Blood Will Tell: Chimeria, #1

By Meredith Mansfield

Being a half-blood is inconvenient on a good day, especially when the half you got from your mother is werewolf. Valeriah can’t take wolf form, but the full moon still fills her with manic energy. Running helps; a tired werewolf is a good werewolf. 
Living perennially caught between two worlds--human and werewolf, magic and non-magic--doesn't leave much room for love. That suits Valeriah just fine. She's never had any luck with that anyway. 
Until her cousin’s life is threatened, that is, and out of necessity she accepts the help of a mysterious young man to protect Cristel. Rolf is everything that makes Valeriah's pulse speed up in spite of herself. Now, with Cristel's life in the balance, is the worst possible time for that kind of complication. 

But Rolf's secrets could destroy her trust and that might cost her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meredith Mansfield
• Release date: Jun 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386183099

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Message

Valeriah let the droning voices wash over her, ignoring them. Politicians and businessmen: they could talk more and say less than any ten other groups. Fortunately, it wasn’t her job to listen to them. In fact, better not, since she needed to stay alert.

She scanned the crowd again. She didn’t see anything out of place, but her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong. Sight could be deceiving, so she submerged herself in her other senses. Senses that were sharper than a human’s.

There. The sharp scent of fear overlaid with anger. That was out of place on a sunny day at the opening ceremony for a new high school science lab. Circulating inconspicuously through the crowd, Valeriah let her nose lead her to the source. The man in the bright yellow T-shirt didn’t look like much, but a concealed weapon could be a great leveler. She didn’t smell gun oil on him, but there was something else.

The mayor finished his brief remarks, finally. Zobran—he called himself Zebulon Towers on this side of the portal—stood to give his speech as the primary benefactor of the lab. Valeriah breathed more deeply, still trying to identify the strange scent. Not dangerous. But something . . .

The yellow-shirted man moved forward, raising his arm and shouting. Towers Technology works for the military. Their money is blood money.

Oh. One of those. He probably wasn’t a real threat, but her job right now was to safeguard Zobran. Still, there wasn’t any need to do more than interfere. No point in drawing undue attention over a simple protester. Before the man could complete his motion and throw whatever it was he held in his hand, Valeriah pounced. She moved so fast her leg was a blur as she brought it around behind the man’s knees. He fell. Whatever he’d held in his hand shattered and splashed red across the grey concrete of the quad. Not blood, the smell was all wrong, but something meant to look like it.

Valeriah recovered quickly and raised her eyes to see that Rayan had closed in beside Zobran, covering him in case of another attack. Good. Rayan was new, but he seemed to know his job. The few policemen on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony pushed their way towards the disturbance. Valeriah eased her way out of the crowd, moving slowly so as not to draw attention to herself.

~~~

Valeriah rode shotgun, letting Rayan drive the Mercedes up the Hill to the condo. Even from the front seat, she could feel Zobran tense as the headlights picked out a strange man loitering by the front door. Wizards like Zobran tended to be paranoid away from Chimeria, where they couldn’t do more than minor magic. Good thing for Zobran that innate abilities like hers weren’t affected by distance from the portals.

Valeriah hopped out of the car to investigate. She took a deep breath as her eyes narrowed. The man smelled nervous. He also smelled of Chimeria. Looked it, too. His blue tunic and tan homespun trousers would only be remarkable in Chimeria because they were the colors of the official messenger service. Here, they made him look like a refugee from a costume party. And it wasn’t even the right time of year for that.

Some of the tension in his face and body eased at sight of her, taking in her red hair, and he stepped forward. Are you Valeriah, granddaughter of the wizard Azander?

Who were they allowing to cross the portal these days? And hadn’t anybody explained the concept of secrecy to this man?

She didn’t relax her balanced fighter’s stance. She did let her training as a member of the Portal Watch take over and fill her voice with offended authority. And what would you say if I wasn’t? For that matter, how would you explain that question to anyone who might have overheard it?

I . . . uh . . .

Valeriah nodded. Right. Next time be more discreet. What do you want with me?

The man just looked at her. Are you—?

Of course I’m Valeriah.

Valeriah tensed as he reached into his tunic, but his hand came out with an envelope, not a weapon.

Sorry. I’ve been waiting for you and I had begun to think I’d missed you again. You’re not easy to catch up to. It’s taken much longer than expected. He held out the envelope. I was told this message was urgent.

Valeriah took the envelope and turned it over. Strange. Why would anyone pay to send her a message? It wasn’t as if she had a great many family and friends. A message left at the Watch barracks was bound to reach her sooner or later.

She looked up to ask, but the man had already stepped back into the shadows and was gone, hidden by the close-set buildings. Valeriah tore open the envelope and stepped closer to the porch light, so she could read the note.

Come home as soon as you can. I’m dying.

It was unmistakably her grandfather’s scribble. She shivered as a chill that had nothing to do with the night breeze traveled down her spine.

She remembered the warmth and comfort of his embrace through all the trials of her childhood, from skinned knees, to learning to cope with her dual nature, to her nightmares and her first broken heart, and her second. His smell, a mixture of old books, maple candies, and the electric whiff of magic.

Eight years since she’d been home. She’d been young and stubborn, so certain of her opinions. And she’d let foolish pride keep her away far too long.

She felt her throat close up at the thought that that final argument might be the last words between them. She couldn’t let it end that way. She loved the kind, obstinate old man too much for that.

Valeriah jumped when Rayan tapped her shoulder. What is it?

She looked up to see both Rayan and Zobran watching her. Valeriah started to push past them. I have to go home.

Of course you can’t leave now, Zobran said. Someone just tried to kill me.

He was only a protester. He wasn’t trying to kill you, she answered. You’ll still have Rayan here to protect you. And the condo is secure. My grandfather is dying. I have to leave now.

Rayan doesn’t have your experience or your abilities. Zobran narrowed his eyes. You are the one in charge of my safety. Now, suddenly you say you have a dying grandfather? A man I’ve never even heard you mention? You can wait for a replacement."

Zobran was lucky that it was so near the new moon. If the moon was full, she wouldn’t have the patience for this needless delay. He raised me. Just because we quarreled when I left, doesn’t mean I don’t . . . Valeriah stopped herself, trying to get a grip on the conflicting emotions swirling through her.

Oh, very well. Zobran waved his hand. You’re not going to be much good to me here if your mind is back in Chimeria. I suppose we’ll be safe enough in the condo overnight. But send someone back to take your place.

Valeriah didn’t give him time to think twice. It would take her a day to get home. She jogged the short distance to the main highway and dashed across, then ran across the manicured grass of the park. She launched herself over the locked gate that marked the border between the park and the nature preserve beyond and raced down the dirt path.

The cliff-top trail was closed at night for good reason. One misstep could end in a fatal fall to the jagged rocks and crashing waves below. That didn’t frighten her nearly as much as being too late. Even on a moonless night, Valeriah could see well enough. Her werewolf blood was good for that much.

A little over two miles farther on, she veered onto a less-used trail heading away from the cliff and up the scrubby hillside. Valeriah slowed to a walk as she left that path and pushed through the thick brush to get to the twin oaks in the far corner of the preserve. She ignored the sign instructing her to stay on the marked trail and the one warning about rattlesnakes. Those signs were mainly there to keep fools away from the portal anyway. Even if they weren’t, she’d risk her reflexes against a snake’s.

She walked around the two ancient oak trees until she saw the slight shimmer between them. She stepped into the portal, barely registering the tingling sensation on her skin as she passed through the barrier between the worlds. One more step carried her into Chimeria, in a forest clearing a hard day’s ride from her grandfather’s tower.

Chapter 2: A Death in the Family

As many times as Valeriah had crossed that portal, the change still surprised her. In one step, she went from brown coastal sage scrub to deep forest, light and shadow filtering through ancient trees. From one breath to the next, the air lost the metallic tang of smog and filled with the smell of pines and earth. Evening became early morning.

The winter here was much colder than the milder climate of Southern California. She really should have stopped long enough to grab a sweater. Her jeans and T-shirt were not enough, here.

Two members of the Watch strode out of the trees to stop her. One more obstacle to delay her. Valeriah suppressed the urge to push past them. They’d only chase her down. Or do their best, anyway. There were probably two dozen more in the Watch base out of sight in the trees, within call. It was their business to keep other-siders out of Chimeria and dressed as she was, they couldn’t tell whether she belonged here or not. She’d get a lot farther much faster by working with them. She knew all that, but it was still hard to force herself to stop.

The younger man reached her first, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed the bronze cloak pin fastened to her T-shirt. The dragon biting its own tail was the emblem of the Portal Watch. It proclaimed her one of them. She didn’t know the rookie, but the senior man was Baltus. Good. They’d worked together before. He wouldn’t slow her down with unnecessary questions.

I need a fast horse, Baltus, she said. My grandfather’s dying. And Zobran needs a replacement. Someone with experience on the other side.

As soon as we’re relieved, I’ll go myself, Baltus said. Danal’s still too green to be left in charge. He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. Go saddle the bay for her, lad."

The young man went off, looking back over his shoulder at Valeriah. It was her red hair and ruddy complexion. On this side of the portals they fairly screamed werewolf.

Hurry up, Baltus said. He smiled at Valeriah and cocked his head in the direction Danal had gone. A bit slow, that one. He’ll put it together eventually. There is only one female werewolf in the Watch.

Half werewolf, Valeriah said.

Baltus opened his hand in a gesture that said the distinction made no difference.

Valeriah acknowledged that with a shrug. Other than the fact that she couldn’t take wolf form, there really was no difference. She had all of a werewolf’s other abilities. And she’d always be treated as a werewolf.

She bounced on her toes with impatience.

That bad? Baltus asked.

I don’t know. She could hear the frustration in her own voice. I don’t know how long the message took to reach me. I don’t want to get there too late . . . too late to say what I should have said eight years ago.

Aye, Baltus said.

Valeriah began emptying her pockets. She grimaced as she pulled her cell phone out and handed it over to Baltus. Forgot to leave that before I left for the portal.

You were in a hurry.

She held her arms out to her sides, expecting to be searched. Besides being useless here, the phone was illegal in Chimeria. Part of the job of the Portal Watch was to prevent the import of drugs, weapons, and electronics—anything, really, that ran by other than mechanical or magical means. Let’s get this over with.

Baltus made a negating gesture. No. You’re a fellow member of the Watch. The phone was an oversight. I trust you not to be bringing contraband into Chimeria. He grinned. Besides, I don’t think you could squeeze much else into those jeans.

Valeriah shrugged agreement and flashed him a grateful smile as she put her pocketknife back. Blades were allowed, just not guns or explosives. Not with Chimeria’s volatile mix of contentious magical races.

You’re Valeriah, Danal said as he came back, leading the bay. Aren’t you?

Uh huh. Valeriah took the reins from his hands and vaulted into the saddle.

From what they said, I thought you’d be bigger.

Baltus chuckled. She’s as big as she needs to be, lad.

Valeriah tossed Baltus a salute. Then she turned the horse’s head and drove her heels into his side, leaning forward to help him run faster, praying to the Goddess that she would be in time to say goodbye to the man who had been both father and mother to her.

~~~

The horse’s hooves clattered on the cobblestones of the tower’s inner court. Her cousin, Cristel, came hurrying out to meet her. She had the ethereal coloring of their grandmother—pale, white-blonde hair, alabaster skin, and crystal-blue eyes. Cristel’s welcoming smile was bright and untroubled. That alone told Valeriah she was in time. Grandfather was still alive. Valeriah sagged with relief. The vise that had settled around her chest loosened at last and she took what felt like her first deep breath since reading the note.

She dismounted and gave Cristel a quick hug.

It’s good to have you home again, Cristel said, stepping back.

I’ve missed you, too. How is he? Valeriah asked.

Well enough, considering, Cristel answered, starting back into the tower. He’ll be glad to see you. He’s been fretting over getting that message to you. Apparently, you’re not that easy to find, even for a wizard of Grandfather’s power.

I came as soon as I got it. Valeriah followed Cristel up the spiral stairs. It felt familiar and strange at the same time. Nothing had changed in the years she’d been gone; even Cristel was the same, but Valeriah certainly wasn’t the naïve seventeen year-old who had set out so confidently eight years ago.

Valeriah was surprised to find their grandfather sitting up and apparently hard at work in his study. In her mind’s eye, she’d seen him in bed, propped up with pillows, gasping and weak. For a moment she felt a flash of anger. If this was all some ruse to get her to come home, if he’d frightened her like that . . .  But no. He was so thin, even frail, and she didn’t remember his hair being so white. She ran to embrace him. He pulled her close, his withered arms unexpectedly strong.

The note said you were dying, she said.

And so I am, the old wizard said. But I have the means to keep myself functional until almost the end. He fingered an amulet that hung around his neck. Magical means, of course. Long illnesses are such a bore for everyone concerned. Besides, I have to catalog all of this for you girls. Otherwise it will take you years to figure out what’s here. His gesture took in the desk, work tables, and shelves cluttered with hundreds of magical talismans of greater or lesser power.

Why don’t you take a rest now, Grandfather? Cristel said. You’ve been at this all day and it’s getting late.

The old man shook his head. Too much to do.

But I’d rather talk to you, Valeriah said. I’ve been away for eight years.

Azander smiled. Ganging up on me again, eh? Just like when you were children.

Valeriah smiled, too. Old habits die hard.

Give me another hour. We’ll talk over the evening meal. If Cristel hasn’t forgotten to prepare something. He tried to look fierce, but a smile kept tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Valeriah shook her head at his stubbornness—one more thing that hadn’t changed—and followed Cristel back downstairs. Valeriah put the horse in the stables, giving him the good rub down he deserved. She came into the kitchen to find that Cristel had most of supper ready—potatoes in the oven, carrots and turnips from the small garden, a large salad. Valeriah sat at the big kitchen table and started shelling a basket of peas, settling back into the routines of home without thinking about it.

Cristel looked up from putting some apples in the oven to bake for dessert. She looked out the window and then back to Valeriah. It’s all vegetables and fruit. I forgot. It’s been so long since you were home. I’ve got some eggs and there might be a ham or some bacon in the larder, if you want . . .

Valeriah smiled and shook her head. Cristel wasn’t forced to adjust her diet with the waxing and waning of the moon. This’ll be fine, Cristel. It’s close to the new moon. I eat the same as you when the moon is thin, remember?

Cristel laughed in relief. I couldn’t remember what the moon looked like last night.

Valeriah tapped the side of her head. I keep track of the moon all the time. Have to. I won’t really need a meat diet for a couple of weeks. Then, I’ll just have to hunt up my own food.

Cristel looked slightly queasy at the thought. But then, Cristel had no incompatible heritage to war with Grandmother Elsibel’s unicorn blood. She never ate meat.

What have you been doing all this time? Cristel added a wedge of cheese to the platter, in spite of Valeriah’s assurances.

Well, we get all kinds of work in the Watch, from guarding the portals to keeping the peace. Most recently I’ve been working as a bodyguard for certain members of the Council when they have business on the other side of the portals.

That sounds exciting.

Not as much as you’d think. Generally, it’s days of being alert for a threat that never comes. How about you, Cristel? Have you been shut up in this tower with Grandfather for the last eight years? I thought you’d be married by now. You always used to dream about that.

Cristel shook her head a little wistfully. No. That was before, when it was far away. Now, I find that I don’t much care for the idea. I like it right here. This is home.

Valeriah quirked an eyebrow. That wasn’t what she expected to hear from Cristel at all.

~~~

They sat down to eat around the small table in the converted sunroom across from the kitchen, Valeriah on Azander’s left and Cristel on his right. The inner window, across from Grandfather and facing the tower courtyard, was a large and expensive piece of plate glass imported from the other side. It was a bright, sunny room in the mornings. Cristel had planted flowerbeds outside the window, surrounding the tower’s shrine to the Goddess. With her green thumb, there was a colorful display even this deep into winter. Too dark to see them now, of course.

At night, most of the interest in the room was on the opposite wall. Behind Grandfather, the outer window was small, but a large mural of the orchard and forest filled the wall, the painted trees appearing to move in the wind. It had been one of Valeriah’s favorite rooms since she was very young. She remembered many full-moon nights as a child, when she was too young to venture out alone, spent watching the movement of the trees and the way the moon’s light shimmered on the leaves.

So, have you learned what you set out to learn? Grandfather asked as he helped himself to some steaming potatoes.

Valeriah chewed deliberately and waited for the flash of resentment to pass before she answered. She didn’t want to argue with Grandfather. Not now. So why would he bring up the one subject they’d always fought over? If I had learned all I set out to, you would have heard about it, even here. There’s no point in bringing that up, is there?

I thought perhaps if you’d found the answers you were looking for, you’d be ready to come back here to stay. Cristel will be lonely here, after I’m gone.

Valeriah looked around. Even if she had her revenge, would she come back here, to this quiet backwater? How did Cristel keep from dying of boredom? I can’t give up, Grandfather.

You don’t seem to be any further along than you were the last time you were here. Will you spend your whole life seeking vengeance? Grandfather asked.

Valeriah set her knife and fork down and looked directly into his eyes. Among wolves, it would have been a challenge. If necessary. I may have to work my way up into command to learn more. The portals have to be the key. At least, they’re the only clue I have. I’ll keep trying to learn all I can about them. Unless you want to tell me who has the power to make portals.

Grandfather met her gaze without flinching and shook his head. No, Vallie. That knowledge will only get you into trouble.

Valeriah bit back her angry reply, willing herself to stay calm when she really wanted to rail at the old man. How dare he? She wasn’t a child anymore. Surely she’d proven by now that she knew how to take care of herself.

The uncomfortable silence stretched for several moments. Predictably it was Cristel, the peacemaker, who broke it. Is it difficult, being a female in the Watch? There can’t be very many.

There aren’t, Valeriah answered, glad to allow Cristel to redirect the conversation into safer topics. It’s not so bad anymore. At first, I had to prove that I could defend myself if necessary. The others know better, now. Every once in a while I still have to prove that the stories about me are true, but I haven’t had to actually hurt anyone for a long time.

You sound quite bloodthirsty, Cristel said. You didn’t used to be that way.

Valeriah shrugged. Among wolves, no one messes with the alpha bitch.

Cristel winced at her choice of words and went out to fetch the baked apples for dessert.

~~~

After supper, Azander insisted on going back to work. Valeriah sat with Cristel, talking and sipping mint tea in Cristel’s little sewing nook in one corner of the room, close enough to keep him company, but far enough away not to disturb him. They both jumped to their feet when they heard him fall, accompanied by a loud crash and clatter. Valeriah’s heart was in her throat. She was trained to stay calm in a crisis, but it was somehow different here, at home. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Azander sprawled on the floor, his work table overturned, and the objects he’d been cataloging scattered. She crossed to him in a few long strides, Cristel right behind her.

Not as much time as I thought, he said as Valeriah lifted his head and shoulders, propping him up with her body.

She tried to mask the emotions in her face and voice. The truth was she was more frightened for her grandfather in that moment than she would have been fighting single-handed against any ten men.

You’re just tired, that’s all. Here, let’s get you up and into bed. Lean on me. Valeriah half-carried the old man up the stairs. He was frailer than he had looked at first. She could have lifted him and carried him up the stairs, but she didn’t think he’d appreciate that. Together, she and Cristel got him into bed. When they turned away to let him rest for a while, the old wizard grabbed Valeriah’s arm, pulling her back to him.

Promise me, Vallie . . .

What, Grandfather?

He drew in a gasping breath. Promise me you’ll forget about revenge.

Valeriah drew a deep breath and held it. She wanted to promise him anything, do anything to make this easier for him. Why did he have to ask her for the one thing she couldn’t give? This wasn’t a choice and no one who really understood werewolves would ask it of her. The half of her that was werewolf would never rest until she had avenged her family. I can’t make that promise, Grandfather. I’m sorry. But I can’t. It’s not how I’m made. My blood won’t allow it.

He squeezed her hand with desperate strength. It’s too big for you, Vallie. It was too big for me. They’ll kill you.

The temptation was too great. He knew something specific about the murderers, something that frightened him. Valeriah didn’t care about the danger. This was the closest Grandfather had ever come to giving her the information she needed. She had to know what he knew. Who will? What do you know, Grandfather?

He shook his head.

Who can make portals? Who used a portal to kill my parents and my brothers and then closed it again? Who can do that? She knew this wasn’t the time to push him for answers, but she couldn’t help herself.

Silence. The old man’s forehead creased as if he was in pain. Valeriah’s eagerness turned to concern. She shouldn’t have pressed him. She held him up so Cristel could give him a little water.

As she laid him gently back, Valeriah heard him whisper, Dragons . . .

With a final sigh his breath was stilled.

Chapter 3: Grief

Not yet! She’d had barely any time at all with Grandfather. One meal. She hadn’t even told him that she loved him. Not in so many words. Now it was too late.

Valeriah closed her eyes against the emptiness that threatened to engulf her. The memories of her family, her parents and brothers, were old and dim. Her only clear recollection of them was the day of their bloody murders. The only real sense of home and family she had centered around this man. And now he was gone. It felt as though her anchor to those things was suddenly lost and she was adrift. For nearly all of her life, there had been only two people with whom she remembered a true sense of belonging. Half of that had just been stripped away from her. She felt alone. Bereft. Frightened.

This time yesterday, she’d first learned that he was ill. How could he be gone so soon?

Cristel started to sob behind her. Valeriah turned to hug her cousin, not sure whether she was giving or taking comfort from the contact. Cristel’s weeping escalated. Best to get Cristel out of this room. She had probably never seen death before.

Tears had never come as easily for Valeriah, but her vision was blurred now. She disengaged from Cristel long enough to compose Grandfather’s body, straightening his limbs and gently closing his staring eyes. How could he look so peaceful when he’d left such a gaping hole in her world? Then she half-lifted Cristel to her feet and guided her back down to the corner of the study and their cold tea.

She settled Cristel in her upholstered chair and touched the cup with one of the simple charms for reheating liquids. Valeriah pressed the cup of tea into Cristel’s hands.

Drink. It was hard to sob and swallow at the same time. Maybe it would help Cristel get a grip on herself. At least, it wouldn’t hurt. Obediently, Cristel took a sip.

One of them was going to have to be practical, take charge. And it wasn’t likely to be Cristel, so Valeriah had better pull herself together. It was actually a relief to be doing something, even consoling Cristel. It made her feel less helpless. Maybe it only held the emotions and regrets at bay for a little while, but it was better than dissolving into useless tears.

What do we do, now? Cristel’s voice was shaky.

Valeriah didn’t think Cristel was ready for the reality of dealing with the body. In all honesty, she wasn’t sure she was herself, though they’d have to, sooner or later. It wasn’t as if there was anyone else out here to take care of it. No. It was too soon for that, but she wanted to be doing something. If she just sat and thought about it, she’d end up sobbing like Cristel. She looked around her and her eyes lit on the scattered talismans and the overturned table. Might as well start by tidying up the mess Grandfather’s fall made.

When she walked over to their grandfather’s work area, Valeriah found an envelope and three keys left conspicuously in the center of the desk. Those hadn’t been there before. The envelope was addressed to both of them. Valeriah opened it and read the contents aloud.

If you are reading this, I am dead. This message was spelled to remain invisible until my death.

With this message you will find my will. You are both my heirs equally. I leave everything—the tower, my collection of talismans, my library, and treasure—to both of you jointly. Unfortunately, because of the magical items, this bequest must go before the Council of Magical Races to be confirmed. I charge you both not to let anyone change my will.

With this letter, you will find the key to the tower. The lock has been spelled to open only for both of you together. Whatever the Council decides