Page 140 of Tainted Souls
“General Lee is en route,” someone calls in. “ETA twenty minutes.”
The minutes crawl by in tense silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of radio communication and the quiet beeping of monitoring equipment. I tune out the monotonous hum around me, sharpening my hearing until the muffled voices outside begin to take shape.
“She’s been flagged missing for weeks. Penn City has a whole task force looking for her. Redmoore’s been sending search parties. Now she just shows up out of nowhere.”
“That intel better be good.”
A pang of guilt hits me as I think about my friends worrying, people searching, while I was trapped in the Ravens’ mansion. How do I even begin to explain everything I’ve learned? Will they even believe any of it? Will they still trust me?
A commotion outside signals the general’s arrival. The door bursts open, and Rong strides in, his imposing frame filling the doorway. His hair is cropped shorter than I remember, and deep lines have formed around his eyes since I last saw him.
“Sir,” I acknowledge, putting the mug down.
His weathered face betrays nothing of his thoughts. “You’ve caused quite a stir, Rosen.”
I take a deep breath and begin to explain everything—well, almost everything. I tell him about the existence of witches and magic, about learning of Cain’s plan to become a daywalker, about being imprisoned by the Ravens after they saved me, about the pendant and its potential necromantic properties, about the attack on the Ravens’ mansion, and about my brother being taken. I finally emphasize the growing threat of the Veltri.
What I don’t tell him is how my perception has shifted, how I’ve come to see that the lines between human and vampire, good and evil, are blurrier than I ever imagined. I don’t mention my mother’s journal or her role in founding the Ravens. I don’t reveal Ace’s name just yet.
And I certainly don’t reveal that he and his people are waiting beyond the outpost perimeter, willing to draw blood if they don’t cooperate.
“You escaped during the attack?” the general asks, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, his brow furrowed in either confusion or overwhelm.
“Yes,” I lie smoothly. “I saw an opportunity and took it.”
His eyes narrow further, if that’s even possible. “And now you want Redmoore to mount a rescue operation for your brother? A known traitor?”
“I want Redmoore to recognize the real threat,” I explain. “Cain is planning something that will affect humans and vampires alike. If he succeeds in becoming a daywalker, nothing will stop him.”
“And you believe an alliance with the Ravens is the answer?” His tone makes it clear what he thinks of that idea.
He doesn’t need to explain why it sounds absurd.
“I believe in survival. The Ravens have information, resources, and a common enemy. We need each other.”
His laugh is mirthless. “We don’t need those vampires for anything except extermination.”
I don’t disagree at all—in fact, I would’ve agreed, if it hadn’t gotten this personal. With both my mother’s and brother’s lives on the line, the stakes have doubled.
Losing them means losing the last of my family.
“With all due respect, sir, that kind of thinking is exactly what Cain is counting on. He wants us divided. He’s been playing both sides for decades.”
“Reaper,” he corrects coldly. “You sound like you are sympathizing with them, Rosen.”
“I’m not—it’s just strategy.” A bitter cough catches in my throat, betraying how closely the words echo Ace.
“And what exactly are you proposing?”
I meet his gaze steadily. “A temporary alliance. Redmoore provides technology and daylight coverage. The Ravens provide underground prowess and access to vampire territories we can’t infiltrate alone.”
He considers me in silence. When he finally responds, it isn’t to my proposal. “You’ve changed.”
Part of me bristles at the accusation, as if I’m being judged for surviving. But another part wonders if he’s right. Have I really changed? Or am I just a reflection of the chaos swallowing everything around us?
I glance away, swallowing the lump in my throat. I know I’ve shed pieces of who I was, from old dreams and naive hopes to the innocence I used to hide behind like a barrier. But beneath it all, I’m still me. Still fighting. Still trying to hold on to something worth saving. “The world has changed. We need to adapt or we’ll fall.”
He moves to stare out of the slit window at the darkness beyond, and I wonder if I’ve miscalculated completely. Then, slowly, he turns back to me. “I’ll need to consult with the council. This isn’t a decision I can make unilaterally.”
