Chapter 260
Murmurs rose all around at Eileifr's announcement. The leaders of the waring covens were to be punished.
Eileifr held his hand up and the sounds of the crowd fell away. "You have each identified your coven masters. I ask now that the masters step forward willingly."
The prisoners muttered among themselves, but no one moved. Finally, Alex shrugged off Yaul's restraining hands and moved forward. He held his spine straight and met Eileifr's eyes. "I am the master of my coven."
The Nordic master motioned with his hand and a guard hurried forward and moved Alex over to one side, away from the others. Yaul started to go after him, but Saeed stopped him. Though Katelina couldn't hear their conversation, she could see Yaul gesturing angrily.
The remaining prisoners looked from one to the other expectantly and Jorick spoke up. "Oren is one of the three coven leaders, and he is missing."
"Yes," Eileifr said. "And so presumed dead for the time being. As such, it is Oren's successor who will be punished." He looked to Ark and Beldren. "Seize the remaining two masters."
Ark seized Traven while Beldren grabbed Micah and attempted to wrestle him into submission.
Before Jorick could stop Katelina, she darted forward and shouted to the Executioner, "What are you doing? Micah isn't the successor!"
All eyes turned to her and the blood rushed to her face. Jorick stepped forward quickly, as if to shield her from the master's anger, but it wasn't necessary.
"What did you say, human?"
Under Eileifr's gaze, beads of sweat popped up on her forehead. She dropped her eyes to the floor. "Micah isn't the successor. Fabian is. He brags about it."
Micah's eyes were wide with shock. "I thought you were going to kill me one of these days, and now what are you doing? You can't fucking trust anyone!"
Eileifr ignored Micah's outburst and looked to Celandine, who nodded once. Beldren released Micah. He made a show of straightening his shirt and then hurried back to catch Loren before he collapsed.
The Executioner turned his attention to Fabian. The dark haired vampire snarled and shouted, "You'll be sorry, human!" But he went without much of a fight.
Katelina shrunk back against Jorick. He wrapped a protective arm around her and murmured quietly, "Stay out of this, little one."
Before she could object, Traven's antics captured everyone's attention. His face had gone the color of paper and his eyes shone with panic. He looked around wildly for an escape, though it was obvious there wasn't one. When Ark clamped his hands on him, all the fight evaporated and Traven suddenly drew himself up regally and announced, "You're making another mistake. I am not the master!"
"You were identified as the master," Ark said. "You and your mate."
Traven got an arm loose and pointed an accusing finger at Jeda. "She's the Master, not I! If you had listened, you'd know that they identified themselves as members of the coven of Jeda first and Traven second. I am not Jeda."
Katelina's mouth dropped open, but Jorick shushed her to silence.
"No," Jeda murmured, her eyes wild with confusion and shock. "Traven, what are you saying?"
Irritated, Ark grabbed the first available vampire; Jorge. He probed the Guatemalan's mind, then released him. "He swears allegiance to the woman."
Eileifr gave another nod and they released Traven. Ark caught Jeda by the arm and hauled her towards the other two. She stared wide eyed at Traven, uncomprehending.
As if commanded, Migina crossed the room and stood next to Jeda while Ark and Beldren moved to the other two. Katelina tried to focus on them, but one of the spotlights shone on the waterfall and the light hurt her eyes.
Eileifr gazed at Alex, Fabian and Jeda. "As master of your coven, you are responsible for their actions. You chose to lead them into battle and as such your lives will now be forfeit."
"No!" Yaul shouted and tried to break free of Saeed. "No! Alex!"
Alex met his twin's eyes and gave him a slow, deliberate nod, as if to say both yes and goodbye in a single motion. Then he purposefully looked straight ahead.
Yaul shouted and struggled as Ark and Beldren prodded the three prisoners towards the shimmering waterfall. Alex went without argument, but Ark had to half carry Jeda. She fought and waved her pale arms towards her mate, screaming, "Traven! Traven!" over and over again.
Whether from guilt or disinterest, Traven refused to look at her.
Fabian fought at first, but then he broke into cold, eerie laughter. The sound echoed through the chamber until Katelina's ears hurt. Beldren stepped back, unsure what to make of it. Fabian caught his breath and then walked on his own towards the glittering pool, sick laughter floating behind him.
The vampires stopped some feet away from the stone basin. The light that shone in the waterfall and surrounding area was blinding and, as Alex was prodded towards it, Katelina realized what it was. Not a spotlight, but the sun shining in through the hole in the ceiling.
She clutched desperately at Jorick. "They can't burn them to death! Not like that!"
Jorick held her tightly and gave no other sign that he was aware of what was happening.
She wanted to look away, but the horror held her gaze. She watched as Alex squared his shoulders and willingly walked the last few steps to his doom. The light shone on him and he raised an arm to shield his face. He stepped into the pool of water and the pure beam of sunlight embraced him. He dropped his arms and stared up into it, the same way Rachel had.
Like Rachel, his death wasn't instant. The light turned his skin to blisters and blood. By the time he started to blacken, his knees had given out and he dropped into the basin. With the sun shining on it, it looked like he'd fallen into a pool of liquid light.
Yaul's screams reached a crescendo Katelina hadn't known was possible. With each shriek it was as if he were screaming out his silent brother's death agonies; as though their connection went beyond just blood.
Alex was still thrashing in the water when the Executioners pushed Fabian towards his death. With nothing else to do, he went.
Jeda watched in horror as Fabian's skin began to smoke. She gave a final, hysterical appeal. "Traven! Traven, save me! Traven!" When he didn't so much as look at her, she clutched Ark's arm desperately. "I'm not the Master. Ask someone else! Anyone else! Even the human knows that much! Ask her! Ask Jorick! Jorick will tell you! Please! I'm not the Master!"
Ark stayed silent and expressionless; a living statue. Fabian's screams filled the room. Katelina covered her ears against them, and Jeda broke into unrestrained sobs. Fabian fell into the steaming water. Ark scooped Jeda up and carried her to the pool where he dropped her with a splash.
He hurriedly retreated. Jeda stared at her smoking arms and then up at the sunlight, her terrified eyes as large as saucers. She shrieked again for Traven, final appeals that he ignored.
Katelina turned away. Jorick wrapped his arms around her and pressed her face into his chest, as if he could shield her from it. She could hear Jeda's screams and in her mind she could see Rachel thrashing in the snow as her skin and eyes shriveled. Rachel's black, flaking hand reached through the empty space, begging for some final comfort-
When the last cries faded away, Eileifr announced that the survivors would be detained in the lower cells until Zuri had been reclaimed, then they would be released. He warned that should they cause any more trouble their deaths would be instant.
The guards hurried to gather up the prisoners and take them away before the slowly advancing sunlight could reach anyone else. Katelina stared after Traven. She couldn't believe that to save his life, he'd betrayed the woman who had been his companion for centuries.
"He may regret it," Jorick murmured. "Though I doubt it. Traven cares for no one."
Heng broke from the other Masters and came to a stop before her and Jorick. His eyes went straight to the vampire as though she didn't exist. "Tomorrow we would like you to accompany Kioko and retrieve Zuri. If the information gained from their minds is correct, he should be easy to find."
Jorick nodded once and Heng went on. "We will need someone to go to Munich and give testimony to the True Council. Since your appointment was controversial, it is likely you will be the first choice."
Heng walked away and Katelina gaped after him. Munich, as in Munich, Germany? What in the hell would she do while he disappeared to Germany?
"Come with me. You did want a vacation." Though he teased, his heart wasn't in it. "Come, it's been a long day."
