The Assassin's Folly

Dimitri was pacing around the apartment when they returned. Zarah led Bella inside. They had stopped for coffee but Bella said she was too nervous. Bella looked around.

“Well?” she asked. Dimitri jumped up onto the couch, staring at her. “Where is he?”

“I’ve already told you,” Zarah said softly. “He’s right in front of you.”

Bella looked at the cat with wide eyes. Dimitri hissed at Zarah.

“I told you not to tell her yet!” he yelled and Bella yelped.

“It’s true!” she gasped and Dimitri hissed at Zarah again. Bella walked forward carefully. “Dimitri? That’s really you?”

“I’m afraid so,” the cat sighed.

“But how?”

“Well, do you want the long version or the short version?” he asked.

“The short one would be nice,” she said, sitting on the couch and staring at him. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Yes, yes I do,” he admitted.

Zarah sat at her desk, facing the odd couple.

“You see, Zarah and I are vampires.” Bella blinked. “And we’re also assassins.” He shook his head, eyes closed. “I was supposed to kill you but I couldn’t.”

“You were supposed to kill me?” she repeated. “Who would do such a thing!?” she cried.

“Wait!” he said, extending a paw. “I couldn’t do it! That’s why I’m a cat!”

She jumped to her feet. “How am I supposed to believe you!?” she yelled, gripping her coffee as if it were a weapon. “The last thing you said to me was that you regretted ever meeting me and that you hoped you’d never see me again!”

“I had to!” he yelled back. “I had two choices: kill you or make you run away from me! My boss found out and cursed me to be a damn cat!”

Bella looked between the two of them. She was breathing heavily and ran for the door. Dimitri tried to follow but Zarah stopped him.

“Let me,” she said softly and she followed Bella down the road.

“Stop following me!” she screamed. “I don’t want to see you or that flea bitten monster again!”

Zarah grabbed her arm before she could run and Bella threw her coffee at her. “Listen to me,” Zarah said firmly and Bella stopped trying to run but was still attempting to throw Zarah’s hand off her arm. “I know it’s hard to believe. I can give you proof what he says is true, though, if you really want it.”

Bella was breathing heavily. “Oh yeah? And what kind of proof would that be?”

For the second time, Zarah revealed her true nature to a mortal. She covered Bella’s mouth when she attempted to scream.

“Up there in that apartment is a man who loves you so much he went through hell to protect you,” Zarah said and Bella’s eyes softened. “You have no idea how much suffering he’s been through. He loves you, Bella. And right now he needs your help.”

“What kind of help?”

“The man I love is supposed to die on Christmas Eve,” Zarah said, “unless I can stop it. I need information and you’re the only person who can help us. If we succeed, I know of a way to make Dimitri human again.”

“If you’ve known how to all this time, why haven’t you?”

“Because if he did, he’d be killed.”

Bella stared. “Does he know he’ll be killed?”

Zarah nodded. “It was his request that I leave him as a cat. Only by getting the information we need will I be able to set everything right again.”

Zarah held her breath as Bella thought it over. “I’ll do it,” she said finally.

They went back up to the apartment and Zarah left so Bella and Dimitri could have some time alone.

-

It took all night for the three of them to come up with a plan. When they finally did, Zarah made Bella repeat it so she didn’t miss anything.

“Tomorrow I’ll go to Vlad’s Loans,” she recited. “I’ll pose as a college student doing research on new businesses. I’ll arrange to get a personal interview with the head of the company. You said he’ll probably not give me a lot of time so I just need to get his name and a picture if I can.”

“Perfect,” Zarah nodded and dug out a ring. “Take this.”

“What is it?” Bella asked as she put it on.

“It’ll keep you safe. Come back as soon as you can.”

“I will,” she promised.

Zarah stretched then hugged Bella.

“It’s a great thing you’re doing for us.”

Bella hesitated then kissed Dimitri on the top of his head. He purred.

“I hope she’ll be ok,” Dimitri said after she left.

Zarah curled up into bed. “She’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Thanks for helping us meet up again,” Dimitri said, laying down on her pillow and purring.

She smiled sleepily. “It’s my pleasure.”

-

Zarah slept a long time. Frantic knocking woke her up and she stumbled to the door. Bella burst in, looking terrified.

“What is it?” Zarah asked, grabbing her arms. “What’s wrong?”

“I know who it is,” she breathed.

“Who?”

“There are two,” she said. She was shaking. “One’s name is Peter Marshall. The other- The other is Damien!”

Zarah and Dimitri stared at each other, Zarah’s blood running cold.