"Katherine!" She sat bolt upright in bed and looked around. Someone was calling her. "Katherine!"
She kicked the covers off and swung out of bed. It was very early in the morning – the world was still in the grey gloom of predawn. She went to the wooden doors that separated Vanderau's office from the bedroom. She pushed them wide and saw Vanderau thrashing on the couch in the throes of a nightmare. He was calling her! She went over to him and hesitated her hand stretched out to shake his shoulder.
His dark eyes flew open, and he shrank away, "No! Don't touch me!"
She stumbled back away from him. "I'm sorry! You were having a nightmare."
He sat up and clutched his head in pain. "No, not a nightmare, mon coeur – an attack!"
"What?"
He shuddered as if he were freezing. "Go find Vincent – Now!"
She fled the room and ran to the elevators. The doors closed and the elevator moved down to the first floor and opened. She ran out and screamed for Vincent.
He was just stirring his cup and was preparing to leave the kitchen with his early morning coffee when he heard her scream his name. He dropped the spoon on the counter, drew his pistol, and raced back to the tower.
"Katherine?" Sauvageon opened his doors and saw her standing in the corridor in her pajamas and bare feet. "What is it?"
"It's Nicklaus!" Katherine shouted, "He's being attacked!"
Vincent arrived skidding to a halt a pistol gripped in his hand. Sauvageon was already halfway to the elevators. "Vincent, get her away from here, now!"
He sprang into action, "Come with me, Katherine!" He had to grab her arm and pull her up the hallway struggling to get back to Vanderau.
"What is happening!" Katherine demanded, trying to shake off Vincent's grip on her.
Vincent heard it before he felt the rumbling. They both froze and she looked up as she felt the waves of something horrible spiraling out in all directions. Vincent took her hand and they fled. They headed to the staircase and then behind it, he punched the panel, and it slid back revealing a set of stairs going down. He pushed her in ahead of him and slammed the panel back in place. Emergency lights flickered on, and Katherine headed down with Vincent right behind her. At the bottom of the stairwell, was a short hallway and a metal door at the end. He slapped his hand on the small panel to the right and an image of a green hand lit up. The door swung open, and he herded Katherine inside and slammed the door behind them. The dim emergency lights flickered on in the room.
"What is happening!" Katherine demanded once again.
"Someone is attacking the Dominus!" Vincent said. He was breathing raggedly. "He is fighting back!"
"How?" Katherine asked.
"Whatever you encountered with Sauvageon, multiply that a thousand times," Vincent whispered.
"He can do that?" Katherine breathed.
There was another strange wave that vibrated through the ground to them. The shockwave put them both on the floor. Vincent could only wrap his arms around her, hoping the room's ceiling and walls would protect them. Then it grew very quiet. "Yes, Katherine. Vanderau is powerful beyond measure. He is far more dangerous without a blade to channel his powers. That is why he needs you."
"Then I should have been with him," Katherine said.
"No, untrained you would have been destroyed utterly! He knew that and that is why he sent you away and Sauvageon went to him. Only he would have been able to stabilize Vanderau's power for him to strike back." Vincent sat back on his heels and held Katherine's hands in his. "We will wait here until someone comes for us."
Then another wave hit the manor and they ducked down again. It seemed an eternity that the rumbling-like earth tremors continued to rattle the manor. The emergency lights flickered and for several minutes they were plunged into darkness. Katherine sheltered in Vincent's embrace his own body covering hers as they crouched in the corner of the sealed room. She could only hear the sounds of their panicked breathing and the pounding of their hearts as they continued to feel the quaking above them. Then silence!
The lights flickered on, and they heard sounds from outside the panel door. The door swung open. Vanderau stood outside. He looked pale and terrible. His eyes were blazing liquid silver as he slumped against the open door. "It is safe to come out now."
Vincent and Katherine got to their feet and stood still wedged in the corner of the small room. Vanderau rubbed trembling hands over his ashen face and looked at Katherine, who clung to Vincent. She stared up at him with wide shocked eyes. She was afraid of him! He staggered back and looked to Vincent, "See that Katherine is secure in her suite for now. Post yourself outside her room, you have my permission to shoot anyone who tries to gain access to her. Including myself!"
Vincent put himself between Vanderau and Katherine. "Your will, Dominus."
Vanderau nodded weakly, turned away, and slowly went back up the stairs. After a moment, Vincent took hold of Katherine's hand, and they left the safe room. He escorted her to her suite and Collette was waiting to take charge. "Oh, madame – are you all right?"
"I'm okay, Collette." Katherine said and she turned to Vincent, "Thank you again."
He nodded. "I'll be right outside if you need me." He said and as he walked out he looked to Collette, "Keep the doors locked at least until the security comes back online."
"Yes sir," Collette replied. She went into the bathroom and laid out everything Katherine would need for her shower. Then, she checked on Katherine again, "I'll bring your breakfast, as soon as the electricity returns."
"I'm okay for a while," Katherine replied and saw Collette out of her room and locked the doors behind the young woman.
Katherine sat down on the edge of her bed and stared at the floor. It was nearly six o'clock in the morning and the sun was just casting its first rays of light through the curtained windows. It looked like a normal beautiful day. She looked over at her phone where it lay on the charging pad. She picked it up and opened the text app, maybe he did not want to talk but she typed a text message to him and sent it.
Nicklaus, are you all right? Are you hurt? I know you are tired, so you don't have to answer now. Just know I am thinking of you.
She did not wait long, a text came back to her.
I will be all right, mon coeur. I don't want you to worry or be afraid of what happened.
Katherine frowned at the text. Afraid? Did he mean afraid of him? Yes, she was worried about him. He looked like he had fought with demons from hell, but she was not afraid of him.
Nicklaus, I am worried about you and afraid FOR you! I could never be afraid of you. I know you will have things to do but please try to get some rest.
I will try, but it will be difficult.
What's wrong, are you injured? Are you all right?
As she was waiting for a text response the phone began to vibrate. It was Nicklaus! She answered immediately. "Nicklaus are you truly all right?"
He laughed lightly and from the heavy sigh, she guessed he was in pain and did not want her to know it. He seemed to guess what she was thinking. "Yes, mon coeur, yes I am fine. Did you know you left your robe here?"
"I did?" she said softly.
"Yes," He answered, his voice slightly muffled. "And it has your scent. I hope Collette forgets to collect your things. Perhaps I will hide it from her!"
Katherine felt her face flush. This was bordering on pillow talk! He was flirting shamelessly with her, and she loved it! "Well, if you keep something of mine, you'll have to reciprocate."
He chuckled and it was low and seductive in her ear, "The trick would be getting past Vincent! I did tell him to shoot anyone on sight trying to get into your room – including myself."
"I'll wait." She said. "Will you rest now?"
"I will try, mon coeur. I will try to see you a bit later, yes?"
"Yes." She answered and ended the call. She put the phone on the charging pad and went in to take her shower. Unless things changed her French tutor would be coming later in the morning. And if not, she would practice with the orb. Maybe she could get it to float in the air as Sauvageon had done.