mess with her mind again, considering the state she’s in. I think in this case you should tell her the truth. If she can’t handle it, then . . .” He shrugged. “Let’s see how it goes.”
Chapter 22
The Knights of the Dark Wood stood in a loose circle around the coffin that held the remains of Trey 95. A white sheet covered him from neck to heel; his sword lay at his side.
The Elder Knight, clad in red robes, stood at the head of the bier. “We are gathered here tonight to honor our fallen Brother, slain by the hand of our enemy.” Drawing a knife from his belt, he made a shallow cut across his palm, then held his hand over the body, letting his blood drip onto the white sheet. “By my blood, I swear to avenge his death,” he intoned, and passed the blade to his left.
One after another, the remaining twelve members of the Brotherhood made a similar oath. When they finished, the sheet was splattered with crimson.
The four oldest members lifted the coffin and carried it into the woods, followed by the others.
After the coffin was lowered into the ground, each Knight threw a handful of dirt on the casket, then each took a turn filling in the grave.
There was no marker, nor would there be.
When they were done, the Knights stood in a long line at the foot of the grave.
The Elder Knight walked from one end of the line to the other, his gaze piercing each man. “This vampire has now killed another of our Brothers. From this night forward, all of our efforts will be directed at finding the vampire known as Quill and bringing him to justice. I do not want him killed! I want him taken alive. There will be no swift, merciful death for the likes of this creature. Or for anyone who harbors him.”
The Elder Knight pivoted at the end of the line and walked back the other way. “Brandon 6, Ricardo 42, Emanuel 51, Edmund 14, I charge you to find the vampire. You will leave tomorrow morning after we initiate Paul 18.” He held each man’s gaze. “Do not return without the vampire. The rest of you will fortify our compound and instruct Paul 18 in our ways. And each of you must be prepared to immediately go to the aid of those charged with finding the vampire. He is evil and cunning. Our losses may be heavy. But we will prevail!”
Chapter 23
Callie called Tony’s and ordered a large ham and pineapple pizza, hot wings, and breadsticks for lunch. She put it all in the oven to keep it warm, quickly made a tossed green salad, and then set the table with Ava’s best china. And all the while she wondered what she was going to tell Vivian. How did one explain the existence of a vampire without sounding completely insane?
Everything was on the table and ready when the doorbell rang. Callie crossed her fingers. Now was the time to see if her new protection spell worked. She had left the front door open, knowing Viv would just walk in.
A moment passed. And then Vivian called, “Hey girlfriend, what did you do? Install an invisible screen door?”
Callie’s smile stretched from ear to ear as she went to greet her friend. “In a way. Come on in.”
“Seriously,” Viv said as she followed her into the living room. “What was that?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Callie said, leading the way into the kitchen. “How are you, Viv?”
“I don’t know.” Vivian glanced at the table. “This is really nice. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble. Paper plates would have been fine.”
“I know, but . . . I just wanted to make it special. Help yourself.”
“Ham and pineapple,” Vivian said, sitting down. “My favorite.”
“I know. I never thanked you for looking after the house, although after everything that happened, I’m sorry I asked you.”
Vivian nibbled on a breadstick, then put it aside. “Who was that man? Why was he looking for you?”
Callie took a deep breath. “He was a Knight.”
“Like a real, sword-wielding Knight of the Round Table?”
“More like a modern one.”
“He said he was looking for a vampire.”
“I know. That’s what they do. They kill vampires.”
Vivian shook her head. “If you can’t tell me the truth, then let’s just talk about something else.”
“It is the truth. When I first met Quill, I told you he was a vampire.”