Chapter 124

Almara’s Pov

Roman continues rowing on with Robert breathing down his neck questioning if Roman even knows where he’s going. The two go at one another, but I’m too busy trying to return Arthur’s call to pay them any attention.

The deeper into the canals we go, the less service I get. “This is impossible.” I murmur under my breath. Now I probably won’t be able to call Athur back until we manage to at least get back to where we tossed the rower over board. Which is exactly what Roman and Robert are fighting about.

“You think no one will notice? It’s only a matter of time before the guy at the post notices his usual rower never returns.” Robert shouts, somehow thinking that’ll make his points stronger.

“Well, it’s a good thing we used fake names then isn’t it?” Roman replies, refusing to match Roberts temper.

“Yeah, what good is that to us now? Whoever phoned him back there was already suspicious and now we just made it evidently clear exactly who we are!”

“And who is ‘we’?” Roman says, making it clearly known that Robert is still on the outside. The two continue to bicker. I sink back and pretend Arthur and I are on some tropical island getting sailed around on a private boat with the glowing sun setting behind us. The moment is short lived.

I’m brought back to the unfortunate reality by a gentle touch on my leg. When I open my eyes, I see Bess looking at me with deep compassion. “He’s okay, my dear.” Bess tells me as if reading my mind and for a moment it’s comforting-a nice lie to believe.

“Thanks, but you don’t really know that.” I say, trying to manage my expectations rather than dismiss Bess’s kindness.

“Oh, yes I do.” Bess says, so sure of herself.

“How?” I ask,

“It’s like a sixth sense. You know how close Arthur and I are, I just get these feelings when things aren’t okay and I don’t have that feeling right now.” Bess says. It’s nice that at least she believes herself.

“I just want all this to be over.” I sigh.

“I bet you didn’t imagine this when you said those words, ‘for better or worse’.” Bess says lightly and I laugh. The sound of joy doesn’t sound right in these hollow caves, still it feels nice to laugh anyways. Bess nods towards Roman and Arthur, “Who do you think tosses the other overboard first?”

I shake my head. “Me if they don’t stop.” I get why Roman did what he did. There’s no way he’d ever concede to the demands of a vampire, besides there’s no way of knowing Jafe wouldn’t have turned on us the second we got to the Council.

Eventually, Robert gives up trying to explain to Roman what he did was idiotic. He sits back down with a defeated sigh, I think finally having met someone as stubborn as he is.

I suppose wanting to gain some form of control, Robert goes back over the plan. I sit back and pretend to listen, causally throwing in a couple of sounds of agreement, but really my mind is settled on Arthur.

Thirty minutes later, my senses begin to tell me we’re about to enter our destination. Roman stops paddling and gives enough break till we’re floating idle. It’s time to embark on phase three. I force Arthur out of my mind for now so that I can focus.

I unzip my bag and begin working on everyone’s face. I’ve never been much of a makeup artist myself, but I give it my best. I powder everyone’s face and hands until we look pale enough. I dab some dark concealer under the eyes and cheekbones to give a sullen kind of look, and the final touch are the red contact lenses Bess had me purchase.

Lastly, Bess and I put on our black and burgundy long dresses, while the men slip on a dark overcoat. We look horrible, which is exactly the look we’re going for. Roman continues rowing and we come up to a tall gate.

“Name?” A voice crackles over the intercom.

“Jafe.” Roman says in a rather impressive impersonation. We all hold our breath a we wait to see what happens next.

“We’ve been trying to reach you. Who are your passengers?” The voice asks.“Some poor suckers who want to open a shop. My speaker broke, things as old as I am.” Roman, pretending to be Jafe, replies without missing a beat.

“Take it up with the boss.” The voice days and moments later the gate opens, water rushing through the open slits. Once the passageway is cleared, Roman gently glides us through. We all get off, but Roman remains on the boat.

“Aren’t you coming?” I ask.

“And do what with the canoe?” Roman replies. “You guys go, when you’re finished, I’ll meet you here to pick you back up.”

I suppose Roman did kill our only way back. He paddles away, humming as Jafe did before he died.

“Let’s hustle.” Robert says, immediately assuming alpha role and I must say it pisses me off.

The only direction to go is up. The water stops just a few feet ahead leading to nothing but a layered waterfall. Next to the wall is a door that I assume is for the employees only. Right off the platform that were standing on is a ladder similar to the one we came down in.

Robert climbs up, then Bess, then me. Once we’re through the hole in the ground there’s a few more vampires walking about. We’re still technically inside as a large covering encloses the area, I suppose to block out the sun.

We’re in something like a small town, it’s a bit nicer than the rest of what I’ve seen in that the buildings aren’t just holes in the wall but rather their own boutiques. The décor looks more fresh, still mid-century sort of style but kept up with. We follow the signs that point us to the Council.

We eventually come up to the grandest building probably in all of this forsaken land. It’s shaped like a pointed castle, with black stone and marble. A yellowing clock sits on the front of the building, ticking time away.

We walk up the steep stairs and come to a black double door with a ringed knocker. I’m about to knock, when I see the bat carved into the door that I thought was just decoration, move its eyes. I quickly withdraw my hand just as the heavy doors open.

“Come in. We’ve been expecting you.” A short man, no taller than my waist steps aside and opens his arms out to greet us in. I step past him and that’s when I hear him make a tsk sound.

“No bags.” He says as though I should have known. I shrug the back off my shoulders and look around wondering where I can place it., though there’s nowhere. The hallway, while large and long in size is completely empty except for a long red rug head straight back and golden portraits of who I assume to be the council.

The short man who let us in opens the door once more. I take the hint and reluctantly drop my bag off outside, saying a silent prayer that’ll it’ll still be there when I get back.

“Follow me. The Councilmen will see you now.” The short man says as though he knows something we don’t.