“About time. That will make my job so much easier,” Devin replied.
Arianna’s thoughts continued to jump between the people she could now feel before she realized what Gabriel had said. “I’m not using up my blood?” she asked.
“Not now,” Gabriel replied.
Arianna stared at him. She hadn’t changed anything, but he was right. She didn’t feel exhausted at all. Arianna looked to Devin, and he nodded in agreement. She closed her eyes and began her search across the country. Nothing changed. She wasn’t tired at all. She found her connection easily, Grandfather. His heart beat slowly. Arianna looked down at her watch. It was early in the night, but he seemed to be resting. Arianna waited a second before she heard it.
‘Ari?’
‘Grandfather? Are you not sleeping?’
‘Ari, promise me you will never leave Devin’s side. He is all you have left to protect you. Gabriel and I failed you in the past. I’m so sorry. We cannot keep you safe. Devin will never fail you.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Arianna felt the soft prick of her finger as Gabriel entered into the conversation.
‘Grandfather, what is going on?’
‘Randolph?’ Gabriel asked. ‘You can communicate with Randolph?’
‘Joining the conversation, kid?’ Randolph asked weakly. ‘Quite a child we have there, huh? There’s a blood connection with over a thousand miles between us.’
‘Old man, quit rambling. What’s happened?’ Gabriel demanded. Arianna felt Gabriel’s concern.
‘Poison,’ Randolph replied.
‘Details, now, before she starts to use up her blood,’ Gabriel ordered.
‘Lord Winter and I have been poisoned. We are currently in my wing of the house under lockdown. I do not know who poisoned us, but we do know that the Tricity has been left unguarded with Lord Winter here. It’s an inside job.’
‘How long?’ Gabriel asked.
‘Six, maybe eight hours, max. We’ve been poisoned by two different poisons. I can tell that I’m the cure for him, and he’s the cure for me. I explained that to Bran, but he won’t take my blood and be cured. We both refuse to let the other die, so now it’s a challenge of who passes out first.’ Arianna felt the heartbeat turn faint before it started back up again. ‘Take care of the child. She will be amazing.’
‘How could she not?’ Gabriel asked back. ‘She’s Travis’s child.’
‘And Tiffany’s.’
‘Hold on old man. We will be there soon.’ Gabriel broke his connection, bringing Arianna back to the world around her.
“Get your plane ready,” Gabriel ordered Molina, who was now standing next to Devin and Turner watching Arianna and Gabriel. “Lord Randolph and Lord Winter have been poisoned.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Arianna stared out at the crowd of people that were blocking their chances of a quick exit. Gabriel had explained that the party was over, but they refused to move. Each person there had felt the presence of Arianna’s new form and was curious. Arianna pulled at Gabriel’s arm as he looked like he was truly getting angry.
“They are just all curious,” Arianna replied.
“We don’t have time for this,” Gabriel reminded her. The crowd was complaining, and Arianna listened to the various conversations.
“We are leaving to go help Lord Randolph,” Arianna said to the crowd, and they booed. No one wanted to let their precious female baku go wandering over to a clan of dearg-duls. “You just don’t get it. I can feel how much you hate my dearg-dul form, but it’s part of me. I’m both dearg-dul and baku.” As Arianna spoke, she changed into her new night human form. The crowd was silent. “I belong to both sides. So if you continue to hate the other side, you hate part of me.”
“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.”