Blood Match

Chapter 17: Meeting In The Clouds

Tristan sat in the office, enjoying the view from the 65th floor of One Vanderbilt Summit. Leo had asked him to reach out to the coven leader of La Corona De Fuego, and he had secured a meeting with him this evening. Arriving promptly at 4:20 p.m., Tristan was just in time to appreciate the marvelous sunset and enjoy the light show as the city wrapped itself in a cloak of rose, purple, and shades of indigo—the light fading to the midnight blue of the late fall night.

He watched as the office bustled with activity, the day staff giving way to the night crew. Although the Corona De Fuego kept a low profile, it was by no means a small organization. In fact, it had its hands in several major financial markets, controlling several hundred billion dollars in assets.

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?”

Tristan turned to see who had spoken. The man stood tall and distinguished, his navy blue suit tailored perfectly to his form. His short hair was a stunning silver color, styled in a polished and sophisticated manner. Despite the silver, his face retained a youthful quality—handsome, with sharp features. The contrast between his silver hair and youthful appearance was striking. As he smiled, small laugh lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes, showcasing the joy he held within. His demeanor exuded confidence and charm.

Alexi Volkov, the leader of the Corona De Fuego coven.

“Alexi, it’s good to see you again. I trust business has been good,” Tristan said, extending a hand.

“We are doing well, thank you.” After shaking his hand, Alexi crossed to the seating area and settled into the couch. He gestured for Tristan to join him. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Tristan reached into his pocket and retrieved the invitation. Handing it to Alexi, he waited for him to open and read it.

“He’s going to celebrate Yule and reopen the Manor House? This will cause quite a stir—he does realize that,” Alexi said, looking down at the invitation.

“Yes, he’s taken that into consideration, and that’s why I’m here. He wants you to bring the New York branch of the coven to Spain to celebrate Yule with him. He’s arranged for two private jets for the 300 members currently residing in New York.”

“We would be delighted to come. Is he celebrating the old traditions? Will there be a blood offering on the Solstice?” Alexi asked, glancing up.

“Yes. Will you need us to arrange donors, or would you prefer to handle that yourselves?”

“The coven will take care of the donors. And tell Leo that the offer of the jets is appreciated but unnecessary. The coven maintains a fleet of Boeing 757s. We’ll arrange transportation for both the coven members and their donors.”

Tristan nodded. “Alexi, I don’t need to tell you this Yule will make many people very nervous. We all need to be on guard for any signs of trouble.”

“Tristan, don’t worry, my friend. I’ll have a full complement of Coronados at my back. Leonidas will be protected.”

“Thank you, Alexi. That makes me feel much better. But there’s something else. Leo has brought someone into his life—someone he’s very fond of. Your protection will need to extend to him as well,” Tristan said, rising from his seat.

“Tristan, has he found his blood match?” Alexi asked, locking eyes with him.

“I’m not sure, but I’ve never seen Leo so enamored. The two of them are like twin stars caught in each other’s gravitational dance.”

“Well, let us hope the wait is over. This world needs the Divina to take the throne once more,” Alexi said, standing and shaking Tristan’s hand.

The next day, Tristan headed to the gallery. He waved at Kara as he passed and made his way to the back, where he found Liam at his computer.

“Tristan,” Liam said, looking up from the screen.

“Hey, Liam. I just wanted to stop by and give you an update on how the Christmas preparations are going. I figured it was best to do this when I knew Leo wouldn’t be around. You have no idea how persistent—and sneaky—he can be when he’s trying to ferret out secrets,” Tristan said, dropping onto the couch.

Liam laughed and joined him, settling into the nearby armchair. “Okay, how are the preparations going?”

“I’ve gotten your mother’s family ornaments out of storage, and we managed to get your landlord to sell us the apartment next to yours. We opened the wall and revamped the rooms. You’re now the proud owner of the entire fifth floor. We painted, replaced the carpeting, and did a bit of decorating. The tree will be delivered on the 23rd, just in time for Christmas Eve. I got in touch with your sister Christine and her husband Bill, and your friend Jason and his wife Louise. Everyone will arrive on the morning of the 24th—just in time to trim the tree.”

“Tristan, what would I do without you? You’re a miracle worker!”

“Hey, what is family for?” Tristan said with a grin.

Later that day, Tristan waited for Leo to come downstairs. It was 4:30 p.m., and the sun had just set. He wanted to catch Leo up on his meeting with Alexi and go over a few final details for the Solstice gala.

He felt Leo stir upstairs and waited as he heard him descend.

“Tristan, how did your meeting go with Alexi?” Leo asked, crossing to the couch and sitting down.

“Good. He was pleased to get your invitation and recognized the significance of it. He thanked you for the offer of transportation, but said it wasn’t necessary. He’ll handle the coven’s transportation for both members and their donors. He’ll also be bringing a full complement of Coronados to act as your honor guard.” Tristan rose, walked to the sideboard, and poured two glasses of red wine. He returned and handed one to Leo, settling this time into an armchair.

“The South American covens will be attending. They were surprised, but happy, that you decided to open the Manor House again. The African covens will send representatives as well. And you should expect one or two representatives from the World Government—not to mention the obligatory agents and spies who will gatecrash when the house is open to all on the Solstice.” He paused, giving Leo a moment to absorb the information.

“Liam’s safety is paramount—above all else. You made it clear to Alexi that I expect the Coronados’ protection to extend to Liam as well, yes?”

“Yes. Alexi knows and understands Liam’s importance.”

“Good. I have one more person to add to your list,” Leo said, handing Tristan a slip of paper.

Tristan smiled. “I’ll take care of it right away,” he said, rising to leave.

“Thank you, hermanito,” Leo said, watching him go.