Reluctant Partnerships

by Ariel Tachna

  Regardless of Denis’s potentially precarious position, he needed to know what was happening. Château-Chinon might be too small to have its own Cour, but it was close enough to Autun for events there to affect him.

  “Allô?”

  “Bonsoir, Denis. It’s Jean Bellaiche from l’Institut. How are you this evening?”

  “I suspect I’m about to be not well at all if you’re calling me out of the blue this way,” Denis replied.

  Jean chuckled. “I wish I could make a liar out of you, but we’ve gotten wind of a problem that I thought you should be aware of.”

  “What problem?”

  “There’s a vampire turning people against their will,” Jean said. “We saved one of his victims from committing suicide early this morning. There may be more, but even if there aren’t yet, there will be.”

  “Merde,” Denis muttered. “Where did this happen?”

  “Château-Chinon,” Jean replied. “Raymond and I are getting ready to head to Paris to talk with the woman. Adèle Rougier—I don’t know if you remember her: tall, dark hair, cop out of Château-Chinon—found her and got her to Sang Froid to feed, so I haven’t actually spoken with her yet. I thought you might like to come along.”

  “And how am I supposed to get to Paris at this hour of the night?” Denis asked.

  “Raymond offered to come get you in about ten minutes,” Jean said. “He can pop into Autun, bring you back here to meet up with Adèle and myself, and then all four of us can go to Paris together. Raymond will, of course, take you home once we’ve spoken to the woman and decided what to do next.”

  “You realize this is going to create chaos in the Cours all around Bourgogne if we don’t find whoever did this quickly,” Denis said.

  “The thought had occurred to me,” Jean replied with a bitter laugh. “My hope is she’ll have gotten enough of a glimpse of the vampire who turned her that one of us will recognize him. If we know who we’re hunting, it will speed things up.”

  “Ten minutes, then?”

  “I’ll have him come to your house,” Jean said. “Meet him in the garden.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Hanging up the phone, Jean leaned back in the chair, eyes closed as he turned over the possible repercussions of the current situation. Perhaps there would not be many if Pascale could help them identify the vampire in question and they could catch the man quickly, but Jean had not held onto his position as chef de la Cour by burying his head in the sand. He had to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

  The true worst-case scenario would be a revocation of the civil rights legislation that gave vampires the same protection as mortals under French law. Jean doubted it would come to that as long as they could prove this was an isolated event or series of events carried out by one individual, a single serial killer out of control rather than vampire society being ungovernable. If they caught the vampire relatively quickly, and especially if he and Denis were visibly involved in the hunt, they would hopefully be able to avoid the kind of mass hysteria that often accompanied serial killers. If they could not catch him quickly or if he claimed a large number of victims, Jean worried that public opinion would drive the vampires back into hiding even if the laws still said they were protected.

  “Stop brooding,” Raymond said from the doorway. “You’re worrying over scenarios that may never come to pass. Let’s go talk to the new vampire and see what we can learn. We’ll worry about hypotheticals after that.”

  Jean summoned a smile and rose from his seat. “I love you, you know. You always know exactly what to say.”

  “It’s a gift,” Raymond joked. “Do I need to go to Autun?”

  “Denis will be waiting for you in his garden in about ten minutes.”

  “Good,” Raymond said. “Adèle is on her way. Should I come back here or meet you in Paris?”

  “Come back here,” Jean decided. “That way we can reintroduce Adèle and Denis before we go to Sang Froid.”

  Raymond nodded and stole a kiss before drawing his wand and disappearing with a murmured incantation. Jean knew the wand was more of an affectation than a necessity, but since his accident six months ago, Raymond had only used wandless magic if he had to, rather than as a matter of course, as he had often done before. It was, as far as Jean could tell, the only lingering consequence of the roof collapse that had destroyed Adèle’s partner and nearly killed Raymond. Jean said another silent prayer of thanksgiving for his lover’s survival as he waited for Adèle to arrive and Raymond to return.

  Chapter 3

  Denis Langlois had discovered many things in the six months since he took the Cour autunoise from Renaud, but he had yet to get used to the presence of wizards in his life. He had overthrown Renaud in part because of his attitude toward l’Institut Marcel Chavinier and Jean Bellaiche’s mission to integrate vampires more fully into French society, but Denis had not realized at the time how completely integrated Bellaiche and many of the Parisian vampires had become. Unlike Renaud, Denis did not question their right to make that choice or to offer the same choice to anyone who chose to make it, but Denis had to admit he was not completely comfortable with it himself.

  He rarely seemed to have a choice, though. He had attended the seminar at l’Institut as a way of setting his leadership apart from Renaud’s, but everything he had heard raised his hackles. He had buried a lover too recently in vampire terms to be comfortable accepting another yet, and from all he had heard, taking a partner was tantamount to taking a lover. It seemed to work for those involved in partnerships. Denis had been happy with Noël for long enough to recognize that sentiment on the faces and in the demeanors of others. He had no doubt that Bellaiche and Payet belonged together, and St. Clair and his Avoué were so smitten with each other that Denis wondered how St. Clair would survive the man’s death.

  Denis had barely survived Noël’s death without the putative power of a partnership, much less an Aveu de Sang, to bind them.

  Glancing at the clock, he realized it was time to meet Payet. He switched off the lights and went down to the door, standing in the portico to wait for Payet materialize. Denis had no idea how magic worked in that respect, but he had no desire to have the wizard appear on top of him.

  A shimmer in the air was Denis’s only warning, and then Payet appeared, striding toward the door. “I’m here,” Denis said, stepping out of the shadows. “I didn’t want to be in your way.”

  “You wouldn’t have been,” Payet replied, shaking Denis’s hand in greeting. “Shall we go? Jean and Adèle are waiting for us at l’Institut.”

  Denis signaled his agreement, stomach clenching as Payet cast another displacement spell to take them back to l’Institut Marcel Chavinier. The sensation reminded him of riding a fast elevator, that almost vertigo that came with moving too fast. He stumbled despite his best efforts, scowling as Payet reached out a hand to steady him. He hated showing any weakness in front of other vampires, and of course Bellaiche stood in the courtyard of l’Institut along with a woman Denis assumed was Adèle Rougier. Assured again of his balance, he took a step forward to shake Bellaiche’s hand. He leaned forward to give Adèle the traditional kisses on both cheeks, but her glare dissuaded him. He offered his hand instead.

  “Denis, you remember Adèle,” Jean said, amused at the interplay. “Adèle, Denis is the vampire most likely to be able to help us identify our rogue. Chances are, the rogue is from this area, and Denis is the chef de la Cour in Autun.”

  “Nice to meet you again,” Adèle said with a nod. “Shall we go? My captain is anxious to have this case solved.”

  “As are we,” Denis said. “Legislation aside, it’s going to take more than eighteen months before people stop looking at vampires askance, and something like this doesn’t help. The sooner we catch the vampire responsible, the better for all of us.”

  “So you share Jean’s opinion that he’ll continue?” Adèle asked.

  “I don’t want to interrupt,” Jean said, se
eing the shiver that went through Raymond as they stood in the cool night air, “but it’s hardly warm outside. Perhaps we could continue this conversation at Sang Froid, where it’s likely to be far more comfortable.”

  Adèle was in no rush to get to Paris. She would do her job, but she had no intention of getting more involved than that with the woman whose resistance to her magic marked her as Adèle’s partner. She had learned her lesson the first time around. Arguing would only draw attention to her hesitation, though, and she had no intention of explaining anything to Jean or Raymond. They would not understand. “Let’s go, then.”

  Without waiting for a reply, she cast the displacement spell, taking Jean with her since Raymond’s magic would not work on his partner.

  “Is something bothering you?” Jean asked the moment they appeared in Paris. “You’re even pricklier than usual.”

  “I already don’t like this case,” Adèle said sharply. “There’s no physical evidence, so it will all depend on the testimony of our new vampire, and she was barely coherent last night. I don’t see her being a very convincing witness if it ever gets as far as a trial. Do vampires even have fingerprints?”

  “We have them, yes,” Jean replied, “but we rarely leave them. We don’t sweat any more than we cry, so unless the vampire we’re chasing had recently put lotion on his hands, there would be nothing to leave a mark.”

  Raymond and Denis appeared next to them. Jean could feel Raymond’s concern through their bond. The connection between them did not allow him to read his lover’s thoughts, but as in tune as they were, he could often guess from the situation and Raymond’s emotions. He shook his head slightly, answering the silent question. Whatever was bothering Adèle, she had not seen fit to share it with him.

  “Let’s go inside,” Jean said. They had more pressing matters than whatever might be on Adèle’s mind.

  To Jean’s surprise, Angelique was not in the entrance parlor of Sang Froid when they came in. Her manager, François Roche, greeted them instead. “We’re honored tonight,” François joked. “The chef de la Cour, his Consort, Mademoiselle Rougier, and a vampire I don’t know.”

  “This is Denis Langlois,” Jean said, “chef de la Cour of Autun.”

  “How can we be of service?” François asked with a respectful nod in Denis’s direction.

  “We need to speak with the vampire Sebastien brought here last night,” Adèle said. “She’s our only witness in the crime of her turning, but she wasn’t coherent enough to give me much in the way of details last night. I’m hoping Angelique has her calmed down by now.”

  “Why don’t you wait in Angelique’s office?” François proposed, opening the door to let them enter. “I’ll let her know you’re here. She actually went to check on Pascale as few minutes ago because she had not come down yet.”

  “This is an office?” Denis asked, looking around the room that, aside from the desk against one wall, was more suited to a harem than a business.

  “You’ll understand once you meet Angelique,” Raymond said with a grin. “Don’t let the appearance of her office fool you. She’s as shrewd a businesswoman as you’ll ever meet. She simply chooses to run her business in surroundings that are comfortable for her.”

  Angelique came in a moment later, Pascale following somewhat more timidly behind her.

  “I have a full house, it would seem,” Angelique said, kissing Jean, Raymond, and Adèle on the cheeks. “And an unfamiliar face. Angelique Bouaddi.”

  “Denis Langlois,” Denis said, offering Angelique his hand.

  “Ah, the new chef de la Cour,” Angelique said. “I wondered when I would have the honor.”

  “Angelique prides herself on being indispensible,” Jean said, his eyes twinkling as he teased his old friend.

  “Always a snack for a hungry vampire,” Angelique agreed with a wink. “I doubt you came calling just to amuse me. I don’t have much in the way of chairs, but if you aren’t comfortable on the divans, I can have François bring something in from the parlor.” As she spoke, she moved to the divan and settled onto it with the ease of long familiarity. Her loose skirts draped around her legs as she pulled them up next to her. “Please, be at home.”

  Denis watched as the three he had come to Paris with mirrored Angelique’s pose, obviously familiar with the routine. The blonde who had come in with Angelique, presumably the newly turned vampire, looked as ill at ease as Denis felt, finally taking a seat near Angelique’s feet as if she drew comfort from the other woman’s presence. Denis chose the one chair in the room, at the desk, and sat on it instead.

  “How are you doing this evening, Pascale?” Adèle asked, ending the badinage and getting down to business. Knowing the other woman could be her partner if she allowed it left her tense and irritable, although she tried to keep it under control for the sake of getting as much information out of the witness as possible.

  “I’m doing better, thank you,” Pascale said, her voice steadier than it had been the night before. Adèle breathed a sigh of relief. She had no interest in dealing with more hysterics. “Angelique has been very kind to me.”

  “Angelique is good at that,” Adèle agreed. “I’m hoping now that you’ve had a chance to calm down and to eat that we can talk a bit more about what happened and maybe jog loose some memories that will help us catch the vampire who turned you.”

  Pascale nodded, keeping her eyes focused on Adèle, the only other person in the room she knew besides Angelique. She knew the name of the young vampire who did not look like he was more than twenty, despite the air of command he carried about him. She assumed the other two men, somewhat older, in their midthirties to look at them, were Jean and Raymond, who Angelique had said would come to visit her. She had no idea which was which, but the quick glance she had given them confirmed Angelique’s assessment of them. They radiated charm and charisma in a way that would be hard to resist. She did not claim to understand the sparks of annoyance she felt from the detective, but at least it was an emotion she could deal with. “I don’t know what else I can tell you,” she said, taking a breath to steady her nerves, “but I will tell you all I know.”

  Adèle pulled out a small notebook from the pocket of her coat, fumbling for a pen. Not finding one, she muttered a spell under her breath, her wand transforming into a pen. “You’ll have to change it back when I’m done,” she told Raymond. “I can’t do wandless magic.”

  “You could have simply asked for a pen,” Angelique chided gently.

  Adèle glared at the vampire for a moment. “You said you were attacked as you were coming home last night, correct?”

  “Yes,” Pascale said. “I’d had dinner with a friend and her husband at their house. It was a work night, so I didn’t stay late. I think it was around ten when I left, although I don’t know exactly what time. They live in Lucenay-l’Evêque, so it takes forty minutes or so to get back to Château-Chinon, even in the middle of the night.”

  “There might be less traffic, but there’s also less light out in the country, so you have to drive a little slower,” Adèle agreed. “So you got home around ten forty-five, maybe eleven. You grabbed your purse, got out of the car, maybe a little distracted, thinking about work, not really paying attention to your surroundings.” She had seen it more times than she could count, a woman attacked in a parking lot or side street because she was not aware of what was going on around her.

  “No,” Pascale said. “I drove into the garage and shut it before I got out of the car. I don’t know if he was already inside or if he managed to get inside as I was driving through, but I’m not stupid. I pay attention to safety.”

  Adèle grudgingly revised her opinion of the woman sitting at Angelique’s feet. “Was the timing right?”

  “I didn’t look at the clock when I drove in, but yes, about right,” Pascale agreed. “I closed the door, got out of the car, and started toward the house. The garage connects, but there’s also a door to the garden, because I keep tools and things
there as well.”

  Adèle had seen it when she checked the crime scene. It had still been standing open.

  “You said before that he dragged you behind the garage. Did he say anything? Give any indication what he wanted from you?”

  “No,” Pascale said, “not then. He covered my mouth so I couldn’t scream, his other hand around my throat, constricting my air partially. I could still breathe a little, but with difficulty. I didn’t fight. He was obviously so much stronger than I was. When he got me back outside, he released my throat, pulled my head to the side, and bit me.” She fingered the spot on her neck, though the wounds had closed with her turning.