Frost Bite

by S A Magnusson

  “Interesting,” Jean-Pierre said.

  “Is it? For someone who ended up getting attacked and held captive by your vampire buddies, it really wasn’t exciting or interesting. What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I’m afraid I will be unable to help.”

  “Why?”

  “You have helped me, Dr. Stone, and I thank you for that, but more cannot be offered.”

  “All I want is an answer.”

  “And I’ve told you I cannot provide the answer you seek. You have my thanks and my gratitude, and now you have my token which will provide you with a level of protection were you to want it—or need it.”

  I sat for a short time, but he leaned back, closing his eyes, and said nothing more. I had a sense he wouldn’t, and after a while, I got up, making my way to the door. “At least tell me who’s out there hunting vampires.”

  He looked over at me. “Hunting vampires?”

  “Yeah. Besides you, there have been two other vampires who have ended up in the emergency room. And that’s just here. I don’t know how many others ended up in other places. At least one of them died.” The other might have too, depending on what surgery was able to do for him. Even in that, I wondered whether there was anything about the vampires which would complicate an attempt at helping.

  “No one would hunt vampires, Dr. Stone. We have an agreement with the mages and shifters, the only people who would have the ability to hunt or harm my kind.”

  “Right. I’m aware of the agreement you have, but something’s happening.”

  He sighed. “Perhaps if you would tell me what you have seen, I might be of some help.”

  “I don’t think so. You haven’t been that much help as it is. I understand you have some rank within near vampire circles, and yet, something is taking place. You’re lucky to be alive. There are others who aren’t so lucky. And if this continues, I have a feeling you might die.”

  “It takes more than a simple wound to kill a vampire,” he said. “Even if you had not come for me, I would have likely been unharmed.”

  “You know, most people are appreciative of things done for them to keep them alive.”

  “I do not say I wasn’t appreciative.”

  “Whatever. Just know that when somebody comes after you to try to stab you with a cross coin, I won’t be there to help.” I headed toward the door, ready to get home, unwind, and feed the cat. I wasn’t sure what else needed to be done, but it was time for me to stop messing around with everything taking place. I wasn’t the right person for this. I didn’t know enough—and didn’t have enough magical connection to handle it. The problem for me was I felt I’d been pulled in deeper than I should have. Would there be any way for me to get out of this?

  “Dr. Stone?”

  I turned back to him, my hand resting on the doorframe.

  “What do you mean by a cross coin?”

  “There was something in one of the stab wounds. A coin. It formed a cross when it went into the flesh.” I didn’t know if the other had been similar, but the cross wound had been the same.

  “Are you certain about this?”

  “I am a doctor. I know what I saw.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking.”

  “Then what are you asking, Mr. Rorsch?”

  “Perhaps if you take a seat, I can question you a little bit more.”

  “I don’t think so. You see, you had the chance to help out, and you were so caught up in your vampire offensive that you didn’t want to help me, so I’m thinking I don’t have any interest in helping you.”

  “Did you not come here because you were worried about additional vampires getting hunted in your city?”

  “That’s not exactly why I came. I came to check on one of my patients.”

  “Then come sit by your patient,” he said.

  “I’m going home. I’m at the end of my shift, Mr. Rorsch, and seeing as how you appear well, there is no reason for me to linger. Besides, you have made it quite clear you think I’m nothing more than a familiar.”

  “Only because we have so many who search for vampires to try to become familiars.”

  “People want to become that?”

  “They want to be turned.”

  “What does it take?” I found myself intrigued despite myself.

  “It’s not easy, and not something vampires enter into lightly. The heads of the family must agree to turn someone, so most of the time, there’s a backlog, if you will, of a number of familiars who would like to become vampires. But, it’s more than just that backlog. We avoid turning too many to ensure our numbers are not too great.”

  “Why wouldn’t you want to have more numbers?”

  “It is part of the agreement, Dr. Stone.”

  “The agreement limits how many vampires there are?”

  “The agreement limits a great number of things. Not only does it limit the number, but it also limits how we might feed.”

  I shivered.

  He smiled, and when he did, I caught sight of a hint of his fangs. How had I not seen them before?

  “It’s nothing like that, Dr. Stone. Most vampires no longer feed on humans. It’s considered uncouth, and even those who do so prefer to use their familiars.”

  I stood, a stunned silence settling between us for a moment, before shaking my head. “Anyway. Now you have told me about your vampire predilections, I think it’s time for me to get going.”

  “You haven’t shared with me anything about these other vampires.”

  “What more is there to say? One died. Another may.”

  “May? As in he or she is still here?”

  A certain eagerness in the way he asked the question gave me pause. He sat up slightly, leaning toward me, and I took a step back. I held out my wrist, putting the bracelet between him and myself, hoping there was no use of magic. I didn’t think he could use magic without any sort of rune, but I could be wrong. There was much about the vampires I didn’t know, and even coming here, sitting with him, put me at a disadvantage despite us being in my hospital.

  “Were you the one who attacked them?”

  “Vampires do not attack vampires.”

  “I know that’s not true. Your family is jockeying for position within the Cities.”

  “Perhaps, but the vampires themselves rarely do the fighting.”

  “So you prefer to let the familiars do the work.”

  “It’s not what I prefer.”

  I frowned, a question coming to me. “What family are you with, anyway?”

  Jean-Pierre smiled. “It has taken you long enough to get to the question that really matters.”

  “Well good. And now I’ve gotten to the question that really matters, do you care to answer it?”

  “I am from no family.”

  “That’s not how it works.”

  “You are an expert in vampire politics?”

  “No, but I know all vampires belong to a family. The families protect themselves. There are three families in Minneapolis.”

  “There are three families, and then there are those who sit above the families.”

  “How?”

  “It is not important.”

  “It’s important, for it explains what’s been going on.”

  Jean-Pierre watched me, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to answer, but finally, he did. “If I tell you this, you will tell me what you know about those who were attacked?”

  “If you tell me, I will at least consider it.”

  “It is imperative that I know.”

  “Yeah? Well, it’s against the law for me to share things about my patients with someone not directly involved in their care.”

  “These laws matter little to me.”

  “These laws matter quite a bit to me. If I want to continue practicing medicine, I need to follow them.”

  “If you are even a hedge mage, there is no need for you to work in such a human profession.”

  “This human profession saved your l
ife, buddy. And besides, I enjoy it.”

  Jean-Pierre took in a deep breath, and he flashed a wide smile. When he did, there came a sense of serenity washing over me. Some distant part of me rebelled almost immediately, recognizing it was a foreign influence, and I pushed against it.

  Deep within me, anger was stirring, the connection to my hedge mage magic flowing up from my very core. It wasn’t much, but it added to my ability to resist. If nothing else, it took away the sense of wanting to appease Jean-Pierre.

  “Try that again and I walk away.”

  “You are an interesting woman, Dr. Stone.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “As you should. You ask about my role in the vampire society, and I tell you I am not of the families, not anymore. There comes a time—when a vampire lives long enough and serves well enough—that they can be raised to the Council of Elders.”

  “What is that?”

  “We oversee the vampire families.”

  “By that, you mean you run them?”

  “Not so much running them. There is no day-to-day involvement, but we certainly exert our influence, and we ensure the agreement with the shifters and the Mage Council holds. There are other aspects of our responsibilities, but those are less important to someone like yourself.”

  “That’s why the Icahrn family said I had the Mark of the Elder.”

  “Which you did. I provided you my Mark when you saved my life. It should have offered you protection, but then, that was when I believed you were a familiar and seeking attention.”

  “Yeah, well your Mark made Donovan Icahrn think I killed you.”

  “Killed me? Why would he… Who told you this?”

  “He did. When he brought me in front of him, he accused me of having killed you. I tried to explain I was a physician, which meant I had no interest in killing, but he was not convinced.”

  “How many others knew about this?”

  “There were several others. I was abducted by several vampires.”

  “If they thought that you’d killed me, they would have destroyed you. How is it that you still live?”

  His entire demeanor had changed, and the tone of his questions had taken on something of a sense of agitation and anger. I understood, at least, I thought I did. If he thought someone was trying to harm him, he would by necessity want to do everything in his power to figure out who it was.

  “I’m not without connections of my own,” I said.

  “What sort of connections?”

  “Connections.” When he leaned forward, the sense of calm settled upon me once again, I shook my head. “The kind that will come here in a moment’s notice if I call them.”

  “You wouldn’t do that.”

  “Wouldn’t I? I’ve called on my helpers already, many times. They are powerful enough to ensure I survived an attack.”

  “Powerful enough that Donovan Icahrn would hesitate? Interesting. I find that unexpected, and…ah. Your charms suddenly make a little more sense.”

  “My charms?”

  His gaze turned my wrist, and he studied the bracelet. Maybe I needed to hide that better, especially if he knew exactly what it was and the purpose behind it. “We are in Minneapolis, a place of much intrigue lately. Rumors swirled about the Mage Council and Dark Council merging, and of one among them who has gained power quickly.”

  I tensed, worried he knew all about Kate. If he did, I would have to find a way of denying it, though I knew she had a hand in defeating a vampire uprising already.

  “Barden Leifan,” he said, simply.

  I blinked.

  “You don’t deny you know him?”

  “No. I won’t deny knowing Barden.”

  “He has drawn considerable notice. Because of him, there has been a renewed interest in Minneapolis itself,” he said.

  “Great.”

  “Which is part of the purpose for my visit. I have come to evaluate how integrated the Mage Council and the Dark Council have become. If you and Barden are familiar…”

  “It’s not like that,” I said.

  “You don’t need to take offense at the comment. It was not an accusation.”

  “Considering the way vampires feel about familiars, I can’t help but think you meant something by it.”

  “Something, but perhaps not quite what you believed.”

  “Barden and I are friends. We’ve worked together.”

  “Yes, well your friend is the reason I’m here. I have come because I am curious about how involved he is in what’s been taking place. I find it intriguing you and Barden are close. What are the chances?” he asked.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I wonder if your friends might be more involved in this than you realize.”

  “Barden isn’t out there killing vampires.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Sure enough.”

  “And yet, here you are, and here I am. I’ve come to town to investigate the increase in connectivity between the Mage Council and the Dark Council, and what do I find but you.”

  “Get some rest,” I said.

  “Is that a threat?”

  “I’ve told you already. I’m a doctor. A healer. I’m not going to threaten you.”

  “Good. I have a feeling that would not turn out well for you.”

  17

  By the time I made it home, I wanted nothing more than to sink down into a chair, have a glass of wine, and relax while watching TV. Instead, I felt as if I needed to get in touch with Barden if only to ask him what he knew about Rorsch. When I had mentioned the name before, Barden said he didn’t know anything, but could he?

  I didn’t want to believe Barden might be misleading me. He had helped, and Kate herself had told me I should trust him, but…

  That was the vampire’s influence. It had to be. He was manipulating me, and I needed to be smarter, smart enough to realize that was happening.

  As I neared the condo, I had the feeling someone was following me.

  Not just anyone. I felt a magical sense pushing upon the bracelet.

  I slowed for a moment before crossing the street, avoiding heading back directly. Turning the corner, I took a moment to glance behind me. The wand was in my pocket, and I reached for it, squeezing the metal and prepared for the possibility I might need to draw magic through it. If it came to that, I was not going to be caught unawares.

  I saw nothing.

  It was late enough that darkness spread across the sky, shadows stretching between buildings, making it difficult to see much of anything. What I wouldn’t have given for some magical ability to enhance my eyesight!

  I still couldn’t shake the sense of somebody behind me.

  I turned the corner again, this time angling back toward the hospital.

  Even though I wanted to go home and relax, I wasn’t about to get caught up by some asshole following me; hell, I wasn’t going to be somebody’s victim.

  Instead, I headed toward the Red Hen.

  If nothing else, heading there would allow me to sit and hide for a little while. When I reached it, I pulled open the door and found it incredibly busy. No tables were empty, which meant I’d have to go and sit at the bar. I wasn’t opposed to that, and when I took my seat, I waved to the bartender. She made her way over to me.

  “Hey there, Jen,” Stacy said. She was a tall brunette, and I’d gotten to know her over the years of coming to the Red Hen. She was probably in her thirties and had enough of a presence there that most who came got to know her well.

  “Hey, Stacy. I just was hoping for a beer.”

  “You came by yourself?” She glanced around. “Usually you come after a shift with your friends.”

  “Not this time.”

  “One of those days?”

  “Lately, they’ve all been one of those days.”

  “I hear you. What can I get you?”

  “Something light. You know me, watching my figure.”

&
nbsp; Stacy arched a brow. “You get enough guys doing that for you.” She turned and grabbed a glass off the shelf behind before taking it to the tap and filling it. I twisted so I could look at the door to the Red Hen, wanting to ensure I knew if anyone came in, but didn’t see anything. That should be reassuring. If someone out there had followed me, wouldn’t they make their presence known?

  Then again, if they were magical as I suspected, it was possible they were able to hide somehow. I didn’t know enough about magic to know if they could conceal themselves like that, but if they could, maybe they were watching from inside the bar?

  When Stacy handed me my drink, I nodded thanks and sipped it. I looked around, before realizing someone was there I recognized.

  Roberts sat at one of the back tables, opposite one of the intensive care nurses I’d seen with him over the last few days.

  I wasn’t sure if I should stay away or go and sit by him. There was something comforting in having someone—anyone—around, who might be able to take away that strange sensation of getting followed. But I decided against it; Roberts was most likely on a date, regardless of how casual it looked. He might be an ass, but he didn’t deserve that intrusion from me.

  And there was a better way for me to protect myself. It didn’t involve going and sitting with Roberts, using him to defend me against possibly magical threats. Besides, I didn’t know if there truly was any threat to be worried about. It was possible I was only imagining things.

  I pulled on my phone and tapped a message to Barden. I figured that if anyone could and should know about what happened, it would be him. More than that, I didn’t want to continue doubting him. I had no idea what role he might have in any of this, though I doubted he was as intimately involved as Jean-Pierre claimed.

  I couldn’t imagine Barden killing vampires. He’d made it clear that now he served the Mage Council, he was following the rules in a way he hadn’t before. He’d gone so far as to hand me over to the vampires when he thought I’d done something I shouldn’t.

  Unless… he’d been using me?

  Dammit. I needed to stop thinking like that.

  I took another drink, nearly jumping when Stacy leaned in behind me.

  “Who are you waiting for?”

  “No one, really. I was just looking to see if anyone was here… someone I might know.”