hear what the hell is going on?”

I attempted to diffuse the situation by joining the conversation. “I have questions I thought you might be able to answer.” I turned to face Bethany and Belynda. “You’re connected to the House of Gatlin through Lorelei.”

The twins traded a look. Bethany spoke first. “Yes. Lorelei’s parents died fifteen years ago and our contact with the House has been considerably less, but still there. Mostly issues regarding the children, who are not children anymore, but still have a birthright to the House. How is that helpful to you?”

“Every House has their problems, but does mine have any that concerned you?” Why did I feel like I was betraying them by asking?

Bethany’s eyes unfocused as she thought, while Belynda stroked her chin. “I think Gatlin has always been overwhelming to us. Wren is rather small as a House compared to Gatlin or Axl or even Nala. Until we were born it was very rare to have two children, let alone three. Everyone’s pretty closely related because of it. But Gatlin is huge. You have House members you’re barely related to genetically. Lorelei wasn’t even one of your cousins. All this to say, Wren business is always family business. Gatlin business is political. It’s more like a business.”

I had never really internalized that was one of the reasons I loved coming to visit the twins. It was more intimate than anything at home, where families had floors and wings if they lived inside the Gatlin mansion.

“So yes,” Bethany said, “everything about Gatlin struck us as odd or different. Leadership in our House is hereditary, as it is in yours, but because of the multiple genetic lines in your House there’s always a fight over who is the true heir. When Shoshanna took over, there was a lot of in-fighting. Dray even had to come and cast a vote as Lorelei’s oldest son.”

“I didn’t know that,” Kris said, frowning.

“He hadn’t even reached maturity. That’s how torn the House was over who would inherit the leadership.”

“But why?” I was so confused. “What’s so contentious about it? Shoshanna followed her father who followed his mother. Who else thought they had a legitimate claim?”

The twins traded another look that made my stomach twist. I knew what they were going to say before they said it. “It wasn’t about having a legitimate claim. It was about who would have the power and control over the most powerful Gatlin in many lifetimes.”

Kris took my hand and threaded his fingers between mine. My whole life suddenly took on a very different look. The straight line became swirls. The black and white now had color.

“Shoshanna was the legitimate heir, but she was also in favor of letting you grow up like a normal child. The other claims tried to leverage power and fear over the members of the House, saying you’d rise up and take everything. They had many members convinced that if they threw Shoshanna over, controlling you would not only ensure their safety, but their wealth. In the end it was their greed that did them in. They split the vote and Shoshanna won the support she needed to take control. But…it was very close.”

“Who did Dray vote?” Kris’s voice broke.

Belynda smiled warmly at him. “For Shoshanna of course. He was in favor of leadership and hierarchy, rules being followed.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

“And he wasn’t too fond of the idea of someone controlling his baby sisters’ best friend,” Bethany added.

To think my fate could have been much worse than the lovely enchanted bedroom I grew up in. I thought that was a cage. “What happened after she took control? Did they keep fighting?”

“Do you think it has to do with your kidnapping attempt?” Belynda asked. The look on her face said she really didn’t want to answer my question if she didn’t have to.

Kris took the medallion from his pocket and held it out. “I took this off one of the attackers.”

Cass’s eyes went round. Bethany grimaced.

Belynda swore for a solid minute. She strung together phrases I didn’t know could be strung together. “Just leave us in peace. We won’t interfere if you don’t.” She said in a mocking tone. “Those motherfucking liars.”

“You think?” Bethany asked.

“This sweet girl finally comes into her full power and starts doing things no one’s ever done before and suddenly someone wants her badly enough to snatch her out of her own damn House? Who the hell do you think did this if it isn’t them?”

My hearing started to get tinny as the sisters talked. Then the sound of my heartbeat started to mix in. I felt like I was leaving my body when Cass took my other hand and squeezed. “I’m the youngest so I’m used to them talking about me right in front of me. It’s weird right?”

“So weird.”

She whistled. “Yo. Can you actually talk to Rain?”

Kris, who’d been standing frozen like a statue beside me suddenly spoke. “Who the hell is trying to take my female?” His voice echoed off the trees.

His aunts blinked up at him.

“Told you,” Bethany said to Belynda.

“All male now,” Belynda agreed. “You’re going to be the perfect mate for Rain.”

“Names, Aunt. I need them.”

“First, you cannot just pop off and kill anyone. There are too many of them. You need a plan,” Bethany said.

“I can’t ‘pop off’ when I’m blocked so you don’t need to worry,” Kris gritted out.

“Oh yes. Right. Very good.” Bethany glanced at Belynda.

Belynda shrugged. “Tell them.”

“Rhine, your Aunt Matylda’s ex-husband, led the strongest faction. He took his followers, and some of Lor’s, and moved to Upstate New York. They said they were leaving the House and would start over on their own.”

Stories of Uncle Rhine were hushed and avoided. I used to think it was because the breakup was bad. I had no idea it was this bad. My motherfucking uncle tried to take control of the House? Of me?

“But,” Belynda said, “I’m willing to bet those assholes weren’t up there minding their own damn business all these years. They’ve been waiting for the right time to claim you as theirs.”