The Sunwalker- Heirs of the Night

22

Calvina grabbed hold of Alisa and held her blade to Alisa's neck.

"I said: Stand down."

"Calvina?" The same Redmask as before spoke again.

"Our leader is back." Whispered another.

"Stand down." Calvina repeated, and this time her order was followed.

The Redmasks all around lowered their weapons and crosses.

"Do you have a holding cell?" Calvina asked the most outspoken Redmask.

"Yes."

"Then take them to it." Calvina ordered as she pushed Alisa down towards him.

A couple of Redmasks, Nadja amongst them, walked past Calvina and grabbed hold of Ivy and Hindrik. When Nadja and the Redmasks dragged the captured vampires downstairs, they saw light shining through the windows. Daytime had fallen upon them. Doors were thrown open to reveal a cage in the midst of dozens of hanging crosses on all sides. Nadja gasped and nearly let go of Hindrik, but managed to regain her posture and pushed him inside along with Ivy and Alisa. Nadja retreated quickly and leaned against the door frame, not wanting to be any closer to the silver crosses than she absolutely had to. Holy objects had always hit her hard, and she had always had trouble accessing the Nosferas power, even when they'd had the ruby. Now that they didn't, she was completely helpless against that stuff. Everyone except Nadja, Calvina and the outspoken Redmask had left.

"Don't even try to touch the bars." The Redmask warned. "They're pure silver."

Of course they were. As if the crosses weren't enough, draining the prisoners' energy, and Nadja's too, though not as much since she was further away. Only Calvina stood unaffected by them. Another Redmask came over, carrying a piece of parchment. He began telling the other Redmask and Calvina something Nadja didn't understand. Hindrik and Alisa raised their heads, though.

"That's what we need to find out." Calvina said in English.

Finally a language Nadja understood. She didn't like not understanding, and promptly decided to ask Alisa to teach her German when this was all over.

"Leave them with me." Calvina ordered.

The outspoken Redmask took the parchment from his fellow and stayed with Calvina when the other left.

"And let them compel you again? I'm not leaving you alone with these bloodsuckers." He said, putting the parchment in his pocket.

"I'll stay with her." Nadja said, pushing herself off of the door frame.

"That's decided then. She stays. Give me the parchment." Calvina sounded so confident, as if she had found the part of herself that did this on a daily basis. "Give me the keys to the cell before you go." Calvina added, unsheathing her sword.

Nadja unsheathed her own blades and smiled evilly at the Redmask who handed Calvina his keys and left. Nadja closed the door behind him while Calvina unlocked the cell and returned the parchment to Alisa.

"Now what? How do we get out of here?" Ivy asked.

"We'll make a run for it. There aren't that many Redmasks left, most of them have been here since nightfall." Nadja replied.

"What about the sun?" Alisa asked.

"Nadja can protect us from it." Hindrik told them.

"Can you really?" Calvina asked in surprise.

"Maybe. I haven't tried with so many at once before."

What Nadja hadn't dared speak aloud was nagging at her insides. What if, like with Contessa Viola and Sir Milton, she failed to protect them? Hindrik was just lucky, or at least so she thought. There was no guarantee it would work with the others, but they had to try.