“So,” she said, “I’ll ask you again. What’s to come of me?”
He just looked down.
“I see,” she answered. “I’m not your problem anymore.”
Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but this time she was gone. Really gone.
She made her way quickly across the terrace, and down the stone staircase. This time she was really gone, heading into the Bronx in the dark, New York City night. She had never felt more alone.
Chapter Fourteen
Kyle walked straight down the stone corridor, flanked by a small entourage of vampires. They headed quickly down the hall, their footsteps echoing, one of his aides holding a torch out in front.
They were heading deep into the corridor of command, a subterranean chamber which no vampire ever entered unless given permission. Kyle had never been down this deep before. But on this day, he was summoned by the supreme leader himself. It must have been serious. In 4,000 years, Kyle had never been summoned. But he had heard of others who had. They had gone down there, and had not come back up.
Kyle swallowed hard, and walked faster. He had always believed that it was best to greet bad news quickly, and get it over with.
They came to a large, open door, guarded by several vampires, who stared coldly back. Finally, they stepped aside and opened the door. But after Kyle passed, they held out their staffs, preventing his entourage from following. Kyle felt the door slam behind.
Kyle saw dozens of vampires lined up, at attention, along the wall, standing quietly on either side of the room. Front and center in the room, seated in a massive, metal chair was Rexus, his supreme leader.
Kyle took several steps forward and bowed his head, waiting to be addressed.
Rexus stared back with his cold, hard, icy blue eyes.
“Tell me everything you know about this human, or half-breed, or whatever she is,” he began. “And about this spy. How did he infiltrate our ranks?”
Kyle took a deep breath, and began.
“We don’t know much about the girl,” he said. “We have no idea why the holy water did not affect her. But we do know that she was the one who attacked the singer. We have him in custody now, and as soon as he recovers, we expect him to lead us to her. He was turned by her. He has her scent in his blood.”
“What coven does she belong to?” Rexus asked.
Kyle shuffled in the darkness, choosing his words carefully.
“We think she is just a rogue vampire.”
“Think!? Do you know anything?”
Kyle, rebuked, felt his cheeks redden.
“So you brought her into our midst without knowing a thing about her,” Rexus said. “You endangered our entire coven.”
“I brought her in to interrogate her. I had no idea she would be immune–”
“And what of the spy?” Rexus asked, cutting him off.
Kyle swallowed.
“Caleb. We brought him in 200 years ago. He had proved his loyalty many times. We never had any reason to suspect him.”
“Who had recruited him?” Rexus asked.
Kyle paused. He swallowed hard.
“I did.”
“So,” Rexus said. “Once again, you allowed a threat into our ranks.”
Rexus glared back. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. And filled with condemnation.
“I am sorry, master,” Kyle said, bowing his head. “But in my defense, no one here, not one vampire, ever suspected Caleb. On many occasions –”
Rexus raised his hand.
Kyle stopped.
“You have forced me to initiate the war. I will now have to re-direct all of our resources. Our master plan will have to be put on hold.”
“I am sorry, master. I will do whatever I can to find them, and to make them pay.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”
Kyle swallowed hard, bracing himself for what might come next. If it was death, he was prepared.
“I am no longer the one you need to answer to. I myself have been summoned. By the Supreme Council.”
Kyle’s eyes open wide. He had heard rumors all his life of the Supreme Council, the governing body of vampires who even the supreme leader had to answer to. And now he knew that it was real, and that they were summoning him. He swallowed hard.
“They are very unhappy with what went on here today. They want answers. You will explain the mistake you made, why she escaped, why a spy infiltrated our ranks, and our plans for purging other spies. You will then accept their judgment in sentence.”
Kyle slowly nodded, terrified for what would come. None of it sounded good.
“We meet at the next new moon. That gives you time. In the meantime, I suggest you find this half-breed. If you can, it may just save your life.”
“I promise, my master, I will summon every one of our vampires. And I will lead the charge myself. We will find her. And I will make her pay.”
Chapter Fifteen
Jonah sat in the police station, very afraid. One on side of him sat his Dad, looking more nervous than Jonah had ever seen him, and on the other, his newly-hired lawyer. Across from them, in the small, bright, interrogation, sat five police detectives. Behind them stood five more, all pacing and agitated.
It was the biggest news story of the day. Not only had an internationally-acclaimed vocalist been murdered, right during his debut performance, right in Carnegie Hall—not only had he been murdered in a suspicious way, but things had managed to get even worse. When the police followed up on the only lead they had, when they had visited her apartment, four policemen were killed. To say that things had escalated was to put it mildly.
Now, not only were they after the “Beethoven Butcher” (or “Carnegie Hall Killer,” as some papers were calling her) but they were also after a cop killer. A four-cop killer. Every cop in the city was on the case, and no one would rest until it was solved.
And the only lead they had was sitting across the table from them. Jonah. Her guest for the evening.
Jonah sat wide-eyed, feeling the drops of sweat forming again on his forehead. This was his seventh hour in the room. During the first three hours he had continuously wiped the sweat from his hairline. Now he just let the sweat trickle down the side of his face. He slumped in his chair, defeated.
He just didn’t know what else to add. Cop after cop had entered the room, all asking the same questions. All variations on a theme. He had no answers. He couldn’t understand why they kept asking him the same thing, over and over. How long have you known her? Why did you bring her to this event? Why did she leave at intermission? Why didn’t you follow her?
How had it all come to his? She had showed up looking so beautiful. She was so sweet. He loved being with her, and talking to her. He was sure it was going to be a dream date.
Then she had started acting strangely. Shortly after the music began, he had felt a restlessness building in her. She had seemed…sick wasn’t the word. She had seemed…antsy. More than that: she had seemed like she was going to burst out of her skin. Like she had to get somewhere, and get somewhere fast.
At first he had thought it was