The Sin Collector (16 page)

“I need my things.” I whispered.

Olexander came up behind me, helping me to my feet.

“She’s already gone. The ritual would be of no use now.”

I understood his words, but I was not going to let her go into any next world with such a heavy burden. I would try. I could at least try. Fury gave me new energy.

“Billy I need you to get on your computer. Do whatever it takes, and try to find any trace of the Castus in town. Olexander I need you to contact Nela and find out what she knows. We need to find Jules.”

I didn’t like the look they were both giving me. It was defeat laced with pity, and I was not in the mood for either. “Go,” I screamed, and they both walked out with the same hesitation. I ran back to my room. I could feel Rebecca’s blood wet and soaked into the knees of my jeans. I tore through my drawers, looking for the jeweled box that I hadn’t opened in decades. There it sat, like an old friend waiting for me. I dumped the contents on the bed. The silver equal armed cross reflected the light of the bedside table, and rested on the charcoal censer. I sorted through the vials of herbs. I had the Gum Arabic, the Althaea Leaves, Boldo Leaf, but I didn’t have any Devil Pod, the vial was empty. I threw everything back into the box and took it with me to Olexander’s office.

I didn’t think. I just tore through his desk looking for his identical box. It had to be here somewhere. I was slamming desk drawers left and right, but something grabbed my attention. The bottom drawer looked much deeper from the outside than it did on the inside. I tapped at it and sure enough, it had a fake bottom. I saw his box, grabbed the Devil Pod, about to leave his office in disarray when I caught the glint of silver. I bent down and carefully lifted out the dagger. It was nine inches long at least, and had a curved blade. It had the same marble handle as the one I had been attacked with. Holding its weight in my hand, I could make out the Latin engraved on the blade.
Mors Omnibus, Death To All.

It wasn’t ice water I felt this time. It was fire. The fire of betrayal and doubt, and determination to save my
family
, which is what Julia had become while I wasn’t even looking. I didn’t know why Olexander would be harboring the only weapon that could harm us. Right now, I didn’t need to know. I carefully placed the dagger in the empty sheath on my belt. I had new resolve. I was done trusting anyone. I would perform the ritual the way I’d been taught on Rebecca, then I would go and find Julia, and I was completely prepared to kill anyone who got in my way.

I lit the seven candles in a circle around Rebecca’s body counterclockwise. I hated to rush, but time was of the essence. I lit the herbs one by one dropping them into the censer and began chanting. I placed the cross on her cold forehead and my dominant hand on her heart. I continued to chant the Latin very quickly. I was unsurprised how easily I remembered every word. This is who I was. I could feel her sins gathering. They were heavy, and she was much older than I had thought. I spoke the final words, Ne Cede Malis, yield not to evil, removed the cross and kissed her on the forehead.

It felt as if a hundred heavy boulders were crushing my whole body. I felt every sin screaming in my head. I was on the floor and my head felt like it would explode. I willed myself not to scream. I didn’t want an audience. Slowly the pain began to recede. I was lying on the bloody floor unable to move. Yes, I had seriously misjudged her age. Rebecca had been well over a thousand years old. I was lucky to have survived it. I’d never taken the sins of another Collector before. I lay there unmoving, trying to collect my thoughts until I felt I could get up. I slowly gathered up my things and returned them to their box. I caught sight of myself in the mirror, white as a ghost and covered in blood. I was focused for as weak as I felt. I also felt a trickle of new energy, as if some of Rebecca’s power had seeped into me. I went back to my room shoving the elaborate box into my purse, leaving it sit on the bed. I retrieved my riding jacket, to cover the blade on my belt.

I walked calmly to the deck and was surprised to see both Billy and Olexander already glowing bright. I wasn’t even trying but I could see their auras clear as day. Then I remembered what Rebecca had said. I wasn’t the only one who could see people’s true colors. I smiled pleased with the assist. There was only one problem. Both men were the same throbbing red. The sun would be rising soon and time was passing too quickly. Neither Billy, nor Olexander seemed to know what to say as they stared at me wide eyed. I may have had a bit more blood on me than I previously thought.

“
What do we know?”

“I cannot seem to reach Nela. William has found a few hotels where the Castus could be hiding, but we have no way of knowing which hotel.” Olexander spoke as he paced back and forth.

“So in summation, we have nothing?” I felt the fury bubbling over. Every minute they had Julia and Thomas they were closer to death, and I wasn’t performing any more rituals tonight. No more people I cared about were going to die. I looked at Olexander and Billy. There were just too many variables, and I couldn’t risk trusting either one of them. I felt the tears behind my eyes and this time I didn’t stop them from overflowing. I rushed to Billy, hugging him tight around the waist. He seemed shocked by my sudden display of emotion, but still gripped me tightly. I took a deep breath and stepped back, the cool object encased in my hand.

“I think we should go back to the hostel and try to pick up the trail from there.” Olexander said with a hint of disgust in his voice. I nodded, and acted as if I was only now realizing my own appearance.

“I think I should change into something a bit less macabre before we go, it will be daylight soon.” I whispered.

“Yes, of course.” Olexander said, and Billy gave me a nod. I took one long look at both of them before I headed back to my room. I locked my bedroom door before opening my hand exposing the shiny silver cell phone. I was hoping it would be a while before Billy noticed it missing. I went to the call log, and dialed the unfamiliar number that was the only one stored. She answered on the third ring and I instantly recognized her heavy Italian accent.

“Billy what is going on?”

“Where are you keeping the little girl?” I asked. It seemed silly to waste time on pleasantries.

“Who is this, where is Billy?” The woman asked irritated.

“Billy is gone. It’s just me now. The man you took from the house, where is he?”

“Of course, it is you, Billy’s
poco fiore. The man we took is
dead and burned. We took the wrong one of course, but we kill any abomination despite the circumstance of how they fall into our laps.”

It all clicked into place. Billy hadn’t wanted Olexander and I to go into the house together, not because he feared for my safety, but because Olexander was supposed to be outside. He was supposed to have been taken, not Thomas.

“I want the girl back.”

“If you want your precious p
iccolo sorella back, you’re going to have to come and get her.”

“Just tell me where,” I seethed.

“Go to the Lavapies, the third alley past the fountain, it will be abandoned this time of day, come alone poco fiore.” I heard her phone click shut.

Come alone. It was almost funny seeing as how I couldn’t think of who I would bring with me. I needed to keep my priorities straight. I would find Julia, kill any Castus I could find, especially the Italian bitch, and then I would come back and deal with Billy and Olexander’s lies. I grabbed my purse, heavy with the bejeweled box and several more knives, and quietly climbed down the side of the ship, so no one would see me go.

Chapter 15

I walked down the steep alley steps until I reached an old wooden door. It was, I assumed, the basement of one of the pubs or clothing stores lining the street above. I reached for the knob, knowing it wouldn’t be locked. I was a guest after all, and entered the damp stone room. It was very dark. Most people would have thought the room empty, but I could feel the sins there. The black scrim of murder filled my throat, as if I had inhaled smoke.

“Show yourself,” I said, and the bravery in my voice caught me off guard. I hoped that the woman would believe it genuine courage. Suddenly a fluorescent light flicked on. Dull at first and then glowing with intensity. A door across from me opened.

“No need to shout Collector,” said the woman with the thick accent. She was most definitely human, easily six feet tall, with a lean and toned body. Her hair hung loose and was very dark, almost as dark as mine was, but it had one or two grays. I suspected she was in her early thirties at the very least. Her olive skin tone complimented her brown eyes nicely. She was wearing black BDU pants and a tight knit turtleneck, as well as a black pea coat that hung down to her knees. The hood sat neatly on the top of her head, carefully tucked, so as not to mess up her hair. Anyone would have found the woman utterly stunning. I would have too if not for the thick black fog that seemed to encompass her.

“Who are you and where is Julia?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“I am Angeline. The child is safe for now, right down the hall if you must know. We have never had this particular problem before. She is human, but one day will not be. We haven’t decided what to do with her yet. How strange you really came all by yourself to meet me.”

“Yeah well, I have trust issues.” I said wryly. I wanted to know everything; I wanted to keep her talking. This was ending tonight. If I had to bleed her dry, I would find out who had stood against us. She looked at me with a curious expression.

“
Don’t you have back up coming?” I asked, hoping I still sounded brave.

She chuckled, “they can be called if I need them.” She paced slowly as if she was studying me.

“You are very much like William was, at first.” She smiled at me then, and it made me sick to my stomach.

“What about William?” The thought of his traitorous deeds filled me with hatred.

“When we killed the woman, Clara was her name I believe. He had the unfortunate luck to have witnessed the whole bloody ordeal. Months later, he stood right where you are standing now, thirsty for vengeance. Of course this was, about seven years ago now. He too was foolish enough to come alone, thinking our numbers were few and fleeting.”

She gave me another wicked smile. I had the desire to carve it right off her face.

“Our leader, Quinlan, wanted to kill him immediately, but I convinced him having a Collector on our side would be of great use. It only took a month of poking and prodding to break your William. Soon it was like having our own little bloodhound. He would sniff out a Collector and we would kill them, and in exchange he got to keep his life.”

She stopped pacing to look at me, trying to gauge if I was at my breaking point, if I was ready for the inevitable fight. I willed myself calm, there was still information I needed. She took a deep breath and began pacing again. Maybe I would start by breaking her kneecaps.

“
We lost track of your William three months ago. We thought we’d lost him for good, until suddenly, just a few weeks ago one of our informants saw our missing bloodhound checking into the Fitzwilliam hotel with a beautiful dark haired woman. Connor is so young, and not our brightest recruit, but he blends in so easily, you probably don’t even remember him.”

I did remember him, the bellhop, but I remained silent, I wanted her to keep talking.

“I had to see for myself of course, and when I saw my little puppy I left a note for him at the front desk. It was a very colorful and persuasive note, describing in detail how I planned to kill you both and so he met with me that very evening.”

She was very pleased with herself. Maybe I would cut her heart out while it was still beating.

“He really is a sentimental fool, choosing to hide in Dublin. He helped us kill the boy that very night, what was his name?”

She stopped pacing and looked at me. I remembered the newspaper article spread out on Olexander’s table. I planted my feet and counted to ten. “Anthony, his name was Anthony.”

“Yes. Anthony.” She clapped her hands together remembering and began pacing once more. “With William helping us again, finding Anthony was almost too easy. Billy had no trouble tracking him after you both had the unfortunate chance encounter at
the Pub
.”

She halted abruptly giving me a devilish grin.

“You see little flower, William is our man. Let it never be said we didn’t train him well. He even knew enough to tie up his loose ends.” Angeline let out a giggle. “Well, he tied him up so to speak. He couldn’t let the silly librarian live. He had seen William and had spoken to Robert making him a liability. Then there was Robert. Poor curious thing really did just want a book. The Castus did not
officially
sanction his murder, but when William called and told me your plans to find a nest of Collector’s in town it all felt…preordained.