Alora’s mouth quirked in a small smile, and I smiled back at her even though she couldn’t see me.
“You should have seen him speak to them last night at the Market Below. It was an eye-opener. They all really respect him. Well, most of them do. It’s not like it was with Whitfield. Ethan is going to be a different kind of ruler.”
I stared at her cynically. “I’ll believe that when I see it. And what, pray tell, did you think you were playing at going to the Market Below? It’s ‘vagina’ central, and you might as well be their favourite kind of snack.”
“Ethan brought me. I knew nothing would happen if I was with him.”
“Oh, because he’s just such a big swooning hunk of manliness?” I said sarcastically.
She grinned. “That’s one reason, yes. Oh, and you better not refer to him as a ‘vagina’ to his face. I don’t think that would end well.”
“When people tell me not to say things, it kind of makes me want to do the opposite.”
Tegan groaned. “Don’t I know it.”
A silence fell between us as I sat beside Alora and scanned the gathered crowds for any early signs of disruption. I had to give it to her, Tegan had chosen a good spot. It was nice and elevated to take in lots of what was going on. There was a restless tension in the air. These people really wanted to burn themselves some vampires.
I glanced at Tegan, and she was twisting a strand of hair between her fingers. I’d noticed this was something she did when she was anxious.
“You really think Cristescu is going to be a good ruler?” I asked.
“Yes,” she answered seriously, her eyes on the crowd below rather than on me. “I do.”
I hated how her reply filled me with such hope. I wanted it to be true. I wanted Cristescu to rule peacefully, but I still disliked him as a general rule. “Hmm, we’ll see.”
“The day is going to come when you eat your words, Finn Roe.”
“I hope you’re right,” I replied, watching the mass of people. I spotted movement up ahead and pinpointed Theodore and Rita walking hand in hand through the middle of the crowd. They were dressed the same as they had been when they were on TV, looking like a holier than thou preacher and his daughter instead of an evil sorcerer and his newly-turned-evil witchy progeny.
Theodore had a loudspeaker in hand, which he lifted to his mouth to address the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming. Before the day is through, we will have purged the vampire infestation from Tribane once and for all. Now, to get down to business. Please organise into groups and begin visiting homes on the south side of the Hawthorn. I have it on good authority that’s where most of the vampires reside. Leave no stone unturned. Maps are currently being distributed among you with clearly defined markings for all residential areas. When you discover a house without a chalk circle, do not knock on any doors or give any signs that you are there. Set fire to the residence and leave immediately. The vampires will be too deep in slumber to notice the fire until it is too late.”
I watched as several individuals moved through the throngs, handing out small maps. I recognised one of them as Marcel, and my blood boiled. I used to know that man, used to be on reasonably friendly terms with him, and although I knew he was capable of a lot, I didn’t think he would be capable of this. This was genocide, no matter what way you wanted to spin it. I had my fair share of bones to pick with the vamps, but burning them while they slept was nothing short of barbaric.
Theodore and Rita began leading a large crowd of people away from Campion Row, an eerie death-by-fire parade.
“We’ll follow Theodore and Rita,” I said, pulling my hood up over my head. I couldn’t risk being recognised. At the same time, Tegan withdrew a small cap and sunglasses from her bag and put both on. Ira was already wearing a black beanie. I wasn’t sure if Alora needed to worry about being recognised, but since Michael Ridley was a follower of Theodore’s he could be around here somewhere. Pulling her up from the step and standing in front of her, I tucked her long ponytail inside the blue hoodie she was wearing and pulled up her hood.
“Just a precaution,” I said, leaning close to her ear, and she nodded in silent acquiescence.
When I pulled back, Tegan was watching us both with one eyebrow raised over her sunglasses and a smirk tugging at her lips.
“Got something to say?” I asked.
“Nope. Nothing to say at all,” she answered with a cheeky lilt to her voice.
I took Alora’s hand, and together the four of us blended into the crowd. All around me I heard stories about Theodore spreading like wildfire. Not a single one of them was true. The most prominent was that he was a widowed doctor who spent most of his time providing free medical care for the poor. What a load of bollocks.
“I don’t doubt it,” one woman said to her friend as they walked past. “I like to think you can judge a person from their eyes, and Mr Girard has the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
I did my best not to laugh. More like the craziest pair of eyes she’s ever seen.
“He’s done such good for the city by organising all of this. I think he should be voted in as mayor once the vampires are all killed,” said the other woman.
Okay, I couldn’t contain my laugh this time. Both women shot me dirty looks before continuing with their Theodore Girard panegyric. When we reached the first residential street, not a single house was without a chalk circle on the door. The people mumbled about it being a good, respectable neighbourhood, which explained why no vampires lived there.
I felt like telling them I knew for a fact that vampires lived in some of the most respectable areas in the city, but I held my tongue. We were on the fourth street now, and still, no circle-less homes had been found. A restlessness began to take hold, and people were growing suspicious.
A half an hour passed and still no houses to burn. A man standing several feet away from me looked like he was about to start lashing out, but then all of a sudden his face lost its agitated expression and a look of calm overtook his features.
I turned immediately to glance down at the pretty blonde whose hand was in mine. “Did you do that?” I whispered to Alora.
She nodded. “I could sense his rage. In situations like this, all it takes is for one person to lose their cool, and before you know it, there’s chaos.”
“I don’t doubt that,” I murmured, and we continued walking.
Tegan drew close, her voice a whisper. “At some point, Theodore’s going to know that something is up.”
“I think that point has already arrived,” Ira said.
Theodore walked down the centre of the crowd. It instantly parted for him, and all movement stopped.
“I think we have spies amid our ranks,” he announced as his crazy gaze inspected each person he passed. How could those two women mistake such crazy eyes for kind ones? I guess people sometimes saw only what they wanted to see.
Rita walked closely behind Theodore, inspecting people right along with him.
“Somebody has warned the vampires of our plan,” Theodore said loudly as he continued to walk through the crowd. “And I have a feeling that person is among us now.”
Outraged murmurings drifted among the gathering.
“Who is it? Who is it?” one lunatic woman cried.