“Some of the staff, myself included were assaulted.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck unconsciously. “In the middle of surgery, no less.” He added scandalized. “Susan still hasn't awoken.” He shook his head sadly.
“Did you get a look at your attacker?”
“No,” He replied, letting his very real frustration show. “None of us did.” He shook his head in bewilderment. “I would have assumed it was gas or something if not for the obvious bruises.” He chuckled uncomfortably, a nervous tick he had never been able to shed.
“You had two patients come in,” The woman stated. “One a GSW, a gunshot wound she clarified when he only stared at her.”
He nodded, knowing this the real reason for the visit.
“Anything you can tell us about the two women? Anything they said or did that sticks out in your mind as peculiar?” The woman asked with obvious interest she was trying to hide for some reason. The man's expression seemed to never change, though he sensed a sudden attentiveness in him. Like he too was suddenly all ears.
“No, nothing,” He replied apologetically. “They came in as Jane Does. Neither had any for of ID or health insurance. Not any identification at all. I was not actually present when they came in and didn't hear their story. You will have to ask the staff that was on duty about that.”
The two looked at one another but he couldn't tell what passed between them.
“Are you quite sure there was nothing out of the ordinary you could tell us about them?” Detective Morris asked again. “We have their descriptions, though it is a shame that all video of their time there is… missing.” She gave her partner another look. “But considering you had one on your operating table…”
Dr. Schroeder fought to keep his features smooth, and failed. What he had seen in that surgery room flashed through his mind for perhaps the thousandth time. He still wasn't sure he believed what he had seen despite having seen it with his own eyes. The fact that others he had known for years and respected had witnessed the event with him did little to help. It was just too… unreal. He opened his mouth but nothing came forth. He tried again and attempted to disguise the lie that emerged, but even his own nose wrinkled from the smell of BS.
Otarin watched the arrogant human and knew the lie before it was out of his mouth. Did the man think them idiots? Did he really think that his 8 years of study made him somehow smarter than everyone else? With a snarl, his already tenuous patience evaporated like a single drop of water in a blazing inferno.
He moved the small distance between them in a fraction of a heartbeat and had the arrogant fool by the scruff of his scrawny neck and had him pinned to the far wall before the cup in his hands fell halfway to the carpeted floor. He smiled in satisfaction, showing the mark of his heritage at the look of sheer terror in the fool's eyes. He heard the man’s wife’s scream cut off almost before it had begun and didn't have to look to know that Hanna had followed his lead. He watched the human struggle futilely for breath a moment longer before relieving some of the pressure.
“For your sake, I believe a change of tactics would be best Dr.” He said in a menacing growl. “Like telling me the truth. I want to know everything you saw, Worm.” He applied pressure again for emphasis. “Everything.” He added, letting some of his Gift flow into the words, though he doubted it was necessary.
Dr. Schroeder opened his mouth and words began to pour out like burst floodgates.
“So, Anthony wasn't exaggerating after all.” Hanna said as she wiped the blood from her face and hands. “Where is he now?”
“He is still on the hunt, though I doubt he will intercept them before they reach their coven.” Otarin replied. He combed his fingers through his hair. “And I am not sure what would be accomplished if he does. The Bitch killed Ivan after all.” He slammed his fist into his palm. “I should have sent a whole team.”
“There is no way you could have known.” Hanna stated. “No one in their right mind would have believed his story.” She added. “But there is little doubt that the human is Ablanq.” Hanna said. “And obviously very strong.”
Otarin nodded. He certainly no longer questioned that fact. And the girl was very strong indeed from what he just heard, and he believed every word the man had said. But that answered question only created a thousand more.
“How did she...?” Hanna began but trailed off. “What does she want with her?” She asked instead. “Are they going to try and use her somehow? Drain her? Breed her?” She paused. “Oh god, you don't think they will try to turn her, do you?”
“I have no idea. But whatever it is, it can't be good,” Otarin replied. “At least not for the coven.” He added.
“We can't just let her have the child.”
“You don't think I already know that?” He roared and then took hold of his anger. It served no purpose right now. “That is obvious.” He said more calmly. “But she is no doubt safe behind Uvarii walls by now.”
“Then we will just have to lure them out.” Hanna said and Otarin turned to her, recognizing that tone in her voice. She had an idea. Her next words were no surprise.
“And I think I know how.”
She stared off into the distance for a moment and then combed a hand through her hair.
“I need to do a little research but it just might work. But in the meantime, we need to find out all we can about this girl. Anything we can use as blood. When we get to her, I want to have a carrot to dangle in front of this furry little cottontail. Some incentive to pull her to our side.”
The girl was too dangerous. Otarin would have preferred just to kill her. He had found in his experience that the simplest answers to a problem were usually the best answers but he would let Hanna try her plan first. If anything went wrong, he would snatch the life from the human no matter the cost.
“Or some sort of leverage,” He added in an attempt to be helpful.
“Or leverage,” Hanna agreed. “A family member or a close friend would be invaluable.”
“I will give it my full attention.”
True to his word, he was on the phone within the hour.
“I want everyone on it. look back as far as it takes. I want traffic, security, even ATM cams… everything. And I want full interrogation on anyone who was in contact with them. Get me something!”
CHAPTER 9
“We have arrived,” Meilin proclaimed, causing Desiree to jerk upright.
Desiree was not at all surprised to find that she had dozed off. She was immensely tired. She surreptitiously wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth as it opened wide in a jaw-cracking yawn.
“Hey!” Meilin complained. “You watch yourself. Those things are contagious.”
The vampire was trying to keep a straight face but Desiree could see the mirth playing at the corners of her mouth.
Desiree watched as they pulled up to a large property dominated by a distinct looking iron gate. Tall shrubbery hid most of the house beyond but what peaked over the foliage was impressive. The sprawling home loomed large despite being some distance from the street. Meilin pulled up to the gate and stopped at what appeared to be a terminal with a security camera above it. She punched in a long code and the gates began to open. The gates stood fully open yet the car remained where it was. Desiree was just about to comment when Meilin put her index finger in her mouth and bit down hard enough to draw blood. She then placed the bloody finger on a pad next to the terminal and held it there until there was a beep. At last, the car moved slowly onto the grounds.
A lengthy path snaked through the beautifully landscaped gardens and Desiree found herself staring in delight. Exotic flowers, ferns, and other plants created a myriad of colors and pleasant aromas. Suddenly her vision became blurry, or at least what she saw outside the vehicle became so. She could see Meilin perfectly fine as the vampire watched with an amused expression but the scene outside the car became harder and harder to see until everything became completely washed out in a dull gray. Her skin began to tingle as if millio
ns of tiny insects were crawling all over her. She suppressed the urge to shake out her top and rub her extremities. The grayness was oppressive, seeming to be trying to envelop her into its nothingness like some sort of sentient and malevolent entity. Then faster than she would have thought possible, the gardens popped back into clarity and she released the hold she had unconsciously made on her skirts. Desiree twisted to look behind them and expected to see a wall of fog or perhaps even a shimmering portal but what she saw took her completely by surprise. Everything was the same up to the iron gate but what she saw beyond made her jaw drop. San Francisco was... gone. The entire city was nowhere to be seen. Instead, manicured lawns spread for at least a hundred yards in the narrow view she had, ending in hedges cut into fanciful shapes that she was unable to see beyond.
“What the fuck just happened?” She uncustomarily cursed.
“Welcome to the coven of House Uvarii,” Meilin responded. The calmness of the words coupled with the sheer pride in the proclamation helped to slow Desiree’s racing heart.
“But what was that? What happened?” She insisted. “That wasn't natural.”
“It most certainly was not natural,” Meilin agreed. “It is long lost magic used to hide and protect us.”
“You can do magic Meilin?” Desiree asked in astonishment.
“Don't be silly,” Meilin admonished. “The spell was cast by witches loyal to our house centuries ago. They were once able to do many marvels of the like but most of their work has faded from time, replaced by technology. We are extremely lucky that the gateways are still working because there is nothing that can duplicate it in the modern world.”
“What do you mean?” Desiree asked. “What works? I mean, have I seen something they have done without realizing it?”
“No, not really. Most of it faded away long ago.” She rubbed her delicate chin for a moment before continuing. “Well, I guess there are a few things that have stood the test of time besides our gateway. The great pyramids for one, though most of the protective magics around them are long gone. Egypt’s main power was from its witches but not for what you might think. You would have thought they would have used them for war, to strike down their enemies but not so. Their value was of better use in agriculture, construction, and healthcare.”
“Why can't witches do that kind of stuff anymore?” Desiree asked. “Are they somehow all weaker now or are the secrets just lost?”
“There are no more witches,” Meilin replied sadly. “At least no real ones. They died out before…” she gave her a sharp look. “They died out a long time ago.”
Desiree nodded, not bothering to hide her disappointment. The mention of magic and witches had her mind ablaze and to find out they were all gone made her suddenly feel as if she had lost something. Which she felt weird about considering she had no idea magic existed before moments ago.
“Is it some sort of illusion or something?” Desiree asked. “I can't see the city anymore. Are we even still in San Francisco?”
“No, not really” Meilin replied. “We have actually moved to an entirely different area. But certain special points in this new area are directly connected to and are in fact geometrically adjacent to other points around the world.”
Desiree shook her head in frustration.
“Are you even speaking English? What does that mean?”
In truth she perfectly understood the theoretical ramifications of what the vampire had explained but wanted to be sure of its real-world application.
“OK. Here is an example,” The vampire began, gesturing with a hand. “The gate we just passed is located in San Francisco as you have witnessed with your own eyes.” Meilin gestured behind them. “We could walk back down that path and reemerge in San Francisco. Yet if we walked around the path...”
Desiree nodded her understanding.
“While in the coven and if you knew where the gates were, you could travel five miles from here and emerge in a flat in London.” Meilin continued.
“Wow, that is convenient,” Desiree blurted for the understatement of the year. “Wait. Five miles. Exactly how big is the coven?”
“The portion of the coven protected by the spell covers about twenty square miles with gates leading to nearly every continent.”
“I see the house and most of the grounds look the same as when we were still outside the coven.” Desiree began gesturing to the large building and the immediate area as they pulled to a stop. “But the area beyond is different. Are the parts that look the same the portion that's geometrically adjacent to the outside world?”
“No, not exactly. If someone were standing outside the gates looking onto the property, they could not see us standing here.” Meilin replied.
“Not until we came back through the gateway, or whatever you call it.” Desiree guessed.
“Precisely,” Meilin confirmed. “That is why the foliage was designed to obscure any view from outside or even above at the entry point. Otherwise, they would see us just vanish into thin air.”
“OK. I think I understand.” Desiree stated. “I just have one more question. Are we now standing in some, like, extra dimension or something, or are we really someplace else in the real world?”
“What do you mean?” Meilin asked confused.
“Well, the earth only has a finite amount of space right. I mean, whether on its surface, its orbit or underground, there is only so much space. Are we now in that space somewhere or did the witches who cast the spell make an entirely new area. An area not actually part of the actual world.” She added for clarification.
“That's an interesting question,” Meilin said. “I never thought about it in those terms. I think the latter, though I am not blood-sure.”
“What happens if someone gets in here? I mean what if there was a fire or something like that and police and the fire department got onto the grounds?”
“They wouldn't go through the gateway. They would just end up at the house you saw before we entered.” Meilin replied. “We have a family stationed in that house as cover.”
“Wow,” Desiree said, thoroughly impressed. “No wonder no one knows you guys exist.”
“Now remember what I told you,” Meilin warned, looking up the steps as the massive double doors to the house opened. Two women and a young boy appeared in the doorway. One of the women, old but certainly not fragile, spread her arms and smiled broadly in greeting.
“You had us all worried,” She admonished, though there was no harshness in her tone.
The other woman was near Meilin’s age and had a sour look directed at Meilin. Her expression changed when she saw Desiree. Curiosity lasted about the space of a single breath and then she seemed to completely dismiss her.
“Meilin, why do you have to always cause drama?” She asked angrily. “Deidrich said you should have been back a long time ago. He left with several Phalanx to find you. One would think that you would have had the decency to call.”
A flash of worry and embarrassment clouded Meilin’s features for a moment but when she spoke her words had as much snap to it as Desiree had ever heard from her.
“Don't presume to lecture me Elizabeta. You have no Idea what I have been through.”
Elizabeta opened her mouth angrily but the boy stepped between them and hugged Meilin, cutting off whatever she was going to say.
“We really were worried about you Mei,” The boy said emphatically. “Liz was too.” He added glancing back, but Elizabeta had already turned around and was walking briskly back inside. “She is the one that suggested someone search for you.” The old woman added.
Meilin ruffled the boy's shaggy brown hair in what Desiree recognized as a familiar and playful manner but the boy was no longer paying any attention. He was staring at Desiree like only a child could, utterly oblivious to the awkwardness.
“Who’s that Mei?” He asked, his big brown eyes never leaving her.
Desiree walked up and knelt down to the boy's height and smiled warmly.
<
br /> “My name is Desiree. I am a friend of Meilin’s. What’s your name?”
The boy only stared back stupefied but the old woman saved Desiree before the moment could become even more awkward.
“That rude little boy is Peter,” She said, pulling him into the folds of her dress. “And I am Marilyn.” She added cordially. “Just let me know if there is anything I can do for you.”
“Marilyn helps run the household and keeps an eye on the little Demon Seed,” Meilin said.
“I’m not a Demon Seed,” Peter proclaimed indignantly.
Meilin ignored him and spoke to Marilyn.
“Would you be kind enough to see that Desiree gets a bite to eat and have my bath and bed prepared? I want to get cleaned up before I retire.”
A nice bed sounded even more amazing to Desiree than food. The sheer mention of sleep made her yawn again.
“Certainly,” The woman said with a bow. “And I will have a room prepared in the guest quarters for your... friend.”
“No!” Meilin said quickly. She placed a comforting hand on the older woman's arm. “No, Marilyn. Have your people immediately begin working on my personal guest room. In the meantime, Desiree will be staying with me in my room.”
Utter surprise covered Marilyn’s features but she only bowed in acquiescence.
“I will see to it immediately.”
“Thank you, Marilyn,” The vampire said, smiling warmly.
They made their way inside and Marilyn bustled away to the right to no doubt see to her tasks by Desiree’s guess. Peter followed at her heels, glancing back repeatedly to stare at them. She waved to him and smiled, but the boy only continued to stare.
Meilin turned left and Desiree followed without a word. Her attention was instead fixed on all the expensive looking pictures and furniture, some of which looked centuries old yet in immaculate repair. The hall quickly opened into a large room with incredibly high ceilings sporting a massive chandelier that bathed the entire area in pleasant light. And Desiree was surprised to see Marilyn and Peter going through a door to their right. The small hall at the door apparently led to this room no matter what direction u took. Ahead, standing atop a massive stairway stood Elizabeta flanked by two large men in distinct uniforms. Desiree knew instinctively that they were both vampires. So was Elizabeta for that matter.
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