way and
she didn’t mind going with Hera. She seemed remarkably normal and strangely
calming. Perhaps she should get herself checked out too, she felt tired, as
though she was going down with a cold.
LaSalle thanked them then the men all stood as they
left. Cassia glanced quickly at Javier. He smiled and inclined his head
slightly; it was oddly reassuring.
The minute the door shut behind the women LaSalle
jumped to his feet and rummaged in his desk then lit up one of his slim cigars
and inhaled deeply as he threw himself into his customary position. Leaning
back in his comfortable work chair with his boots up on the desk he pointed the
cigar at Gabriel;
“Gabriel, I thought you killed the last of those
bastards more than a century ago.”
“So did I.” Gabriel ground out, “Do you think she
misheard?”
“No, both those women are extremely intelligent. I
believe they heard exactly what they said they heard.” Javier replied
“So we haven’t got all the daggers then…” said Gabriel
“No, obviously not.” LaSalle took another drag on his
cigar then slammed his fist on the desk, “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Slayers…I hate
fucking slayers. Unstable mad religious maniacs the lot of them!”
“I couldn’t have put it better myself my Lord
LaSalle.” said Gabriel dryly, “I’m going to head down to Ops and see what the
surveillance team has to report.”
LaSalle nodded, “Keep it quiet Gabriel. I don’t want
to start a panic. I want us to wipe this latest lot out before any of our
people get killed. I’ll talk to Aries and Chronus; we need them on board
urgently. I’d like to know if this Erebus has flagged up on their radar.”
As Gabriel hurried off Javier felt rather than saw
LaSalle’s smoky grey eyes focus on him and waited for his commander to rip him
to shreds verbally. However, when LaSalle spoke his voice was quiet and gentle;
“You knew it could not be her, my friend, you knew.”
Javier’s head jerked up and he took a deep breath to
calm himself as he nodded;
“Yes, I knew. I just couldn’t help hoping…hoping that
somehow she escaped, that somehow she’d come back. I let myself get distracted,
I was careless; if you want me to step down…”
He got no further as LaSalle raised a hand to silence
him then came round his desk and leaned against it; his eyes fierce;
“Stop that Javier of Seville. I would trust you with
my life; I would trust you with the lives of my consort and my son. If the so
called fucking knights are back we are going to need you for the fight ahead. I
am not going to allow our people to be hunted and slaughtered by them ever
again. You stay here and you do your job.”
Javier nodded; he was surprised his voice worked at
all, the blockage in his throat felt so huge;
“As you command my Lord LaSalle.”
“I do. Javier, about Charlotte…we have not forgotten
her, none of us here on the Island. You know, do you not, when you are ready to
perform the ceremony we will all be there with you.”
Javier stood and turned away blinking fiercely as he
cleared his throat. God, some days eight years ago felt like yesterday. He
wondered if he would ever have made it through those first days after her death
without LaSalle. His commander had been friend, brother and father all rolled
into one. He had stopped him from putting a bullet through his own head.
“I know, thank you. I’ll go and see what the latest
news is.”
“And I’ll contact our friends in Venice.” LaSalle said
as he ground out his cigar.
It was business as usual.
CHAPTER 6
Javier shut the study door behind him and leaned
against it for a moment rubbing his face with his hands. He would check in on
Beatriz then head underground to look through the latest reports. All around
him he could hear the muted familiar sounds of the household at work; a
household he had joined with Charlotte towards the end of nineteen seventeen.
He had been newly promoted to commander. His father, LaSalle’s
she didn’t mind going with Hera. She seemed remarkably normal and strangely
calming. Perhaps she should get herself checked out too, she felt tired, as
though she was going down with a cold.
LaSalle thanked them then the men all stood as they
left. Cassia glanced quickly at Javier. He smiled and inclined his head
slightly; it was oddly reassuring.
The minute the door shut behind the women LaSalle
jumped to his feet and rummaged in his desk then lit up one of his slim cigars
and inhaled deeply as he threw himself into his customary position. Leaning
back in his comfortable work chair with his boots up on the desk he pointed the
cigar at Gabriel;
“Gabriel, I thought you killed the last of those
bastards more than a century ago.”
“So did I.” Gabriel ground out, “Do you think she
misheard?”
“No, both those women are extremely intelligent. I
believe they heard exactly what they said they heard.” Javier replied
“So we haven’t got all the daggers then…” said Gabriel
“No, obviously not.” LaSalle took another drag on his
cigar then slammed his fist on the desk, “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Slayers…I hate
fucking slayers. Unstable mad religious maniacs the lot of them!”
“I couldn’t have put it better myself my Lord
LaSalle.” said Gabriel dryly, “I’m going to head down to Ops and see what the
surveillance team has to report.”
LaSalle nodded, “Keep it quiet Gabriel. I don’t want
to start a panic. I want us to wipe this latest lot out before any of our
people get killed. I’ll talk to Aries and Chronus; we need them on board
urgently. I’d like to know if this Erebus has flagged up on their radar.”
As Gabriel hurried off Javier felt rather than saw
LaSalle’s smoky grey eyes focus on him and waited for his commander to rip him
to shreds verbally. However, when LaSalle spoke his voice was quiet and gentle;
“You knew it could not be her, my friend, you knew.”
Javier’s head jerked up and he took a deep breath to
calm himself as he nodded;
“Yes, I knew. I just couldn’t help hoping…hoping that
somehow she escaped, that somehow she’d come back. I let myself get distracted,
I was careless; if you want me to step down…”
He got no further as LaSalle raised a hand to silence
him then came round his desk and leaned against it; his eyes fierce;
“Stop that Javier of Seville. I would trust you with
my life; I would trust you with the lives of my consort and my son. If the so
called fucking knights are back we are going to need you for the fight ahead. I
am not going to allow our people to be hunted and slaughtered by them ever
again. You stay here and you do your job.”
Javier nodded; he was surprised his voice worked at
all, the blockage in his throat felt so huge;
“As you command my Lord LaSalle.”
“I do. Javier, about Charlotte…we have not forgotten
her, none of us here on the Island. You know, do you not, when you are ready to
perform the ceremony we will all be there with you.”
Javier stood and turned away blinking fiercely as he
cleared his throat. God, some days eight years ago felt like yesterday. He
wondered if he would ever have made it through those first days after her death
without LaSalle. His commander had been friend, brother and father all rolled
into one. He had stopped him from putting a bullet through his own head.
“I know, thank you. I’ll go and see what the latest
news is.”
“And I’ll contact our friends in Venice.” LaSalle said
as he ground out his cigar.
It was business as usual.
CHAPTER 6
Javier shut the study door behind him and leaned
against it for a moment rubbing his face with his hands. He would check in on
Beatriz then head underground to look through the latest reports. All around
him he could hear the muted familiar sounds of the household at work; a
household he had joined with Charlotte towards the end of nineteen seventeen.
He had been newly promoted to commander. His father, LaSalle’s
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