Alea
The small apartment was dimly lit with small lamps stashed in a few corners of the living room and kitchen. It was lightly furnished with small tables that held lamps, and a rectangular table situated in the middle of the room, with chairs arranged around it. Folders sat in the middle of the table along with a small black case. A few suitcases sat on the floor, not too far along the wall. This was one of Hexerai's safehouses.
Hendrik gestures to the chairs for us to all sit; he stays standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He waits for us all to sit down before he clears his throat. All eyes were on him as he loomed over the three of us.
"Cole, I will need to speak with you first. Hendrik says, walking over to one of the closed doors.
Cole stands and follows him into the room. The door closes, leaving Elfrea and me alone, waiting for their talk to be over. We look at each other. I try to smile at her, but I know it doesn't reach my eyes. The tension in the air wouldn't clear until Hendrik told us Elfrea could stay.
"I can't hear anything," Elfrea whispers to me.
"Hendrik spelled the room so vampire ears couldn't listen in," I tell her.
Elfrea bites her lip, her hands balled into fists so tight I was afraid that she was going to hurt herself. I lean over to her, grabbing her hand in mine. My touch relaxes Elfrea, allowing me to lace my fingers with hers.
"Elfrea, Hendrik will pull you into that room and interrogate you. Just be honest, lying will only get you killed." I wish what I told Elfrea was less worrisome, but she needed to know before Hendrik called her in.
I began to think of an emergency exit plan, but every idea that came to mind immediately fell short of what I needed. We would have to flee right at this moment to have even the slightest chance of leaving. So I stayed seated, holding Elfrea's hand in silence.
"So what are these?" Elfrea asks, pointing to the small box and folders that lay on the table.
I had been so caught up in how we were going to get out of this alive that there was, in fact, a mission I would be briefed on. I grabbed one of them and flipped it open. Inside was a picture of me, but under a new identity, while I was working under Cole. Elfrea scoots her chair closer to me and leans in close to read over the pages with me.
Name: Jade
Age: 23
Jade is a shy and quiet prized pet who caught Charles Talbot's attention one afternoon. Is being trained for human pet pageants, where information can be gathered. Her parents died in an attack by muggers when she was very young, leaving Jade to work as a maid.
My mouth fell open as my eyes fell over the words "Human pet pageant". I reach a shaky hand to the small black box and open it to find a collar inside. It was a small necklace of black leather with jade embedded in it. I quickly pushed it away from me, and it slid across the table, coming close to falling off completely.
Why did I want to do more for Hexerai?! Why couldn't I just be fine with stealing from time to time?!
Not only will I have to put on a pretty smile for those leeches, but I will have to parade around for them as well! I wanted to get up from my seat and start slamming chairs. I instead stayed in a quiet rage with Elfrea's arms wrapped around me. I felt my body shake, then grow still as I heard the door open. I wasn't quite sure why, but I shook Elfrea off as Hendrik appeared behind Cole. Elfrea removed her arms, but I could see she was hurt from the look she gave me.
"Elfrea, I would appreciate a word with you before this meeting begins." Hendrik stands by the door, keeping it open. His eyes narrowed on Elfrea, waiting for her to get up.
I watch her hesitantly stand up and walk into the room. I finally urge my legs to stand as I watch Hendrik close the door behind him.
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Elfrea
My entire body has been tensed and on edge since the three of us began walking the stairs. In the same way I felt Alea's magical aura, I could feel Hendrik's, and it was crushing. I felt heavy that I could only move if he allowed it. Hendrik was a truly skilled witch who would have been talked about throughout Canna in the time before my turning.
He loomed over me and gestured to the two chairs that sat face-to-face in the middle of the small room. I walked to the closest chair and sat down. As I expected, Hendrik remained standing over me, beginning to circle. I needed to do what Alea told me when he asked me anything, to be honest.
"So, Elfrea, tell me your story," is all Hendrik says to me.
I did what Alea told me to do and told Hendrik the truth about who I used to be and how I was turned. The same things I had already talked about with Alea, and how I was just figuring out what I now was. Hendrik remained standing, leaning his back against the wall. His hand was scratching his chin, his blue-grey eyes fixated on me as I talked.
"Can you follow orders that are given?" Hendrik then asks me.
"Yes, as long as Alea is safe, that is all I care about," I tell him honestly.
"All I want to do is help her, and if she is helping take the evil vampires down and free witches, then that is what I will do," I add, locking eyes with him. Showing I was being truthful.
All he gives me is a nod before saying, "Cole says you have a powerful ability that you also just learned about."
"Yes, I'm still learning."
"Elfrea, before I tell you of my decision, I need you to understand I do not care who you are to Alea. To me, you are just a tool to be used to free my fellow witches and humans and rid this land of vampires." His voice was lower and rougher than it had been. Hendrick begins to walk up to me as he talks to me.
I tense up as he approaches, and he notices my fear. He lets out a low chuckle as he takes the seat in front of me. His arms crossed in front of him.
"I will allow you to go along with Alea and Cole under a few conditions that, if you don't follow, will end in your death." Hendrik then says. I wanted to smile, but his gaze still felt murderous. I kept my face as neutral as I could.
"I have made arrangements for you to pose as Cole's sister. You can only leave the house with Cole as an escort. I expect you to extract information from those you will be surrounded by. Since you have a noble background, I expect that it will help you navigate through vampire society. Your new name will be Lydia Talbot," Hendrik informs me as he rises from his chair.
"Our talk is over. You can join Cole while I have a quick chat with Alea. He will tell you everything you need to know. When you have the chance, practice your skills so you don't become useless." Hendrick opens the door and stands by the open doorway as I walk out and join Cole at the table.
I meet Alea's beautiful green eyes and see that she was happy to see me walk out of the room alive. Before Hendrik told Alea to enter the room, she stood and passed me. Alea stops by me and gives my hand a quick squeeze before entering the room. I sit beside Cole, who then hands me one of the folders Alea was going through.
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Alea
I silently walk into the small room and take a seat in one of the empty chairs in the middle of the room. Hendrik's face had returned to the gentle nature I was used to seeing. I understood why Hendrik kept his stern stature and threatening demeanor. He set his large hand gently on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze to tell me he wasn't angry.
"This vampire is a rare find, but you need to remember that she is still one of them. Those two are expendable, but Alea, you are not." Hendrik says in a low, rough whisper.
"Are there more vampires out there working on our side?" I ask. I never thought that asking about vampires on our team would be a question I would ever have to ask.
"Only a handful, and they were very special cases similar to Elfrea. Another will be joining the three of you as a head maid. The staff is small and all work for Hexerai, so you need not worry about them." Hendrik removes his hand and sits down in front of me. More vampires were working with us than I ever imagined once Cole showed me who he really was.
"I know putting you in this position will be extremely difficult. I wanted to use someone else. Alea, you are one of the most talented witches we have, and with your skills, you will be able to get through this mission." Hendrik gives me a large smile that doesn't seem to reach his eyes.
"I can do it," I said out loud. I felt I was talking only to myself. Hendrik told me I could do this, so I would.
"Now go sit with them and talk the mission over. Everything you need to know is in the folders. The suitcases contain clothing for you to all change into before grabbing a carriage heading to the house. It sits among the more expensive side of the middle vampire class." Hendrick says as we both stand. Before we exit the room, he gives me another squeeze on my shoulder.
"The head maid, Heidei, will help teach you about how to act and how you will compete in the competitions. You don't have to win; it is only a means of gathering the information we need."
Hendrik opens the door and leaves the small apartment, leaving the three of us to talk before leaving. As soon as the door was shut, I ran to Elfrea and hugged her tight. The wound on my side sent pain up and down my side, but I ignored it and continued to wrap myself around her.
"Let us get this over with so we can settle in." Cole's voice breaks us apart, and we head back to our seats. All of the papers contained who we were to become and the mission that lay ahead of us.
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Cole soon left us to dress in one of the outfits that waited in the suitcases that sat on the floor. He needed to deliver the crystals to the next person before he returned for us to leave in the carriage to the house we would be inhabiting. Elfrea and I propped the suitcases up on the table and noticed each one had our undercover names etched into it with neat, swirling letters.
I began to realize as I shifted through the garments that my suitcase contained all dresses, no pants in sight. I let out an aggravated sigh as I rifled through the choices I had in front of me. Hendrik at least gave me mostly black and some greens in the color choices
I then hear Elfrea giggle loudly next to me. I turn to see her smiling at me as she rummages through her suitcase. Elfrea soon finds something, pulling out a dark, warm red satin dress. The sleeves looked to sit at the shoulders that cascaded in soft ruffles. Looking at the tight bodice that had a wrapping illusion, had my mind wandering to how it would make Elfrea's breasts push up.
"Wear that one." The words rush out of my mouth. I needed to see Elfrea in that dress and then out of it. We unfortunately wouldn't have time for that.
"If we are picking what each other is wearing, then I think you should …." Elfrea places her dress down and starts to go through my suitcase.
"This one!" Elfrea pulls out a black dress with a satin black top with long sleeves that would loop over my middle fingers. The bottom of the dress is a poof of soft black tulle. Silver crystals lined the waist like a belt with a matching chain that would lie on my shoulders and over the top. I set the dress down, and as I move to remove my clothing, Elfrea's hand is reaching out to the zipper on the front of my corset.