A Shade of Vampire 79 A Game of Death - Bella Forrest Page 0,85
desperate to get to me, angry that he couldn’t do anything to help me. I flashed him a smile as the free ghoul managed to get out of the scuffle, leaving the other four heaving and covered in scratches, furious that they’d been eluded.
“Run, Nethissis!” Seeley shouted.
I did. I moved as fast as my wispy body could carry me and dashed through the iron door. The ghoul failed to make it, ramming into the heavy metal with a sharp clang. I couldn’t help but laugh, relief washing over me in cold and hot waves, as I realized it had been able to get in, but the room’s warding was preventing it from getting out. The first theory had proven to be the correct one, and I was grateful to the entire universe, for I was getting to sort of live another day, now.
The ghoul was enraged, scratching at the door, pounding its fists and knees against it, but to no avail.
“Are you okay?” I heard Seeley from inside. He sounded calm, since ghouls couldn’t eat Reapers, even defenseless ones like him. It was that knowledge that kept me on the level, as well. That and the fact that I didn’t hear him crying out in pain.
“In one piece, thank you very much,” I replied, raising my voice. “It’s stuck in there. Will it hurt you?”
“I doubt it. I’m not sure it’s interested in me, and I’ve got a feeling the runes on my chains stop it from trying anything. The black guards will find it when the next shift comes in. They’ll probably take it away, since they can’t have it wandering around like this,” Seeley said. “They must’ve used it exclusively to attack Rudolph’s team, and it noticed you.”
I nodded, realizing that my entire spirit was shaking. “What do I do now?”
“Go be with Rudolph. You’ve got this advantage of being a spirit. Freedom of movement. Use it, before Zoltan catches on,” he replied. “If you get Rudolph in Zoltan’s good graces, you might be able to use him whenever he’s let off his chain. Observe everything, Nethissis. Pay attention to the details, and make sure Rudolph retains his consciousness throughout all of it. Okay?”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon, I promise.”
“Let’s hope I don’t get the same treatment as the others, in the meantime,” Seeley said, and I could almost feel the fear in his voice. “Try to go upstairs once in a while, too. Death might send more people soon. But keep your distance this time. If another loose ghoul picks up on your presence…”
“I know,” I replied, not even wanting to consider a repeat of everything I’d gone through over the past few days. “Just hang in there. I’ll get you out of here, one way or another.”
Bracing myself for the worst, I walked away from Seeley’s cell, wracking my brains to find a solution for his release. But he was right: my best chance was Rudolph, despite his developing ghoul form. I had to try. A ghoul on the inside of Zoltan’s organization could take me a long way.
Nethissis
By the time morning came around, Rudolph and I had established a new rapport. He was a full ghoul now, but he’d managed to retain a certain sparkle of consciousness in his eyes. Inside, he was fighting like a true warrior, resisting this new nature that had been forced upon him.
He couldn’t speak much anymore, but he could still nod and shake his head. In some rare instances, he could even force out a couple of words, enough for me to understand what he was trying to say.
Black guards came in to feed him once, though it was only raw meat. They did promise they’d bring him a soul if he behaved when Zoltan visited, which, according to them, would be soon. I had watched Rudolph chowing down on the red chunks of meat, blood still dripping from the pulp and down his bony jaw. I could barely recognize Rudolph the Reaper anymore, and it broke my heart.
Given that the guards couldn’t see me, I was able to stay close to him. They’d mentioned finding a rogue ghoul in Seeley’s cell. It had been captured and brought back to its own enclosure, just like Seeley had said, since it had been let out to deal with the newcomer Reapers, not to go wandering off after my lost soul. Clearly, they didn’t see me as a threat, and that suited me just fine.