61 A.D.

7

Theron walked into the tavern and surveyed the room, his head swiveling from one side to the other. The main room stank of sweat and old mead, with a hint of blood added, probably from a brawl. The walls were bare, unadorned wood, with not a single window to let in light or allow the stale air to circulate. Apparently the patrons of this place enjoyed their gloom.

A dozen or so wooden tables sat on the floor, most of them empty. Behind the bar, a stout Briton was deep in conversation with a plump young serving girl. The two looked bored, as well they might. The place was nearly empty, with only a handful of sullen, raggedly-dressed humans nursing their drinks.

These are the ones who stayed behind, thought Theron. The city is doomed.

A pair of soldiers stood alone in a corner, talking and drinking and casting wistful glances at the door. Probably ordered by Suetonius to stay behind and offer a token resistance. Perhaps to slow down the Iceni horde. By all reports, Boudica did not take prisoners, so the two soldiers were as good as dead. Judging by their faces, they knew it, as well. Having seen firsthand what the Roman Legion did to deserters, Theron understood why they stayed behind. Better a quick death in battle than a slow, painful one at the hands of a Roman Inquisitor.

Taras was nowhere in sight. Another wasted effort.

Theron turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you a coward, too?” said a gravelly voice at his back. “Afraid of a few barbarians?”

Theron turned to find himself face to chest with a very large – and very drunk – man in a dirty tunic and torn breeches. Theron recognized him as one of the men from the only occupied table in the tavern. Only a few moments ago the man’s face had been buried deep in a mug of ale. His craggy face revealed lines of dirt and sweat, and his odor testified to his lack of proper bathing. The man swayed on his feet, steadied by his hand on Theron’s shoulder, and bent his neck to bring his face close enough that the vampire could smell the rot of his mouth.

“Are you going to answer me?” the man asked, revealing a mouthful of half rotten teeth. He shook his hand, causing Theron to jerk back and forth like a toy.

Theron didn’t say a word. He punched the drunk in the solar plexus, delighted by the grimace of pain that sprouted on the large man’s face. He pulled his hand back and punched again, this time in the sternum. A loud crack echoed through the tavern as the bone snapped, along with several ribs. Theron grinned as the man slid to the floor, his breath coming in wet, choppy gasps. A thin line of blood trickled from the drunk’s mouth. Theron knew what that meant; he’d punctured a lung. The man would be dead in minutes, drowned in his own blood. No less than he deserved.

He looked up from the man, who lay on the floor coughing up large wads of blood and phlegm, and surveyed the tavern once more. No one met his eyes or even looked at him. The two soldiers continued to drink and talk as though nothing had happened. Most likely they simply didn’t see the point in arresting or even accosting Theron, knowing the city and everyone in it was doomed. Theron nodded to the gloomy barkeep and stepped outside, pulling his leg free of the drunk’s weakening grip.

Outside, he licked the blood from his knuckles, pleased at the outcome of the encounter. He hadn’t even had to use his claws.

His spirits lifted a little, he walked across the street to the next tavern, looking for Taras.

Taras, meanwhile, was on the other side of the city, trying to digest the strange news he’d just received. The woman said her name was Lannis. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember where he’d heard it. He thought he recalled something about a very powerful Bachiyr by that name, someone akin to Ramah, the monster he’d barely escaped in Jerusalem all those years ago. If so, he didn’t want any part of what she had to offer.

“I don’t need your help,” he said. “I can find Theron on my own.”

She nodded. “Of that I have no doubt. But can you defeat him?”

He was about to say yes, of course he could, but something about the bemused smirk on her face kept him silent.

“You can’t,” she said for him. “You have no idea what he is like. He would destroy you in less than a minute.”

“I almost killed him in Jerusalem,” Taras pointed out.

“That you did, but how did you manage?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was it a fair fight? Or was he preoccupied with something? Did you have his full attention?”

Taras didn’t like the smile on her face.

“Was he,” she pressed, “looking at a map or some such thing when you attacked him from behind?”

“How the devil can you know that?”

“Answer the question, Taras.”

He stared at her, willing her to look away, desperate for some sense of control, but she stared back. Her face gave him nothing. Eventually his eyes fell to his boots. “All right,” he said. “Theron had me beaten and near death. He’d all but discounted my existence when he turned to his map. It was only through the odd strength he’d given me the day before that I was able to stand and sneak close enough to plunge my sword through his back.”

“In the back, Taras?”

His eyes shot to her face. Her eyes sparkled with barely contained humor. Surely, she knew who he was in life. Stabbing a man in the back, while viewed as dishonorable, was often simply a measure of his profession. Caution kept you alive as an assassin.

Of course she knew. How could she not. She knew everything else. He dropped his eyes to his boots again. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever done. Not even close.”

“I thought not. That’s why I came to you, Taras. You have an innate sense of practicality which should make my offer more enticing.”

He sat on the bed, knowing a business discussion when he saw one. “Offer?”

Lannis sauntered up to him, placing the tip of one dainty finger to his chest. She swirled it, teasing his skin. The rumble of desire that her fingers roused in him kept his mind unfocused, and he forced himself to remember Mary’s face in an attempt to regain control. It helped, but only a little.

“So you are Lannis,” he said.

“You’ve heard my name before,” she replied.

Taras nodded.

“I thought so. I could tell when I introduced myself. But do you know who I am.”

Taras saw no need to respond.

She jabbed her finger into the flesh of his shoulder, causing him to jerk backward. It didn’t hurt much, but it surprised him. She brought her bloodied fingertip to her mouth and stuck it between her lips, licking off the blood with a contented smile. “I can see to it that you are hunted no longer.”

“How?” Taras asked, his hand going to the small hole in his shoulder.

“I am fifth ranked of the Council of Thirteen. Only Matawe, Algor, Ramah, and Headcouncil Herris himself are above me. Help me capture Theron, and you will never have to run again.”

Taras stayed sitting, not quite sure what to think. Could she be telling the truth? Could he really be free live without always having to look over his shoulder? He thought about the fight he’d gotten into earlier with the female vampire and her two cronies. The Council’s minions were getting better every time, eventually he would face one he could not defeat. To not have to worry about such a thing any more…

“You can do that?” he asked.

Lannis nodded. “I can. And I will. As long as you help me catch Theron.”

“What will you do with him?”

Lannis eyed him. Her straightforward gaze caused the hairs on the back of his neck to twitch. Was she angry? Or was she merely considering how much to tell him?

“You want to kill him, don’t you?” she asked.

Of course Taras wanted to kill him. It was almost all he’d thought about for the last twenty-seven years. But…

…but he wanted his freedom more. He nodded, but he lacked the conviction to make it firm.

“I thought so,” she said. “It is none of your concern what we do with him, Taras. Your job is to lead him to me, not to ask questions.”

“Very well,” Taras said. “I agree to your terms, Lannis.”

Her fist shot out faster than his eyes could register. The pain on the side of his head flared bright white, and his vision clouded over. When it cleared, he found himself lying on the floor in a small puddle of blood. Lannis stood over him, her expression calm, but the illusion of serenity was spoiled by the bright red blood on her hand. His blood.

“What…?” he began.

She shushed him and pressed her finger, still covered with his blood, to his lips. “Shhh. That was a lesson. If you are going to join the Bachiyr society, Taras, from this point on you must address me, and all other superiors, with respect. You will refer to me as Councilor Lannis, or next time I will not be gentle.”

Taras nodded from his position on the floor, silently wondering what the Hell he’d just gotten himself into.