locals from the various towns kept sequestered,” said Nicholas.
“Why? They need to train.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Where am I supposed to put them?”
“I trust you will find a place.”
Then Nicholas went one way, while Jamie searched for food.
Serinda brought a plate of stacked meat to her husband, like a woman having dinner prepared for her hard-working man upon returning home to her and the children.
Nicholas kept to himself, waving Tsukiko away as she approached. He entered his chamber, and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 16: Requiem
“Where is she?” pleaded Ryker, entering the charred fortress of Burghausen. “Where’s my wife? Where’s Annelise?”
Alessandro followed at a distance.
“Wait a minute, Ryker,” said a blonde-haired woman in a German accent, placing her vampire hand to his chest to stop him. “There are some things you need to know before you see her.”
Ryker looked down at the woman’s hand, up to her eyes, and tried to go around. The German vampire blocked his path continuously.
“Ryker,” she said, “she’s here. She’s safe. Give me a minute. Please.”
“Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“My name’s Jasmin,” she said, placing a ‘y’ at the beginning of her name. “You really think that a coven of vampires living in Berlin wouldn’t know what happens in Burghausen? Wouldn’t know who you are? We’re on the same side. A lot of people worked hard, risking their lives against Nicholas and his minions to get her here. You’ve traveled far, having to double back in the direction you came. You’ve waited this long, another couple of minutes won’t make a difference.”
Ryker backed down, exhaling heavily. “Go ahead.”
“You need to know that whatever I say next, she will recover.”
“Okay.” Ryker looked around for Alessandro. The Italian was carefully exploring the former castle complex. The Dane turned back to Jasmin. “Go on.”
“Your wife has suffered greatly. Physically, she’s in one piece; mentally, her mind is fractured. Like I said, she’ll recover, but it’s going to take time. I don’t know what exactly he did to her, but…we’ve had to take certain measures to make sure she feeds, to rebuild her strength.”
“What are you talking about?” Ryker grew more agitated by the minute.
“We’ve had to give her, and continue to give her, child-blood.”
“You what? She can’t have that! She would never drink that!” Ryker tried again to past Jasmin, when several German vampires approached. “Really? You really think you can stop me?”
“No,” said Jasmin. “You are co-Consul. We understand what that means. But please, listen. We must give her child-blood, because, first, it’s the only thing she’ll drink; we’ve tried other sources. Second, we believe that’s what she was fed by Nicholas. She keeps repeating ‘save the children,’ and we’re not sure what that means, but the blood that’s in her is young blood. We don’t believe your wife is one who would normally drink child-blood, so we think it was used as part of her…torture.
“Because that appears to be the case, she must continue to have to gain strength. Child-blood, as you know, is the freshest, least-toxic blood there is. She’s going to need all the strength she can get, so that when the time comes to wean her off it, and she weakens again from going cold-turkey, it won’t be so bad.
“As I stated, a lot people risked much to save her; you must trust us. We know what we’re doing, and whatever we do is to help.”
Ryker relaxed, standing down, as they would say in the military, from his attack posture. He sat down.
“Where are you getting the child-blood?” he asked.
“We have connections in various hospitals. They give the sources the impression of another blood test. No one is harmed. Listen, Ryker, there’s a little more. She’s very confused. She’s wandering around here like the place
“Why? They need to train.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Where am I supposed to put them?”
“I trust you will find a place.”
Then Nicholas went one way, while Jamie searched for food.
Serinda brought a plate of stacked meat to her husband, like a woman having dinner prepared for her hard-working man upon returning home to her and the children.
Nicholas kept to himself, waving Tsukiko away as she approached. He entered his chamber, and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 16: Requiem
“Where is she?” pleaded Ryker, entering the charred fortress of Burghausen. “Where’s my wife? Where’s Annelise?”
Alessandro followed at a distance.
“Wait a minute, Ryker,” said a blonde-haired woman in a German accent, placing her vampire hand to his chest to stop him. “There are some things you need to know before you see her.”
Ryker looked down at the woman’s hand, up to her eyes, and tried to go around. The German vampire blocked his path continuously.
“Ryker,” she said, “she’s here. She’s safe. Give me a minute. Please.”
“Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“My name’s Jasmin,” she said, placing a ‘y’ at the beginning of her name. “You really think that a coven of vampires living in Berlin wouldn’t know what happens in Burghausen? Wouldn’t know who you are? We’re on the same side. A lot of people worked hard, risking their lives against Nicholas and his minions to get her here. You’ve traveled far, having to double back in the direction you came. You’ve waited this long, another couple of minutes won’t make a difference.”
Ryker backed down, exhaling heavily. “Go ahead.”
“You need to know that whatever I say next, she will recover.”
“Okay.” Ryker looked around for Alessandro. The Italian was carefully exploring the former castle complex. The Dane turned back to Jasmin. “Go on.”
“Your wife has suffered greatly. Physically, she’s in one piece; mentally, her mind is fractured. Like I said, she’ll recover, but it’s going to take time. I don’t know what exactly he did to her, but…we’ve had to take certain measures to make sure she feeds, to rebuild her strength.”
“What are you talking about?” Ryker grew more agitated by the minute.
“We’ve had to give her, and continue to give her, child-blood.”
“You what? She can’t have that! She would never drink that!” Ryker tried again to past Jasmin, when several German vampires approached. “Really? You really think you can stop me?”
“No,” said Jasmin. “You are co-Consul. We understand what that means. But please, listen. We must give her child-blood, because, first, it’s the only thing she’ll drink; we’ve tried other sources. Second, we believe that’s what she was fed by Nicholas. She keeps repeating ‘save the children,’ and we’re not sure what that means, but the blood that’s in her is young blood. We don’t believe your wife is one who would normally drink child-blood, so we think it was used as part of her…torture.
“Because that appears to be the case, she must continue to have to gain strength. Child-blood, as you know, is the freshest, least-toxic blood there is. She’s going to need all the strength she can get, so that when the time comes to wean her off it, and she weakens again from going cold-turkey, it won’t be so bad.
“As I stated, a lot people risked much to save her; you must trust us. We know what we’re doing, and whatever we do is to help.”
Ryker relaxed, standing down, as they would say in the military, from his attack posture. He sat down.
“Where are you getting the child-blood?” he asked.
“We have connections in various hospitals. They give the sources the impression of another blood test. No one is harmed. Listen, Ryker, there’s a little more. She’s very confused. She’s wandering around here like the place
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