The Legend of the Blue Eyes (31 page)

“You can’t let her go to the dearg-duls,” a
brave man in the middle of the crowd complained. “They’ll kill her
for being part baku. Gabriel, please keep her safe. Don’t let her
go.”

Gabriel felt the genuine worry in the man’s
voice. He replied calmly, “With the signatures of Rafael and
Andrew, she is now the head of the family. I cannot disagree with
her decisions.” He was as anxious to get to her grandfather as she
was, but he could never tell the crowd that.

“She’s still a minor,” Andrew’s uncle
commented. “Even as head of the family, as a minor, your decision
is final.” He didn’t want Arianna to stay around, but he could also
tell that Gabriel was anxious to go.

“That is true,” Gabriel replied with a smirk
as he had the upper hand. “And her guardian is her closest blood
relative, Lord Randolph, her grandfather.” Gabriel finally let the
secret out and the crowd became silent. “Arianna is the child of
Travis Grace and Tiffany Randolph.” Andrew’s uncle glared at
Arianna. “We won’t be returning until we get everything sorted out
at the Randolph estate and Tricity. Patrick will be coming with me,
so Rafael will be left in charge of the daily duties of the
clan.”

“You are saving her grandfather, so be it,
but why Tricity also?” A tengu spoke up and asked about the city
that was the center of their sworn enemies.

“I feel the hatred everyone here has for my
grandfather. That hatred also seems to be aimed at Tricity, but I
doubt even one of you have ever been there. How can you judge that
something is not worth saving if you have never seen it?” Arianna
scanned the crowds, and no one would meet her glare. “Tricity is a
place where any night human is welcome. They don’t discriminate
against you, even if you choose not to visit. They welcome anyone
to their city, and will as long as Lord Winter controls it. Can you
even imagine someplace where you can walk around freely, unafraid
that a day human that does not know will see your night form?
Everyone there, night human or not, knows about this world. It’s
the most inviting place for our kind that exists. If you can truly
hate such a place, you are stupid, because you have never truly
felt the freedom of a place where you can be yourself.” Arianna
followed her uncle through the crowd that was now parting for them;
he paused beside the family that was going to sacrifice their
daughter.

“If you want to repay your father’s debt,
then become Arianna’s tengu for the year, and I’ll consider it
repaid,” Gabriel said to the dark haired teenager, the older
brother of Arianna’s sacrifice. His mother wanted to protest, but
he held out his hand.

“Is that a deal?” the teen asked, and
Gabriel shook his hand.

As they neared the cars waiting in the
driveway, Andrew stepped forward from the shadows to follow them.
Gabriel ushered Arianna into the waiting car and turned to the
young man.

“Do you need some help?” Andrew asked
sincerely. Gabriel paused at the car door and stared at the young
man.

“You’d do that to impress a girl?” Gabriel
replied.

“I’ve already impressed her. I’m offering to
help because it’s something she wishes to do,” Andrew replied.

“And yet you also are still a minor, and I
doubt your uncle will allow you to help us,” Gabriel moved to get
into the car.

“Actually, technically, I’m not,” Andrew
pulled out a paper from his coat. Gabriel looked at it and gave it
back.

“Then head over to the airport with Patrick.
He will need the most help at Tricity. I’ll go to the Randolph
estate and put everything in order there. Turner’s older brother
isn’t cut out for leading warriors. Get to their house and help him
get the city back under control,” Gabriel ordered, and Andrew
nodded. Arianna looked through the open car door to see Andrew nod
and disappear as easily as he came.

After a quick ride to the airport, Gabriel
ushered Arianna from the car and into the waiting plane. Arianna
sat nervously beside Turner as the plane took off. Turner reached
over and took her hand to comfort her.

“We will get there in time,” Turner replied.
Arianna wondered where the confidence came from, as his father had
also been poisoned.

“It might not matter,” Arianna replied,
remembering that her grandfather said that one would have to die to
save the other.

“Ari,” Gabriel interrupted, as the fasten
seat belt sign clicked off. “You need to take some blood after
doing everything tonight.” Arianna wanted to protest, but Turner
stopped her. Turner began to unbutton the top of his shirt.

“But I don’t use up my blood now,” Arianna
complained.

“You still use it up, just not as fast,”
Devin explained. “Listen to your uncle.”

“Feed, and then rest.” Gabriel directed.
“This might take a while to sort out.” Gabriel tossed two packs of
blood to Turner to drink before returning to his seat next to the
young tengu from the party. Arianna listened to Gabriel talk to the
boy as she bit down on Turner’s neck.

“That doesn’t bother you?” Gabriel asked as
the new teenage Thomas stared across the aisle.

“I’ve never seen a dearg-dul feed before,”
Thomas replied, still curiously watching the scene. “It’s not like
everyone described. He doesn’t fear her at all. In fact it seems as
if he is actually enjoying it.”

“Were you waiting for Turner to run in
terror?” Gabriel replied with a laugh. Thomas nodded slightly.

“Does it hurt at all?” Thomas wondered.

“Actually, no,” Gabriel replied, and Arianna
was happy to hear someone actually say that.

“Not even a prick, like a shot?” Thomas was
astonished.

“Not when there’s a connection between two
people. It would hurt, let’s say, if she were fighting and bit
someone, but as she is now, it does not hurt,” Gabriel replied,
still laughing at the young man beside him. “When you choose a
partner someday, baku do the same, but they just put you to sleep
first.” Thomas nodded and continued to watch until Arianna was
finished. She slid her head down to Turner’s chest and dozed off to
sleep as he ripped open the packet of blood for himself.

Arianna stepped down from the car and onto
the long driveway that led to the Randolph estate. Molina and Devin
were in front of her surveying the area, and Gabriel was behind
her, protecting their backs as he made his own assessment. Nixon
and Jackson were on one side, with Mica and Turner on the other,
forming a complete circle around her.

Molina briefed everyone as they began to
slowly walk up the driveway, approaching the mass of injured people
spread out on the estate lawn. “Mori said that the rebellion has
been stopped for the time being, and many people are hurt. He is
trying to track where it started to find out who is the leader, but
someone erased all the surveillance footage. His advice is to
proceed with caution, as the rebels may still be inside the
estate.” The people on the lawn who were still conscious and able
to move had organized into two lines to welcome Arianna back. From
the front of the house a tall, thin man ran down the steps.

“Molina, Devin,” the man called. “There’s
been a rebellion. Lord Randolph is safe, along with Lord Winter, in
complete lockdown in his apartment while we try to sort out all of
the traitors. We are so fortunate Miss Arianna was not around.”

“Situation?” Molina asked the head of the
estate security.

“At least fifty injured. I’ve found almost
as many killed, but I haven’t been any further inside the house
than the front rooms. We currently can’t get into Lord Randolph’s
quarters to assess the situation there, but I expect there are no
causalities inside, as he was at dinner with just Lord Winter.”
Molina nodded, not giving away any of the information that they
had. “Have you been able to make contact with your grandfather?” he
asked Arianna, reaching forward to move Molina and Devin out of the
way to talk to her. The flash of his estate ring caught Arianna
eye.

‘Blue,’
Arianna said softly to Turner, who nodded and pushed her
protectively behind him. Devin and Gabriel caught the same gesture
and moved in on the tall man. Arianna swiftly hit the man’s knees
before anyone else could react. The group all fell to the ground. A
high-pitched sound whizzed overhead. Bullets hit the ground behind
the group.

“Where?” Molina asked.

Arianna pointed northeast. “Tall building,
three people; one whose voice I recognized.” Molina was instantly
conveying the message to Mori.

Devin looked to Turner, who was still
holding down the chief of security. Turner picked up his hand and
pointed to the ring. Devin nodded. Gabriel looked at the ring and
then to Turner and Devin.

“I have the only blue ring,” Devin
explained. “The rest are fakes.”

“That makes that simple enough,” Gabriel
replied, as he switched to his baku form and quickly yet silently
moved through the front yard, retrieving anyone with a blue ring
and bringing them back unconscious. Molina couldn’t keep her mouth
from dropping as the yard was cleared and they were left with a
pile full of traitors. In only minutes, without making a sound,
Gabriel had gathered everyone.

“That should be everyone outside. Now, that
is done, we need to get to the old man.” Gabriel returned to his
human form. “How do we get inside the apartment?” he asked Molina,
still-stunned.

“Mori can give Arianna access from the roof.
Once she’s inside, the system can be opened,” Devin replied for
Molina.

“But how do I get to the roof?” Arianna
asked.

“It’s easy for me in baku form, but you have
never used that form yet. I brought you your own bird to fly you
anywhere,” Gabriel pushed Thomas forward. “First, use your
connection with Andrew to tell him the way to find the traitors,
and then Thomas will take you to the roof.”

‘Andrew?’
Arianna asked, trying to focus on his blood,
miles away.

‘One second,’
Andrew replied, and she closed her eyes to help
visualize his movements. He moved quicker than Gabriel, and his
movements were just as precise.
‘Is
everyone fine there?’
Andrew
asked.

‘Yes, the traitors are all
wearing blue Randolph rings. White and red are the only colors that
are real.’
Arianna explained.

‘So, do I get to take out
your wonderful friend Devin the next time I see him?’
Andrew asked, as he took down two more people on
his end of the conversation.

‘Devin is the only one that
should have a blue ring,’
Arianna
corrected.
‘And no. I’d never speak to you
again if you were to harm Devin in any way,’
Arianna threatened.

Andrew laughed.
‘I was just kidding. Thanks for the info. We’ll
have this cleaned up in no time, princess.’

Arianna opened her eyes to find only Thomas
standing before her. Everyone else was going through the pile of
traitors. Arianna looked around, Gabriel was gone.

“He will meet us there,” Thomas replied, as
Arianna finally saw the large black wings on his back. “If I were
you I’d hold on tight.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.
Arianna sucked in her breath and complied, though it felt strange
to be so close to anyone besides Devin and Turner. Arianna felt her
feet lift off the ground as she closed her eyes; she was afraid of
heights. A moment later she was being set down on the roof. “You
can let go now,” Thomas added.

Arianna blushed, pulling her arms from
around him. Gabriel was standing at the doorway waiting.

“Mori got this open, but he will close it
again once we get inside,” Gabriel explained. Arianna nodded and
followed behind him. Gabriel paused in the doorway as he took one
sniff of the room below. Gabriel turned back to Thomas, “Go back
and tell Devin and Turner to get here as soon as possible.”

Arianna heard the door snap shut, and the
grinding of the metal protection barrier moving into place as she
continued to follow Gabriel through her apartment to the staircase
leading below. Arianna paused at the sweet, almost cotton
candy-like, smell.

“What is that?” she asked Gabriel in only a
whisper.

“Baku can sense death,” Gabriel replied. “In
myth, baku eat dreams. That includes the dreams of people asleep,
and those that lay dying.” Gabriel reached back and offered his
hand to Arianna, who was still standing at the top of the stairs.
“We must go help them, and not let on that we know how bad it is.”
Arianna nodded and took her uncle’s hand. Gabriel led the way into
the dimly-lit room below. He seemed to glide across the dining room
to the two dying men.