Clarity: A Young Adult Paranormal Vampire Romance (Blood Haze Book 4) (2 page)

“Alexi, stop!” I shrieked, rushing to his side and grabbing his arm. “Let him go! I told him to do it!”

Alexi’s grip didn’t loosen, but his expression softened slightly. His eyes tilted toward me.

“Alexi, let him go,” I said softly. “I
told
him to do it. I was trying to influence him.”

I heard Liam slump to the floor, gasping for air and coughing. Alexi cleared his throat and looked down at Liam.

“Sorry, Brother,” he apologized, offering his hand.

Liam stared at Alexi for a moment, but finally slapped his palm against Alexi’s and clasped his hand. Alexi pulled Liam to his feet.

“Are you alright?” I asked Liam.

Rubbing his throat, he nodded.

“Alexi, really,” I scolded him. “Do you really think Liam would strike me of his own accord?”

“I… I was caught by surprise, that is all,” Alexi said. “I did not expect to walk in and find my brother poised to attack you.”

“Yes, I understand that, but you have to be more careful,” I said. “You have to stop making such rash decisions when it comes to me.”

“I am sorry, Alice, but that is rather difficult for me,” he admitted.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his shoulder. His strong arms closed around me and held me close, and I felt his long, pale hair gently tickling my cheek.

“I know it is,” I said gently. “But please, for me, try to control yourself.”

I could have stayed there for endless hours, feeling his strong embrace, the rise and fall of his chest. But Liam cleared his throat uncomfortably. Alexi and I broke our embrace.

“Um, clearly you have the ability to influence people,” Liam said. “Maybe we should work on another ability for now.”

“Oh, for sure,” I agreed readily. “I think I’ve had enough of this one for the moment.”

“Before you continue, I am afraid I have some rather bad news,” Alexi said.

I could hear an edge of real concern in his voice, so I immediately turned my attention back to him.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It is what I originally came here to tell you both,” he said. “We have a problem.”

“Don’t we always?” Liam asked.

“This is a larger problem than we have dealt with recently,” Alexi replied. “I have finally learned what Dmitri is planning. He intends to wipe out hunters, and then destroy the Council.”

My stomach lurched, and my heart thudded in my chest. I grasped the back of the chair behind me and struggled to stay on my feet. Alexi caught me just as my knees buckled.

“Max!” I gasped.

Alexi clutched me tightly as my knees tr
embled weakly. I tried to stand, but I simply couldn’t.

“Why does he want to get rid of hunters?” Liam asked. “I can understand him wanting to be rid of us, but why hunters?”

“I do not know,” Alexi said. “My source only told me what he is planning. I would imagine it is part of a larger plan.”

“I think I know why,” I said suddenly, grasping the chair and sliding weakly into it. Alexi and Liam both looked at me, waiting for me to fill them in. “Well, I don’t know what his larger plan is, but I would imagine
that he knows the hunters would team up with us to go after him. He knows the Council controls the hunters. They always have.”

“This means you are undoubtedly his number one target,” Alexi pointed out to me.

“Well, that’s no surprise,” I said frankly. “I’ve had a giant target on my back from day one.”

“Yes, but now you are not just a pawn,” Alexi reminded me. “When he kidnapped you the first time, he was only attempting to manipulate
me
. Now, you are the Chancellor. Now, you are good friends with a hunter.”

“We should take Alice somewhere safe,” Liam suggested.

“No!” I gasped. “I’m not going to run and hide at a time like this!”

“But…” Liam started to argue.

“Alice is right,” Alexi interrupted him. Liam and I both turned to stare at Alexi in disbelief. He continued. “For one thing, we need her. And for another, we are also needed. We cannot fight Dmitri and also guard her properly. She must stay with us.”

“Alexi, I…” Liam tried to object.

Alexi held up his hand. “I understand how you feel, Liam. I am no happier about this than you. However, this is how it must be. There is no alternative.”

“Liam, I’m the Chancellor, now,” I said. “I don’t even really understand what that means, but I
do
know that it means I can’t run from every little thing that comes along. I basically have the fate of our race in my hands, and I can’t shirk that responsibility.”

Liam sighed heavily, and with his head hung in defeat, he relented, “Then we need a plan.”

“I agree,” I said. I looked at Alexi and asked, “What can we do?”

Alex
i looked pensive. His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he lost himself in thought. His eye twitched slightly. I brushed a strand of his long, white locks away from his face. Alexi had been keeping his hood down around me since our wedding, but only around Liam and me. He was still very sensitive about his scar, and I guess nothing I could have said would have made him realize how beautiful he was to me.

“We take the fight to Dmitri,” Alexi answered.

Liam’s eyes lit up, and a slight grin twitched upon his lips. He nodded faintly, his face taut with thought. His smile widened.

“Yeah,” Liam said. “Yeah, exactly!”

“Wait, what are you two thinking?” I asked.

“Look, Alice,” Liam explained quickly. “Dmitri almost certainly thinks we are either going to run in order to p
rotect you, or we’re going to hole up in the compound in order to meet him on our turf.”

“That does seem like the smart thing to do,” I said. “Home field advantage? What am I missing?”

“Right, it technically
would
be the smart thing to do in your average situation,” Liam said. “But, and I’m sure Alexi will agree, this is not an average situation. Dmitri has… well, he’s lost his mind. We have to do something he won’t expect… throw him off guard.”

I was starting to understand what he was saying, but I also kn
ew the danger involved in leaving the area in which we were familiar and comfortable.

“Are you sure that’s best?” I asked Alexi.

“Not entirely, but I believe it is worth discussing,” Alexi said.

“We can’t discuss it for long,” Liam said. “If we’re going t
o act, it needs to be ASAP.”

“I have an idea that may help us,” Alexi said. “If you will excuse me, I will attend to it at once.”

“What’s the idea?” I asked him.

“I do not want to get your hopes up in case it does not go as I hope,” he told me, brushing hi
s hand lightly over my hair. “Please, just give me a few hours and then I promise I will let you know what I discover.”

I sighed, but nodded my understanding. He kissed me on my forehead, bowed politely to Liam, and left the room in a billow of cloak and h
air.

“I swear, it’s like he thinks I’m incapable of understanding anything,” I lamented.

“He means well,” Liam shrugged.

“So, back to training?” I asked.

With renewed vigor, Liam leaped to his feet. “Let’s go!” he agreed.

It had been hours since Alexi had dismissed himself to see to this mysterious idea of his. Liam and I had been training until we were both physically and mentally exhausted, so we retired to the cafeteria for something to eat.

“I wish we knew Dmitri’s motivations,” I muttered, mostly to myself than anyone else.

“Hmm?” Liam muttered absently, chewing a bite of the sandwich that he was concentrating on blankly.

“I was saying I wish we knew what was compelling Dmitri so powerfully,” I said. “I mean, he’s gone crazy, obviously, but there has to be
something
causing him to behave this way.”

“Maybe he’s charmed?” Liam suggested
, his voice horribly muffled by the ridiculously large bite of bread and peanut butter.

“Oh, god, Liam, at least swallow befo
re you talk,” I groaned.

“Sorry,” he muttered, crumbs flying from his mouth and landing on my shirt. I sighed heavily and he meekly laid his sandwich on his plate, taking a long swig of milk. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and I tried to restrain my ann
oyance at his manners, or lack thereof.

“Honestly, I don’t think he’s charmed,” I said. “This is something more powerful, I think.”

“Something more powerful than a charm?” Liam asked. “Like what?”

“There are a lot of things that are more powerful than magi
c,” I reminded him softly. “Hate, fear… love.”

Liam nodded knowingly.

“He might be compelled by hate,” Liam suggested. “I doubt he is afraid of anything. It certainly isn’t… wait… maybe it is!”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Okay, you mentioned hate, fear, and love, right?”

I nodded.

“Well, Dmitri was in love, once,” Liam said. “He was deeply in love with this human woman named… oh, god, what was it?” he snapped his fingers as he tried to remember. “Olivia! That’s it! Well, he and Olivia were about to be married, and the day of their wedding day, a group of vampires Dmitri had wronged in some way years earlier, attacked. Olivia tried to defend him, but she got killed. Alexi and I were pretty young at the time, but we were there. Father was the best man and we were sitting out there among Dmitri’s family and friends. I still remember seeing her lying there in front of the altar with her blood seeping down the aisle and Dmitri weeping over her body. It was horrible.”

“Wow,” I said reverently. “That wou
ld certainly be a powerful motivator for revenge.”

“Indeed it would,” Liam agreed. “I mean, if something like that happened to you, I would…” he stopped and cleared his throat. Then he picked up his sandwich and devoured nearly half of it in one bite.

As he chewed, I began to mull over what he’d just told me. I nibbled a carrot stick and swirled it absently in ranch dressing.
Maybe he’s onto something
, I thought. Love is the most powerful motivator of all.

“I think we should tell Alexi about this,” I said.

“Tell me about what, darling?” Alexi asked.

I grinned at my food. Alexi always had a way of showing up exactly when I needed him to. I turned to face him.

“Well, we were wondering about Dmitri’s motives,” I said. “I figured if we knew what was driving him, we’d have more insight into what he’s planning. Then Liam mentioned a certain woman named Olivia, and…”

“Olivia!” Alexi interrupted me. “Of course! Now I understand! Oh dear, this is not good. Not good at all.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Alexi pulled a
chair up beside me and sat down, his face grave as he processed the information fully. He shook his head solemnly.

“I should have seen it before,” Alexi said. “The talisman. I believe I know why he wants it.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Oh, damn,” Liam interjected. “
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I would bet that I am, brother,” Alexi said. “He is going to attempt to bring her back.”

“Who?” I asked. And then it dawned on me. I gasped her name. “Olivia?”

Alexi nodded.

“He can’t really do that, can he?” I asked.

“I am afraid it is possible, or so legend has it,” Alexi said. “But this means you are in even greater danger than we ever thought possible.”

“No,” Liam breathed, his voice nearly imperceptible. Then he shouted, “No! Not her!”

Liam stood up so quickly his
chair overturned. Then he grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it with a horrifying scream, sending our dishes clattering to the flood amidst a flurry of splintered wood and toppled chairs.

“Well, I guess I’m finished eating,” I mumbled.

“We will not let it happen,” Alexi said to Liam.

“You’re damned well right we won’t!” Liam shouted. “No wonder he wants her so badly!”

“What are you two going on about?” I demanded.

“Darling, I do not wish to alarm you,” Alexi said gently, taming an errant strand of m
y hair and tucking it behind my ear. “Unfortunately, this is something you must know. If Dmitri is planning what we think he is planning, he will most certainly attempt to abduct you again. He needs your Grace ability. He plans to use the talisman to transfer your life essence, including your Grace ability, into Olivia in order to bring her back from the dead. It is an ancient ritual, but I do not believe it has been attempted in centuries. It is forbidden.”

“What?” I gasped, my mouth gaping. “You can’t be
serious!”

“You know we will never allow any harm to come to you,” Alexi said.

“Alexi… he’s planning to… kill me… to bring her back, isn’t he?” I stammered.

“I am afraid so,” he answered.

“Damn him,” Liam muttered. “Damn him to hell!”

“Liam, this outburst w
ill do no one any good,” Alexi protested.

“What are we going to do?” Liam pleaded, his hands clawing at Alexi’s cloak.

“Do not panic,” Alexi said. “I have contacted a priest in Rome. He was a colleague of Father Jacobs. He was a friend to our father. He has a plan that can help, but unfortunately I knew nothing of this when I spoke with him. I must see if I can get him back on the telephone to inform him. Excuse me.”

Alexi planted a firm kiss on the top of my head and turned to leave. But he stopped short o
f the door and turned to Liam, saying, “Under no circumstance should Alice be left alone for any reason. Understood?”

“Don’t worry, brother,” Liam said. “I wouldn’t leave her alone right now for anything in the world.”

Alexi nodded and made his retreat, and Liam looked at me, his face ashen and looking far older than his years.

“Shall we get back to training?” he asked.

My stomach rumbled loudly, and I looked longingly at my carrot sticks underneath the rubble, ranch dressing oozing down the legs of nearby chairs. I shrugged.

“Might as well,” I said, though every part of me ached horrendously and my stomach felt like it might implode from emptiness.

“Let’s train outdoors for a change,” Liam suggested.

“I don’t think Alexi would like that very much,” I arg
ued. “It’s too open. Too dangerous.”

“We’ll take some Council members with us,” Liam said. “The compound is well guarded.”

“We’ve been attacked here before,” I reminded him. “We can’t be too cautious.”

“Alright, fair point,” Liam agreed reluctantly. “I’m j
ust tired of being cooped up indoors, and the sun is going to set soon. I bet it smells so good out there right now.”

It had been so long since I was able to enjoy fresh air and just revel in the beauty of nature. I felt a pang of longing settling in my he
art, and I wished I were home in my mother’s garden. I could almost smell her roses.

“Alice?” Liam’s voiced called me from my daydream.

“Sorry, I was just wishing we could go outside,” I said somberly.

“Then let’s just go,” Liam said. “We’ll stick close to
the building. I’m dying for some fresh air!”

“Me, too,” I admitted.

“Alexi will be busy with trying to reach that priest in Rome…” Liam said temptingly.

“Oh, what the hell,” I shrugged. With a twinkle in my eye and a sly grin, I said, “Race you!”

Liam and I took off in a flash, laughing merrily and trying to beat each other to the back door. We both slammed against it at the same time and shouted, “Tie!” Then we burst into the back yard breathless and full of glee.

I breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of
the outdoors. The sun was sinking, and the afternoon air was starting to cool. It was nearing fall, my favorite time of the year. It had been so long since I’d just stopped to enjoy the simple things of life. I’d been so wrapped up in drama and fear, training and marriage, and all of the things that took up all my time.

Suddenly I shrieked as a blast of water interrupted my silent reverie. Holding my hands out to fruitlessly shield myself, I heard Liam’s laughter bellowing, and I peeked through the gushing
water to see him at the end of a garden hose, which he had trained carefully on my face.

“You!” I shouted, my face red with giddy excitement. I felt like a kid again.

He threw down the water hose and began to run toward me. I tried to dodge him, but I managed to trip over my own feet and he tackled me, pinning me to the ground. We were both laughing like idiots.

“Ahem!”

We both froze and turned our heads meekly toward the sound of Alexi clearing his throat as he stood in the doorway with his arms folded. I pursed my lips together, but a snicker still managed to blurt out of my nose, which caused Liam to snort, and soon we were both dissolving into fits of laughter while Alexi looked on like a chastising mother.

“Is this really necessary?” Alexi asked.

“Come on, Brother,” Liam groaned, taking a deep breath to quell his laughter for a moment, “we needed some fresh air! Some might do you some good, too!”

“Yeah, come on!” I agreed, waving Alexi over.

Alexi stood rigidly. I must have momentarily lost my mind, because I lunged toward the water hose and clutched it, rolling onto my back and shooting a jet of water right at Alexi’s face. The move was like some kind of clumsy, amateur action hero thing, and I must have looked like a deranged lunatic.

Aside from closing
his eyes, Alexi was unmoved. He left his eyes closed for a few moments as he absorbed what had just happened. His white hair dripped sadly, and he looked like a waterlogged cat… miserable.

Liam was lying on the ground with his mouth agape, unable to belie
ve what I’d just done. Whatever possessed me to think I could get Alexi to join in our little party, I don’t know. Never once had I seen him behave in any type of silly or joking manner. Now, I felt completely stupid.

“Sorry,” I muttered timidly.

Alexi sighed and wiped water from his eyes. Then he just blinked helplessly as though I’d slapped him.

“What, exactly, was that for?” Alexi asked.

“I was just trying to get you to loosen up… have some fun!” I said.

“And
that
was the way you hoped to accomplish it?” he asked.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” I mumbled dejectedly.

“Nor do I,” Alexi agreed.

“She’s right though, you know,” Liam said. “You do need to loosen up.”

“I hardly think this is the time or the place,” Alexi said. “You have both put yourselves in grave danger.”

“Seriously? ‘Grave danger?’ We just came outside for some air! We thought it would be nice to train outside for a change!” Liam argued. “The compound is heavily guarded. We have high walls. We…”

“And you think any of this is enough against a madman with an army of wraiths fighting for him?” Alexi interrupted sharply.

“I guess we weren’t thinking,” Liam said.

“Clearly,” Alexi agreed glumly.

Liam got to his feet and extended a hand to me, and I took it. He pulled me up and we brushed ourselv
es free of grass and leaves and allowed ourselves to be herded like schoolchildren caught in the act of horseplay, our heads hung in shame.

Alexi allowed the door to slam behind us, and Liam and I both jumped involuntarily.

“While the two of you were busy with your childish antics,” Alexi said as we followed him down the corridor, “I spoke with Father Franco, our new friend in Rome, and I told him what we believe Dmitri is planning.”

“And?” I asked.

“He concurs with our assessment,” Alexi answered. “He said it sounds like the only thing that makes sense to him. Thus, we have a new problem.”

“What?” Liam asked.

“How do we stop him?” Alexi said. “He is a madman who has nothing to lose. He has already lost the only thing he ever held dear. There is little more dangerous in this world than that.”

“Didn’t Father Franco have any ideas?” I asked.