Masque of the Vampire (Amaranthine Book 8)

by Joleene Naylor

  Immediate danger gone, Annabelle dropped to a sobbing heap. Andrei hurried to pull her to him. “We’ll get her back.” He soothed her with foreign words. When she buried her face in his chest he turned to the remaining Executioners. “You will find her!”

  “And Sarah,” Katelina cried.

  Jamie wiped his sword on his coat. “Be careful with your orders, Andrei.”

  The vampire glared, ready to argue, when Jorick cut him off. “This is your fault. Had you been honest when you requested security, The Guild would have taken this more seriously.”

  Annabelle clung to him desperately. “Does he mean Estrilda?”

  “No,” Jamie answered grimly. “Andrei invited Lilith-”

  “Lilith?” Annabelle echoed the name with horror. “She and Samael are myths.”

  “Myths proved reality,” Jamie replied. “Who do you think attacked us?”

  “How should we know?” Andrei demanded.

  “That was Samael,” Jorick said. “And we both know why he came.”

  Andrei stiffened and Annabelle sobbed. “That cursed dagger. Oh Andrei, I told you to destroy it.”

  “It wasn’t only the dagger he was after, but Lilith,” Jorick commented. “Or maybe I should call her Kali.”

  “Ridiculous,” Andrei snapped. “I’ve known Kali for more than three centuries—under different names, yes, but never that one.”

  Jamie waved him to silence. “Regardless, Samael’s attack proves that’s who she is. Between her presence and the blade of Nu-Gua, this—” he motioned to the mess, “—was inevitable.”

  Andrei glared. “If you’re finished, my wife is distraught enough without your accusations.”

  He scooped her up and carried her out the door, leaving Fleur to look from one to the other confused.

  Brandle stepped next to her and laid a bloody hand on her shoulder. “Trust the words of an old warrior. Ours is not to question. My assistance is yours if you want it.”

  Fleur deflated as she gazed around the room. “I won’t say no.”

  Des dashed out the door, but returned shortly, his face wadded in frustration. He hesitated, before plunging toward Katelina. “Kali took Sarah.”

  “I know. I’m waiting for Jorick and then—”

  “Then what? They stole a plane. Unless you think Jorick can fly?” He rubbed his head in frustration. “Fuck!”

  Jorick abandoned his duties to move between her and Des. “What do you want?”

  Their eyes met, hard and angry. Finally Des snapped, “How are we going to get Sarah back?”

  “We’re going to go after them,” Katelina began, but Jorick cut her off.

  “Des is correct. None of us are hunters, or pilots. Even if we were, we couldn’t track something that flies.”

  Katelina shook her head. “They can’t just take off in an airplane. There are flight plans and all that crap.”

  “I don’t know enough about it. The Guild may be able to find her.”

  “So we wait on them?” Des demanded.

  We?

  Jorick nodded sharply. “Unless you have a better idea.”

  “Fine. But I’m going with you.” He held Jorick’s eyes, daring him to say no.

  Though Katelina expected him to meet the challenge, he only gave a sharp nod and turned to her. “Do you know where Samael went?”

  “No. I think he’s mad at me.” She bit back tears. “Do you think Sarah and Estrilda are okay?”

  Jorick pulled her to him and rubbed her back. “I’m sure they’re fine, little one. Don’t worry, we’ll find them.” He kissed her forehead, then released her. “I need to work.”

  She let him go and turned her attention to helping clear the mess. She uncovered both injured and dead, though all told the casualty list was shorter than she expected. Aside from Kali’s followers there were four of the musicians, eight of the acting troupe, including the vampiress who’d represented Lilith. One of Andrei’s servants. Two from his coven, including Borne, and five guests: the gossipy Jome, Urian the angry ex-lover, Trevor the servant, and the youthful Petta among them.

  Rangvald clutched his mate’s crushed body and cried openly. His misery was more than Katelina could take, so she excused herself to clean up. She let the hot shower run over her and prayed that Sarah was all right. Why did Kali take her when all she really wanted was the sword?

  Maybe she’s not a captive.

  Though horrifying, the thought was her own. She tried to tell herself it couldn’t be true, but there was evidence. Sarah’s insistence that Kali and the twins were “nice”. Her determination to spend time with them. Her locked mind. Maybe she had asked Kali to do it.

  Katelina dropped on the bed, still wrapped in a towel. Lost in thought, she jumped when the door opened. It was Jorick, covered in grime. He nodded to her and disappeared for a shower. When he emerged he smelled of soap.

  Katelina picked at the bedspread as he sat next to her. “You don’t think Sarah’s bad, do you?”

  “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “She was unconscious when they left.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself. Kali forced her to step in front of her, and from there on she was out of it. Maybe if she’d been awake she’d have fought them.”

  Jorick stroked Katelina’s naked shoulder as she went on. “If she’s a victim, what stops Kali from killing her? She used her as a shield because Samael promised he wouldn’t hurt anyone I cared about. But at the end, he intended to break his promise.”

  “Maybe not.”

  She nodded firmly. “I know he did. He told me so.”

  Jorick looked away, a hand to his stomach. “I need to get dressed and help interrogate the prisoners. Verchiel is handling it now, but his abilities are questionable at best.”

  She stood and moved for her luggage. “Hold on and I’ll come with you.”

  When she was ready, she followed Jorick downstairs. They stopped at the kitchen for blood. After two glasses, both his wound and her swollen face were healed, and they headed to the basement. They ducked into the secret room. She shivered as she recognized the place she’d caught Borne and the goth twins; where the hiker had lain in a pool of sticky crimson, her throat cut.

  Now Verchiel stood guard, still wearing the green shirt and leggings of his Robin Hood costume. Four vampires, streaked in dirt and blood, sat in a row, hands tied behind their backs and mouths gagged. Roger and Cornelius stood at each end, weapons drawn. Something in Roger’s eyes said he hoped they caused trouble.

  “You didn’t catch Anya?” Katelina asked.

  Verchiel shook his head, then turned to Jorick. “Taking over?”

  “If I need to.” He studied the prisoners. “Why were you following William?”

  No one spoke, and Jorick asked again. In the silence that followed, she felt him pressing on them, breaking into their minds.

  Satisfied, he turned away. “It’s as we thought. William recruited for Kali, or Lilith I suppose we should call her. He told them that they planned to overthrow The Guilds, but I imagine that was a lie. If she is Lilith, she’s powerful enough to do that herself. If she’s recruiting help, it’s probably to fight Samael.”

  “Did he know her before they came here?” Verchiel asked.

  Jorick ran through them. One after another stiffened, then sagged. “Yes. William and Lilith met in Burma—Myanmar.”

  Verchiel went for his pockets. When he found none, he settled for putting his hands on his hips. “Do they know where she went?”

  “No.”

  The redhead made an unhappy noise. “How am I supposed to arrest her for improper disposal and purposeful revelations to mortals?”

  Katelina choked. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

  “I do my job.” He winked. “Jamie said The Guild and the Assembly are trying to track the plane, but so far nothing. Fleur asked for reinforcements. Dardenima is on her way, and another should arrive tomorrow.” He motioned to the corridor with his head. Though Jori
ck looked annoyed, he took the hint, and the three of them filed out.

  Verchiel shut the door, then walked purposefully to the deserted pool room. “Fleur hasn’t figured out who Estrilda is. I think it’s better if she doesn’t.”

  Jorick scoffed. “If you’re worried I’ll say something—”

  “No” Verchiel said. “The point is Andrei can’t file an official complaint without revealing the kid’s existence, which means there won’t be an official rescue operation.”

  “We’ll find her when we look for Sarah,” Katelina said.

  Verchiel brightened. “So you’re already planning to go? Great!”

  “Of course we are. Did you think we’d leave her?” Katelina demanded.

  “Never can tell. In all seriousness, though, what if Lilith doesn’t keep them together? What if you find Sarah but not the kid? Will you keep looking?”

  “Obviously!” Katelina snapped.

  Verchiel patted her on the head, despite Jorick’s hard look. “That’s what I like to hear. All right, back to prisoner duty. Oh, and Jorick, Fleur wants you upstairs. Since Anya is working with Lilith, she thought Thomas might know something.”

  Thomas. In all the excitement, Katelina’d forgotten about him.

  They headed upstairs. Graham, fully healed, stood in front of a bedroom door. With a nod he stepped aside and let them through.

  The bedroom beyond was deep carpet and heavy wallpaper. A Victorian style couch sat under a set of heavily draped windows. Polished furniture was scattered around and framed paintings hung on the walls. Doorways to the side led to bedrooms. Through one Katelina could see a large four poster bed hung with gauzy curtains and heaped with pillows.

  Finally, Katelina’s eyes were drawn to the one thing she didn’t want to look at. Thomas was strapped into his wheelchair. His perfectly waved hair fell over his forehead. A polo shirt hugged his chest, but short sleeves fell empty, as did the legs of his trousers, left to flap above the chair’s feet rests. She met his eyes and cringed away from the mixture of anger and terror that slammed into her.

  Fleur stood next to him, hands on her hips. “Thank God. A mind reader. All I can get from him are weird noises.”

  Jorick looked to Thomas and he jolted in the chair. His terror and desperation grew until Katelina could barely breathe under the weight.

  Jorick broke away. “He doesn’t know where they’ve gone.”

  Thomas rocked and gave a low rattling moan.

  Fleur’s nose wrinkled. “What does he want?”

  “He wants to know where his sister is.”

  “He doesn’t know?”

  Thomas’ distress increased while the Executioners hesitated. Finally Katelina couldn’t stand it. “She left with Kali.”

  Thomas fell still, his eyes wide. She felt his despair before she saw the tears.

  She left me.

  Katelina tried to distance herself from his agony. “What’s going to happen to him?”

  The Executioners looked away, but she saw the pronouncement on their faces. “He didn’t do anything.”

  Jorick choked. “Not this time…but it doesn’t matter. He can’t take care of himself.”

  “And you’re willing to kill him for that? He may be a horrible person, but he didn’t ask anyone to do that to him!”

  “No more than a child asks to be turned, but it’s The Law, Katelina. With no one to take care of him, he’ll slowly starve to death. Is that better?”

  “It’s not fair.”

  “Life’s not fair. I’m sorry. I do what I can to protect you from reality, but sometimes you have to face it. I’m not going to be responsible for Thomas to make you feel better. We already have a human in Maine, and your friend we need to rescue. There are limits.”

  Fleur cleared her throat. “I might know someone.” Katelina looked to her hopefully and she sighed. “My master’s friend likes to collect…oddities. Midgets, deformed vampires, that kind of thing. I’m sure he’d find this interesting. I’m not saying Thomas would be happy. He’d be taken care of, sheltered, fed, clothed, but I can’t say whether there’d be any affection.”

  “It’s already more than he deserves.” Jorick gave Thomas a hard look.

  Fleur pulled out her cell phone. As she dialed the number, Jorick tugged Katelina to the hall. She glanced back and met Thomas’ eyes. For a second the room disappeared and dropped her into darkness. The smell of dirt and mold filled her nose. Her body screamed from thirst. But there was nothing. Nothing and no one. No way to scream, no way to get free, no way to die. Only the dark.

  Please let me die. Please.

  Despite the silent plea, Katelina couldn’t do it, couldn’t be responsible for it.

  Jorick gave her a gentle shake to pull her back to the present. “I hope you never learn there are worse things than death, little one.”

  She shuddered as she turned away. “So do I.”

  THE ADVENTURE CONCLUDES IN BOOK 9

  GODDESS OF NIGHT

  Join the Amaranthine mailing list for new book alerts in your inbox:

  http://www.joleenenaylor.com/books/newsletter.php

  About the Author:

  Joleene Naylor is the author of the glitter-less Amaranthine series, a world where vampires aren’t for children. As a compliment to the novel series, she has also written several short story collections and the Amaranthine Files encyclopedia.

  In what little time is left she watches anime and updates her blogs, all from a crooked Victorian house in Villisca, Iowa. Between her husband and her pets, she is never lonely, and should she ever disappear one might look for her on a beach in Tahiti, sipping a tropical drink and wearing a disguise.

  Ramblings from the Darkness at www.JoleeneNaylor.com

  You never know what you’ll find in the shadows…..

  Acknowledgments:

  I’d like to thank the following people:

  My husband, for putting up with my last minute panic yet again. He’s learned to throw chocolate at it.

  My mother, for her enthusiasm and beta reading, and my brother, Chris, for “putting up with [my] crabbiness.” Those are his words, not mine. I bet you could tell.

  Sharon Stogner, Donna Yates, Barbara Tarn, Steve Evans, Sherry Hamby, and Carolyn Cason for their beta reading and editing. Thanks to their great comments and questions, this book is better than it was before they saw it.

  To anyone who prodded me or left kind words of encouragement on Facebook, Twitter, email, or my blog. Writers need those the way dolphins need fish. We just don’t perform well without them.

  To anyone who posted links, recommended the books to their friends and family, left a review, or shared one of my posts. You know who you are and it would take a page to list you all. You are the awesomest of the awesome. I really have the coolest, most interesting fans in the world.

  Lastly, a special thanks to God, who keeps giving me another day. Now if he’d just start handing out dollars.

  Connect with Joleene Naylor:

  Website: http://JoleeneNaylor.com

  Author blog: http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/

  FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/joleenenaylorbooks

  Twitter: http://twitter.com/joleene_naylor

  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3165393.Joleene_Naylor

  Personal facebook profile: http://facebook.com/joleene.naylor

  Pinterest : http://www.pinterest.com/joleenenaylor/boards/

  Google +: https://plus.google.com/102925915756209535618/posts

  PREVIEW OF BOOK 9: GODDESS OF NIGHT

  Chapter One

  Katelina stared into the motel’s bathroom mirror. Blue eyes held prism colors she wasn’t used to. Long blond hair fell past her shoulders in salon perfect waves. Her pale skin looked airbrushed. She was like a magazine version of herself.

  That’s what vampirism will do for you.

  Vampire. That’s what she was now, thanks to a near death experience that forced her friend Micah to turn
her. Two months later, she’d almost reconciled to the idea of it all.

  At least I’m finally pretty.

  Jorick would argue, but that was what a boyfriend was supposed to do. Even one with fangs and five hundred years on the clock.

  A knock came on the door, followed by the vampire himself. Long black hair hung down his back, and warm dark eyes looked her over. Jorick smiled, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Taking another bath?”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean? You shower a lot.”

  “Not every day.” He chucked her chin affectionately. “Never mind. Go ahead. I’ll get the luggage gathered up.”

  When he’d slipped out the door, she disrobed and climbed in the shower. She knew it was pointless; vampires didn’t sweat, didn’t produce the thousand and one oils that made daily bathing important for humanity. She continued the ritual out of habit, or maybe some kind of determination to pretend.

  As the water ran over her, she thought about everything that had happened since she’d met Jorick; from fighting Claudius to killing Malick, Jorick’s megalomaniac master. When she met Jorick she was a different person; a saner person by the world’s standards. She didn’t believe in vampires, or monsters. She’d never killed anyone, never had her life threatened, never tasted blood or watched immortal children burn in a bonfire. Less than a year later, she was one of the monsters she thought were fictional. She’d seen more than she wanted to remember, done more than she wanted to think about but, thanks to Jorick and her friends, she’d grown as a person. She was no longer the terrified, cringing woman screaming from behind Jorick. Now she could grab a bookcase and beat their enemies to death.

  If only Sarah had been as lucky.

  Her best friend had been turned by a true monster, suffered untold horror, only to escape and find out that everyone had moved on without her. Though Katelina tried to help, it made things worse. Now Sarah was in the clutches of an ancient vampiress who was probably torturing her for the fun of it.