Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Cossack Attacks!

 While Vanderau was gone she went to sit by the fire. Already it was getting cooler in the evenings. She wondered about a lot of things while she watched the flames dance over the burning logs. 

 The elevator door opened with a faint swish sound, and he locked it. He joined her by the fire, sitting in Sauvageon's wingback chair. "I could hear you thinking about a million things just now."

 She laughed lightly, "I was thinking about everything and nothing." She replied. "I'm trying not to think about what is coming in less than 24 hours."

 "I know," he said with a great sigh, "But you should be very proud of yourself, Sauvageon says you are ready for whatever comes."

 "He told you I was ready?" Katherine questioned. "Odd that he tells you that and fusses that I must be able to hold back a tidal wave of power – that I must be ready for any treachery!"

 He pulled at one ear. "Well, I did tell you he was a martinet!"

 She laughed. "Yes, you did!"

 "You look tired, mon coeur," Nicklaus said, he reached out and took her hand. "Tomorrow will be hectic with last-minute arrangements. By the afternoon, we will be on our way to Geneva." He rose and drew her up with him and held her in a close embrace. Katherine rested her head with an ear listening to the beat of his heart. Nicklaus eased her back to look into her eyes. "I have a few tasks waiting for me in my office, but I will join you as soon as I am done."

 She nodded and stepped away only to be pulled back into his arms. His mouth found hers and she could only cling to him. His fingers slid into the waves of her blonde hair and his kiss became more urgent. A soft moan escaped from his throat as he raised his head and he slowly gained control once more. Katherine stepped back and this time she was allowed to leave him.

 Katherine showered and dressed in a set of silk pajamas. When she emerged from the attached dressing room and into the bedroom, she heard Vanderau on the phone. She moved closer and peered into the office. He was standing at an open window. The chilled air blew in, but he did not seem to be affected by it. The language he spoke was one she had not heard before. It did not sound like a modern language, she realized as she listened he was speaking to someone in Latin. She retreated, got into bed, and cuddled down into the coverlet. She was asleep within minutes. 

 She was dreaming! She knew she was dreaming. She heard the crack of a whip, and she felt the sting of it across her hip. She was fighting to be free, but every way she turned the whip stung her! Then he was there! A man, big and loud with a booming voice. She was trussed up and held by many hands. He grabbed her hair and twisted his fingers into its length. "Now we see how powerful he is, eh?"

 He swung up astride and touched his spurred heels to her. She began to run! She had no choice but to run faster as he continued to spur his heels into her sides. This was a night terror, and she could not wake up! She knew what was happening and only she could stop him. Katherine strained against the tight bonds that held her. Suddenly she was in another form and a heavy weight that had been pinning her down was gone! The word that boomed in her head was "Elemental!" She turned to face her assailant and in her hand was a shining sword and on her arm was a shield, she used both against her assailant. 

 "Katherine!"

 She looked up and Vanderau was there with her. Lending her his powers to help drive the assailant back. There was anger, shock, and surprise as she woke from her nightmare. Vanderau was there, the manifestation of power crackled around his body. She was bathed in a silver light. Vanderau reached out for her, and she threw herself into his arms! She wrapped her arms around him and held on. The light instantly died, and he held her close. "Oh Christ, Katherine I am so sorry!"

 She sat back and looked up at him in confusion. "Why?"

 "Why?" He echoed, "Look what he's done to you! Because of me! Look what he's done!"

 She looked down at herself. Traces of blood were on her pajamas. With trembling hands, he gently lifted her pajama top. His eyes were fierce as he looked at the bleeding cuts and scratches. Katherine looked down in amazement, there on her body were the cuts the spurs had made. Her mouth was bleeding from where the bit had cut her lip and inside of her mouth. She backed away from Vanderau and he backed away and ran from the room. Within seconds, Collette was rushing into the room and gathering her gently into the bathroom. 

 Vanderau stood in his office. Anger flew off of him in a million directions! He paced the room and always ended up looking at the cell phone on his office desk. He could hear Collette worrying over Katherine. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the cuts and welts on her body, he wanted to kill Makarov! As he stopped at his desk for what might have been the thousandth time. It started to buzz. He snatched it up and pressed the 'talk' icon. "So, she is an elemental, much stronger than even I expected – and so much stronger than you ever were, my boy!"

 "This is between us, why couldn't you leave her alone?" Vanderau growled into the phone. "I will kill you!"

 "You are not thinking clearly, Nicolo!" Makarov said. "You will lose everything if you strike against me. Are you willing to lose everything for a mere blade?"

 Katherine was in front of him. She raised her top to expose her sides. The cuts and marks were gone! She reached up and took the phone from Vanderau's numb fingers. She was composed and cool as she spoke into the phone. Her French was flawless!

 "As you said I am an elemental and not a mere blade, else wise you would not have made such a clumsy attempt to force the Dominus into action against you. I will tell you here and now, that you will never – never claim me. I belong – have always belonged to Nicklaus Vanderau! When you face him in the Oculus you and your family will kneel – not bow – kneel in respect! 'Spokoynoy nochi' Cossack!"

 When she was finished, she hung up on a silent Makarov. Vanderau was speechless as she handed the phone back to him. 

 With all the activity, Sauvageon had come up to the office unnoticed. He was standing in the doorway and had heard everything. Katherine had been reading more than he thought! She knew what she was and was embracing the immense power in the protection of her mate!

 Collette was waiting in the doorway of the bedroom. She was holding a cup of tea. As Katherine passed Sauvageon, she smiled, "Goodnight, Pierre."

 Vanderau met Sauvageon's grey eyes. "What the hell just happened?"

 Collette closed the doors between the office and the bedroom. Sauvageon raised a questioning eyebrow at Vanderau. "I'd say she has mastered French. It was perfect!"

 "And what did she say at the end?" Nicklaus asked.

 Sauvageon chuckled, his smoky-colored eyes sparkling with mirth. "It appears that your blade speaks Russian as well! She wished him a peaceful good night, which is what you should do. And what I am going to do, goodnight, Nicklaus."

 "Goodnight, Pierre." Vanderau watched the old gladio slowly move to the elevator. Collette had gathered up her supplies and Katherine's bloodied pajamas and left the tower suite by the back stairs. 

 Vanderau closed and locked the elevator, turned off all the lights, and went into the bedroom. Katherine was finishing her tea when he walked in. She set the cup and saucer on the bedside table. She showed no injury at all. He came and sat on the end of the bed and scrubbed wearily at his face before he leaned up against the bedpost and met her deep fathomless blue eyes. "Thank you, mon coeur."

 "There's nothing to thank me for, Nicklaus. I started to heal as soon as you went to fetch Collette." She replied. "By the time I had washed up and changed, everything was gone – like it never happened."

 "Makarov --,"

 "He is desperate," Katherine said cutting Vanderau off. "They are all desperate, Nicklaus. I realized that when we were able to shove him back so easily."

 He studied her. "You know then – that you are an elemental. The most powerful blade in this modern era!"

 "I only know that I need to be your blade," she remarked. "Officially and before the Sept."

 He smiled and nodded. She pointed to the bathroom. "Go take a hot shower and come to bed. This is our last night together before the testing. We're both exhausted and I have the feeling it's not going to be much better before it's all over and settled."

 "Yes, madame." He grinned at her, and she jabbed her finger toward the bathroom.

 "No dawdling, go!" 

 He chuckled, got to his feet, and went off to shower. When he had finished, he came out feeling more relaxed. Katherine was already dozing when he crawled in and gathered her up next to him. She snuggled up next to him and sighed. 

 "Did you get Gregor from Makarov?" She asked him.

 "I did." 

 "Now I know why he was so distressed when that idiot went after him with the whip." She murmured, "Gregor was afraid and angry that he was once again going to be hurt."

 He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Sleep now, mon coeur."

 She nodded. She drifted off to sleep and Vanderau continued to stare up at the ceiling for a few minutes, listening to her slow and steady breathing. 

 Katherine could see individual power tethers. With that knowledge, she could distinguish his power tether from the others. He began to wonder if she could weave tethers together to form new forms of power cores. No other gladio except for an elemental had ever been able to manipulate the Sept in such a way! It had to be why the others were so desperate to get control of Katherine – his blade! This was his chance to make a real difference in the Sept. He wanted Katherine to be his and his alone. Was that going to be possible? Sauvageon seemed to be confident that this young woman was his even before she had ever laid eyes on him. How could that be? How could he have dreamed of her even before he knew Jedidiah Lee was stepping down as Gladio? These questions swirled around in his head until he finally fell asleep with her body draped against his side.