Hellbound

Chapter 14 - in which a judgment is laid down

'Now?' Callum asked.

'Yes. The Queen thought it pertinent to deal with immediately, but she has asked that you be present for the judging.'

'Judging?' Anya asked carefully as she stopped next to Callum, partly hidden behind his larger frame.

'She behaved reprehensible,' the vampire said, the disgust palpable in his tone. 'She must be punished, and as the target for her actions, your thoughts on the severity need to be taken into consideration.'

Callum looked at her, waiting for her answer. She swallowed the instinctual rejection and squared her shoulders - as she had said, she was here to do a job, and no renegade vampire would scare her into running away.

'Okay, we'll come,' Anya said, her voice stronger than anticipated. 'Give us a few minutes to change.'

'We don't need to-'

'Yes, we do,' she cut in and gave him a firm look. 'We are going to respect them even if they won't do the same.'

He sighed and nodded. 'Give us a few minutes,' he said and closed the door on the vampire without waiting for an answer.

'You know all of them probably heard what you said, right?' Callum said once they had dressed.

'That was the point,' she said and twisted the layered skirt into place. She twisted in front of the full-length mirror and gave a pleased nod. 'What do you think?'

'You look great.'

'You don't sound so enthusiastic.'

'I prefer you naked,' he said without missing a beat, grinning at her snort. 'I'm just not big into frilly stuff.'

'It's not frilly.'

'It's a little frilly.'

'Fine. A little frilly.'

'You still look good.'

'Thanks.' She rolled her shoulder. 'Ready?'

'If you are.'

'I'm not, but let's go anyway.'

Callum caught her elbow before she opened the door. 'I want you to recognize how strong you are for doing this. You should be proud.'

'Thank you. That means a lot.' She opened the door without hesitation. 'Thank you for waiting.'

'Certainly. This way,' he said when Callum had closed the door.

He led them down to the lobby again but took a hard left beneath the stairs. They walked through a series of finely decorated hallways before they reached a domed door three times the size of a regular door. It was polished mahogany with a finely carved stork in flight at its center.

It was so perfectly fit that, when closed, there was no visible seam. With a nudge, however, the stork split in two and the doors swung inwards with a hushed whisper.

'This leads to our clan chambers,' he said and next to her, Callum jolted in surprise. 'You will be the first outsiders to set foot in it in over two centuries.'

'Are you sure you want to let us in? Or rather, me specifically?' Callum asked hesitantly.

He paused, his eyes distant as he looked down the old stairs. A moment later, he nodded. 'The Queen insists. Please, follow me.'

Anya raised a brow at Callum when the vampire turned his back on them. He just shook his head and nudged her to follow.

The way down was long but straight. The lamps that guided them down were a recent addition, standing at odds with the ancient tunnel leading them down. Anya kept a hand on the railing as the incline got steeper, grasping the cool metal tightly.