Blood Match

Chapter 18: Agents Of Intrigue

Content Warning: This chapter contains references to violence, predation, and vampire feeding. Reader discretion advised.
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“So Leo is returning to Spain to celebrate Yule and taking Liam with him.”

“Yes, and Harrison, we want you to go to Spain as our agent. We need to know if Liam is a threat to our plans and if we need to take steps to neutralize him.”

Harrison listened intently to the man seated behind the desk. These were the main offices of the Order of the Unseen—a shadow organization that pulled the strings of the Vampire-Human government.

It was the Order that ran the slave trade, the blood farms, and the baby mills. It was the Order that had rebelled against the rule of the Divinas.

It was Don Fernando’s sire who had first decided that the old ways needed to end—that vampires and humans had to learn how to coexist. He was the first Divina to choose a different path. Don Fernando had followed in his footsteps, using his considerable power as Divina to control the vampire population and begin preparations for vampires and humans to share the world as equals.

But there were those who did not agree with this new egalitarian vision, and so the Order of the Unseen was born in the shadows.

They had been responsible for Don Fernando’s death, although they had failed to eliminate him before he sired Leonidas—the current Divina. But by a stroke of luck, Leonidas had not found his perfect blood match in over 800 years. The one being who could complete him, who could unlock the full power of the Divina. The purpose of the Order was to ensure that never happened. And so, they had embarked on a long, hidden campaign of murder and deception to eliminate anyone Leonidas De La Cruz grew close to.

In those 800 years, they had arranged accidents, commissioned murders, and bought off lovers and companions with promises of wealth and new lives, hoping to eliminate the possibility of Leo ever finding that one person.

As Harrison sat in the office of the Order, he understood that his continued existence depended on the goodwill of the vampire behind the desk—and he would do whatever was necessary to keep it that way.

“If he’s celebrating Yule in the old tradition, then he’ll have to open the house on the Solstice. Anyone can enter for that one night—that would be the best time to attend. I’ll make it seem as if I happened to hear about the occasion in passing, and since I was already in Spain, I decided to drop in.”

“Good. Then I’ll leave the arrangements to you. Harrison, I don’t need to tell you how important this is.” The vampire rose from his seat and extended his hand. Harrison stood and shook it.

“I’ll see it handled. You can count on me.”

As he turned to leave, the office door opened and a young man—barely eighteen—staggered in. He moved slowly toward the desk, vacant-eyed. The vampire behind the desk seized him roughly, dragging him into his lap. Tilting the boy’s head back, he fastened his mouth to the exposed throat and drank greedily.

The youth stared blankly at Harrison as his life drained away.

When the vampire had finished, he shoved the boy off his lap. The body collapsed to the floor like a discarded garment.

“If you see an opportunity to eliminate the threat, take it,” the vampire said calmly. “Have a safe journey.”

Harrison nodded once and departed.

As he walked toward the elevator, he realized that watching the boy being fed on had awakened both his hunger and his lust. Perhaps he would visit the Order’s pleasure floor before departing—he could satisfy both needs with one of the young men the Order kept for guests like him.

Stepping into the elevator, he straightened his cuffs and exhaled slowly. His mission was clear. The Order had stood for a thousand years, blocking the Divina and preserving the old ways. Eventually, they would destroy Leo and extinguish the Divina bloodline. And then, the Order could show its fangs once more and put humans back in their place.

Vampires would become ascendant again.

And he—Harrison—would be there to see it done.

“Leo, we’re here,” Tristan said, pulling the car into the plane hangar. He brought the vehicle to a stop beside the Gulfstream G700 and got out to open the door for Leo and Liam.

As they stepped out, another smaller car arrived. Joseph exited and moved around to open the passenger door for Kara. Together, they walked over to join Leo and Liam.

“Pop, you ready for this?” Joseph asked, grinning.

“Joseph, it’s just Yule—nothing more,” Leo replied quietly. Then he turned to Liam and Kara. “Why don’t the two of you go on board? I want to go over a few last-minute things with Joseph and Tristan. We’ll join you in a moment.”

Liam leaned in, kissed Leo on the cheek, and took Kara’s hand. Together, they made their way to the jet’s boarding stairs.

“Damn, I’ll never get used to Leo’s wealth,” Liam whispered to Kara.

“Wait until you see the inside,” she replied with a smile as she guided him up the steps.

“Tristan, how are the preparations going in Spain?” Leo asked as the others disappeared into the jet.

“Dad said the staff have cleaned the manor house from top to bottom. Fresh linens, towels, and drapery have been ordered. All the rugs have been cleaned. Genevieve’s china and flatware are out of storage for the family meal on the 17th. Claude flew over last week—he’s overseeing provisioning and staffing the kitchens. Everything’s in hand,” Tristan said, consulting a checklist on his phone.

“Excellent. Joey, how about on your end?”

“I’ve been in touch with the Catalan, Basque, and Spaniard covens. There’s been tension in the past, but all of them respect the Divina and the traditions of Yule. Representatives from each coven will attend—including Ancients. Even if you’ve refused the throne, they know who you are. We’ll probably see someone from the Vampire-Human Authority, though my communications with them have been tangled in red tape. I suspect our presence will shake them from complacency.”

Leo nodded. “I’ll leave it in your hands. You both have things well in control.” He turned to Tristan. “I want security with Liam and Kara at all times. No one is to get to me through them.”

“Understood. Liam will be protected—and I know Joseph will look after Kara.”

“Good. Let’s join the others before Liam comes to drag me aboard.”

As if summoned, Liam appeared at the door.

“Too late,” Joseph muttered, suppressing a chuckle.

“Leo.”

“We’re coming now, sunshine. Just going over a few final arrangements,” Leo replied, giving both Joseph and Tristan a gentle nudge toward the jet.

Inside the cabin, Leo spotted Kara giving Liam a tour of the aircraft. They had already passed the galley and the main seating area.

“Here’s the lounge with the full bar and entertainment center. In the back, there are two sleeping areas—first, a cabin with twin beds, and in the tail section, the master suite with a queen bed and private lavatory. There are two more lavatories off the galley,” Kara explained.

As they made their way back toward the front, the pilot stepped out of the cockpit.

“Mr. De La Cruz, it’s a pleasure to have you onboard. We’re ready for departure at your convenience. Both LaGuardia and JFK have cleared your flight plan.”

“Thank you. Depart when ready,” Leo said with a warm nod.

The pilot returned to the cockpit, and Tristan and Joseph pushed the gangway back, securing the cabin door. Once the doors were locked and armed, they returned to their seats.

Leo reached over and took Liam’s hand.

“You ready for this, Mr. Von Anderson?”

“Bring it on,” Liam said with a smile.

As the plane taxied down the runway, Liam gazed out the window, heart full. So much had changed in less than a month. Leo had become part of his life—a part he didn’t know he’d needed, but now couldn’t imagine living without.

And in a quiet moment of gratitude, Liam offered up a silent prayer to Alexander.

Thank you for bringing him to me.