Bella Flores Urban Fantasy Collection

by R D Martin

  "The pact is as strong as custom, true. And no one has dared to break it, but it can still be broken, as we've seen tonight."

  "So, why do you think I did it? I mean, I admit I visited the Algonde—"

  "There, she's admitted to it. Let’s just execute her now and be done with this." Jurile's rasp was full of something Bella could only call malice.

  "Enough!" Darius’s face displayed the anger in his voice for long enough for it to be obvious before returning to normal. "If a trial is found necessary, it will be held before the entire Conclave. We are here to ascertain facts. Nothing more."

  His gaze returned to Bella. He didn't smile at her, nor did he give her any signal, but it felt as though he was almost on her side. When she realized this, some weight on her shoulders seemed to lift. If he was on her side, then maybe there was some hope yet.

  "Now, why were you meeting with the Algonde? What was your business with her?"

  "I, I went to speak with her. About the Finder, that is."

  "Ah yes," the translated voice of the second member interjected. "Darius told us about the missing Moab, though I confess, I am confused. Why would you visit the Algonde when it is well-known that she was not friendly to his cause?"

  "Not friendly?" The Algonde had seemed genuinely worried about Bella's missing boss.

  "Enemies, or rivals at the very least," the judge continued. "She has, uh, had been encroaching on territory he controlled. There was some worry that they might come to arms at the Conclave. We kept them at separate ends of the complex for that reason."

  "I, I didn't know that."

  "You were also seen in the company of the Sea Hag, Ceto, and she is a known enemy of the Finder."

  "I didn't know she was even here. And I wasn't in her company. She was trying to kill me. If one of your people was watching, why didn't they step in to put a stop to that?"

  "It sounds as if you're trying to shift blame," Jurile said.

  Bella already disliked the lizard, but this sealed it. She turned to snap at him, but her remarks stuck in her throat when she saw the second judge nod. Cold rushed through her as though she'd just stepped outside in the middle of winter. The second judge agreed with the reptile? How could he?

  "That's not true," she stammered. "She, uh, I, I have this mark, and I was supposed to, um…" How could she explain it without making it look like she worked for the Sea Hag? She looked at each judge, trying to gauge what they were thinking, but even Darius looked impassive. She sighed and, after taking a deep breath, launched into the story of how she met with the Sea Hag. She tried to gloss over some parts of the story but told them most of it. When she reached the end, she slumped like a wrung-out towel.

  "That's an interesting… story." The lizard put too much emphasis on the last word, and Bella could tell he didn't believe it.

  "Be that as it may," Darius said as he adjusted himself in his seat, "that still doesn't explain what you were doing with the Algonde. If we accept your word about your accidental run-in with Ceto, which we are inclined to do"—Jurile grunted in disagreement—"we still need to know your business with the deceased. Why did you visit her?”

  This one was easy.

  "He sent me." She nodded to her left, making sure her hands stayed in place.

  "I most certainly," Jurile sputtered as every head turned in his direction until he realized they weren't looking at him. It might have been Bella’s imagination, but his scales turned a little darker for a moment before he turned to look in that direction as well.

  The silence reigned until the second judge broke it with his distinctive voice.

  "The Representative? Human, be warned. While everyone understands the enmity held by some of the community toward the Imperium, do not think you can play off that to exonerate yourself. We will—"

  "It's true." Wallace's words cut through the judge's, and every head turned toward him again.

  "Excuse me? Can you repeat that?" Jurile asked.

  "I said it's true. I sent her to speak with the Algonde. The Finder was missing, and who better to know what he was up to than a rival? Bella, uh, the defendant, hadn't even known of her existence until after we spoke."

  If life were a cartoon, Bella's jaw would have hit the floor in shock. She'd expected him to deny it, to deny ever having even met her. But he was helping her?

  "Well, that's, um." Even Darius seemed at a loss for words.

  "I did, in fact, give her a list of names, all of whom I believe could help her locate her missing employer. Even your name was on the list, Bob."

  The second judge jerked as though stung by a bee. So that's his name. Bella felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips. It was a very normal name for a very odd creature.

  "I, uh, see," Bob said. The translator spell was doing a terrific job of conveying his confusion at the new information.

  "That is interesting and sheds some unexpected light on this inquiry." Darius shifted in his seat again. "I think we can all agree that the Representative's testimony in this matter lends weight to the defendant’s claims."

  When even Jurile nodded at the statement, some of the knots in Bella's stomach loosened. Until this moment, she was sure they would execute her, if for no other reason than to parade their swift justice before the Conclave. Now it looked as though she would leave with her skin intact. A warmth spread from her core and she almost felt giddy.

  "But what about the witness testimony?" Bob asked. "This is in direct contradiction."

  "What witness?" Bella asked. They had a witness? How could they? Were they spying on her? In a flash, the warmth spreading through her disappeared, replaced with a sense of fear she couldn't control. It was like jumping out of an airplane and learning the rip cord didn't work. She was in free fall.

  A nod from Darius and one of the vampire guards blurred and disappeared. Minutes passed, each one almost an eternity itself before she reappeared. Holding open the door, she gestured for someone to enter. When he did, Bella's heart finished its free fall and crashed into the pit in her stomach. The person entering the room was not a human, but rather Darius's vampire assistant, Charles.

  He had the same look of superiority that she'd become accustomed to seeing, but this time there was something off, though Bella couldn't tell what. Maybe his back was a little less ramrod straight, or perhaps his pallor was more white than normal. Whatever it was, it made her gut wrench.

  Darius waved to a nearby seat, and the young vampire took it without hesitation.

  "Charles, you have been summoned to answer a few questions. Do you understand?"

  The younger vampire nodded and stared straight ahead, making it impossible for Bella to look him in the eye. What could he have to say? They'd only met a few times.

  "Please repeat your testimony."

  Charles nodded and cleared his throat. "I was going about my business and the defendant ran into me, knocking me to the floor. She was rude and unapologetic, but also lost and clearly deranged, so I extended our full hospitality to help her return to her quarters. That was when she told me she was trying to locate the Imperium Representative on a, um, personal matter."

  "And did you find that suspicious?"

  "I did, and I questioned her about it until she said you were the one to send her. I wanted to get confirmation from you, but she insisted, and this is Conclave. We may not interfere with messengers, which is what I assumed she was."

  He sighed, and Bella wanted nothing more at that moment than to punch him in the nose. He was making her seem crazy.

  "Go on," Darius urged.

  "After escorting her to the Representative’s chambers, I continued about my duties. Later, when I was dealing with an issue in the eighth-level corridor, I came upon her in conversation with the Sea Hag, Ceto. One of them had constructed a shield spell to keep intruders away."

  "What did you see?"

  "I saw the two of them speaking. It was odd, though. The human looked as though she was ready to attack the Hag. I was abo
ut to step in and inquire if everything was all right when their conversation broke up. The Hag wandered away, looking shaken from the ordeal, while the human stormed off. I wasn't sure if I should follow either, but since no one appeared hurt, I resumed my duties and reported the incident to you at the first opportunity."

  Darius nodded and confirmed he had. Bella tried to interject, tried to remind them that she'd been the victim in that situation, but was silenced by the second judge. As her stomach churned and her fear boiled away, an anger began raging in the pit of her stomach. He hadn't seen the entire thing, and what he did see made her look as though she was part of some back-alley drug deal. If he'd been there a few minutes earlier, he'd have watched her almost drown. And storming off? She'd just tried to keep her composure. She'd just gone toe-to-toe with a goddess.

  "And do you know where Ceto is now?"

  "We think she is in her room, but we don't know for sure. It is locked and warded from the inside, though, so we know someone is there."

  "And later?"

  The young vampire squirmed and his sallow complexion took on a pale yellow tinge that Bella didn't know how to describe. Whatever the reason for it, though, the vampire looked down at her for the first time since beginning to speak, and she noticed circles had formed under his eyes. His smooth skin shouldn't have shown them, but there they were, plain as day.

  "I was on my way to deliver a package to the Indrik Representative and saw the human standing at the Algonde's door. She was having a hushed conversation with one of the lady's servants. I, I don't know what they were talking about. I was in a hurry. But when he slammed the door in her face, she looked ready to kill."

  His last word hung in the air like a death toll and Bella knew she was sunk. He hadn't lied about anything, but his version of events made it look possible that she had killed the Algonde. She felt like breaking down and crying. What was she going to do? How could she make them believe she was innocent?

  When Darius spoke, she barely listened. A layer of fog draped over her mind like a woolen blanket, smothering everything but the certain knowledge her life would end here.

  "Prime!" In the stone room, the word bounced against the walls like a crazy rubber ball.

  Bella's head shot up and her eyes focused on the vampire Elder. "Huh? What?"

  "I said, do you have anything more to add?"

  What was there to add? She shook her head. Either they believed her now or they didn't.

  "This is troubling. We have two versions of the same story, either of which could be true. That leaves us with two choices. Do we exonerate and free her now, or do we take her before the Conclave to stand trial? If we set her free, they may see it as letting a murder go unpunished if we can't find the actual killer. If we take her before the Conclave, the delegates will bay for blood, and it is almost certain she will be found guilty."

  Darius paused as his fellow judges considered, and Bella could almost see their minds working. They needed to put up a strong front if they were to maintain their control of both events and the Conclave.

  "I vote we should release her." Darius's words were crisp and clear and Bella stared up at him, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

  He believed her? Over the word of one of his own vampires? The only thing keeping her from dancing for joy was the manacles around her wrists. She didn't hope for the lizard voting for her, but if the second judge did, she could still walk out of here. She turned to the octopus-headed creature and focused all her attention on him. Come on.

  "I vote for trial." The metal-on-crystal sound of his words might as well have been the shattering of glass.

  Bella's heart stopped as though a stake had been driven through it, making her blood freeze in her veins. That was it. That was the last nail in her coffin. The edges of her vision darkened. She'd thought he'd believed her, thought he was on her side.

  The clicking of claws on stone caught her attention. Not enough to pull her out of her own head, but enough to make her look at the last judge. She just wanted him to speak and put an end to her misery. She was as good as dead anyway, so he might as well get on with it.

  "I think…" He paused and his tongue flicked out, tasting the air before disappearing again. "I think we should speak with Ceto first."

  Wait. What? Speak with the Sea Hag?

  "Confine the human to her quarters and send someone to speak with Ceto. Your servant has confirmed someone is in the room. If her version agrees with the witness's, then we drag her before the Conclave. If not…"

  She didn't hear anything else he had to say. Freedom. Or at least a stay in execution. But why? Why was he giving her this chance? Was it some kind of torture? Was he just being sadistic and letting her believe she had some hope? It didn't matter. Not right at that second, anyway. He could be her worst enemy and she'd still hug him.

  "That is wise," Darius said, though his voice warbled as though he almost wanted to disagree. Hadn't he voted to let her go free in the first place? Maybe he didn't want to have anything to do with Ceto, and for that, she couldn't blame him. If she ever saw the Sea Hag again, it would be too soon. He turned his attention back to focus on her. "You are confined to your room until we have spoken with Ceto, at which time, we will make our final decision."

  He gave her a smile and gestured for the guards to remove her. The female was the first to reach her, and though she was nicer in her handling than the male guard, she was still firm. When the manacles clicked and opened, Bella felt like a bird released from a cage, free to fly where she chose. She was rubbing her wrists, trying to make the feeling of the cold metal disappear even as the guards escorted her out, when Wallace spoke.

  "Your Honors. If, or I should say, when the murderer is brought to justice and tried before the entire Conclave, I would like to volunteer the services of the Imperium for the execution. It would send a powerful message of solidarity between our two groups."

  Bella tried to stop and turn to stare at the man, but with her guard pushing her along, she might as well have been trying to stop a freight train. He wanted to execute her? So much for being a family friend. If he'd ever been a family friend, he'd betrayed that trust. He'd lied to her, sent her on a wild goose chase that landed her cuffed and on her knees, and now he was offering to swing the ax?

  The last thing she saw, looking over shoulder before being pushed out the door and into the hallway, was an enormous smile plastered on Wallace's face, and she wondered if it was the same smile a fish saw right before a shark ate it.

  15

  "So, what are you going to do?" Cat asked, pausing to lick at a tuft of fur on his paw that didn't lie the way he wanted it.

  "What do you mean?" Lying on the bed with her familiar purring as he sat on her stomach, she stared up at the gray stone ceiling. She'd been thinking the same thing since her escorts dropped her off. The trip back had taken much longer, but Wallace's words bounced around so much inside her skull she hadn't noticed.

  "I mean, are you going to accept this and hope everything works out, or are you going to do something about it? I only ask because, if you're going to just curl up in a ball, I'd rather be somewhere else."

  "I'm not," she started, and stopped. She knew he was trying to goad her into doing something, but she had as much chance of leaving this room as the moon had of falling from the sky. She had to admit, though, it was frustrating. Her life hung on the word of a fallen goddess who hadn't thought twice about drowning her. What if she refused to speak to them? Did they have the power to force her? Did anyone? "There's nothing I can do."

  "That's not true and you know it." He batted at her with his paw, though the smack was little more than him letting her know what he thought of her answer.

  "What would you like me to do? Walk out into the hall, tell the guards I'm going for a walk, and make a mad dash for it?"

  "Well, that would be something, at least."

  "Yeah, and it would get me tossed back in here. Probably with irons to keep me from leaving again. Hey, I
know. You could always turn into that big cat and take them out." As a familiar, he had several jobs he was supposed to perform for her. One was as her guardian. To that end, he had the ability to change his size, becoming as large as African lions. He'd done it once to save her life, and that was a surprise, since he preferred guarding her from more common dangers, like mice and canned salmon.

  "Sure, and while I'm at it, I'll change into a horse for you to ride through the hallway. I'm sure nobody will notice us that way."

  "All right, big mouth. What do you suggest?"

  "Oh, that's easy. Get out of here and find out who killed the Algonde. Find them, and you'll probably find who attacked your inchworm." Cat had taken on the habit of calling her boss an inchworm every time he referred to the Moab.

  "And the guards outside? You think they will let me just go? We won't get two feet. Besides, I don't even know where to start."

  "What?" Cat looked up from giving himself a tongue bath. "Oh, you were still whining. Carry on, then. Let me know when you're done."

  She thought of pushing him off her stomach and locking him outside, but he'd just find another way in. He had a habit of showing up where he wasn't expected. She'd given up trying to lock her bedroom door at night.

  "Cat…" He might be an insulting feline, but he was a magic one. "How do you shadow-walk?"

  "What? Oh, that's easy. I step in one shadow and out another. Why?”

  "And that's something all cats can do, right?"

  "Well, mostly. Even some mundane ones can, though not many. Again, why?"

  "And you can carry things with you, I mean when you shadow-walk, can't you?" He'd left enough dead mice on her pillow as trophies that she was sure he could. She shuddered as she remembered each one. There weren't any mice in her apartment, her wards took care of that, so they had to come from somewhere else.

  "I see where you're going and I don't like it. Shadow-walking is dangerous. You could get stuck or lost and never return."