‘“Our Marianne is here to hunt,” Talon replied, blood-red eyes still on the vampire. “We wait. We watch. And when the spider chooses her victim, we follow her back to wherever she spins her web and fall like hammers of God when the sun rises.”
‘I frowned at that. “We just let her … take one of the guests? Is that not a sin?”
‘Greyhand glanced around us, uneasy. “De León raises a point, Seraph.”
‘“A good hunter uses the appetites of his prey against them. Want is a weakness. Look at her, Greyhand. This monster is too dangerous to confront in the dark.”
‘“She’ll be less dangerous if we drive her to bed hungry, surely?” I asked.
‘“Showing our hand here puts everyone at risk, shitblood,” Talon spat. “We must not miss when we strike this blow. Losing one sheep tonight will spare the lives of thousands later. Almighty God will forgive us our trespass.”
‘I glanced to Greyhand and saw the notion sat just as ill with my master as it did with me. But Talon was a Seraph in the Ordo’s hierarchy, and Greyhand only a Frère.
‘“Master …”
‘“The seraph has spoken. You will do as commanded, Initiate.”
‘I could taste iron in my mouth. Cold dread pooling in my belly. But I’d disobeyed Greyhand on the Hunt once already, in Skyefall. I dared not do it again. “Oui, Master.”
‘“Do you think she’s marked us?” Aaron asked.
‘“Not yet,” Greyhand murmured. “But standing here like flies around a corpse only invites it. De Coste, head outside where the footmen gather. The coldblood arrived in a hand carriage hauled by one of her thralls – an Ossian fellow with a dark beard. Turn on those Ilon charms of yours and see if you can glean the location of their abode. Press soft. If they know we’ve sniffed them out, they’ll not return home.”
‘Aaron nodded, his tongue still slightly slurred. “Gentle as lambs, Master.”
‘“De León, watch near the entrance. The seraph and I shall mark the flanks.”
‘Talon grabbed my arm as I moved away. “Remember, mongrel, this thing is an elder Ironheart. If she even looks your way, mind the lessons I taught you. Think of toil, of tired feet and a domestic’s drudgery. Build a wall of it and hide your secrets within.”
‘“By the Blood, Seraph.”
‘I slipped off through the crowd, carrying my empty tray. In truth, I felt sick to my heart. I knew this creature was deadlier than any foe I’d faced; that if we struck at night when she was strongest, she could butcher us all. But the idea that we were baiting our snare with one of these poor painted fools was a stone in my belly.
‘I watched the coldblood circle the room, enchanting all about her. These folk had no knowing of the evil among them, instead, drawn towards it like moths to flame. But standing watch by the entrance, I noted another, surveying the ballroom just as I did. A dark-haired youth, a few years younger than I in appearance, clad in black velvet and pearl thread. The one who posed as Marianne’s son, I realized.
‘Adrien.
‘He was beautiful. Timeless. And as our eyes met, I felt the press of his mind into mine, gentle as a first kiss. It was the strangest sensation – as if cold fingertips brushed my scalp, pushing through the jelly-soft dome of my skull. I crowded my thoughts as Talon had taught me, throwing up complaints about sore feet and the boorish manners of the nobleborn. But the thing’s eyes flickered to my doublet, the weapons beneath. It could tell something was amiss – perhaps not what I was, but certainly that I was no mere sheep.
‘He looked to the dancefloor, dark eyes fixed on the one who’d made him. And though Marianne Luncóit’s demeanour changed not at all, I saw her exchange a swift glance with her spawn. Something passed between them, and her black eyes fell on me, and I felt her see me, as if I were stripped naked and bare before God Himself.
‘Without a word, Adrien was gone, slipping off through the crowd like a knife. I looked to Greyhand, to Seraph Talon, not knowing whether to pursue or stand my ground. Marianne was moving now, a young girl spellbound on her arm, sweeping towards the doors as the guests parted before her like water.
‘My master had told me to do nothing but watch. Talon had given express order to follow our quarry to ground. I wanted to prove myself worthy. I wanted to be a brother of the Silver Order, and I knew after my disobedience in Skyefall, the revelation of my strange bloodgifts, I was already dancing on a precipice. But I watched this monster approach, and I saw the lass in her embrace had hair the gold of autumn leaves.
‘Aaron’s cousin. Véronique.
‘I thought of my sister Amélie then. Of my vow to Astrid that if I could spare one more mother the pain of what mine had suffered, I’d do it gladly. I didn’t want to be a hero. Nor a fool. But neither did I want to become as monstrous as these things we hunted.
‘Véronique was barely fifteen. Amélie would have been that age now. Perhaps I could’ve turned away, done what I was fucking told just once if I didn’t know her damned name. But this girl’s whole life lay ahead of her. Or no life at all.
‘“Help me, God,” I whispered. “Help me, please.”
‘I felt a heat then, burning and silvered in my hand and upon my chest. And looking down at my palm, I saw my sevenstar had begun to glow. I clung to that spreading warmth, filling my head with prayers to the Almighty. The leech drew closer, and I knew if I stood in her way, she’d shatter me like ice. But I could feel the breath of God upon my neck, silver burning in my skin. Reaching into my doublet, I drew my silversteel dagger, loosed my collar. And I stepped into the vampire’s path, palm out, burning with cold, blue-white light.
‘“Stop. In the Almighty’s name.”
‘“De León!” Talon roared. “Damn you, boy!”
‘The vampire narrowed her eyes. The music failed, folk about me gasping. In the pale light blazing from my hand, at my throat, Luncóit somehow seemed not so beautiful any more. The monster spoke, and I was unsure if her voice rang only in my mind.
‘“No power hath thy Almighty over me, child.”
‘Where before I’d felt the soft press of the boything in my mind, now I felt a hammerblow, rummaging in my thoughts. I pushed back, trying to force her out as Greyhand and Talon came on through the crowd. The vampire took one step towards me, and the light in my palm flared so bright it made her flinch. Véronique blinked hard, the spell over her eyes burned away as she shrank in the monster’s iron grip.
‘“Release her,” I spat. “By the Blood of the Redeemer, I command it.”
‘I could see the dark fury in Luncóit deepening as she took another step towards me. This was a creature old as centuries. I was an insect beside her. And yet, with God beside me, I stood a thousand feet tall. Light blazing before her, Talon and Greyhand rushing at her back, the vampire flung Véronique at the wall like a ragdoll. I cried out, diving and snatching the lass from the air as the force slammed us both backwards into the stone. The vampire moved in a blur, smashing onlookers aside and crashing through the ballroom windows. Shattered glass rained to the floor as Greyhand and Talon flew after her into the night.