A Break of Day (A Shade of Vampire #7)(22)

“Oh, don’t mind me,” I said to them. “I’ve just got insomnia so I’m having a bit of a walkabout. I wondered if you had a spare guest map and a phone sheet you could give me?”

One of them nodded and reached beneath his desk for two sheets of paper.

“Oh, and I’m just curious where the boss stays… you know, Arron?” I asked.

“Arron is in the detached building ‘H’, right at the bottom of the fields where the woods begin.” The hunter picked up a pen and drew a black mark against the location for me. “But knowing that won’t do you any good.” He peered at me through his glasses. “Arron is an extremely busy man and when he does permit meetings, it’s by appointment. His assistant’s number is on the phone sheet.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Thank you.”

I stuffed both pieces of paper into my pocket and walked away.

Arron… Why does the Elder want to seek out Arron?

It seemed that I wasn’t about to get an answer as my legs headed back to my apartment. Thankfully, I’d packed the key to the exterior lock with me so we weren’t forced to experiment any further with the Elder’s skills as a gymnast.

On entering the apartment, I retrieved the map and the phone sheet from my pocket, unfolded them carefully, and placed them on the table next to the phone.

Now we wait once again, the Elder said.

Chapter 18: Sofia

Despite having fallen into a deep slumber after the night’s escapades, I woke up feeling as if I hadn’t slept at all. I looked at the alarm clock on my bedside: eleven am. As I turned in bed, I became aware of the ache that had returned to my muscles and joints. Realizing that the Elder had given me temporary control back over my movements, I took the opportunity to visit the bathroom and examine myself in front of the mirror.

My eyelids drooped. I tried to hold them wide open but they remained the same. Dark circles had developed under my eyes and my skin felt dehydrated. I splashed cold water on my face and grabbed some moisturizer from the cabinet, slathering it over myself.

Then sharp pangs in my stomach began to call on my attention and I walked to the fridge. Despite its taste, I chugged down the remainder of the animal blood. I was ravenous. I was about to attempt to call Aiden for more when a knock came at the door. Instantly, the Elder took back control and walked me to open it. There stood Claudia, carrying two more large jugs of blood on a tray.

“Good morning.” She smiled faintly before walking past me and putting the containers into my fridge. “I told Aiden I’d bring the blood to you.” She walked toward me and grabbed hold of my shoulders. “I need to know what happened to Yuri.” Her brown eyes blazed into mine.

“He didn’t make it,” my voice said. “His body was spoiled by the Elders. They made him fight to death with another vampire.”

Claudia took in a sharp breath as though a hunter’s bullet had just shot through her gut. Her eyes became unfocussed and her jaw fell open. Her knees buckled and she crumbled to the ground in a heap. I didn’t help her. I just stood there, peering down at her now trembling form. The slight quivering in my own body didn’t escape my notice, however.

I didn’t know whether the Elder had deliberately told a lie just to get a thrill out of Claudia’s reaction, or whether Yuri had indeed expired since I’d last seen him. Either way, my words had just ripped the blonde vampire apart.

I wanted to scoop the poor girl into my arms and hold her as I had done with Ashley. Instead, I walked over to the bedside table, picked up the phone sheet, and dialed the number to the emergency room.

“Hello, I’m calling from Room 721. There’s someone here who needs your urgent assistance,” I said, without even a hint of emotion in my voice.

“I’ll send someone right over,” a woman replied.

Urgent assistance. What Claudia needs is a friend’s shoulder to cry on. Not someone prodding her on a sickbed.

A few minutes later, a nurse knocked on the door. She helped Claudia to her feet and guided her out of the room. I screamed at the Elder within my head for an explanation, but all I got in response was stony silence.

Barely ten minutes had passed since they’d left when the Elder decided to make me leave the room myself. As we had done the night before, we ignored the elevators and headed straight for the staircases. We descended level after level until we arrived at the third floor. Then we walked along the corridor until we arrived outside of Room 340. I knocked loudly. Vivienne opened it.

“Sofia?” She looked surprised to see me. “Come in.” She opened the door wide and beckoned me inside.

“Oh, no. I don’t need to come in,” I said. “I don’t feel well, so I won’t stay long at all, but I just thought I ought to tell you… Xavier’s dead. His Elder used him up, then his body was thrown into a pit and ravaged by hounds.”

No. No. No.

Vivienne clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a gasp. She closed her eyes and her face scrunched up as if someone had just cut off her tongue. Then she staggered back into her apartment and slammed the door shut. But I still heard her break down. And as with Claudia, it seemed that with each sob that racked her body, my own limbs quivered, as if in rhythm.

I felt like I was about to collapse, but it seemed that the Elder wasn’t yet finished with his fun.

Room 343.