Chapter 5: "Lies"

She followed the Vampaneze to the center of the city.
Gillian was glad that it was late at night, as she entered the tunnels to the underground in the company of that shabby creature. There were hardly any people in the streets, and the few took no notice of the strange couple who walked past some homeless sleeping on a disused railway station.
The Vampaneze climbed off the platform onto the tracks and set off into the dark tunnel of a subway line, which was no longer in operation.
When he stopped in front of a massive fire door, which led sideways out of the tunnel and pushed it open with some effort, Gillian looked stunned into a brightly lit corridor made of concrete walls that looked as if it had been build only recently.
It led further and further into the depths and looked very modern and unused.
"Come this way, vampire, "chuckled the gaunt Vampaneze and Gillian followed him hesitantly.
Maybe he lured her into a trap.
On the other hand, there was no greater trap than going directly to a Vampaneze gathering, while the Old and Important among them were present.
And her leader had promised her that he knew of a place and a gathering where the most important Vampaneze would be present.
And that was finally why she had come here.
Gillian tried to calm down her pounding heart and followed her leader.
They passed several large thick steel bulkhead doors before they encountered the first Vampaneze.
Black-clad, ragged figures lurked in the corridors and adjacent rooms and looked up at their arrival and gazed at them with glowing red eyes in the darkness.
But no one stopped them, as they penetrated deeper and deeper into the bunker.
Some of them began to follow, and as Gillian and her leader reached a large vault, more and more Vampaneze gathered grinning behind them, waiting curious as to what the vampiress was probably looking for here.
Her leader seemed to enjoy the attention he got because of his vampiress accompany. But no one talked to them, or asked them any questions.
There were no guards around.
The vault was big and cast out of one single piece of concrete.
At its end, several steps lead up to an unadorned platform on which a handful of black-clad Vampaneze talked with each other.
As Gillian entered, the hall fell silent and the crowd parted before her like water.
A hundred pairs of eerily glowing eyes were directed at her.
Gillian tried to show no fear, and walked with held high head through the crowd towards the podium.
A man stepped forward, placed his fingertips together and looked interested from above the steps at the newcomers. Unlike the other Vampaneze he was lean, clean and sleek. He exuded dignity and authority, and Gillian knew instinctively that she was dealing here with an old and powerful Vampaneze.
"Well, Bargen? Whom have you brought here? ", The man addressed her leader. But still he looked intently at Gillian, who returned the gaze unflinchingly.
"She really wanted to come here ... to you ... wants to make you an offer, she said. Stupid vampire, followed me here ... whole way", her leader panted, whose name was apparently Bargen, but the old man interrupted his excited stammering, and looked at Gillian:" Who are you and who sent you ?"
"Nobody sent me," said Gillian. "I'm here on my own." The man had raised an eyebrow, so she added: "Nobody commands me. No man, no God, no prince.
My name is Gillian.
I'm Larten Crepsleys former student. "
An excited murmur ran through the crowd. Some hissed angrily and huddled closer to her, but they kept a respectful distance.
"You are the one who killed Murlough," someone shouted and some bared their teeth or pulled out a knife.
Gillian did not move.
She continued to look unflinchingly at the man on the steps high above her.
She calmly said:
"No, I did not kill Murlough.
Larten Crepsley has done it. "
She raised her voice to be heard loud and clear above the clamor:
"I'm Murloughs descendant!"
This message was bursting like a bomb.
All were screaming and shouting with each other, and Gillian stood in the midst of the madding crowd and shouted, her head held high:
"He has created me. His blood flows in my veins!"
She pulled on her coat, revealing a portion of her décolleté:
"He has marked me!"
On her white skin shone the scars that Murlough had once given her.

Then a figure appeared behind the man on the stairs and called out: "She's telling the truth. I've seen it myself."
The crowd fell silent and everyone looked up at the figure, amazed.
Gillian also could not hide her surprise.

With pounding heart she looked at the boy, who had appeared confident next to the sleek Vampaneze and looking down at her with his irritating violet eyes.
Steve.
Gillian struggled to control herself. A flood of conflicting emotions swept over her, leaving her pulse beat faster and her hands becoming wet.
Steve.
He lived.
He was here.
And, intentionally or not, he came to defense her.
Gillian's mind raced. He could not know that she lied. He had seen how Murlough drunk her blood and had nearly killed her after she had immersed herself in his throat, and had drank his blood.
Take it easy, Gillian.
He does not know what Larten did.
He can not know it.
Stick to your story.
She forced herself to breathe quietly, and dared to look Steve directly into his eyes.
A haughty smile played around his lips.
"Gillian. Murloughs offspring, "said the old Vampaneze with graying hair at the temples, as if it was a greeting, and thus verified her claims.
The crowd was silent and all waited anxiously to see what happened next.
"Even if the blood flowing in your veins is Vampaneze one, you've spent the last few years in the company of the vampires and the killer Larten Crepsley. What do you now want here?"
Gillian had her well-considered answer: "The vampires have outcast me."
A murmur went through the crowd. Some laughed gleefully.
Gillian did not move. "They sentenced me to death. I escaped the cell, however, and Vampire Mountain."
The laughter stopped. The Vampaneze exchanged stares of disbelief, obviously impressed.
The old Vampaneze and Steve at his side smiled.
"Then you have come to join the Vampaneze." Steve said with satisfaction in his voice.
Gillian shook her head.
Steve curled his forehead angrily and was about to flare, but the old Vampaneze cut him off the word with a motion. "So why are you here?"
Gillian looked around the room.
About fifty dirty and ragged Vampaneze were lurking in the vaults and further into the shadows of the corridors. She stepped on to the stairs and went up two levels so that she directly faced the old Vampaneze. He had not moved, while some nervously shuffled their feet, apparently unsure of what the vampiress was about.
Gillian lowered her voice and directly addressed the powerful old man with graying temples in front of her.
"I'm looking for Gannen Harst."
The man narrowed his eyes.
"You found him. I am Gannen Harst. "
Gillian hesitated. Was that possible?
She reached under her clothing. A few Vampaneze with shaved bald heads wanted to stop her, but the man who claimed to be Harst Gannen waved a hand and they resigned.
Gillian took out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
Frowning, he unfolded it.
His eyes darted across the page.
Then he handed it back to the vampiress.
"You know what that is?" Gillian asked.
He nodded. "Certainly. I have written it myself."
Gillian's heart began to pound excitedly. He actually was Gannen Harst!
The parchment Gillian had stolen from the library of the Vampires, had been signed with Gannen Harst. He was the eyewitness who had been there in the fight against the last of the shadowdancers !
Gillian's eyes sparkled.
She lowered her eyes and bowed her head. "Gannen Harst. I'm here because I need some information from you. "
The Vampaneze looked at her piercingly. "What kind of information should that be?"
Gillian looked around again. Here were way too many ears.
"I would like to talk to you in private ..."
"I have no secrets from my peers."
The prince of the vampires had sent the other elder vampires away, as Gillian had asked for it. Apparently the Vampaneze would not do the same.
She sighed.
As you want, she thought.
"I want to know where the grave is."
Gannen Harst was silent. He seemed to reflect.
"You know, where it is?"
He nodded. "Certainly. But this information is not for everyone."
He laid his fingertips together and began to pace up and down.
Gillian felt Steve's attention on her, but avoided looking in his direction.
Gannen Harst spoke again: "We have heard a lot of you, Gillian. It is said, Larten Crepsley has blooded a shadowdancer. "
Gillian made a face. My reputation precedes me, she thought cynically.
She nodded. "This is the reason why the vampires want to execute me."
A murmur went through the crowd.
Gannen Harst looked at her.
"If that's true. Prove it."
Gillian swallowed.
All this struck her as so well known.
The last time she had to put her skills to the test, she had pretended as if her gift was weak and underdeveloped. She wanted to look harmless and innocent.
She succeed - at least the vampire prince Paris Skyle had believed her - but the fear of the vampires from the shadowdancers was big enough that they still had sentenced her to death.
This time, Gillian would change her tactics.
This time she did not want to act innocent and harmless.
For the first time Gillian would show what she can.
Ironically, she was not sure whether it would work. In Vampires Mountain her forces had been as strong as ever.
But here and now they were just as weak as before.
Gillian turned up her nose.
Anyway. She had to show the Vampaneze what she could.
She had to impress Gannen Harst.
"All right," she said. " I'll dance for you with the shadows."