A long pause before Mr. Trudeau continued. “Wait a second. Did you just say your blood wife is a low blood born?”
I gripped my fist. “Yes.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I….I...hadn’t really told anyone.”
“Why?” He sounded curious.
“I didn’t know how the aristocrats would take it.”
“Are you ashamed of her?”
“No! I want my wife back!”
“Then why was she at her flat?” He still sounded curious, and not judgmental, as I had expected.
In a resigned tone, “I screwed up. I’ve been trying to fix it.”
He was quiet for awhile and I started to dread he wouldn’t help me. Honestly, any help he could offer I would take at this point.
Onyx’s voice came through softly, “I was matched with an aristocrat.”
“Oh?” Now, I was curious.
“Dreya D’Avare.”
Interesting.
He let out a long, loud sigh. “If I help you, will you tell me what happened between you and your blood wife?”
What the hell?
I was about to tell him to shove it, when he added, “I may need your help fixing my own mess with my blood wife.” He sounded frustrated.
“Ummm. Okay. Deal.” I leaned forward on my chair. I noticed Chauffie and Renald were still standing in the room, watching, waiting. I just nodded at them.
“What do you know?”
“Meet me at the border of the low blood born section of town, by the railroad. Twenty minutes. I’ll show you the places I know about.”
“Thank you, Onyx. I owe you.”
“No, I think we could both benefit from this situation.” I smiled despite the situation.
We were standing outside another warehouse on the outskirt of town. Apparently, that was where the bloodletting parties took place. Away from the population. This would be the second one. Odessa had not been at the first one. But that didn’t stop me from causing some serious damage. There had been twovictims, one man and one woman. They had been strapped to posts, in a standing position. Each victim was strapped down with leather straps, one across the waist, one mid-chest, and one around the legs. Their hands were placed down at their sides, while blood dripped from their arms. Both victims’ heads were dipped down, appearing unconscious, yet standing. The image set me off in a fury. I raged through the room, and may or may not have beaten a few men. I couldn’t remember as I appeared to have blanked out. That had never happened, but when I came to, I had blood all over my clothes and hands, several men were laying on the floor bloodied, and the room was emptying out rather quickly. I had been panting heavily as I watched Onyx and Chauffie unstrap the two victims.
Renald had specific instructions to drive the victims to the mid blood born recovery facility and to give them my name. They would recuperate there.
This shit would not happen again. I would not let it.
My whole budding was humming with apprehension and rage. I had a bad feeling that if, or when, I found Odessa, I would lose my mind. I had gone into a craze in that last warehouse, but Odessa had not been there. I had proven I wouldn’t be able to control myself if, or when, I saw her in a similar state as the other two victims.
I could hear Onyx speaking to me, his voice sounding far away. I tried to refocus, and turned to him.
“You ready to do this, Devareaux?”
Onyx had some blood on him too, but I didn’t know if it was from the victims, me, or if he fight as well. I would find out later.
