The Fallen One (Sons of the Dark Mother, Book One) by Lenore Wolfe Page A

entertain such
a notion—it would be beyond foolishness, and I cannot understand
what these they could be thinking. It is the mark of the insane to
entertain the notion that they are so infallible as to take on an
entire Vampire Race—and win! Yes! We are a powerful people! But so
are they.” He paused, then said, “This war would annihilate us
both!”
    “ Without a doubt!” Jes seconded.
“I can’t imagine… who would think this suicidal move would be
smart?” she cried out, matching his vehemence. “Do you know who
they are? They must be stopped before they succeed with such
foolishness!”
    He sat back into the plushness of
his chair—clearly pleased to hear her answer.
    She frowned. “Did you think that I
would agree with such nonsense? Going to war with the entire Crow
race would be suicide for both of our races! Why would you ever
think that I would back such ridiculousness ?” She was
appalled—and hurt. How could he think that? Why would he think that?
    He winced. “Jes,” he said. His tone
was gentle—too gentle.
    She was strangling. She wanted him
to go on—but was suddenly very afraid to hear the
answer.
    “ Your—father leads this
rebellion…,” he was choking on the end of that, as if he could
barely get the words out.
    But she didn’t care. She bolted
out of the bed and stood over him. “ You
lie! I should kill you for such a lie .”
    It was the gentle look in his
steady gaze that told her the truth. And then he was up, gathering
her into his arms, smoothing her hair—whispering to her—in the next
instant. “I wish I did… Goddess, Jes, I wish I did…”
    She was sobbing. She couldn’t
breathe though the sobs. She felt as if she was suffocating. It
couldn’t be true! Her father would never do that! Please don’t let it be true !
    It was a long time before she had
calmed down enough to think at all. He had lowered them both to her
bed, and lay there holding her, whispering how sorry he was that
she ever had to know this.
    “ Why did I have to know?” she finally
whispered. “I mean, I would want to know. I have to know the truth. But something
tells me you would have rather I never knew that .”
    He tucked her hair behind her ear,
running a finger down her face. “I had no choice. If you didn’t
know… you wouldn’t know the source of the danger you are in now… or
just how difficult it will be to—keep them from getting to
you….”
    The hairs stood up on the nape of
her neck. “But… wouldn’t the rogue Crows be on the same side as my
father? Wouldn’t they want to destroy the Alliance?”
    “ Yes, some of them are. Some of
them work closely with your father… but…”
    “ Some do not…,” she finished for
him.
    He nodded and got up from the bed.
She knew why. Her body was on fire. Here she was… shocked to the
core with grief—and her body was on fire.
    “ Jes,” he half-growled, with his
back to her.
    “ Sorry,” she flushed. “I need to
know why I’m in so much danger,” she said, trying to steer them to
safer ground. Now is not the
time ! she told herself sternly—and heard
his groan under his breath.
    He sat back in his chair, a much
safer distance from her. She could see he struggled, which was
something given his ability to shut out all the emotions from his
face.
    “ Some of them do not want the
war—much as they do not agree with, or even follow, the elite
elders of their race,” he agreed with her earlier statement. “Some
of them know—as clearly as the rest of us—that such a war would
essentially be the genocide of both of our races. And some of these
rogue races are dangerous enough to simply squash out all that
stands in the way of anything they see as dangerous to their
people. These factions will annihilate your father if they ever get
their hands on him—and you, now that you have made yourself visible
to them.”
    She scrambled to sit up. “Me! How
on earth did I do that?”
    “ By visiting that