The interrogation finished just past dawn. The Sarafan was strong, but ever with his wounds and more being dealt to him, he would talk sooner or later. And he did. The information that was given was valuable to say the least, Zephon mused. Ferrio uttered the words though skinned lips, his face nothing more than a mass of bruises, skinned flesh that exposed the muscle and bone underneath. He was allowed to die after he had spoken every word; Natarek had given him mercy by slitting his throat. After making quick plans and sending out scouts of his own, Zephon ordered the body burned.
He needed to go and see Zarina.
The sun was coming just above the horizon as Zephon marched down the halls quickly. He did not know what he was going to say to the woman; he didn't think anything could be said. For once in his life, Zephon felt shameful for the act he had just committed; he knew that Zarina had gained the upper hand that she was in the right with the slap across his face before.
"I will not reprimand her, I am simply there to tell her what that Sarafan said. She said it herself, she wants to know everything that happens here and that's what I will do," Zephon muttered under his breath. "Why the hell am I talking to myself? She has cast a spell on me, that sorceress. I am sure of it." Too soon did he find himself standing outside Zarina's door; he should have taken the longer route. Reaching for the handle, Zephon found to little amusement that she had locked the door. It didn't matter; one swift jerk of his arm was all it took for the door to come off its hinges. Another thing for the servants to fix. As Zephon stepped into the room, he wasn't prepared for the scene before him.
The entrance hall was ruined. The table in the center had been overturned and the vase of flowers broken into millions of tiny shards; the flowers themselves had been crushed. The tapestries along the walls had been ripped down and scorched; Zephon thought about how Zarina could make fire come from her hands. Walking around an overturned chest containing clothes, the vampire peered quickly into the bedroom. Zarina was not in there, but the room itself was in the same state of disarray as the main chamber, the sheets torn off the bed and ripped; the dresser doors flung open and the contents scattered about the floor.
Cursing for not posting a guard outside the chambers, visions of the young woman leaping from the Cathedral began to appear in Zephon's mind. Maybe this time he had really pushed his luck; his bluff had been called. If she is not in the other room, then I will order the Watch to find her, Zephon numbly thought. How could he have let such a thing happen? He passed back through the main chamber and into the large parlor; it looked as if a small cyclone had entered the antechamber and had a ball. The bookcases had collapsed, their tomes scattered along the red-carpeted floor with pages torn out; the sparse furniture overturned and pillows torn, the feathers still floating about the room. The arched windows had been opened, their curtains torn from their rings and Zephon's black heart leapt into his throat.
How could he of been so stupid? He regretted even bringing her to the dungeons; all of this could have been avoided had he sent Zarina back to her rooms.
Then he found her. Curled up in ball, her knees tucked underneath her head and with her arms wrapped around her body, lying on the window seat, was Zarina. One of the ruined curtains covered her and spilled down onto the floor. She was staring blankly out of the opened window, staring at the approaching dawn. She did not seem to notice Zephon as he approached her, nor moved when he gently touched her shoulder.
"Zarina," Zephon's voice broke the quiet. The sorceress turned to face him. The expression she wore was unreadable, her eyes glazed over and looking at nothing, passing right thought him. Zephon sat down beside her, his hands on her shoulders, as he looked her over. She hadn't injured herself, at least what Zephon could see, but she looked…dead. "Damn you, Zarina, answer me." Those words seemed to rouse her; she raised her head to look at him.
"Why?" With that word a spike pierced into the Clan lord's heart. He expected finding Zarina for her to scream at him, to hit him with her bare hands or to have found her on the ground dead. She was so weak, so weak. Zephon grasped her hands and brought them up to his face; she was so cold, even colder than he was. Pain filled Zarina's blue eyes but no tears formed. She had cried all she possible could; there was nothing left inside.
"Do you want to know why," Zephon replied, his voice low, soft and surprisingly gentle. Zarina gave a short nod, her eyes never leaving his. "To say it was necessary was an understatement. He is Sarafan, the Clans and Lord Kain's mortal enemy. The information that we needed from him took top priority; he had come into our lands and for good reason. He is, was, scouting ahead for an army. The Sarafan will come to my lands in under three days; that is what he uttered to me. I have a duty to protect Lord Kain, but also my own people. We are just as caught up as you humans in this race for survival and your friend had information that I needed to keep my people safe."
"Was it quick?" Her hands were lax in Zephon's but he could feel them tremble slightly.
The truth would break her, Zephon thought. I cannot tell her what happened; her heart will break from knowing what she should not. Caressing her hands gently Zephon whispered, "It was quick. He was in great pain, but he told us everything. I made sure that he did not suffer, my lady."
Zarina gave a choked laugh. "I am glad. I would not want to see him suffer any more than he had to. Ferrio and I had been friends since we were children; I never thought I would see him like that. I am glad that he is released." She turned her head back towards the window and was silent again. On an impulse, the smallest one, Zephon wrapped his own arms around Zarina and held her close. She didn't resist, only continued to look at the rising sun.
"I am sorry for causing you this pain, Zarina. I am so sorry."
Why did he say those words? Zephon's mind spun; he was apologizing to a human? Vampires should not care for humans in any way, Lord Kain's voice echoed in his mind. They will kill us all; slit our throats like dogs when given the chance. Then why am I doing this, Zephon questioned. Zarina rested her head against the Lieutenant's chest; a sigh escaped her lips.
"Do you need anything, my lady?"
"No, I don't. Zephon?"
"What?"
"Could you just hold me like this for a little longer, if you don't mind?" Her eyes did not seem as lifeless anymore and the warmth was returning to her body.
"No, I do not mind at all. I will hold you for as long as you want." He tightened his grip on her slightly to show he was not joking.
"You will have to go and see Kain, won't you?"
"Yes, but not at the moment. Let us enjoy the quiet right now." The sun rose over the Cathedral, making the stainglass cast its vivid artwork over the courtyard below.
He needed to go and see Zarina.
The sun was coming just above the horizon as Zephon marched down the halls quickly. He did not know what he was going to say to the woman; he didn't think anything could be said. For once in his life, Zephon felt shameful for the act he had just committed; he knew that Zarina had gained the upper hand that she was in the right with the slap across his face before.
"I will not reprimand her, I am simply there to tell her what that Sarafan said. She said it herself, she wants to know everything that happens here and that's what I will do," Zephon muttered under his breath. "Why the hell am I talking to myself? She has cast a spell on me, that sorceress. I am sure of it." Too soon did he find himself standing outside Zarina's door; he should have taken the longer route. Reaching for the handle, Zephon found to little amusement that she had locked the door. It didn't matter; one swift jerk of his arm was all it took for the door to come off its hinges. Another thing for the servants to fix. As Zephon stepped into the room, he wasn't prepared for the scene before him.
The entrance hall was ruined. The table in the center had been overturned and the vase of flowers broken into millions of tiny shards; the flowers themselves had been crushed. The tapestries along the walls had been ripped down and scorched; Zephon thought about how Zarina could make fire come from her hands. Walking around an overturned chest containing clothes, the vampire peered quickly into the bedroom. Zarina was not in there, but the room itself was in the same state of disarray as the main chamber, the sheets torn off the bed and ripped; the dresser doors flung open and the contents scattered about the floor.
Cursing for not posting a guard outside the chambers, visions of the young woman leaping from the Cathedral began to appear in Zephon's mind. Maybe this time he had really pushed his luck; his bluff had been called. If she is not in the other room, then I will order the Watch to find her, Zephon numbly thought. How could he have let such a thing happen? He passed back through the main chamber and into the large parlor; it looked as if a small cyclone had entered the antechamber and had a ball. The bookcases had collapsed, their tomes scattered along the red-carpeted floor with pages torn out; the sparse furniture overturned and pillows torn, the feathers still floating about the room. The arched windows had been opened, their curtains torn from their rings and Zephon's black heart leapt into his throat.
How could he of been so stupid? He regretted even bringing her to the dungeons; all of this could have been avoided had he sent Zarina back to her rooms.
Then he found her. Curled up in ball, her knees tucked underneath her head and with her arms wrapped around her body, lying on the window seat, was Zarina. One of the ruined curtains covered her and spilled down onto the floor. She was staring blankly out of the opened window, staring at the approaching dawn. She did not seem to notice Zephon as he approached her, nor moved when he gently touched her shoulder.
"Zarina," Zephon's voice broke the quiet. The sorceress turned to face him. The expression she wore was unreadable, her eyes glazed over and looking at nothing, passing right thought him. Zephon sat down beside her, his hands on her shoulders, as he looked her over. She hadn't injured herself, at least what Zephon could see, but she looked…dead. "Damn you, Zarina, answer me." Those words seemed to rouse her; she raised her head to look at him.
"Why?" With that word a spike pierced into the Clan lord's heart. He expected finding Zarina for her to scream at him, to hit him with her bare hands or to have found her on the ground dead. She was so weak, so weak. Zephon grasped her hands and brought them up to his face; she was so cold, even colder than he was. Pain filled Zarina's blue eyes but no tears formed. She had cried all she possible could; there was nothing left inside.
"Do you want to know why," Zephon replied, his voice low, soft and surprisingly gentle. Zarina gave a short nod, her eyes never leaving his. "To say it was necessary was an understatement. He is Sarafan, the Clans and Lord Kain's mortal enemy. The information that we needed from him took top priority; he had come into our lands and for good reason. He is, was, scouting ahead for an army. The Sarafan will come to my lands in under three days; that is what he uttered to me. I have a duty to protect Lord Kain, but also my own people. We are just as caught up as you humans in this race for survival and your friend had information that I needed to keep my people safe."
"Was it quick?" Her hands were lax in Zephon's but he could feel them tremble slightly.
The truth would break her, Zephon thought. I cannot tell her what happened; her heart will break from knowing what she should not. Caressing her hands gently Zephon whispered, "It was quick. He was in great pain, but he told us everything. I made sure that he did not suffer, my lady."
Zarina gave a choked laugh. "I am glad. I would not want to see him suffer any more than he had to. Ferrio and I had been friends since we were children; I never thought I would see him like that. I am glad that he is released." She turned her head back towards the window and was silent again. On an impulse, the smallest one, Zephon wrapped his own arms around Zarina and held her close. She didn't resist, only continued to look at the rising sun.
"I am sorry for causing you this pain, Zarina. I am so sorry."
Why did he say those words? Zephon's mind spun; he was apologizing to a human? Vampires should not care for humans in any way, Lord Kain's voice echoed in his mind. They will kill us all; slit our throats like dogs when given the chance. Then why am I doing this, Zephon questioned. Zarina rested her head against the Lieutenant's chest; a sigh escaped her lips.
"Do you need anything, my lady?"
"No, I don't. Zephon?"
"What?"
"Could you just hold me like this for a little longer, if you don't mind?" Her eyes did not seem as lifeless anymore and the warmth was returning to her body.
"No, I do not mind at all. I will hold you for as long as you want." He tightened his grip on her slightly to show he was not joking.
"You will have to go and see Kain, won't you?"
"Yes, but not at the moment. Let us enjoy the quiet right now." The sun rose over the Cathedral, making the stainglass cast its vivid artwork over the courtyard below.