They left the apartment the next morning just before noon and walked across the Charles Bridge in the morning sunlight. Andrej kept in physical contact with Anne-Marie the whole time, either with his arm around her or holding her hand. He wanted them to appear to be a couple, and Anne-Marie did her best to play along despite some anxiety she had that she might take her rôle too far. Andrej’s charm, that magnetism he exuded, was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“Would it be easier if I hypnotize you into doing it?” he said.
“Well now that wouldn’t look very natural, would it?”
Just then he caught sight of two of the men. “Ok sweetheart, we’re on,” he said, and leaned over to give her a kiss, square on the lips.
Startled, Anne-Marie got lightheaded for a minute. She was already thrown more than a little off balance by his behavior and wondered if his whole purpose was putting on a show for the men following them or if it might be something more.
“Ignore them, we’re just going to enjoy the day and have some fun.” He saw the look in her eyes and asked, “Am I overwhelming you?”
“Yes, I think so, a little,” she said with a self-conscious laugh.
He generally tried to keep his distance from her, and direct his thoughts elsewhere in an attempt to affect her as little as possible, but walking around town with their arms around each other, kissing him, having him act the part of the attentive lover was having a profound effect on her.
“Wait, I have an idea,” she said and pushed him away a little. “Let me pretend to take some pictures of you. That way we can be apart a bit and still look like we’re just out sightseeing.”
“All right. But you realize you can’t photograph me?”
“Yes, yes, it doesn’t matter. I just need you not to be so close for a little while.”
Andrej walked across the bridge and stood smiling at her while she went through the motions of imaging him. Then he took some of her, but those would show the subject where the images of him would not. After a few minutes of this they made their way to Prague Castle and the old cathedral so Andrej could get out of the sunlight for awhile. Even with his protective glasses his eyes were starting to burn.
As they entered St.Vitus Cathedral Anne-Marie gave a small gasp. The Gothic architecture outside was impressive on its own, and she had been seeing the outside for several months now, but the interior was more than she had imagined. The stained glass windows, from the rose window in the front to the Mucha window inside threw colors across the gothic columns in the afternoon sunlight, turning the pillars into dappled watercolors of pinks and yellows, giving the nave a storybook feel. If a princess in a long gown with sparkling tiara were to come down the aisle it wouldn’t have surprised her.
Andrej kept a watch out of the corner of his eye to see if they still had their tail. They did. When they had first entered the cathedral the two men looked somewhat shocked, no doubt expecting Andrej and Anne-Marie to burst into flames upon entering a church if they were truly vampires. It occurred to him then they probably suspected Anne-Marie of being one as well, although as tan as she was after spending two weeks in St. Tropez he’d thought should convince them otherwise. He was almost hoping they’d try throwing holy water on her just to see the looks on their faces when nothing happened. They spent another half hour inside the cathedral, viewing the tombs of saints and kings entombed there. From the first king, Přemysl, to the chapel of St. Ludmila, patron saint of Bohemia, the cathedral was an encapsulation of Czech history.
“I envy you,” she said. They were standing in front of the ornate Baroque silver tomb of St. John of Nepomuk.
“Why?”
“This is all your history, your roots. You grew up with all this around you, part of you. It must be good to feel like you belong somewhere.”
He stood silently for a moment, unfamiliar emotions rising that he couldn’t quite place. “I guess it’s what draws me back to Prague, again and again. I always feel strongest, steadiest here, despite everything. I hadn’t thought of it consciously before.” He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “You ready to head out? I could use a smoke.”
“Hey, it’s almost three o’clock, how about getting something to eat? I just realized I haven’t eaten yet today,” Anne-Marie said.
“Didn’t you just eat something yesterday? Good thing I don’t have to eat that often.”
She gave him her sour look again. He smiled and shrugged, putting his arm around her waist. She snuggled into his side, enjoying the moment for whatever it was worth.
“You doing ok?” he asked.
“I don’t know, this is way worse than usual,” she said. It was obvious she was starting to succumb to his charms, even knowing consciously that it was because he was manipulating her moods.
“I’m sorry, I’m trying to hold back as much as I can, but I don’t think I can entirely shut it off. You are handling it very well.” As impressed as he was with how Anne-Marie was able to resist, it was clear she was feeling it keenly. As the day went on she found it increasingly hard to keep her wits and some perspective on the situation. She was starting to feel like she was caught in rough surf, battered by wave after wave, unable to break the surface to get air and make it to shore. He hadn’t meant to put her through all the emotional upheaval and did what he could to suppress it, but they still needed to go through this ridiculous charade to try to convince these hunters that he was not their quarry, and Anne-Marie especially should not be on their hit list.
They left Prague Castle and made their way to Old Town to his favorite café to get some food for her and coffee for him. While he didn’t eat like humans did, he could go through the motions and make it look good, then head for the bathroom to empty his stomach like a bulimic. His instinct for self-preservation was strong, and he was willing to do whatever it took to at least make these guys doubt they had a vampire in their sights. The food did do Anne-Marie some good. She looked less glassy-eyed after eating and having a couple cups of the strong coffee they served there. It was still early after they finished and Andrej had to find a way to pass some time before he went out that evening to find Alexandra and Kiril, but he didn’t want Anne-Marie around them again if he could help it. They were too uncontrolled, too new at the whole game. Like feral dogs they were apt to kill out of instinct with no higher reasoning capabilities and no remorse. He wondered how many others there were that he hadn’t run across yet. There hadn’t been many new converts for some time, and he didn’t know what had changed. Perhaps the creature he had met with in the cave in Slovakia was responsible, since it had surfaced again recently. He intended to find out from Alexandra who had converted her.
After dinner they headed back to the apartment to change clothes and go on to the symphony. That would occupy the evening until it was time to go out and find Alexandra and Kiril. The symphony concluded just before eleven o’clock and they walked out arm-in-arm as Andrej caught sight of the three men. Amateurs, he thought. These guys couldn’t trail a five-year-old without being spotted. He walked out the doors of the concert hall without glancing at them, but fully aware of their presence. Anne-Marie was half-asleep by the time they made it back to the apartment. She was still floating in a bit of a haze from the attention and close physical contact with Andrej all day.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” she asked. She was having a hard time separating herself from him, and the idea of him being away from her was nearly causing her an anxiety attack by now. Vampires were seldom in close proximity to their victims for long, and she had been subjected to his attraction for over twelve hours straight. It was like an overdose of endorphins, the pleasure centers in her brain were firing like Roman candles. Andrej hoped it wouldn’t cause any long-lasting effects, but at the same time he had to admit to himself he was interested to see what the result would be.
“No,” he said holding her, and smoothing her hair. “I think you’ve had about all you can take of me for one day. You’ll be ok her
e, and there wouldn’t be anything you could do to help. I can’t worry about protecting you during whatever else happens.” He put his finger under her chin and tipped her face up to look at him. He was easily a foot taller than she was. He kissed her gently on the mouth and realized with a slight sense of guilt he was enjoying seeing her like this. “Now go to sleep, you’ll feel better in the morning.”
She nodded dreamily, turned and walked to her room and closed the door behind her.
He turned off all the lights in the apartment and walked out to the balcony, scanning the street for the hunting party. He saw one of the men at the taxi stand in front of the building, but not the other two. He had a momentary doubt about the wisdom of leaving Anne-Marie alone, but his mental link to her was extremely strong after spending so much time together. If anything happened he would know instantly.
This had been an unusual day. He was used to being in control—of himself, and anyone around him whom he chose to control—but he had never exerted this kind of control over Anne-Marie. Other assistants in the past, yes, but never Anne-Marie. There had never been any need to, she never questioned his actions. He had still never fed off her as he had promised her he would not. His relationship with her was what might be called strictly professional, and as her employer he treated and compensated her well. But this play acting for the crusaders had muddled Anne-Marie’s feelings for him, tapping into something that already existed in her. Her behavior had always been relatively business-like with him, despite the banter and teasing that had hinted at a growing sense of ease and friendship, but he had not suspected any real romantic attachment. He had thought they had that all straightened out. Tomorrow would tell if she went back to her usual behavior, or if her feelings had blossomed into something more.
He put all this out of his mind for the time being and shapeshifted and flew off to the cemetery where he expected to find Kiril and Alexandra.
Flight. It was still a rush. The first few times he had been able to manage it the sensation had been dreamlike, unreal, and he often landed before he intended to. Like any other skill it needed to be practiced. Even after all this time it never felt ‘normal,’ or mundane. There was a purity in the act, removing himself from earth, going where no one else could without the aid of machines. It was detachment, and for the duration all thought of earthly troubles as the ground dropped away beneath him. This was the peace he craved.
It was after midnight by the time he arrived, and assumed his human form again. The cemetery was as he had last seen it: quiet, dark, deserted. He moved like a shadow among the gravestones, barely even leaving footprints in the damp grass. He stopped and concentrated for a moment, trying to pick up any sign of the presence of Kiril and Alexandra. They were there, in the darkest corner of the graveyard where there was no light except the sliver of a crescent moon and the little bit of light from the stars. But there was something, or someone else there as well.
He stopped a few yards away, looking around at the gravestones, and breathing slowly to pick up any other scents. When he was satisfied they were alone he took a couple more steps in their direction. He positioned himself centered among four large gravestones to use them as cover or slow them down if either of them tried to rush him. They started to approach him out of the shadow of a tall statue of an angel over a grave.
“Stay where you are,” Andrej told them. “We don’t need to get too cozy.”
Alexandra was looking belligerent again, tossing her long hair back. Kiril was standing a little straighter, not looking quite like the nervous puppy he had previously. He was growing into his new persona, gaining confidence. It didn’t usually take long after a conversion, but the danger was that they could sometimes go too far and become cocky and reckless, as Alexandra had done.
“Is this ok?” she asked, trying to strike a seductive pose. Andrej snickered and lit a cigarette. Even Kiril shot her a puzzled look.
“Let’s just get down to business, shall we?” Andrej said. “What exactly do you want from me?”
“All right,” she said, dropping the pretense. “We want to know how you’ve managed all these years. We know who you are, how long since you’ve been converted.”
Andrej raised his eyebrow almost imperceptibly. They might know, but they might be bluffing. That he was vastly more experienced than they were would be obvious to any other vampire. He was calm, self-possessed in a way that few vampires, or humans for that matter, ever were. He dragged on his cigarette, the glow of the burning ash illuminating his face slightly.
“Is that right?” he said.
Alexandra stuck her chin out. “Yes.”
“I see. So tell me what you’ve learned.”
“You’re Andrej Vojecek, one of the old ones. You’ve survived, when others of our kind have not. And I want to know how.”
Andrej gave a little mock bow. “How did you find out my name?” he asked. Whoever had converted her must know him, or of him.
Alexandra shifted uneasily. She looked around, avoiding making eye contact with Andrej.
“I’m afraid I can’t say,” she said.
“Pity. Then I’m afraid I can’t help you,” Andrej countered. He turned and started to walk away. Alexandra’s mouth fell open and for a moment she appeared panicky, looking from Kiril to Andrej and back again.
“It was a couple guys at the club,” Kiril called after him.
Andrej stopped. “What did they want?”
Kiril looked at Alexandra. He apparently wasn’t supposed to say too much, but his loyalty to her was waning. Andrej knew she was becoming a danger to both herself and him. She was far too easily confused about whom to trust while Kiril was becoming more convinced that trusting no one was the better option. She had tried to play hardball with these guys, but Kiril was starting to see she was being used. She wasn’t the savvy, worldly type she had previously convinced Kiril she was, and his respect for her was being replaced by disappointment and disdain.
When Alexandra didn’t answer Kiril spoke up again. “They wanted us to find out where you lived and get a message to you. They want to talk to you.”
Andrej burst out with a short laugh. “Talk to me? Jesus, you two are like babes in the woods. What do they have on you, why are you working for them?” He looked at them hard now. Alexandra was nearing the breaking point. Andrej suspected she hadn’t been completely mentally balanced as a human. She must have been an easy mark for whoever converted her. This wasn’t good, and it was time to put an end to it before things got out of hand.
“Kiril, perhaps you should leave us alone to talk,” Andrej said. He kept his eyes on Alexandra as he spoke but he could see where Kiril was out of the corner of his eye. He had started to move away from Alexandra, making his way around a gravestone closer to Andrej. It seemed he knew what was coming and was not going to interfere. He kept walking as Alexandra started shrieking at him.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You can’t leave, we came together. You’re with me!”
Andrej was on her in one quick move, knocking her to the ground. He pulled his fist back and with one blow to the side of her head knocked her unconscious. He looked around and saw a shovel propped against a gravestone, carelessly left by the sexton. Kiril didn’t look away as Andrej took the shovel and standing over Alexandra’s unconscious body plunged the handle through her chest. The body lurched up, screaming, but only for a moment. There was very little blood, as if she hadn’t fed in some time, which may have contributed to her deteriorating mental state.
“I’m sorry Kiril,” he said, “but she was too far gone.”
“You don’t know that.”
His belated defense struck Andrej as cowardly. “Yes, actually, I do. I’ve seen it before. She never should have been turned. Do you have any idea who converted her? Did you ever see him?”
Kiril was looking away. “No, I never saw any others, except you that night. She liked to have me with her when she went out, someone to talk to who knew he
r, I guess.”
“How well did you know her before she converted you?”
“Pretty well; at least I thought I did. I’m not sure when she was converted, I knew her before.”
“What does that mean, ‘pretty well’?”
“We grew up together, in the same town, just outside of Minsk. She disappeared for a couple of years. I thought she had just moved for a job. When she came back, though, she was already a vampire. That’s when she converted me.”
No surprise then that she would have targeted him. It was easier to get close to people who knew you, trusted you, especially in the beginning. Eventually of course, if the vampire managed to survive long enough that everyone they had known before died off, they’d be forced to start preying on complete strangers. He wondered if she had been mad before the conversion, or if becoming a vampire had driven her over the edge.
“You have no idea who converted her? She never talked about it, mentioned a name?” Andrej pressed him again.
“No, none. I never asked, it didn’t seem important.”
She was taking that secret to the grave with her. Andrej had no intention of going after her creator, but it had often been useful to know who else was out there. “I guess you’re on your own now,” Andrej said, watching Kiril closely.
“Looks like it. Should we get rid of the body?”
Andrej sighed. Despite expecting events to come to this, he wished he was anywhere else. He picked up the corpse and with Kiril close behind they headed for a very old section of the cemetery where plague victims from the Middle Ages were buried. Almost no one ever went there anymore, and they could bury her and fix the grave so that it wasn’t obvious that there was a fresh burial. No one would be looking for her, there was no one to report her missing. Between them with their enhanced strength they were able to dig the grave quickly. After Kiril laid the body in it, Andrej took the shovel and jumped down into the pit. He stood over her, and quickly plunged the spade end of it into her neck, severing the head from the body. As before, Kiril stood back and let Andrej perform the task.
When they were finished Andrej looked at Kiril and said, “I suppose you’d better be on the move now. Whoever those guys are that have been asking about me already know about you. I’d get out of town if I were you.”
“Why? What are you going to do? Are you going to leave?”
“No, not this time. This is my home, and I’m not ready to leave.”
“But they know about you, they’ll be coming for you.”
Andrej nodded. “Yes, but not for the reason you think.” He surmised it was his Shine connection, and that either they were angry, or nervous or both about him surviving the attempt on his life in New York. Either way, it would end badly for them. “So what was the plan? How were you supposed to lure me to meet with them?”
Kiril looked nervous now. “It was Alexandra. She was going to try to get you to agree to teach her how you’ve survived this long. Then she was going to link you from outside town, say she was in trouble and ask you to come help her out.”
“That’s it?”
Kiril nodded.
“She must have had an awful lot of faith in herself to believe it would be that easy to get me to take her under my wing.” He wondered what they’d do now that Alexandra was dead and wouldn’t be reporting back to them. “When was this meeting supposed to happen?”
“Tomorrow evening, out at the Church of All Saints in Sedlec.”
Kind of a high profile location, he thought, although it would no doubt be closed by the time they arrived, and there shouldn’t be any tourists around late at night.
“So what now for you?” he asked Kiril.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, there’s no embassy for us.” He debated with himself for a minute, then said, “I want you to go see some people I know, they can get you papers and get you out of the country. Go back to Minsk or wherever for awhile until things calm down.”
“Why can’t I stay here with you, learn from you?”
“Because as we’ve already figured out they know who you are, and you’re leading them straight to me. You can go back to Minsk or stay here, but we’re not friends and I can’t take you in.” He felt a pang of guilt. Kiril looked like a lost child, but he couldn’t take the chance. And besides, he didn’t know anything about Kiril other than what Kiril had told him, which may or may not be true. He told Kiril the address of his contacts for the falsified papers, which was going out on a limb enough for him. He could be putting them all at risk. Once Kiril left he started on his way back to the apartment.
As soon as he got in he checked on Anne-Marie, and found her still sleeping peacefully. If these guys knew he was in town, they hadn’t yet been able to track him down. At least Alexandra hadn’t led them straight to him as he had feared. It would be best to discourage these guys now, before they got a firm foothold in Prague, if there was still time. If not, he’d have to see about convincing them it would be in their own best interest to leave him alone. He went into his room to lie down and rest for the day, but he realized he was going to need to feed again before taking these guys on. He could either go out and find someone, or… no, not Anne-Marie. She was handy but he had promised. No, best to find a stranger and feed just before heading out to Sedlec.
Chapter 9