“Ah suppose there are still some things not found in your books. It is a creature … once a vampire, stripped of its own aura and given another.”
“Jesus, but a vampire stripped of its aura …”
She nodded and turned back to me. “Yes, a vampire stripped of its aura is stripped of the power keeping it alive, for lack of a better term.”
“What the hell can do that?”
“Only one creature Ah’ve ever fought could do that, Damian. Only demons can do that.”
I saw Sam curl her legs up underneath her in the corner. A small tremor ran through her and she closed her eyes. I turned my focus back to Zola. “Is Foster okay?”
“Ha! Is Foster okay?” She shook her head and smiled. “He split that zombie from crown to crotch. Sam, what did Edgar say?”
“Bifurcate,” my sister said with a weak laugh.
“Yes, Foster bifurcated the zombie. Ah truly think he could have killed the rogue, from what he tells me. Ah don’t see another reason a vampire would run. How he vanished when Foster threw a toad sticker at him bothers me, something a demon could do, but a demon wouldn’t run.” She paused. “You know Colin healed you?”
I smiled and looked at Sam. “I guess he’s not so bad, huh?”
Sam snorted. “No, and I don’t think he’s going anywhere soon. He’s, how you say, courting Karen.”
“Vampire Karen?” I said.
“Yes,” Sam said with a nod.
My mind drifted a bit, remembering how Karen was one of the first vampires from the Pit to really break the ice with Cara. She used to hang around with Sam and Alexi quite a bit. I tried to imagine what havoc Colin would be wreaking in the Pit.
“So,” Sam said, interrupting my mind-drift. “What else did the rogue say?”
“What?” I said as Sam’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, right, the rogue. He said a lot, actually, like a full on monologue. Something about the rise of the Unseelie Sidhe ruling the nether lands and killing Gwynn ap Nudd.”
Zola took a deep breath. “As Foster said.” Her grip tightened around the cane in her hand. “Did he say anything else?”
I started to shake my head, but then I remembered. “Yes,” I looked up and met my master’s eyes, “he said he’ll break your neck for what you did to them.”
“Them?” Zola said.
“Yeah,” I said. “Who are they?”
“Ah fear the answer to that question, Damian. We must learn more before Ah can be certain, but Ah’m afraid of what is coming.”
I heard Sam squeak in her chair when Zola expressed her fear. I knew exactly how both of them felt as a shiver ran down my spine.
“What do we need to do?” I said.
Zola smiled. “We need to see if more artifacts are missing or if someone has released more demons we’re not aware of yet.”
“Okay, so where do we start?”
She closed her eyes and was silent for a moment. When she opened them again, they were on fire. “We already know the seal was broken in New Madrid. Philip and I buried more artifacts in the area. Some were seals, prisons for the demons, while others …” she clenched her open hand into a fist, “are still waiting to be used against the demons. It’s been hundreds of years, Damian. Ah don’t know if they’ll still be there.”
“Where?”
“Two are nearby, to the south. We were at Fort Davidson when the South came calling. One will be there; the other is in a nearby quarry.” She paused and tapped her chin. “Ah believe Philip said it is a park now, something about elephants?”
“Elephant Rocks,” Sam said and she unfolded herself and sat up straight.
Zola turned to look at her. “Yes, Ah believe that’s it.”
“I know where that’s at,” I said. “Don’t know about the fort, but Elephant Rocks is only a couple hours from here.”
“A lot less if you’re driving,” Sam said as she glared at me.
I shrugged.
Zola laughed a little.
“What?” I said.
“When Philip and Ah first made the trip from Saint Louis to the quarry it took almost two days. Two days of pushing our horses fairly hard.” She smiled again.
“Good god I love the future,” I said. “That’s brutal.”
“It wasn’t bad, Damian. It gave me time alone with Philip. Not a bad thing at all.”
“Fair enough, so when are we going?”
“We’ll leave tomorrow.”
Chapter Eight
I dragged myself up the stairs behind Zola as my legs burned and cramped with every step. I groaned.
Zola glanced back and laughed.
“I feel like I’m eighty.”
“You just need food, boy.”
I nodded and finished the climb in groaning semi-silence. At the top of the stairs I let the banister take my weight, slouched, tilted my head back, and sighed. When I straightened up I found a vampire with short and immaculately slicked-back raven hair. He was thin, verging on emaciated, with prominent bones etching a stoic pattern on his face. He smiled as I met his eyes.
“Hey, Vik.”
“Damian.”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
“You are quite welcome. Now, as the old woman said, let’s get you some food.”
I shuffled around the flowing staircases and took a left into the hallway leading to the kitchen. It was somewhat strange to see Vik without his floor-length coat. Instead he wore only black slacks and a deep red shirt. Sam put him well over three hundred years old, and he had to be almost six feet tall. He was tall for the age. He’d always been good to Sam, so he was okay by me.
The vampire gestured to a sizable kitchen table, beaten and battered by untold centuries of use. It was currently inhabited by two other vampires and Zola. I pulled up a seat next to Sam while Vik opened the freezer and popped something in the microwave.
It was only then I realized who the other vampire at the table was. Her hair was dyed a deep purple instead of its usual brunette color. It didn’t matter what color her hair was, she always looked cute with a little upturned nose and big brown eyes. Ridiculously cute.
“Oooh, did you bring me a fresh snack, Vik?”
I stifled a groan. Sometimes I almost forgot how annoying she was.
“Hi Mary,” I said. “How’ve you been?”
“Lonely without my wittle necromancer snacks.”
“Gag me,” Sam muttered.
A roll of laughter ran through the kitchen.
“You’re an idiot,” Zola said as she rapped my shoulder with her cane. “You let a vampire feed on you.”
“That’s not all,” Mary said.
“That’s quite enough Mary!” Vik said as he slammed his palm on the countertop. “Stay silent and leave this room immediately.”
Mary slid her chair out and left the room without another word. Vik stared after her, shaking his head as she disappeared into the hallway.
“I apologize for her lack of manners,” Vik said.
Zola rolled her eyes. “Damian, if she decided to drain you instead of snacking, you’d be dead.”
“Eww,” Sam said.
“We all make stupid decisions,” I said.
“Sure,” Sam said. “How much did you drink that night?”
“I blame Foster.”
Sam smirked and exchanged a glance with Zola.
The microwave dinged. Vik brought a fine china plate with a golden knife and fork that probably cost more than my car. On top of that plate were two unthinkably beautiful chimichangas.
“Oh, Vik, I didn’t know you cared!”
“You know you’re not supposed to feed stray dogs?” Sam said as she elbowed me. “You’ll never get rid of him now.”
Vik smiled and pulled a small white bag out of his pocket and set it in front of Zola. She unrolled the top and peered inside. Her eyes widened and she took a deep breath over the bag.
“Hoarhound candy, where did you find this?”
“I made it, actually.”
Zola popped a piece of round, amber and white speckled candy into her mouth. “Oh my. Ah haven’t had candy like that in a hundred years. Thank you.”
Vik nodded and walked back to the fridge. He pulled two cups out of the cupboard and a bag of blood out of the refrigerator. I took a few bites of changa while I watched him fill the cups and snap lids on them. It didn’t bother me nearly as much as it used to.
“Where is everyone?” I said.
“Most of them are with Jonathan,” Vik said.
“Why aren’t you?” I said.
“Someone needed to look after our necromancer,” Vik said as he dropped the cups into the microwave.
Vik brought the cups over when they finished heating. He handed one to Sam as he sat down with his own. Almost on cue, both vampires snapped out their fangs and slammed them into the top of the cups.
“Vampire sippy cups,” I muttered.
Both of them stifled laughter in an effort not to spray the room in blood.
“Hey, it’s better than eating people,” Sam said.
“And the design is quite brilliant,” Vik said as he demonstrated the movable bottom that pressed all the blood into the lid.
“Vampire Push Pops,” I said.
My sister grinned and elbowed me.
“Indeed,” Vik said. “These cups are quite satisfying, giving us something to bite into other than flesh. I would think the fact makes you more comfortable around us.” Vik smiled, snapped his fangs out and bit down on the cup again.
I watched him suction blood out of the cup for a moment and then took my last bite of chimichanga. “Indeed,” I muttered.
Sam went back to the fridge for a refill. Every shelf was piled with blood bags.
“Is Devon still working at the blood bank?” I said.
Vik nodded. “I need to introduce you two.”
“How long has she been in the Pit now?”
“Almost two months in fact. She’s been at the blood bank for a month. The employee discount is a nice benefit too. Vasili’s connections to the other Pits have paid off well.”
“I haven’t met him either,” I said.
Vik eyed me. “No disrespect to our illustrious leader, but would you really want to meet Vasili? Devon is at least attractive and less likely to kill you.”
“Are you still courting her?” Zola said before I could decide if Vik was joking or not.
Vik’s lips turned up into a smile. “Yes, she is my girlfriend, as the young ones say.”
I glanced at Sam; her Vampire Push Pop was almost empty again and currently twirling beneath her index finger on the table.
“Thanks for the chimichangas,” I said. “I need to check in on the shop. I didn’t lock up before the fight.”
“Of course,” Vik said. “Leave your plate. Sam will clean up.”
Sam shot daggers at Vik, a look I knew all too well, and then sighed. “I guess it is my week.”
“Thanks again for the food Vik, and the healthcare.”
He nodded once as I took my leave.
* * *
It was a short, quiet drive back to Saint Charles. Sure, Foster and Aideen would be looking after things, keeping the home front secure, but I always like to see it with my own eyes. The front door was locked when I pushed on the gold brass handle in the center of the double doors. The shiny brass was out of place in the worn green doors, flanked by ancient glass windows on either side. I slid my key in, opened the deadbolt, and swatted the bells as I walked inside. Foster glided in from the back room a moment later, fully armored.
“Damian, thank the lords you’re alright.”
I puffed out a breath of air. “And thank the Foster for saving my ass.”
He landed on a dark wood shelf behind the counter to the whisper of tiny chainmail links and scratched his head. “How’s Sam doing? She was pretty torn up when she saw you the first time.”
“Yeah, and she was already torn up over Alexi.” I slapped my forehead. “I didn’t even tell her sorry about Alexi. He was a good friend of hers.” I sat down on the stool behind the counter.
“She knows Damian. She’s family.”
“Then I went and got my ass handed to me on a silver platter.”
Foster stifled a laugh and I couldn’t help but smile. “You sure did.”
“Tell Colin thanks next time you see him.”
“I will.”
My neck cracked as I rolled it in a circle. “Can you clear something up for me?”
The fairy leapt off the shelf and landed beside the register on top of my latest eBay purchase. The seller titled it “Long Pretty Magnetite Rock with Crystals!!!!,” but the crystalized gray rock was actually a sizable chunk of Magrasnetto, a potent magic amplifier in ley line arts. I had enough to make some talismans and, if I could get my ass motivated, enough to make a wand.
Foster nodded at me from his rocky perch.
“The vamp we fought last night was screaming about Sidhe this and Sidhe that. I guess he figured out I had some help, or at least some friends.”
Foster’s chest puffed out a little and his teeth were shining. “He could see us, no doubt.”
My left hand waved aimlessly at the front door. “But when I’m talking with my sister’s group …”
“Pit,” Foster said.
I went on like I hadn’t heard him, “… they always say Fae.”
He crossed his legs beneath him. “We are all Fae and all Sidhe. Like you, like humans, some are good by some measure and some are less so. The best of us are blessed with the distinction of the Seelie Court. Those who fall, and those who are made to it, are of the Unseelie Court.” Foster looked ready to spit and his wings beat faster as he spoke of the Unseelie Court. “They are powerful. To underestimate them is death.”
“Sounds like they can dish out some serious power.”
Foster nodded.
“Must make you Unseelie, right?” I cocked an eyebrow to emphasize my sarcasm. Sometimes sarcasm is not the best option.
Foster screamed, unsheathed his sword, and lunged at my eyeball as fast as I could blink. He veered away at the last second shouting, “Stupid moron, born from a goat’s loins!”
“Foster, wait, I was just kidding!” I knocked the stool over and cursed as I jumped up to follow him toward the back room.
He flared back into the front and hovered a few feet from me. “Next time I’ll cut out your eyeball. Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to let you know I was just kidding.” He leveled his sword at my face. “There are some things you do not say, even in jest. Leave, necromancer.” Foster slammed his sword back in its sheath and disappeared into the back room.
Necromancer. He never called me that. Never used in such a derogatory way. It stung more than I thought it ever could. I stared at the doorway for almost a full minute before I lost interest in the whorls of cheap veneer on our saloon-style doors. I walked out the front and locked the door again. I headed straight for what was about to become my last source of encyclopedic fairy knowledge that was still talking to me. In about ten seconds, I was pretty sure Cara and Aideen wouldn’t be talking to me either.
Crap.
Chapter Nine
I ran my hand through my hair and clenched my teeth as I met the abyss of my sister’s gaze. “Sam, all I said, jokingly of course, was he must be Unseelie.”
My sister stepped backwards, put her hand over her mouth, and looked at me in horror as she flopped onto her bed.
“What did I do now?”
“He saved you and you … you just … insulted everything he stands for Damian. Everything he works for. Everything his family has done for generations to earn the respect of the Seelie court.” She held her hands out to me like she was begging and shook her head. “How could you do that?”
“Oh. Well, that helps put things in perspective.” I echoed my sister’s flop onto the chair in the corner and cracked my head against the wall. “Ow.” I glanced around her cheery jonquil colored lounge. A smile started t
o creep over my lips as I considered all of the sunshine and cheer in the middle of a vampire lair.
My eyes widened as Sam was suddenly in front of me and grabbing my collar. It felt like she was about to throw me across the room as she jerked me to her with super vampy strength. “You have to apologize to him,” she hissed.
“I did apologize!”
She let go of my collar and patted my shoulder with the gentleness of an ogre, slamming me back into the chair. “Sure, what’d you say, ‘I was just kidding’?” She cocked an eyebrow and non-verbally pummeled me into submission.
I mumbled a bit.
“What?” she said as she raised both eyebrows.
“I said … that’s almost exactly what I said.”
She smiled, and then burst into laughter, leaning against one of the huge wooden posts of her bed. “Get him a nice present, not just fudge. You get them fudge too much for it to be a real apology.” She paused and wrinkled her nose. “Better get something for his mom too. You might wish Foster’d killed you if Cara gets a hold of you first.”
I nodded quickly and repeatedly as I ran for the door, up the stairs, back to my slightly sliced up rental car, and shot down the block to the wine and cheese shop.
On the way, my thoughts flickered back to the first time I met Foster. I remembered Sam telling me she had a friend that would be a perfect fit for my ancient grandfather clock. My first thought was, does she really expect me to sell Zola’s old clock? I didn’t think too hard on it, thoroughly distracted by a mind boggling pizza from the Blackthorne Pub.
By the time we got back from dinner and stopped at the Double D, there was a trio of fairies circled around a tea light on the counter. I was a little surprised to see them, as fairies don’t like necromancers too much.
“Hi, Foster,” Sam said. I twitched a little and eyeballed my sister as one of the fairies waved at her.
“Fairies don’t like necromancers,” I said as quietly as I could while elbowing Sam in the gut. I aimed to land a harder elbow when she was suddenly standing on the other side of the counter, grinning.
“This is my brother, Damian.”
I lowered my elbow and produced a weak, steady wave with my right hand. A half grin was plastered to my face.
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