Necrophobia (31 page)

Sevaur slapped Adrian on the back and smiled. “That’ll help a lot. I survived so no harm done I suppose. Let me come with you next time.”

“I messed up I know.” Adrian turned to face the nearest of the bird cages and eyed up the pigeons and doves kept there. They watched him with attentive stares and backed away from the mesh protecting them. “It won’t happen again.”

“We do appreciate your help. Without you we’d be lost and we don’t know anyone else within the city. If it weren’t for you we’d probably have gone back after a day or two of finding nothing.” Claire said as she watched him.

“She’s right you know.” Sevaur retrieved his sword from the corner of the room and inspected it. “Guess we found out what your sword can do.” He turned his boyish gaze towards her.

“I’d almost forgotten.” She withdrew the intricate Caelite rapier and stared at the masterwork blade with wonder. “It absorbs lightning magic at least. Odd.”

“That’s Knight-Commander Rhae’s blade.” Reiner appeared from one of the windows behind him, quiet as a mouse. His usual slicked hair was ruffled and falling out of place.

Sevaur almost jumped out of his skin upon hearing his brother appear from nowhere. “I didn’t hear you approach.”

“It’s a gift.” He didn’t take his eyes of Claire’s rapier as he dusted himself and came closer.

“Falkner?”

“Got away.” He shook his head. “He’s sought refuge on the Pavlovich estate. It’s too well guarded.”

“What do you know about this?” Claire handed him the rapier which he took and held before him like a new father holding a child for the first time. That same look of reverence and fear of damaging it crossed his otherwise stern face.

“It is a sacred blade. It is used for centuries to execute apostates and traitors.” He turned it over in his hands. “Amelia gave this to you?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“You’d have heard about it if she’d have stolen it.” Sevaur tried to lighten the mood but Reiner was transfixed.

“Use it well.” He handed the rapier back to Claire. “Curious that she gave it to you when Falkner is on the loose.”

She could have sworn she heard a twinge of jealousy in his voice but he offered a brief yet genuine smile.

“Thank you for coming to get me.” Sevaur said as he traced his boot through the feather-covered floor. “You didn’t have to.”

“As they should be.” He turned to face his brother and looked down at the sheepish youthful face of Sevaur. “Worry not, it was my duty to—”

“—my duty.” Sevaur said simultaneously with a sly smile. “I know. But still, thanks.”

Reiner stared at him for several moments and words formed on his lips but he thought better of it and looked upwards. Seeing Adrian stood nearby he paused. “I didn’t recognise you at first. You’ve changed Adrian.”

“You haven’t.” Adrian grinned.

“Reiner, we need to work together on this. You. Me. The Caelites — the Night Guard.” Claire interjected as she re-sheathed her rapier. “They’re too great in number and their noble connections give them resources we can’t hope to match. We need the Caelites expertise and you need us.”

Reiner nodded. “Believe me, I know. If Caelholm failed to teach us anything it’s that our enemies wish to keep us divided and distracted whilst they complete their true blasphemies. Today I received a reminder first hand.”

“Whatever they’re planning they’re doing it tomorrow. It sounded big.” Sevaur said. “I overheard Haures talking. They’re spooked and desperate.”

“Any idea what it was?” Claire stifled a yawn and massaged her hunger.

“No. Just that it sounded big. Whatever they’re really after here they’re running out of options.”

“Then we must rest now and prepare for whatever tomorrow brings. We’ll accomplish nothing without rest.” Reiner turned to face Claire. “You can hardly keep your eyes open. I will find you all tomorrow.”

She nodded and yawned. “I could murder a Roc steak right about now.”

They left and headed towards Adrian’s home outside of the city limits as Reiner returned to the church. The Night Guard patrolling the checkpoints were less than amused to find them wandering around after curfew but Claire’s freshly made badge and credentials eased their reluctance.

CHAPTER SIX

The next day Claire awoke to find herself sprawled out on top of her bed still dressed in her Night Guard armour. Between the exhausting day and the feast upon returning home she must have fallen asleep. Aching muscles screamed in protest as she dragged herself out of bed and downstairs. She could hear a kettle coming to boiling point and the clatter of mugs. Sevaur and Adrian were deep in conversation. As she staggered in Sevaur’s grin widened.

“Morning sleeping beauty.” He handed her a fresh mug of tea and hurried over to a stack of papers on the counter.

“If you can call this morning.” Adrian pulled open the shutters and pointed outside the window. “It’s early afternoon now.” Outside the sun was high in the sky and thick clouds were coming in from the west. The air rushing in was cold despite the sunlight and felt refreshing upon her skin.

She tried to give him a withering look of displeasure but bleary eyed and exhausted the expression was lost in translation. “You try fighting vampires all day.”

“Hayley brought this over earlier.” Sevaur handed her an opened letter stained by a ring of tea. Seeing her gaze he apologised. “My bad there. If something big is coming she wants us there soon for further training and preparation.”

“Have I missed anything?” She drank deep from the mug and felt the warm liquid revitalise her weary body.

“There’s been nothing yet that we know of. The Night Guard are undermanned now, they finally got back a death toll from that prison breakout yesterday. Not looking good.”

“Captain Falkner’s still at large.” Adrian added. “Reiner’s having difficulty staging an operation on the Pavlovich family and no wonder. They’re the most powerful family here after Lord Strigoi. No wonder the Night Guard are hesitant to do anything about it.”

“What about the daughter?”
The one I almost got myself killed trying to capture.

“Safe in custody. She’s still under Inquisitor Pietas’s investigation.” He shrugged. “Not much we can do anyway. We’re no interrogators.”

“True.” Claire conceded. She finished her mug of tea and began picking at a platter of bread and cheese. “Adrian, do you know anything of Morana Norwood? She’s a vampire doctor in league with Haures’ cult.”

“It rings a bell.” He scratched his large hand through his beard. “There’s been a lot of cult activity over the past few decades. Why?”

“Isobel and my mother killed her twenty years ago yet I found her alive at the warehouse. She’s been improving the dark gift. It seems she’s found some measure of success.”

“That’s the last thing we need around here. More vamps.” Adrian grunted in irritation. “You saw firsthand what they’re capable of.”

Claire nodded. “This certainly came in handy.” She held up her left hand and flashed the silver ring she’d inherited. “Morana mentioned Haures’ interest in the dark gift as a means to free himself. Any idea what that means?”

“Free from death I suppose? Those parasites are immortal after all.” He shrugged again.

“If they’re resurrecting people left and right it can’t be that. They can already cheat death.” Sevaur stared out of the window deep in thought. “They already enthral and corrupt people into their cause like vampires do. What else is there?”

“Latent psychic powers and superhuman abilities is all I can think of.” Adrian shook his head. “If you ask me it’s not worth it. Not when you’re in constant danger of becoming a mindless Vamprey. Perhaps they wish to prevent that from happening?”

Psychic powers and inhuman speed and strength had an appeal to them she had to admit. In a way they were the perfect hunter: fast, strong, stealthy, smart than normal. Their ability to warp the perceptions of their prey and render them powerless seemed like overkill. In a way they were cheating, nigh unstoppable apex predators. Were it not for their myriad of weaknesses they could conquer the world as gods. No wonder the initial settlers built the Great Wall of Kriegsfeld.

“What causes that transformation?” Claire asked between mouthfuls. “Morana’s been a vampire for at least twenty years and she still looks human.”

“That’s the question. People say starvation and injury but no one is really sure. They’re monsters through and through though and now they reflect it.”

Adrian’s bitterness was unmistakable. She wondered what he’d seen to draw such ire and revulsion. With her encounter with a Vamprey still fresh in her memory it wasn’t hard to imagine.

“So all we know is they’re researching vampirism to improve it.”

“One plague on this city is more than enough.”

Claire finished her meal and tried her best at making herself presentable — no easy task given the previous day. As Adrian and Sevaur argued about something so mundane it barely registered in her head as she prepared. Fresh and clean they set out into the looming city and braving the cold breeze rushing in from across the ocean. Adrian shielded his eyes as he watched the rolling cloud cover blot out the skies over Kriegsfeld.

“That don’t look good. Might be a gale heading our way.”

“That normal?” Sevaur asked, wrapping his threadbare cape around him for warmth.

Adrian shrugged. “It’s storm season, like I said.” And without another word he pressed on through the winds towards the nearest checkpoint entry. Sevaur and Claire followed close behind using his bulky frame as a windbreaker.

Falkner dabbed the burns on his face as he stared out of the thick glass windows of the observatory. High above in the Pavlovich observatory he could see for miles across the city to the farmlands in the south or the cursed lands to the north. He was safe for now at least. The Caelites could not reach him here. The Pavlovich family would create significant problems for any Night Guard investigation. Though the remnants of the ancient Strigoi house were rulers by birth right; as the sole survivor of his bloodline Victor’s position was precarious. In truth the Pavlovich family had their fingers in a lot of pies and wielded comparable power. Dmitri’s funding helped found the Plague doctors in response to the encroaching plague. This benevolence allowed him a far greater control and influence over Night Guard and military matters within the city. Wherever the plague infected the Night Guard cordons soon followed. As the owner of the chemical company responsible for the plague elixir Dmitri’s power and wealth grew as the plague spread. Falkner considered it likely they were deliberately sabotaging and encouraging the plague to profit further from it. Given the extent of their other criminal activities and harbouring known traitors and heretics like himself this wasn’t hard to imagine. Dmitri poured his wealth and resources into Haures’ blasphemous cults and experiments in exchange for forbidden lore. Deep down Falkner hoped Haures would renege on his promises of immortality and the secrets of resurrection. Enabling Dmitri’s rise to become an immortal tyrant to seize Kriegsfeld didn’t bode well. It wouldn’t take long for this malignancy to spread throughout the continent and cause problems overseas. Falkner paced in front of the window and grumbled beneath his breath as the raw singed flesh stung and ached. Beside him Haures sat at an expansive desk drumming his fingers on the woodwork as he surveyed the intelligence collected by Pavlovich’s spies. Upon hearing of Falkner’s failure to capture Reiner and his brother’s escape Haures had reacted with amusement rather than anger. Such casual indifference perplexed Falkner; the Caelites and their allies were right on his tail. Either he was more insane than Falkner realised or possessed that calm assurance that no matter what he would endure and twist a situation to his advantage. People like that always had an ace up their sleeve and Falkner wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that was.

“You seem ill at ease.” Haures looked up from his paperwork and removed his reading glasses.

“You’ve learnt all you can from Valdgeirr. You don’t need me.” Falkner watched the Inquisitor with keen eyes.