Part 20
Cathy woke with a smile that morning. She was a little sore in certain paces - but feeling too good to be bothered about it. She was in her way to becoming beautiful and immortal, and no longer a virgin. Helen would be proud of her.
She got up, noticing the door to the room was slightly ajar. Cassanova was outside, talking to someone on a cell phone.
"What?" he was saying. Looking like he'd just received the shock of his life. "But how?"
Cathy watched him as he listened. She thought she recognised Tori's voice on the other line.
"Coming *here*? Now?" His eyes closed. "Shit."
Frowning, she wondered what was going on. Keeping quiet so she could listen.
"That's *crazy*. We'll be slaughtered anyway."
Cathy had the feeling that Tyche had caught them, somehow found out where they were and was on their way. She'd be coming for her revenge.
"There has to - " Cassanova paused, extremely pissed off about something. "Where?" He paused, extremely pissed off about something. Then sighed and nodded. "Okay, see you there."
He hung up, and saw her. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know something's happened and I want to know what. And you're going to tell me." She wished she could fold her arms but she had to hold onto the bed sheet she was using to cover herself with.
Cassanova was trying not to smile and failing. "Well, I don't have any other choice, do I, here or in the backup plan your friend Tori provided."
Cathy felt herself smiling. She knew she could count on Tori. "Let's talk inside." Cathy took his hand and led him back inside, closing the motel room door.
Cassanova couldn't see to sit down, so paced around instead. "Tyche has found us and hired a vampire hunter to kill us. She's on our way even as we speak."
Cathy didn't say anything Yesterday she would have fallen into fits of giggles at people really calling themselves vampire hunters. But after what she had learned and done last night, it wasn't that funny anymore, and all very real.
"I heard you before, you sounded like you didn't want to believe who it is."
"I don't." He sighed. "Before I used to live in an enclave, it's a place where only Night People live and die by the Night World laws. Humans are food and slaves. I committed a capital offence punishable by death when I fell in love with my human slave. I changed her, and we were planning on running away together. Only I got caught. First I made sure she escaped. Then I was punished and banished from the enclave." He stopped pacing.
Cathy wondered why he was telling her this. Then got it. "And she's coming here now to hunt us. Oh." She had understood the risks when she had agreed to be changed. The cruelty of these Night People officials scared her.
"So what's Tori's backup plan?"
Cassanova made a face. "There's another organisation like the Night World, known as Circle Daybreak. Only they're the good guys, they're trying to get the humans and Night People to live together in harmony."
Cathy's eyebrow raised. It sounded a little too idealistic. "So it's Green Peace with fangs?"
Cassanova chuckled. "That's one way of putting it. Not great, but it's the only place we can go and not be judged."
Cathy nodded. "And making me a vampire?"
"Once we've started we have to finish."
Cathy got the distinct impression there was something he wasn't telling her. Well, it was pretty much a given the news wasn't going to be anything pleasant. "You might as well give me *all* the bad news at once."
"If you die before the change is finished then you'll be a zombie."
"Oh." Cathy didn't know what else to say. They sat there in awkward silence. For a few minutes before Cathy began to wonder why she was doing this. He had brought her here to change her because he was obsessively in love with her. She had always dismissed him as a boring jock, only to find he was so much more. She liked him, and had to admit now to be flattered that even after he could have had a Drache Princess - she was what he had wanted.
Now Princess Psycho had her revenge plan in motion.
As Cathy's thoughts deepened, she knew she didn't actually *love* Cassanova. She had been offered the power of being beautiful and immortal - what teen wouldn't jump at the offer?
Now they were in a life or death situation. If they went home, they would be killed. If they stayed here, they would be killed. No matter how cookey this Circle Daybreak sounded, there was no second option.
She had to continue with the change first, then think about her feelings for Cassanova. "I guess we should go then."
Cassanova nodded. "Wait in the car and I'll go pay." He tossed her the keys and did just that.
* * *
Cathy woke with a smile that morning. She was a little sore in certain paces - but feeling too good to be bothered about it. She was in her way to becoming beautiful and immortal, and no longer a virgin. Helen would be proud of her.
She got up, noticing the door to the room was slightly ajar. Cassanova was outside, talking to someone on a cell phone.
"What?" he was saying. Looking like he'd just received the shock of his life. "But how?"
Cathy watched him as he listened. She thought she recognised Tori's voice on the other line.
"Coming *here*? Now?" His eyes closed. "Shit."
Frowning, she wondered what was going on. Keeping quiet so she could listen.
"That's *crazy*. We'll be slaughtered anyway."
Cathy had the feeling that Tyche had caught them, somehow found out where they were and was on their way. She'd be coming for her revenge.
"There has to - " Cassanova paused, extremely pissed off about something. "Where?" He paused, extremely pissed off about something. Then sighed and nodded. "Okay, see you there."
He hung up, and saw her. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know something's happened and I want to know what. And you're going to tell me." She wished she could fold her arms but she had to hold onto the bed sheet she was using to cover herself with.
Cassanova was trying not to smile and failing. "Well, I don't have any other choice, do I, here or in the backup plan your friend Tori provided."
Cathy felt herself smiling. She knew she could count on Tori. "Let's talk inside." Cathy took his hand and led him back inside, closing the motel room door.
Cassanova couldn't see to sit down, so paced around instead. "Tyche has found us and hired a vampire hunter to kill us. She's on our way even as we speak."
Cathy didn't say anything Yesterday she would have fallen into fits of giggles at people really calling themselves vampire hunters. But after what she had learned and done last night, it wasn't that funny anymore, and all very real.
"I heard you before, you sounded like you didn't want to believe who it is."
"I don't." He sighed. "Before I used to live in an enclave, it's a place where only Night People live and die by the Night World laws. Humans are food and slaves. I committed a capital offence punishable by death when I fell in love with my human slave. I changed her, and we were planning on running away together. Only I got caught. First I made sure she escaped. Then I was punished and banished from the enclave." He stopped pacing.
Cathy wondered why he was telling her this. Then got it. "And she's coming here now to hunt us. Oh." She had understood the risks when she had agreed to be changed. The cruelty of these Night People officials scared her.
"So what's Tori's backup plan?"
Cassanova made a face. "There's another organisation like the Night World, known as Circle Daybreak. Only they're the good guys, they're trying to get the humans and Night People to live together in harmony."
Cathy's eyebrow raised. It sounded a little too idealistic. "So it's Green Peace with fangs?"
Cassanova chuckled. "That's one way of putting it. Not great, but it's the only place we can go and not be judged."
Cathy nodded. "And making me a vampire?"
"Once we've started we have to finish."
Cathy got the distinct impression there was something he wasn't telling her. Well, it was pretty much a given the news wasn't going to be anything pleasant. "You might as well give me *all* the bad news at once."
"If you die before the change is finished then you'll be a zombie."
"Oh." Cathy didn't know what else to say. They sat there in awkward silence. For a few minutes before Cathy began to wonder why she was doing this. He had brought her here to change her because he was obsessively in love with her. She had always dismissed him as a boring jock, only to find he was so much more. She liked him, and had to admit now to be flattered that even after he could have had a Drache Princess - she was what he had wanted.
Now Princess Psycho had her revenge plan in motion.
As Cathy's thoughts deepened, she knew she didn't actually *love* Cassanova. She had been offered the power of being beautiful and immortal - what teen wouldn't jump at the offer?
Now they were in a life or death situation. If they went home, they would be killed. If they stayed here, they would be killed. No matter how cookey this Circle Daybreak sounded, there was no second option.
She had to continue with the change first, then think about her feelings for Cassanova. "I guess we should go then."
Cassanova nodded. "Wait in the car and I'll go pay." He tossed her the keys and did just that.
* * *