Bloods had left the apartment alone. After all, it had belonged to one of their own - Forsyth Llewellyn, when he was alive, had been Lucifer's closest ally.
"I don't have a passport," Lawson said. "And what about my brothers, and Ahramin? I need to check in with them."
"We will. I can arrange for a passport for you, I know I can. We'll make sure everything is okay with the pack before we leave. Don't worry, it's going to be fine." Bliss was back in New York City, back home, and she felt invigorated, glad to be useful instead of helpless.
"If you say so," Lawson said. But he didn't look so sure.
Chapter Sixteen
Schuyler
nce in a while, Schuyler missed him so much it was hard to put into words. She'd only known him for such a short time before he was taken from her. Nevertheless, he was always on her mind. Lawrence Van Alen. Her grandfather. The vampire who had taught her the four factors of the glom, who taught her about her legacy, who prepared her for her task.
It was amazing how much Peter Pendragon reminded her of Lawrence. Something in the haughty way he greeted her, his aristocratic mien and aloof manner. As Oliver explained, the Knights Templar was a splinter group of Venators, devoted to protecting the holy relics. But as time passed, their importance to the Covens had diminished and their ranks thinned. Peter Pendragon was one of the last remaining members.
They met him in his study at Marlborough Farm, a sprawling estate a few hours away from the city. The grand old manor had seen better days, most of its windows shuttered, dust motes flying in the air, furniture covered in sheets of fabric. The house was a beautiful ruin, like many historical homes in England that were too expensive for the upkeep, left to linger and decay. Perhaps that was why Schuyler felt at home in the shrouded, dark manor - it reminded her of her own home in New York City. She had been a child among phantoms, surrounded by memories of a better time, living in a dark, secluded place, with only her formidable grandmother as a companion.
She felt that watchful presence again; it came and went, and while it was troubling to feel as if she were being observed, there wasn't much she could do about it. For now, whoever or whatever it was seemed to be benign enough.
"So you are Allegra's daughter," Peter said, looking Schuyler up and down. "And you have come to London to unlock the secret of the Gate of Promise."
"Yes. Tilly St. James sent us. She said you were part of Gabrielle's old team, just like her and Lucas Mendrion."
"I was," he said. "Come, sit down. Will you have tea?"
Schuyler declined politely, feeling as if the world were on a knife's edge, and all she was doing was drinking champagne and sipping tea while her love was lost and Rome burned.
"Nice spread," Oliver said, admiring the furnishings. Schuyler nudged him with her elbow, annoyed.
"What?" he asked. Kingsley's cockiness was wearing off on him.
Pendragon turned to Schuyler. "I know Mendrion and the rest of the Coven are going underground. But I will stay here and make my stand. Besides, I heard through the Venators that something is happening in London soon. Your arrival is fortuitous, I think. Gabrielle's daughter. That I am alive in this cycle to meet you is a wonder.
"I was assigned to Gabrielle when Dantos died in Florence in the fifteenth century, during that ugly mess. I had a shorter run than they did, since I left your mother's service to join the Knights Templar."
"Why did you leave?" Schuyler asked.
"It was Gabrielle's idea, actually. She said I could serve her better as a knight." He smiled. "I tried not to take it too personally. I liked working for your mother."
"Can you help us?"
"Maybe." He nodded. "Tell me what you know."
"Catherine of Sienna told us that the Gate of Promise will only unlock with the key of the twins," Schuyler said. "Do you know what that means?"
"The key of the twins is the sangreal. The holy blood," he said, shifting in his chair.
"Holy blood," Schuyler echoed.
"Another name for it is the Blood of the Father."
"The Holy Grail?" Oliver guessed.
"No. The grail is the cup of Christ. There's some mishmash about it being a person, but that's not true; just some popular rumor, another false concept we released to the Red Bloods to keep the grails safe." He