"Basically he's a vampire fairy cross-breed who's a few sandwiches short of a picnic," Nye said from his perch on the kitchen table.
"He was made with the blood of my people," Aya explained. "It should never of happened and it's too much for any mind to withstand."
"Your people?" Isobel asked. "You're not human?"
"Nope. Never was."
"Shit, we could be here all night," Zac said. "What I want to know is where this guy came from." He pointed to the comatose vampire.
"He probably knows that we're looking for Katrin's grimoire and gleaned an association between us and Isobel," Aya said.
"Well, if that isn't the reason, then fucked if I know," Nye added.
"I'll take him away someplace and get it out of him," Aya said. Before she scooped up the vampire she turned back to Isobel. "I'm sorry we had to meet this way."
"Well, I guess it was memorable," she offered.
Aya laughed. "I guess so. Let us deal with the messy stuff, I'm sure Gabby will explain everything to you in due course."
Tristan moved to pick up the dead vampire's feet. "Call us when you're ready to go for the grimoire."
Zac stood to go with them, but Gabby held out her hand. "Zac, Nye, can you guys stay? If someone comes looking…"
"We'll be here," Nye finished with a wink.
The spy sat down next to Isobel and she looked him over before asking, "What happened to your face?"
"Have I got a story to tell you," he declared.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Zac sat at the small table in Isobel's studio apartment, watching her make a pot of coffee. She really did look a lot like Alex, except her hair was flaming red, where as her brother's was more subdued. It made his thoughts go back home and he wondered how they were doing. Gabby had said Sam and Liz'd gone to LA for college. Once upon a time, his little brother had been studying business so he could take over their families plantation. He wondered if that's what he'd chosen to do, or maybe he was just there because Liz was. Zac wanted to call and ask, but that wouldn't help anyone.
Nye stood by the window, watching the street below through the curtains as the dawn stretched it's lazy wintery fingers across Oxford. It had been a long night of explanations, wild stories and everyone was a little tired. Gabby had finally fallen asleep on Isobel's bed as they waited to hear from Aya and Tristan. She, more than anyone, needed the rest.
Isobel sat across from Zac and hesitantly held out the coffee pot. "Do you drink coffee?"
"Not a fan," he said, his voice low.
"Can you drink it?" She cocked her head to the side, genuinely interested in the inner workings of his gut.
"Yes. Technically I'm dead, but everything still works you know."
"Got any booze?" Nye asked with a chuckle.
"Uh, no?" she replied, her expression betraying how out of her depth she was.
"What kind of student are you?"
"The responsible kind." She poured herself a cup of coffee and set the pot on a coaster, before circling her hands around the porcelain for warmth.
"Do you have any idea why they targeted you?" Zac asked.
"Obviously because I can get this book that you want so bad."
"But how did they know you could?" Zac mused. "I mean, it's too much of a coincidence, what with the one degree of separation between us."
"Aya will get it out of that guy," Nye said. "She could torture your humanity back, I'm guessing she could torture anything out of anyone if she set her mind to it." The spy gave Isobel a wink when her eyes widened at the word torture.
"You guys are weird," she said, holding her hands out.
"You haven't even scratched the surface," Zac said with a sigh.
Nye looked back out the window. "I'm going to check the street."
Zac nodded as the spy left, the door closing soundlessly behind him. He sat with Isobel in silence for a while, content to just let the time pass until Tristan called, because Aya still didn't like using a cell phone. Isobel was fidgeting across from him, sneaking glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking.
"So," she said, grimacing. "Vampires, hey?"
"Have you heard from Alex recently?" he asked, putting her out of her misery.
Her shoulders sagged slightly. "No, not for a while. You guys are friends?"
"I'm not his most favorite person in the world."
"But you must care at least a little bit if you're asking."
"A little bit."
"Then you must know Liz, too. I wonder if she decided to go to college."
"She's at UCLA," he said.
"Oh, really? That's great. Do you know what she's studying?"
"No."
"Liz is the sweetest thing. Last I heard, she was dating this guy named Sam. Alex worked with him at the Botanical Gardens. Do you know him?"
Did Zac know him? Sam was his little brother after all, but it was probably safe not to mention it. Shit, he hadn't even told Nye. "Yes, I know him." It came out a little too nonchalant.
Isobel eyed him suspiciously and took a sip of her coffee. "You lived in Ashburton? Why?"
"Long story."
"Give me the short version. Bullet points if you have to. Sitting here in silence is awkward as hell, especially since you're…you know."
He had to give it to Isobel. Her mind was wide open to their seedy underworld, but he guessed that had something to do with her field of study. It was in her nature to ask questions and what was even more surprising was despite that, she wanted to understand.
"I was born there," he replied. "When you get to be as old as I am, reconnecting with your old life is a good thing. Supposedly."
"When did you…" She waved at him and he got that she wanted to know when he was turned.
"Eighteen sixty-five."
"Wow," she breathed. "You're like a walking talking history book."
Zac grimaced. "Depends on what history you want."
"The Civil War?"
He nodded.
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Confederate, right? If you're from Louisiana."
"If I had of understood a little better, I might've been Union."
She leaned back in her chair and shook her head.
"If you want to know about Medieval history, you should ask Nye. That's what you study, right?"
"Further back than that, but sometimes."
"Then I'd have a sit down with Tristan."
"When was he born?" she asked with a hard swallow.
"Crusades, I think."
"Eleven hundreds?" Isobel squeaked, but was interrupted as footsteps approached out in the hall.
They looked up as the door opened and Nye walked in. "All clear for now."
"When was he born?" Isobel asked, pointing at the vampire.
"Fifteen sixty one," the spy said with a wink. "Want help with your history paper?"
"You guys really know how to keep things to a dull roar," Gabby exclaimed. She shuffled to the table and took a cup from the bench, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Feel a little better?" Zac asked as she took sip.
"Much. I didn't realize how tired I was until I crashed. Have you heard anything yet?"
"Not yet."
Gabby turned to Isobel and smiled. "I hope these boys have been behaving themselves."
"Mostly," she replied.
Downing the rest of her coffee, Gabby took out her cell and looked at the screen. "I'm going to meet Aya and Tristan and find out if they've learnt anything."
"And I suppose we get to stay here and wait?" Nye asked.
"If you don't mind," Isobel chimed in. "I don't want to be alone if another bad guy shows up looking for me."
Zac's eye narrowed as he thought about another vampire hanging around. There'd be a second waiting in the wings and after they'd appeared… He glanced at Nye who nodded. He knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Eyes open, Gabby," Zac said and the witch smiled.
"Got it."
Gabby picked up her bag that was heavy with her grimoire and went for the door. Standing, Zac caught her arm and whispered. "Where there's one, there's another."
The witch regarded him for a moment and nodded her understanding. "I'll let you know what's happening as soon as I can." And then she was gone.
Zac sat back down with a sigh and noticed Isobel was staring at him again. He shouldn't have been so nice. Now he'd have to endure her barrage of questions.
"How do you become…you know." She seemed to have trouble saying the word vampire.
"That's not for you to know."
"Do you know what it's like?"
He narrowed his eyes. "How would I know?"
"Have you ever turned anyone?"
He glared at her, offended. "No."
"What about the vampire who turned you?"
"Never ask a vampire how they were turned," he snapped. "Not unless you're a vampire yourself."
"I see Gabby was right about you."
Zac cocked his head and waited for the next stupid thing that was about to come out of her mouth.
"That right there," Isobel laughed. "You don't scare me, Zac."
"I haven't even begun trying to scare you," he spat, leaning closer to her, letting his eyes begin to change.
"Are you trying now?" She was trying to keep a straight face, but wasn't succeeding. It irritated the hell out of him.
"I like this one," Nye said, winking at her.
"Screw this, I'm going to check out the street." Zac stood abruptly, raising an eyebrow at the spy.
"What?" he asked, with a wicked grin.
"Alex wouldn't appreciate it."
"Who's Alex again?"
"My very human brother," Isobel chimed in.
"Well, can't screw with the brother." Nye shrugged his shoulders and stood to follow Zac. When Isobel didn't move, he said, "Are you coming?"
"I thought a vampire was after me? Isn't the safest place here?"
"Doors'll keep us out, but not the hybrid," Zac said from down the hall. "The safest place you can be is in between us. At least until we know exactly what he wants with you." What he didn't say was that if anyone was hanging around, they'd only show themselves if they laid eyes on Isobel. She was bait, but he wasn't about to tell her that.
Outside, the day was well underway and the odd person walked by them on the street. Zac couldn't sense anything untoward, but that didn't mean they weren't being watched.
"How he was turned is a soft spot. Extra squishy," he heard Nye whisper to Isobel. "I suggest you don't ask again because he won't ever tell you. He's got a reputation, you know."
"Reputation?" Isobel squeaked, sinking into the bright green coat she'd pulled on before coming out.
Zac turned at glared at them. "I can hear you, you know. And I wouldn't believe everything you hear." Isobel just stared at him and he sighed. "Which way to the pub? I'm dying here."
She pointed the direction they'd been walking. "I don't think this is a good idea."
"C'mon, Isobel," he said. "I don't mean to scare you. I'm paying, after all."
"Well, there's a consolation prize," she retorted, her spunk coming back again.
Nye took her arm with a flourish and they continued walking down the empty street, Zac out in front. They hadn't gone very far at all, when he sensed eyes on them. If he stopped to listen, then whoever it was would know they'd been made. No, they had to flush them out before they could report back to Lord Nutcase himself.
He caught sight of a shadow out the corner of his eye on top of a building across the street. One moment it was there, the next it was gone. Then the same sensation of being watched from further ahead. They were definitely being followed. Glancing down a deserted lane that looked like it joined onto a main street, he glanced at Nye who nodded. Time to flush their shadow out of hiding. Sooner rather than later and all of that.
"Where are you going?" Isobel asked.
"Shortcut," Zac muttered, one ear on her, the other listening for their friend.
Nye kept close to Isobel as they walked, the sound of their footsteps bouncing off the brickwork of the buildings on either side. Either the vampire was going to slip up or make a play for Isobel and when they did, Zac would be there to put an end to it.
They'd gotten about half way down the lane when the sound of rushing air and boots on cobblestones behind them made them all turn sharply. A male vampire rose slowly to his feet, eyes black and fangs bared. So, he wanted a fight? He'd get one.
The vampire dashed forward, pushing Nye out of the way, but before he could grab hold of Isobel, Zac had him around the scruff of the neck, hurling him against the wall. He collided with the brickwork with a loud bang and the masonry shuddered.
Isobel stumbled back with a scream, but Nye pulled her back into his chest, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Zac's got this," he said. "I've got you."
The vampire scrambled to his feet with a cry of rage, but Zac was already over him, eyes dark with the promise of blood. Grabbing the guy's head, he slammed it into the brickwork with all of his strength. The sound of shattering bone was oddly satisfying. He paused a second, his hand still holding the vampire's head in place against the wall and he shrugged. Dead.
Letting the body go, he turned back towards Isobel as the dead vampire slumped to the ground, blood trailing down the brickwork.
"Scared, now?" he asked as his eyes faded back to normal.
Isobel cowered against the opposite wall, heart racing and eyes plastered on the dead vampire. He took that as a yes. Stalking over to her, he grasped her face, making her look him in the eye. "I am not your friend. I am not your project. The next time you make a smart ass comment, remember what I just did. I am not human anymore, no matter how much you want me to be."
"Zac," Nye said, grabbing his arm. "Leave off, mate."
Zac blinked hard and let Isobel go, taking a few steps back. Seemed like he still had a little bit of work to do controlling his anger, but maybe that would always be there.
"Take her home," he said, turning away. "We got the guy. It's okay now."
"You knew this would happen?" Isobel asked with a horrified gasp. "You used me as bait?"
"Vampires are like mice," Nye explained. "Where there's one, there's always another."
"I can't believe you assholes."
"Nothing would've happened to you, Isobel," the spy said gently. "Between the two of us, nothing would have gotten past."
"Except maybe that scary fairy guy that everyone's so worried about."
Zac turned around, anger flaring. "Take her home, Nye."
The spy nodded and threaded his arm through Isobel's and began leading her way. It was a dick move using her like they had, but they couldn't move her anywhere while she was still being watched. That meant they couldn't make a play for the grimoire without Aed finding out about it.
He wondered what Aya and Tristan had gotten out of the other vampire. Depending on what he knew, that would determine how soon they needed to get the book. If Zac had his way, they'd go there right now and snatch the thing. In and out like ghosts.
Looking down at the dead vampire and the mess he'd made, Zac sighed. It was just another mess to clean up in a long history of them. You'd think after a century, he would've learnt how to be a little more…neat.
Gabby looked up at the abandoned warehouse and sighed. What a cliché. She wondered when they'd have to stop lurking in the shadows and hiding desiccated bodies. Probably never, which made it all that much harder to handle. Winding her way through the warren of scaffolding and rubble, she found Tristan and Aya in a lonely corner, far away from human ears.
The vampire they'd found in Isobel's apartment was chained to a concrete pylon and looked extremely pissed off. He was covered in blood and his own saliva and his eyes were totally black with rage. Gabby didn't like it, but they had to get answers.
"Did you get it out of him?" she asked as all three vampires looked up at her approach.
"With a hell of a lot of compulsion," Aya said. "Aed did a messy job on him."
"He's broken," Tristan said, crossing his arms over his chest. "His mind is total chaos."
"We did manage to get a few things out of him. Enough to piece it together."
"Let's hear it," Gabby said.
"It seems like Aed was able to glean a lot more from Regulus' blood than just his sister's deaths."
"Katrin…" Gabby said with a groan. "He knows about her grimoire."
"Aye," Tristan said. "He wants to take out the spell before anyone can find it and use it against him. We gathered he could use his power to track it down somehow, but needed some extra help to actually get his hands on it."
"He got this guy to do his leg work," Aya explained. "He didn't want to be seen, so he found this guy on the street, turned him and compelled him to follow Isobel."
"He was tryin' to lure her out so they could snatch her and take her to Aed."
"We thought it was just so he could get into the vault," Aya added.
"But?" Gabby asked with a frown.
"There seems like there is another reason he's interested in her, but we're not sure. At least, this guy didn't know."
"I want to see," she said, approaching the vampire.
"Watch him," Tristan warned. "He's lost his humanity."
"Aed compelled him to revert to an animalistic state if he was compromised," Aya said. "He'll bite your fingers off if you're not careful."
Gabby nodded and reached out tentatively. For this to work, she needed physical contact. After witnessing Katrin's maiming so vividly, she wasn't keen on repeating it and especially not by having her fingers bitten off by a rabid vampire. She liked her hand just as it was.
The vampire snapped at her viciously and she drew her hand back before biting the bullet and slapping her palm against his forehead. As soon as she made contact she dove right into his foggy mind and his body slackened. Wasting no time, she sifted through his memories and it was just as Aya and Tristan had said. This vampire had been compelled to lure Isobel out of her apartment so Aed could snatch her. He was after the spell that created the one thing that could end him for good.
Then she came across something she wasn't expecting. A loose thread leading to the impossible. In his haste, Aed had left a calling card and a sloppy one at that. It stunk of inexperience because now, she had a way into Aed's mind. Gabby knew she had to be quick or else he'd sense her presence.
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