Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 100

Natalia strained her neck as she looked up. They were standing in a crowd so tight that everyone was touching. There was a constant gentle jostling of bodies.

‘This would look neat from the roof,’ she said, thinking she wouldn’t have to bend her neck so much.

‘They need the roofs to do the show. No one can be up there,’ Uri said.

The display was brilliant, colorful, and silent, except for a hushed whooshing sound coming from the roof tops. Some of the bright displays of color ended with silver confetti raining down on them.

‘This is going to be a mess to cleanup,’ she whispered to him.

Someone put a hand on her ass.

‘First rain dissolves it,’ he said, staring straight up.

Someone breathed down her neck. She knew to ignore it, but it was hard to. Especially when the person put a hand around her waist. And kissed the back of her neck. She recognized the scent of the man and thought he was rather brazen for doing this with Uri standing right beside her.

He pulled her back a half step, then rubbed a cheek against hers.

She leaned forward away from him and his arm slid away. His scent lingered only because he had rubbed her cheek. She knew he was gone. More confetti rained down on her.

While she was amazed at the silent firework display overhead, she was finding the colors and glowing areas on the people around her to be just as spectacular. Every night of Festival seemed just as phenomenal as the night before. Whenever she thought the performers, body art, or scents could not be any more elaborate, someone proved her wrong.

There were some oohs and ahs. She looked up to see dancing lights cross the sky. Even the fireworks were getting better and better. She still couldn’t figure out why they were silent. On every roof top that she saw, a dozen men surrounded what looked like a machine gun. She knew they weren’t. The whooshing sound was the guns firing whatever it was that was making the light display.

She felt a mist, but couldn’t tell if there was a cloud in the sky.

‘Rain?’

‘Spray from the guns,’ Uri said. ‘Shhh.’

The grand finale ended brilliantly with more confetti and mist. Natalia felt like she was in a mythical land of wizards. Everything felt so phantasmagorical. Even the bodies surrounding her didn’t feel real, especially now. Everyone was synced together in a sway, until the last of the confetti and mist ended.

‘Sunrise in thirty minutes,’ a soft voice said over loud speakers.

‘End of Festival,’ Uri said, moving forward with the crowd.

Natalia felt like they weren’t making any progress even though her feet were moving. If she watched a building, she could see their slow progress.

‘That front window of the building on my street looked clean tonight,’ she said.

‘I had someone interested in it as a store front, but they decided on another location. I had the front area cleaned up.’

‘That would make a good store front.’

‘Yes, it would.’

It was taking a long time to reach the gates.

‘We may be exposing ourselves if we don’t get to the limo in time,’ Uri said.

The gates still seemed some distance away. The crowd seemed just as dense, but the pace was quickening.

‘Uri.’

Natalia swung her head in the direction of the call, but Uri was already dragging her in that direction. After a few moments of sliding around bodies and feeling more hands across her ass, she spied Zena in a clear area.

‘Here are your clothes.’

Natalia didn’t need any encouragement to slip on her dress. Everyone now seemed frantic to clothe themselves.

As soon as they had slipped their clothes on, they took off at a trot through the thinning crowd.

Moralis was already directing people at the warehouse.

‘Can you take some riders?’ he said to Uri.

‘Zena?’ Uri said, looking in her direction.

‘Two can ride up front and all you can stuff in the back,’ she said.

‘We have room for four on seats and whoever wants to sit on the floor,’ he said.

‘I’ll fill you up,’ Moralis said.

Natalia now realized that every car she saw was packed with as many people it could hold.

‘I guess this is a mass exodus nightmare,’ she said.

‘Transportation logistic nightmare,’ Uri said.

They slid into the limo, but Uri left the door open. Zena opened all the other doors. People were piling in. Nadine managed to get the last seat while others sat on the floor. Harold sat on Nadine’s lap.

‘Take a nap,’ Uri said. ‘We have some deliveries to make.’

‘We’ll be late for work,’ she said.

‘We’ll be on time.’

As soon as the limo couldn’t hold another person, the doors were shut. Natalia expected them to have to wait awhile because the exit to the warehouse had been crowded when they had walked through, but only five minutes passed before the limo moved.

However, the air in the limo was already heating up with all the bodies. People by windows cracked them open to allow fresh air in.

Natalia leaned against Uri. She was tired, but she expected the chatter of the people around her to keep her awake. However, the Viperian language tended to be monotone and it lulled her to sleep.

‘We’re home,’ Uri said, poking her in the side.

She opened her eyes to see only Harold and Nadine sitting opposite of them. The sun was up.

‘What time is it?’

‘Enough time to shower, dress, and breakfast on the run,’ he said.

The limo door opened and he pulled her out. Harold and Nadine followed. Bonnie opened the door for them.

‘The girls aren’t even up yet,’ Bonnie said.

‘I’ll go up and wake them,’ Natalia said.

She trotted up the stairs. Both girls looked to be sound asleep on the bed. They were sleeping right next to each other, holding hands.

‘Victoria. Becky. Time to get up.’

Becky woke first. Natalia figured it was because a different voice was waking her rather than her parents. Becky yawned and stretched.

‘Victoria.’

Victoria stirred, looking sleepy.

Natalia figured they had been up playing all night.

‘You can stay in bed, Victoria. Your parents are waiting, Becky.’

Natalia ushered her down.

‘Thank you,’ Uri said.

‘No problem,’ Harold said.

Nadine picked up Becky and they left back out the front to their car.

‘Any issues, Bonnie?’

Bonnie shrugged.

‘We had two Undent teens try to break in. Police actually just picked them up an hour ago. Seems the police were quite busy last night.’

‘I actually meant with the girls, but I’m startled to hear about the teens,’ Natalia said.

‘The girls decided to venture outside last night, but they locked themselves out and went around front which triggered the alarm. I watched them, but then saw the teens. Everything worked out. How was the last night of Festival?’

‘They had the guns out,’ Uri said.

‘I sat up on the roof. I could see the display from here,’ Bonnie said.

‘I thought it was extraordinary,’ Natalia said.

‘We have to rush,’ Uri said, prodding her.

They both ran upstairs to shower and dress.

Natalia paused by Victoria’s room on her way back downstairs. Victoria was still lounging in bed, but she was waving the toy wand around, however Tail was not in sight.

‘You be good. Mommy and Daddy have to go to work.’

Natalia leaned in to give her a kiss on her cheek.

‘What is on your face?’

Natalia licked a finger to wipe it off.

‘Blood.’

She felt some apprehension flow through her.’

‘Where’s Tail?’

‘Eating.’

‘Did you eat Tail?’

Victoria shook her head.

‘Tail,’ Natalia called.

She walked rapidly to the guest bathroom. Tail was scratching around in her litter box. Natalia let out a sigh of relief.

‘Bonnie?’

Natalia hurried to the top of the stairs.

Mag appeared.

‘Why is there blood on Victoria?’

‘I’ll bathe her,’ Mag said, coming up the stairs.

‘I want to know why there is blood on Victoria.’

Uri walked past her and grabbed her hand.

‘Let’s go,’ he said.

He pulled her down the stairs.

‘Why is there...’

‘Is Tail still around?’ he said, interrupting her.

‘Yes, I saw her.’

‘Then everything is fine,’ he said.

Bonnie handed them mugs of tea and a sack with breakfast sandwiches.

‘They went hunting,’ Bonnie said in explanation.

‘What did they catch?’ Uri said.

‘The hide was rabbit.’

‘Oh, I should have known. Becky is a rabbit hunter. Let’s go.’

He pulled Natalia out the door to the limo.

‘But...’

“What do you have going on at work today?” he said, switching languages.

“Uri.”

She hated it when he tried to distract her.

“Drink your tea. Eat your sandwich, then ask me,” he said.

“I’m not going to get used to having blood on my child.”

“Tail is still alive. All is well. Nothing to worry about. Normal Viperian behavior.”

“But they were outside roaming around with no-good Undent teens.”

“The children would have heard them long before the teens saw them. I know they would have hid since being outside without an adult was a nono.”

“And Bonnie didn’t catch it?”

“She did catch it. No harm was done. Eat.”