Part 18
Cassanova woke, his heart pounding, sweat pouring down his forehead. The screams of pain were still echoing in his ear. *His* screams. He could still, almost feel the pain.
A part of mind must have managed to hide what had happened to him from his conscious thoughts. Now he was doing the same thing again, maybe his mind was trying to remind him.
He hadn't thought of Maria in so long. He didn't even know if she was still alive. His only thought had been getting her away from the enclave and safe. He had done that - saved her, but only to be caught himself.
He got out of the bed. Cathy was still asleep. There was no way he could take her home again, they were already into the change. If he gave her one more exchange this morning and the final late that night, by the weekend, three days away, she would be a vampire.
If, in the mean time, nothing else went wrong. How *could* anything else go wrong? He didn't even know where they were. He'd just driven blindly until he'd found a motel.
He pulled on the same clothes he had worn the other day as he hadn't thought before he'd acted. Something in his pocket was vibrating, giving his left leg a pleasant feeling. Then he kicked himself mentally, realising it was his cell phone.
How could he have been so stupid? Could they trace his whereabouts from the cell phone? He left the room and answered. "What?"
"Cassanova? This is Tori, Cathy's friend. Don't worry, I'm one of the good guys. Where are you?"
"I'm not sure. Somewhere not near tone." He was as vague as he could be without giving too much away.
All he could see around him were endless fields and road, milky blue sky overhead.
"What are you - shit, I already *know* what you're planning. Have you started?"
"Yes." Once they change had been started, you had to see it through. Rather that than becoming a ghoul.
"Damn," Tori muttered. "I was afraid of that. What are you planning on doing *after* the change?"
"I haven't really thought about that yet."
"Jacina mentioned she told you about Circle Daybreak."
Cassanova made a face. It looked like he didn't have any other choice. "Yeah. Why are you so concerned, anyway?"
"Because Cathy is my *friend* and I don't want her dead. Tyche's already killed Jacina because she was *in* *the* *way*. Can you imagine what she'll do to *you* when she catches you?"
Cassanova was trying not to think about the downside of plan. He had been cheering himself up with the fact that Cathy hadn't been repulsed and she *wanted* to be a vampire.
"I need to know where you are so we can find you a Daybreak safe house near by."
Again he noted a sense of urgency in Tori's voice.
"Why the rush? I don't even know there the hell we are. I just drove till I found a hotel."
"Well obviously *someone* knows where you are."
Cassanova frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Helen's told me Tyche has sent a vampire hunter to kill you both. She's on her way even as I speak. I believe you know her, her name is Maria Pullman."
* * *
Cassanova woke, his heart pounding, sweat pouring down his forehead. The screams of pain were still echoing in his ear. *His* screams. He could still, almost feel the pain.
A part of mind must have managed to hide what had happened to him from his conscious thoughts. Now he was doing the same thing again, maybe his mind was trying to remind him.
He hadn't thought of Maria in so long. He didn't even know if she was still alive. His only thought had been getting her away from the enclave and safe. He had done that - saved her, but only to be caught himself.
He got out of the bed. Cathy was still asleep. There was no way he could take her home again, they were already into the change. If he gave her one more exchange this morning and the final late that night, by the weekend, three days away, she would be a vampire.
If, in the mean time, nothing else went wrong. How *could* anything else go wrong? He didn't even know where they were. He'd just driven blindly until he'd found a motel.
He pulled on the same clothes he had worn the other day as he hadn't thought before he'd acted. Something in his pocket was vibrating, giving his left leg a pleasant feeling. Then he kicked himself mentally, realising it was his cell phone.
How could he have been so stupid? Could they trace his whereabouts from the cell phone? He left the room and answered. "What?"
"Cassanova? This is Tori, Cathy's friend. Don't worry, I'm one of the good guys. Where are you?"
"I'm not sure. Somewhere not near tone." He was as vague as he could be without giving too much away.
All he could see around him were endless fields and road, milky blue sky overhead.
"What are you - shit, I already *know* what you're planning. Have you started?"
"Yes." Once they change had been started, you had to see it through. Rather that than becoming a ghoul.
"Damn," Tori muttered. "I was afraid of that. What are you planning on doing *after* the change?"
"I haven't really thought about that yet."
"Jacina mentioned she told you about Circle Daybreak."
Cassanova made a face. It looked like he didn't have any other choice. "Yeah. Why are you so concerned, anyway?"
"Because Cathy is my *friend* and I don't want her dead. Tyche's already killed Jacina because she was *in* *the* *way*. Can you imagine what she'll do to *you* when she catches you?"
Cassanova was trying not to think about the downside of plan. He had been cheering himself up with the fact that Cathy hadn't been repulsed and she *wanted* to be a vampire.
"I need to know where you are so we can find you a Daybreak safe house near by."
Again he noted a sense of urgency in Tori's voice.
"Why the rush? I don't even know there the hell we are. I just drove till I found a hotel."
"Well obviously *someone* knows where you are."
Cassanova frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Helen's told me Tyche has sent a vampire hunter to kill you both. She's on her way even as I speak. I believe you know her, her name is Maria Pullman."
* * *