Staking Out

Chapter 41

Xedjedy, the high emperor of the new earth had never shown himself in public. The new system of his empire had finally started its tolling on the human race. But as the rules of the outside world changed Noelle was getting more agitated. She constantly would comment that every change and every rule that the high emperor would make in favor of the human population was a way for them to lure us in. 

Deep inside I knew something was wrong. I was not pointing it out. But Queencie has been having her suspicions since she suddenly came home from France. She wanted to hack into her logs but it was impossible. It was encrypted with an unknown protective program that even Jim and Queencie couldn't crack.

Mushka had never been herself as well. She had been complaining of constant headaches. She looked so pale and sick. Her body might look a little toner, but she looked so anemic. 

I saw her basking in the sun as I walked towards the orphanage. Her long hair was chopped to her shoulder. She had her eyes closed like the sun was energizing her.

"You'll get sunburnt, you know." I commented, distracting her from her trance. She looked my way and gave me a weak smile. "And you look like shit." I emphasized the word shit cause she looked like a zombie with dark circles under her eyes.

"I've been stuck in a hell hole for a couple of days so I figured I'll bask in the sun for a few minutes." She answered in a calm manner. Mushka was never calm when it came to her appearance. "You looked healed."

"My left arm is weak as fuck since we arrive." I muttered. "But what the heck happened to you?"

"We've been going on missions I can't discuss. Noelle is…" she let her words hang for a moment, enough for me to cut in.

"She's been a bitch to you?" I was worried about Mushka. She may be a little brat but she could easily be misled specially if she trusts a person enough.

She shook her head no. "She's been under a lot of pressure, especially when some coven had settled near the shelter."

"What do you mean?" I suddenly got curious. Covens had been established to mimic a social circle in vampire society. Xed told me it was a way to hold and control newly turned vampires.

"They're trying to lure humans as their blood slave." She suddenly spoke, "That's the only thing I can disclose right now." Then she staggered backwards like she was about to faint. Grasping her upper arm to steady her, I made a mental note to ask Xed about the covens outside the shelter. "I've been having headaches lately." 

"Have you gotten a check up? You really look awful." I was getting worried about how she looked. "Let's go inside." I had to pull her hand, "have you lost weight as well?" I was fuming. How can Noelle allow this to happen on Mushka.

"Like I said, we've been stuck in a hell hole staking out for days." She explained trying to keep up with me so I wouldn't drag her. 

"But that doesn't mean you can't eat." We finally entered the orphanage and the kids were looking at us wide eyed. I dragged her to Alfonse's private study. "I'll have Queencie contact a physician to check you out." I muttered in an irritated manner. I started tapping on my mobile phone to send an email to Queencie. I also took a stolen photo of Mushka sitting on a winged armchair looking bleakly at something in a photo frame on the wall.

"We couldn't eat because they could trace us if we do." she said weakly. 

I wanted to punch someone in the face. Leaders should never let their men starve on a mission, that's plain brutality. "That's stupid." I commented angrily. "If you don't eat and those bats discover you, you'd be dead without even a fighting chance!" 

Alfonse suddenly barged in on his office, looking alarmed and panicked. "The kids said you were fighting." He must have thought we were killing each other, which made me roll my eyes.

"Give your girlfriend some food." I said walking out of the private study and heading straight to the clinic to grab some IV fluids for our emergency kit.

If what Muska said was right, she might be a victim of those vampires already. And with other vampires capable of implanting false memories on humans, Mushka could have been a victim of mind rape. Although it puzzles me that she did not get infected. But one thing was sure, vampires were in the middle of this. And I'd be sure to kick Xed's butt about it.