The Blood Whore

Schemes

Chapter Twenty;;

Schemes;;

“We should never have come here,” Clarisse grumbled to Elizabeth as they ventured to the lawn. Remaining stoic as always, Elizabeth gave a brief nod and a glance toward the vampire resting against a tree. He raised a hand in an obnoxious salute. “Yes, I see baldy over there.”

Elizabeth cast her a sideways glance, which made Clarisse sigh. “Banner, yeah yeah. I’m not talking to him so I don’t have to be polite. Besides, this place is a mess.”

Clarisse looked around the clearing in distaste. Someone had made a mess of it. Littered all around was tree bark and torn wood. Erica lay sprawled atop this clutter very unceremoniously.

“Don’t mind the mess; we can clean this up if you want to give your friend a proper burial.” Bald Banner was strolling over from the trees. He kicked up one of the larger chunks of fallen tree and sat on it when he was a respectful distance from them. “Aiden tends to make a mess when he has an emotion.”

“Oh?” Clarisse asked as she bent down before Erica. She ran her hand through some of her dark hair as she analyzed Erica’s face. Clarisse knew rationally she was dead – and that it was Aiden’s fault – but a part of her hoped that despite reason her friend might still be alive. Erica had been the first addition to Evans’s harem that she’d liked. She could still remember when they met, all the way back in 1864…

“Yeah,” Banner shrugged. “He’s not a very sentimental guy, but something about this human girl’s really got him going.” He picked at something in his teeth as he continued, “I must say though, I haven’t been bored since she’s gotten here.”

“That interesting is she?” Clarisse asked biting back her resentment. She was their mission, they’d come with Patricia to retrieve her.

“She’s only been here a couple days and she’s already caused a battle, what does that tell you?” Banner grinned as he flicked something out from between his teeth.

“Tells me she’s the cause for Erica’s death,” Clarisse growled as she looked down on poor Erica’s face. She’d been the one who talked them into following Patricia. “She’s strong”, Clarisse remembered her words.

Everyone had known how important family, and thus Patricia’s mission, was to Erica. And now she’s dead. Clarisse ground her teeth as she thought bitterly, You were my family, Erica. Now I’m truly alone. She glanced at Elizabeth and saw a similar desire for revenge in her eyes as she stared down at Erica’s body.

“I want that girl dead,” Clarisse growled. They wouldn’t have come there if it weren’t for the little bitch, and that meant Erica would still be living. She violently tugged her hair into a ponytail with a challenging look at Bald Banner. “And her vampire pet.”

“Funny, ‘cause I’m betting Louis wants all you gals dead too.” He smirked.

“Should you be telling us?” Elizabeth asked, sizing up the man.

“Probably not,” he admitted with a twist of his lips. “But I’m sick of that pretentious bastard, and I want to be on the winning side.”

Clarisse rose an eyebrow, mostly in surprise that he was able to use the word pretentious in a proper sentence but there was also a dash of curiosity in the expression. “And what, pray tell, makes you think we’re the winning side?”

“Let’s say I’m good at estimating strengths,” he said with a clasp of his hands and a shrug. “Louis will definitely be willing to work with you to get rid of your companions, and then he’s going to betray you and kill you too.”

Banner rose a finger to his lips with an arrogant smirk, “Before you ask why he’d want all of you dead let me just explain. You’re from Nathaniel Evans’s harem right? You obviously know how strong he was, but you probably didn’t know that he and Louis were good friends. So now Louis will want revenge, and take out some strong vampires so he’ll be relatively stronger.” He shrugged as he strolled over, seeing that they wouldn’t approach him. “What I’m proposing is that, when Louis turns on you I’ll help you take him down. He will expect you two to be suspicious, but he won’t expect my betrayal.”

“If that’s your end of the bargain, what are you expecting from us?” Clarisse asked in suspicion, the idea sounded like it could work. She would much rather work on her own, but if she were in a larger group the chances of her dying were diminished.

“I want you to let me go free.” His voice dropped as he added, “And Louis’s mate.”

“Oh,” Clarisse said with a grin. “You want to steal his mate.”

Banner glared at Clarisse, as their stare down drew on Elizabeth bent down and picked up Erica’s body. “Do we have a deal?” Banner asked tightly. Clarisse held back her satisfaction as she saw the panic in his eyes. He’s afraid we’ll deny him and something will happen to him. Or that Mary woman.

“We have a deal.” Elizabeth’s voice was quiet as always, but it had a force to it. “Now we are going to go burn our friend.”

“Alright,” Banner said with a shrug as he strolled toward the house, “I’ll round up my allies. Have fun at your funeral.”

He waved at them and grinned up at the window. Clarisse growled when she saw Patricia’s outline there, she was harvesting a strong hatred of the woman. “Our traitor’s insufferable.”

Elizabeth headed into the deep green of the woods without a look at Clarisse. “We’re just letting him and the woman leave, and then we don’t have to endure him anymore.”

Clarisse nodded but said nothing.