"Right before Wolfgang returned to us. He intercepted your father, in fact, the very night after he returned to us with the scroll. We'd intended to use it. We were close to acquiring all the ingredients we needed."
"To call forth the legion of angels to slaughter everyone?" I asked.
"It was initially our best chance at taking out Alice," Mina said. "But certainly, we had plans more ambitious than that."
I bit my lip. "Of course you did. But then Wolfgang made Tom Miller hide the scroll."
"We never would have imagined he'd bury it with Heather Morgan. But I suppose it made sense. When Heather was deposed of, and I took over, she vowed vengeance on the Order. Now, it seems, she's making good on her promise."
I grunted. "Well, in that case, perhaps we should leave her to it. If she finished you all off, well, that would take care of a lot of problems."
"You realize, with every soul she harvests, she gains strength? From what I've learned, she's already taken a few of your own. Five more of ours today."
"I believe the deaths in my club were for other reasons. I have no reason to suspect she'll be coming back any time soon."
Mina sighed. "With every soul she takes, she becomes more monstrous. She loses more of her humanity. And her hatred of vampires and witches is no less now than it was when she lived. If she survives, even if she kills all of our Order, do you think she'll stop?"
"I could wait and take her out after she finishes the job."
Mina laughed. "She already died once! You can't kill her again. Staking her will do nothing. Remove her head from her shoulders, and she'll pick it up and put it back on again. There's only one way to stop her."
"By destroying the Grimoire of the Nazarene," I said.
Mina shook her head. "That scroll is as indestructible as she is. The only way to kill her is to use the grimoire. To call the angels, as we planned to do before, to carry her to hell."
"Let me guess," Devin said. "We need you to do that."
"I know how to use it," Mina said. "Like I said, we'd figured it out and nearly had everything we needed to do so before your father took the scroll and hid it under Wolfgang's thrall."
"And you expect we can trust you to do that without turning the angels against us?"
"All I can do is give you my word. As I said before, Heather hates vampires and witches alike. I do not think she will make an exception for these two witches you've brought to us, Nyx. It's only a matter of time before she kills the both of them."
I sighed. "If we help you, no magic cloaks to protect you. You will use the grimoire to eliminate Heather Morgan. And then, you will give it to me so I can see it hidden where no one will ever be able to use it again."
"My cloak protects me from her," Mina said.
"But without it, you're vulnerable to us. If you want our help, those are my terms."
"Why shouldn't I proceed as I was? I can find her myself."
"And how many more members of the Order are you willing to let die when you try? I'm not human, Mina. She can't kill me like she does the others. No more than she could kill one of your nightwalkers."
"She haunts us under daylight when our nightwalkers cannot come to our aid. If you can do as you said and retrieve the grimoire from her, I will stand by my promise. But I want more from you than that."
"What are your terms?" Devin asked.
"Let the Order resume its duties without interference. Nyx, you've become quite the thorn in our side as of late. What I'm proposing is an eternal truce. Help us eliminate Heather Morgan, and you can have the grimoire. But you must also stay out of our way."
"And you must agree the Order will nevermore come after my friends or me."
"You and your witches will remain off-limits."
"Can we have a moment to confer with one another?" Devin asked. "In private?"
Mina nodded. "Certainly. But every minute we waste, Heather Morgan is out there harvesting more souls and gaining strength."
"We'll be quick," Devin said.
"Very well," Mina said. "You may have your privacy."
Mina gestured to her fellow Order members, and they stepped out of the chancel into a room behind the altar.
"I think we should do it," I said.
"I don't trust her," Devin said. "She might be an old lady, but she's conniving."
"I don't trust her either," Malinda added. "But if she can help us find Heather..."
"And if she uses that grimoire, even if just to take out Heather, there's no telling what hell might ensue."
"But she is as desperate as we are," I said. "Ultimately, we need to get that grimoire. If we don't agree, and she gets it anyway, we're all fucked."
"And not only us," Malinda said. "Every witch. Every vampire."
"And everything they deem a sinner," Devin added. "A lot of people we care about."
I nodded. "At the end of the day, truce or not, there are others who can fight the Order even if we don't. But none of those who might stand against the Order will exist anymore if we don't get the grimoire."
"You're seriously going to let her use the thing to kill Heather?" Devin asked.
I sighed. "My plan remains what it always was. I don't know how I'm going to do it. But if I get my hands on that grimoire, I will destroy it. One way or another. But there's something I need to tell you."
"What's that?" Devin asked.
"To do that, I may have to return to my natural form. Something in my last dream suggested it."
"And for you to do that... since I'm the one whom you last targeted, who gave you this form..."
"I don't think I have to kill you," I said. "Remember, before, when we were here... Wolfgang made me drink Alice's blood. It didn't kill her. But it did give me back my natural abilities for a while."
"So you'd need to drink some of my blood?" Devin asked.
I nodded. "I think that might work. Somehow, in my natural form, I think I may be able to destroy the scroll."
"And you learned this from a dream?" Malinda asked, raising her left eyebrow.
I nodded. "Cain told me the truth is in my dreams. He said what I needed was there. I think that's the answer. I think it's why the Nazarene in my dream kept telling me to take and eat."
"To take and eat... me?" Devin asked.
"Right," I said. "And since I was still one of the Neck in my dream, that has to be the answer."
"We still need something more from Mina to ensure she'll stick to her word. If she does get the grimoire, and she unleashes those angels..."
"I have an idea, Devin. I don't know if she'll agree to it. But it's worth a shot."
I stepped into the room behind the altar.
"Are you agreed?" Mina asked.
I nodded. "But I must make one more request. I need to be certain you will stick to the agreement and only command the legion to attack Heather Morgan."
"What is your demand?" Mina asked.
"Give me your cloak."
"But if I do that, I'll be vulnerable to Heather if she comes after me."
"You aren't wearing it now," I said. "That leads me to believe you're safe here."
"This is consecrated ground," Mina said. "You're right. This sanctuary is protected. She cannot siphon a soul here."
"Your nightwalkers are of no use to hunt her at night. I'm the best chance you have. Stay here, in your sanctuary. Tell me where all the bodies were found. I'll track her down."
"And if you fail?" Mina asked.
I shrugged. "Then we're back at square one. If I do not return with the grimoire before nightfall, send your nightwalkers after her."
"But how can I be assured you'll return with the grimoire and not abscond with it if you happen to find it?"
"Because we will stay here with you," Devin said.
"We will?" Malinda asked. "Seriously?"
Devin nodded. "If Nicky does not return as promised, you'll have two witches here in your sanctuary."
"Devin, I..."
"You can do thi
s, Nicky. I believe in you."
"Do you agree to this, Malinda?" I asked.
Malinda bit her lip. "You saved me before. I would still be trapped, catatonic, in that asylum if it wasn't for you. I have faith in you, too."
"Very well," Mina said, reaching into a wardrobe and retrieving her cloak. I leaned over to make sure she didn't have any spares. She didn't. She handed it to me.
I took it, folded it up, and tucked it under my arm. I didn't like this agreement. Not one bit. If I was going to destroy the grimoire, I needed Devin's blood. That meant I'd have to do it in the cathedral. Mina wasn't going to take that turn of events too kindly, I imagined. But it was the best chance we had.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mina gave me a run-down of the bodies that had been found. Where all the Order members who Heather had killed were taken. The most recent one was seized on his way to the cathedral. That's where I intended to start. The trail of bodies, in fact, led closer and closer to the place. That meant Heather was closing in on the cathedral. She was probably nearby, waiting for Mina to show her face.
One thing she couldn't do was fly. I could survey the area in bat form quickly. Flight plus elemental speed. If Heather really was closing in on the cathedral, I'd find her. I didn't know what her plan was. Just because she couldn't siphon souls within the sanctuary didn't mean she couldn't kill. And since she couldn't be killed, I liked her chances.
I shifted into bat form, used my bat feet to kick my clothes under some brush, and grabbed Mina's cloak. I flapped my wings hard. Even a little extra weight required a noticeable extra effort. I managed to fly to the top of the tree-line and dropped Mina's cloak in it.
I knew the approximate location where the most recent victim was found. My plan was to circle the cathedral, expanding my path every time. I'd gradually work my way out and cover the perimeter. My bat vision wasn't as keen as human vision, but my hearing was acute. I might not be able to see Heather lurking below. Flying mostly above the canopy of the forest, I probably wouldn't. But I would hear her. If she so much as breathed. If she took a step. If she even had a beating heart in her chest.
Flapping my wings, I circled the cathedral. So many sounds. Small animals scurrying in the bushes below. Birds chirping. The buzz of bees in hives. Even the sound of deer, their hooves smashing dried leaves still on the forest floor from last fall. Human footsteps, though, were different. It's not hard to tell a run from a prance, a gallop, or a scurry. I had to listen for the patterns, something that sounded like a person moving through woods.
I heard something. Maybe only five or six steps. Could have been nothing. It was about a hundred yards, give or take, from my position. I twisted my body and, spreading my wings, glided toward the sound. I didn't hear any more steps. But I smelled it.
What the... in the middle of the day? Why was I smelling vampire?
My sense of smell was always keen. As a bat, though, it was like my already acute sense of smell was amplified exponentially. Heather wasn't a vampire. Or was she? She didn't drink blood. But vampires, strictly speaking, fed on souls much the same way. Perhaps I just couldn't smell her in my usual form. That must've been why I never suspected Rose when she'd assumed that identity and came with Katie to my club.
I dove between a few branches and landed on a branch, peering down on a figure I presumed must have been Heather. She was wearing a long, black cloak. Not unlike those Order members often wore—similar to Mina's golden cloak but not imbued with celestial magic.
I had to be careful. She had a crossbow strapped to her back. Made sense. If she intended to assault the cathedral, she'd have to resort to conventional methods of attack. And since she'd once been a hunter, during her natural life, it was a weapon she was likely familiar with. Few weapons are as effective at staking vampires from a distance as a crossbow. Of course, humans were even more vulnerable. A bolt from a crossbow could kill a human every bit as quickly, if not easier. If she shot it at a human, after all, she wouldn't have to hit the heart to incapacitate or kill.
But crossbows are only effective at a range. If I dove on her quickly, she wouldn't have any way to hurt me other than her fists. I dove off the branch, shifted into my human form, and dropped behind her. I wrapped my arms around her body.
She threw an elbow, nearly striking my gut. She lifted a leg to try and catch me between the legs. She hit her mark. I winced. I may have been only an elemental, but I had all the human parts. Once again, those dangly bits proved to be more than an inconvenience. It was enough to loosen my grip. She slipped out of my arms.
I grabbed the back of her hood to pull her back. She fell onto the ground, her hood now removed...
But it wasn't Heather Morgan.
I cocked my head. "Tom?"
Devin's dad looked back at me. His eyes were red like a vampire's. He smiled, flashing his fangs.
"Hello, Nyx."
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"You aren't Heather Morgan," I said as Tom returned to his feet. I suspected he'd run. But he didn't.
Tom laughed. "I suppose I'm not."
"I don't understand. You're a vampire. And the sun, it isn't hurting you."
Tom smiled, flashing his fangs. "I was killed by vampires. Raised by the power of the Nazarene. I suppose I'm the best of both worlds."
"I don't understand. I thought that Heather Morgan was..."
"She is," Tom said. "After she was raised by the grimoire, she brought the grimoire to my grave."
"So the members of the Order that were killed, whose souls were consumed. That was you?"
Tom nodded. "My eyes are up here. I know what you're thinking. If I'm a vampire, not vulnerable to sunlight, can I be staked? If you'd like to borrow my crossbow, you're welcome to try."
I shook my head. "I need to know where the grimoire is."
Tom laughed. "Seems to me you'd do well to find some clothes first."
I glanced down at my naked body. I sighed. "The perils of being a shifter."
"I know you brought my son to the cathedral. Tell me, Nyx. How is he?"
"He's well. I can't believe you're..."
"I need you to remove Devin from the building. I do not wish to see him harmed."
I cocked my head. "But you were a part of the Order. I know Heather Morgan has a vendetta against them. But why would you attack them?"
Tom grunted. "I think you know the reason. When I was raised, I attempted to return home. I hoped to see my wife."
"You figured out they turned her."
"Mina had her attacked in her effort to locate the grimoire. After a lifetime of service to the Order, for her to turn against my own wife in such a way. It's unforgivable."
"I agree," I said. "But if it means anything, your wife is well."
"Is it true?" Tom asked. "That she's been taken to the Vilokan Asylum?"
I nodded. "Devin and I took her there to protect her."
"At least she's safe from Mina. For now. But if Mina gets the grimoire..."
"I need the scroll, Tom."
Tom shook his head. "I cannot risk it falling into her hands. She will not only use it to eliminate Heather and me. Even Vilokan's protections will fail if she unleashes a legion of angels."
"If I don't return with the grimoire, she won't release Devin."
"If you give her the grimoire, she will kill him. Probably you, too."
"She's agreed to use it only to eliminate Heather Morgan. She does not know you are the one who has been killing the members of the Order."
"And you trust her to keep to her word?"
I shrugged. "I have her cloak. She's vulnerable. Devin could kill her himself if she reneged on the deal."
"Fools!" Tom shouted. "That cloak might protect her from me. But she has other ways of protecting herself from common magic. You've gravely underestimated the power she commands!"
"Celestial magic," I said.
Tom nodded. "It is not my own death I seek to avoid. But there are others whom I love, from my former li
fe, who would also die if Mina acquired the grimoire."
"You've taken lives already," I said. "Do you not realize what that's doing to you? How it's changing you?"
"I know it well, Nyx. The urges I feel, the monstrous desires. They grow stronger with every kill. But I cannot stop until Mina is dead."
"If the grimoire is destroyed, this can end. All of it."
Tom nodded. "To destroy the grimoire would be to kill me. But accomplishing that is nearly impossible."
"Difficult," I said. "But not impossible. I can destroy it. If you'll give it to me."
"I would like to see it destroyed. But I cannot until I've secured my vengeance. Still, my resolve to see the grimoire destroyed fades with every kill."
"Then give it to me," I said. "I will not stop you from going after Mina. But if I have the grimoire, I will see it destroyed after the deed is done."
Tom stared at me for a moment. He nodded, reached into his cloak, and retrieved a long, brass tube. "This is the Grimoire of the Nazarene. I need your word, Nyx. No matter what happens, Mina cannot so much as touch the scroll."
I nodded. "I promise. She won't get it."
"Even if it costs you your life," Tom said. "She can never use this scroll."
"I'll guard it with my life," I said.
"I know you will," Tom said. "Take it."
I reached to grab the scroll. But Tom didn't loosen his grip. I cocked my head.
A sharp pain struck my gut. Tom held a knife in his opposite hand, now plunged into my abdomen. "Consider the cost, that of your life, already paid."
Water poured out from the would as Tom removed the knife from my gut. I fell to my knees. I gasped for air.
Tom looked down at me, smirking, as everything went black.
Chapter Thirty
I opened my eyes. I recognized the green hills around me. The water running across my toes. It was the same place where I'd appeared in my dream before when the monk and then the Nazarene first appeared.
"Look at me," Nicky.
As I turned toward the sound of the voice, the Nazarene appeared out of thin air.
No Shift, Sherlock: A Vampire Hunter Urban Fantasy Mystery (The Legend of Nyx Book 3) Page 15