David McAfee - After, Taras and Theron - Beyond Jerusalem

“Do it,” Theron repeated, “or I will kill you and find someone who will.”

The youth nodded again and stepped over to Adonia’s body. He lifted it over his shoulder and started walking down the street. Occasionally, he would glance over his shoulder, perhaps to make certain Theron was not about to go back on his word. Theron considered going after him and driving his claws through the other vampire’s spine, but decided against it. He wanted this message delivered.

Once the Council saw Adonia’s body, they would know they had underestimated their former Lead Enforcer. Few, if any, of their servants would be a match for him. Which meant if the Council of Thirteen wanted him brought to justice, they would have to do it themselves.

He walked down the street, headed for the edge of the city. It would take the youth an hour or so to reach the Council’s portal in Athens, and it would take another few hours for the Council to be roused and alerted. By then the young vampire would be in a cell somewhere, waiting for Algor to interrogate him. Theron had witnessed many such interrogations. The young vampire would very likely never leave the Halls of the Bachiyr. An older, more experienced vampire would have simply fought Theron then and there, preferring to die outright than suffer through Algor’s manipulations. Theron had done him no favors by sparing his life.

He smiled as he left Athens and began walking through the lush, moonlit countryside, wondering how long it would take Ramah to find him.

However long it took, he meant to make the bastard work for it.