Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 30

“Talking of biting, what did Kareen bite Anna with?” Natalia said when their limo headed for home.

“Sort of like a truth serum. Forced her to speak the truth.”

“Does it hurt?”

“I’ve heard it does. Most people cringe just at the mention of it. I’ve never been bitten with it, and don’t intent do be.”

“Anna looked and sounded in pain.”

Natalia shivered with the thought.

“Sitting in a cell is worse,” he said. “Viperians don’t like being totally alone. Rarely if ever does one live alone. Bachelors live together. Moralis and I lived together until I bought the house we’re now in. Even before I had you, I had Mag, Zena, and Kate for company, even if it was just in passing for meals and such.”

Uri brushed her cheek with his.

“We also don’t like silence.”

She turned to look at him.

“I wake at night,” he said, “Just so I can listen to your heart beat.”

He put his ear against her.

“It’s a lovely sound.”

He lifted his head and kissed her cheek.

“Anna will be in total silence. No one will interact with her. Food will be delivered via a silent trolley.”

“She’s going to go crazy.”

“Yes, it has happened.”

“What will they do? The Council?”

“They will evaluate if she is redeemable. If she can change. If not, then they will let her die a silent death.”

Natalia shuddered. Uri put his arm around her.

“I’m so glad you’re with me,” he said.

Natalia turned her face to him, and he kissed her, then held her tight. She thought of her life with him.

“I don’t think I could live without you,” she said.

Uri squeezed her gently. She set her head on his shoulder, enjoying his warmth.

“I always liked the name Victoria,” she said. “But I just don’t like the thought of Vicki the Viperian.”

She felt Uri smile.

“No. Vicki our daughter. Victoria Osrisca has a nice ring to it,” he said. “Victoria Rayna Osrisca.”

“Rayna? Your mother’s name.”

“Yes.”

“What’s your middle name?”

“Warden. My great grandfather’s name.”

“What if it’s a boy?”

“Victor?”

“No,” Natalia said, remembering the glare of Victor who wanted to make her a teddy bear.

“We don’t have to worry. If a Viperian woman said it’s a girl, then it will be a girl,” Uri said. “I’ve never known one to be wrong.”

“But that was a guess…by Sherri.”

“Mag also thinks it’s a girl,” he said.

“Oh, well, I guess two guesses must be right,” she said with a laugh.

He chuckled.

The limo pulled up their street.

Natalia’s stomach growled.

“We never had dinner,” she said.

“There will be cookies,” he said.

The limo pulled up the laneway and into the garage.

Mag was waiting.

“Where the hell… “

“Talk with Bonnie,” Uri said, brushing past her. “Are there cookies?”

He led Natalia in the house and upstairs. They took their time changing into their robes before going back down stairs. Mag was just bringing in sanguine tea and cookies.

“I can’t believe this,” Mag said, looking unsettled.

“Believe what?” he said.

“About Anna.”

“Neither can I,” Natalia said.

Mag left looking perturbed.

“Cookies and bed,” Uri said. “We have a full day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Is my sorting files really helping? Or has it all been a plot?”

Uri smiled.

“Your sorting of the files has been extremely helpful. We’ve found lost files. Locating files has improved dramatically. What you have been sorting will eventually be digitized, but the bank is a little slow in adopting this technology. In addition, the Records Manager was fired and there is a job opening. I recommended you for the job.”

“But I don’t have a degree.”

“With all the credits you earned in high school, you started college as a sophomore, not a freshman. That carries weight.”

“Your recommendation carries weight, but, I’m your wife. Isn’t that a problem?”

He grinned.

“You show up every day for work. That carries more weight. You work. Even more weight. You’re already deemed a valuable employee by more than just me.”

“Ursula.”

“Exactly.”

“At this rate, I’ll be a VP by the end of next year.”

Uri laughed and pulled her off the sofa.

“Bed.”

Natalia felt she had just laid her head on her pillow when Uri rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. She expected him to pull the covers off of her, but he nestled in beside her.

“Time to get up,” he said.

“Okay.”

He breathed in deep of her hair.

She giggled.

“What?” he said.

“Just waiting for you to throw the covers off.”

“You want a count down?”

“No.”

He whipped the covers off and gently pulled her out of bed.

Time seemed to fly. Natalia found herself back in the conference room. She was making good headway when a sack lunch was delivered at eleven-thirty. At one o’clock, she was done with all the boxes she had. In preparation for leaving early, she packed up her satchel, then walked down to Uri’s office. He wasn’t there.

She sat in a chair by the door, looking at her tablet for twenty minutes when he suddenly appeared.

“Let’s go,” he said.

He seemed pensive.

She was getting to know his moods, despite he looked calm and collected on the outside.

The limo was waiting out front. Bonnie opened the door for them.

His phone rang when the limo pulled out into traffic.

“Yes?” Uri said.

He didn’t put it on speaker.

He listened for a few moments.

“On our way now.”

He ended the call.

“Everything is set,” he said. “I just need to do two bites and we can leave.”

“That’s it?”

“We don’t need to watch.”

Natalia thought they weren’t that far from the Church, but traffic for the afternoon was heavy. It took them longer than she thought. The limo pulled up into the parking lot. She noted it was almost two o’clock. There were five other cars in the lot, but no one in sight.

Uri opened the door and got out, giving her a hand.

“I’ll do all the talking,” he said, leading her toward the Church entrance.

Natalia felt the same nervousness as the last time they were there. This time is wasn’t because the Abbott might see her, but what was going to happen. She had some ideas, but based on what she had seen of late, decided it was all going to be worse than she could imagine.

The door still creaked. The air was still stale. Their footsteps were loud when they walked down the hall. Uri didn’t pause to take his shoes off. There was no need to be quiet this time.

Uri turned and pushed open the door into the main chapel.

The Abbess was kneeling in front of the altar. She seemed deep in prayer. Natalia thought she heard snoring. At first it seemed the Abbess was alone, but then two nuns appeared. They seemed to be waiting off to the side.

Uri led her down the main aisle toward the Abbess. At the end of the aisle, he paused. The Abbess stirred. She looked up and around, then she stood and turned toward them.

“May I help you, sir?” she said.

“I’m actually here to help these other two ladies.”