Bitten to Death

think he meant by equating Octavia with the mask?”

“Maybe it belongs to her.”

“Or maybe . . .” Vayl reached forward and pulled the small square door open. Behind it, moving on its own as if animated by some outside force, sat a beating heart.

We must’ve stared at that organ for five solid minutes.

“Octavia?” I asked.

Vayl closed the door, his cheekbones looking more prominent than usual because he’d locked his jaws so tight. He walked around to the back of the mask. “Take a look at this,” he said grimly. When I joined him, he pointed out a line of chocolate-turtle-sized protrusions running down the center of the piece.

“Looks like a spinal column,” I said.

“Do you feel any power coming from it?” Vayl asked.

“Like an all-over skin crawl. And I’ll bet my savings there are actual vertebrae hidden behind those bumps.”

“I believe you would win,” said Vayl.

“So where’s the rest of her?”

“I have no idea.”

Aw, hell. He reached around to take my hand. His was cold, and oh, so strong.

“Vayl.” I squeezed his hand as hard as I could. Which, to him, probably felt like a mouse jumping on a trampoline. “I’d like to point out how much this sucks.”

“Agreed.” He moved back to the front of the mask, studying the face so closely that my urge to pull him away nearly got the better of me. “I believe she must be sleeping.”

“Well.” I gulped. “It is daytime. If she’s still a vampire, that would be a logical conclusion.”

“We must return tonight.”

“Do you think she’ll know how to break you free of Disa?”

“It is difficult to say. But given the fact that she is dying, I would suspect whatever information she has to offer will be genuine.”

“Okay.” I stifled the urge to kick the mask over and stomp it into kindling. Destroying the Trust could free Vayl from Disa. But he might see it as slightly extreme given that he still had some friends here.

I followed Vayl back to the Hydra-covered door, which we once again secured with the barred gate. The artifacts went back where we’d found them and Vayl resealed the cases. After unblocking the cameras we returned to our suite.

Dave was still at the library table when we came in, studying the cemetery layout as if he could somehow make the whole plan work just by staring at its visual design. He readily switched interest to the photos we’d taken. “Are you telling me this mask is somehow alive?” he asked.

I looked to Vayl. Are we sure about this? His nod gave my answer confidence. “Yeah. We don’t know how, but it’s packed with power.”

He took a closer look at the picture. “What are these symbols in the base?”

Vayl said, “It is not Vampere.”

“Cassandra’s really good at ancient languages,” I hinted. “And if she can’t translate, maybe the Enkyklios has a clue.” It often gave her a leg up in the research department when her own knowledge came up short.

Dave looked at his watch. “It’s just after twelve thirty p.m. here, which means it’s, what, eight or nine thirty where she’s at?”

“Something like that,” I agreed.

“Okay, I’ll give her a call. Maybe she can come up with something.” He dug out his phone.

I looked around the room, finally noticing the blood had been cleaned up, though Tarasios was still passed out on the floor. “Where’s the dog?” I asked.

“In the bedroom,” said Dave as he waited for his call to go through. “He’s sprawled out on that dress of yours like it’s made of ermine or something. Which reminds me. He snores.”

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll grab my earplugs before I try to get some shut-eye,” I said. “Anybody have any objections?”

Dave shook his head and walked away as Cassandra answered her phone and he began to talk, hesitantly at first, but more eagerly as the conversation went on. I glanced at Vayl. “You okay with me catching a nap?” I asked.

“Of course.” He smiled. “With Disa clear of the library, perhaps I can spend some time in there. Among all those old tomes there must be one recommendation as to how a Maker can force his nestling to fly.”

I realized I’d clasped my hands together like a little girl who’s just been promised a dolly for her birthday. “You think there might be some info in there about breaking the binding?”

“Absolutely.” For a couple of seconds I believed it. Because I wanted to. But I could tell he didn’t hold out much hope for rescue. Which was when I finally got fed up. I’m killing that bitch. Not just for Vayl. But for Aine. And Niall and Admes. For the werebears and my honorary pack. And that bloody face that makes me go ewww.

Suddenly the question was no longer how to break the bond between my sverhamin and the woman he’d ripped, but how to keep him alive once I’d smoked her.