"Romina! ROMINA!"
Romina was awoken from her meditated state by Dragana's shrieking. Turning dimly, hands still outstretched – Romina blinked in shock at the sight before her. Dragana was a mess – her clothing torn, missing a shoe, her lower lip quivering uncontrollably. Darting like a rabbit, Dragana hid behind Romina and clung to the hem of her tunic.
Dragana's pursuer stood in the doorway, their attention now fixed on Romina who gaped in shock.
"You?" She gasped, staggering back and shaking her head. It was impossible. Chloe was supposed to be locked in a cell... "How?" She'd been squeezing the life out of the bitch. Chloe should be near dead – and yet...
Romina was, however, mistaken. It wasn't Chloe filling the doorframe – it was Lauren Fox. Starlight twinkled around Romina's fingers. Lauren sprang forward – crashing into Romina and knocking her down to the ground. Dragana screamed, crawling frantically for the door – clambering over Romina's dead assistant in the process. Overpowering the witch, Lauren managed to straddle Romina's chest.
Lauren screeched, her mouth parting wide. Bao, Romina's surviving assistant, made it to the door first. She looked back and saw Lauren's face being stretched apart by four suddenly protruding fangs. These fangs stretched Lauren's mouth so fully that Bao could now see the pink flesh, Lauren's gums and teeth all exposed and unprotected by skin. Bao made her escape, closing the door shut behind her with an incantation.
Dragana threw herself at the sealed door, tugging urgently at the handle.
"Let me out! Let me out! LET ME OUT!"
Romina screamed, staring horrified up at the mouth of hell as if closed in upon her. Lauren's mouth latched onto Romina's face, the four fangs hooking firmly in place -cutting through Romina's jaw and the upper two crushing Romina's eyes sockets.
Romina's screams were suffocated, drowned out by the sound of Lauren breathing deeply in – greedily sucking up her soul. Terrified tears cascaded down Dragana's face as she slumped against the door – out of breath, her fists bruised from beating against the wood. "Please!" She moaned, her voice muffled through her sobs. "Please, save me!"
Chloe felt the instantaneous relief as her phantom attacker dematerialised. Gasping for breath, she looked up and realised that her head was resting against Lucjan's firm breastplate. She gazed up at her own image, reflected in Lucjan's visor.
"What..." She struggled to catch her breath, "was that?"
"Witchcraft," Lucjan speculated, "or warlock sorcery." He was mentally running through the possibilities. Chloe was sentenced to die anyway, who was so anxious for the pleasure? Chloe sagged against him, allowing her eyes to flutter briefly shut.
"I'm not ready to die," she murmured weakly. Lucjan's gloved hand slowly stroked her hair.
The people of Gomorrah wore black, or black armbands on their uniforms, as a mark of respect for the deceased doctor. The news was all everybody was talking about. Theories about what had happened were getting wilder and wilder.
"It was a demon spy, it got into Dubiki's lab and killed him."
"Nah no way, now listen. You're telling me, we get Ryder and his followers in the city and next to no time later the doctors dead and those two things aint related – you got to be joking. It's Ryder that did it."
In Gomorrah's orphanage, the employees were speculating over a possible prison break out.
"I've heard that's why there's been no date set for the execution," a young carer whispered to his colleague. "Because he's escaped."
"Ryder – loose in the city," the older woman shuddered at the idea.
"Are we out of arm bands?" The lead asked, marching briskly into the room and breaking up their discussion. "Some of children aren't wearing them."
"Wyder! Wyder!" Little Mason lisped unhappily, kicking out at a carer who was trying to dress him. His little face was flushed scarlet and fat tears were rolling down his adorably chubby face. The workers exchanged scandalized expressions.
"He's a horrid little imp," one exclaimed angrily, massaging her bruised jaw. They all knew where this child had come from.
"Do you think he's his son?" One whispered fearfully.
"He's got the look of him."
Mason began to wail, a high pitch awful sound.
"Shut up you little monster." One woman snapped sternly. Little Mason continued to bawl until the lead slapped him across the face.
The others stared at her in alarm. They never hit the children. Mason stopped wailing, the tears falling silently instead, as he stared wide-eyed up at them.
"Well?" The woman demanded, glaring at her colleagues. "He's the son of a killer. He'll grow up to be just like his father."
With these disturbing words slinking through their minds, nobody spoke up in Mason's defence.
Lucjan stood on the rooftop of the House of Justice. Beneath his feet Chloe and her fellow traitors, languished in their individual cells. He could hear Frederick, now stationed on guard outside of Chloe's cell - protecting her. The breeze ruffled Lucjan's feathery tawny hair and he sniffed deeply the jumbled cocktail of scents that it carried with it. Looking across at Gomorrah's rooftops, his sharp gaze found the space that was being cleared for his brother's mausoleum. Deep melancholy weighed down his head beneath the waning sun.
People were lighting candles and leaving them in the windows of their homes. He knew that if he went down there, onto the streets – that he'd be assailed with condolences. But, though he was hurting, his heart craved to be alone. He knew how special his brother had been – he didn't need to see their grief to be reminded. Aleksey had been born beneath a different star to the rest of them.
"Lucjan," Jordan called out – seeming to materialise behind him. Lucjan's brooding gaze darkened. He raised his head to show that he was listening. "I need your help."
For a moment, Lucjan held still – considering refusing. Slowly, he turned – his expression a mask of calm.
"What can I do?"
Lucjan and Jordan stood over the corpses of Romina and her followers.
"You brought your cousin here, behind my back – didn't you?" Lucjan's voice was emotionless. Jordan nodded.
"I was worried that you'd want..."
"Revenge?" Lucjan guessed. Jordan nodded.
"How much more can I do – to prove that you can trust me?" Lucjan asked, brushing his bronze hair away from his eyes. Jordan hung his head guiltily. "I've done everything you've asked." Lucjan continued, "I've told every lie necessary to protect you."
"I know, I just couldn't risk-"
"You're a brother to me, Jordan." Lucjan cut in. Hope kindled in Jordan's previously bleak gaze.
"Will you help me find her?"
Lucjan stiffened, his gaze roving warily around the room.
"She's escaped?"
Jordan nodded.
"Well then we better be fast. Before she kills anyone else."
Jordan and Lucjan discreetly mobilised the Sanguinem Guard. Sworn to secrecy, they were instructed to hunt for a new monster that was lurking within the city walls. Their orders were to trap it but not kill it.
"I ask one favour in return," Lucjan had stipulated as he'd covered Romina's body with a sheet.
"Say it."
"We spare Ryder's whore."
Jordan had turned to look up at his friend in surprise.
"Why?" He'd questioned. Lucjan had turned away, hiding his face from Jordan's scrutiny.
"She's my friend." He answered simply, his tone sincere.