invasion, and rushed to aide your people.”
“Yes. We tried desperately to find my family, but never did. At least, not then. When the war ended, I searched again, and found that they had been killed during the first days.”
Ryker watched Katarzyn well up.
“I’m very sorry,” he said.
“Yes, well,” she began, wiping her tears away, “I’m here to repay my debt to you.”
“You are not indebted to us. That’s what my wife and I do.”
“At any rate, when I heard through the grapevine about Annelise, because you know bad news travels just as fast as good, I came immediately to help. I’m going back with you, just in case Annelise needs a woman’s touch on the way. Then, I will be joining your fight.”
“We are both very happy to have you,” said Ryker.
The husband took his wife’s hand once more, and led her back toward Burghausen’s exit.
“Join us,” Ryker said, stopping to speak to Jasmin. “We can use you.”
“We have risked much already, Dane. This is not our fight.”
“This is everyone’s fight. The world will look as you see Burghausen now if we don’t stop Nicholas. And we need as many people as possible.”
“This is true, oh, yes. Alessandro knows,” said the Italian, coming up from behind Ryker.
The Dane turned, and observed something he found quite curious. He watched Alessandro, the Italian vampire, stare, almost shyly, at Katarzyna, the Polish vampire. Ryker then looked at Katarzyna, and saw the same reaction, her eyes meeting Alessandro’s, then following his long, black hair down, scanning his body. Ryker looked one more time at Alessandro, and noticed something else in his friend’s eyes—sadness.
“Alessandro,” said Ryker, “this is Katarzyna. Katarzyna, meet Alessandro. He’ll be traveling back to Venice with us.”
Neither Alessandro, nor Katarzyna, spoke. They simply stood there, looking at one another.
“I hear you,” Jasmin said, picking up where she left off. “But, I don’t think we’ll be going with you. Though we’ve seen the video, I’m sure you will be fine without us.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard about a video.” Ryker turned his attention back to the German. “A vampire in Paris mentioned it. What video?”
“I can’t describe it. It’s best you watch it when you get back to Italy. You and your friend are Consuls, though. I am sure you’ll be okay without our help.”
“I hope so,” said Ryker. “Thank you for everything you’ve done to help Annelise.”
“What?” asked his wife. “Who has helped me? With what?”
“Nothing,” he said. “It’s time to go.”
“Okay. Who is this?” she asked, looking over at Alessandro.
“Alessandro, I am. Yes, Alessandro. A friend, to be sure.”
“Umm, okay,” said Annelise. “Well, nice to meet you.”
Ryker led his wife, Alessandro, and Katarzyna, back down the hill, toward the village, and headed south.
Chapter 17: Requiem
“And how’s our lovely patient feeling today?” asked Jacinda.
“Still pregnant,” Bianca said, sitting up in her bed. Though she’d only been carrying the twins for a couple of weeks, she looked like a woman who was ready to pop.
“That’s good.” Jacinda lay her ear on Bianca’s stomach.
“Is it?”
Jacinda put her hand on Bianca’s and took an air of seriousness.
“Yes, honey, it is.” Bianca’s ‘doctor’ raised back up. “Good heartbeats. Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?”
“I feel as well as I did when you asked me earlier. No, I don’t need anything. I’d like to feel useful, though. The only thing you guys let me do out of this bed, is walk around. Even then, I can’t walk very far.”
“Well, that’s because you’re on an island, silly.”
Bianca rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just trying to lighten the conversation.”
“Is anyone gonna even let me out of here to go to the
“Yes. We tried desperately to find my family, but never did. At least, not then. When the war ended, I searched again, and found that they had been killed during the first days.”
Ryker watched Katarzyn well up.
“I’m very sorry,” he said.
“Yes, well,” she began, wiping her tears away, “I’m here to repay my debt to you.”
“You are not indebted to us. That’s what my wife and I do.”
“At any rate, when I heard through the grapevine about Annelise, because you know bad news travels just as fast as good, I came immediately to help. I’m going back with you, just in case Annelise needs a woman’s touch on the way. Then, I will be joining your fight.”
“We are both very happy to have you,” said Ryker.
The husband took his wife’s hand once more, and led her back toward Burghausen’s exit.
“Join us,” Ryker said, stopping to speak to Jasmin. “We can use you.”
“We have risked much already, Dane. This is not our fight.”
“This is everyone’s fight. The world will look as you see Burghausen now if we don’t stop Nicholas. And we need as many people as possible.”
“This is true, oh, yes. Alessandro knows,” said the Italian, coming up from behind Ryker.
The Dane turned, and observed something he found quite curious. He watched Alessandro, the Italian vampire, stare, almost shyly, at Katarzyna, the Polish vampire. Ryker then looked at Katarzyna, and saw the same reaction, her eyes meeting Alessandro’s, then following his long, black hair down, scanning his body. Ryker looked one more time at Alessandro, and noticed something else in his friend’s eyes—sadness.
“Alessandro,” said Ryker, “this is Katarzyna. Katarzyna, meet Alessandro. He’ll be traveling back to Venice with us.”
Neither Alessandro, nor Katarzyna, spoke. They simply stood there, looking at one another.
“I hear you,” Jasmin said, picking up where she left off. “But, I don’t think we’ll be going with you. Though we’ve seen the video, I’m sure you will be fine without us.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard about a video.” Ryker turned his attention back to the German. “A vampire in Paris mentioned it. What video?”
“I can’t describe it. It’s best you watch it when you get back to Italy. You and your friend are Consuls, though. I am sure you’ll be okay without our help.”
“I hope so,” said Ryker. “Thank you for everything you’ve done to help Annelise.”
“What?” asked his wife. “Who has helped me? With what?”
“Nothing,” he said. “It’s time to go.”
“Okay. Who is this?” she asked, looking over at Alessandro.
“Alessandro, I am. Yes, Alessandro. A friend, to be sure.”
“Umm, okay,” said Annelise. “Well, nice to meet you.”
Ryker led his wife, Alessandro, and Katarzyna, back down the hill, toward the village, and headed south.
Chapter 17: Requiem
“And how’s our lovely patient feeling today?” asked Jacinda.
“Still pregnant,” Bianca said, sitting up in her bed. Though she’d only been carrying the twins for a couple of weeks, she looked like a woman who was ready to pop.
“That’s good.” Jacinda lay her ear on Bianca’s stomach.
“Is it?”
Jacinda put her hand on Bianca’s and took an air of seriousness.
“Yes, honey, it is.” Bianca’s ‘doctor’ raised back up. “Good heartbeats. Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?”
“I feel as well as I did when you asked me earlier. No, I don’t need anything. I’d like to feel useful, though. The only thing you guys let me do out of this bed, is walk around. Even then, I can’t walk very far.”
“Well, that’s because you’re on an island, silly.”
Bianca rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just trying to lighten the conversation.”
“Is anyone gonna even let me out of here to go to the
Similar Books
