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

I looked at her now and found her golden eyes fixed on me, twinkling with something warm and familiar. I gave her a discreet half-smile, and she reciprocated with a playful wink.

The last twenty-four hours had been eventful, to say the least, and I’d been struggling to contain the jumble of emotions rushing through me.

“You two look particularly lovey-dovey this morning.” Jovi grinned at me from across the table, his fingers intertwined with Anjani’s.

“It’s the married life,” I shot back. “It’s freaking bliss.”

They both laughed, and I could tell they were in for the same kind of lovey-dovey experience. Ever since they’d set the wedding date, Jovi and Anjani had managed to get even closer—I hadn’t thought it was possible unless they were conjoined at the hip, but leave it to Jovi to surprise me. Aida had been heavily involved in the wedding preparations, sometimes stressing out in her endeavor to make it an unforgettable experience for both her brother and Anjani.

But no one had been as snappy or as stressed out as Hansa, who was having a hard time with the whole concept of “wedding”. She didn’t want to let go of her little sister, and she’d never done weddings either—yet at the same time, she was so obsessed with making everything perfect that she’d been quite difficult to be around. It was all so new and strange to a warrior like Hansa that I couldn’t stifle my laughter whenever I heard her voice thundering through the GASP base, discussing floral arrangements and table settings. Anjani had been incredibly gentle and patient with her, knowing just how overwhelmed Hansa was, and was usually the only one who could calm her down. The rest of us steered clear, chuckling from around corners.

“Okay, now that everyone’s here,” Jax’s voice snapped me back to the present again, “could we start the meeting?”

Something had shifted between him and Hansa, lately. After the war, I’d thought they’d get close, but from what I could tell, the exact opposite had happened, and they both seemed miserable about it. I’d asked Aida if she knew anything, but all I’d gotten was a shrug in return. I didn’t bank on Jax telling me anything either—the Mara was more emotionally closed off than a bank vault in a block of cement.

“Yes.” I nodded and straightened my back, commanding the attention of every senior GASP member in the room. “So, there have been issues reported from Tenebris over the past couple of weeks. The incubi there have been thoroughly dissatisfied with the regime change. Apparently, they were thriving under Azazel’s reign, and they consistently refuse Master Druid leadership.”

“It’s gotten even worse over the last three days,” Aida continued, her voice firm and smooth. “Rebel factions have been organizing systematic attacks on the capital and the surrounding cities, killing dozens of innocent incubi and succubi in the process. They used explosive charges and nighttime invasions to, and I quote, ‘send a message to Master Druid Mason’, who has obviously refused to leave Tenebris.”

“What are they thinking, though?” Derek frowned as he looked over the written reports we’d compiled for this meeting, listing damages and casualties from these attacks. “Surely, they must be aware of how easily they can be crushed.”

“Apparently, they’re delusional.” Draven sighed. “I spoke to Mason yesterday, and he said the rebel factions are extremists who are basically hoping to hold on to their little territories, and not be held accountable for their actions by a Master Druid.”

“What, like an authoritarian state within a state?” Sofia raised an eyebrow. “That’s ridiculous.”

“These are creatures that have spent the last few centuries using fear and violence to solve any problem and to stomp any rebellion against them and Azazel,” I explained. “It doesn’t exactly come as a shock to me, but they must be stopped.”

“My biggest issue with this is that these factions are quite large in numbers, and they’re posing a very serious threat toward the free nations of Tenebris,” Jax added. “I think it’s time we start sending some GASP troops in there and put them in their place. The Daughters could get involved, but there’s no need at this point. Not while GASP is active across the galaxy and perfectly capable of handling this with minimum damage. This one’s on us.”

“Which makes sense,” I replied. “The Daughters are traditional in their approach and would rather let the people solve their own problems. They have left us, as protectors of supernaturals, to assist the Druids, since it’s what we do.”

Derek exchanged glances with Xavier, then shifted his focus back to me, his piercing blue eyes analyzing my expression.

“So you’d like to start sending GASP agents there, to stifle the rebellion,” he concluded.

“One strong team, with Shadians and Eritopians,” I said. “To provide Mason with the backup he needs to reestablish order on the planet. The rebels will obviously have to either respect the wishes of the majority, the free nations under the Master Druid’s rule, or face the punishment.”

“Jail time.” Xavier pursed his lips, scratching his stubble.

“Yes.” Jax moved forward, leaning onto his elbows. “Azazel may be gone, but that doesn’t mean the rulers of Eritopia are weak and can be undermined like this. A message needs to be sent. Bloody rebellions do not belong in a peaceful world.”

“Besides, the incubi are like that,” Bijarki interjected. “They’re easily corrupted and need a firm hand to put them back in their place. If we capture and imprison enough of them, the others will give up and fall in line. Chances are they won’t respond to being asked nicely. It’s not in their nature.”

“Yeah, especially the Tenebris folk.” Hansa nodded, her gaze darting around the table and settling on Jax for a brief moment before moving to Derek. “They were never easy to deal with, and were one of the first to join Azazel when he removed the Master Druids from power. They’re not inherently bad people, but they’re not inherently good, either. They need a good kick in the butt—otherwise they’ll always be troublesome.”

“In any case, it’s time for our recruits and seasoned agents to get some real Eritopian action,” I said.

“Yeah, they’re stocked up on theory already,” Jax added with a smirk. “They need some real, heavy experience on the ground in this galaxy if you want them to uphold GASP’s ideals. I know it sounds rough, but it’s the only way for us to produce exceptional operatives to protect Eritopia’s people.”

“No, I agree,” Derek replied, looking around the room and noticing the approving nods. “It seems we all agree. So, it is settled. We’re sending a GASP team to Tenebris.”

We all nodded. Aida and I looked at each other, and she held my hand beneath the table.

“Who should we send, then?” Lucas spoke up, clearing his throat.