Chapter 26
Koro turns to Lucian as the thunder of hooves fades into the night, "You do not trust that he will keep his word?"
The Lycan master considers for a moment "I see no reason to doubt it, at present. If he betrays us we shall kill him. He proves useful in this moment, would you not agree?"
Koro nods, "I will agree with you in this."
Lucian smiles "I give you my word Koro, if he betrays us you may kill him in any manner you wish."
The mighty Lycan brother laughs at that, "What do we do now that you have formed this foolish alliance? He has betrayed his own kind, to expect loyalty from a proven traitor is…lunacy."
"We cannot hope to destroy the vampire coven at this time, we must prepare…and if Viktor is truly still…walking the earth I must hunt him down, for what he did to…"
He cannot say her name, Erzsebet's eyes fall, and Lucian looks away from her and gets to his feet, "I will retire, Koro, old friend, if there is any news..."
His second in command smiles softly "I will wake you at once and we will make ready to move."
Erzsebet watches him go, he does not speak to her, does not look back; she is left standing in the hall.
His heart lies in Sonja's grave.
In the silence of the night she gathers a few belongings supplies, three gowns, and then she takes her rosary and treads the once familiar steps to the dungeons, where the slaves once dwelt in filth and misery, the door to their cell stands open still as they left it when they fled this dreadful place, she hangs her beads from the lock and turns away, she offers no farewell but this.
She returns up the stone steps, along the dark halls, out of the mighty gates and vanishes like morning mist into the night, she has suffered as Christ suffered, she is crucified upon her love for Lucian, the Lycan master and she can endure it no longer.
He looked away from her and in that moment she saw that she was merely a distraction, a replacement that could never compare to the true treasure that was his wife.
She only thanks God that she did not surrender to more than a kiss.
She is pure still; perhaps a nunnery will take her in, repentant as she is.
Her Christmastide gown can rot in that castle, beside her love for him and what remains of her heart.
In her minds eye a thought comes to her…a place where she will be safe where her love of Lucian can be of use, where her revenge will be well served.
She follows the scent of the horse and the stench of death left by its rider into the darkness of the forest.
She will find Kraven and he will lead her on…
to Viktor.