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I had a nerdy aha moment. “Back in the Middle Ages, Christian missionaries settled on small islands throughout the North Sea. The monks all spoke Old High German—all their books, all their prayers, everything was in that dialect. ”
“Exactly. ”
Although I loved being right, the notion gave me kind of a hinky feeling. “So…they’re priests?”
“No,” he said firmly. “They are vampires. But they are not like those of us on Eyja næturinnar. These are monsters, representing everything we are against. Of this I have no doubt. ”
I rubbed my hands together, my fingertips gone numb. I thought of the monsters I already knew, my battered body, the casual evisceration, the sick competitions that turned teenaged girls into gladiators. There were vampires more evil than that?
I still didn’t understand what my role would be. I mean, surely Alcántara spoke a dozen ancient dialects. Why bring along a seventeen-year-old who’d only (almost) graduated high school? They trained me hard; they’d taught me how to fight and how to kill. Was it in preparation for this moment? I asked gravely, “Will I have to kill anybody?”
He looked amused by the question. “No, querida. You couldn’t kill one of them if you tried. If they discover your intentions, you won’t emerge alive. Our goal is only to retrieve Carden McCloud. His well-being is our only concern. ”
Meaning: While my fate was iffy at best, as long as Carden lived, it was all good.
“Why is this Carden so important?”
“They were a ragged bunch, those old Scottish soldiers, but Master McCloud is one of our own, and we stand by our people. ”
“So we’re going to figure out where they’re holding him hostage?”
“You will figure it out. I cannot risk sending in my men, and yet we must confirm that he still lives, and where they keep him. ”
My initial reaction was, But he can risk a girl? Then the first half of his statement registered, and my resentments faded to the background. I sat up straighter, feeling electrified, energized. “I’ll figure out where he’s being held? By myself?”
I was discovering a whole aspect to life on this island I’d never suspected. It was so much more than a high school from hell where cheerleaders were killers and the stoners were sociopaths. I was training to be a force for good. Soon I’d leave here and could use my knowledge in the real world—maybe be a Secret Service agent, or move to Geneva and work for Interpol…whatever that was.
His eyes glinted, seeing my excitement. “Yes, querida, working alone, you will determine his location. But then I have others who will join you, and with them, you will do more than just find him. ”
“We’ll rescue him?”
He nodded. “Together, you and I will sail him to freedom. Are you ready?”
All this we…us…together stuff—it made me feel close to Alcántara. And so, despite the intense topic of conversation, my posture, my tone, all of it was at ease. “I was born ready,” I told him with a smile on my face.
He laughed then, loud and rollicking. I guess he’d never heard that line, though how it’d escaped him through the centuries was beyond me.
And I couldn’t help it. I laughed, too, but then I thought, Oh my God, this is me, bonding with a vampire. Crazy.
I’d suspected Alcántara had helped me win last semester’s challenge, and now I knew why: I was clearly the best girl for this mission. I mean, what other Acari even knew what Old High German was? But now, the way he was looking at me and laughing with me, I thought of another possibility. Maybe he’d also helped me just because he liked me, plain and simple.
The notion made me comfortable enough to ask, “Where does the waitressing come in?”
“The Synod of Seven members have called a summit, summoning vampires from around the world. ”
I cut him off, astounded. “Around the world?”
He tilted his head, looking amused. “Consider it, young one. Vampires only in the North Sea? Truly? We favor darker, colder climes. But why not Russia, or Finland, or Alaska? And so they are in such places, but they are coming here, to a ruined monastery on a private island so isolated, the only ones who give a care to its existence are vampires. These vampires bring with them armies of domestic servants. There will be an influx of butlers, maids, chefs, footmen, and so forth. ”
I nodded, because that part didn’t surprise me at all. Vampires were old-school—they’d have a staff as mannered, uniformed, and extensive as any high-class estate of old. It all clicked—my role, our mission, the dancing, and the table manners—everything became clear. “And you’re going to sneak me on the island posed as a waitress. ”
He gave a displeased wave of his hand. “Stop using such a crass term, mijita. Not waitress. Let us simply call you an…attendant. ”
“I’m going undercover,” I said, marveling.
“Indeed. With all the comings and goings, security will be lax. I hope to arrive undetected, and from there I have a connection who will spirit you inside, clothe you, place you. ”
Alcántara was relying on me. And I wouldn’t let him down. I knew I could do it. “Place me?” I asked, eager to hear more.
