A few laughed, but they were quickly silenced. Clara suspected what Julia was saying went over their heads, forcing them to delve into topics that The Tower insisted did not exist. She’s a breath of fresh air in their sterile world.

“Corpse?” Adam said. “How wonderfully colloquial of you.”

Julia’s heart rate shot up, a sign that she slipped out a clue about her true nature. Hunters never used the term corpse, instead they used them, and neither group cared what vampires called themselves. They spent enough time around werewolves to learn their slang?

“Now boys,” Julia said. “Be nice, I promise you that this will be my best chapter yet!”

“No, Sir,” Silky said.

No one else dared make a sound, confirming that this was the authority amongst the group. Silky was sent to probe, while the leader observed. Marc would call that poor leadership.

“What’s your name my dear?” the leader asked.

There was sincerity behind that voice that made it hard to ignore. Clara assumed the leader was a hit with the ladies.

“Julia Black,” she replied.

“Beautiful and strong name,” the leader said. “I’m Adam.”

The leader moved his arms, and Clara could do little more than guess what he did.

“What about that?”

There were more chuckles and even a few howls of laughter. Silky’s heart rate blipped in the span of a single breath. Clara imagined that the man would not accept being shown up by a girl. They may be as old as those who fought in the Great War, it doesn’t make them wise.

“Ecclesiastes 4:10,” Silky said without any modulation, instead aggression filled in that void.

Clara knew the answer:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

It was a jab at having taken down Clara, leaving Julia to stand on her own. The werewolf was not so quick to respond this time. Her heart rate went sky high and she gulped loud enough for everyone to hear.

“You’re telling me that you just stumbled onto this place?” Silky asked, the modulation was more overt which would have been hard for humans to ignore. I’ll need to ask Evelyn to show me how to do it.

Clara created the illusion of her heart racing to account for the blood loss while showing signs of faltering. She knew the werewolf might pick up on it and hoped she would ignore the realism or play it up.

“Next time don’t fucking use bible verses that hint to their purpose,” Julia said.

More truth to deflect. By pointing out that it was painfully obvious vice a superhuman sense of scent, Julia could avoid making unnecessary lies.

They collectively stopped, once the lead group was within fifteen paces. The man who lined up with the direction of bolts in her back made a sign with his arm to order them to halt.

“What are you doing here?” Asked a man who stood to the left of the one she guessed was the leader.

His voice was smooth as silk, and Clara heard the modulation in the voice. She was not sure how, but he somehow learned how to use their voice like vampires did. I’ll call him Silky.

“We got trapped in a fucking endless corridor and found this place.” Julia said.

The best lies were those based on truth, but her already high heart rate went up a tick. It was not much, but someone like Clara would pick up on the deception.