"I will. Thank you dear. And thank you for the chilli con carne. It was delicious."
Sally's face lit up. "Really? I love cooking. Stupid, I know, but Simon is away so often that when he is here he just wants something quick and safe."
Maureen huffed. "That husband of yours works too hard."
"Tell me about it. Big project at the moment. Lots of stress."
Maureen waited until she'd heard the front door close before she jumped out of bed. Her trip to Venefasia had accelerated her recovery and she was starting to feel her old self. She carefully removed the bandage from her head and touched the tender spot on her scalp. It had stopped bleeding but was still very sore. Probably a nasty bruise there, she thought. She went to her wardrobe. Something dark, she decided, so she could skulk through the Friary without gaining attention. Although she had to admit that if elves were able to reach the gateway and shove notes under the door, then there wasn't much in the way of security. Even so, the last thing she wanted was to be discovered. She dressed before grabbing the flowers Sally had left and stuffing them into a handbag, her cats twining round her legs.
"Now, you behave," she told them as she overflowed their bowls with cat food. "Don't eat it all at once, it has to do you a couple of days. And if I'm not back by then, you're to go and get Sally and rescue me." The cats ignored her, instead tucking into the feast in front of them.
She left them to it and went down into the cellar recalling all the spells she knew as she went. It was a decent number. She took deep breaths knowing that what she was about to do was very dangerous. But she couldn't just leave Joseph there, she couldn't. The last thing the elves would expect would be an eighty-two year old woman wielding magic.
She'd come to the conclusion over the course of the afternoon whilst laying in bed, that she may very well die doing this. And whilst that thought did make her heart beat a little faster, she was prepared for the risk. She'd felt more alive in Venefasia than she ever had as a gatekeeper. More than that, it was her fault Joseph was in this mess. She was going to put things right, even if it was the last thing she did.
Standing in front of the gateway door, she quietened her mind and thought of Ernest for a second. I'll make sure they don't get away with this. She thought back to times with Ernest, trying to keep him alive in her memories, trying to stop them fraying at the edges. Then with one final deep breath, she took the key from the hook and unlocked the door.
It was night in Venefasia, yet still the air that blew into the cellar was warmer than the cellar itself. Maureen checked that the coast was clear, before stepping through and closing the door behind her.
The route through the Friary was almost second nature now and she only stopped a couple of times, the voices that she heard proving to be far-off echoes. It was only when she reached the entrance hall, with all its displays and antiques that she had to duck out of sight and wait as two acolytes wandered past.
The plaza was relatively quiet as well, the only light coming from the full moon above and a little street cafe, still open in one corner of the plaza.
Once away from the Friary, she could begin to walk more leisurely, the streets of New Salisbury starting to feel familiar to her. Nerves and determination boiled together like soup. She could do this, she told herself.
She was so busy following Joseph’s crudely drawn map that she never noticed she was being followed until she had turned down one of New Salisbury's many alleyways. Then the light caught her pursuer from behind and cast a huge silhouette on the wall in front of her.
She recognised the silhouette as belonging to a troll. For a second she thought it was Joseph, but then she realised that the ears were all wrong.
"What do you want?" she called out, not daring to turn.
"Relax," came a voice, too small and squeaky to be the troll. "We ain't gonna hurt you. We just wants your money."
"My money?" said Maureen. She didn't know what she expected them to say, but it hadn't been money.
"Yeah, money. What you fucking stupid or what?"
Maureen turned round to face the source.
The squeaky voice stepped into the light, a gnome with a Vaudeville moustache, dressed in a shell suit.
"Hey grandma," he shouted. "I'm talking to you."
Maureen took a step toward him, more outraged than frightened. "Are you now? And what if I told you that I didn't have any money?"
The gnome pointed to her handbag. "You gotta have money. Everyone has money. You want my friend here to get a little rough."
The troll stepped forward, his face a permanent scowl has he punched a fist into the opposing palm and growled.
"Is that supposed to be menacing?" Maureen asked.
"Lady, he's a fucking troll. He could rip your arms off. Best not to piss him off. Just hand over your money and we'll walk away."
"Oh, I have an idea," said Maureen, putting a hand in her bag and wrapping her fingers around one of the plants she collected. "How about you give me all your money and then you run away?"
"I ain't running nowhere, grandma. I'm the one doing the mugging here."
The gnome pulled a knife out of the back of his tracksuit, not a particularly large weapon, but by comparison to his size it looked like a hunting knife on the little man. "Oh yeah?" he said, pointing it in Maureen's direction.
Maureen uttered a couple of words under her breath. "Oh yeah?" she told the gnome as the blade of the knife suddenly burst into flame.
Maureen's heart soared at the reaffirmation that she could do magic. She still didn’t fully believe it, but each spell she cast solidified her belief. She didn't understand how or why, but she knew she had the ability to do something about Joseph's capture. For the first time since Ernest's death she didn't feel old and useless, she felt powerful.
"Gary," the troll said worriedly. "Your knife is on fire."
"Of course it's on fire," the gnome shot back. "Don't you think I can see that?"
He looked back to Maureen, eyes narrowed, and pointed the flaming blade at her. "Knives on fire can still do a lot of damage."
Maureen muttered some further words under her breath and the knife turned to ice, the fire quenched.
"Ha," said the gnome shaking the knife at her, and in doing so causing the blade to crack and then shatter. In her hands another plant stem turned to dust.
The gnome looked at the empty hilt.
"Gary," the troll said. "Your knife is broken."
The gnome turned to look at him again. "No shit Sherlock," he said. "What are you waiting for? Go get her."
Maureen cast a ring of fire around her. "Oh I wouldn't do that," she said, letting the trail of fire shoot out along the ground toward her pursuers such that they had to jump aside.
"You... you can't do magic," the gnome said. "You're a woman."
"Perhaps she's like one of those performers Larry has on Thursday nights," the troll suggested.
"Scott, that's like the dumbest thing you've ever said. Does she look like a bloke in drag?"
"You never know these days. Some of them are really good with makeup," the troll said defensively, before shooting Maureen a "sorry."
"What are you apologising to her for, you big oaf? We're supposed to be mugging her, not worrying if we've offended her."
Maureen coughed, the fire that encircled her now reduced to embers. "I was serious about the money," she said holding out her hand.
Scott fumbled in a pouch he had slung across his shoulder. "It's not a lot," he started, but Gary the gnome cut him off.
"What are you doing?" he screeched in a high pitched tone. "She's supposed to give us money, not the other way round."
Scott shrugged. "You can go up against her if you want, but I ain't messing with any magic user."
"She can't be," Gary continued to yell. "She's a fucking woman. They... can't... do... magic!"
Maureen wished she knew a spell to conjure soap, but she didn't so had to settle for one that shot vines up out the ground and wra
pped round the gnome. They could have been boiling hot or made of acid by the way he screamed.
Fear shot across Scott's eyes and he hurriedly handed over a collection of notes and coins. "Please don't hurt me," he said.
"Thank you," said Maureen. "Now run before I decide to put a lightning bolt up your behind."
The troll's eyes grew even wider before he trotted out the alley as fast as he could.
"Wait," wailed Gary as he fought his way out of the now disintegrating vines. "Don't leave me. Don't let her kill me!" He ran crying down the alley after his friend.
Maureen smirked. She couldn't have asked to be mugged at a better time. Her first real taste of combat, though a little one sided, it gave her chance to evaluate her abilities.
She was pleased with her spell casting. She hadn't needed to repeat any incantations. That was good. She remembered it had been a major problem for Ernest and his friends when they were boys. Her speed was a question though. She'd seen the pace that wizards fought, and she was far from that. This meant she couldn't really expect to go head-to-head with any of the elves. She could only hope that Joseph hadn't told them of her abilities. That would give her an element of surprise. She should also make them think that she wasn't alone. Then finally there was her selection of spells. She knew that good spellcraft was all about clever counterattack of a rival's spell, fire magic with water magic, air magic with earth magic. Maureen felt she knew a decent number of spells, but they were all fairly basic. Yes, they might be the staple of a wizard's arsenal, the meat and potatoes of spellcraft, but they were nothing more than what a first year acolyte could cast. And would you really send a first year acolyte up against a bunch of elite elves?
You can't afford to get into any fights, she told herself. Distraction and diversion only.
The other problem she had was that following the encounter her handbag full of plants were now just full of dust. She'd not been economical with her spells, some of them needing huge mana reserves. Trouble was that whilst she remembered the spells and the incantations, she couldn't for the life of her remember what the mana cost was. There was so much Maureen didn’t know. She'd just have to play it by ear, or pray that she ended up standing next to a cornfield again.
She sighed, jingling the coins she'd been given in her hands. The incident might have been a good test for her powers, but it had highlighted just how ill-prepared she really was.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE - D’Toeni
D'Toeni eyed Darwin with contempt.
"Oh it's you," he said. "They told me to expect a vampire."
It had to have been a good five years since D'Toeni had last seen Darwin, so Darwin took the fact he recognised him as a compliment and ignored the obvious insult.
Of course, since then, a lot had happened. D'Toeni had challenged Metzger for leadership of the then Vampire Council and lost, and Darwin had got a lot older.
"Hello, D'Toeni," he said.
The vampire scoffed, ignoring Darwin in favour of Ryan.
"Where's my food, boy?"
"I had to go and fetch our guests," Ryan protested.
"And now you can go and fetch me some food. Preferably something a little more substantial than sheep. Or perhaps you’ll offer yourself up to me?"
He looked at Cassidy. "You might do instead, but I sense something very odd about you."
Cassidy just smiled, giving nothing away, but Ryan snapped to her defence.
"You leave her alone."
"Or what? Boy, I could snap your back like a twig."
"Well, you wouldn't get fed then would you."
"I'm not getting fed now. I hardly see what difference it would make."
"But you don't know what time it is. Open that hatch and find it's daylight outside... bye, bye Mr Vampire."
Darwin was amazed at the way Ryan talked to D'Toeni. In his youth, Darwin had seen the way vampires cowered in D'Toeni's presence.
"How droll," D'Toeni lamented. He looked at Darwin. "What say we toy with this one. Fuck with his mind."
Darwin thought he might actually enjoy that. But the fact that D'Toeni was so passive depressed Darwin. Where had that fearsome warrior gone? Had the years turned him into a puppy dog that rolled over and played dead for mere humans? Or had he misjudged the person he equally admired and feared?
"You're not gonna believe it, Cass," Ryan said. "But D'Toeni here's an honest to God vampire." He made fangs with his fingers to enforce the point.
"Really?" said Cassidy, feigning surprise.
D'Toeni sighed. "Oh do knock it off," he told her. "Of course she knows I'm a vampire. She hangs out with one after all."
Ryan looked at Darwin. "You?"
Darwin took great satisfaction in giving Ryan the biggest smile he could.
"But how can that be? He can go out in daylight. I saw him."
"Some are less vampire than others," D'Toeni responded.
"But... But..." Ryan looked scared, moved Cassidy behind him and started backing away. Darwin was enjoying this, though he wondered why Ryan would be frightened of him and not D'Toeni. It was only then that he saw the shackle round D'Toeni's ankle.
"You're keeping him captive?" Darwin wondered how D'Toeni even allowed this to happen. He was after all, supposed to be one of the best fighters the vampires had ever known, more than a match for weedy little Ryan.
Darwin turned to face the shirking Ryan, "Pretty impressive," he said with a nod toward the shackle. "I wouldn't like to try and cage a vampire."
"It weren't me." Darwin sensed fear in the boy’s voice. He liked that.
"Listen, Ryan, I don't care what they told you or what they promised you, but you're in way over your head."
Ryan stepped forward in protest. "I can look after myself."
"Not against these guys, Ryan. They've already nearly killed every vampire."
"So?"
"So? How many vampires have you killed?"
"That's not the point."
"Isn't it? Because if they can do this to an entire race, you think they're really gonna care what happens to you? You're gonna get yourself killed."
Darwin’s plea seemed to strike a chord with Cassidy. "Listen to him, Ryan," she pleaded. "Please."
Ryan turned on Cassidy. "That's rich, coming from you," he spat.
"What do you mean?"
"You wanna know what they offered me? What I would risk my life for? Revenge. That's it. To be able to see you again and tell you how much I don't need you in my life anymore."
"Look, I know you're hurt, Ryan..."
"Hurt? We had a good thing going on, then... then... . I thought you were going to die. Until one day... bam, you've woken up and walked out my life."
"Do you blame me? Honestly? You were so off your head most of the time, I doubt you really know what you were like."
"I seem to remember a few cars we stole. You were no angel, either," he bit back.
"No, I wasn't, Ryan. But you left me there bleeding to death. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"
"Come on. That was one silly mistake. I was scared. I thought they were going to kill me."
"Still happened though, didn't it, Ryan?"
D'Toeni looked up at Darwin. "Are they always like this?" he asked.
"Apparently so."
"Well look who’s laughing now," Ryan continued. "Got myself sorted out and got myself a proper job and everything."
Cassidy huffed. "By proper job, you mean one where you go and bring us here?"
"Well I hate to break this up," said Darwin, "but we all need to leave now."
Ryan fumbled in his pocket and brought out his gun. He pointed it at Darwin.
"Ah no man, can't let that happen," Ryan said, fighting to hold back the tears.
Darwin had taken all he could take of Ryan. He didn't like how he upset Cassidy. In one swift move Darwin snatched the gun from him, pointed it backward toward D'Toeni without even looking and shot three times.
"Fuck," D'Toeni screamed as the bullet
s hit him.
Darwin threw the gun back at Ryan. "Something to remember. Vampires can't be killed with bullets."
Of course, that didn't strictly hold true for half-vampires but he wasn't about to tell the boy that.
"I'm going to kill you, Darwin," D'Toeni spat, still yelling in pain.
"What you need to know, Ryan, is that these people you're dealing with, have killed just about everyone I care about. They'll kill Cassidy without as much as a second thought. So if you really, really want to see her dead, you just carry on."
Darwin lent in close and whispered to the boy. "But just know this. Anything happens to her and I'll kill not only you but anyone you've ever loved. I'll make them suffer too."
He was serious too. Ryan looked back at Darwin, hatred dancing in his eyes. Good, Darwin thought. Now we have an understanding.
He walked back to D'Toeni.
"Right, we need to get this shackle off you," he said.
"Cassidy, go see if you can find an axe in this complex. Failing that, something very sharp. Failing that, a big rock."
Cassidy saluted. "Aye, aye mon capitan," she said. Darwin smiled. He didn't know how Cassidy’s emotions bounced back so quickly, but he liked it. How he missed those carefree days of them just running around London. Things were so much simpler back then. They seemed like an age ago now.
“Ryan, you stay where I can see you,” he said as the boy went to leave with her.
D'Toeni dabbed at a spot on his arm where Darwin had shot him. Other than the ripped and bloodied hole in his shirt, there was no evidence of the shot. The wound had entirely healed.
"Looks like you have your little troops all trained," he said
"We're here to rescue you, remember?"
"And why would anyone want to rescue me?" His voice sounded tired.
Darwin looked at the vampire incredulously. "You're D'Toeni. One of the greatest vampires that ever lived. And more importantly one of the few vampires that still live."
"And your purpose of rescuing me is what exactly?"
"We've got a group of survivors together. Just a handful. We're gonna make a break for Venefasia. Make a new start. Get away from those... things."
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