by T S Paul
Fergus charged forward causing Agatha to pull her head back. “I’m just chilling down here. I like it down here amongst the wires. Did you know if you poke the right place the whole thing lights up? It’s better than disco!”
“Lights up? What the flaming hells are you doing down there, you little terrorist?” Chuck stopped typing and reached down to open up the console.
“Nothing. Mind your own business! This is my fort... I mean my place! I found it.” Fergus replied.
For just a moment every light in the bus blinked. “Please stop! Come on Fergus. You’re going to screw everything up down there!” Chuck started opening more ports and testing circuits.
“Get me a pizza and salad, and I’ll go back to the barn.”
Cat bent over the table to look down at Agatha. “Wow, he’s gotten to be a bit of a brat! What happened to the sweet, adorable little Unicorn we all loved?”
“He grew a spine,” Agatha replied.
“No. I just want to be more independent. Familiars rule and Witches drool,” Fergus yelled.
Agatha twisted her hand and muttered a couple of words. There was a flash of light from the console, and then a really angry Unicorn drifted out of the panel.
“What’s the big idea!” Fergus spun around like a demented top inside what looked like a floating tree ornament.
“You are on lockdown until you grow the hell up, mister! I thought we were a team here, Fergus,” Agatha replied.
“So did I. First you drive my people away from me, and then you chase after the only friend we have that’s not a stinky cat person.”
Chuck and Cat looked at Agatha with wide eyes. They knew Fergus didn't like them, but after all, they had been through together, they were surprised he still felt this way.
Agatha sighed. "Fergus, what happened with the herd isn't your fault. The Magnus ranch Unicorn herd was broken. The Unicorn Elders made a bad deal with the Magnus family and generations of Unicorns paid for it. How else can you explain their knowledge of English and details of the Magnus house? You were there when we spoke to them. They told you about the herd stallions’ deaths. Stop pretending it never happened!"
Using his Magick, Fergus caused the ball to float over the table. His horn glowed like a miniature lamp. "I'm not powerless. I can do things too."
"I never said you couldn't. We all want the best for you. You must know that. If that Skinwalker wasn't terrorizing the Wyoming area and those tourists hadn’t reported the bodies, we would have never even known about it. The locals would have investigated, and the killings would have continued. We helped them. Even if they refuse to admit it to you," Agatha pointed out.
Fergus floated over toward his barn. His horn still glowing.
"I'll take the shield off you, but stay in the barn for a while. You need to think clearly about this whole thing, and we have a lot of work to do. We'll order you some pizza in a couple of hours."
Agatha directed the ball down into the barn and neutralized the spell.
“How are you doing this? I’m supposed to be immune to Magick?” Fergus asked as he stuck his head out of the barn window.
“Witch secret. Now get into the barn to think about it.”
Cat asked Agatha, “How did you do that?”
“He’s immune to Magick, but the surrounding air isn’t. I just supercharged the air particles around him and energized them. It was a bit experimental, but it worked,” Agatha replied.
“At least it worked. Give me a couple of minutes to fix this, and I’ll get back to work.” Chuck murmured from below.
Aggy nodded and stared at the table top for a moment. “Bill, in answer to your previous question before Fergus interrupted, she nibbles.”
Bill frowned. “She nibbles on what?”
“Us.”
A loud thud made everyone jump suddenly. Chuck stood up rubbing his head. “She drinks from us?”
“She did. I told her to stop.” Agatha replied.
Cat stepped around the desk and stood next to her boss. “When did she tell you this?” Cat didn’t sound happy.
“Cat, Catherine. Calm down. As far as I know, she never took from you specifically. She told me that Alphas and Witches were immune to her charms. But everyone else was fair game. She’s had years to perfect her ways, remember? I expect that every agent Anastasia’s ever worked with was a snack at one time. Even you, Chuck. She has this memory charm thing that is very effective. It will make finding her even harder.”
Cat growled. “Answer the question, Agatha.”
“Shortly after I took over the team. I suspected her for a while, but Ana was just that good at hiding her real age and abilities. It was the supposed Magick treatment of her quarters that gave it away. I checked with my Grandmother. No substance or potion will hide a Vampire from the sun. So, if that part wasn’t true, what was? She admitted it to me. I promised to keep her secrets, but now I can’t. At least not from you. She has to expect that I will tell all of you this.”
“I’m not happy about this at all, Agatha. How do I trust something that has been eating my Pack without any consent whatsoever?” Cat growled the words out.
“Wait until we catch up to her and ask her yourself. Do we know what happened to Ivan?” Agatha said.
“Not completely. He left us in the company of a couple of regular FBI agents. They were supposed to put him on a transfer bus headed toward Boston, but somewhere along the way, he disappeared off the transit route. The documents in the system don’t show him at all, but the team's copies do. That copy program you had me install last year caught it and stored it in the archive,” Bill answered. He was feeling all around his neck.
Agatha smiled. “Vampires secrete an enzyme that heals all minor wounds on most humans and paranormals. There won’t be any visible marks, Bill.”
“What program is he talking about?” Chuck started typing on his terminal.
“If you didn’t know about it, you can’t search for it. I remembered how Jack’s memory and records were constantly being erased and changed. I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to us by accident or design. It was Ana that was erasing Jack’s memory.”
Cat started, “It was, why?”
“Someone high up in the FBI ordered it done. Anastasia was one of his oldest friends, so she was the obvious choice to do it. A whole lot is going on inside the bureau. There are entirely too many chefs in the kitchen for my comfort. Even Director Mills reports to someone I can’t identify. We have to find Ana before somebody else does. My grandmother has hinted that we are not the only ones looking. We just have the best head start,” Agatha remarked.
“Do you think Ivan knows where she is?” Bill asked.
“He might. Grams told me that Vampires usually have a servant or three around called Thralls. According to her file, Ana hadn't had one since before she joined the FBI. If it’s not Ivan, it might be someone we’ve never seen or heard of before.” Agatha explained.
“So let’s find the Russian and ask him then.”
Chapter 9
What a rush! Werewolf blood gives you such a boost once you get past the whole dog smell and taste of it.
Trust me when I say that finding a lone wolf on this island is quite hard to do. Fortunately for me, the local surf shop had an extensive collection of lotions and sunscreen. Whatever is up with the human fascination with coconut is a blessing to me. That particular smell disguises my own aroma quite well. When combined with what I call the ‘ancient pong,’ it smells like I went bathing in the sea using seaweed as a scrub brush. Too bad it only lasts for a few hours.
Once my scent was changed, getting the loner to trust me was easy. Everyone likes a party. Especially when I had a six-pack in my hands. I left Fido sleeping it off on the beach. He’ll be mistaken for a drunk most likely. Even though he wasn’t wolfed out, I kept imagining there was hair in my mouth. Yuck.
My master used to say Weres were an acquired taste.
My master. The very thought of him took me
back almost two thousand years. For all the training my father drummed into me, I was so stupid and way too trusting. ‘Trust no one’ was a mantra I would burn into my soul later. My father didn’t treat me as an ignorant woman, but everyone else did. Such a terrible time it was too. The unthinkable happened, and I had zero control of the events that followed. If only I’d listened!
<<<>>>
I remember it like it was yesterday. Father was gone on an extended trip with the Emperor. He trustingly left me in the hands of Cassius and Demetrius. Both of whom I trusted with my life.
I was studying as usual when Cassius came into the family library. He was followed by two of the house guards.
“By order of the Emperor, you are to be placed under arrest. Guards, lock her in her quarters.” Cassius ordered.
Dropping the scroll in my hands in shock, I stared at the little man that ran the estate. “By the Gods, Cassius! What’s happening?”
The two guards stared at me for a moment before grabbing my arms. I could feel their fingers digging into my soft skin.
“My father will have you beaten for this!” I yelled.
“I think not. This order places you under arrest until representatives of the Emperor arrive. The courier ship is a day ahead of them according to the sailing master. If your father were here, he would be joining you. Take her away.” Cassius raised a small scroll and directed the men.
Kicking and screaming, I didn’t go silently. Father made sure I knew how to defend myself, but not two on one and not against clubs and cudgels. Several well placed hits, and I didn’t remember anything. My last sensation was pain followed by the feel of cool flagstones on my skin as I was dragged across them.
<<<>>>
I awoke in what had been my space for a dozen years. Much of it was ransacked, the furniture broken and smashed. “What’s happening? Why am I locked up?”
Pounding on the door, I tried to force it open. “Let me go!”
“Shouting will get you nowhere, Aeliana. The guards have been well paid. By me.” Cassius replied to me.
“Why are you doing this? My father trusted you!”
“Trust is given to the man that pays you and has your loyalty. That man is the Emperor. Your father forgot that part. Your father and I may have been comrades in arm, we may have been comrades in blood, and we may have been comrades in sin, but I have always been the Emperor’s man. My true loyalty is to he who holds the scepter,” Cassius shouted back at me.
“Emperor Trajan has been father’s master and client my entire life. Why would he arrest me?” I asked.
Cassius started to laugh. Thumping the door several times he roared with laughter.
“I don’t think being locked up is all that funny. Can you please tell me why I’m in here?”
“I told you. The Emperor ordered it. Not Trajan. Emperor Hadrian ordered it.” Cassius walked away still chuckling.
Hadrian? I groaned. The smelly Spaniard was now in charge of the Empire, and he hated my father.
Collapsing in fear and grief, I lie down as I felt tears run down my face. It was the first time I’d cried since leaving the slave quarters. Every lesson my father taught me went right out of my head. I was lost.
To this day I still don’t know how long I sat in that room. It was at least a week perhaps more. Cassius would come by occasionally to gloat and show off some of his ‘trophies.’ He was taking the time to settle old scores on our estate. Without my father to stop him, his sadistic streak was taking over. Heads were literally rolling.
My salvation or maybe my curse finally came in the form of Demetrius. I trusted him with my life... and he took it.
“Aeliana, are you in there?”
I heard a faint knock and then a whisper.
“Demetrius? Is that you?” I whispered back.
“Thank the one true God! Step back from the door.”
I moved to one side just as the door flew open. It crashed into the wall with a thunderous noise. A man I’d never seen before peeked into the room. When he saw me, he smiled a wicked sort of grin. It was only on his face for a moment, but it was there. “Demetrius?”
My tutor and friend stepped into view. The other man stepped into the room and began rummaging through my things.
“Come, Aeliana. It’s time to go. Someone will have heard that.” Demetrius grabbed my hand.
“My things. Who is he?” I pointed to the cruel-looking man.
“He’s nobody that should interest you. Come. We must be away from here.” Demetrius replied.
“Demetrius, he’s taking all the things father gave me!” I insisted.
My friend and tutor grabbed me by the collar of my shift. With a grimace on his face of disgust, he all but growled at me. “Leave him be! If you must know it’s his payment. Engineering an escape takes money that I don’t have. If you value your life, you will shut up and come with me. They intend for you to die. Come with me now!”
I was torn. My first impulse was to cry out and bring the guards. Cassius was cruel and evil, but he was employed by my father. When Father returned, he would fix this. Running away won’t help. But why did Demetrius go to this much trouble?
“What is it you know? Where is my father, Demetrius?” I asked.
My tutor looked at the sky. “Must we do this now?”
He turned to stare into my eyes. “If he’s not dead, he soon will be. Trajan is gone. Dead. Dead to your father and to us. Hadrian now rules Rome. And your father has counted as one of his enemies for a long time. This man, this new Emperor, will not be kind to his enemies. His consolidation of power will be quick and decisive. Come with me if you want to live.”
In the distance, I could hear voices and the sound of doors or shutters being opened.
“They are coming. We must go. I am not a warrior!” Demetrius pulled on my arm.
Glancing at the thief behind me I nodded. I would go with him. Closing my eyes, I sent a prayer outward to my father. Whether he lived or died, I would always remember him.
Grabbing Demetrius’s hand, I ran.
<<<>>>
Looking back through the years I barely remember the frantic race through that long and terrifying night. We couldn’t trust anyone. Not even the slaves I grew up with. Their loyalty was to the one who fed and housed them. We ran until there were no signs of pursuit. Panting and tired, I demanded more answers from Demetrius.
“How do you know these things?” I asked.
“The courier ship. It brought news that Trajan’s victory over the Parthians wasn’t as complete as we had originally heard. The siege at Hatra didn’t go well, and Emperor Trajan took ill. He was on his ship at sea when he expired. His nephew Hadrian heard this and secured the backing of the Legion. Remember your history lessons girl. ‘He who controls the Legions controls the Empire,’” Demetrius replied.
“Then why is it taking so long? That was months ago. Why hasn’t Father come home or Hadrian’s representatives appeared?” I still could not believe my strong father was dead.
“Because he’s busy. Shortly before Trajan died, a rebellion started in Judea. Hadrian is busy putting that down and consolidating his forces. While he is distracted, we can hide. We must go. I have arrangements in place to get you far from here.”
I looked at my tutor with a new respect in my eyes. He did this all for me? “Where are we going?”
There was just the hint of a smile on Demetrius’s face, but it was so quick I might’ve missed it. “Far away from the influence of an Empire.”
“But where?” I racked my brain for my geography lessons.
Demetrius sighed in exasperation. “Stari Ras. It’s in Dardania, what used to be called Thracia. You will be safe from Hadrian there. I promise.”
“Stari Ras? Why does that sound familiar?” I asked.
My tutor shook his head. “No idea. We must go.”
I had no idea that Demetrius was this organized. We had once spoken of his military career, and I took him for a camp follower
, not a soldier. But as my father told me once, even architects have basic training.
We ran for two days using horses and a small wagon Demetrius had prepared for us. On the third day, we stopped outside a fortified gate.
Realizing the wagon had stopped, I peered out of the back at the gate. Demetrius stood with two tall, thin, and pallid men. I could just barely make out their words. They spoke in Thracian, but thanks to my milk mother Zina, I could speak it well.
“... this settles my debt with him. I have done as he ordered me to,” Demetrius stated.
“It settles part of your debt. How are we to know she is who you say she is?” The older pale man pointed out
“My deal with Master Alukah clearly stated that…” Demetrius started to speak.
“Quiet! You dare to speak his name? You will do as you are told, or you will join your human master in the afterlife. We will rip the answers from you, regardless.” Both pale men bared sharp teeth at my companion.
Demetrius held up his hands. “She wears the family crest upon her hand and neck as proof. Your Master has seen her and will know if I have failed you. May I go?”
Both men nodded. “Take the wagon, leave the girl and go. We will send word if you are needed again.”
Demetrius stepped back to our wagon and saw that I was awake. “This is our destination Aeliana. These people will take you to your newest protector.”
I grabbed his arm. “Who are they and why are you leaving me here? You said we would be safe!”
“I told you, you would be safe from the influence of Hadrian. May we never cross paths again. My debts are paid, and I’m free.” Demetrius pulled me from the wagon and dumped me on the ground.
“Take her.” He climbed astride the wagon and snapped the reins.
I could only stare at the departing wagon. Why did everyone betray me? “Demetrius! Come back!”
Climbing to my feet, I started to run after him when I sensed the two men next to me. “You will come with us. Your new Master awaits.”
“I am not a slave! My father is the Architect to the Emperor!”
Both men started to laugh. “Your father rots in a hole in Mesopotamia. You belong to Master Alukah of the city of Stari Ras now. Come along.” Grabbing me, they dragged my struggling body to the formidable gates and into the city beyond.