Chapter Eleven

1608 Words
Chapter ElevenOf course Alexander had known Catherine was there in the crowd somewhere from the moment he walked in. His sense of smell had never let him down before, and he'd recognize her special scent anywhere. Sure enough, he'd pinpointed her as soon as he sat down; she was right behind the curtain. He could even make out those pale green eyes of hers, looking back at him from the dark. He ought to feel triumphant; he'd finally achieved his goal of tracking her down. But as much as it pained him, he couldn't act on it. He couldn't afford to tip off Lucille, who for now seemed completely unaware of how close she was to giving Julius what, or who, he wanted. They'd ended up at the auction together not as a bonding exercise between siblings, no. This was an unfortunate coincidence. It was his first auction in months and he had a clear goal: to obtain that very special item he'd found in the catalog. Lucille was here because—well, he wasn't quite sure why. Just looking for a bargain, she'd said, which was odd, since Lucille didn't normally attend these types of events. Unsurprisingly, she hadn't bid on a single lot all night. And toward the end of the auction, she looked bored. "All this old tat, who needs it?" she grumbled. Alexander looked up from the catalog—only one lot remained until it was time for him to get in on the action. "It's almost over. If you don't see anything you fancy, why don't you head into the other room for some refreshments? I'll be right out after this," Alexander suggested. They shared a look. He hadn't meant the actual snacks and champagne next door, and she knew it. "Very well. I don't know why you'd want to stay until the end anyway," Lucille said as she got up from her chair and elegantly navigated through the row of chairs toward the exit, attracting curious looks as she went. Alexander smiled to himself. This was her hunting technique. Lucille knew exactly how to use her talents to get what she wanted. She glanced down at a middle aged, slightly balding man at the end of the row and shot him a subtle smile. The man, confused for a second, regained his composure and got up as well, following Lucille out into the next room. Alexander shook his head. There goes another poor sod. Luckily for him, vampires didn't kill anymore, not for centuries, ever since the Council became established and laid down the rules in the Treaty of London, 1789. No, he'd be fine, eventually. At most he'd feel hungover, and wonder what might have happened in the inevitable gap Lucille would leave in his memory. With Lucille out of the room, Alexander could relax a little bit and focus on the task at hand. He had to get his hands on that final lot: what he presumed to be some missing pages from the Encyclopedia of Myth and Magick. The more he'd thought about it, the more certain he'd been. The illustrations and lettering were too similar for it to be a coincidence. Perhaps they'd contain nothing of use, perhaps they'd change his whole understanding of the situation with Catherine. Either way, he wanted them for his library. It was a matter of pride. And knowing that Catherine was here somewhere just strengthened his resolve further. It had to be a sign. The bidding was furious; clearly he wasn't the only one interested in some tattered pieces of paper from an old book most people would probably reject as pure fiction. But he knew better than that. And in the end, he was victorious. Who says money can't buy happiness , he thought with a wry grin on his face. If only everything else was equally simple. The auction was over, and the crowd started to leave. Only those with winning bids stayed behind to complete the necessary formalities. Alexander paid by check; he'd never gotten used to electronic transactions. The feel of the booklet in his hand, the sound of the perforated paper tearing—those little things made a purchase feel real in a way that making a phone call to a banker or pushing a piece of plastic into a machine could never do. As the young woman accepted his check and completed the necessary paperwork, Alexander grew increasingly restless. Catherine was here somewhere. As was Lucille. He wanted nothing more than to find and speak to her. Even if Catherine wanted nothing more to do with him, he yearned to be in her presence again. But if Lucille found out... That would be a disaster. He couldn't risk it. So as he waited for the receipt, he impatiently tapped his foot and scanned the room for any sign of his sister. She had to be done with that man by now. Had she caught Catherine's scent as well? While he stood here to finalize his shopping, disaster could be unfolding somewhere behind the scenes. Just as the woman behind the counter handed him his newly printed bill, he felt a presence right behind him. "What did you buy?" Lucille asked. Alexander folded the paper in half, then again in half and put it into the inner pocket of his jacket. "Just some prints," he said, smiling at Lucille to cover his nerves. The latter squinted suspiciously. "Prints?" It wasn't a lie, technically. The pages had been printed, and mounted as though they were in fact works of art. Alexander nodded and smiled again. "I think they'll go very nicely in the library." "How much art does one man need?" Lucille scoffed. At least she seemed satisfied for now; she was still l*****g her lips after her earlier human snack. "How were the refreshments?" Alexander steered the conversation away from his purchase. Lucille sighed. "Oh, quite satisfactory. I was hungrier than I thought." Alexander chuckled. "It was written all over your face." Lucille placed her arm inside the crook of his as they walked toward the exit. With every passing step, he felt Catherine's presence less keenly. Alexander turned around one last time just as they passed through the set of double doors into the reception hall. He didn't know what to feel: relief or heartache. It turned out to be a heavy dose of both. "Anything wrong?" Lucille asked. Alexander shook his head. "No, all fine. I think I might have overpaid for those prints." Lucille laughed. "Swept up in auction fever. With the years of practice you've had, I thought you'd be better than that." Alexander shrugged. "It can happen to the best of us." As they walked through the crowds of humans on the way out, more than a few heads turned in their direction. Men, as well as women. Such was the attraction of the vampire. Some humans were drawn to them like moths who had no idea how close they came to being burned to death. Nobody ever sensed the danger until it was too late. Except Catherine. She'd figured it out. Sadly, her keen sense of observation might have plunged her into more danger than she could imagine. "Now what?" Alexander asked. He hoped she would go her own way, so that he could do the same. What if she wanted to linger, though? What if Catherine walked in here to join the crowds of auction-goers, and Lucille picked up her scent? Then what? Could Alexander choose Catherine over his sister? He'd try his best to avoid that scenario. But if it came down to it, he supposed that he could. "Council work, you know." Lucille brushed away his question. Alexander nodded. With a bit of luck, he wouldn't have to make that difficult choice. Not today. "I'll walk with you," Alexander suggested. Lucille agreed with a nod as they passed into the darkness outside. "How goes the hunt?" he asked, once they were out of earshot of the other humans leaving the auction house. She shrugged. "Nobody seems to know this woman." "Yes, I noticed the same," Alexander said. "But our dear maker isn't one to give up easy, as you well know." "Julius is a great many things, but he's not a quitter," Alexander said bitterly. And therein lay the problem. They walked on in silence, further and further away from Catherine's last known location. How glad he was that he'd been able to avoid any confrontation at the auction. Alexander didn't even notice how far they'd walked when they came to a stop in front of a rundown building somewhere in the middle of Chinatown. "Well, this is me," Lucille said. Alexander glanced up at the unassuming façade. Humans would walk by here and ignore this place, but he knew better. It was one of the bigger lodging houses for young vampires; in the olden days, one might have called it a coven house. "I thought you had better taste than this, sister," Alexander remarked. Lucille let out a chuckle. "I don't live here, silly! Just doing the rounds, making inquiries... Perhaps someone in here has come across that woman. Perhaps I can convince some of them to join the search." Alexander looked up at the boarded up windows on the upper floors. There was no way of knowing how many newly turned immortals lurked behind these walls. The Council truly had an army at their disposal. He shrugged. "Well, best of luck in your efforts. I'll head back myself." "I'll see you around," Lucille said. Her tone was innocuous, but to Alexander's ears, her goodbye had sounded more like a threat. "Yes, see you," he responded. As he turned, he heard Lucille's footsteps climb up the front steps to enter the building. He started walking leisurely, but as soon as he turned the corner, he broke into a sprint. What were the chances of Catherine still being there, at Sotheby's? Slim, probably. Still, he owed it to her as well as himself to try to intercept her.
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