June 9th
Here's to the first post and its a long one. Some events of the weekend were cut out and/or shortened. This is due to length and the fact that it is told from Katherine's view point so if they are not significant to her then they are not in the retelling (really though it has to do with length.)
Abigail’s Plantation
Abigail was with the book, something that was not new these days except today there were others in the room. Cain? She wasn’t sure exactly where he was but she caught glimpses of him as she flitted from the bathroom to her bedroom and back again. It wasn’t until she passed him with a bloody hand that she stopped. The look she gave him wasn’t worry. No, the look in her eyes seemed to convey the message of “what did you do?” quite clearly.
“I blood-witnessed the room so I could hear what was going on in there,” he replied and continued on to the bathroom to rinse the blood from his hand.
Katherine shrugged. It wasn’t something she could do yet but she knew the ritual. Satisfied with his answer she went back to her room to pull up her hair. As she secured the last of her two specially made hair sticks in place Cain knocked and poked his head in.
“You ready?”
She nodded and stood giving herself one more look over in the floor length mirror. She smiled.
“You look lovely as always,” Cain commented as she met him at the door. She turned to smile up at him.
“I know.”
* * *
The Fight Club (court meeting)
Katherine couldn’t help but like the looks she got when she walked into a room. It was the reason she wore what she did. From across the room it wasn’t hard to spot Faith who for this occasion had chosen to wear a short Asian dress, classically red and black. The vampire seemed to favor those two colors, but what matter if they were cliché? Faith couldn’t help but look anything but gorgeous. They smiled at each other and Katherine walked over to her.
“You look beautiful, Katherine,” she said eyeing her gown up and down.
“As do you, my dear Faith,” Katherine replied returning the once-over gesture. An attractive young woman kneeled at her side and it wasn’t hard to tell that she was human. She made a mental note of the ghoul and went to join Abigail.
Once she was sitting next to her fellow Crone it wasn’t hard to tell that something was amiss. She seemed a bit “hot under the collar” as some would say. They exchanged greetings but her gaze seemed intent on something, or someone across the room. Following the line of sight with her own eyes Katherine spotted Cain sitting with several members of the Ordo Dracul. And now that she was paying attention it wasn’t hard to catch what the topic of conversation was. Snippets of speech floated to her ear. Things like, “the book needs to be destroyed”, “too dangerous” but most surprisingly was Cain’s reply, a very distinct “I agree.”
It wasn’t that she exactly disagreed him. She thought back to the dreams she had been having late. Images of consuming human flesh plagued her mind while she slept and left lingering urges when she woke. Zombies hungered for human flesh and the book dealt with zombies. Katherine had not problem linking the two. Suddenly her mind was ripped from the thoughts as Abigail stormed out of the room. Katherine swallowed and looked back across the room to Cain. Gods she hoped he knew what he was doing.
Having heard enough of the nearby discussion she turned her attention to the rest of the room. Her mind again meandered off elsewhere as she smiled politely and spoke cordially to the rest of the members of the court.
“Katherine,” Cain called her attention back to the here and now. She looked up at him from her seat. He extended a hand and she took it allowing him to help her stand.
“It seems we may have some unpleasant business to deal with.”
She raised an eyebrow in reply letting him know that she was listening but would not interrupt him. He took the hint and continued.
“I am afraid that the time is come to hand the book over. It needs to be destroyed.”
Katherine nodded her agreement though several question sprung to her mind. But around the other members of the court was not the place to ask him. She may not have trusted Cain as a person, or a vampire but his position…that she could trust. He looked at her quizzically.
“What, no questions?”
She gave a wistful smile, “No, I have a few but I don’t think here is the best time or place to voice them.”
He looked around then took her arm and dragged her outside.
“You want to know why I would backstab you and Abigail, don’t you?” he asked cynically as if he knew what words were about to come out of her mouth. She shook her head.
“No, destroying the book is something I can understand. Abigail is unnaturally attached to it-,” she didn’t get to finish her sentence because Cain cut her off.
“She spends every waking minute with that book. She treats it like it’s alive, like its human-,” it was Katherine’s turn to interrupt.
“She seems to have forgotten that this book, though it may be a sentient being…”
“Is just a book,” they finished together.
“And anything we can learn from that book can be learned from other members of our covenant around the world,” he added.
She nodded. It was true enough. Sure, it would take a little longer, but it was as nowhere near a deadly game they had been thinking of playing. Back to the question at hand, though.
“What I wanted to know Cain is when did you change your mind and, while I understand on some level keeping it from Abigail, why not talk to me.”
“I thought the book needed to be destroyed the moment I saw it,” he said.
She nodded and asked the next question his answer prompted. “Well then I guess my question is that if you were so decided about the book needing to be destroyed from the beginning, why would suggest we keep it?”
He sighed almost as if he weren’t proud of the answer.
“I wanted to see how Abigail would react to the book if she spent more time with it. She asked for more time and I gave it to her. She asked me to ask the prince for more time and I did. But it’s done; this book is much too dangerous for us to keep.”
Katherine nodded. It was true that all he had ever done was give Abigail the time she asked for. Cain started to walk back inside.
“Is that it?”
Another nod as she walked to catch up with him.
“I hope you don’t think I’m too much of a backstabber,” he said as they entered the building again.
“No,” she said shaking her head, “Your answers were logical enough that I can’t fault you for your decision. They will do for now.”
But I may be more careful about which words I believe and which I don’t from now on, she added in her head.
* * *
Abigail’s Plantation
But did we have to bring everyone, Katherine groaned in her mind. They were back at the plantation with practically every member of the city excluding the prince and a few others. It was bad enough that Abigail was already infuriated but now a mob was at her door. She looked at the man standing next to her and did not recognize him.
“I don’t think we’ve met before,” she said offering her hand, “I’m Katherine.”
He nodded and took her hand, shaking it, “Daniel…I’m from New Orleans but I decided to stop in for a bit.”
Daniel…New Orleans, she made another mental note, but that was all she had time for before an irate Abigail stood before them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she said practically gritting her teeth to keep herself calm.
“We’ve come to take the book, the prince’s deadline is up and its time to hand it over,” this from Cain, but nothing he said would calm her.
“And you know as well as I that nothing can be learned from the copies. It doesn’t have an aura anymore,” there was no way to measure the strain of her words, but it was there threatening to spill into something much worse.
“Its still too dangerous, and we can learn all that from other covenant members,” it was the same logic he had used for Katherine. It made sense it was rational. Better to take time to learn things then to have a target on your chest. But Abigail was beyond rational.
“Abigail,” Katherine said finally speaking up, “You want to listen to us.” In those words was a command. And she could feel the words pressuring Abigail to obey. She looked at her. It seemed to have worked.
“I’m listening.”
Avery began to speak but Cain cut him off he looked over, “Lady Katherine?”
Katherine sighed and stepped forward a little closer to Abigail.
“Abigail,” she said quietly, “I understand that you are angry and you have every right to be. I understand that you don’t like Cain very much at this moment and that’s okay too. But, please listen to me. He is Hierophant and if you trust him in no other way, at least trust him to do what’s best for us and the city.”
She closed her eyes as if digesting the words then tossed the key to the bookroom at their feet.
“If you think you can destroy it then go ahead.”
With those words she stormed away. Those who remained in the room looked at each other in slight astonishment. Cross walked over and put his arm across Katherine’s shoulders walked her away from the crowd a bit.
“Lady Katherine, do have any dealings with politics? Because I must admit that was quite astonishing. Most vampires would rely on their powers, but you used words to talk her down.”
Katherine swallowed, “I have had a little practice in the world of politics.”
She let out a laugh in her thoughts…a little, now there was an understatement.
“Well I think you should offer your services to the Prince, we could use a diplomat in the court. Though I wouldn’t be so bold as to suggest it myself.”
Katherine nodded and thanked him.
“Oh and as Arch-daeva of the city I award you with one merit point,” and with the last two words he tapped her on the nose and walked away. Casting a glance and Faith she asked, “What just happened?”
Faith shrugged.
It would seem though that Cross’s compliment came a little too early when they discovered the room that held the book to be both windowless and doorless. The key given to them by Abigail would do no good. Katherine sighed. They would try to talk to her again but discovered her bedroom door locked. Luckily Avery was skilled enough to pick it, though according to him it kept changing while he was picking it. Abby was not happy and she was not going to let them have the book. They opened the door and found that she had vacated her room and no one knew where she went. Unpleasant business indeed.
Cross began to call out, hoping that somewhere in the expanse of the plantation she was listening. But it seemed to be no good. So he turned to singing, even picked up an old hymnal and began to flip through its pages.
“Oh, Cross, please don’t,” this sentence was uttered from many lips.
Right as he found one he liked the book disappeared in his hand. Everyone looked please but none so much as Avery who had turned the book invisible. Cross scowled but in a way that showed he wasn’t truly offended. There was nothing to do but head back to the room in which the book lived and see if perhaps entrance would be allowed them now. Of course, they would have no such luck. Just then a vampire Katherine recognized rushed down the hall.
“Everyone who can, go invisible.”
They did. Pressing themselves against the walls of the hallway they watched as a still very miffed Abigail led Risuto and Chris towards the room. She opened the door and allowed Chris to remove what she hadn’t let anyone else touch. The book was set in the crate it had been found in and that was it. They left and so did everyone else.
* * *
Fight Club
Katherine decided to ride back with Faith and Hannah. Cain had made it very clear that whatever was about to be done she was not welcome. She hadn’t been offended. Her time living in the city had been short and she understood that it meant she had very little say so in what could be done. Abigail had left the plantation and was no where to be seen so she was left with one choice really. A hush fell over them as they rode back to Baton Rouge. Katherine finally looked up with a sigh.
“It seems Cain and I may very well have to find a new place to live,” she didn’t sound sad or upset only that she had no desire to look for a place.
“You are always welcome in my home,” Faith replied and Katherine smiled.
“I may very well take you up on the offer, at least until I find my own place.”
Back at the club it was downright quiet. Most of the members of the court had been part of the mob that fell on Abby’s house and most it seemed had not returned yet. The three women sat quietly for a bit enjoying the quiet. Katherine noticed Faith eyeing her gown once again.
“You know I imagined the skirt would be a little shorter…but I guess it works.”
It didn’t take long for Katherine to get the hint.
“You’re talking about the dress you gave me,” she said knowing full well that it was true.
Faith nodded.
“I upheld my end of the bargain,” she continued, “I wore it, I have witnesses.”
“When did you wear it?” Faith sounded slightly surprised.
“Back at the gathering at Abby’s…the one with the zombies.” The one wear the Padre ruined you Studebaker, she added in her head.
“Then it doesn’t count, I didn’t get to see it.”
Katherine smiled, “But you didn’t say that you needed to see it, only that I wear it and I did.”
“Well I figured that it would be a given. And I think you should wear it to court…everyone needs to see you in it.”
“I understand what you may have expected but your wording left that out. I wore the dress and the boots. You need to uphold your end.”
Faith shook her head, “No, you don’t get the ten grand until you wear that dress in my presence and a court gathering.
Katherine sighed and was about to protest when she noticed Cain standing there with a slightly confused look on his face.
“Ten grand?” he made it a question. “Katherine can I see you outside for a moment.”
She nodded and excused herself from Faith’s side. Once out of ear shot Cain turned to her. “Ten grand? What’s this about ten grand?”
Katherine waved her hand as if dismissing the subject, “You’re familiar with the way that I dress.”
Cain looked expectant.
“Faith was merely convinced that I could not bring myself to wear anything but formal evening attire and said she would pay me ten thousand if I would wear something she chose for me. It’s not my fault that she forgot to include certain terms.”
Shaking his head Cain muttered, “Damn daeva’s…though I have to agree with her.”
It seemed Katherine would be losing this one, but she dismissed it for now. That was obviously not what he wanted to speak to her about.
“Where’s Abigail?”
Katherine gave him a graceful shrug for a reply. “I haven’t seen her since we left her plantation.”
He looked slightly miffed so she continued, “She was no where to be found once Chris got the book. I figured there was no point in putting too much of a search for her. She’ll end up back here one way or another.”
The answer seemed to make sense to him so he let it drop.
“She may need to be staked…” he added hesitantly not sure how she would take it.
“If her fixation continues once the book is destroyed and she seems a danger then I agree, but we will not know until we are truly rid of this book.”
With the subject of Abigail at a stopping point they returned in doors. Katherine took her seat back next to Faith and Cain took one next to her. It was a bit surprising when Abigail walked into the room. Her eyes locked on Cain.
“We will need to talk very soon,” she managed.
“I can talk now, if you wish it,” he remained calm not letting her anger get under his skin.
“Well then, we shall talk now,” she turned on heel and Cain followed but not before shooting a look back to Katherine.
At least Faith was there to keep her company and they would soon be joined by Cecil. They kept the conversation light so as not to add to the heaviness of the situation at hand and it wasn’t long before Cain reappeared and resumed his seat. Abby followed and this time she approached Katherine.
“You are still welcome to live in my house. You were merely acting under the orders of the prince, but if you dare open the door for him you will have to find a new place to live as well.”
The anger rolled off of her in waves and Katherine simply nodded. With that Abby walked out.
Don't say I didn't warn you. Would really appreciate feedback.