Curiosity Killed The Cat

by T. H. Hunter

  I was thankful for the darkness of the room I was in, though I doubted anyone would have noticed if it had had more lighting. Some sort of celebration was going on inside, though it was hard to tell. There was psychedelic music playing in the background.

  Then, with a rush of adrenaline, I saw Lynn, by the looks of it arguing with Jayden. She looked terrible and miserable to boot. What were they doing in this place? And what did Jayden know about the figurines? They moved out of sight and further into the room.

  Several footsteps behind me heralded the arrival of yet more party-goers. I quickly darted behind a large crate, shielding myself from view, though I couldn’t see anything from here. There was a sickly smell about the place.

  I risked a peak around the crate. Two guys, in their mid-20s, were holding up a girl between them. She looked pale, as if she’d passed out. As they moved into the next room, I got up from my hiding place and risked a furtive look. One of the men was putting something on the counter. And I had a pretty good hunch about what it might be.

  If I was wrong, I would be in deep trouble. It was worth the risk, though I was glad Lynn wouldn’t be able to see me immediately, for she would for sure give the game away. I stood up, took a deep breath and walked straight into the room.

  The blue lights dazzled me as I squinted around the room. A makeshift bar had been created from old crates of beer and empty barrels of wine. Tiny phials and large pitchers on wooden boards adorned the walls behind the counter.

  A surly-looking girl with a jaw like an anvil came over.

  “What do you want?”

  I wasn’t sure, but I thought I now knew what the figurines were for. There was only one way to find out, however. I took out the small silver drummer from my pocket and pushed it across the counter. She felt the silver in her hand briefly, looked at me, and then nodded. She brought me a small phial with dark red and clotted liquid within. It was blood.

  I needed information more than anything without arousing suspicion. I looked around for someone sitting alone. And there, in the corner, was a gaunt-looking guy with spiky hair, smoking a cigarette. He looked bored.

  “D’you mind if I sit here?”

  “Be my guest.”

  He didn’t look up. I pretended to relax a little, leaning back and taking in my surroundings. The two guys holding the girl had vanished from sight.

  “You.. erm.. saw the match today?” I asked

  “Yes,” he said curtly.

  “Disappointed?”

  “I wanted Vox to win.”

  “I guess I should have just beaten the Prince while I had the chance.”

  “What…”

  For the first time, he lifted his head and looked me in the face. I’ve never seen anyone switch from boredom to interest that fast.

  “…Hey, you’re the girl he was fighting in the semifinals.”

  “One and only.”

  We talked a little more about the tournament, though I tried to steer the conversation towards our current location. It turned out his name was Harry Benthon. Finally, he asked:

  “S*your first time?” he asked

  “Erm, yeah, that’s right,” I said.

  “First time is the best. Go on, try it.”

  “I’m still waiting for a friend. We wanted to try it together.”

  I was just making things up now to avoid having to drink it.

  “So, when did you try it first?”

  He looked at me as if it was a long time ago, too long to really remember.

  “In my first year, I think.”

  “Did you always meet up here?”

  He laughed.

  “Hell, no. We did it in the South Tower early on. But they raided it soon after I got in. We still use the old storage rooms, though.”

  So that had been why our attacker had been hiding in the cellar that night. He had probably been getting supplies for this place. I must have a-ha’d a little too loud because he looked at me questioningly. I quickly turned it into a cough, and he seemed satisfied enough.

  “And then you set up here?” I asked.

  “No, we tried the East Tower first, but those holier-than-thou Scarlet Knights were all over the place, putting their noses in places that didn’t concern them. Stupid twats.”

  “D’you think Wiley was sniffing around here, too?” I asked.

  “Doubt it. Never seen him here before. Anyway, he wasn’t a Knight, I think.”

  “He must have made some enemies.”

  “Must have, sure. But who cares about him.”

  He checked his watch lazily.

  “Feeding’s gonna start soon. You have your ticket?”

  “Erm, no – not yet.”

  “Well get one quick.”

  “No figurines,” I said apologetically.

  “We call them tokens.”

  He looked at me suspiciously but didn’t say anything more. I was already stretching it, so I decided to look for Lynn.

  I moved through the smoky air, blue lights shining on couples drinking the contents of the phials together. It was evidently blood, something the Council had strictly prohibited. But my worst fears were still not abated. I needed Lynn for that.

  Finally, I found her in a corner, sitting alone. Jayden was nowhere to be seen. When she saw me, she almost had a fit.

  “Beccs, what are you doing down here?”

  “I might ask you the same question, Lynn.”

  But before she could answer, the two men with the girl returned. The people were getting excited. The man behind the bar turned a knob, and the lights went slowly from blue to purple and finally red. This was evidently the highlight of the evening.

  “Lynn…”

  For a moment, I wished I had taken my rapier with me. Blunt or not, anything would have been welcome now. They dragged the girl onto a chair. She was white as a sheet. I wasn’t sure whether she was conscious.

  Enough was enough. I took Lynn by the hand and led her out of the den. She protested but didn’t really put up a fight. I dragged her past the small room with boxes and old equipment. Outside, the stream would be too loud for anyone to overhear us.

  “Lynn, are you totally out of your mind?” I demanded.

  “Stop treating me like a child, Beccs. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Do you? Aren’t they drinking blood in there?”

  “Sure, because you wouldn’t do anything outside the rules. You sound like Mrs. Prill, you know that?”

  “Lynn, this isn’t like breaking into some storage room for wine. This is wrong. You know blood only works if it’s forcibly taken. And that girl certainly didn’t look like she was in here of her own free will.”

  She was speechless. She didn’t know what to say. Then she began sobbing softly.

  “I-I’m sorry, Beccs. I didn’t know they were going to do that, honestly. I didn’t know. I kind of – I got mixed up with Jayden and he always wanted to go. I mean, he didn’t force me but I wanted to be with him and…”

  “How long has he been coming here?”

  “He got the stuff even before getting into the castle. He knew an older guy from school days who supplied him with blood. He just wanted to be the best, you’ve got to believe that. It enhances performance, you see.”

  It was as if everything had shifted into place. That had been the reason why Jayden had consistently been the best during pre-Trial training. And also why he had a constant look of exhaustion about him – he’d been spending his nights here.

  “I’m going in there,” I said, looking Lynn in the eye. “I’ve got to get that girl out of there. She’s human, she doesn’t belong here.”

  “Wait, Beccs!”

  “They can’t just keep human chattel. I told you, Lynn, it’s wrong. And you should know that.”

  I was furious at her now. This wasn’t about petty regulations. This was about right and wrong. I walked back towards the party area. I didn’t know how I’d do it, but I certainly wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing whil
e they sucked her dry.

  “Beccs, please. There’s another way. Let me get Jayden.”

  “No, Lynn.”

  “Please, Beccs. If our friendship means anything to you, at least hear him out. Please.”

  I stared at her for a moment. Time was running out. But I finally nodded.

  “Ok, Lynn. Five minutes.”

  Lynn returned with Jayden in short order. He looked tired but more awake than earlier in the Knights’ room. Perhaps some of the effects had worn off in the meantime.

  Lynn apparently had explained the situation along the way. He was caught between a look of defiance and one of shame.

  “What are they going to do to that girl, Jayden?”

  “You know the answer already,” he said in a low voice, averting his eyes.

  “Damn well I do,” I said hotly.

  “Wait. Jayden, you can save her,” Lynn said frantically. “You have influence with them. Make something up, anything. I can’t stand it. Please.”

  Jayden looked from Lynn to me. But he remained silent.

  “This can’t continue Jayden,” I said quietly.

  “There’re too many people mixed up,” he said suddenly. “And it’s not only students, either. Staff, seniors, veterans. Important people, Beccs. Council members. You don’t know what you’re getting into. They all want the real thing. They aren’t used to drinking the fake stuff we’re served upstairs.”

  “How many have you killed?” I asked.

  “None, Beccs, I swear,” Jayden said. “I can’t speak for everyone, but nobody’s ever died on my watch. We raid surrounding villages. We take what we need and leave them alone.”

  “That girl won’t be alive in the morning after they’ve finished with her, you know that,” I said.

  He stared at me for something like a minute. I held his gaze.

  “That wasn’t my idea,” he murmured.

  This time, I didn’t say anything. Instead, I let the truth of the matter sink in.

  “Please, Jayden,” Lynn begged, almost in tears now.

  He nodded heavily.

  “I’ll get her out of there in one bit. I’ll get her out of the castle. Just you don’t rat on us, Beccs,” he said. “Not everyone can adapt this fast. It’s not possible.”

  “Is she from around here?” I asked.

  “Yeah, local girl. Just a couple of miles south.”

  “Get her back home, tonight. Your word on that, Jayden,” I said.

  “I promise,” he said.

  Lynn began to cry as Jayden headed back. I took her in my arms and we stood there for quite a while, saying nothing to each other but understanding nonetheless. At last, Jayden reappeared with the girl slung over his shoulders.

  “I convinced them that they found out about her. We don’t have much time before they realise the truth. Let’s go.”

  We ascended the steep stairs through the catacombs that lead back to the Great Hall.

  ***

  Half an hour later, outside in the courtyard, Jayden said:

  “I’ll try to be back by dawn. They won’t be too pleased when they find out I took away the girl for nothing. There’ll be hell to pay.”

  “We’ll have to make sure the story’s sticks, then,” I said. “Tell them you saw me, that I was going to get the Knights. Listen, Jayden. Wiley was holding one of these figurines, these tokens, when he was shot. Was he involved somehow?”

  “I have no idea. Look, Beccs, I know you think we’re crazy, but I swear, I’m no killer.”

  “So you have no idea why he was killed at all?”

  “None. As far as I know, he’s never even been down in the den.”

  The answer was disappointing to say the least.

  “Why d’you use silver tokens, anyway? Why not something else?”

  He shook his head.

  “I don’t know. All I know is that someone very big is controlling the game. We get instructions how to do things, and we get a cut, that’s all. They pay in tokens, we put ‘em in boxes and place them in the storage room. Then they’re taken away.”

  “But how do the students get the tokens in the first place?” I asked.

  “They pay in human cash. Most of it’s used to pay for the silver tokens. There’s a trader in the village. His name is Barilar. That’s all I know, Beccs, I swear.”

  “Okay, Jayden. You’d better take her back.”

  Without another word, Jayden vanished into the darkness.

  Lynn and I headed back to our room, still at a loss for words, though at least her secret was out. It would be some time before I’d trust her again, but I knew that in the morning we’d finally be back on track to being real friends again.

  16

  The next morning, I received a letter at breakfast. A boy, no older than 12, had delivered it. Unlike most, I hadn’t received any letters so far and eagerly tore it open. It read:

  Dear Miss Flynn,

  There have been numerous developments that have come to my attention in regard to the death of Doctor Wiley. I was wondering whether you could see me in the library this afternoon at 4 pm. Please drop me a quick line if this is possible for you.

  Sincerely,

  A. Yurasov

  I borrowed a pen from Lynn and scrawled a brief “suits me, thanks” on the letter and gave it back to the delivery boy.

  “Can you deliver it right back to Doctor Yurasov?” I asked.

  The boy nodded.

  “Thanks.”

  And with that, he was off.

  ***

  After classes had ended for the day, I made my way up to the library tower. It was only a few days since I’d been up here, but it could have just as well been decades ago.

  “Ah, hello, Miss Flynn. So good to see you again. I wanted to congratulate you one more time for your excellent performance during the tournament. We were all very impressed.”

  “Thank you, Doctor Yurasov. It certainly would never have been possible without you.”

  He smiled appreciatively. He beckoned me to sit down at a reading table close to the medical books section.

  “But as you have surely gathered from my note, that is not all I wanted to see you about. But how to start? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. As I think you have noticed.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I am afraid, Miss Flynn, that the castle is facing greater adversity than I had liked to admit to you at the beginning of term. There have been kidnappings, bloodsuckings, and now even murders. Poor Doctor Wiley had to die in front of the entire body of staff and students. The Council wants to get to the bottom of this mess as soon as possible. And I have been put in charge of investigations.”

  “Anything to help, sir,” I said. “I had tried to tell Mrs. Prill but…”

  “I realise she is… difficult to deal with. She turned vampire very late, you see. She is still adapting, you might say. Now, she told me a strange tale of certain silver figurines that you had mentioned to her?”

  I told Doctor Yurasov all about our encounter in the wine cellar, and how the attacker had evidently dropped the figurine. But then, something stopped me. I had made a promise not to reveal the people involved in the den below the Great Hall.

  But Doctor Yurasov seemed to be reading me like an open book.

  “You do not have to divulge everything, Miss Flynn. I realise this is quite a messy affair. I assure you, however, that anything you tell me will be treated with the utmost level of secrecy. And we are only interested in the ‘big fish’, as it were. Now, did you find out anything else about these figurines?”

  It was too important to omit completely. My story must have appeared rather strange, as it sounded as if I had just happened to stumble across a blood party in the deepest recesses of the castle. Doctor Yurasov, however, phrased his questions respectfully. I think he understood perfectly well what was going on.

  “And then, I, erm, had it arranged that the girl was removed and brought back to w
here she came from.”

  “A noble thing to do, Miss Flynn. You did well. The Council has been trying to stamp out these gatherings for years, but to little avail. They keep popping up everywhere. Unfortunately, the whole thing is a lot worse than we had initially assumed. I’ll be honest with you, Miss Flynn. The Council is in disarray, our King is ill and his Queen – well, it pains me to criticise a member of the Royal Family but nonetheless – is not invested entirely in the well-being of all of her subjects.”

  “You mean, she doesn’t care about the trade in blood…”

  “To put it bluntly, yes. And Prince Raphael’s hands are tied. By Vampiric Law, the Queen rules as long as the King is alive, until he is fit enough to rule himself once more. In other words, it is a stalemate.”

  “How can I help?” I asked.

  “You already have been, Miss Flynn. We are not interested so much in the blood parties as in who is running the show. The Knights are ready to intervene, of course, but we need to know where to strike. I cannot tell you what to do, naturally, as you are not – or should I say not yet – a member of the Scarlet Knights. But I ask you only to keep your eyes open.”

  “You think it’s about something larger than the blood ring?”

  “Oh yes, that much is certain,” he said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his forehead.

  “But how do you know?”

  “It is quite simple, I am afraid. The King is not simply ill, as most people have been told, he has been poisoned.”

  “What?”`

  “I am afraid it is true,” Doctor Yurasov said. “Prince Raphael and a team of doctors have been working extremely hard to save him, but it is most likely terminal. I believe that the entire blood problem is a symptom of a larger political game, Miss Flynn. Our society is coming apart. We are at serious risk of civil war, more than at any other time since we signed the peace treaty with the Slayers.”