Blood Pool

She was trying to digest the information she’d just received when she felt a presence.

A familiar presence.

“I hear you and Bo are back together again.” The unexpected though recognizable sound of his voice caused Raven to break from her morbid thoughts. She felt the color drain from her face as she whirled to face the man in her kitchen. His silver eyes gauged her reply.

“Tobias.”

“How are you, Raven?” He reached out to her with open arms. She wanted to move, but felt rooted to the floor. In one step, he stood in front of her, wrapping his arms around her. “You look beautiful, as always.”

“Thank you. What brings you to the island? It’s been about-what, a year?-since I last saw you. Where have you been?” She desperately tried to hide the hurt that seeped into her voice. She couldn’t quite pull it off.

Nearly exhausted from the grueling day, she grabbed some vegetables and began vigorously chopping them. Preparing for an early dinner, she tried to act as if his presence didn’t affect her. She couldn’t pull that off, either.

He smiled. “I’m here to see you, of course, and to join in the festivities. The first of the Nights of the Parades is this evening, is it not?”

“Of course, yes, the harvest parades,” Raven said, absentmindedly nicking her finger with the blade as she tried to slice the fresh carrots from Nigella’s farm. She shoved her finger in her mouth.

“Careful, dulciuri inima,” her father said, taking a seat on a stool at the center island, watching her slice and dice.

Raven eyed him cautiously. He looked like he wanted something.

Tobias was handsome as always. She definitely saw what had drawn her mother to him. Raven resembled Tobias in appearance. His hair was shoulder length and dark as the raven’s wing. That was how she’d received her name. After seeing a mop of jet-colored hair on his newborn daughter’s head, Tobias asked her mother if she liked the name Raven. Raven’s mother never denied anything to Tobias.

His eyes were the same smoky grey. He sported a neatly trimmed Van Dyke, giving him a distinguished and regal demeanor-or satanic, depending on one’s point of view. The genetic connection between Raven and Tobias was undeniable.

“Frank called you, didn’t he?” she asked, sliding a pitcher of raspberry iced tea toward him. She took two slices of lemon and sugar cubes and poured them both a drink. She needed one, her mouth suddenly parched. Seeing her father always made her anxious.

“I speak with Frank often,” he said, sipping the sweetened tea.

“Why don’t you just call me?” She stared at him with the same hard gaze she’d received from him so many times. Their relationship was a tug-of-war at best. When she needed to be close to her father, he was absent. When he was ready for her, she was too hurt and erected a wall of protection.

He stroked his beard. “I don’t want to be an overbearing father.”

She tried to stifle the laugh that erupted, but failed miserably. “You needn’t worry about that, Tobias.”

“Would you like a fire?” He didn’t wait for a response as he grabbed a few logs from the ring next to the fireplace. In an instant, he had a fire blazing.

He walked over to her. “Dulciuri inima, your finger is still bleeding. When did you last have anything decent to feast upon?”

Speaking in the manner of a medieval king, he peppered his speech with the language of his native Romania, where he grew up so many hundreds of years ago. He’d always called her “sweetheart” when she was a little girl and continued to do so even though she was a grown woman.

“You sound like Nigella’s mother now. She’s always trying to feed me,” Raven said, walking to the sink and rinsing her finger. The next thing she knew, Tobias was standing next to her, holding her hand up to his mouth. He kissed his daughter’s cut.

“Nigella’s mother feeds you blood?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“No, Nigella does, on occasion.” She looked down at her finger. It had healed. “And no, I don’t feed on my friend, if that’s your next question.”

He returned to his seat. “I know. I have been to a few ceremonies in the past, or have you forgotten? I remember the ritual and the blood. You have good friends. It was a wise decision to move here. That would make two good decisions I’ve made in my life, finding and marrying your mother being the first.”

She played along with her father. “Only two? You’ve lived a long, long time.” She went to the oven and checked on the roast, simmering in a red-wine glaze, and the garlic-herb potatoes. “Having children isn’t on your list of wise choices?”

“Of course, it goes without saying.”

“No, it needs to be said.”

He smiled at Raven, melting her heart with every loving gesture. “All right, an amendment to my previous statement. Three wise choices.”

“Speaking of time, don’t you think you should give up wearing all black? I think you’ve mourned enough.”

Tobias’s eyes flashed with a pain that Raven found all too familiar. Her heart broke a little more for him. She changed the subject.

“Black is always in fashion,” he said. Raven knew he tried to make light of her remark.

“You’ll stay for dinner?” she asked. “I know you don’t eat much, but it would be nice. Bo would like to see you.” She turned to him, feeling like a little girl again, wanting to make him happy.

“Of course, I’d love it,” he agreed.

Raven noted his eyes as they drank in the view outside, at the vast expanse of water that stretched for miles, visible from almost every window of the spacious Victorian house. Waves crashed upon the rocky shore as the sun snuggled into the Atlantic for the night. Blues, magentas, violets and burnished copper-colored clouds grazed the horizon, like ghostly pirate ships searching for lost treasure.

Raven knew it was more than the festival that had brought Tobias to the island. Her lips parted to ask, when she heard the front door open.

“Kagi Taka,” Bo called out.

“I see he still talks to you in his native language,” her father observed, standing to greet Bo.

“Yes, just like you,” she said, walking toward the front door, her arms open, ready to embrace her beloved.

Bo lifted Raven gently in his arms and whirled her around, kissing her neck, nipping at her tenderly.

“I missed you. My father’s here,” she whispered into his ear. His gaze probed hers, questioning. Raven shrugged. “Let’s find out.”

Bo hung his suede jacket on the deer antler rack, a gift from his grandfather for Raven, by the entrance. He took a deep breath and accompanied her into the kitchen.

“Tobias. Nice to see you.”

“Bo, you look good. Taking care of my Raven, are you?” Tobias shook Bo’s hand.

“Always,” he replied.

In truth, Bo and Tobias did get along well. He could see into Bo’s soul and he knew the depth of feeling Bo had for his daughter. Tobias also understood the call of the wild. Although he sensed it bothered his daughter, he knew it was not a reflection on Bo’s love for her. Raven argued that they were merely sticking up for each other-an odd sort of male bonding.

“I guess you’ve talked to Frank?” Bo asked, not wasting a moment.

“Yes. He told me about Sang de Mort,” Tobias huffed.

“Sang de Mort? Are we talking about the same…?” Raven asked.

“He goes by many names, but yes, Courtier de Sang-Laroque. I know he’s resurfaced,” Tobias said, watching as Bo took a beer from the refrigerator. “Frank told me that he explained to you what happened all those years ago. I’m sorry, Raven.” The ache in his heart still felt new. “Your mother didn’t want you to know. You were too little to remember your sister. After she died, I couldn’t break the promise I’d made to her.”

Tobias observed the interplay between his daughter and Bo. “Apparently, neither could Frank,” Raven said, glancing at Bo standing by the sink as he watched the last rays of the sun reach across the water. His long, lean legs were crossed, and he tapped his boot impatiently. Nothing escaped Tobias as he monitored his daughter’s actions. He laughed to himself, noting how she studied every muscle visible beneath Bo’s faded denim jeans.

Every single muscle.

Tobias felt like an intruder.

Bo took a long pull on his cold beer. “I’m surprised you’re not at the office. There’s another DB. I just finished the paperwork on it. That’s why I’m a bit late.”

“ Davis is on tonight. He owes me. Tracy is in, too. They’ll call if they need me. Was it suspicious circs?” Raven handed Bo three plates. He set the table and checked on the fire in the dining room fireplace.

“It didn’t look like it to me-yet-but we’ll see what Davis finds. The victim was a fairly young guy, mid-forties, and apparently there’s no outward trauma. Could be cardiac arrest.”

Tobias had been standing in front of Raven, uncharacteristically quiet. Finally, he spoke. “I don’t want you getting involved with Laroque, Raven. He wants nothing more than to kill all those I love.” His voice was firm and unyielding. “Promise me.”

“I can’t make that promise. This is my job. If Laroque is somehow involved with these deaths, I have no choice.”

He clenched his jaw, frustrated with his daughter’s stubbornness. A trait she inherited from him. “Then quit. You don’t need the money. I won’t lose you. You are susceptible. You’re powerful, but your mother’s blood makes you vulnerable.” He took her hand and rubbed her finger on the spot she’d cut. Raven pulled away.

“I’ll be careful,” she said, taking the roast out of the oven. “Come on, dinner’s ready.”

Bo remained silent during the interplay between father and daughter, a slight smile pulling at his lips. Tobias didn’t inform Raven that Bo had been the one to persuade Frank to get in touch with Tobias and invite him to the festival.

They sat before the roaring fire and dug into the tender roast. “I questioned just about all the Lamai on the island. Emerald’s sister Iris helped with the interrogation,” Bo said as he placed a water pitcher filled with sliced lemons and limes on the table.

“Why did you need a Fae’s help?” Tobias asked, his curiosity piqued.

“She’s a Truth Seeker. You know, a Fae version of a lie detector,” Bo explained. “She might be able to figure out who turned Derrick.”

Tobias asked, “The one who attacked Solaris?”

“You didn’t waste any time finding out the latest, did you?” Raven asked her father.

“My daughter won’t tell me, so yes. I spoke with Solaris earlier. I’ll tell you who is responsible: Laroque.”

“Laroque is part Lamai?” Bo asked.