Cassia appeared to have noticed nothing as she shifted her grip on the girl and tried to stand; Javier lifted them up and set them on their feet.
“What is your name little one?” he asked softly;
“Rose,” she whispered, “Spike and me, we were going to London together and then to Paris. We were going to join the artist’s commune. Our kind, all working and living together.”
Cassia nodded; she had come across this group of very young aspiring artists living and working in Paris;
“Did you run away from home Rose?” she asked gently.
The girl Rose let out a low wail;
“Yes, yes. We took the night bus; neither of us has mastered shifting properly yet.”
She stopped and stared at the starburst pattern on the floor then at Javier, her eyes hollow with shock;
“He stabbed Spike with that black knife and he just blew apart into nothing…just ash and atoms. He wanted to show them how it worked. How could that happen?”
Javier shook his head, he had no answers. Cassia bent down and lightly swept some of the ash into her hand; her voice hushed;
“It’s true then. Not just some scary legend to tell the children. It exists. Javier we should get all this ash collected to give back to his parents; they will need it for the ceremony to send him into the Infinite.” She looked up, “Javier…?”
Javier was staring at her, his face as pale as the young girl’s had been. Then he turned abruptly on his heel and headed for the stairs;
“I’ll send someone down. I cannot…” his voice was rough and he ascended the stairs two at a time as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.
Upstairs in the hallway Javier took deep calming breaths and bolted into the study. The whole ground floor was a hive of activity. Chronus’s London agents had arrived on the scene. Some of them were bagging up the bodies while others were systematically searching every room in the house. The two Empaths in the study jumped slightly as he crashed in and leaned against the desk. He noticed their curious, apprehensive glances and wondered if they were because a fully armed Vampire warrior was suddenly in their midst or whether they were reading the seething mass of black emotions rolling off him in waves.
Images flickered in and out of his mind. Standing with LaSalle in the complete devastation of that Cairo restaurant as all hope drained away. LaSalle collecting Charlotte’s remains because he couldn’t. His body talking, walking and breathing despite the fact that he had died inside. Javier shook his head; no, he wasn’t going there again. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in and breathe out. Eight years, eight years had passed, he had moved on. This situation wasn’t about him.
“Javier?” Gabriel stood in the doorway, “I’m heading back to the Island with Chronus. You alright to finish off here?”
“Fine. I’ll arrange to get the child back home to her parents and send someone to the boy’s place. Cassia says we should collect his ashes for the final ritual.”
“She is right, we should. Do you want me to do that?” Gabriel’s dark eyes were fixed on him. Was he so obvious? Were his emotions written so plainly on his face? How long had his fellow warriors been tiptoeing round him, protecting him from himself? Javier felt a flash of anger, of self-loathing.
“No. I’ll arrange it. You go. I’ll follow with Cassia as soon as possible.”
Gabriel nodded and left. Javier stared after him; he would be suffering too, his elder brother had been killed in the same way as the boy Spike, blown apart by that terrible weapon. That had been over two centuries ago. Gabriel had hunted down and killed all the self-styled slayers. Now they were back and more of his race was going to die. Time to step up and get on with his job.
An hour later he had made all the arrangements and taken a statement from the girl. He stood with Cassia in the hallway as Stephan prepared to return Rose to her frantic parents. The girl turned to Cassia and Javier’s heart ached at how much that young face seemed to have aged;
“I owe you the blood debt just like it says in the Ancient Laws.” Rose was obviously well schooled in their traditions;
Cassia shook her head and took the girl’s hands; “I release you from any debt but my blood runs in you so we have a bond.”
“Will you come and see me one day?”
Cassia nodded, a smile lighting up her face as she pulled Rose into her arms and hugged her before gently releasing her. The girl looked dwarfed and fragile in the warrior Stephan’s arms; Javier raised his hand in dismissal and the two of them disappeared in a flurry of dark energy.
“Poor kid.” murmured Cassia, hugging herself as she warily eyed the team of Empaths busily hefting boxes of papers out to their waiting vehicles. She had never been in the presence of so many of their former enemies. She stole a quick look at Javier as he gave instructions to Andreas; she had contrived to avoid making any real eye contact with him since he had sealed the wounds on her wrist. Why had he done it? The feel of his mouth and his tongue on her skin had sent such a shock through her body that she had used that poor girl as camouflage to hide her response.
And then there had been his haunted reaction when she had suggested collecting up the few ashes that remained of the boy Spike. She wondered how his consort had died; she had a feeling that her comments down in that cellar had sent him all the way back to the day their bond had been ripped apart by death.
Javier stuffed his mobile phone back into a pocket and held out an arm for her;
“Let’s get back.”
“Can’t you just give me the coordinates and let me shift back myself?” Cassia asked, “Nothing on earth would make me do a flit till we find out who did this.” She could really do without getting close to him; it was seriously disturbing her equilibrium.
“I believe that Cass, I really do but the less you know the better. Come here, I need to get back now.”
Cassia wrapped her arms protectively round herself and shuffled forward awkwardly. She heard Javier utter what sounded like an exasperated curse in Spanish as he reached out and tucked her into his body, his arm hooked firmly round her waist before he breathed in and concentrated his mind.
CHAPTER 7
Just as before Cassia knew they had arrived back on the Island by the warmth and the scent of the air around her. Javier loosened his grip round her waist but held her by the shoulders;
“You can open your eyes.” he said. Cassia hadn’t realized she had shut her eyes. She was aware however that her body was trembling slightly. It would be the reaction, she thought, and young Rose had taken a lot of blood. Javier raised her chin gently with his hand so she was looking up at him;
“Cass, you can talk to me. You were marvellous back there but it was a lot to cope with; how are you doing?”
Cassia wanted to bury herself against him and cry. To be held and comforted and soothed, just for once. She stepped back; forcing her emotions under control;
“Fine. I’m fine thanks. I could do with a cup of tea though.” she said flippantly
Javier narrowed his golden brown eyes then smiled;
“If you say so. Come on, I’ll get you that tea. Least I can do. I might even throw in a biscuit.”
The noise hit them the moment they entered the hall; a babble of excited voices clearly audible through the open doors of the study. Cassia could hear a mixture of French, English and the odd sentence in their old language.
“LaSalle, give me something to do, we all want to help here…” said a woman’s voice speaking with an American accent.
“What the hell…?” muttered Javier as he tucked his gun under one arm and grasped her hand, pulling her after him into the study. Nobody noticed their entrance for a few minutes and Cassia was glad because it gave her time to process the scene.
The study was packed with people. She spotted Flavia immediately, standing at the front near Gabriel who had an arm wrapped round his consort Hera. Sprawled in an armchair was a blonde warrior built like a rugby player and perched on his knee was a vibrant red hai
red woman. She was the one speaking with an American accent. Behind them stood a dark unsmiling warrior dressed in black, his arms folded tightly around himself. Another armchair held a handsome man in combat fatigues whose eyes roved from face to face casually till they came to rest on hers; she saw an immediate flare of interest. A stout, comfortable woman in chef’s whites was talking excitedly in French to a stark, plain, elegant woman who listened in dignified silence.
LaSalle was leaning on the edge of his desk, he said nothing but his sharp eyes flicked from one person to the other as he listened in to the general hubbub. He appeared completely relaxed, taking occasional drags on his cigar. Sitting on the desk next to him was a dark eyed dramatically beautiful woman with long black curling hair. This had to be his consort, the Comtesse Ysabeau thought Cassia with interest. Flavia had told her that the woman was a skilful fighter in her own right though she looked more like a supermodel in her exquisite designer clothes and Chanel necklace.
Finally she took in the other man standing silently at the front with his arms crossed. Lean and handsome with short military cut blonde hair he surveyed the inhabitants of the room with cool sky blue eyes. His suit was unmistakeably expensive and Italian and he looked like a millionaire businessman. Oh hell, thought Cassia ruefully, she had dodged this man in Florence once when she was on a job. This was Chronus; head of Intelligence for the Empath High Council. He was reputed to be a powerful Empath and was, no doubt, reading every emotion and nuance in the room. He looked very much at home.
LaSalle caught Javier’s eye and, taking a long drag on his cigar rapped sharply on the desk. The many conversations round the room continued and he stubbed out the cigar, put two fingers to his lips and whistled loud and piercingly.
There was instant silence and Cassia felt Javier gently pull his hand out of hers; she hadn’t realized she had still been grasping it tightly.
“Javier, update us.” LaSalle said.
Cassia skirted round the edge of the room to join Flavia acutely aware of the curious looks of the others. Javier stepped up to the front and laid the AK-47 on the desk before he turned to face the room. No-one even glanced at it; this was obviously a household well used to weapons. He had the full attention of everyone in the study as he briefly related the details to them. The tension was palpable as he concluded;
“I am afraid they are back. We have to assume that, once again, Empaths are the driving force behind the Humans. As we all know, Humans need them to identify our kind, we are not that obvious to them, whatever strange stories they choose to believe about us. We also know that they have at least one Obsidian Dagger.”
“Is that why they took you Javier? To try to get back the other daggers?” Hera asked.
“I guess so. Though how they knew…it doesn’t matter. Of course they would have failed. Their plan was naïve and ill thought out, suggesting they know little about how we operate. I am also indebted to Cassia for her quick thinking. Have we found out anything about the provenance of those restraining collars?”
Chronus cleared his throat and Cassia saw him cross his arms defensively as he scanned their expectant faces;
“I am afraid those collars came from our own supplies in Venice. I checked the serial numbers personally. We have…”
He got no further as Cassia felt rage coursing through her; she hardly recognized her own voice as she snapped out the question;
“So you keep a supply in Venice for restraining our kind? How many of us have you got locked up there?”
Every head turned towards her and she felt Flavia grab her arm; Chronus, however, regarded her coolly;
“I know the story of your father Miss Mathrafal and I am sorry for what was done to him. My department is nothing like it was in his time and our High Council is very different from the one that existed then. Yes, we occasionally need to use a restraint to stop a prisoner from travelling through space, only recently we had a Vampire in custody for questioning. He was arrested as the result of a joint operation involving Gabriel and Javier. He gave us vital information about Ferenc Bathory’s terrorist network; ask them, they will tell you all about it.”
Cassia tugged her arm out of Flavia’s hand, her eyes blazing as she met Chronus’s sky blue gaze;
“Well, you appear to have a thief at your headquarters Chronus. Do you know who took the collars or was their use sanctioned by someone from your High Council, someone who isn’t as keen on this Treaty as he or she pretends? That young kid was murdered by an Empath, poor Rose saw it. Slayers have only ever had one goal…to find our kind and kill us and you Empaths have always been right behind them!”
“Cassia!” Flavia whispered frantically; “He’s on our side.”
“Is he really? Well back in that house it felt just like the bad old days.”
LaSalle seemed about to intervene but Chronus stopped him with a quick shake of his head. His expression as he turned back to Cassia was worried and he addressed not just her but the whole room.
“Miss Mathrafal only speaks what I sense you are all feeling. Please believe that I am not deliberately intruding into your privacy; your emotions are coming at me like a tidal wave. I am sure Hera feels it too.” He turned to Gabriel’s consort who nodded unhappily;
“I do not know who took those restraints but I will find out. These events are as disturbing and unwelcome to us in Venice as they are to you. We worked hard for the Treaty, we mean to uphold its terms and keep the peace. Aries will put any resources necessary at my disposal to help track down these people, whoever they are. We are not the same as we were Miss Mathrafal, whatever our history. I ask, we ask for your trust.”
There was a brief silence then LaSalle swept his smoky grey gaze round the room;
“I can see how worried you all are. Our kind has been slaughtered by these groups in the past but those were different days. We know little about this current lot but we will find them and when we do we will wipe them out. The problem at the moment appears to be confined to London, there are no reports from elsewhere. Gabriel and Chronus have people on it, it will not take long for them to get a lead.”
Every eye was on LaSalle as he continued, smiling at the woman in chef’s whites and her starkly elegant companion;
“Madame Lemond, Rosa, please reassure the domestic staff that there is no risk here.”
Then he smiled at the American red head sitting on the blonde warrior’s knee;
“Katie, we are already monitoring communications but no-one is better than you. Can you trawl the web for chatter, anything you may find odd. Look at that dark thing...”
The red head grinned; “The dark web LaSalle. I’m on it.”
“Rafe, all the activity seems to be in and around London. You know the city; I need you to work with Gabriel’s and Chronus’s agents. Find the bastards quickly.”
The warrior in combat fatigues nodded sharply.
“Max, Luca, I want our warriors on the highest level of readiness. This may be a half-arsed rag tag bunch or it might be something much more deadly. I want us prepared. We will not be taking any prisoners,” he turned to Chronus, “Please make sure that message gets back to Venice Chronus, we don’t pussyfoot around with slayers…or anyone who supports them.”
Cassia raised her hand hesitantly and flushed as LaSalle’s calm gaze locked onto her;
“Mademoiselle Cassia? You may speak freely…as you already have.”
Cassia took a deep breath as once again, she became the focus of every eye;
“The Humans involved…they are not likely to be upstanding members of society. I have some contacts who may be able to put out discreet feelers.”
“We need to take care, we cannot risk exposure.”
“I know that LaSalle, I have operated in the Human world for a very long time without anyone realizing who or what I am. Please, let me help, I know someone who can find things out.”
“Well, we need all the help we can get. I cannot let you put yourself in danger Cassia; these peop
le know your face. See your contact by all means but you will go nowhere without Javier, is that clear? This Island will be your base till I deem it safe for you to leave. I need your word that you will not go off investigating by yourself.”
Cassia met LaSalle’s implacable gaze; this was the only way she’d be able to contribute. She thought once again of poor Rose’s haunted eyes and the ash spread all over that cellar; all that remained of a young boy, an artist with a dream. She drew herself up and laid her right hand over her heart as she gave her word using their ancient language;
“I swear by the bloodline of my father Hugo Mathrafal that I will adhere to your terms.”
LaSalle bowed formally, “So be it. You may consider yourself a temporary member of the Council from this moment on. You report to Javier.”
Well, thought Cassia, ignoring Flavia’s excited gasp, who would have thought it? International art thief to member of the Warrior’s Council in a matter of hours; albeit temporary. As for reporting to Javier, she met his amused eyes for a second before scowling and looking away, she’d just have to find a way to handle him. No man was going to be in charge of her.
Madame Lemond the chef announced proudly that dinner would be served shortly despite the touch of hysterics in the kitchen then bustled out followed by the starkly elegant Rosa. Cassia wondered if she was the housekeeper. A hand touched the small of her back, propelling her forward. She jumped as Javier bent close and murmured;
“Looks like I’m stuck with you Miss Mathrafal. Quite a grilling you gave poor Chronus. Come on, I’ll introduce you. I’m sure everyone’s dying to meet this firebrand in their midst.”
Cassia bit back a rude retort as she was introduced to the others. The dramatic supermodel was indeed the Countess Ysabeau and Cassia liked her immediately as she was welcomed with Parisian air kisses. She’d make sure not to underestimate her, she thought as she was fixed with intelligent perceptive eyes. The vibrant American was Katie von Lansdorff and the powerful blonde warrior was her consort Maximillian.
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