It wasn't easy. I even hauled Gabron into the small torture chamber where the Vice-Governor had been held, but Farimak wasn't there. There also wasn't anyone inside the cells where I'd rescued prisoners. There were guards posted in both places, however. They must have been expecting someone more solid—Gabron and I misted right past them.

It wasn't until we started making our way through the offices, (of which there were many) that we found our culprit. And he had cuffs on; the same kind that had been on Gabron's prisoner when I'd attended the Council meeting. No doubt, that's where they'd gotten them to begin with. It made me wonder just how much Hartolz had spilled before he'd been caught.

We found five priests and two guards inside the office where our duplicitous vampire was being held. Farimak sat in a chair against the inside wall, with all the guards' eyes glued to him and watching avidly, waiting for someone to come. Someone had come, all right, but with this many witnesses, perhaps we needed to be a bit more subtle. I have an idea, I sent to Gabron, and misted outside the room again.

There was an empty office directly behind the one that held Farimak and the others. I dropped Gabron inside it. I'll be right back, I promised mentally and he nodded at me. I had done this twice before, but both times, I had been extremely angry. Now it was time to see if it could be done when I wasn't so angry I couldn't see straight. I'd blown my mist outward the first time and knocked the front out of Galloway Recyclingin New Mexico. Then I'd blown the door to my room shut in the same way when Dragon and Karzac were less than receptive to vampire help.

Perhaps the priests weren't prepared for that entire section of the building to get blown outward. I wasn't, either, but that's what happened. We were close enough to the outside of the building that the wall itself now had a huge hole blasted in it, and office windows were all knocked out as well. Office contents, consisting of papers, bits of furniture and parts of priests now littered the paved courtyard outside. I was going to have to gauge this better the next time, I figured. My little blow-up achieved the desired results, however. The priests surrounding Farimak, along with one of the guards, came rushing out to see what happened. I misted right through them as they boiled out of the room—the last one turning and locking the door behind him. I laughed mentally as I went right through the locked door, hauled Farimak and the remaining guard into my mist and then went through the wall behind them, gathered up Gabron and got the hell out of there.

Chapter 7

The Council was convened again as soon as Gabron and our two prisoners were dropped off inside his map room. Gabron placed compulsion right away, and then straightened his rumpled suit. The man had been hauled around like a misbehaving child all night and never said a word. The guard sat in a corner on the floor, blank-eyed and slack-jawed. Utilizing compulsion, Gabron had taken away what little intelligence he might have possessed. He'd be killed elsewhere. Perhaps his blood would be taken—I didn't really care.

I stood in the opposite corner and watched while Gabron and the others questioned Farimak. The vampire actually seemed relieved to have them as judge and jury. There was no telling what Solar Red had planned for him, and had likely informed him at length of those plans. Fear was another of Solar Red's weapons, and Farimak had been terrified when we'd found him. Solar Red hadn't planned a swift death for him; I was sure of that much.

"How much did you tell them?" Gabron demanded. Honestly, I think Gabron was going to deal justice himself on this one. The compulsion he laid was nearly as good as anything Merrill might do.

"They knew about us already," Farimak's answer was surly. "From other planets. They've done this before—revealed the vampires and the werewolves so they could pretend they were protecting citizens from monsters." That didn't come as welcome news to me. How many vampires had they destroyed? How many werewolves? I shuddered at the thought and wanted to ask Dragon to see if he had an answer. Unfortunately, that would have to wait.

"And instead of warning us, you were prepared to help them," Gabron's voice held contempt.

"They promised us the run of the vampire community," Farimak whined.

"Did you tell them about me?" That question just popped into my head.

"No. Mirazal was supposed to pull you out; he and I decided to keep you for ourselves."

"As if I wouldn't have anything to say about that!" I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Farimak.

"We were going to go to the god and ask for help," Farimak muttered.

"Did you see the god?" Gabron was angrier, now.

"No. The priests kept promising that we would, though."

"Trust me; you don't want to see that." I stood there, shaking my head in disbelief at Farimak. "I watched him gulp down priests like candy, you stupid f**k. Then he sent his little soldiers toward the city to bite people and make more little soldiers. That is no god. That is an evil. And you wanted to see it."

Farimak's eyes widened. "You saw this?"

"Yes. I saw that," I nodded. "And if he'd seen me, I wouldn't have survived either. More than likely, those Solar Red priests were waiting for the ritual so they could toss you in front of the crowd and show them just what you are. And then they would have tortured you. You haven't seen what they've been doing to the people inside their little altars and prisons. I have. They cut up the Vice-Governor and branded him across his eyes. The man will never see again. Or be whole. I watched two young girls get raped and mutilated before they died. This is what you want to place in power over the entire planet? Is that what you want?" I tossed a hand in the air in disbelief.

"How do you know all this?" Farimak looked at me skeptically.

"You're more stupid than you look," I muttered and misted right through a wall to get away from his ignorance. Gabron could have this one. He was dumber than a doorknob.

* * *

"The Queen has spoken," Gabron said. "Does anyone else have questions for Farimak before I behead him?" A few hands were raised and the questioning began.

* * *

Wishing I had Gavin's talent for languages so I'd have more curse words at my disposal, I slammed the kettle onto the burner to make tea. Some sort of normalcy seemed to be required at the moment; it was still an hour before dawn and I was exhausted and wound up at the same time.

"Lissa, you may want to slow down a little; I don't have time to buy a new kettle," Karzac walked into the kitchen, still half asleep.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I sat down at the table and covered my eyes with a hand.




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