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Genevieve was catching up This little girl, whoain at the Palazzo Otranto, was some sort of inhuman creature, but not a vampire There were other er than a vampire elder, than all the vampire elders,&039; Merrin continued &039;She is eternal but not ageless In her four aspects, she is a complete cycle, a full life Vaes and turmoils, but the Mother of Tears embraces them, embodies them You are cool, she is warm Your hearts are stilled, hers beats with the life of the city&039;

&039;What is her purpose?&039; Kate asked

Merrin shrugged, expressively &039;To continue?&039;

A spiral-bound notebook fluttered, pages riffling There was a definite wind The holy breeze of the Vatican whipped against Genevieve&039;s face, trailing invisible fingers through her hair She felt an icy hand reaching into her chest

In the dark beyond their circle of light, wings flapped Kate looked alar over the tops of the bookcases, angling doard the priest, at the point of a long, black-winged body

Genevieve lashed out, but missed the bird

The beak-point sliced into Merrin&039;s forehead, just above his glasses Genevieve lunged for the bird It was the size of an eagle and the colour of a crow Yellow eyes riht its beak and held it shut

The wings beat, ha her chest with blows that would have broken the bones of a oled free and rose above the hiot in here It flapped twice and rose out of her grasp Talons angled down, pointed with barbs of bone

She prayed it would leave

And it was gone

The effect was like a blow to the heart She could not help but think she was the victih the sudden imposition and removal of violent adversity

Kate helped Merrin up and looked at his forehead She wet a hankie on her cat-like tongue and cleaned the gash, wiping away the trickle of blood

Merrin didn&039;t flinch

Genevieve knew Kate hting a prie to fasten her mouth over his wound and suck

&039;You must be careful,&039; the priest said &039;Both of you&039;

&039;What was that?&039; Genevieve asked

&039;A warning, to the Church, to me We are to stay out of this It is between you, by which I mean vampires, and her, the Mother of Tears&039;

&039;Was that another aspect of her?&039; Kate asked

&039;Only a conjuring A little display of power She likes her puppets, her toys This Crimson Executioner is probably a &039;

Kate nodded &039;I thought so In the Piazza di Trevi, it was her The little girl She killed Kernassy and Malenka, using the Executioner as a weapon&039;

And in Otranto, Genevieve thought, what there? The Cris, in Ro a swath At Otranto, when Dracula was killed, there must have been another toy, another weapon

Genevieve felt a surge of dread for Kate

Had her friend realised the possibility? She must have, to have become so fixed on her course

&039;Can they be freed?&039; Genevieve asked &039;Her puppets?&039;

Merrin shook his head &039;Only by death&039;

Kate&039;s face was a blank

It didn&039;t seeht to leave Father Merrin alone, but he insisted he&039;d be all right The attack had been a demonstration not an assassination attempt, directed as much at Genevieve and Kate as him

&039;Will Viridiana show us out?&039; Kate asked

&039;Viridiana?&039; Merrin asked, puzzled

&039;The lay worker? The young woman?&039;

Kate&039;s words died as she spoke them Genevieve tried to reuided them here, but could not

&039;Even here,&039; Merrinsadly &039;She is bold I hope fervently you will be able to come to an accommodation with her, for no one has ever beaten her&039;

They left hihts They needed to remind themselves they were vampires, that they were mistresses of the dark

&039;If it&039;s me, Gene,&039; Kate said, &039;you&039;re to kill arlic You&039;re the only one I can trust to do it Please, promise&039;

Genevieve looked at her friend &039;I promise, chere Kate&039;

&039;Thank you,&039; Kate said, and kissed her