The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 1: Chapter 32

"Mistress, you said you wanted to be reminded about Leif's birthday this year."

She grinned, her smile almost malicious. "Oooh, very good, Jeffry. Thank you. My sense of the passage of time is most abysmal." She glanced around the scattering of guards. "So, Jeffry, I'm putting you in charge of doing something to celebrate him. Don't tell him, because he'll just try to stop you. His aversion to appreciation is most amusing. I just talked with him in his office, so you can all start figuring out what needs to be done here and now."

She seemed terribly pleased with herself as she stood up and walked over and sat across from Travis and Mark. I could not hear their conversation over the ridiculous ideas being bandied about by the guards, but I could see both humans looked on edge as she probably tried her usual tricks to unnerve them.

I ate quickly so that I could get out of there and away from the leech's cult.

* * * * *

Over the course of the next few days, I kept working my way through the database and waiting for a chance to have contact with the newer slaves without arousing suspicion.

It was Evan who gave me my opportunity. I was rather surprised when he approached me in a deserted hall, since he still seemed as jumpy as hell. With my memories of him whimpering while chained to the wall, I would not have expected it of him.

He slipped a folded piece of brown paper into my hand.

Since no one was around, I quickly looked at the note. It was written in unsteady, unpracticed hand writing, but legible, for all that.

You in?

I met Evan's eyes and nodded. I needed to get out one way or another and escaping alone seemed damn near impossible. I was in.

* * * * *

I spent the next week finishing off the archives while keeping an eye out for an opportunity to speak with Travis, who seemed the likely ringleader. I saw him a few times around the training yard and in the dining hall, but never without the leech's faithful slaves with their pretence of casual attendance.

My frustration was growing. I was closer to my goal than I had ever been before in information, but I was further at the same time in mobility. I was frustrated and angry and I wanted to make a push for my freedom immediately. I could almost feel my patience slipping away from me.

First, I needed to find out what her newer slaves were considering, because the problem of my escape was as difficult as it was when I first arrived, or even more so, because I now knew the ins and outs of her lair more intimately, and the humans under her control had tried to fill in every defensive gap with their typical strange dedication.

Since I was no longer spending the majority of the day during my waking hours hunched over a screen, I hoped I might find an opportunity. Yet, as always, there were eyes and ears everywhere, not to mention bloodsuckers had levels of hearing I could not properly gauge. I needed a moment when we would not be observed or overheard.

Raoul increased my training regimen, but I counted it as a good thing and dedicated myself to getting myself into peak condition. I sparred with the guards and worked on perfecting defensive and offensive techniques as well as practicing with a variety of weapons.

To my surprise, Mark joined us one day. I noticed that we were kept from having any unsupervised contact, but I began to watch for an opportunity.

I was standing out in the training field with a couple of the other guards, watching Jeffry and Theo practice defensive techniques. It was obvious that the two had fought many times before because they both clearly were familiar with the other's movements.