Alesander, Part 23
Katriena swallowed hard. "And I had hoped that you would not find us here," she said. "What are you planning to do?" He seemed to be alone; no one else emerged from the passageway with him.
He glanced at Nicodemus and his mouth tightened. "Where is Jeril?"
"I came alone," Katriena said.
Marcus made an irritated gesture with one hand. "Don't lie to me. You are no wizard; I know more about you than you realize, princess."
"Then you also know I don't normally make it a point to lie," Katriena said, and Marcus hesitated.
"He let you come alone?"
"He did not know," Katriena said, and Marcus glanced at Nicodemus again.
"Ah, yes. Sometimes I forget that the kitten has other talents." He did not seem to be worried that she would try to escape, or that Alesander would wake up or that Nicodemus would attack him. He folded his arms. "And you found the passageway into the castle and it just happened to lead to the right tower?"
"It's best not to ask too many questions," Katriena said, and smiled, tightly. "I am no wizard, as you said."
"Is Jeril on his way?"
"Do you honestly expect me to answer?" Katriena asked, and backed away from him when he took a step towards her. "I saw what you did to him--"
In response, Marcus nudged Nicodemus with his boot.
"Leave him alone!" Katriena snapped, but he only glanced at her and nudged him harder.
"What did you do to him?" he finally asked after Nicodemus did not awaken.
"Nothing." That was the truth, but he evidently didn't believe her. Still unconcerned about any attempt at escape, he crouched down beside Nicodemus and pulled back his sleeve. "If you faint at the sight of blood, you might not want to see this, princess."
"I--I don't--" Katriena watched in horror as he sliced a shallow cut across his wrist and pressed it to Nicodemus' mouth. "What are you doing?"
"Feeding him," Marcus said implacably. "Would you rather I take you prisoner and drag you back to the castle--by myself--and deliver you to the prince's aunt?" When she glanced at him in surprise, he smiled sourly. "I knew who he was from the very beginning. I did not know you'd prove to be so resourceful."
"But you're--" She realized, then, that he was enjoying this; keeping her off guard. What was he waiting for? Why hadn't he taken them prisoner? "Why are you here?"
"I followed you," Marcus said, and Nicodemus awoke in his grasp, going so far as to reach up to grab his arm before he realized whose blood he was drinking and who held him.
He started to push Marcus away, but Marcus--again, without anger or complaint--merely tightened his grip. "Drink, dammit. I'm not sure what you've been doing, but you could have killed one of the ones you are trying to protect."
Only a minute later, Nicodemus pushed his arm away and scrambled backwards, almost crashing into Alesander. He glanced at Katriena, then back to Marcus. "What are you doing here?"
Marcus pulled a strip of cloth out of his pocket and bound his wrist--expertly, Katriena realized, as if he'd done that many times before. "I followed you," he said again, and stood.
"That is no answer," Katriena protested.
"No, it's not," Marcus agreed. "But I have no need to tell you. My business lies with Jeril and with Jeril alone. Do you understand?"
Nicodemus' eyes widened. "She won't be happy with you for that," he said.
Marcus just looked at him calmly. And in the end, Nicodemus was the one who dropped his gaze.
"I'm beginning to think that I'm missing something here," Katriena said, glancing between them both. "I thought you were his mother's hound."
"And that I've been trying to capture Thomas who calls himself Jeril for the past one hundred years," Marcus said, sounding bored.
"You're not?" Katriena glanced at Nicodemus, but he was no help; he only looked unhappy.
"Oh, I am," Marcus said. "But my orders were--and always have been--to capture Jeril, not anyone else. Not track down missing princes or her own dear son. And I want no part of this plan of hers. Do you understand that?"
His voice had risen a little, but he was still calm; still in control. And Nicodemus looked at him with a new sort of respect in his gaze.
"Is that why you let me go?" he asked. "Did you remove the collar?"
"I'd hoped you would lead me to the defectors," Marcus said. "I knew they were looking for Thomas--Jeril, but I didn't know they had already found him. And then I found him. What else was I supposed to do?"
"Lovinia said you almost killed him," Katriena said angrily.
"Lovinia exaggerates," Marcus said. "Is he coming?"
The map hadn't shut off when Katriena removed her hand, but it continued to show Marcus' location, not Jeril's.
"Again; why should I tell you?" Katriena asked.
"Are you defecting?" Nicodemus asked when Marcus did not reply to her question.
"How can I?" Marcus replied. "I am bound to your mother."
"If you're not defecting, then why are you here?" Katriena asked. "If you're not intending to capture us, then why did you follow us?" She glanced at Alesander, who was still asleep. Why hadn't he awakened?
"Is there something wrong with the prince?" Marcus asked in response, as if he'd asked himself the same questions.
"I--I gave him blood," Nicodemus said, defensively, as if he expected Marcus to take offense. "To heal his wounds."
"That is all you did?" Marcus asked.
"Yes. Well, no. I--" Nicodemus glanced at Katriena, and she thought he seemed completely at a loss. "I drank--" He scrambled back as Marcus approached, and Katriena started forward, but Marcus only dropped to his knees beside Alesander. Still unthreatening.
What would happen when Jeril arrived?
"What did you do?" Katriena asked, and Nicodemus shook his head.
"I've done this before," he whispered. "I've given blood after others have drunk--"
"The key being others," Marcus said. "Not you." He gently shook Alesander's shoulder, and then, when that didn't help, shook him a bit harder. "Alesander, it's time to wake up."
Katriena glanced at Nicodemus, still not understanding what he had done. Nicodemus seemed stunned, though; unable to do anything but stare at Alesander as if he had inadvertently killed him.
"Nicodemus?"
Her voice must have given away some of her fear, because Nicodemus finally tore his gaze away and glanced at her.
"I truly did not realize," he whispered.
"Nicodemus!" Katriena's voice rose; she couldn't help it. "What did you do?"
"I bound him to my mother," Nicodemus whispered, and buried his face in his hands.
Author's note: Short today, but longer tomorrow. We will find out Marcus' intentions tomorrow as well.
Technical note: the blood shared when binding a human is a small enough amount, and it has to be shared within a certain amount of time or it won't work. To make someone into a vampire involves a lot more blood. Technically, Nicodemus bound Alesander to himself, not his mother, but since he is bound to his mother (yes, vampires can bind vampires other than the ones they turn) he would never consider Alesander bound to him instead of her. His "free will" is a direct result of how far away he is from her. :) If that makes sense.
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As always, copyright belongs to me.
He glanced at Nicodemus and his mouth tightened. "Where is Jeril?"
"I came alone," Katriena said.
Marcus made an irritated gesture with one hand. "Don't lie to me. You are no wizard; I know more about you than you realize, princess."
"Then you also know I don't normally make it a point to lie," Katriena said, and Marcus hesitated.
"He let you come alone?"
"He did not know," Katriena said, and Marcus glanced at Nicodemus again.
"Ah, yes. Sometimes I forget that the kitten has other talents." He did not seem to be worried that she would try to escape, or that Alesander would wake up or that Nicodemus would attack him. He folded his arms. "And you found the passageway into the castle and it just happened to lead to the right tower?"
"It's best not to ask too many questions," Katriena said, and smiled, tightly. "I am no wizard, as you said."
"Is Jeril on his way?"
"Do you honestly expect me to answer?" Katriena asked, and backed away from him when he took a step towards her. "I saw what you did to him--"
In response, Marcus nudged Nicodemus with his boot.
"Leave him alone!" Katriena snapped, but he only glanced at her and nudged him harder.
"What did you do to him?" he finally asked after Nicodemus did not awaken.
"Nothing." That was the truth, but he evidently didn't believe her. Still unconcerned about any attempt at escape, he crouched down beside Nicodemus and pulled back his sleeve. "If you faint at the sight of blood, you might not want to see this, princess."
"I--I don't--" Katriena watched in horror as he sliced a shallow cut across his wrist and pressed it to Nicodemus' mouth. "What are you doing?"
"Feeding him," Marcus said implacably. "Would you rather I take you prisoner and drag you back to the castle--by myself--and deliver you to the prince's aunt?" When she glanced at him in surprise, he smiled sourly. "I knew who he was from the very beginning. I did not know you'd prove to be so resourceful."
"But you're--" She realized, then, that he was enjoying this; keeping her off guard. What was he waiting for? Why hadn't he taken them prisoner? "Why are you here?"
"I followed you," Marcus said, and Nicodemus awoke in his grasp, going so far as to reach up to grab his arm before he realized whose blood he was drinking and who held him.
He started to push Marcus away, but Marcus--again, without anger or complaint--merely tightened his grip. "Drink, dammit. I'm not sure what you've been doing, but you could have killed one of the ones you are trying to protect."
Only a minute later, Nicodemus pushed his arm away and scrambled backwards, almost crashing into Alesander. He glanced at Katriena, then back to Marcus. "What are you doing here?"
Marcus pulled a strip of cloth out of his pocket and bound his wrist--expertly, Katriena realized, as if he'd done that many times before. "I followed you," he said again, and stood.
"That is no answer," Katriena protested.
"No, it's not," Marcus agreed. "But I have no need to tell you. My business lies with Jeril and with Jeril alone. Do you understand?"
Nicodemus' eyes widened. "She won't be happy with you for that," he said.
Marcus just looked at him calmly. And in the end, Nicodemus was the one who dropped his gaze.
"I'm beginning to think that I'm missing something here," Katriena said, glancing between them both. "I thought you were his mother's hound."
"And that I've been trying to capture Thomas who calls himself Jeril for the past one hundred years," Marcus said, sounding bored.
"You're not?" Katriena glanced at Nicodemus, but he was no help; he only looked unhappy.
"Oh, I am," Marcus said. "But my orders were--and always have been--to capture Jeril, not anyone else. Not track down missing princes or her own dear son. And I want no part of this plan of hers. Do you understand that?"
His voice had risen a little, but he was still calm; still in control. And Nicodemus looked at him with a new sort of respect in his gaze.
"Is that why you let me go?" he asked. "Did you remove the collar?"
"I'd hoped you would lead me to the defectors," Marcus said. "I knew they were looking for Thomas--Jeril, but I didn't know they had already found him. And then I found him. What else was I supposed to do?"
"Lovinia said you almost killed him," Katriena said angrily.
"Lovinia exaggerates," Marcus said. "Is he coming?"
The map hadn't shut off when Katriena removed her hand, but it continued to show Marcus' location, not Jeril's.
"Again; why should I tell you?" Katriena asked.
"Are you defecting?" Nicodemus asked when Marcus did not reply to her question.
"How can I?" Marcus replied. "I am bound to your mother."
"If you're not defecting, then why are you here?" Katriena asked. "If you're not intending to capture us, then why did you follow us?" She glanced at Alesander, who was still asleep. Why hadn't he awakened?
"Is there something wrong with the prince?" Marcus asked in response, as if he'd asked himself the same questions.
"I--I gave him blood," Nicodemus said, defensively, as if he expected Marcus to take offense. "To heal his wounds."
"That is all you did?" Marcus asked.
"Yes. Well, no. I--" Nicodemus glanced at Katriena, and she thought he seemed completely at a loss. "I drank--" He scrambled back as Marcus approached, and Katriena started forward, but Marcus only dropped to his knees beside Alesander. Still unthreatening.
What would happen when Jeril arrived?
"What did you do?" Katriena asked, and Nicodemus shook his head.
"I've done this before," he whispered. "I've given blood after others have drunk--"
"The key being others," Marcus said. "Not you." He gently shook Alesander's shoulder, and then, when that didn't help, shook him a bit harder. "Alesander, it's time to wake up."
Katriena glanced at Nicodemus, still not understanding what he had done. Nicodemus seemed stunned, though; unable to do anything but stare at Alesander as if he had inadvertently killed him.
"Nicodemus?"
Her voice must have given away some of her fear, because Nicodemus finally tore his gaze away and glanced at her.
"I truly did not realize," he whispered.
"Nicodemus!" Katriena's voice rose; she couldn't help it. "What did you do?"
"I bound him to my mother," Nicodemus whispered, and buried his face in his hands.
Author's note: Short today, but longer tomorrow. We will find out Marcus' intentions tomorrow as well.
Technical note: the blood shared when binding a human is a small enough amount, and it has to be shared within a certain amount of time or it won't work. To make someone into a vampire involves a lot more blood. Technically, Nicodemus bound Alesander to himself, not his mother, but since he is bound to his mother (yes, vampires can bind vampires other than the ones they turn) he would never consider Alesander bound to him instead of her. His "free will" is a direct result of how far away he is from her. :) If that makes sense.
Writers love comments; please leave one!
As always, copyright belongs to me.