“Do you really think you have what it takes to burn a savage like Suhail?” Ralgar asked. A derisive smile spanned his face, but the fury in his eyes sent chills washing down Jerusa’s back. “Yes, you are big and handsome, but you are soft. I doubt you’ve ever been in true battle.”
Taos spun to face Ralgar, his pale blue eyes wide, his jaw fixed tight. “Do you wish to test my battle skills right now?”
“I’d love to.”
Jerusa could feel the kindling heat of aggression between them. They looked like a pair of bulls preparing to charge. Jerusa wasn’t sure if she should cast herself between them or flee the hell-storm they were about to unleash.
“Shut your mouth,” Heidi said to Ralgar. His face blushed a bit and his eyes narrowed into slits, but he didn’t argue. Heidi turned to Taos. “You say that it was you that killed Kole?”
“Yes.”
“That couldn’t have been an easy feat.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Heidi touched his shoulder and Jerusa wanted to slap her hand away. “Perhaps you would be an asset to us. Both of you.” She glanced at Jerusa like a serpent eyeing its next meal.
“Please tell me you aren’t serious,” Marjek said.
“I am. Our attempts to find Suhail have all failed. We need to try something different. Wouldn’t the Council agree?”
Cot, Othella and Mathias didn’t speak up, but passed unsure looks to one another.
“The decision has been made,” Marjek said. “The fledgling will die and the Crimson Storm will hunt down Suhail.”
Heidi circled around Taos, tracing his chest with her fingertips. He flashed an uncomfortable look towards Jerusa. She pretended not to see, but in truth she wanted to rip Heidi’s arm off and beat her with it. She wasn’t sure why she felt this way. Maybe it was a side effect of not feeding.
“We have already lost five teams,” Heidi said. “Are you really going to send in another team, blind and unprepared?”
Ming hopped forward. “The Crimson Storm is not afraid. And we will not fail.”
Heidi gave Ming a patronizing look, then turned back to the stage. “Hear me out. If we send the giant and the blood witch with the Crimson Storm one of two things will happen. Either they will help to track him down and snuff him out or they will perish like all the rest. Both sides of the coin are beneficial to us.”
Marjek stood in quiet consideration. Jerusa wondered if he was thinking of the third option, the one that Sebastian had warned her of, the one that would clear up all loose ends.
“Very well,” he said. “But first, they must prove their worth.”
“No,” Shufah said. “If you must send someone after Suhail, send me. No matter what he has become, he is still my twin brother. We have always been drawn to each other. If he lives, we will come together again.”
“I would never describe a savage as living,” Marjek said. “And your part in turning Suhail savage is the very reason why you must stay here.”
“What do you mean?”
“We believe that Suhail has regained consciousness,” Marjek said. “He somehow managed to make it to the nearest quarantine community before the savage blood overtook him.”
“How is that possible?” Jerusa asked. She thought of the bite Kole had given her and how fast the venom had flooded her system. Had Silvanus been a few moments later she would have been one of the mindless flesh eaters. “When Kole died, he changed right away.”
“I only severed his hand,” Shufah said. Her eyes were distant, haunted, as if she were reliving the moment and reconsidering her choice. “Very little of Kole’s blood would have entered the wound. Suhail is thousands of years old. The strength of his blood bought him the time he needed.”
“The time he needed to do what?”
It was Heidi that answered. “To get somewhere safe. Somewhere that he could change and feed without fear of human intervention. A place he knew we would not expect an attack.”
Jerusa’s knees trembled and she hoped the others didn’t notice. A slithery knot formed in her stomach. She knew the town they were speaking of. The workers that had installed the security system in their house were from that town.
“Did he kill everyone in town?” she asked. She felt weak and distant. A pang of thirst echoed through her bones and she became all too aware of the sound of Thad’s heart.
“No, we don’t believe he killed everyone,” Heidi said. “From what we can tell, he fed on enough to regain his consciousness.”
“What happened to the others?” Jerusa allowed half a hope to bloom that the workers she had met were still alive, perhaps relocated to another community or even hiding somewhere in this house.
“After Suhail had what he needed, we believe he proceeded to turn a select group, which in turn fed on the other humans.”
“Suhail’s army,” Jerusa said, fighting the urge to vomit.
“Yes,” Marjek said. “That’s what the Hunters have nicknamed this group of savages.” He turned an angry eye toward Ming and her group. They shied from the silent rebuff, but made no attempt to deny his accusation. He turned that same blistering stare on Jerusa, but she refused to cower. “Did your spirits tell you this, blood witch?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. She was getting good at lying.
“Suhail is out there and we can’t find him,” Heidi said. “He’s no longer a mindless wraith, hunting and eating whatever stumbles across his path. The savage in him is aware. It’s hiding, planning, waiting for a moment to strike.”
Marjek looked with unrequited longing at Shufah. The moment passed quickly, but was no less painful to behold. Jerusa didn’t know which was worse, hating Marjek because of the demented tyrant he was or pitying him for the endless misery he had endured.
Jerusa once again felt the true weight of eternity pressing down on her, like the creeping force of a glacier. Was immortality really a treasure to be sought if it was to be spent alone, cut off from those you love, hiding in the shadows, death your only sustenance? Perhaps the High Council would be doing her a favor removing her from this burden. Had she been alone in this, she might go willingly into the fire, but if she could negotiate for the lives of Shufah, Taos and Thad, it would be worth the price.
“If you say my brother still lives, I will accept that,” Shufah said. “But if he is to die, it should be at my hands.”
Marjek shook his head. “I cannot allow that. Something strange is happening. You remember the last war with the savages. Always before, the savages spread like a foul virus. But in the six months since you infected your brother the only savage attacks have been on the quarantine community towns. These are calculated attacks.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Shufah asked.
Heidi sighed, bored with this exchange. “He thinks your brother will hunt you down, as if a savage has the capacity for revenge. I say we put you on a hook and dangle you where he can find you, but poor lovesick Marjek won’t hear of it.”
Anger surged into Shufah’s face. “So you mean to confine me, so that you can protect me?”
“Yes,” Marjek said.
“I am neither your prisoner nor your ward. If my brother still exists somewhere within the savage and he has mind enough to seek me out, then you have no authority to keep that from happening. It was you that created us, Marjek. So, ultimately you are the genesis of this disaster. I am going to walk out of this house, with my coven and we will hunt my brother down, and his army.”
Marjek’s pale cheeks blushed hot. “I forbid it. You will stay within these walls until your brother has been disposed of and if you attempt to cross the threshold I will not only kill your coven, I will take them to the dungeons and cast them into the catacombs.”
“Don’t be so hasty,” Heidi said to Marjek. “I think it should fall to Shufah and her coven to clean up this mess.”
The Crimson Storm (except for Celeste) wore masks of bitterness over Heidi’s suggestion. They were hungry to succe
ed where five other teams of Hunters had failed. To place this task in the hands of common vampires was more than a slap to the face, it was a disgrace.
“I forbid it,” Marjek said.
“Are you higher than the Council?” Heidi asked. “Does your vote weigh more than ours? I think not. You have been given your way for far too long and look what it has brought us. This whole tragedy has spawned from your obsession with Shufah. We will put it to a vote and if you try to circumvent the laws we established centuries ago, we will take the matter to the host of Stewards and see what they make of your abuse of power.”
Heidi’s words lingered in the air like the ozone after a lightning strike. The shocked silence was as loud as thunder.
Just as the tension in the room seemed on the verge of combustion Marjek said, “Very well. Let us vote.”
Marjek and Heidi had already claimed polar ends of the debate. They turned now to the other three on the Council, who up until now had been content with silent and safe observation. The trio stood now with sour expressions, eyes darting between the more aggressive members of their arcane order.
Mathias stepped forward.
“I stand with Marjek.” He spoke with confidence, but refused to meet Heidi’s eyes. “Shufah must stay. Send her coven with the Crimson Storm. Let fate choose their execution.”
Jerusa’s temples throbbed and her eyes itched. Were her irises encircled with blood, were her lips growing red? If the High Council discovered that she wasn’t feeding, then all bets were off. She closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and tried to think of any other place than where she was.
Cot spoke next.
“I stand with Heidi. Send Shufah and her coven to search for Suhail. If they succeed, then they shall win their freedom. If they fail, they will die.”
Every eye in the room turned to Othella.
Othella stood, relishing the attention. A devious smile parked itself on her face and Jerusa felt the floor open up beneath her. She closed her eyes waiting to hear Othella’s vote. Nothing felt real anymore. It all had taken on the fuzzy, surreal chaos of a nightmare. She would have given anything to sit up in bed, in her mother’s house and have all of this dissolve with the sunrise.
Jerusa opened her eyes. The nightmare still played out before her. She pricked her tongue with her fang, drawing a droplet of blood and immediately regretted it. She had meant it as a way of confirming the reality of her situation, like pinching herself, but the taste of blood in her mouth ignited the thirst that had been dozing just beneath the surface of her mind. Her predator’s senses snapped into place and had Alicia not placed a warning hand on her should she might have lunged for poor Thad.
Jerusa was now thankful that Shufah had demanded that she and Thad not see each other anymore. She had spent all summer dreaming of the romance that might have blossomed forth had they had a chance to be alone, but Shufah had been right all along. No matter what Jerusa felt for Thad (which was confusing at best), it would not have been strong enough to overcome her thirst.
“Spare us the theatrics,” Shufah said to Othella. “Give us your vote and be done with it.”
“I stand with Heidi,” Othella said, after a moment’s pause.
Jerusa glanced about, searching for the verification that her ears hadn’t betrayed her. Taos smiled. Though she didn’t dare show relief, Celeste’s eyes held a glow of happiness that she couldn’t contain. In the opposite regard, the rest of the Crimson Storm stood with morose glowers plastered to their faces. Only Shufah’s face remained unreadable.
Jerusa couldn’t contain her own smile. Sure they were far from safe, but they had won their lives for a bit longer. The rush of exhilaration flooding through her swallowed even the burning thirst gnawing at her bones. She might have broken into a dance had Othella not spoken up.
“I stand with Heidi,” she repeated herself, “but first I think they should prove their worth.”
It was worse than a punch to the gut. Jerusa might have even taken a few steps backward, but she couldn’t feel her legs enough to know. Strange as it seemed, the only thing that felt real to her was Alicia’s hand upon her shoulder.
“What do you have in mind?” Marjek asked. Hesitation rested beneath the surface of his voice. The situation was quickly slipping from his grasp. He had built the Stewards, ordained the High Council and now the power of his creation was turning against him.
Jerusa almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Othella stepped to the edge of the stage and looked down upon Jerusa. “If Heidi says this fledgling is a blood witch, then I believe her. But to send her and her coven out to hunt down Suhail without any proof of their skills seems a bit foolish to me. If they wish to be Hunters then let them face the same tests as any other vampire. Place them in the labyrinth.”
A cheer of agreement rose up from the Crimson Storm (though Celeste seemed obligated on her part). Heidi, Cot and Mathias gave their consent. Shufah, as always, refused to react, but Taos stood tall as though this pleased him. Jerusa didn’t know what the labyrinth was. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
Marjek called for silence and the room obeyed. “If that is the wish of the Council, so be it. However, only the fledgling and the giant asked to join the Hunters and only they will face the labyrinth.”
“I will not allow that,” Shufah said.
Marjek turned on her. The bewilderment in his eyes chilled Jerusa’s blood. “You have no authority here. You offered your life for the fledgling and she will live. There will be no more negotiations. The fledgling and the giant have made their choices. If they wish to be Hunters, they must face the labyrinth. You have nothing to offer the Hunters, I’m afraid. Unless you too are a blood witch and have been lying to me all these years.”
Shufah’s stoic face broke in a moment of resentment for Marjek’s words, but she offered no argument.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “They must face this task without you. And if they survive, they will go with the Crimson Storm to hunt down your brother.”
A shiver of hatred washed over Shufah. Jerusa was thankful the look was not directed at her. She looked on the verge of screaming, but Shufah held her peace.
Marjek turned to Ming. “Confine them to their rooms. Just before sunrise escort them to the labyrinth.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Ming motioned to her team, then started for the door. Ralgar and Quinn prodded Jerusa and Taos out of the room while Mikael and Celeste closed in behind them. Jerusa glanced back and held on to the sight of Shufah and Thad as long as she could.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Jerusa sat alone in her room. Well, not exactly alone. The crowd of ghosts filtered in and out in a constant shuffle, but it did little to ease her solitude.
The spirit with the piebald eyes tried several time to get her attention. She looked up thinking he might have some important information to pass on to her, but it soon became clear that all he wanted was to be noticed. She could relate, but she wasn’t in the mood. He knelt down waving his hands before her face until, out of frustration, she asked Alicia to shoo him away. Alicia did as she was asked, not only chasing away the piebald-eyed ghost, but all the others as well.
The ghosts skulked away in sullen, slump-shoulder gates, pouting like chastised children being sent off to bed without dinner. Jerusa felt bad for them. Most had been wrongly condemned, murdered by the Stewards and left to linger, invisible in this corporeal world. She wanted to apologize to them, but she didn’t have the mental strength just now. If she survived the Council’s test, she would try to make it up to them.
Jerusa pierced her thumb with her fang and placed a few drops of blood in each eye. She smeared the remainder on her lips before the wound closed. Dawn would be here soon and they would be coming for her any time now. She didn’t want to be caught unaware. This would all be easier if Alicia would just let her feed.
“I’m worried. I feel so weak. So drowsy. What if I can’t do what they want me to do?”
Foster appeared in the room close to where Alicia stood. Jerusa smiled at him, but it quickly withered when she saw the bewildered look upon his face. He must have thought she was in danger. He seemed relieved to see her, but something troubling stirred behind his eyes.
“What is it?” Jerusa asked standing to her feet. “Where have you been?”
A knock came to the door and Ming stepped inside without being invited. Foster watched her with cold eyes.
“The sun is not far off. Time to see if you have what it takes to be a Hunter.”
Jerusa followed Ming. She looked for Shufah, Taos or Thad as she exited her room, but the hall was empty. Ming led her through the house and down the main staircase. The house was strangely active this close to sunrise, with the gawking faces of other vampires and even the human servants peering at her around every corner. The news of her test had made quick rounds through the gossiping chains.
Taos stood with Ralgar at the large front doors. He smiled at her as she came down the stairs. A quiet paranoia had risen in her that the Stewards would make her face their test alone. She was so happy to see him that she almost skipped the bottom ten steps to run and embrace him. The only thing that kept her in place was the fear that Ming would mistake her excited rush toward Taos for an attempted escape. The Hunters would love to have any reason, even a flimsy one, to kill her and at the moment, Jerusa didn’t feel in a rush to die.
Taos brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face. The tenderness of his touch prickled her skin with goose bumps. She gazed into his pale blue eyes. Her stomach felt hollow, her face flushed. Why did she suddenly feel so awkward around him? It still seemed strange to her that they had become such good friends, seeing as how only six months ago they almost tore each other to shreds.
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