by Terence West
The Ifrit threw its mighty head back and roared in laughter. I didn't think my question was particularly funny, but apparently he did. “Brimstone has become corrupt,” Chithula explained. “What once was just is in danger of losing itself to the darkness."
"Cryptic,” I assessed. “But—"
He dismissed my question with a wave of his hand. “We must return it to its former glory. That is why you are here."
Toby stepped forward. “Why do you care what happens to Brimstone?"
"It keeps us hidden from the filthy humans!” Chithula roared. “They are not worthy of our presence, let alone our knowledge. For that alone Brimstone needs to survive."
"Mighty Chithula,” I said, trying to be more diplomatic than my wolf partner. “That's not why we're here."
The Ifrit's eyelids became slits over its eyes as he stared at me. Chithula shifted his weight from foot to foot as he assessed me. He obviously wasn't used to being questioned, or told he was wrong.
"A nest of Vampires was destroyed by Brimstone recently,” I explained. “The brood's former Master has told me that he has Chithula representation. I need to know why."
"You seem to misunderstand, Rose Webb.” A smile grew across his wide mouth. “That is at the very heart of the matter.” He looked up and motioned to several of his court. “I'm sure our guests are tired. See to it they have rooms for the day."
"Thanks,” I said, taking an uncomfortable step back, “but we really need to get back to Vegas."
"I won't hear of it,” Chithula growled. He took a step down the stairs toward me, the flames engulfing him seemingly intensifying. “You and I have much to discuss, Rose Webb."
Chapter 13
My room was exquisite. After the servant left, I couldn't help but stand in awe in the doorway. More marble stretched off as far as I could see in all directions. A gorgeous wood table dominated the foyer with four chairs arranged around it. Drapes of heavy red velvet with golden fringes seemed to decorate every wall. Beyond the table were several plush couches arranged in a horseshoe shape around an impressive plasma screen television. Walking through the living area, I stopped. Instead of being separated, the bedroom was elevated slightly above the living room. The bed was huge, bigger than any I had seen, and swathed in black silk. An immense Jacuzzi sat in front of the bed just behind the stairs while an equally impressive bathroom lived on the opposite side of the living room.
Squinting my eyes slightly, I could see the telltale shimmer of magic on just about everything. I wasn't sure if the furniture, decorations, or even the room had been created by magical means, or just spelled in some form. My senses weren't that attuned. Still, it was beautiful, no matter how it was created. Walking up the stairs past the Jacuzzi, I couldn't help myself. Turning around, I spread my arms wide and fell back onto the bed. The black silk wrapped around me as I stretched and made snow angels. It was more wonderful than I could possibly imagine. The mood quickly passed as I noticed my lack of reflection in the mirrors on the ceiling. Reality always had a way of bringing me back to the fact I was a monster.
Nothing could change that.
Sliding off the silky bed, I then walked between the couches and snagged the remote from the coffee table. Clicking it on for some background noise, I noticed the last viewer had left it on one of those twenty-four-hour news channels. Trying to ignore the overly gorgeous brunette anchor reporting the horrific news—I wondered if a beautiful woman made bad news easier to swallow—I perched on the back of the couch and stared at the door. My mind started to wander. Should I stay here and wait for Chithula? Should I try and get some sleep? Should I go smash Karl?
I had to do something, and I was too wired to sleep despite the fact I could feel the sun rising beyond the compound walls. I was starving, too. I still hadn't had any sustenance. I was going on four days now. I could feel the hunger clawing at my insides. I had to feed soon to avert any possible accidents. It was best not to think about it.
After scooting off the back of the couch, I walked quickly to the heavy wooden door that led to the adjoining hallway. Clicking the latch, I listened to the hollow echo in my room. Every noise, every sound seemed like a cavernous boom amidst the marble floors. Pulling it carefully open, I stepped into the hallway. I had seen the servants leading Toby and Karl further down the hall when I entered my room. I stared into the hallway that seemed to reach out endlessly with doors staggered on opposite sides of the walls. They had to be down here somewhere.
Moving to the first door, I pressed my ear to the heavy wood. There was nothing but silence inside. Running my fingers against the cool marble, I stared down the hallway. Skipping over the next door, I headed toward the third. I drew my fingertips down over the wood. The lingering scent of Toby was there. Perhaps he had brushed against it going inside, or merely touched it as he passed. Resting my hands on the doorframe, I listened. The sound of running water met my ears, and ... singing? It was muffled and I didn't recognize the song, yet the voice sounded familiar.
I pulled back and paused. I'm not sure what Toby would think of being alone in his room with me. I wasn't even entirely convinced he would let me in. I swallowed once, balled my fist and knocked. I listened as the singing and the sound of running water stopped. The light clinking of glasses followed then the muted sound of footfalls. As the latch disengaged, I took another step back.
"What are you doing here?"
A wry smile grew over my face as I stared at Toby. I knew in that moment exactly what he had been doing. “Enjoying a nice dip?"
Dripping wet and wrapped in a thick, white robe, he realized he had been found out and grinned sheepishly. “I don't know if your room has one, but I have a Jacuzzi."
I nodded. “My room has one, too.” But that was the last thing on my mind. Well, not anymore. The idea of Toby and I in a hot, bubbling Jacuzzi made my insides flutter inappropriately. He was my partner. I couldn't let myself think that way. “I can't sleep, mind if I come in?"
He hesitated. I could see the thoughts churning behind his eyes. He finally stepped back and opened the door.
I smiled softly at his polite gesture and stepped inside. His room was nearly identical to mine, except where I had red drapes, his were midnight blue. They still seemed to somehow match the décor of the room perfectly. Moving past the table to the couches, I wasn't sure what to do. I really wanted to start peeling off my clothes and slip into his warm Jacuzzi, but I'm not sure he would have thought that appropriate. I could see a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice on the edge of the spa. Turning, I leaned against the back of the couch and waited.
Toby, after closing the door, stood silently in the entrance. It was clear he wasn't sure what to do either. We had never spent any time alone together away from the office, or when not involved with Brimstone business before. Sure, there had been long nights on stakeouts, or making the best of sleeping in the same hotel room while on a case, but that was business and we both took our jobs very seriously.
"You seem to be enjoying your stay,” I assessed.
"When in Rome.” Toby smiled. He walked around the table and pulled out one of the chairs. Spinning it so it faced me, he sank down into it. “Why are we here, Rose?"
"Vlad,” I answered. “He said he wouldn't answer any of my questions. He was waiting for his Chithula representative. I had to know why the Ifrit would choose to defend that seemingly insignificant Vampire."
"There does seem to be some kind of connection,” Toby agreed. “But it just doesn't make sense. Why would Brimstone wipe out a legal nest, and have the Master on the rap sheets? They're trying to cover something up,” Toby concluded.
I nodded. At least he was on the same path of logic I was.
"But Chithula is a criminal,” Toby protested.
"No one's ever proven that,” I pointed out.
Brimstone had been investigating Chithula for quite some time. Many wondered how he had obtained such wealth and remained hidden, while others were sure he was break
ing every magical law in the book and creating his possessions from nothing. Still, there were rumors that Chithula was nothing more than a drug lord, cultivating and selling his drugs on the streets using the Inhumans under his control. This had never been proven and I couldn't imagine a being of this much power choosing such a mundane profession. I didn't sense any malice when I stood before him, even though I was a supposedly “lesser species.” He seemed open and honest, and in light of the fact I questioned him and he didn't outright kill me, very patient. Perhaps we caught the Ifrit in a good mood.
"The fact alone that Chithula was expecting us frightens me a bit.” Toby paused. “And I don't like the way he looks at you."
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?"
"He's eyeing you,” Toby breathed, “like he wants you for his own."
I saw his ego deflate right there in front of me. “I don't think—"
"Yes, Rose,” the Werewolf interrupted, “he does. I can see it in his eyes, the way he moves, and the way he looks at you. Do you realize,” he paused, “that he didn't look at me or Karl even once in the audience chamber? Not once."
"I didn't realize,” I admitted. My skin was starting to crawl. “I'm just a nobody Seeker,” I defended. “Why would anyone want me?"
Toby didn't answer. I wasn't sure I expected him to, but I would have liked him to.
"We need to get out of here,” he said finally.
"We can't.” I stood and walked around into the living room. “Brimstone is already upset with us; let's not add Chithula to the list."
"I don't care,” Toby argued. He stood up and followed me. “The investigation isn't worth this."
I looked at him dumbfounded. “Why would you say that? If Brimstone finds us guilty of botching a hunt, they'll do more than just fire us. They'll terminate us."
Toby stared at me with his deep, brown eyes. “We can run."
The words hit me like a slap. Reeling back, I fell into the luscious couch and tried to stop my world from spinning. “Where would we go?” I asked finally. “Brimstone is everywhere."
"I don't know,” Toby admitted. He sat down carefully on the couch next to me. The gold cross he still wore around his neck glimmered and caught my eye. Why was he still wearing it? “We need to go back to Vegas and wait for Maynard's investigation to be completed. It may turn out that nothing happens and we can just go back to our lives. But if they find us guilty, we have to run."
The raw conviction in his voice was startling. “I can't believe what I'm hearing.” This didn't sound like the Toby I knew. One minute he was claiming he could never trust me, and the next he wanted us to run away together? I was starting to feel a bit like a yo-yo attached to his mood swings.
"Excuse me, Ms. Webb?"
My head snapped to the door, startled. I hadn't heard it open. One of Chithula's servants, a Vampire in a jet-black suit, was peeking in cautiously.
"I'm sorry to disturb you,” the servant apologized, “but Chithula requests your presence."
Toby and I stood. I nodded at the servant.
Toby walked quickly to the Jacuzzi and started to gather up his discarded clothes. “Give me just a minute to put some pants on."
"I'm sorry if I wasn't clear,” the servant said quickly, “but Chithula only seeks an audience with Ms. Webb."
Toby slowly straightened up and stared at me. In that moment, all of his theories about the Chithula had been confirmed, at least in his mind.
My gaze fell away from the Werewolf's. I had to make a choice on the spot. Toby wanted us to run. I wanted to know what was going on. Curiosity bested me. I muttered a curse under my breath. Turning away from Toby, I walked briskly toward the door. “Lead the way, Jeeves."
I could feel Toby's angry gaze burning into my back as I walked, but there was also a twinge of fear. He didn't want me to go. Fighting the urge to turn and run back apologetically, I slid through the door and pulled it closed behind me.
Chapter 14
We walked briskly down the hallway and onto a winding staircase that seemed to descend into the bowels of the Earth. If it wasn't clear before, it was now. Chithula's compound was an alternate reality. We were in a different plane of existence as soon as we entered the mission. It was quite an ingenious system, actually. If someone slipped past the gates and guards and tried to enter the mission without Chithula's permission, they would find nothing but an old, empty, rundown church. It was the perfect security system.
The Vampire ahead of me moved fluidly, every movement calculated and lissome. So quiet and precise, in fact, it barely seemed as if he touched the floor. His smooth, bald head glistened slightly in the low light. He was the epitome of what all Vampires strove to be: powerful, elegant, and beautiful. I, unfortunately, didn't consider myself any of those things. Poor self-image I assumed.
Coming to the bottom of the stairs, there was a single, square room. Two torches burned on either side, and a massive fifteen foot door sat in the middle of them. Constructed of simple wood, heavy, black, iron hinges spread almost entirely across the face of the door. The servant stepped to the side and paused allowing me to pass, his features looking very devilish in the flickering light. Standing in front of the door, I held my position, unsure what to do.
"Chithula is awaiting you,” the servant informed me. “Just enter."
He turned and started back up the stairs. As his shadow quickly vanished, I realized I was alone with the door. The handle, located about chest level, was a single round hunk of iron. Lifting it in my hands, I swallowed once and pulled, opening it with little protest.
I couldn't help the disappointment I felt as I looked upon Chithula's private chambers for the first time. None of the marble or luxury of the upper floors was present here. Even my guest room was more elegant than this. Drab brown colors dominated everything as far as I could see. The room, basically rectangular, was filled with bookshelves stuffed with volumes upon volumes of forgotten lore. A simple chair sat to the left of the room, while a heavy rug dominated the other side. Torches, similar to the two outside of the room, were strategically positioned to offer the most light. The room smelled ancient as the books’ pages yellowed and rotted threatening to destroy the information they contained within. Mildew hung heavy on the wooden bookshelves.
This couldn't be Chithula's private sanctum, could it?
A large door on the far side of the room opened and it was instantly filled with a bright, orange light. Stooping slightly, Chithula stepped inside in his full glory and closed the door. The flames wrapping around his body licked at the floor, walls, and ceiling, but didn't seem to burn anything. I could feel the heat rolling off his body in waves. His radiant eyes focused intently on me.
Instantly intimidated, I shrank back against the wall. Nearly eight feet tall, the Ifrit dwarfed me. My hand reached for the still open door. I wasn't sure where I could get to in this place, this reality, but anything was better than this tiny room with a huge fire demon.
"Rose Webb,” Chithula's unnatural voice boomed as if a choir of Demons spoke with him. “Sit with me,” the Ifrit commanded as he walked to the middle of his rug and sat with his legs folded beneath him.
I hesitated, unsure what to do, but I was here for a reason. Pushing the door closed, I moved slowly onto the rug. Sinking down to the floor in front of Chithula, I folded my hands in my lap and waited. I didn't feel entirely uncomfortable, but I wasn't exactly at home here either. If the Ifrit decided to rip me limb from limb, there wouldn't be anything I could do to stop him. Beads of sweat were rolling down my face from the heat. “Thank you for seeing me, Chithula."
"Vampires are such odd creatures,” Chithula said without acknowledging my statement. “I personally think it's distasteful to look like a human.” He paused and looked at me. “But you don't have any choice, do you?"
"No,” I said quietly. That's the one place the movies got it wrong. I couldn't alter my form at will. No bats, no wolves, and no form of smoke to slide through a keyhole�
�Although, wouldn't that be an odd sensation?
"You clearly aren't human, but you desperately want to appear so,” the Ifrit surmised. “You have gifts that make you better, stronger, and faster, but you spend your entire existences trying to fit in with these creatures that are your food source. You don't see people trying to act like cows, do you?"
"Only celebrities.” I laughed.
The Ifrit studied me for a moment, not amused by my joke. “You weren't given the choice, were you?"
I felt a dark shadow cross my face. “No. I was forced."
His expression remained unchanged. “By whom?"
"I don't know,” I answered honestly. I didn't like where this was going. “A brood in San Francisco abducted and raped me. They decided I was fun as I struggled and screamed, so they turned me to ensure they could keep doing it over and over again.” Venom was heavy in my voice. “I never found out who they were."
"How terrible,” the Ifrit commented, but I don't think he really felt any grief for me. “But through the pain, and anguish, did you not receive gifts most mortals spend their entire lives dreaming about?"
I shook my head. “They took everything from me. I don't see—"
"But they gave you a new life,” Chithula countered. “A life without disease, without sickness, without death. You have lived on this plane for one hundred and forty years now. Didn't that make the pain and suffering worth it?"
"One hundred and thirty-nine,” I corrected, adding my human and my vampiric years. He was testing me, playing devil's advocate, but why? “Yes, I'm immortal now, but that simply gives me the rest of eternity to grieve for those I lost and relive the pain of that event."
"Why don't you let it go?"
"Let it go?” I asked, almost insulted. “How can you even consider that an option? I lost those I loved. I lost my family.” My voice became small. “I lost my daughter."
"Humans define themselves through suffering,” Chithula offered. “They build complex social and economic systems with no other purpose than to bring more pain into their lives. Everything they do, every choice they make is measured against how much anguish it will cause. If a human being isn't suffering, they don't feel alive for some reason. You are not a human, Rose Webb.” He paused letting the statement sink in. “You don't have to suffer."