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But the quiet in the room weighs down on Maddy, and she doesn’t quite know how to begin. The silence stretches. When Caleb elbows her, she nearly chokes on her own spit. Embarrassing doesn’t begin to describe the half of it.
She clears her throat, cursing the nerves. “Greetings to the most revered Order of the Knightly Rose and assembled hunter-leaders.” She winces at how butt-kissy that sounds, but she presses forward. “I am here to ask for assistance in our mission against the vampires.”
Marlowe arches an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“They’ve stolen a book from Veritas. It’s a Fae book, filled with magical spells and portals. More importantly, the volume also contains directions on how to find a weapon which can kill Orion once and for all.”
Marlowe leans forward in his seat. “A weapon to best Orion? How did you hear of this?”
“It’s a Fae weapon which has been lost to time, and we were guided to the book by a Fae who is only interested in stopping Orion.”
“Why do they care?”
“If Orion isn’t stopped, all dimensions will be at risk.”
Marlowe peers at them both. “You have news,” he says, as though expecting Maddy to announce all her secrets. “You both have news.”
Maddy sighs. “I have been turned into a vampire.”
The collected crowd gasps, but none of them seem surprised.
“And I’m not anymore.” Caleb speaks for the first time since they’ve arrived at the Order, and his voice rings clear. “But neither development diminishes our need to find this book or the help we require to do it.”
Marlowe laughs like an execution bell ringing the time of demise. “Do you think the Order will follow you into battle? You are vampiric.”
A chuckle moves through the hunters.
“We will not take orders from you,” a hateful male voice calls out, and other voices join in agreement, and the murmur of voices becomes a roar. All of them are speaking, yelling at the same time.
Caleb steps forward. “I am a son of Van Helsing, the greatest hunter of them all.”
Marlowe shakes his head. “The Order will not follow former vampires either. Your noble bloodlines make no difference.”
The large doors to the right click, clank, and creak open. The noise cuts through the growing cacophony, and the room immediately falls quiet once more.
Footsteps echo through the hall as a lone figure marches out of the shadows and into the room. “I am Kenna, and I am the leader of the Order of the Knightly Rose.”
Fury burns through Maddy. Caleb’s aunt is one of the most conniving people in their lives to date, pulling the strings and never asking permission. She whirls to face Caleb. “Did you know about this?”
Yet Caleb’s eyes widen with each step toward them Kenna takes, and he doesn’t have to say anything. He smells of sharp shock. He didn’t know about Kenna’s sudden appearance. He whispers, “This isn’t going to go well.”
Marlowe points at Kenna. “And just who do you think you are?”
“I am the leader of the Order, and I demand you step down willingly.” She encompasses the entire room in her glare. “I am still your leader.”
“We believed you were dead,” Marlowe spits. “You no longer have any rights of leadership here.”
“The Order has but one leader,” the hateful man yells. “Marlowe!”
“This is how you repay me, Marlowe?” Kenna demands. “You were always loyal to me!”
Except no one hears her. A cheer spreads through the group. “Marlowe! Marlowe! Marlowe!” More and more voices join in the chant. The clang of metal weapons soon accompanies the voices. “Marlowe.”
The ground vibrates with the energy, and Maddy’s nostrils flare. So much blood in the building, and it’s not just blood. It’s excited, angry, hot blood. Caleb catches Maddy’s hand and squeezes it, grounding her before she breaks into a feeding frenzy.
She offers him a wobbly smile. “How did you know?”
He leans close. “Big emotions and loads of feelings. They can practically overwhelm a new vampire’s senses. All the heat of the mob accentuates the differences in tastes. It’s basically a giant buffet with loads of flavor options.”
