Vermilion Justice

by Sheri Lewis Wohl

  “Yeah, I think we all get that.” Adriana nodded at Ivy and then turned her attention to Riah. “What’s your excuse, gorgeous? If you don’t mind me saying, you’re a little on edge.”

  Adriana’s deep eyes met hers. Riah wished she knew what it was she was feeling or, more specifically, what was causing her to feel this way. It was at least partly a response to Ivy’s concern. They were so close, it was easy to feed off each other’s emotions. Unfortunately, something else was rippling in the air, and more than picking up on Ivy’s unease, it was that indefinable thing that had the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She held Adriana’s gaze for a long moment and then slowly shook her head. “I don’t know. It just feels like something’s not right.”

  “Well then,” Adriana declared. “What are we gonna do about it? Sit here and pick our noses, or figure out what the fuck is going on? In case you haven’t figured it out already, I’m on the side of getting off our asses and hitting the road.”

  Colin was leaning against the doorframe, his long legs crossed at the ankles and his arms across his broad chest. “I think we need to find Lura.”

  All of them turned to look at him. Tall and lean, he was typically a man of few words. When he did offer up suggestions, he was dead-on the great majority of the time. After Riah had gotten over her initial repulsion of him—not because he was a man but rather because he was a vampire hunter who’d arrived to take her head—she rather liked him. Even more than that, she respected him.

  “You mean head to Romania?” On the other hand, respect aside, if Colin was suggesting the old country, Riah wasn’t sure it was a good idea. And that was aside from the fact it was one incredibly long plane ride. Many other unvoiced reasons played into that scenario.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. We charter a plane and we go find her.”

  Adriana walked over and slapped Colin on the shoulder. “See now, that’s what I’m talking about. Like the man said, we get kickin’ and get going.”

  Finding out where Lura had disappeared to was a good idea. Doing it in the flesh, not so much, and Riah wasn’t giving in without a fight. She did not want to go to Romania. Ever. Again. “I don’t think we have to fly to Romania to track down your cousin.” In this day and age they had any number of alternatives to being there in the flesh.

  “I do.” Ivy stood next to Colin, putting a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to go.” She looked straight at Riah as if she could read her mind and knew why it wasn’t possible for her to make this trip. “But I do. She’s family. If something has happened to her over there, I’ve got to help make it right.”

  Crap. They didn’t understand what this meant to her. It wasn’t just Romania. She didn’t want to set foot in Europe, period. This was her home now and, more importantly, her sanctuary. She’d come here for a reason all those centuries ago, and a few hundred years hadn’t changed anything. The rest of them might not understand the significance of what they asked, but she was pretty sure Tory did.

  One glance at Tory’s face and her suspicion was confirmed. Two of the vampires in the room wanted nothing more than to stay with their feet on the ground in the good old USA. The others would have to understand.

  “Don’t be a party pooper,” Adriana said as she slung an arm around Riah’s shoulders. “I know you hate everything on the other side of the pond, but trust me, gorgeous, we’ll protect you. Nothing’s going to hurt you when we’re all together.”

  The unfortunate side effect of loving a free-spirited, brave, and beautiful sorceress was, she was hard to say no to. Adriana’s enthusiasm and adventurous soul always won, even when Riah promised herself to stick to her guns. Like now.

  Riah closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and caved. “Okay, let’s go find Lura.” She’d simply have to ignore the growing dread in her stomach. Maybe it was nothing and she was just overreacting, based on her personal history.

  Or maybe not.

  *

  Lura stopped and squinted. Surely it was just a trick of the night. It was black and cloudless here. The few stars that dotted the sky gave off very little light. The moon, shrouded by clouds, didn’t help at all either. Anybody would question what they saw in the murky night. Just like thinking a guy was wearing tights, Alexandru’s disappearing act was probably nothing more than a trick of the nighttime shadows, low visibility, and unfamiliar surroundings.

  Sounded very sane and rational except for the fact that not only was Alexandru gone, but so was any hint of noise. As in any sound at all. When she’d followed him from the cottage, his footsteps on the frost-covered ground had been audible in the otherwise quiet night.

  When he’d turned to look at her as he’d stood between the two giant boulders, she’d sworn she heard the swish of his coat. Then he’d stepped through the stones and everything went deathly silent; the only sound she could hear now was her own rapid breathing. Perhaps the light could mess up visual perception, but auditory? Not likely. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. This was turning into one of the strangest nights of her life.

  A burst of cold air enveloped her, gone as fast as it came. Fear tickled at the back of her neck. She grimaced and looked around. Nothing out here gave her any reason to be scared. There was a big pile of rocks; Alexandru had stepped through them, obscuring him from her direct line of sight, and that was that. All she had to do was trace his path through the rocks and he’d be right on the other side. No monsters, no demons.

  The best thing she could do to put her mind at ease was follow through on that thought. It would all shake out in a minute. The only problem…she couldn’t get her feet to move. The effort to pick them up and walk forward was almost too overwhelming to handle. She wasn’t sure if it was the complete silence or the isolating darkness that gave her the heebie-jeebies. Something was definitely giving off some freaky vibes.

  Even as a child, she’d possessed a vivid imagination and could scare herself silly. Education and adulthood hadn’t diminished her ability to imagine both the best and the worst. Right now it seemed to be in overdrive, and frankly, she was too old to be letting it incapacitate her. She was a trained professional, although anyone who saw her at the moment would seriously wonder about the licensing board that had awarded her credentials.

  Then again, in her own defense, she was out in the pitch-black night, wandering through an unfamiliar field, in a foreign country, in her nightclothes, and, worst of all, alone. Imagination working overtime? Maybe. Questionable decision to follow Alexandru out here? Definitely.

  A breeze picked up in intensity once again, ruffling the velvet robe and bringing with it the faint scent of fire, probably coming from the cottage fireplaces. She pulled the robe tighter around her body and thought seriously about turning around and running back to the cottage. Would definitely be the smart thing to do. Lord knows she’d done enough stupid things lately. Didn’t need to add another one to the count. Time to use her brain instead of her emotions.

  Lura turned her head in the direction of the cottage and stared off into the distance. It was warm, the bed comfortable, and surely if she returned, Alexandru would be back soon and they would have a good laugh about her nighttime imaginings. It made perfect sense to hotfoot it back to warmth and safety.

  She shifted her gaze back to the boulders and the hushed blackness beyond. It was so incredibly odd. After a moment’s hesitation, with a mournful sigh, she picked up the long skirt of the robe and followed the path Alexandru had taken only minutes before.

  When she reached the boulders, she paused. The air was colder here, the scent of fire stronger, even though not so much as a flicker of a flame pierced the dimness. The wind must be carrying the smoke across the island. She cocked her head toward the rocks. Was she hearing something from inside the stones? Storm winds? A voice? A moment before it had seemed deathly silent. Now, she strained to listen.

  She slowly inched closer, certain she heard voices coming from a long distance away. Peering in, all s
he saw was a black, yawning nothingness. Shouldn’t she see something?

  As she placed one foot between the boulders, a whirlwind rushed up so severe she had to touch the cold stone to keep her balance. The moment her fingers connected with the cold surface, light exploded in her head and a cacophony of sound made her cover her ears. Over the roar, she couldn’t hear her own screams.

  *

  Riah settled back into the soft leather of the seat and stared out the small window as the lights of Spokane grew dimmer. Soon, the plane had climbed to cruising altitude and the vastness of the sky wrapped them in a comfortable cocoon.

  Since Kara Lynch and Cam Black Wolf had joined the Spiritus Group, air travel was pretty easy most of the time. Cam was a pilot who just happened to have her own plane. Of course, her favorite little plane had nearly been destroyed by a vindictive werewolf who managed to punch a hole in the gas tank that almost took out both women during a flight to Montana. Only Cam’s cool head and experience with the plane had saved them both, and she’d put it down with little more than a bump. That plane had been repaired, but these days they’d jumped up a bit with a bigger version that had plenty of room for most of the group. They never knew when they’d need to hop on board and wage a battle.

  Tonight, Cam wasn’t at the controls. The international flight required more than Cam’s current certifications and a whole lot bigger plane. Lear jet rented, everyone on board, and Cam hanging out in the cockpit, they were now headed for Bucharest. It had taken them less than three hours to pull it all together and be on their way. Riah, along with Ivy and Tory, could safely rest during the daylight hours, and night would once again be falling by the time their plane touched down.

  At least she hoped she’d be able to rest. Didn’t want to lay a bet on it actually happening. This whole trip made her nervous. She hadn’t been on European soil in over two hundred years, and she certainly wasn’t looking forward to it now. If she never stepped foot on that continent again, she wouldn’t shed a single tear.

  Then again, evil didn’t seem to have a sense of geography. In fact, it was pretty much an equal-opportunity employer, not discriminating based on sex, race, religion, or location. The job of the Spiritus Group was to stop evil—all evil—regardless of where it was found. In short, it was time for Riah to “man up.”

  She’d do it because it was important for many reasons. Didn’t mean she had to like it, though she wasn’t going to pout about it either. Vampires with over five centuries under their belts did not pout. It was undignified.

  With at least another twelve hours to go before they arrived in Bucharest, Riah closed her eyes and hoped she could ignore the torrent of emotion racing through her body long enough to capture a bit of rest. She tried to quiet her mind. They had a better chance of getting in and out quickly if they were operating at a hundred percent.

  Fingers touched hers, and she didn’t have to open her eyes to know they belonged to Adriana. The warmth of her hand against Riah’s was enough. She breathed into the comfort and let her mind drift.

  Chapter Six

  Nicoletta’s heart raced the moment she spotted the shadow moving from between the stones. She recognized the shape and the movement even after all the time that had passed. Alexandru.

  She ran to him, and he opened his arms to welcome her. The feel of his solid body strong and real against her own brought tears streaming down her face. He was all she had in the world, and it seemed he had been gone forever. Her tears soaked into the cloth of his fine shirt.

  He placed a kiss against her hair and whispered, “Quiet now, little one. I am home.”

  “I thought you might never return.” She sobbed. “I was afraid you had left me forever.” Her body quaked with the force of her pent-up emotion. For many seasons she had kept strong. She could do it no longer.

  He held her out at arm’s length, and under the light of the moon, he looked much younger than she remembered. Had it been so long she could not even know his face? He smiled and her heart sang. “I would never leave you, Nicoletta. Never. We are family.”

  She understood and was grateful that she was no longer alone in the world. “Did you find her, brother? Did you find her?” He had to, because if not, it was all in vain.

  He nodded and a smile lit up his face. “I did, sister.”

  Relief rushed through her. At last. Alexandru was a great man, a true magician, but she often did not understand him. He was patient with her and explained how important it was to find the woman. Despite his teachings, she hated that he had to leave her and disappear into the beyond that would take him places she would—could—never go. All she had to comfort her during his absence was the faith that one day he would return.

  During the long days and nights of his absence, she could not banish the dire thoughts that when he disappeared between the stones, promising to return on this night, he would not. That he would be gone for eternity. The very thought made her stomach lurch. Each night she prayed for his return and hoped God would grant her favor.

  He must have sensed the direction of her thoughts, because he laid his palm against her cheek. “I swear never to leave you to face this world alone. You have my solemn promise, beautiful sister.”

  She smiled and put her hand over his. “I am never alone as long as you are in my heart.”

  A clap of thunder made her jump and scream. Alexandru simply looked up at the sky and then turned back to the stones. He left Nicoletta to stare after him as he retraced his path. If he walked through a second time, she would be lost. He could not leave her again; she could not survive without him now that she had once more gazed upon his beloved face. She started to follow, to stop him, and then halted when a figure stepped from between the rocks.

  *

  Rodolphe dropped the woman’s lifeless body to the ground. Once, she had been pretty. Not any longer. All that made her special had been drained away, leaving little behind but a shell. He turned his back on her and walked toward the river beyond.

  Catherine hesitated. Leaving a body so openly exposed was not a good idea. Certainly no one could harm them, and yet it felt somehow wrong. She wanted to do something for this poor girl, whose sole misfortune it was to catch Rodolphe’s eye.

  It was too late to help her, but Catherine refused to leave her for the wolves. She bent down and picked her up. She was so light, just a sprite of a young woman. Or at least she had been. Her long brown hair nearly touched the ground as Catherine walked to the river’s edge. Her gown was in shreds, her skin so white it looked like fresh fallen snow. In life she had been pretty, but in death only a ghost of what she had been.

  “What are you doing?”

  “We cannot leave her here for scavengers.” Catherine did not turn to look at him. She knew the expression that would be on his face. Distaste. Disappointment. She disappointed him at every turn.

  “Do not be absurd, she is nothing. No one will even miss her. Leave her and come with me.”

  “No,” she shot back. “I will not leave her like rubbish. She was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister. You destroyed her, but I will not let you disrespect her.”

  His laughter was hearty, cruel. “A daughter? A sister? Like you?”

  The pain that shot through her heart was mixed with anger. He always knew how to hurt her where it would draw invisible blood. He never left a mark on her body, only on her soul. “Yes,” she said softly as she slowly lowered the young woman’s body into the river. “Like me.”

  “And you believe anyone misses you?”

  She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When she opened her eyes, the woman was gone, the current carrying her down and away. “Rest in peace,” she murmured before turning to face Rodolphe.

  “We are not monsters,” she told him.

  He raised an eyebrow and a smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “No, my sweet.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “We are royalty, especially here in the motherland.” He waved his arms wide.

 
The motherland. He had been so eager to bring her here, to share with her the land where it all began. To drink the blood of those who served the great master.

  Since the moment they had arrived, Rodolphe seemed to glow in a way she had not seen before. Catherine did not share his embrace of this place where the terrain was still extreme and the people suspicious. The glances they sent their way were cold and knowing. They were not welcome in this country, and while Rodolphe laughed it off, the chilly reception made her feel cold.

  He took her hand, tucking it in the crook of his arm. “Come, my pet. A boat awaits, and it is time for us to visit him.”

  She managed to suppress a shudder and instead walked alongside Rodolphe. He helped her into the carriage that would take them to the waiting boat. They would cross the waters by the light of the moon to reach Snagov Island, the final resting place of Prince Vlad Dracula.

  Riah came awake slowly. The dream—the memory—didn’t want to leave her. The trip to Wallachia had been so long ago, and yet she could recall every detail as if it had been just days ago. She’d been Catherine Tudor then, the last daughter of King Henry VII, who, as far as the world had known, died at birth. Only a very few knew she’d been given to a favorite of the King as the prize for a winning bet.

  She’d been raised as the only daughter of the wealthy childless couple, only learning her real identity when her brother, King Henry VIII, arranged to have her fall victim to a vampire. Her brother, knowing of her true identity, didn’t want another sibling who could potentially challenge his claim to the throne. She had to be eliminated, the way of succession kept clear and uncluttered.