The Captive

Chapter 22: A Hidden Variable

Vasilisa's POV

"It was me?" He asked, appaled.

I inahled a shaky breath "I don't want to talk about it anymore. It was frightening enough living through that once."

He kissed the top of my head tenderly "Sure."

I think he was a little shellshocked thinking about the fact that I dreamed about his gruesome murder. He knew I felt terrible about it though and respected my wishes.

I felt like I was discovering a new side of him, this loving, reasonable side of him.

I wanted this Scar to stick around. 

When we finally exited his room, we found it was mid morning.

I was sore and - to be honest - slightly bruised. Every time I took a step, it would jar my tender flesh.

Scar seemed a lot more watchful over me today. I would find him sticking to my side far more often than I ever had. It was reassuring, but also slightly annoying.

I asked as we started heading to my home "Don't you have...Alpha things to do?"

He quirked his brows at me "Alpha things? No."

I sighed "Are you sure?"

He asked playfully "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Yes." I said.

He stopped "Oh..."

I smiled and he glared at me "Come on, mom will make us lunch, you big goof."

When we got there, I didn't exactly expect to see Talon already there, watching Julie like a puppy dog.

I whistled "Damn, she whipped you fast."

He whipped around and scowled at me "Oh shut it, would you? You were gone all night so your mother tells me. And would you like to announce to everyone where you were?"

I pulled down my shirt collar, showing off the mark, and proclaiming proudly "But of course. I was getting acquainted with Scar."

Talon's eyes zeroed in on the mark and then back to me "You're a modest little thing aren't you?"

He didn't really seem to know what hit him when the book on the nearest table whacked the back of his head. Scar laughed "That comes in handy, doesn't it?"

I nudged him towards a seat and waddled into the kitchen "Mom, Julie...did either of you ever read anything to reduce soreness?" I asked upon entering.

My mother turned, looking me up and down and then a secretive smile played on her lips "Both of my daughters deflowered on the same night. Perhaps I'll finally have some grandchildren." She said happily.

I glanced at Julie who was already nursing a mug of greenish looking tea. My mother made me a cup as well. "They're both out in the dining room." I muttered.

My mother patted my head "Yes, my dear. Now, you two, drink up."

She headed off into the dining room and I looked at Julie, a small smile on my face "So, how was it?" I asked.

She just gave a little nod, her eyes wide.

I laughed "I know that exact feeling."

We were looking at spell books glaore, late into the night.

Much to the dimay of our mates, they had to go have a pack burial for Kendra and would be gone - per the custom - all night long. Some might say this left our newly warmed beds quite cold, but that would be incorrect, considering we weren't even in them.

My eyelids felt like sandpaper with every blink, and I knew it wasn't going to get any better when the words I was reading started to quit making sense.

Julie put down a steaming cup of tea in front of me "Take a moment of rest and then lets get back to it."

I sighed "I know I said I wanted to help, but if I knew they meant I'd have to give up my sanity for this I would have refused."

Julie gave a little laugh "Give up your sanity? When was the last time you had any in your possession?"

I snorted with a smile now adorning my face "Good point."

We went back at it and I was just about to give up on this book when I saw a drawing on the last page.

It was a faceless person, arms spread and nailed to an oak tree. The positioning had something to do with it.

"Julie!" I called out.

She came up behind me groggily "What is it?"

I pointed her to the picture and she squinted, then gasped "You found it!"

I nodded "I'm not familiar with these words though."

She went to get the dictionary and came back.

I got a fresh peice of parchment and everytime we'd find a word, I'd write it down in place of the original.

"Cruor is blood. Bestia...I think we know that one, beast." She started telling me. More and more came until we had a sketchy set of instruction.

"Blood of beast revive one's soul, as they die in water and return to the earth." I muttered.

"Son of a bitch." I hissed, confused "So, the blood did have something to do with it?"

I looked to Julie and she shook her head, as confounded as I was. "The die in the water and return to the earth would be drowning, and being nailed to a tree, but reviving a soul? It doesn't make sense. Unless..." She started.

I informed her bitterly "A Vampyre is supposedly undead."

She continued on my thought "So, this would be one that didn't want to be a Vampyre anymore, right?"

I nodded "Right. But, we don't know who that is. We don't know why they'd specifically use Kendra, or even if it wasn't pursosefully her, then why they'd nail her to our border's tree. Maybe they want a war?" I was grasping at straws.

Julie groaned and sat down. After a moment she laid her face on her arms. I rubbed her back "We'll figure this out."

I looked at the page again and sighed. Nothing new had appeared, much to my dismay, perhaps telling me who this mystery Vampyre was.

But then something started to make a little more sense "Wait, Julie, they would've had to have been a witch when they were still a human. Only females are witches. That reduces the suspects, doesn't it? We're looking for a female Vampyre?"

Julie perked up, and then deflated "But, what if she was doing it for another person?"

I shook my head excitedly "That shouldn't matter. Thing is, she's the one that did all the work, even if she wasn't the one that got the pay-off. If we find the witch, we can find the culprit, whether it's her or someone else."

Julie gave a broad smile and jumped out of her seat "Yay! A lead!"

I jumped up too, hugging her "A lead!" We shouted in glee.

The book was knocked off the table in our celebration and I disengaged Julie to pick it up. I just happened to glance at the inside cover and my gaze zeroed in on the name: Katherine Markson.

Katherine?

"Hey, Julie?" I asked.

She stopped, turning to me "Yes?

I took a deep breath "What does Katherine sound like in Reizian?"

She frowned "I don't know."

I nodded "I need to find out."

I took the book and headed off to the forest, the one place I knew Scar would be. I just hoped he would forgive me for interrupting his funeral service. It was for a good reason.