"How in the hell did they get in?" Magnus exploded. "Why do any of this?" Like Gavriel his eyes were burning red.
"The blood. They took the older blood," Vivi whispered.
Magnus paled. "How much?"
Vivi began to shake. "Dozens of bags."
"Oh my god," Meryn whispered.
"I know love," Aiden said sympathetically, pulling her close. Meryn leaned away from her mate. "No. Not that." She looked around the table. "We were motherfucking played!"
Pip looked at Meryn. "Yeah! Motherfucking played!" he shouted before leaning down. "How?"
Meryn stared at Pip. "I freaking love you right now."
Pip beamed. "Because I am your brother."
"And you're awesome." She turned to Magnus. "I think that the random attacks in the area were to get you to open the city. I think those bastards piggy-backed into the city when the first batch of refugees arrived. We ended up using platforms to lower the wolves into the city because there were so many of them, if our killers were invisible, then we wouldn't have seen them," she paused. "We really need to figure out a way to modify my flour glue spell so it doesn't ruin shit."
Serenity exchanged looks with Laelia and Radclyffe before speaking up. "Vampire blood has to be one of the most potent substances in the paranormal world. Unfortunately, there are probably dozens of ways to use it illegally and they're all bad."
"Oh!" Kendrick gasped. "Oh! Oh!"
Anne blinked. "I'm not sure I want to know whatever he's figured out. He's never at a loss for words."
Kendrick simply rested his forehead on the table. Serenity looked from Laelia, to Anne to Meryn then to Law. Whatever Kendrick was about to say would be horrible.
Kendrick sat up and turned to Ryuu.
Ryuu waved at him. "On it," he said heading to the kitchen. Without asking Hal, Sebastian and Pavil were hot on his heels.
Magnus rubbed a hand over his mouth. "Am I to assume that they are retrieving something that will make whatever you tell us easier to face?"
Kendrick nodded looking ill. Beth stared. "Is this worse than discovering the beads were made from the souls of the murdered unborn babies?"
"What!" Serenity demanded.
Beth covered her mouth with her hands. "I am so sorry, you didn't know."
"What?" Laelia and Radclyffe echoed.
Kendrick turned to Kari. "While Ryuu fetches us something that will keep us sane, can you get everyone at this table on the same page?"
Kari stood and began going over the events starting with the feral attacks in Lycaonia. As she kept talking Serenity felt her world shatter into thousands of pieces. Beside her Micah rubbed her back soothingly as Kari revealed the most tragic events she had ever heard.
Kari wiped at her eyes as she finished, causing Declan to stand and pull her close. "Wonderful job baby," he murmured, easing her back into her chair.
"Here we go," Ryuu announced coming in from the kitchen. He pushed a cart that held a tray of what looked to be shot glasses and steaming cups of tea. Behind him the other squires held identical trays in their hands as they made their way around the room.
Hal placed a generously filled shot glass with amber liquid next to the tea cup in front of her. She looked around the table, everyone, with the exception of the pregnant women, had both alcohol and tea. She leaned over the cup and smiled. She turned to Kendrick. "Blessed Chamomile, from your own stash no less."
Kendrick stared down at his shot glass. "I hate to say it, but this has been needed too much as of late."
Magnus raised his shot glass. "Let us do this."
Around the table sputters, gasps and cursing was heard as everyone downed their shots.
Serenity thought that whatever she just drank was burning her esophagus down to her stomach. She was about to complain when everything tilted for a second then blurred pleasantly. "Oh my." Sighs filled the air as the potent alcohol took effect.