A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)

Her shoulders slumped, and she leaned against the back of her chair, waiting for GASP’s senior officers to say something. A minute went by in absolute silence, accompanied by meaningful glances among ourselves, before Derek cleared his throat.

“As was suggested last night,” he said, “we should send a team to Neraka to investigate, and an intervention team to Tenebris. Both are issues that GASP needs to address, for different reasons. The Tenebris operation is part of our alliance with Eritopia, our commitment to support the Druids in rebuilding their world and achieving peace across all twenty kingdoms. Neraka, on the other hand, is a call we should answer, as it is GASP’s mission to provide assistance to those in need, supernatural or otherwise.”

“I agree.” Field nodded. “I’d recommend focusing strength and tactics into the Tenebris intervention team, and a diverse selection of GASP agents in an investigative effort for Neraka.”

“Indeed,” Xavier said. “We can start with a reconnaissance team, keep a communications channel open with them via Telluris, and, once they gather more information, we can then send some intervention forces to assist in the capture and destruction of those responsible for these disappearances.”

Hums and nods of approval came from around the table, except from Jax. He glanced at Rewa, then shifted his focus to Derek and Field.

“I need to lead this recon team,” the Lord of Maras said bluntly. “It’s my duty, to both my people and GASP, to make sure that we know what we’re getting ourselves into and that none of our agents get hurt in the process. The tales that Rewa has told us so far seem nice and peachy, but I will not believe it until I see it with my own eyes.”

I noticed Rewa’s head lower, and I lost sight of her face. But I could sense the fray in her nerves, the uneasiness with which she sat there, listening to us as we doubted her words. There was a whiff of frustration coming out of her, too, though that didn’t surprise me. I’d probably feel the same if I had to travel from one planet to another to ask for help, only to be met with snarls and skepticism.

“That is perfectly fine,” Derek replied. “You’re a seasoned fighter, an experienced ruler, and one of the best assets GASP has in Eritopia. The fact that you’re also a Mara will give you tremendous insight into Neraka and the Exiled Maras’ way of life. If anyone can confirm the validity of Rewa’s claims, it’s you.”

“Thank you, Derek,” Jax replied, then emptied his cup, licking the blood from his lips. His gaze darted to Hansa’s. She gave him a short and respectful nod. He looked away, then exhaled sharply. She mirrored his gesture, topping it with arms crossed over her chest. They still weren’t talking to each other, despite what Avril had told me about Hansa’s meltdown during the wedding party. I’d have thought Jax would take the opportunity to patch things up with her and remove that awful tension between them, but he clearly hadn’t. I could still cut the air between them with a knife.

“So, which agents will we select for Neraka, then?” Cameron prompted.

I instinctively straightened my back, as did Caia, Fiona, Avril, and Scarlett. Our sudden movement made our parents smile—they knew how much we wanted to be involved in missions, and, despite their natural concerns, they were ready to support us. By far the best example in my book was my mother, who raised her hand and captured everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to nominate Harper Hellswan,” she said, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. “She has the skills required for such a mission, along with the determination, stamina, and inquisitiveness that are crucial to a supernatural investigation.”

My heart swelled, and I gave her a warm smile before I turned to look at Great-Grandpa Derek. The senior officers looked at one another, then nodded.

“Fair enough,” Field replied, and winked at me. “Welcome to the Neraka Recon Team, Hellswan.”

“Thank you!” I beamed at him, then pushed the report folder across the table. It slipped in a straight line until it reached him. “Avril, Scarlett, Fiona, Caia, and I checked the Druid Archives last night for any pertinent information regarding the Exiled Maras and the Druid delegation that Rewa mentioned. That is the report we compiled for this mission. There are names, dates, and event logs that will help us profile the Exiled Maras. We didn’t find any mention of a crash-landing on Neraka, but we didn’t have much time left to dig deeper before this meeting.”

The girls grinned at me, gratefulness and appreciation pouring out of them and warming me up on the inside. Field, Derek, and Draven checked the report, flipping through its pages and exchanging a few glances. Derek then smiled at us.

“This is very well done, ladies,” he said. “Not only is it good research and a source of potential investigative leads, it is also proof of initiative and the desire to seek out the truth.”

“And that’s something we definitely want on this team,” Cameron added, grinning broadly. “I’d like to nominate Scarlett Novak and Avril Novak for Neraka, as well. They have enough skills and wit between them to untangle any mystery the universe puts forward.”

Lucas cast Cameron a glare, but kept his lips pursed.

Fiona and Caia were then put forward by their parents.

“Um, are we sure about this?” Sofia asked, raising a brow as she eyed us girls, her expression conflicted with grandmotherly affection. “Don’t get me wrong, I trust the girls’ abilities to keep themselves safe, but still… this is an excursion into the unknown.”

“This is the best chance they’ll get for some real field experience,” Cameron replied. “And they’ve been acing their training and exams for thirteen months straight, now. Trust me”—he winked—“I’ve been monitoring.”

“The team for Neraka needs to be diverse and strong,” Ben added, and we all looked at him. “Caia is a resourceful fire fae. Harper is a vampire sentry. Fiona, Scarlett, and Avril are also vampires with unique skillsets. Given our vampires’ immunity to the Maras’ mind-bending skills, I think these girls are perfect for Neraka.”

I would’ve jumped over the table to hug Uncle Benjamin, but I settled with beaming at him, while giving the girls a sideways glance. We were giddy and restless in our seats already, excitement lighting us up, but we had to play it cool and come across as mature, contained individuals. We could scream and cheer and jump around later.

“That’s a fair point, Ben,” Derek said, then peered around the table again. “Blaze.”

The fire dragon was busy examining Caia’s proud smirk without her knowledge, and didn’t hear Grandpa Derek.

“Blaze,” he called out again, this time loud enough for Blaze’s head to snap around and face him. “I nominate you, as well. Should things go sideways on Neraka, a full-grown fire dragon will certainly help. After all, fire and fury is what will rain down on those who seek to harm us, and you’d be the perfect guy to deliver such a message.” Derek’s lips curved in a smirk.

Heath’s chest swelled with pride, a grin blooming on his face. Blaze, on the other hand, looked wide-eyed and speechless.