Secret Of The Crest (22 page)

   ‘Nice to meet you both,’ Mano said shyly. He wasn’t one for socializing.

   ‘And who is this?’ Cassandra asked looking at Katrina.

   ‘This is Katrina from Corfu.’

   ‘Nice to meet you too, Katrina. I am Cassandra, Gregor’s sister and this is my companion, Mano.’   

   ‘It’s very nice to meet all of you.’

   Gregor was on edge. ‘Rebecca, could you and Mano accommodate your parents and Ms. Mantaris to their rooms while Cassandra and I go through some detail for the upcoming convention.’

   ‘Sure love. I’ll take mum and dad up and Mano, you can escort Ms. Katrina up but ask Mrs. Marina which room is prepared.’

   Gregor took Cassandra into the back room as everyone scattered. ‘I don’t know you that long brother but I’ve known you long enough to know that troubled look on your face. Now what is going on?’

   ‘Katrina is the daughter of the ghoul we took down. The rest of them were her brothers! She claims they were here on a fishing trip and then meet her here but I’m pretty sure she’s lying. I believe she’s actually here to feed as they were. I have to take her out!’

   ‘Don’t be hasty to make your move. Let’s wait and see what her intentions are, at the same time keeping an eye on her every move. Perhaps if she sees that she can’t find them she will be afraid to make a move on her own and she will go.’

   ‘You may be right! But warn Mano and keep a lookout for anything that might seem strange to you. I’ll tell the rest of them,’ Gregor said.

   Later that afternoon, all of them came down and were served lunch. Gregor wanted to accommodate everyone as best he could and forget about the unexpected guest. He had bottles of champagne brought to the tables and called for everyone’s attention.

   ‘I would like to propose a toast.’ He lifted his glass and continued. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, first of all, I would like to welcome you to our hostel and home on behalf of my grandmother, Cassandra, and myself but I would most importantly like to ask you formally for your daughters hand in marriage. May I have your daughter as my future wife? I would not be able to engage in marriage without her parents’ blessing.’

   ‘You have our permission and our blessings but only if you call us by our names, William and Liz, or even mom and dad if you like,’ William replied all teary eyed. 

   ‘You’re the finest young man we’ve ever met and you’re perfect for Rebecca,’ added Liz. ‘We’re more than happy to give our blessings to both of you. Congratulations! And welcome to our family Gregor!’

   Gregor hugged Rebecca and they both thanked them. Everyone celebrated the event with plenty of wine and good food. They got to know one another as the time passed pleasantly. Gregor saw his grandmother slowly walk away from the table. He asked her where she was running off to so soon.

   ‘Gregor, my boy, the tenant is waiting to be served.’ He turned to see Katrina sitting in the corner table observing them. He felt invaded, stalked. What was she really here for? Gregor wasn’t going to wait to find out.

   ‘Please excuse me for interrupting. Would anyone mind if I invited our new tenant to have a glass of wine with us?’

   ‘Go ahead, love! One more to celebrate with us!’ Rebecca replied. She was always so loving and positive that’s one of the first things Gregor saw in her. She got up out of her chair. ‘Come on, let’s go over together and invite her.’

   ‘Good evening Ms. Mantaris! We are celebrating our engagement and we thought perhaps you would like to join us for a glass of wine, if of course you don’t have plans.’

   ‘Thank you, I shall. Can not turn down a celebration of love!’

   Gregor lifted her place settings and took them to their table. He was surprise at the initiative that Rebecca took. He could tell that she was being cautious of Katrina’s every move.

   Katrina sat comfortably and toasted to the newly engaged couple. ‘I wish the both of you a very happy life together, however long or short, till death parts you and after!’

   ‘Here, here!’ said the others as they all lifted their glasses.

   Gregor’s deepest dark thoughts came to his face as the rest of them toasted over other things. He sensed with Katrina’s words that it had begun. That wasn’t a wish, that was a message. A message that they would be in danger soon enough. Gregor jumped back from his distractions and joined the rest as they took photos and started to dance. It was a wonderful evening in which they made their first family memories. After hours of celebrating tired and intoxicated they all wearily turned in.

Chapter Eleven

   Early next morning, Marina was preparing breakfast when she heard the front door open and then slam shut. She rushed over to the window with the help of her cane but the figure was already too far for her to recognize it.

   ‘It was Katrina, grandmother,’ Gregor informed. ‘I have my eyes on her; I will follow her and find out what she is up to. If anyone asks, you didn’t see me this morning.’

   ‘Yes, go now, you will lose her!’

   Gregor followed her close behind. He watched her as she climbed up tall trees, looking down from them, searching for something or someone it seemed. As she continued jumping on and off tree branches, over river banks and large boulders, she slaughtered small animals for food all of the way. She leaped from branch to branch for hours with a certain assurance. It seemed as if she was showing off; as if she knew she was being followed. And she was showing off.

   Katrina had the most heightened instincts of all her family members. She not only knew she was being followed but she also knew who was following her. Gregor’s cologne was in her nostrils. The wind had picked up and howled, making the animals of the woods find quick shelter. Danger approached but it wasn’t a storm.

   Gregor stood tall on one of the mountain edges although now he couldn’t see Katrina. She had disappeared. She didn’t want him to see her. Now she wanted to observe him carefully from a very close distance. She was toying with him. Gregor wasn’t the hunter anymore, he had become game and she enjoyed every second of it.

   Gregor moved swiftly, pinning Katrina to the mountains rock as his strength grew through his anger. ‘What exactly are you doing here? And I won’t be asking you a second time so don’t think about lying.’

   ‘I’m not afraid of you, Gregor. I led you here myself, you foolish boy. I saw that look on your face last night. You knew I would be searching today because you know where my family is and you don’t want me to find them do you? But, why? I am not only a threat to you; I am your only threat, is putting it correctly. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve killed every last one of you! This is exactly where I was to meet with my family. But seeing that they aren’t here and that I can smell your guilt, I imagine you have finished them off. Am I right? Either way, we came here to claim this territory as our own and I’m going to do just that!’

   ‘You won’t be doing anything. The way I see it, your family is not here, your place is not here and most important, I don’t want you here! So you have two choices. One, leave and don’t look back or stay and have you neck snapped! What is it going to be?’ Gregor pressed her even harder on the rock.

   ‘You haven’t given me much of a choice. You know as well as I do that I can not stay away but for now I will do you the favor and go. Can’t say what I’ll be doing if I find my family though.’

   Gregor had no intention of letting her leave but that is what he wanted everyone back at the hostel think. That she left abruptly. ‘You’ve made a wise choice then for now. Get your things from the inn, give an excuse and be gone by tonight or else you will see more than just my teeth in your face!’

   Katrina gave him a sinister look as he her go. She smiled and walking in a circle around him. ‘Have you made many mistakes in your life Gregor?’ He looked at her with disgust.

   ‘I think you just made the biggest one. Till we meet again!’ Katrina disappeared into the woods. Gregor wanted to kill her right then and there but he couldn’t raise any more questions now that his in-laws were in town.

   It was almost lunch time when Gregor walked back into the hostel. Everyone was gathered in the lobby except for Rebecca’s parents who had taken a stroll around the hostel grounds.

   ‘Hello, love. I have missed you much. Where have you disappeared to all morning? I was beginning to think you are afraid of my parents!’

   Kissing her on her forehead he answered, ‘I have been hunting for boar so your parents can taste Marina’s specialty while they are here. Unfortunately, one got away but I’ll go out later again.’ Gregor hated that he had to lie to Rebecca’s face but it was to everyone’s best interests. 

   ‘Come on, let’s have lunch!’

   Cassandra nodded affirmatively, starring at Gregor all the time. She could read him easily but she would ask him later. 

   ‘We haven’t seen Katrina this morning. She must be sleeping late,’ Cassandra said. Marina gave the answer quickly.

   ‘Oh, my dear I forgot. She checked out a few minutes before you all came down and she said to tell you goodbye but she was called on some business by her family. She was to meet them, I think she said.’

   Gregor was relieved that she had already left but now he had to excuse himself. ‘I’m sorry that I am going to leave you again but I forgot that Liz and William are out there alone. I don’t want them wandering off on their own. I’ll escort them around and we’ll get lunch a little later. Do you mind Rebecca?’

   ‘No, love. I think your right about them wandering off. Love ya!’

   ‘Okay, I will see you all soon.’  Gregor was tense. Katrina had agreed to leave but he knew better.

   Running through the woods, he tract her scent. At the first river point he heard the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Holmes. They were far from the hostel indeed. The couple were talking and casting pebbles into the water. Gregor caught Katrina watching them from a branch right over their heads. She looked at Gregor and licked her lips. Gregor gave her a look of death.

   ‘Gregor, over here,’ Mrs. Holmes called out. 

   ‘Good day!’ he replied.

   ‘We got carried away on our stroll and a good thing too because look where it led us! It is so beautiful out here!’

   ‘Yes it is. That is why I came out to show you some of the great points in the area.’

   ‘Great, let’s begin!’

   They began their tour. Katrina bit her lip till it bled. Furious, she took off! Gregor escorted the couple for over an hour and after showing them some of the natural woodland sites he led them back to the inn.

   ‘Here we are! Go on in and I will be with you shortly!’ Gregor said.

   Again he ran through the trees, tracking his enemy. The scent was there but weaker his time. He was going to finish what Katrina had started. The game would soon be over! Within minutes, Gregor came to the end of the first trail with her scent. He saw nothing. Aggravated, he tore his claws through the trunk of a tree, piecing its bark to shreds.

   He turned toward the point where guests parked their cars. Surprised by the overwhelming scent Katrina had left here, he moved toward Cassandra’s car. He remembered that his had stood next to it. Now it was gone. Gregor was furious. As he was about to continue his search, his eye caught a small note on the antenna of his sister’s car. It read; “
Borrowed your car. Oh, and Gregor, till we meet again!
”