Returning to his lair served to be more challenging than Giovani had originally anticipated. It was nearly midnight when they arrived in Cesky Krumlov, which not only meant Vampires had taken to the street to prey on tourists out sightseeing too late, but Vampire Hunters were out as well. Giovani had not been too worried about this; after all, none of the local Hunters should be too familiar with him. They certainly shouldn’t be able to recognize him with dark glasses and a hat on. However, as they rounded the corner a few blocks from the house that sat atop their chambers, he froze, his arm darting out to prevent the rest of his party from continuing as well.
“What is it?” Zabrina asked, leaning in and whispering in his ear. She had seen him react this way several times before, usually when those two blonde Hunters were nearby. He could sense their presence well before they were in view.
Giovani didn’t answer right away. Rather, he tilted his head one direction than the other. After a few seconds of consideration, he said, “Someone we know is near. Someone we’ve been in contact with before.”
Puzzled, Zabrina began to glance around as well. She couldn’t imagine who he could possibly be referring to. Just then, however, a woman stepped out into the street just a block ahead of them. She was short with bouncy dark hair, and even in the dim light, Zabrina could see it had a purple hue to it. Giovani was looking right at her, and his eyes had grown almost black, his fangs instinctively dropping into place. “Do you know her?”
“Yes,” he snarled. “She’s a Guardian. She was there that day in the park, the day Jack got shot in the leg.”
“What should we do?” Zabrina asked, watching the woman as she walked down the sidewalk heading right toward them.
“Let us go this way,” Venetta suggested, pulling them down an alley. “There is a side passage through the fence, and it will lead us to the other end of this row of buildings.”
Though Giovani’s instinct was to stay and fight, he knew he could not defeat her. With another low growl, he allowed Zabrina to pull him into the alleyway and back toward the gate in question.
Eliza had not been working the Czech Republic for too long, and so far, there had been no reports of anyone matching Giovani’s description in the area. However, she had received information from Aaron earlier that there was a possibility that he was within driving distance of Vienna, and so she had decided to check out the quaint town of Cesky Krumlov. It was a picturesque village, full of ancient buildings and charm--which made it a great place for Vampires as well. And while she’d certainly come across her fair share of bloodsuckers, she had found no trace of him. She knew that, if she were to locate and destroy Giovani, there was a good chance she could find a way to be reassigned back to the Kansas City LIGHTS team, or at least back to the United States. Her time in Siberia had not been fun, but it had been enlightening, and she’d spent many hours in solitude regretting her hasty decisions as the San Francisco Area Leader. Tonight, she walked the streets of Cesky Krumlov alone searching for Giovani, seeking absolution.
Despite seeing the familiar face of the Guardian from Iowa, returning to his hovel meant safety for Giovani. It would be almost impossible for any of his enemies to find him here or to penetrate this protective lair. He was far below ground, and a series of tunnels and dead ends would confuse anyone who dare try to follow him here. He had taken a moment to feed off of one of the reserva de sange before collapsing into his chair, Zabrina at his side. While visiting Daunator had provided him with information to consider, he was confused as to precisely what he was to do next. He sat in silence for several moments, going back over the conversation in his head, a look of annoyance on his face.
“Giovani?” Zabrina sighed, “what did he say to you in there? Why don’t you tell me? Whatever it is, you will need my help.”
He looked at her sharply. “Who’s to say I will need anyone’s help?” he replied smartly. He adjusted himself in his seat as she gave him a dejected look. After another moment of contemplation, he said, “Daunator said there is no way any living Vampire could possibly defeat her.”
“He said that?” Zabrina clarified. “Really? He thinks we should give up hope?”
“Not exactly,” Giovani admitted. “He suggested we create someone who could do it.”
“I don’t understand,” she admitted, her long eyelashes fluttering as she attempted to comprehend.
Giovani groaned and scooted around in his seat again, the restlessness beginning to eat at him. “He suggested we find a human so evil that, once turned, he would become capable of destroying her. Someone strong and vicious already; the Resurrection would only intensify these qualities.”
She mulled that response around for a moment before asking, “Did he make any suggestions as to whom?”
“No!” Giovani shouted, banging his hand down on the arm of the chair hard enough to make her jump. “If he had given me any more information, I would have said so, now wouldn’t I?”
Her eyes still wide, Zabrina said, “Well, excuse the hell out of me. You didn’t want to say anything at all first. How the hell was I supposed to know?” He said nothing, and so she continued, “What has gotten into you?”
“I’m frustrated!” He got up from his seat and crossed to a nearby table, clearing it of cups and bowls and other various items with one sweep of his arm. “I’m pissed that even my answers are non-answers. We walked all the way out there, and I have no idea what to do next! He said to turn someone into a monster to defeat her and to capture the one she loves most in order to draw her in. Well, I can’t get Aaron if I can’t get her, and I can’t destroy her without the help of the devil himself so I have no idea what to do next!”
As he pounded his fist on the table, Zabrina asked, “What? Wait a minute. The one she loves most of all, or just one that she loves more than herself?”
“What difference does that make?” he asked turning to face her.
“Well, she may love Aaron most of all, but she loves others as well. There is one for certain that if we were to capture, she would certainly trade places.”
“Other than Aaron?” Giovani asked, a skeptical look on his face.
“Most certainly,” Zabrina replied, a wicked smile spreading across her face.
“Who?” Giovani demanded, returning to her side and grabbing her arms in his.
Zabrina began to laugh, a plan formulating in her head. “Haven’t you ever seen The Hunger Games?”
