My father would always tell me that you don’t need to use more violence than what’s needed. That if we allow ourselves to become vicious, to enjoy hurting others, then we’re no better than our enemies. I’ve always taken that to heart.
Vampires aren’t like that. They literally feed off of the lifeblood of their victims. Killing innocent people is just a day-to-day occurrence for them. They have no conception of right or wrong, and no understanding of how their actions might affect others.
Nobody knows that better than me.
It’s hard not to be reminded of my father, and how he died at the hands of vampires he trusted. He went to them in good faith, and they slaughtered him without a second thought. I couldn’t even bury his body.
I steady myself with a deep breath. I can’t think about losing my father, not now. I have to get through this mission so I can return home to Hemlock Haven, where I belong. If Lavinia is right, I have to help protect my coven from the northern vampires.
My thoughts are interrupted as I spot a hotel room door opening, down the hall from where I am. It’s a fast movement, almost unnatural. I catch sight of the blurry form of a woman. She quickly turns the corner, toward the emergency staircase.
Immediately, my interest is piqued. She was far too quick to be a living human. But why would a vampire be up here, aboveground? What’s she doing?
As fast as I can without seeming suspicious, I creep down the hallway after her. Luckily, nobody else is around to see me. I crouch and peer around the wall. I can see her at the end of the hall, opening the door to the staircase.
She tosses her long, red cape over her shoulders.
I know that cape! And I can just see her face through the glass of the stairway door.
It’s Oana Ionescu, one of the vampires of the northern alliance. Lavinia said she thought Oana was scoping out the Arundel wolf shifters in the Cave. So sheishiding out here, with Tudor. I have to admit, it does seem suspicious. Is Tudor up to something after all?
Or maybe it’s all innocent. After all, Oana has a right to spend time at Tudor’s hotel. They’re both vampires. It doesn’t mean they’re plotting against the Triple Council or the Hecate coven.
But it doesn’t hurt to check it out. Especially now that I know exactly where she’s staying.
I go back to the room she came out of, #813. I try the door, but of course it doesn’t open. And I don’t have the key. Is it worth some magic, or would that be too risky?
“Hi!” says a loud, chipper voice behind me.
I almost jump out of my skin. It’s one of the hotel cleaners. Her copper skin glows with a liveliness that confirms she’s not a vampire, thank Goddess. She pushes a cart with cleaning supplies, and wears a light purple cleaner’s uniform.
“Sorry for scaring you,” she says, pushing her thick-rimmed glasses up on her nose. Another sign she’s a living human. “Did you get locked out of your room?”
“Oh, yes!” I reply. “Yes, this is my room and I got locked out of it.”
She takes a master key card out of her apron pocket and puts it to the scanner on the door.
“Don’t worry, it happensallthe time,” she says cheerfully, opening the door for me.
“Thanks!” I tell her, entering the room. I can’t believe my luck.
“Anytime!” she replies. “I’ll be back around to clean, this is my floor. Let me know if you need anything in the meantime!”
“I really appreciate it,” I say. She grins widely and pushes her cleaning cart down the hall. I feel a bit bad about lying to her, but I have no time to feel guilty about it. I’ve got to scope out this room and get out of here.
Carefully, I go through Oana’s hotel room. It’s more of a suite, with a bedroom and bathroom off of a larger, main room. It’s bigger than my apartment, and the bakery I used to work in. There’s a full bar, a set of elegant chaises, and massive windows with a view of the city. It would be glamorous if it wasn’t a complete mess. Clothes are strewn everywhere, and there’s a heavy armchair lying on its side in the corner. Instinctively, I pick it up, not wanting the cleaner to have an extra mess to tidy. I suppose that’s a bad move for a spy, but Oana will probably assume the cleaner did it.
There’s nothing suspicious about the main room. It just looks like someone had a raging party, which I’m sure happens all the time in hotels like this. I click my tongue in disapproval as I survey the room. Vampires are so inconsiderate. Oana didn’t even think of the people who would have to clean up her mess. I hope the cleaners are paid well, although I have a feeling they aren’t.
As I enter the bathroom, my pulse quickens. There’s an enormous jacuzzi bathtub in the center, and it’scoveredin streaks of ruby red blood. What was shedoingin here? You know what, I don’t want to know.
I hurry over to it and turn on the taps. I’m not squeamish about blood, but I’m fuming at the thoughtless vampire who left this mess. I take a pristine white face towel from the vanity and begin to wipe down the bathtub. I don’t want that poor cleaner to have to see this. What would she even think?
At least this confirms my suspicion that a vampire is occupying this room. But it doesn’t really give me any information about what she’s doing here.
I quickly check the bedroom. It’s messy, but there’s no blood or anything else, thank Goddess. I quickly go through her drawers foranything unusual, but I don’t find anything. She has a lot of jewelry with garnets, which isn’t uncommon for vampires. I notice there’s no silver.
Confident in my knowledge that this room is being occupied by a vampire, I leave. I don’t want to stay too long in case she comes back and finds me here.
