The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)

Chapter 31/The Sisters of the dark wheel

Mary was walking through the dock. It was busy with flesh and non flesh alike. With the extended negotiation with the house Lobishomen filled the dock area with so many new familiars that it felt like it was the old days and she was nineteen again. Mary almost found her self being happy. She and Cub were practically Victoria's personal stock. This, in turn meant that she was practically the Duke's personal stock. No coven vampire of either house had the balls to taste her blood for her fancy. It was so bad the wounds on her skin had practically healed. While it felt good not to have the feeling of being run down, she missed her lord's touch. Victoria had offered Mary to him on several occasions but despite her pleadings he had kept away. Mary sauntered through the keep dock. The dock of her youth was always filled with new sensual delights today the same sexual tension was on show here.

Mary captured by her own thoughts suddenly stopped. She had passed two familiars, they had curtsied in acknowledgment of Mary's superiority and continued on. Mary turned to watch them as they began to climb the spiral staircase leading up to the keep beyond. Something was wrong. Mary grabbed one of the wolf head guards familiars.

"Those two on the staircase over there do you recognize them?" she asked.

"Be it please your mistress, I do not know who they are" he had sent.

Even from this distance, Mary could recognize the Meridian crest on their bare arms.

"You wolf heads, get your guns" Mary ordered pulling out her stilleto knife.

*****

Victorias POV

I found my self woken up in the middle of the night. Complaining and without so much as a corset on me I was lead to an elevator. We went to a store and before I knew it Mary was telling me to reenter the iron cage. Initially I had refused anything that took me away from Sadismann was not good. Mary just pushed me in and once in apologized blaming the tide and my own safety. As my eyes got adjusted to the dark I realized I was sharing the cage with Cub. Soon I could hear the cage being lowered with others onto a barge. She was sitting there with a change of clothes and her Tatoo kit. I knew that was all she owned so we were going somewhere.  

Cub handed over a note with the dukes seal on it. There was sackcloth over the cage and being day a light beam entered. Victoria unraveled a scroll and read it.

'Dearest. several familiars from Malphas's Coven have been caught entering the tower. I suspect someone internally was assisting them. I have just discovered their target was to take or kill you. I hope you understand I can never let this happen and will do all in my power to protect you. In the meantime this keep is no longer the sanctuary it needs to be for you. I have dispatched you in secret to stay to the sisters of the dark wheel. It pains me to hide you in a blood god sanctuary. I understand and respect your objections but I believe your known protestation would make those that seek you harm dismiss your presence there, so keeping you safe. The sisters take many acolytes and train them in their arts, as an acolyte your identity will be well hidden. If asked you will be Sister Selem. keep your true identity hidden, trust no one, tell no one. I am not sure of who spies for Malphas in the Sisterhood. I will retrieve you as soon as it is safe. Destroy this evidence when you can. Fair well my one true dearest Love'

***

From high in the tower Sadismann watched the iron cage leave on the deck of the ship. Next to him stood the high priestess. 

"See mother, you thought I could not get her to pray to the blood god." said Sadismann with satisfaction. 

"How long will you leave her there?" asked the high priestess.

"After she has been willingly christened to the blood god by the sisterhood and until I know the keep it safe. Mary will stay here as a distraction she will go the room with things, tell the others she is ill. They won't understand but they will believe it" said Sadismann. He felt pleased having Mary around was like getting his right hand back. As always for him, a crisis became an opportunity.

"How did Mary pierce the assassins' stealth?" the priestess said. 

"I am told that they walked badly. One stood pigeon-toed as she spoke to Mary".he said the obsession with the familars' gate had made some return. 

The high priestess spoke carefully "My spies tell me that they were Malphas' familiars. Pity they took their own lives so readily when caught."

"That's a faint what would Malphas want with her? If I find that for one moment that the Lobishomen coven was behind this then any that a formal alliance is lost. For now and forever." said Sadismann as he watched the barge sail up the Thames inland. 

"Indeed" said the beautiful priestess her eyes moving furtively.