The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 30: Entropy Embraced

Again a ripple of emotion washed across Dru's face as she absorbed Vulcrum's hard words.

"She may be from that clan, but she does not represent their values!" Lash hissed into the tension-filled space after Vulcrum's dark pronouncement.

"Nor is she complicit in their schemes!"

Vulcrum swung his eyes back onto the big vampire.

"And that's why you had her locked down with those you suspected were sleeper agents?" he asked tautly. "Because you believed her when she said that?" And found himself taking a quick step back when Lash abruptly moved close.

"It would be wise to carefully measure the weight of your next words, Vulcrum," Lash warned in a hoarse whisper, his fists clenching so hard, his knuckle bones were cracking.

But before either vampire could speak again, they found Dru in between them, carefully pushing them apart.

"He did believe me when I said that, spymaster," she quickly pointed out. "Because I spoke the truth. Which was the reason he let me out, and returned my access to the command center. Not because of love."

Dru paused there, to look back at the big vampire, now being carefully restrained by Mara, Fiadh, and Meredith together, Sofia and Inaya holding back but ready to act if needed.

"Though the Dark Father knows how he feels about me, and I, about him." Then she was looking back at a frowning Vulcrum. "He believed me, because he recognized the truth through his suspicions and the old hatreds between our two clans."

"And you didn't use Compulsion on him?" Vulcrum asked in a doubt-filled voice, reaching for what appeared to be a folded portable gas mask on his hip. Seeing that, Dru's expression tightened. But it didn't change her resolve.

"None. Although, in retrospect, I probably should have when he and I first met." She looked back at Lash with a sad smile. "It might've saved us all of this trouble!"

"I doubt it," Fiadh unexpectedly spoke up to say. "It didn't stop me from falling in love with him!"

"Ha!" Dru said, her smile brightening. "It might not have, at that! Good point, Fiadh."

"This is madness," Vulcrum said, shaking his head.

"Is it, spymaster?" Dru countered. "Lash did everything right, according to not only the law, but his heart and conscience as well. He has been true to Ventru his whole life, and he didn't stop when this unjust pogrom started. Even when we liliths made life ... challenging for him."

"But we're going to fix some of that right now," Mara said, earning herself quick agreeing nods from her four sisters.

"Yes, we are." Dru looked up. "Hunter, did you record this conversation?"

"Yes, Mistress Druzha," the base's AI replied.

"Very good. Send from the point Spymaster Vulcrum asked Lash if he and Mistress Fiadh would assist in the questioning of High Lord Giovanni to my asking if you recorded it. Send as is, no edits or deletions, to the Queens' Conclave at NachtFeuer, attention the senior sisters. They will still be sheltering there, waiting for Lash to defeat the traitor."

"You ... you would have your sisters hear my accusations?" Vulcrum said, openly surprised. Dru looked at him and nodded.

"Of course," she replied. "You see laws being bent, protocols being flouted from your point of view. They need to hear them because your questions would be the questions an inquisition would ask. And they need to hear our answers to those questions. Because they absolve Lord Ingamon of any wrongdoing."