Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

“So what's on the agenda for today,” Natalia said while they sipped tea on the patio

The sun kept trying to break through the clouds.

“Might be a good day to go for a ride along the coast. It's been a rainy summer. We need to enjoy these nice days while we can,” Uri said.

“I haven't ridden up the coast in a long time. My parents use to take us on trips when I was a kid. There was always this neat restaurant up there.”

"Whoa Dough Bakery.”

“Yeah, that's the one. Fresh baked bread and my favorite, cinnamon rolls. Is it still there?”

Uri nodded with a smile.

“We'll drive up there for lunch.”

He finished his tea.

“Mag?”

It was a moment before Mag appeared.

“Yes, sir?”

“We'll need a thermos of sanguine tea.”

“Yes, sir.”

She turned and left.

“Whoa Dough isn't Viperian,” Uri said.

“So, no raw meat or sanguine tea?”

He shook his head.

“I like that you cover up every morning,” he said touching his right cheek.

“I want to be in the habit,” she said, not voicing her fear of being spotted in public.

"A good habit,” he said. “You finished? We can head out.”

“Let me hit the bathroom first.”

She chose to go upstairs. When she flushed the toilet, she checked that her cheek was covered. There was no sign of her mark. The liquid skin was so absolute in covering the mark that she not only couldn't see it, but she couldn't even feel that she was covering anything up.

Uri was waiting at the foot of the stairs with a thermos.

“You haven't been in the car, have you?” he said, taking her hand and heading to the garage.

“No, I haven't.”

Uri hit the opener for the middle door.

"Is there ever anything in the closest stall?”

"Only if there's a guest. We try not to keep any vehicles outside.”

He opened the car door for her.

The traffic was as heavy as a work day. It took them some time to escape the city limits and to reach the highway that wove along the coast.

"Big clouds, but we're getting some sun,” Natalia said. “I'm sure I'm quite pale.”

“You have good color. You glow," he said.

She frowned.

“You glow with the health of a pregnancy,” he said, clarifying, but he chuckled.

"You always know how to make the simplest of comments seem... horrible.”

"Enjoy the view, Nattie.”

Uri seemed to enjoy driving, slowing when there were good views or pulling off if there was too much traffic behind him.

"Everyone's out today,” she said.

“Nice weather for once. Looks like Whoa Dough is busy,” he said, pulling into the lot.

“Is that Ravi's limo?"

There was a white limo taking up a huge area.

"Yes. Yes, it is,” Uri said.

She was amazed that he managed to find a parking space. However, she knew they would have a wait. There was a line out the door.

“Let's take a chance here,” he said under his breath to her, squeezing up to the door, pulling her along.

“We have a table waiting,” he said to the hostess when they slid past her.

Natalia saw his nostrils flare once before he wove around the tables. He seemed to know exactly where Ravi was sitting. He wasn't alone. There were two older women with him. She suspected they were two of his wives.

“Morning, Ravi,” Uri said when they approached the table. “Such a nice day to be out for a drive.” “Uri.”

Ravi stood, showing some respect.

“Beah. Nancy. Scoot over. Please, join us.”

“Thank you. I'm sure the restaurant will appreciate us sharing tables. They are very busy. This is my wife, Nattie.”

“Nice to meet you, Nattie,” Ravi said.

He had a clear voice that was a little high pitched.

“These are my wives Beah and Nancy.”

Both women nodded but said nothing. Nattie noted the large amounts of jewelry that both women wore.

“We just ordered,” Ravi said.

A waitress stepped in to give them menus and take a drink order. When their drinks came, they were ready to order.

“Cinnamon roll to go, and the ham and swiss on the sourdough,” Natalia said.

"Roast beef on the sour dough,” Uri said.

“The sourdough is the best bread here,” Ravi said with a smile.

Both wives nodded in agreement.

Most of the conversation was between Uri and Ravi. Natalia noted that they kept the talk general and avoided any business talk. She tried to engage the two women in chitchat, but they tended to just nod or shrug

"Well, we're heading up to Henson point, then turning around to come back,” Uri said after they had finished lunch.

"We were there before lunch. Enjoy,” Ravi said.

“Thank you. Have a good day.”

Uri took a little longer to pay for lunch. She noticed that he paid for Ravi's lunch before they headed out.

“That was nice of you to pay for lunch,” she said when they headed out to the car.

"He won't like it. It's really his option being that he is of higher status, but he didn’t suggest it.” "You playing games?”

“Always a fun game when you show respect and honor and then one-up them.”

He pulled out of the lot and into the stream of traffic.

“I don't ever remember going to Henson point,” she said.

“It's just where the road curves on the highest point and you can see nothing but water in front of you."

Traffic was moving slow, but the view made up for it.

“Henson point,” he said.

There were cars stopped everywhere, making it even hard for the traffic in the road to pass.

"One picture and then let's go,” he said.

The drive back to the city was quicker than leaving it. There still seemed to be more traffic heading out then heading in.

“That was really nice, thank you,” she said.

She couldn't resist nibbling on her cinnamon roll.

He nodded, then seemed to get more sober. The city seemed to envelope them with its haze, dampening their mood.

At a stoplight, the console on the car lit up with a number and there was a ring.

“Phone,” Uri said, hitting a button on his steering wheel.

“Yes?”

“I have a rescue for you,” said a female voice.

Natalia didn’t recognize it at first.

“Now? I have Nattie with me.”

“She can go with. You'll look less threatening.”

Natalia decided the voice was Sherri's.

“I don't know if I want her with me. Don’t you have girls in there?”

“I don't want to risk their positions. I need you on this one, Uri. There are four of them with her.” Natalia wondered what they were talking about.

“Can I handle this however I want?"

“You're free to do whatever you want. Anything goes.”

Sherri's voice was soft and inviting.

“Where?”

“You have a dress?”

“Yes. In the trunk.”

“Church. Second corridor from the main hallway to your left.”

“We'll be there in ten minutes.”

"Don't dally.”

The call ended.

“What's that about?” Natalia said.

“You'll see, but you need to be silent,” he said.

While his voice was calm and quiet, she heard the command.

She watched the clock. It was seven minutes when they pulled into the lot of the church; the same church her parents had bought her to.

“Follow me,” he said, leaving the car.

“I can't go in there?” she said, but he was already walking to the back of the car.

She felt dread when she got out and joined him.

Uri popped open the trunk and took out a floral dress. He handed it to her.

“Silence,” he said, taking her hand.

He pulled her along at a fast pace toward the front entrance of the church. The door opened with a slight creak, giving pause to Natalia, but his hand pulled her along. The air was as stifling as it had been the last time she had been in there. Then, Uri paused to take off his shoes. She quickly followed suit.

They now walked silently at a fast pace down the main hallway. As Sherri had directed, they took a left at the second corridor. When they turned, she could hear the voices.

“Take off the habit. Now."

It was a man’s voice. He was speaking quietly but forcefully.

“But... but...” a woman's voice said, sounding terrified. “I'm naked underneath.”

“Take off your clothes,” the man demanded.

“I'll tell the Lord Abbot on you.”

"You go right ahead. He'll be here soon anyway to get a taste of you.”

The lights were low in the corridor, but Natalia could see the five people: four priests in robes and one nun.

Uri stopped so they were still in the shadows. She felt and heard him speak, causing the hair on her neck to rise.

"Hollooow,” he said, drawing out the word in almost a whispered breath.

The word echoed down the corridor.

The men paused and looked around. They didn’t seem to see her or Uri yet.

One man turned back to the nun and pulled on her habit.

“Take it off.”

"Hollooow,” Uri said again, just a little louder which increased the echos.

“What's that?” one man said.

“The wind,” another said.

“We're in a freaking building. There is no wind,” the one man said.

“Take the habit off,” another man said with force, raising a hand to strike the nun.

“Hollooow," Uri said once more.

Natalia saw the flick and the next moment she saw the knife strike through the wrist of the man with the raised hand. The hand hit the wall with a thwack and was now pinned by the knife. The man’s reflexes caused him to jump and pull down which resulted in the knife displaying its sharpness. It sliced up his wrist and through his hand. Blood was now pumping out forcefully since he had just slit his own wrist from his movement.

“Hollow,” Uri said in a louder whispered voice.

Even Natalia found the echoing of the word difficult to trace despite she knew the source.

“ can't see. Where is it?"

Natalia couldn't see which man had spoken, but all of them were looking around frantically. All of them looked terrified. One man grabbed the nun and held her in front of himself as if using her as a shield. The other two fell in behind him. The one with the sliced wrist was slowly sinking against the wall.

“We have a cross,” one man shouted. “God will protect us."

Uri stepped from the shadows. He was still holding her hand. As soon as she was out of the shadows, he stopped.

“Are you okay?" he said, using a normal voice.

"A Hollow just went through here,” one man said. “It passed through the wall..."

The man turned as if to specify which wall only to gasp when he caught sight of the man with the slit wrist, who was now drenched in blood. They all flinched when the man suddenly sat hard on the floor and slumped over.

Natalia knew he was near death due to the amount of blood he had lost already.

“Do you want me to call the police and an ambulance?” Uri said.

"Yes. Yes,” one man said with a sigh of relief.

The other two men also seemed relieved, They stepped from behind the man holding the nun. Uri did another flick of his wrist.

Natalia didn’t even jump when the knife hit the priest in the middle of his forehead. The other priests hadn't seen since he was the one at the back. For a split second it looked as if the knife hadn't phased the priest, then the next second he fell over face first, driving the knife all the way through his skull.

One priest turned to look. His eyes got big and it looked as if he was going to scream, but a knife hit him in the neck, permanently silencing him.

The nun seemed to do a little choke. Natalia looked at her and almost made a sound as well because she recognized her. This was Lisa, one of her pack. Natalia put a finger to her lips and shook her head to let Lisa know to stay silent.

However, they both jumped when the priest with the knife in his neck sagged to the floor. Natalia wondered just how many knives Uri had.

“I think you have a problem,” Uri said to the last priest at the same time that he flicked his wrist again.

The knife hit the man through his right eye.

“I see that you do” Uri said with a twisted smile.

The last priest fell over.

“Take off the habit,” Uri said in his quiet, demanding voice, then he turned around.

Natalia was impressed he was giving Lisa some privacy.

“Lisa. Quickly,” Natalia said, holding out the dress.

She took a few steps toward Lisa who suddenly decided to do as she was told. The habit dropped off her as if by magic. Lisa almost lunged to take the dress, which Natalia helped pull over her head and down.

“Take your shoes off too,” Uri said. “Come. Hurry.”

All three of them half ran toward the door of the church. Uri grabbed their shoes when they passed. At the front door stood a nun. Lisa gasped, but the nun stood there as if she didn't see them. Natalia felt the vibration. When the vibration ended, the nun left without making eye contact, heading down the hallway. Natalia could only guess that she was heading to the scene of the blood shed.

Once outside, Natalia almost ran to the car, dragging Lisa along. She opened the back door and Lisa jumped into the car as if she had been pushed. Uri slid into the driver's seat. She expected him to peal out of the lot, but he didn't, driving as if they were in no hurry.

"Oh, my word, Nattie,” Lisa gushed out.

“You're okay, Lisa.”

“But... but..." Lisa was staring with horror at Uri.

"He's okay," Natalia said to comfort her.

“But... but...”

“Lisa, that's Uri. He's my husband. He's okay.”

“But... but... he..."

“You're okay,” she said in a slower voice hoping it would finally register with Lisa who was shaking. She wrapped her arms around her.

“It's okay, Lisa. It's okay.”

Lisa started to cry.

“I couldn't do like we said. They took me right away.”

“I think they're learning they have to do that since I escaped,” Natalia said, taking a guess, but she noted a nod from Uri.

“They... I'm... they sterilized me. Now... now they were going to rape me just like Rebecca said.” “It's okay now. You're not going to be raped.”

“The operation is reversible,” Uri said in a quiet voice.

She recognized he was using the calming voice.

“You're okay now,” Natalia said again. "You're okay.”

Natalia held her while Lisa sobbed. Uri tossed back a handkerchief that she gave Lisa. Lisa wiped and blew her nose.

Uri's phone rang.

“Yes,” Uri said. “We have her.”

“Bring her to me, please.”

"Already on the way,” he said and he ended the call.

Natalia noted they were on their way to Viperia. She tried to keep Lisa turned away from the window.

“Where are we going?” Lisa said, sitting up.

"Viperia,” Natalia said. “Welcome to my world. It's very different.”

“Hollows,” Lisa said with fear.

“No. Viperians.”

“No one will bite her,” Uri said, quelling her fears.

“Bite?” Lisa said, looking horrified.

“No one is going to hurt you,” Natalia said. “They don’t rescue you to hurt you.”

Lisa still seemed uneasy.

Uri pulled up to the gates. There was a construction worker. He just nodded and the gates opened. Uri drove through.

Lisa looked terrified than confused.

“There's no construction? There's no..."

“No. It's just to block out the big city. This is Viperia. A nice, quiet city.”

Natalia wasn't familiar with the area where Uri now drove, but it was a well-kept neighborhood with large houses. He pulled up a circular laneway and stopped in front of a big white two story house. "Come, Lisa,” Natalia said, getting out of the car.

She gently pulled Lisa's hand. They were almost to the front door when she realized Uri hadn't gotten out of the car. She paused, but the front door opened.

“Nattie,” Sherri said. “This way.”

Natalia turned, following Sherri into the house. She followed her up the stairs.

A teenage girl followed them.

Natalia knew the room they entered had probably been a bedroom at one time. Now its décor suggested more of a sitting room. It was cozily furnished. French doors opened out to a balcony. A nice breeze billowed in.

“Please sit, Lisa,” Sherri said.

Natalia noted the invitation to herself via a wave of Sherri's hand. As they all sat, a maid stepped in with a tea service and then was gone. Sherri poured them all tea.

“This is Anna,” Sherri said with a wave of her hand to the teenager who joined them. “She's my daughter. She's in training on how we handle rescues.”

“Very nice to meet you, Lisa,” Anna said.

Lisa was quiet, seeming to take in the room.

Natalia knew to remain quiet.

“I'm Sherri, Lisa. I know your father, Phil. He wasn't in favor of your mother’s choice.”

Lisa nodded, seeming to relax just a little at the mention of her father's name.

“The Church won't let on that you're not there. Your mother will remain blissfully ignorant. Your father can rest easy.”

Lisa nodded.

"On any other occasion, I would have Nattie be your escort and help you settle since you know each other, but she has other duties. So, Anna will help you adjust. However, I'm sure Nattie will come over to visit on weekends.”

“Absolutely,” Natalia said.

"Have some tea. You've had quite a fright,” Sherri said, putting a touch of normal to the situation. Natalia followed suit, adding sugar and cream to her tea as if she was showing Lisa, then offering them to her. Lisa seemed to take a deep breath before doing the same and taking a sip of tea. "Welcome to Viperia, Lisa. Think of us as a secret organization that rescues girls from the Church. They have a slight problem.”

“Slight,” Lisa said with a squeak to her voice.

“You'll be safe here,” Anna said in a calming voice.

Lisa nodded.

"Did the weather hold on your drive up the coast?” Sherri said, switching her attention to Natalia. "Yes. It was quite nice,” she said, wondering how she knew. “We had lunch at the Whoa Dough and shared a table with Ravi and two of his wives.”

“Just two? Do you remember which ones?”

Natalia nodded and mentioned the two women.

"Did they chat or just nod?”

“Nod.”

“Thank you, Nattie. And thank you for helping Uri.”

"He killed all four of them,” Lisa blurted out.

“They weren't nice men, Lisa. Plus we wanted no witnesses who saw you rescued. We don't want them hunting you down.”

“Like Rebecca,” Natalia said in a soft voice.

Lisa's eyes teared up.

“You're safe now,” Anna said again

Her voice was almost hypnotizing.

“Finish your tea and let's get you properly dressed.”

“Thank you.”

Lisa drained her cup.

“There's a very nice shop we can walk to. A nice walk on a day like this will settle your nerves.” “I'm ready now.”

Anna rose and in a gesture like Uri, took Lisa's hand and led her out of the room.

Natalia took another sip of tea and moved her eyes to Sherri.

“No one is to bite her,” Natalia said when she put her cup down.

“We don't bite as much as you think. Anna will protect her.”

The maid stepped in to put a rolled up towel on the table by Natalia before stepping back out. “What...”

“Give that to Uri. His knives.”

“I'm having issues with what Uri does.”

Sherri smiled.

“You have issues with us rescuing your friends from the Church?”