Page 62 of Crimson Oath
They work for you now. They can wait.
She took a deep breath.
Tatyana didn’t need to breathe. She could sink herself to the bottom of a lake and stay there for days if she wanted to. But the act centered her.
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Samson’s cheek. “I’m ready.”
Then we go.He picked up her backpack again, took her hand, and tugged her arm to get her walking.
As they approached, Tatyana saw that the three figureswere two women and one man. One of the women was human, but the others were vampires.
“Miss Vorona?” The vampire woman stepped forward. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Carlotta, and this is David and Alissa.”
“Hello.” She glanced at Samson. “I only have one backpack. I don’t have many clothes or… anything.”
“That’s fine,” Carlotta said. “If you find that you need additional garments, there are seamstresses in the kamvasa.” She held out her hand. “May I?”
Samson passed her the backpack, and Carlotta handed it over to Alissa.
“Forgive me, but Alissa must check the bag for electronic signals or trackers,” Carlotta said. “This is for your safety and ours.”
“Of course.”
Much to Tatyana’s surprise, the sensor that Alissa waved over her backpack started to alert.
“What?” She looked at Carlotta with wide eyes. “I didn’t bring anything. I promise you.”
“It’s possible that someone placed a tracker in your luggage without your knowledge.” The woman glanced at Samson.
“Samson wouldn’t.” Tatyana took his hand. “He’s my friend.”
Alissa smiled. “If you could open your bag please?”
Tatyana moved to the open back of the van and noticed a tan-colored box that looked much like a large coffin in the cargo area.
“That is your transport box,” Alissa said. “To keep you secure until we reach the kamvasa. It locks from the inside, and we cannot access it once you lock it.”
“Okay.” It still looked like a coffin.
She looked over her shoulder at Samson and hated that a tiny part of her suspected Arosh had convinced him to plant something in her bag.
Alissa waved the sensor over her carefully rolled-up clothing, and the only thing that alerted was her old coat.
“What the…” Tatyana unrolled it and immediately searched the pockets, her hands finding the problem immediately.
She pulled out what looked like a burner phone in a hard plastic case.
“The last time I wore this was that night in Gori.” She pursed her lips and turned to Samson. “This is Oleg. He must have put it in my coat and I didn’t notice.” She turned to Carlotta. “I used to work for Oleg Sokolov. You should know he’s been trying to get me back. This…” She held up the phone. “This was probably his attempt to track me without me knowing it.”
Carlotta held out her hand, and Tatyana put the phone in her palm. The vampire smiled as she closed her hand around the small phone. “Not even the knyaz of the Kievan Rus can find you once you enter the kamvasa,” Carlotta said. “I’ll take care of this.”
She handed the phone to Alissa, who put it in a grey bag with a metallic coating, and then she turned back to Tatyana. “Are you ready?”
Tatyana looked at Samson, who nodded.Go,he signed.Call me when you’re settled.
“Yes.” Tatyana smiled. “I’m ready.”
Tatyana wokein darkness and silence with a burn at the back of her throat.
