Swear

by Amanda Hocking

  "Do you come here a lot?" I asked.

  Her lips twisted into an impish smile. "Are you trying to pick me up?"

  I laughed, lightly, anxiously. "No. You just seem familiar with things."

  In truth, she seemed unnervingly cool and confident. When Olivia had described her as panicking at the mere mention of Peter's name, I was expecting someone less collected. But then Cate had been waiting for me, and I couldn't help but worry that I might have fallen right into her honey trap.

  "I've lived in Prague for a few years, and you could say I'm a regular here," she replied. "But let's cut to the chase, shall we? Alice, is it?"

  I nodded. "Right."

  "Cate." She motioned to herself, causing her jeweled bangles on her wrists to jangle. "They used to call me Catherine, though, way back when." Then she tilted her head. "You're not a Townsend, are you?"

  "No. I live with them. I just never... took their name."

  "Bonham, right?" she asked, and there was something in her eyes - something dark and menacing that flashed across them like lightning when she said my name. "And if I recall correctly, you have an interesting line of work."

  "I didn't really come here to talk about work," I replied evasively, and shifted in my chair.

  One thing I'd come to learn very quickly is that most vampires didn't take kindly to hunters. Even though I only worked to keep the peace, to protect both vampires and human alike, being a hunter felt a lot like being a narc in a drug den.

  "I will admit I'm relieved to hear that," Cate said, and she did genuinely appear pleased. "When I heard you were tracking me down, I expected the worst."

  I shook my head. "I wasn't tracking you. Where did you get the idea?"

  "Your little friend down there asking questions?" She pointed vaguely toward the dance floor. "You didn't send her to check up on me?"

  "No, that was pure coincidence. Until she called me the other day, I had never even heard of you."

  Her expression shifted between surprised and disgust. "Peter's never mentioned me?"

  "He doesn't like talking about his past."

  "But you're his girlfriend now."

  "What? No." I shook my head again, probably too emphatically. "No, I'm not. I'm not with him. I'm with his brother."

  Her dark eyebrows arched upward. "Really? I thought you were meant for him."

  If I'd still been human, my heart would've skipped a beat. As it was, my heart's usual faint thump slowed even further.

  "Wasn't that Elise?" I asked in confusion.

  Cate sighed, as if the very thought if it exasperated her, and she lowered her gaze. "That's what he used to claim, but I'm not sure I ever believed that."

  "Why not?"

  "Have you ever turned another vampire, Alice?" she asked pointedly.

  "No," I said. "I've seen vampires turned, but I've never done it myself."

  "There's a bond between a vampire and their progeny. One that can't every be truly put into words." She breathed in deeply. "It is an entirely visceral thing."

  "I don't understand what that has to do with Elise and Peter."

  "Because I turned her," Cate said, speaking as if I were an idiot. "And if he was truly meant for her, I would've felt it. You must know of the transference of bonds."

  I smiled grimly. "I know about that all too well."

  Since Ezra had made Peter, and Mae was blood bonded with Ezra, Peter had always felt a particular affinity for her. He didn't love her, not the way Ezra did, but he cared for a her a great deal. We'd all long suspected that was one of the reasons my relationships with Jack and Peter had been such a mess in the beginning, because of the tangled transference of the bond.

  "Then you know. I never cared for Peter, and that could never be the case. Not if he was bonded with her blood."

  "You and Peter didn't get along?" I asked.

  "We get along well enough, but I never actually liked him," she clarified. "I did that for Elise's sake, when I realized how fond she was of him. I always thought he was rather dull."

  "That was kind of you to make peace for her," I said, since Cate seemed like the kind of person that would chase compliments, and I wanted to keep her talking.

  "I would've done anything for her," she said softly, almost to herself, and stared off into the distance. Then she blinked and looked back at me, her gaze sharper than before. "Why are you here? If you're not hunting me down?"

  "Because Olivia told me that when she mentioned my name, you acted strangely," I told her honestly. "I thought you might know something about Peter that could help him, or I feared that you might want to hurt him."

  She laughed darkly. "I only acted 'strange' because I assumed that your friend - and now you - had come at Peter's behest, as some kind of belated vengeance. A pair of vampire hunters trailing you is enough to make anyone wary."

  "Why would Peter send me after you?"

  "Because I was with Elise when she died, and he wasn't." She paused, swallowing hard. "Because I couldn't save her."

  "I think he blames himself more for her death than anyone else," I told her honestly.

  "There's some truth to that," Cate allowed. "I've often wondered if he stayed, if she would still be alive."

  "What did happen to her?"

  Cate shook her head in disbelief. "He really never told you anything?"

  "All I know is that even mentioning her name upsets him."

  That wasn't exactly true. Peter had never told me anything about her, not anything tangible, but Ezra had filled me in on what he could.

  "He's always had a flair for the melodramatic," she said as she rolled her eyes. "On their second date, he was asking her to run off with him and get married. And Elise, as young and naive as she was then, she would've gone, if I hadn't talked some sense into her."

  "But they did eventually marry?"

  She nodded. "Yes. They were married for... ten years, I believe."

  "Until her death," I supplied.

  "Peter was in America, setting up some stupid business with Ezra." Cate lowered her eyes as she spoke, staring down at the floor. "Elise didn't want to depart with him. He all but commanded her to go, and because she loved him, and because she took her vows seriously, she had agreed. But she stayed behind until he sent for her.

  "We were selling the old farmhouse, the one she'd lived her whole life on, and we went north to find buyers," she went on. "Back then, in the old country, vampires could be very territorial, and we'd accidentally crossed into another vampire's area. We tried to apologize and escape, and I fought for Elise the best I could, but..."

  "They killed her?" I asked gently, since Cate had lapsed into silence.

  A solitary tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away. "With a pitchfork to the chest. Straight through her heart."

  "Did you ever catch the vampires that hurt her?" I asked.

  "No." She looked up at me finally. "I didn't really have any allies then, not other vampires, so I couldn't take them on my own. By the time Peter and Ezra finally made it back to Ireland, the other vampires had moved on, and we were never able to get a lead on them."

  "I just can't imagine Peter giving up the search so easily," I said.

  Cate laughed, a hollow sound that seemed to echo through the room. "He didn't. He looked high and low, until Ezra finally convinced him it was futile. And I think his devastation helped him let go. Finding her killers wouldn't bring her back." She lowered her eyes again. "Nothing would. So, there wasn't a really point."

  "He did love her," I said, and I'm not sure if it was to remind myself or to convince Cate.

  "I know." She nodded. "I've always known. Just not enough."

  "Not enough, or not as much as you?" I countered.

  She lifted her gaze, so her dark eyes met mine. "Maybe it's one and the same."

  "I COULD USE SOME AIR," Olivia announced as soon as I reached the bottom of the spiral staircase.

  She seemingly materialized out of the crowd, latching onto my arm, and
Bobby followed a step behind. I didn't have a chance to process anything that Cate had told me, but Olivia had apparently decided there wasn't time for that.

  "What's the big hurry?" I asked as she led me toward the door.

  "Do you ever have the feeling you're being watched?" Olivia asked.

  I craned my neck. "Who's watching us?"

  "Don't look," she snapped.

  "Yeah, Alice," Bobby chimed in. "That's like 'How Not to Behave When You're Being Followed 101.' I mean, that's not a real class, because that's a ridiculous name for a class. But you get what I mean."

  Once we were out on the street, I expected Olivia to steer me towards the Rolls Royce we'd came in, but instead, she practically yanked my arm out of socket so we would cross the street, going on the walking path that ran along the Vltava river.

  "If someone's after us, why aren't we getting in the car?" I asked.

  "Because I don't know for sure who is after us, and because that's Rebekah's car, and she'd murder me if something happened to it while in my care."

  It was well after midnight on a Tuesday, so the streets near the club were virtually empty. A low wall separated us from the river, flowing steadily by, and beyond that, the rest of the city, twinkling with yellow lights. On the other side of us, the taverns and buildings had given way to parks, where a chilly breeze rustled through the vibrant green trees.

  "Where are we going then?" I asked when I felt like we were far enough from the vampire club that it should be safe for us to talk.

  Olivia scanned back over her shoulder, then vaguely replied, "Away, away, away."

  "Who is after us?" I asked, looking to Bobby for help, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

  "I don't know," Olivia admitted. "Maybe no one. I didn't get a look - it was just a feeling that I had."

  "How long are we going to walk for?" I asked, since we seemed to be alone, walking farther and farther away from our car and our ride home.

  "For as long as we need to," she replied shortly, but she slowed her steps some, to more of a natural pace, as opposed to bolting down the street, rushing for our lives.

  "Did things go okay with Cate?" Bobby asked me. "Did you find anything out?"

  "I don't know."

  He looked at me skeptically. "You don't know? Either she told you something or not."

  "She told me lots of things. I'm just not sure how meaningful any of it is," I clarified.

  He probably wanted to ask more, but two figures appeared a few meters away. They turned off a nearby street and joined the path we were on, walking straight toward us.

  They were close enough that I could discern they were a duo of vampires, with the Nosferatu thin Cyrus leading the way. Flanking him to the left was another vampire, who was both shorter and broader, making him look rather squat in comparison.

  They wore matching long black dusters, which was most likely intended to make them look menacing, but ended up looking more comical. Like they were kids cosplaying at being bad and dangerous, but it was only make believe.

  "Should we turn around?" Bobby asked.

  "No. If we run, they'll chase," Olivia replied coolly.

  We moved to the side, giving them plenty of room to pass us on the sidewalk, but Cyrus still shoulder-checked me as I passed. Olivia and I stopped immediately, whirling back around to face the vampires, should they choose to pounce.

  "Watch out!" the shorter vampire barked.

  Cyrus turned back to face us, an odd sickly smile playing across his face. "Look at you. Beating up poor defenseless vampires like that. I ought to call the Agency on you."

  The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I widened my stance, with my fists clenching reflexively at my sides.

  "We don't mean any trouble," Olivia demurred, with an exaggerated drunk quality to her voice. "We're just out for a stroll."

  While I prepared for a fight, she was attempting to disarm them. She'd gotten the upper hand many times by being underestimated - by playing dumb, flirty, weak, drunk. In other situations, I know that worked wonderfully, but I wasn't so sure about this one.

  Cyrus already knew how dangerous we were, and he was still picking a fight.

  "Cut the crap," he snapped. "Me and my friend Omar know exactly what you're up to." He motioned back toward his comrade, who sneered at us.

  "I don't know what you've heard," Olivia continued reasonably. "But we're on vacation. We're only visiting old friends and seeing the sights."

  "We don't give a damn what you do in your free time," Omar snarled, his words thick with a Slavic accent. "But we know who you are and who you work for. And the House of Basarab won't stand for it anymore."

  Olivia laughed in surprise. "The House of Basarab? They're back at it again?"

  Her response only made Cyrus angry, and he glowered down at her as he said, "You laugh now, but none of those that side with the Agency will be laughing soon."

  "They can't be reasoned with, so there's no point to any of this." She pushed up the long, sheer sleeves of her dress. "Let's get it over with then."

  Since Olivia was closest to Omar, she lunged at him first. Cyrus charged at me, and I managed to land one punch - my fist solidly connecting with his jaw. But then, when I was about to throw another, he was gone.

  Then suddenly, he was behind me, kicking my legs out from under me. I caught myself and bounced back up, but I had come to the frustrating realization that he was one of the rare vampires that was capable of incredible speed.

  I'd once fought another vampire - a lycan, actually - like him, one who moved so quickly, it seemed like he could teleport from space to space. But now I felt less prepared, especially since Bobby still held all my emergency weaponry in his jacket.

  While Oliva took care of Omar - who for his part, seemed to be keeping her on his toes - I dodged Cyrus's attacks when I could, and tried to predict his movements, so I was able to get in another hit or two, but not anything that would keep him down.

  "Bobby, stake!" I shouted.

  Bobby had tossed the stake, and it soared through the air toward me. In a flash, Cyrus was on it, snatching it from the air, and landing on top of me and slamming me down on the hard concrete. I lay on my back as he held the stake up above me, preparing to strike.

  "Never mess with those who follow Basarab," he said, exposing his fangs at me.

  Before he could do anymore, I heard a stake slide through him - the wet sound of metal tearing through meat. His eyes widened, as the capillaries broke around his iris, filling the whites with blood.

  He collapsed forward, so I pushed Cyrus's body off so it fell to the ground. Bobby stood before me, looking rather proud of himself.

  "I know you're usually the one that stakes them, but I thought I should take it upon myself this time so that, you know, you didn't die," he said.

  What he'd done didn't seem that impressive, but it took plenty of training and skill to know exactly where to strike a vampire so the stake slid between the ribs. Bobby would never be strong enough to break one of our bones, so he had to find the perfect gap to drive it through.

  "You did well," I told him as I got to my feet.

  From behind us, I heard Olivia let out an irritated growl, and I turned around just in time to see her grabbing Omar by the head. She turned it sharply, causing a loud cracking sound, and then she pulled upward, ripping off his head.

  Blood splattered out from his neck, all over her expensive black dress, and she let out another frustrated groan. When Omar's headless corpse fell to the ground, she kicked it to the side, so she wouldn't get more blood on her shoes.

  "This is exactly why I quit hunting in the first place." Absently, she tossed Omar's head in the river. "I ruined so many nice outfits."

  "Wait, we're just tossing bodies in the river?" Bobby asked.

  Olivia picked up Omar's body and threw it in after his head. "It's easier than dealing with the police. And since this wasn't an Agency sanctioned killing, it's best if we just clean it up ourselv
es."

  He regarded the empty streets around us, but fortunately, it was late enough and we were far enough away from the clubs that it was deserted around here, with no pesky eye witnesses to deal with.

  I pulled the stake from Cyrus's chest and wiped the blood from it off on his clothes. I followed Olivia's lead and threw the vampire body in the river, to float away with his fellow Basarab follower.

  "What is the House of Basarab?" I asked Olivia as I handed the stakes back to Bobby, for him to safely stowaway.

  "It's this group of vampires who believe that we're meant to inherit the earth and humans should be treated like cattle." She explained it like it was the stupidest thing she ever heard. "It rises up and dies down through the centuries, but for some reason, it won't stay dead."

  "Well, it is a vampire cult, so that makes sense," Bobby pointed out.

  Olivia laughed. "Touche."

  "What does the Basarab mean?" I asked.

  "You've heard of Dracula?" she asked, then went on without waiting for a response. "Or Dracul, as his followers call him. He was a member of the House of Basarab, this old dynasty back in Romania. He wasn't the first vampire, not by a long shot, nor was he the first to suggest that we all overthrow the humans. But he was one of the most successful and really helped popularize the trend."

  "Oh, so like Skrillex with dubstep," Bobby offered up as analogy.

  Olivia gave him an irritated look. "I don't know what any of that is, and I don't care."

  With that, she turned and started walking back toward the car, so Bobby and I followed suit.

  "Did you tell anyone that we're hunters?" I asked her, while we were still out of earshot of the club.

  Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically. "Come on, Alice. I've been at this for a lot longer than you. I know better than that. Besides, I'm retired."

  "Cate knew that you and I were hunters," I said, causing her expression to falter slightly, but she kept walking. "She said that's why she was so freaked out when you namedropped me before. And now these two Basarab jerks knew, too."

  Oliva pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. "The Agency is very discreet and private, and any hunter worth their salt doesn't advertise what they do."

  "Well, it looks like your secret identity isn't so secret anymore," Bobby commented.

  "What would Batman do if his secret got out?" I asked.