by Daley, Lysa
In a panic, before he looked behind him, I aimed and released the second of my trio of arrows. It sailed wildly off above his head, disappearing into the darkness. My aim had been tragically off.
Bernardo whipped around, snarling. Furious, he marched toward me.
Struggling to reload, I fumbled with the last arrow, my hands shaking so bad I thought I might drop it.
Bearing down on me, he lunged, reaching out, fangs barred like a monster.
I had no time to think. Just react. Shift!
An instant before he could grab me, I felt velvety wings fluttering hard for dear life. I’d become a bat. A vampire bat. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw him coming at me.
Yes, a little on the nose, perhaps. Even though I hadn’t put much thought into it, transforming into a bat had been a pretty good choice.
Flapping up and out of his grasp and over the open warehouse below, I could now sense everything around me because of my bat’s radar. This helped me navigate out of Bernardo’s reach.
“Now that was a neat trick,” he said, swinging at me with a loose metal pipe he’d grabbed off the floor. “But I see you, little vampire bat.”
The pipe was almost long enough to reach me, so I flapped hard, getting farther out of his range.
A moment later, the pipe clattered to the floor. When I turned back, he was gone. The coast seemed clear, so I fluttered cautiously back over to the landing.
My radar picked up movement in the distance.
Finally, I saw the faint outline of a trapdoor. It blended almost seamlessly into the corrugated metal warehouse walls. Using his considerable strength, Bernardo pushed hard to get the three-foot by three-foot door to open.
So there was an escape route up here. He had a backup plan. Smart.
The door opened, flooding the area with light and revealing a narrow walkway connecting this warehouse to the one across the street.
Bernardo slipped through it with a grunt.
I tried to get to it before the door closed. I flapped my wings as hard as I could, but it was no use. The trapdoor slammed shut long before I made it over.
I was losing him. And losing him meant losing Sam.
I transformed back, my human legs running to the door. My heart thudded wildly, unsure what I’d encounter when I pushed open the door. I gave it shove and it swung open.
Bernardo was more than halfway across the walkway.
But the old bridge swayed under his weight. The entire structure wobbled with every step he took. I half expected the rusty bolts securing the whole thing to the wall to pop out, sending it plummeting to the ground.
I was out of arrows. My only option was the wooden stake or the borrowed wand that I still had never used. The wand, and my ability to wield it, was too unpredictable. My only viable option was the stake. But that meant getting dangerously close to the vampire. Even if I could kill him, he would likely kill me in the process.
I sighed. With no other options, I took a deep breath. I climbed fully out onto the metal walkway, fearful it wouldn’t hold is both.
The entire bridge lurched, dropping a few inches as the bolts strained.
Bernardo turned, letting out a low primeval sort of growl. “Don’t you ever give up, little bat-girl?”
Leaning against the side rail for balance, I inched forward. “Sorry, but I’m not going to fly away and leave you alone.”
One of two things was about to happen. Either he would attack and I would possibly stab him with the stake, putting an end to this miserable vampire’s existence and thereby saving Sam. Or, he would use his crazy fast vampire speed to get away.
Unexpectedly, number three happened.
With a piercing groan, the whole crosswalk ripped free from the walls, sending me and Bernardo careening down toward the ground.
Bernardo’s mouth flew open and his eyes went wild. But he quickly recovered his wits. He would survive this fall. Vampires were sort of like cats landing on their feet — even from great heights.
On the other hand, I didn’t have enough time to transform into a bird or a bat or even a fly, so I probably wouldn’t.
I desperately tried to twist my body around so I wouldn’t land square on my back as the industrial walls whizzed past in a blur. Bernardo smiled his predatory smile at me, flashing his fangs. Then he reached for me.
I pulled the wooden stake.
With milliseconds left before we hit the ground, everything shifted into slow motion.
His cold hands grabbed me, pulling my body closer to his.
With no time left, I heaved the wooden stake up.
His falling body weight did the rest. The stake sliced into his chest, tearing at the flesh. Bernardo’s red eyes widened.
For an instant, I thought it hadn’t worked. Maybe it hadn’t gone in deep enough.
But then —
BOOM!
Almost instantaneously, he exploded into a cloud of vaporous, glimmering dust. The almost pretty sparkles would be the last thing I ever saw, a split second before I slammed into the concrete.
At least I would die knowing that Sam had been released from his curse.
But instead, I was suddenly enveloped by a pair of strong furry arms. I opened my eyes to see that face of a bear. Despite his ferocious appearance, his familiar eyes looked down at me as I passed out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
When I got home, dead tired, every muscle ached as I dragged myself up the stairs. Approaching my apartment, I found the contents of my life piled in a massive heap outside the front door.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Tears rimmed my eyes.
There was no padlock or anything physical preventing me from getting inside. Instead, my landlord had drawn a single crude but effective ward above the transom. This would be enough to keep me out.
Honestly, Mr. Gulch’s stupid ward didn’t matter to me one way or the other. I was done with this apartment. I didn’t want to live someplace that clearly didn’t want me. And he’d obviously decided to rent the apartment to that girl from Berkeley instead of giving me a couple measly days to pay my back rent.
I spun around, plucking a perfect pomegranate from the all-fruit tree. This gorgeous tree I would miss. I cracked the juicy red fruit open and scooped up the seeds with my finger. As they exploded with sweet juice in my mouth, I looked out at the courtyard. Where do I go now?
“Thanks for letting me crash here,” I said to Ellie as she handed me a stack of pillows and blankets.
“You can stay as long as you like,” she replied, flopping down next to me on the blue velvet couch. “You’ll be surprised how comfortable this couch actually is. I fall asleep here all the time, especially when I’m supposed to be catching up on my organic chemistry reading.”
The apartment that she shared with her two roommates was unusually quiet because they had gone up to Mammoth for the weekend to ski.
“You really are the best friend a girl could have.” I smiled.
Hours after Ellie had gone to bed, I laid on my back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling unable to drift off. She was right. The couch was super comfy, but I still couldn’t sleep. Perhaps it was the residual adrenaline left in my system from the vampire encounter.
I’d been saved from being squashed like a bug on the pavement when Stryker, in his werebear form, caught me. He’d managed to send the demon back to hell by returning him to the pentacle and then setting the exterior aflame.
Later, when I asked him how he managed to summon fire so precisely, he revealed half a dragon’s tooth attached to a chain tucked inside of his shirt. “I borrowed this from the evidence area. Thought it might come in handy when dealing with a lesser-demon.”
“You stole the charm I got back from the troll?” I asked.
“Um, no,” he said like I was big dummy. “I signed it out.”
Stroud had agreed to let him use it temporarily before it went back to whoever originally owned it.
The next thing
I knew, dappled morning light filled Ellie’s living room, revealing one million or so little dust mots floating in the air like little universes all their own. I woke up not sure what had been a dream and what had been real. I cleared my head and sat up.
Behind me the front door opened as Ellie fluttered in, carrying a cardboard tray with two cups of coffee and white bakery bag.
“I think I might love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my whole life,” I said, as the sweet aroma of coffee drifted in along with the scent of fresh pastries. I knew what was in the bag before she said anything.
“And good morning to you too.” She swept in and set everything on small dining room table. “Hey, I ran into Mrs. R at the coffee shop, and she happened to mention that they're looking for someone to rent their guesthouse. It's up in the hills someplace.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can't even afford a one-bedroom apartment just off campus. How could I possibly afford a whole guest house in the Hollywood hills?”
“I think they want to do some sort of trade for rent. They need someone to look after their pets when they're gone or something like that,” she replied. “You should go talk to them.”
I shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt to ask.”
“Great,” she said, with a sparkle in her eye. She pulled out a napkin with an address scribbled on it. “Because I told them you’d come by their house to discuss it at 6pm.
The address read 3342 Lemongrass Way, Studio City. I knew Studio City was an upscale L.A. neighborhood on the other side of the hill, sort of between Hollywood and Beverly Hills. While it wasn’t technically Hollywood, the swanky foothills area was generally considered it to be part of the Hollywood Hills.
I shook my head softly as I choked back tears. “Ellie, I said it last night, but you're the best friend a girl could have. Right now you don't how important that is to me.”
“It’s all going to be okay. I promise.” She smiled. “How’s that Sam guy doing?”
“I’m going to see him right now.” I couldn’t wait to see for myself.
Mr. Stroud and I had agreed to meet at the Ironwood Building at 11am so he could pay me.
By now the routine of punching the number thirteen button and descending into the basement was old hat. But today, I was unexpectedly surprised when the elevator actually began to ascend.
Was it possible it was actually taking me to the 13th floor?
I tucked my cell phone into my back pocket and felt a forgotten little slip of paper. I pulled it out to find that it was the original business card Agatha had given me back in the dark stairwell on campus. The card with only the address on it.
In the elevator’s fluorescent lighting, I noticed something that hadn’t been visible before. There was a faint enchanted watermark slightly above the address. I pulled a half-empty water bottle from my bag and splashed liquid on the paper card. Enchanted watermarks only revealed themselves after contact with water.
A symbol slowly became visible.
My chest tightened as a pair of crossed wands in a circle of flames appeared. This was the ancient insignia of the Society of Shadows.
What did this mean? The reason my father had been forced into hiding was because of the accusations of Society of Shadows. They were his enemy.
I felt faint as the elevator doors opened at the 13th floor. I almost pushed the lobby button so I could leave, but a voice spoke.
“Good morning, Lacey.” Agatha sat behind a large sleek modern receptionist desk.
I took a deep breath. No, I wanted to find out what was going on.
“Where am I?” I asked firmly, stepping out onto the polished granite floor. I looked around at the Italian leather furniture and the huge flower arrangement in the cut crystal vase on a side table. Everything screamed expensive. This place was a complete contrast to the low-rent offices in the basement.
Agatha smiled coyly. “I think you know where you are.”
“Ah, Lacey!” Mr. Stroud said brightly as he came through a side door, carrying a steaming cup of tea. “What do you think of our remodel?”
“Who are you people?”
He kept walking past the reception desk. “Follow me and I’ll explain.”
“No,” I said, refusing to budge. “You tell me right now.”
Mr. Stroud and Agatha exchanged looks, then he said, “Why my dear, this is the North American headquarters of the Society of Shadows, of course.”
“No.” I shook my head with disbelief. “I don’t believe you. You said you were just a group of seekers who retrieved lost magical items and captured supernatural outlaws?”
“I never said who we were,” he replied.
“But…” He had never actually told me the name of the company.
“There are smaller satellite branches in New York, Chicago, and Miami. But we’re the main office.” Then Mr. Stroud looked over at Agatha. “Can you get Ms. McCray a nice cup of tea? I don’t think she’s feeling well.”
Five minutes later, I sat on the green plaid couch in Mr. Stroud’s corner office. His decor was more English gentleman’s hunting lodge than businessman chic, mainly because of multiple glass cases of supernatural weapons along the back wall. The smell of new furniture and fresh paint lingered in the air.
Before we talked about anything else, I said, “Where’s Sam?”
“Your friend Officer Brown has been moved up to our medical floor.”
“Medical floor? You have more than one floor?”
He laughed softly. “My dear, the Society of Shadows occupies this entire building. As for your friend Sam, he’s still unconscious, but his condition is stable. Soon, we’ll need to transfer him to a more appropriate setting.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, fearing for his safety.
“While it’s true that Sam has been released from the vampire’s curse, and aren’t we all glad for it, he has still sustained a serious injury. He’ll be sent to a special until at Cedar Sinai Medical Center on the Westside, where I promise you he will get world class medical care.”
Cedars was considered to be the premiere hospital in Los Angeles. If he was going there, then I felt relieved.
I wanted to ask if I could go visit him, but Mr. Stroud beat me to it. “If you go to see him, remember that he’s had his mind wiped. He won’t remember what happened with the vampire.”
“Will he remember me?”
“Oh yes. He’ll remember everything before his encounter with Bernardo.”
I nodded and took a sip of the fragrant orange pekoe in a china cup and turned everything over in my brain. I set the teacup back on the saucer and said, “I don’t understand what’s going on, Mr. Stroud. My father is a wanted man. Apparently, the Society thinks he stole from them. So why have you been helping me?”
Mr. Stroud leaned back in a high-backed green leather chair behind his large mahogany desk and shook his head. His office door was closed. Quietly, he replied, “Not everyone believes that your father is guilty. He was framed. That I know for certain. What I don’t know is who did it. Your father is a powerful mage. He’s stopped a lot of very dangerous supernaturals. Some of those people would like to see him stripped of his position and power.”
“But you don’t?”
“Why would I be here offering you a permanent job if I believed that he was guilty?”
“How can you offer me a job if I’m still Cassius McCray’s daughter?”
“I operate with a good deal of freedom, and I have full authority over the agents I use. The way I see it, I can help your father by helping you.” Then he paused. ”Have you had any contact with your father recently?”
I tried not to react to the question. I liked Mr. Stroud, and he’d been nothing but kind to me, but I wasn’t sure how much I should trust him.
As if reading my concern, he said, “You can trust me, Lacey. I know your father is innocent.”
As I sat there, I could have sworn I almost felt the gold faerie coin growing warm in my pocket.
“Yes, of course.” I nodded, but I didn’t trust him. Right now I didn’t trust anyone. “I haven’t heard from my father. I’ve been trying to reach him, left message after message, but he never replies.”
Mr. Stroud’s eyes clouded with disappointment. “Keep trying. I know he’s out there.” Then he seemed to remember something and swiveled to the credenza behind his desk. “Oh, by the way, I have something for you.” He turned back, handing me the little gun that I’d accidentally left in the vampire’s office.
My cheeks reddened with embarrassment. What a rookie move to forget your gun.
“Santina sent this over,” he said, picking up a handwritten card. “With a note that says it’s for my ‘little ladybug.’ Any idea what that means?”
I explained how I’d lost it and the encounter in the elevator with the vampire.
He laughed and pulled out the brown leather ledger with the checks inside. “I think you’re off to a good start, Lacey. Let me pay you and we can talk about your next assignment.”
“About that…” My voice cracked.
“Yes.” He stopped writing and looked up.
“I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Mr. Stroud. I really do. This money is literally saving my ass, but I don’t think this line of work is for me.”
“Except you’re an absolute natural at being a seeker,” he argued.
Maybe he was right, but I still couldn’t get my mind around the fact that I’d killed someone. Yes, it was an evil vampire, but it didn’t sit well with me. And then there was what had happened to Sam.
No, it would have been better if I could find something a little more ordinary. Being a high school substitute teacher was looking better and better.
I reached into my bag and pulled out the magic wand that Mr. Stroud had lent me, the strong white energy pulsing through it. Whoever it had belonged to was a good and powerful witch. “Let me give you this back.”
Mr. Stroud reluctantly took the wand. After a beat, he tore the check from the ledger and said, “I understand. This is dangerous work, and it’s not for everyone.”