Part 5
He wondered what he'd done to deserve treatment like this. He wanted to be famous. He wanted his name to be known and feared amongst the Night World ranks. He wanted those idiot Daybreakers to tremble in fear at the thought of him. Was that really too much to ask?
He'd seen people do it before, impressed the Council with their wit, their charm, cruelty, efficiency, whatever it was they had to offer that made them special. Some stayed, some flounced away with their soulmates, some simply disappeared.
He'd been around since the beginning, he'd witnessed the battle between Maya and Hellewise and seen the rise and fall of the Night World through to the Burning Times, and the modern world now.
And no one remembered him, no one even recognised him. He was just another attractive vampire, an errand boy for Unas Bloodcreek, some rich vampire who had no right to control the Council like he did. Now he was stuck meeting with the two new assassins Sharlene and Ricco, looking like they wanted the ground to open up and swallow them whole.
"Xalaria Redfern is missing," he repeated. Xalaria was Unas's latest toy. She did what he wanted, no matter what, like she was nothing more than a beautiful robot. Unas was going to be *furious*.
"She never came out of the building," Ricco said, staring at his feet. "She was supposed to back up Sharlene."
"She was *supposed* to watch you as well. We did the job and made the get away." Sharlene, at least, had the guts to look him in the eyes. "I thought she was right behind me."
He didn't know what to make of any of this. Maybe they were pissed off and jealous of Xalaria so they had killed her. Maybe there had been an unexpected attack and Xalaria had been killed in the line of fire. Maybe Xalaria had been killed in the blast that blew up the building. Or maybe she'd done the unthinkable, found a soulmate and run off to Circle Daybreak.
"So basically, we have absolutely no idea where Xalaria is."
Neither said anything. He sighed heavily. It was almost as bad as talking to two petty teenagers who had just been caught smoking. They were terrified of what Unas would do when he found out they had lost his puppy.
"We've left three messages on her cell phone, two on her home phone and have asked around, no one knows," Sharlene said.
"So what are we going to do then?" He looked at them.
They shrugged. He wondered if torturing them would make them talk anymore. He missed the Dark Ages, they had some of the best torture toys. Anyway, at least this whole mess wasn't his fault.
"I guess we could ask a witch," Ricco said finally. "Some have the powers to find people. Clairvoyants, divination, you know."
"And you know this, how?" Sharlene asked, scowling at him.
Ricco smiled, showing his teeth. "I'm sleeping with one."
His eyes rolled. For some reason he was neither surprised nor impressed in the slightest, but considering it was the only plan they had at the moment, it was better than nothing. "Call your witch then."
"Are you going to tell Unas?" Sharlene asked. She was moving closer to him, two crimson fingernails walking up his arm. She was smiling coyly. "I'd be more than happy to show our appreciation if you don't."
He had to keep himself from laughing. Was this the best she could do? He pushed her hand away. "Think of something else," he sneered. "For now, I'll keep this between us. I'll contact you again in two days time." He walked away, leaving them to ponder their next move.
He could always find Xalaria himself, but what good would that do? Unas needed to be removed from the Council. He couldn't care less if Xalaria was dead. He had his own problems, namely Unas and how to get rid of him.
* * *
He wondered what he'd done to deserve treatment like this. He wanted to be famous. He wanted his name to be known and feared amongst the Night World ranks. He wanted those idiot Daybreakers to tremble in fear at the thought of him. Was that really too much to ask?
He'd seen people do it before, impressed the Council with their wit, their charm, cruelty, efficiency, whatever it was they had to offer that made them special. Some stayed, some flounced away with their soulmates, some simply disappeared.
He'd been around since the beginning, he'd witnessed the battle between Maya and Hellewise and seen the rise and fall of the Night World through to the Burning Times, and the modern world now.
And no one remembered him, no one even recognised him. He was just another attractive vampire, an errand boy for Unas Bloodcreek, some rich vampire who had no right to control the Council like he did. Now he was stuck meeting with the two new assassins Sharlene and Ricco, looking like they wanted the ground to open up and swallow them whole.
"Xalaria Redfern is missing," he repeated. Xalaria was Unas's latest toy. She did what he wanted, no matter what, like she was nothing more than a beautiful robot. Unas was going to be *furious*.
"She never came out of the building," Ricco said, staring at his feet. "She was supposed to back up Sharlene."
"She was *supposed* to watch you as well. We did the job and made the get away." Sharlene, at least, had the guts to look him in the eyes. "I thought she was right behind me."
He didn't know what to make of any of this. Maybe they were pissed off and jealous of Xalaria so they had killed her. Maybe there had been an unexpected attack and Xalaria had been killed in the line of fire. Maybe Xalaria had been killed in the blast that blew up the building. Or maybe she'd done the unthinkable, found a soulmate and run off to Circle Daybreak.
"So basically, we have absolutely no idea where Xalaria is."
Neither said anything. He sighed heavily. It was almost as bad as talking to two petty teenagers who had just been caught smoking. They were terrified of what Unas would do when he found out they had lost his puppy.
"We've left three messages on her cell phone, two on her home phone and have asked around, no one knows," Sharlene said.
"So what are we going to do then?" He looked at them.
They shrugged. He wondered if torturing them would make them talk anymore. He missed the Dark Ages, they had some of the best torture toys. Anyway, at least this whole mess wasn't his fault.
"I guess we could ask a witch," Ricco said finally. "Some have the powers to find people. Clairvoyants, divination, you know."
"And you know this, how?" Sharlene asked, scowling at him.
Ricco smiled, showing his teeth. "I'm sleeping with one."
His eyes rolled. For some reason he was neither surprised nor impressed in the slightest, but considering it was the only plan they had at the moment, it was better than nothing. "Call your witch then."
"Are you going to tell Unas?" Sharlene asked. She was moving closer to him, two crimson fingernails walking up his arm. She was smiling coyly. "I'd be more than happy to show our appreciation if you don't."
He had to keep himself from laughing. Was this the best she could do? He pushed her hand away. "Think of something else," he sneered. "For now, I'll keep this between us. I'll contact you again in two days time." He walked away, leaving them to ponder their next move.
He could always find Xalaria himself, but what good would that do? Unas needed to be removed from the Council. He couldn't care less if Xalaria was dead. He had his own problems, namely Unas and how to get rid of him.
* * *