CHAPTER ELEVEN

Bad Blood

As Donnova walked back across Sanctuary, an impotent rage simmered in her belly. This sudden and unfortunate turn of events had her thoughts spinning and her nerves on edge. One wrong move, one bad choice, had turned the night upside-down. She had to calm herself and decide exactly what she meant to do next. Oberkind was waiting, and there were hours until sunrise, if he was even the kind of vampire that was affected by the sun. She had to assume that the vampire had also learned that they meant to leave in the morning. She knew that if she didn't act, the vampire would. He couldn't pass up the chance to add a unicorn to his collection; he wouldn't let them leave with Uni. She couldn't think of a way out of this that didn't involve awakening Hank and explaining herself to him. And that was the last thing she wanted to do.

She was brought out of the chaos of her thoughts by the sight of Diana walking in her direction, but doing so as dazedly as Uutresk's disturbed inhabitants. Donnova moved behind a building and watched her until she turned a corner.

This wasn't right. Diana didn't look like she was searching for her; she appeared set on a destination. It occurred to Donnova that if Diana had snuck out on her own, she'd have an alibi if she claimed she went looking for Diana. She could say that she didn't want to lose her while rousing everyone. Weak reasoning, she knew, but it would have to do. Oberkind was still a factor, could still expose her, but she decided she would deal with that if or when that time came.

Keeping to the shadows, she followed Diana until she stopped at the locked trapdoor they had seen earlier. Donnova crouched behind a wheelbarrow and watched as Diana easily pried the lock away with her javelin, opened the trapdoor, and quickly descended out of sight.

As Donnova was about to follow, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She gasped and jerked her head around as Sheila faded into view. "Sheila!" she said, relaxing a bit. "Please never do that again."

"Sorry," Sheila whispered. "What's going on? I woke up just as she was walking out and I followed her. I tried to ask her where she was going, but she won't talk to me. It's like she can't hear me."

There goes my alibi, thought Donnova. "Then she is bewitched. We'd better move. From what Oldbano and Uellen told us, only the worst of the worst are taken down there."

Donnova made to get up, but Sheila grabbed her arm. "Wait. Maybe one of us should go get the others. I should have gotten everyone up to begin with. I just didn't think anything bad was going to happen here."

Didn't think anything bad was going to happen here?

"No, there isn't time, and we should stay together. Besides, what could possibly happen that you and I couldn't handle?" They exchanged smiles and headed for the trapdoor.

Donnova descended first onto the dark and narrow stairway, with Sheila immediately behind. They reached the bottom where they found the flickering lights of mounted torches illuminating ten doors, five on each side. They noticed right away the last door on the right, which was open, and heard voices from within � one clearly Diana's.

Together, they crept to the edge of the open door and peered inside. But Sheila didn't stay hidden for long.

"Diana! Don't!" she yelled as she ran inside.

Donnova hurried to catch up, drawing her sword. Diana was on her knees, cradling the head of a repulsive wretch of a man in filthy rags.

"Diana, what are you doing?" asked Sheila.

Diana glanced up at Sheila with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Sheila, look! It's Kosar! He's been trapped down here all this time!"

Donnova leaned toward Sheila's ear and said sotto-voce, "Your friend has strange tastes in men."

"That's not Kosar!" Sheila said, more to Diana than in answer to Donnova's remark.

"Diana, listen to me," she went on. "You're under some kind of spell! That's not Kosar!"

"How can you look at him and say that? It is him! We have to help him! We have to get him out of here." Diana raised her javelin to break his chains.

"Diana, stop!" Sheila closed the distance and tried to pull Diana away, but Diana pushed her back.

Donnova stopped Sheila from falling backward. Then, the prisoner was looking at them.

"I am Kosar. And Diana and I are together again," he said.

Donnova felt Sheila relax a little.

"But how can it be you? You. . . . Starfall. . . ." Sheila seemed too shocked to even form her thoughts into words.

Then the wretch turned his eyes to Donnova's and stared hard into them. She felt something like a tingling in her head. Her sight went blurry for a second and then sharpened again.

"It won't work. I never met Kosar," Donnova said to him and quickly moved toward the repulsive prisoner and kicked him away from Diana. He fell back against the wall. When he tried to get up, he was stopped by the glowing tip of Donnova's Sword.

"No! Kosar!" Diana yelled.

Sheila went down on one knee and took Diana by the shoulders to hold her back. "Diana, listen to me! We're friends, right? You've got to trust me. Look at me!"

Finally, Diana tore her eyes away from the man's to look into Sheila's eyes.

Sheila said again, more deliberately and urgently this time, "That's not Kosar. You know it's not. It can't be. Kosar is gone. Remember what Dungeon Master said. Kosar is among the stars; he's home."

Donnova moved her eyes from the man to the girls, watching all closely. Diana's face was full of torment as she looked once more at the man on the floor. She stared at him, and finally must have seen, for a look of horror and confusion replaced her amorous desperation. The javelin shrank, its light faded, and she brought a hand to her mouth.

"Oh god, what's happening to me?" she sobbed. "Just let me go! Leave me alone!" She pushed away from Sheila and ran out of the dungeon.

Donnova gave one last look to the prisoner as the glow from the sword died away. "Let's get out of here," she said to Sheila.

She went for the door, expecting Sheila to be right behind her, but a terrified gasp made her spin around. Sheila had one hand to her chest and the other felt the wall she had backed into. Then, Donnova locked eyes with those of the mangy prisoner, who was now standing, and an instant later, she beheld Venger.

"Venger," said Sheila, her voice shaking.

"Do not fear me. I would never harm you, my beautiful ones." He held out his arms to them. "Come to me," he breathed.

Donnova stepped forward, as did Sheila. It felt the right thing to do, the only thing; to be with him and love him, to do anything he asked. They approached him together.

"I've waited so very long for both of you," Venger said. He smiled and looked to them both. "Oh, my loves, how I have longed for this. How I have wished to serve you and tend your every desire."

Both embraced him. Nestled together, they explored his body as he ran his hands down their sides. Sheila stood on her toes to reach a kiss to his neck.

"All that I am is yours. I am your servant, your slave. . . ." He looked to Donnova. "Release me, and let us go from this place," he whispered to her.

"I knew there was good in you. You're not all evil. I knew you could love," Sheila said to him.

Donnova moved her sword toward the heavy chain that held him as he bent to meet Sheila's mouth.

Sheila parted her lips in anticipation. Their lips had nearly touched as a blinding explosion of brilliant light flared over the entwined trio, shocking them back to their senses. Venger was gone, having reverted back to the disgusting man from before. Anger welled up inside Donnova and she brought the sword back, intent on impaling him.

"Don't," she heard Hank say. She saw the light of his summoned arrow aimed right at her. "I don't care what he did, you're not going to kill him. Let's just get out of here. Now."

She thought of carrying through with her revenge, doubting Hank would actually fire, but she did as he said.

Bobby was waiting outside as the three of them emerged from the trapdoor. He hugged his sister, and then asked her where Uni was.

"We thought Uni might be with you," Hank said in answer to Sheila's confused expression.

"She's not with us. We haven't seen her," Sheila said, and then looked around. "Where's Diana?"

"Looking for Uni with Presto and Eric. I told her she could stay in the guest house since she still looked really shaken up, but she wanted to help," answered Hank. "She told us what happened. She thought the two of you were right behind her."

"We would have been, but the wretch enchanted us, too," Donnova said with a heated malice.

"We'll tell Oldbano what happened later. Right now, the important thing is to find Uni," Hank said.

A surge of adrenaline shot through Donnova. Uni! Damn him! She hadn't thought of it when she'd heard Bobby ask Sheila about the damned little unicorn, she had been thinking of how she wanted to return to finish off the filth down in the dungeon.

Now, she weighed her options carefully. What were the chances the vampire could keep the unicorn hidden and quiet until Hank was willing to give up the search and leave this place? But then, surely, Oldbano's suspicions would immediately lie with Oberkind. Assuming Oldbano was a bit smarter and more capable than he looked, he probably had ways of keeping the vampire in check. Donnova decided not to chance it, that it would be best to deal with this situation now, herself, before anything could come of it.

"We must find her quickly. Anything could happen to her in this place. I'll search the other end." Not caring how it might appear, Donnova headed straight for the stable before Hank could send her off in another direction. She was confident they'd all be more concerned with finding the unicorn than following her. Besides, she had been below, with Sheila and Diana, when they believed it had disappeared. How could they suspect her of having anything to do with its disappearance?

She reached the stable and checked that no one had followed her. Her sword ready, she entered. She was about to demand Oberkind show himself when she heard sounds like erotic moans coupled with soft, inhuman cries coming from the farthest stall. She followed the sounds, and as she crept forward, the mismatched groans of certain pain and certain pleasure chilled her heart as it pounded in her throat. It was like the sounds of a child, drugged or beaten, being raped.

Slowly and carefully, she peeked around the separating wall and saw Uni lying underneath Oberkind. Something wasn't right with Uni's head. It took Donnova a second to realize what was wrong. Her horn was missing! All that was left was a jagged stump atop her misshapen head. It looked as though part of her skull had broken with it and had torn through the skin around the stump.

Donnova was transfixed by the horrible scene. She just stood there, her heart thumping wildly as she watched the vampire voraciously suck the life from the little unicorn. It was too late to do anything for it, and as she witnessed the death, she could imagine � almost feel � the sickening weakness come over her as it had earlier, as though the blood were leaving her the same as it left the helpless unicorn. At last, Uni was silent, and her lifeless form went limp in Oberkind's bare, bony arms.

The vampire threw his head back in ecstasy, obviously quickened by the mystical blood, and Donnova knew then that she had made a mistake in not killing him when she'd had the chance only seconds before. She took a step backwards, thought of making a run for it, but the small movement caused Oberkind to snap his head around toward her. Instantly he smiled as though genuinely glad to see her. He jumped up and grabbed her, jerked her quickly toward him and spun her around and around in a celebratory dance, laughing the whole time. Donnova lost her grip on the sword.

As they spun around again, Donnova fought to spot her weapon in the moonlight. Then, the dancing abruptly stopped. She was released and left staggering, trying to focus.

"No! Her heartbeat. . . . What have I done?" he said.

Donnova leaned against the wall to steady herself.

"I . . . killed her. I . . . couldn't stop. So sweet, the taste of her. I've never felt so alive!" He was crying now. "Should have savored it. Should have controlled myself. Didn't mean for her to die. How could I have been so careless! Such waste . . . such waste!

"You! What are you doing here? I will kill you!" he said, and disappeared in the shadows.

Donnova froze. "Wait! They know I'm here. They're looking for her," she said as she slowly turned around, searching the darkness for both her sword and the vampire. "They'll rouse Oldbano," she said louder. "They'll find out. You can't hide this."

He laughed from somewhere, unseen. "They're looking for her. They'll rouse Oldbano. They'll find out. You can't hide this," he mocked.

She took his meaning. Oberkind's exposure meant her own. "It doesn't have to be like this. I'm not here to threaten you. Let's help each other. Give me the three horses, three of your own choosing. And I'll tell them I saw nothing."

"You did not bring me the unicorn. I took her myself. No bargain."

"What happens to you if you kill me? Think of that."

"I care not. I can escape this place when I please. But first, I will kill you for the mere pleasure."

Donnova dropped to the ground and ran her hands along the dirt, feeling over horse excrement and dead rats. Cold, flat metal touched the underside of her chin. Upward pressure moved her to stand.

"And nothing would please me more in this moment than to kill you with your own sword." He moved the blade to her cheek and turned her face to his. "Look at me! I want to know your every thought as you die. Look at me!"

She fought to clear her mind, but couldn't help but think of escape.

"Little fool. You think of running. You think of fighting. Your days of fighting are over. And there is no place you could run that I could not follow. Don't make me kill you too quickly. Yours is a death I would savor, in your mind if not in your blood.

"No one will save you. Even if you scream, who will hear one among so many?" he teased with a predatory grin.

"Everyone," she whispered.

She took a deep breath . . . and screamed.