Anna, Jessie, and Elijah entered the room a moment later. I’d expected to see Sloane, and my gaze went over their shoulders, looking for The Elite witch leader, but then it hit me—Brie, Sloane’s best friend, was dead. Sloane was grieving and sorting funeral preparations, I don’t know…What did you do when a witch died? Were there different rules to supernatural death?
Jessie’s jaw was tight, her arms crossed over her chest. She didn’t want to be here, that much was obvious. I didn’t blame her.
The faster we got to the bottom of this vampire issue, the quicker she could get back to her friends and mourning.
I fixed my attention on Anna, the witch who had the answers. “Who are the Sons of Adam, and what do they want from me?”
The air beside me crackled and fizzed. “Do tell,” Jasper said. “I’ve been dying to know.”
My gaze flew to his face, harsh lines and an angry slash of a mouth. He was here. He was okay, but where had he been when I needed—
No. I didn’t need him.
But there it was, the tug in my chest, the one that yearned for him. Leif had said the binding would get rid of any outside influences messing with my emotions, which meant—
Now wasn’t the time to think about this. Original vampires wanted my blood and there was no doubt in my mind they’d be back.
I tore my gaze from Jasper and fixed it on Anna once more. “Why do the Sons of Adam want me?”
Jessie’s brows came down in a frown. “What’s this about, Anna?” she demanded. “You dragged me away from The Elites. You said the anchor was in danger, so spill it.”
Anna pressed her lips together for a long beat, as if searching for words. “Revenge,” she said finally. “The Sons of Adam feel wronged by the coven and they want vengeance. They mean to exact it by taking you.”
“What did you do?” Tor asked.
“Yes.” Elijah slipped out from behind the witches and joined Leif on our side of the kitchen, physically dissociating himself from Anna. “What did the coven do to the original vampires?”
“The accounts are… incomplete,” Anna said. “Most of the journals perished in the east wing fire centuries ago, but from what I’ve pieced together, the coven drew power from the Sons of Adam to create the prison where Croatoan is held.”
“I don’t understand,” Jessie said. “They’re vampires. What could you possibly gain from them?”
“Original vampires,” Anna said. “Descended from Lilith and Adam’s bloodline. Demons spawned from Lilith’s union with Adam were called Sons of Adam. One of them procreated with a human, resulting in the birth of the original vampires, bastardized demons. They went on to create more vampires, and each generation was more inhuman, the rats of the outlier world. Accounts say that Lilith set about slaying the vampires, but they bred too fast and it was an impossible task. There were three vampires who retained a more human form, who had strong celestial blood, and for some reason, these three were permitted to live. They call themselves Sons of Adam, even though, technically, the Sons of Adam bloodline died out a long time ago. As far as I’m aware there’s only one left, a Dominus reaper named Conah.”
Jasper’s gaze flew to mine. We knew who Conah was. Heck, I’d lived with him for a while. Had Fee mentioned he was a Son of Adam? No, I would have remembered, but it made sense. The reapers were mainly from Lilith’s bloodline and they all drank blood. I should have made the connection.
“How do we kill them?” Tor asked, straight to the point.
“I don’t know,” Anna said. “I don’t even know if they can be killed.”
“Lilith managed to kill a bunch,” Leif added. “There must be a way.”
“If there is, then it’s not common knowledge.”
Not common knowledge for witches but maybe for reapers. I’d need to call Fee again. Soon.
“Why are they attacking now?” Elijah asked. “You said the coven drew power from them, what? Twelve hundred years ago?”
“It’s taken this long for them to recover,” she said. “And they’re pissed.”
The conversation I’d eavesdropped on a few days ago came to mind. “Is that what Dimitri was talking about in your study the other day?”
“Yes. Dimitri is a Renfield. He’s a human who feeds off the Sons of Adam’s power and works for their interests. The original vampires can’t go out in the day. Dimitri is their eyes and ears in sunlight. He’s been their carer for centuries, but they’re only now awakening, and they need blood.”
“My blood?”
“You’re the anchor,” Anna said. “Your blood is powerful.”
Talk about shitty timing. “Then let’s just give them some blood. Can’t we just stick a needle in me and take a pint?”
“I suggested that.” Anna looked sheepish. “They want you. The body that produces the blood. They want you for the next one hundred years as payment for what the coven did to them.”
“Like fuck!” Tor vibrated with indignation. “No one touches our mate.” His eyes darkened with rage, pupils dilating in warning of a shift. “Your coven did this. You fix it.”
“It’s not that easy,” Anna said. “The Sons of Adam aren’t willing to negotiate. I was hoping they were simply blustering, that they were too weak to come and collect. I guess I was wrong.” She pressed her lips together. “Dimitri was clear. If we don’t hand over the anchor, they’ll attack the coven.”
Jessie’s lip curled. “I’d like to see them fucking try. We just beat back four revenants and five banshees. I think we can take three vampires.”
“They’re not vampires,” Anna said. “They’re something else. Something ancient and powerful, and if they attack, I’m not sure we’ll survive it.”
“So, what do you suggest?” Elijah asked.
Anna shook her head. “I don’t know. You say only one attacked
