Jimmy’s speed picked up as he walked across the road and ducked into the docks. Keeping a hand on my elbow, Tinniel guided me, pushing me to go faster. Using the tourists as our shield, we almost caught up to him, our breath heavy and loud as we stayed silent in order to concentrate.
Looking around, I traced the faces of those around us. There didn’t seem to be anyone out of the ordinary. Why would Jimmy make this trip alone? He might have been a powerful vampire, but he was also a wanted man. As dangerous as he was, he knew better than to go out without his bodyguard.
“I don’t trust this,” Tinniel said. “As soon as he reaches the door, I’ll freeze time. That will give us an advantage. We’ll check for other vampires watching the entrance. That way, we’ll know whether we need to sneak in without being seen.”
“Okay,” I said quickly, keeping my gaze glued to Jimmy’s back.
What was in his bag? Why would he have an amulet to protect him? When I had seen him in my mind’s eye, he had used another witch to cut my connection to him. He hadn’t used the pendant to hide himself. Had the amulet been my mother’s?
Slowing down, Jimmy paused as he swept his gaze across the crowd around him. Ducking our heads, we moved behind a crowd who inspected one of the boats. It was a good job London was always busy, regardless of the time of year or weather.
“Right,” Tinniel murmured near my ear. “He’s approaching the door.”
Closing his eyes, Tinniel muttered words that I didn’t understand. The people around us froze, the sound of chatting descending into silence. A shudder moved me as I inspected the faces of those who were trapped in time.
“I can’t get over your magic.” My hand automatically moved to take hold of his, only just stopping when I remembered that it wasn’t appropriate while we were on a job.
How could I explain to him that he was kind of turning me on right now? It was a good job Naz wasn’t around to berate me. He would remind me of my complete inappropriateness. What could I say? I was a teeny bit obsessed.
“Right,” I said, shaking myself out of my own thoughts. “Let’s check for vampires.”
Inclining his head, Tinniel moved away from me, checking every person in the vicinity. I followed, my own gaze narrowing on those who stood near the entrance to the mediaeval banquet. Being early in the day, the attraction wasn’t open for the public.
Jimmy was frozen, his arm held up, about to knock on the thick wooden door.
“Anything?” I asked Tinniel.
He would spot a vampire much quicker than I would. I could feel that the energy of some of the people in the crowd was different, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what they were. Would I start to be able to tell the difference?
Stepping closer to a man whose strapping body resembled his own, Tinniel grunted as he lifted the poor fella’s top lip. “No fangs. Ordinary witch.”
“I can’t see anyone watching Jimmy,” I said, threading between the people.
One of them held a burger in the air, just about to take the first bite. My stomach rumbled, the sound echoing around the silent area. If I ate the burger, would it change the whole dynamic of the woman’s day? Like the butterfly effect? Or would she just go and get another one?
“Is she a vampire?” Tinniel came over and inspected her wide open mouth.
As a professional, I should have told him the real reason I was paying such close attention to the woman. However, he would sack me if I let him know that rather than checking to see if she was indeed a paranormal person, I was longing for her burger.
“No,” I replied, pulling my eyebrows into a contemplative frown to look like I was doing my job. “I can sense she’s something though.”
Yeah, hungry, like me.
“She’s a sorcerer,” Tinniel said, shaking his head when he caught me staring at the burger.
What could I say? The cheese was dripping down the side, almost hugging the meat before it licked across the bottom bun.
“I take it you’re hungry?”
Shrugging, I turned away from the delightful temptation and strode towards Jimmy. My gaze went to the amulet that hung from the backpack. I studied it as the pang of familiarity dug deeper into my chest.
“Naz found the amulet that your mother wore.” Tinniel’s voice made me jump.
His breath was suddenly on my neck where he had snuck up behind me. I hadn’t even heard him approach.
Moving to face Jimmy, I looked into his eyes. His irises were lined with a red ring, the glow highlighting the bloodless white of his eyeballs. The vampire was driven by something inside him. What was it that turned his eyes red? What was it that made it impossible for him to have life, and yet, still live?
“Synthia once said that if Jimmy wasn’t such a nasty bastard, he would be hot.” Tinniel held up his hands when my gaze shot to him, my eyebrows rising far into my forehead. “Her words, not mine.”
My gaze found its way back to Jimmy’s face. His cheekbones were sharp, his clean-shaven jaw protruding and strong. His dark hair was slicked back off his face, and his skin still tanned, even though he was technically dead.
“How did he die?”
Shrugging, Tinniel reached for the backpack and unzipped it, peering inside. “He got into trouble with a gang of drug dealers. He’s always been a wild man, believing that he doesn’t have to comply with the law. It isn’t surprising,” Tinniel said, taking out a silver engraved box from the bag and holding it up, “that he turned to criminal activities when he became a vampire. He loves the thrill of the human trafficking slave trade. You felt the thirst that drives him. It’s as if he can’t control himself.”
Grunting, I pointed at the box as tingles made me itchy. Whatever it was, it had to be something that Jimmy didn’t want us to know about. No wonder Tinniel was classed as one of the most dangerous bounty hunters in London. His ability went beyond anything I had ever imagined possible. Not that I’d had a clue that any of this craziness existed, of course. It was still bloody hard to get my mind around the fact that I was considered a royal witch.
“Now this,” Tinniel muttered, “is interesting. I’ve seen this pattern engraved on a scroll holder before. It was enchanted by a sorceress who lived a thousand years ago. She created the vampires because she needed an army to defeat the queen who threatened her and her family.”
“So, it’s some sort of vampire relic?” I glanced down at Jimmy’s hand, for some reason drawn to look at the ring on his finger. It had a flowery vine insignia engraved on the silver. It was rather feminine for a man. However, it matched the same insignia in the centre of the engraved silver box.
Tinniel licked his lips as he stared at the latch. Would he be brave enough to open it? A quiver rushed over me as I remembered the tale of Pandora and her box. Would there be demons hidden inside, awakened only when the box was opened?
“It is a vampire relic. Who knows what’s inside?” Tinniel took out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures. “I would be foolish to open it right now. Not only that, it could change the timeline. It’s better to be safe.”
Returning it to the backpack, Tinniel smiled at me when I released my breath in relief. As much as I would have loved to take a sneak peak, even I knew that playing with vampire relics wasn’t a good idea.
“Shall we see what he does?” I said, almost excited to carry on with the memory.
Tinniel nodded and turned, indicating that I follow him to stand behind the corner of the building. Sneering at Jimmy, I paused. It would be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the vampire. Wrapping my fingers around the amulet, I closed my eyes and waited.
In the past, I’d somehow managed to stay connected to the man who had attacked me in my home. I had tracked him after he had touched me. Maybe I could do the same with the amulet when we were back in our time.
“I see what you did,” Tinniel said when I joined him. “Good thinking.”
As mundane as the compliment was, I still almost giggled like a schoolgirl. Kno
wing how esteemed both the twins were, I had a lot to live up to. Not only that, everyone kept beating my royalty drum. I’d had no idea that I would have to prove myself to complete strangers. Strangers who were extremely talented and incredibly hot. Would I ever belong as a bounty hunter?
Saying no more, Tinniel clicked his fingers. The sound of people enjoying their day, rushed into my ears. Covering them, I smiled, amazed at how easy it was for him to use his skill. No wonder they wanted me to train every single day.
Taking a deep breath, I ducked around the side of the building to look for Jimmy. His arm had fallen after knocking on the wooden door. Whoever was inside opened immediately, allowing Jimmy entrance. With one last look around, the vampire disappeared, and the door slammed shut behind him.
“Right. Get ready for the next part of the spell.” Tinniel’s expression was serious, although the slight lift of his lips gave him away. He enjoyed showing off.
I grinned up at him as we made our way towards the banquet hall. Clearing his throat, Tinniel clicked his fingers again, and the people around us started to move backwards, retracing their steps. We pushed forward as the banquet door opened and Jimmy reversed before freezing again.
“Okay, now it’s a little tougher. I’ll have to focus all my magic on the next bit,” Tinniel said.
“What do you want me to do?”
Sucking in a breath, the sorcerer closed his eyes for several seconds before answering. “We are now invisible. However, this spell is taking longer than usual. Just stay quiet and keep a close eye on what happens. As soon as we have the information we need, the spell will drop and we’ll be back at the Federation.”
“Got it,” I said as I straightened my spine, ready to play my part.
Stepping into the dark corridor, we stood back against the wall. Jimmy started to move into the building as Tinniel released the spell. A man with long straggly hair welcomed the vampire, offering to take his suit jacket.
Waving him away, Jimmy rushed through the darkness and skipped down the steps. We kept our distance as the man, who was dressed in mediaeval peasantry attire, shuffled along behind him.
I held my breath, almost too scared to breathe in case they could hear me.
There was music coming from ahead. The shadows swallowed us as we joined the others inside the great hall.
The ceiling in the underground vault was low. Brick and stone lined the walls, showing their ancient history. There was a rack of historical clothes near the entrance, ready for the humans to play dress up.
“I wouldn’t mind dressing up as a mediaeval lady,” I said, biting my lip when Tinniel frowned at me.
Oops, stupid Lyla. One of the most important things that the twins had taught me about staking out a bounty was to keep quiet. And what had I done? I had instantly broken that rule. Maybe Tinniel would give me a smack on the hand. Or somewhere more inappropriate?
Nope. I had to control my mind and not let it run away with itself. Just because I was panicking, didn’t mean I could start thinking crazy sexual thoughts about the man standing next to me. If I didn’t train it out of myself, it would become extremely tedious.
Jimmy streamed through the shadows and emerged onto the dancefloor that was lit up by disco lights. Long arched caverns stretched off on either side, lined with tables that were adorned with wooden plates and rustic brass goblets. This was my type of place.
“Jimmy!” A tall slim man came out from the DJ box that was hidden in the wall. “It’s about time you paid me a visit.”
Offering his hand, which was the size of Tinniel’s head, he placed his other palm on Jimmy’s shoulder and squeezed so hard, Jimmy grunted. Well, the man must have been a beast to be able to hurt Jimmy, considering he was a vampire.
“Who is he?” I whispered as the man with straggly hair shuffled up behind the pair and offered them a frothy pint of lager.
My mouth watered, longing for the cold drip of liquid to wet my dry lips.
Jimmy straightened his shoulders as he stepped away from the lean yet intimidating man and took the offered drink. My gaze was transfixed on the vampire as he almost shuddered in fear. If Jimmy was afraid of the man in front of us, he must have been someone truly terrible to reckon with.
“I’ve never seen him.” Tinniel narrowed his gaze on the man with the biggest hands I’d ever seen. “However, if Jimmy is petrified of the creature, then we should be, too.”
Nodding, I watched as they moved towards one of the tables and settled there. Without saying another word, Jimmy took out the box and laid it between them. The man reminded me of Frankenstein’s monster, his long head almost rectangular as he tilted it to the side and stared at the silver in front of him.
Creeping closer, we stood beside a pillar so we could hear the exchanged conversation.
“You say that she calls to you?” Frankenstein asked Jimmy.
Yep, that was the new guy’s awesome nickname. He would be honoured if he knew I’d bothered to give him one.
The vampire folded his arms on the table in front of him and leant forward, widening his red eyes. “I’ve seen her in my dreams. She knows that the Ford line lives. Her own army will be defeated if we don’t end the original witches for good.”
My heart beat louder than the music playing around us. How had our investigation of the criminal warlords suddenly switched to involve me personally?
Tinniel’s fingers travelled down my forearm and clasped my hand. His soothing touch helped me to stay calm. If I lost it now, we wouldn’t get the information we needed. I was quickly learning that no matter what happened, as a bounty hunter, I had to control my emotions.
“And the mother?”
Sitting back, Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his leg to rest his ankle on his knee. He was suddenly full of confidence, even though he had been shaking where he stood only a few moments ago. “I told you,” he said, his gaze flicking to the silver box. “First, we talk about Helania’s Talisman. Once we’ve come to an arrangement, we will move on to Mariah Ford.”
“Do you really think,” the man started, leaning forward as his meaty hands wrapped around the table and squeezed so hard, the wood cracked, “that you have the power to bargain with us? Just because you have our names tattooed on your chest, doesn’t mean you can manipulate how this goes.”
Ah, the bastard was one of the main criminals that the police wanted to capture. It wasn’t surprising. We knew that Jimmy was involved with those who made money from selling humans to vampires for their blood.
A shudder moved over me as I remembered Synthia’s story. She had fought to escape the binds that kept her as a blood slave. Now that she was free, she had obviously overcome many obstacles to become a kick-arse bounty hunter, clearly driven to stop those who harmed others.
“Mariah Ford is off the table.” Jimmy went to stand up, pausing when the tall, willowy man held up his oversized hand and gestured for him to stop.
“And the scroll holder?” the man asked, a secretive glint in his eye.
Lowering himself back into his seat, Jimmy chewed on his bottom lip as he raised his gaze to meet the man’s who called the shots. “I’m still working on it. Once we have it, we can combine both Talismans together to bring her back.”
It was the sinewy man’s turn to lean back and fold his tree-log arms across his narrow waist. “She was once Master to the vampires. If we are able to gather the five vampire leaders, we shall be able to resurrect her and take over the world. The necromancer assures us.”
“What are you–?” Naz’s voice hushed as he appeared next to us, blinking in the darkness.
Tinniel grabbed hold of his brother as both men around the table turned to look towards us. The scene around us changed, the dingy underground cellar morphing into the surveillance room.
Growling, Tinniel shoved Naz as the brother held up his hands and tried to apologise. “I’m sorry. I saw that you were both in the memory, frozen in time, and thought that I better check in. You
were taking so long.”
“You know how dangerous it is to jump in on a spell. I had enough magic to keep us invisible, but they would have heard you. You could have changed everything.”
Pacing, Tinniel ran a hand down his face and avoided looking in my direction. My own heart beat hard. Naz had given us a fright. We had been given an incredible insight to vampire intelligence. And Naz had gone and blown it.
“Okay, guys,” Naz said. “Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t know what you were doing. I worry about you, man.” He glanced at Tinniel, raising his eyebrows.
It wasn’t a surprise that Naz was wary of his brother’s magic, not after their other brother, Henrik, was killed when Tinniel tried to save his legs.
Well, according to Jimmy’s werewolf, Henrik was still alive. How had Tinniel not known that Henrick’s death had been fake?
“What did you find out?” Naz cut straight to the point, ignoring his brother’s frustrated groan. “It must have been good if you’re acting like a bitch because I disturbed you.”
“We know why the warlords are gathering humans. If I read the situation correctly,” Tinniel said, glancing at me, “they’re building a vampire army in order to resurrect the sorceress who created them. Apparently, the cocky bastards think that they have a right to rule the world.”
Chapter Four
“Why do they have such a grudge against you?” Naz asked as we updated the system with the information that we’d just collected.
Tinniel’s tall frame was standing nearby, completely still with his hand extended into the screen again. He had announced that he would go back alone to see where Jimmy had gone at the end of the meeting. According to the CCTV, he hadn’t come back out of the building. Had the meeting gone wrong? What if Frankenstein had actually killed Jimmy?
My insides quivered as I shoved away the thought. No, our only link to my mother, and maybe Henrick, had to remain alive. He was a vampire, he couldn’t die.
“Technically he can.” Naz sat back in his seat and looked around the room. “We better hope this man didn’t chop off his head.”
The Witch With An Attitude (Federation of Magic Book 2) Page 4