“More or less.”
“Huh. If you’re the son of a mermaid and a dolphin, why do you have a human form?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t ask. I figured it was a side effect of his goofed spell and left it at that.”
“Probably a good plan.”
We rode in quiet until he took the right turn on the 206 bridge.
“By the way, that display in my store? It looks like the captain’s quarters on your dad’s best ship because I designed it that way. Your father was a good man. Good to me, too.”
“I know he was.”
My father had thought so well of Triton that he’d left him with a responsibility most men would’ve turned down flat. Unbeknownst to me, Papa had bought one hundred acres on Anastasia Island in 1798, when I was eighteen. Maybe he meant to give it to me when I married or reached my majority, but even after I’d been Turned, my father kept the land. Then, before he and the family left St. Augustine, he put it in a trust and named Triton as trustee. I guess he hoped I’d break free of the vampires and would have a safe place away from town to settle. He couldn’t have known Triton would have such a long life span. Heck, I’d never considered that Triton would be nigh on immortal, and I don’t think he had, either.
I’d learned about the land and Triton’s part in the trust by accident when I helped Saber house hunt. The real estate agent had shown us a beach house on the last three lots left in trust and let the secret out.
“About the land, Cesca,” Triton said. “I didn’t mean for you to get ambushed with that tidbit.”
“Tidbit? Those are oceanfront lots worth a small fortune.”
“Yeah, well, with hurricanes and all, oceanfront property wasn’t worth much until the last four or five decades. And before you ask, no, you don’t owe me for taxes. That’s why I sold off parcels.”
“All right, then thank you for taking care of my father’s legacy.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And Triton?”
“What?”
“As long as I can speak my mind, don’t be reading it.”
He flashed a grin. “Make that a ditto, and we have a deal.”
He offered his hand to shake on it, and his palm warmed mine for a long moment before I let go.
“Deal,” I said.
Only then did I realize I hadn’t read his thoughts at all. Not a single one.
We caught up to Saber, idling on the side of the road at 206 and the far side of Interstate 95. He waved for Triton to take the lead, with a shouted, “Hurry.”
Tense minutes later, Triton slowed, turned on the left turn blinker, and steered onto a barely there dirt track carved between pines and scrub oaks and vines. The trail twisted first this direction, then that one, and the truck rocked from side to side as we crept along the rutted ground like a sloop tossed in high seas. I held tight to the grab bar and fretted about how the jostling would affect Cosmil’s injuries.
“Cos hides this entrance completely when he wants to. The times he’s been expecting me out here, he’s smoothed the road and took out most of the turns. Magically, of course.”
“Then I suppose he’s not conscious enough yet to do the smoothing. Not a good sign.”
“No, but we’re close now. If Pandora’s safe, maybe she can tell us how to doctor Cos.”
Triton hung another right, and like going from darkness to daylight, we rolled onto a smooth gravel drive. To my right, towering pines and ancient live oaks formed a perfect circle, sheltering a ramshackle cabin on the circle’s perimeter. Uneven steps led to a rickety porch running the full width of the shanty, and the roof looked ready to collapse under the weight of tree debris.
The place didn’t look habitable, much less sterile enough to house an injured man.
You will see, I heard in my head.
Pandora’s voice, not Triton’s. Thank God she was safe.
A single knot of tension unraveled in my stiff shoulders as I climbed from the truck and saw Pandora in her panther form emerge from the far side of the circle. Tail twitching, she eyed Saber and Triton as they eased Cosmil out of the car. The wizard wasn’t steady on his feet, but he was upright.
Pandora paced to Cosmil’s side, sniffed, and sneezed.
“Yes, my friend. I reek, but we are safe for the moment. Go.”
The hefty panther whirled toward me. Come, Princess Vampire, she said, then loped to the shack.
She was her usual brusque self, but I psychically reached for any lurking remnant of the evil Void. Just in case. Since I came up with nada, and since Saber and Triton had Cosmil in hand, I hurried after Pandora. Fortunately, the shanty’s steps and porch felt sturdier under my sandals than they looked. I twisted the rusty doorknob and braced myself for primitive.
What I saw inside was modern. And huge compared to the footprint of the house. My interior design senses were overwhelmed as I glanced at the open-concept space.
The living area reflected more comfort than style, but the upholstered sofa and chairs had a timeless quality. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a stainless steel topped island big enough to be a boat. Beyond that, another mile of stainless counters, appliances, and a double sink made the kitchen look more like a laboratory. The open wooden cabinets and a wall of stainless steel shelves held everything from plates to pickles, along with homecanning jars that could contain eye of newt and tail of dog for all I knew.
A fine illusion, is it not? Pandora boasted.
“The inside or outside?” I countered.
She snorted as footsteps clumped on the porch.
Go. Turn on the shower.
I followed her to a fair-sized master suite. Not magazine layout quality, but I spotted a queen bed and ornate armoire before ducking into the slate-tiled bathroom. A tankless water heater was mounted outside the curtain-free spa shower with built-in bench seat. Wow.
I found plush white towels in the linen closet and set them on the sink countertop. Every texture and temperature sure felt real, and I wondered if Cosmil simply conjured what he wanted. Talk about a cool way to redecorate.
The man himself entered on Triton’s arm, seeming firmer on his feet.
“Thank you, Francesca, Triton,” he said. “I will join you all shortly.”
Dismissed, I scooted out behind Triton to find Saber poking around in the kitchen cabinets.
“Saber, stop snooping,” I whispered. “It’s not polite.”
“I’m looking for the first aid kit.” He opened a deep drawer near the double stainless sink. “Got it.”
Triton sank into an armchair, and Saber set the kit on the coffee table before he settled on the sofa. I glanced at my watch and paced. Yes, I had another two hours before my ghost tour started, but I prided myself on being organized and early, whether for work or for turning in my online-design-class projects.
I was also pacing off my terror. I mean, come on. If the Void could get to a wizard as old and powerful as I suspected Cosmil to be, what chance did Saber, Triton, and I have? With amulets for ammo no less. We needed rocket launchers. And a division of Marines.
Sooner than I expected, Cosmil appeared in the bedroom doorway dressed in black pants and a deep purple tunic, his feet bare. His hand rested on Pandora’s noble head, and he looked a sight better in spite of the jagged gash slanting across his forehead.
He made his way across the room and sank into a chair. Saber snapped open the first aid box and ripped open the packaged surgical gloves before he assembled the sterile pads and gauze on the coffee table. Cosmil pointed to a small clear jar filled with mint green goo.
“Dab that on the cut, if you will.”
“Is it a magical potion?” I had to ask.
“Nothing so exotic, my dear. Over the counter antibacterial cream mixed with a few herbs and a small healing spell.” Cosmil winced as Saber used a cotton swab to apply the cream. “I do wish the local herb store had a wider selection, but we shall make do until I can safely travel the Veil again.”
<
br /> “Tell us what happened,” Saber said, dressing the wound with efficient, gentle movements.
“I had word that a visitor was to arrive. A member of the Council of Ancients.” Cosmil cut his gaze to meet mine. “A vampire of your King Normand’s European line named Legrand.”
“Normand was not my king, Cosmil.”
“Nevertheless, Legrand wanted to check you out, I believe you would say.”
“Why?” Triton asked.
“And why now?” I added.
Cosmil leaned back in the chair and sighed. “He knew of your rescue from the coffin, but you were beneath his notice until you and Triton vanquished the vampires last month.”
“How did he find out about that?” Saber asked as he peeled off his gloves.
Cosmil leveled his gaze on Saber. “I must report to the Council just as you do to the VPA, although I may have edited some details of the event. I withheld the extent to which you are able to drain energy, Francesca. At any rate, Legrand’s stated intention was to test Francesca’s powers and to help groom her to battle the Void.”
“Why? Are vampires in other countries infected, too?” I asked.
“I must presume so, although Legrand did not speak openly of victims nor did he share details of the vampire community in general. Indeed, all of the Council of Ancients members are somewhat secretive about their communities.”
“I get the impression,” I said, “that you didn’t believe his story about training me.”
“I’m afraid Legrand was not known for altruism.”
Saber finished gathering the used first aid items and wrapped them in a paper towel. “That’s twice you used the past tense,” he said. “What happened?”
“When Legrand was hours past due, I went into the Veil to search. I found a body, too blackened and withered to identify.”
My stomach turned at the image, and I shuddered so hard, I rattled my teeth.
“That matches the way the vampires in VPA custody are dying.” Saber confirmed. “When the life force is drained, the tissue darkens and shrivels like a raisin.”
Cosmil nodded. “Legrand’s legendary ruby ring was on the body’s finger. When I bent to retrieve it, I was attacked by a force that slashed and attempted to smother me.”
“Then you’re infected now, too,” I said.
He shrugged. “I am well enough, and I will conduct a full purgehealing later. Thankfully, my escape spell worked, because the close encounter gave me information about the Void.”
“So you have a clue what we’re dealing with?” Saber asked.
“I do. I believe the Void is a thought form, though an atypical one.”
“You lost me, Cos,” Triton complained.
“In the mundane world,” he began, like a professor on a lecture roll, “our thoughts are merely thoughts. On the metaphysical plane, our thoughts have life and reality. They are powerful vibrations that can be consciously directed, but they can also be manifested unconsciously.”
“Sorry, still lost. Give me examples.”
“Thinking positive thoughts about getting a good job can yield a good job. Prayer circles sending health thoughts can assist in healing. And, relating to Francesca’s field, places believed to be haunted can become haunted due to the group mind phenomenon.”
“What does this have to do with the Void?” Saber asked.
“Most thought forms are nonphysical, but the Void is not. It is a magical construct, likely created in a ritual that focused willpower, visualization, and life force energy. It appears in and acts in the physical world as directed by its creator.”
“You make it sound like a movie zombie,” Triton said.
“Except our zombie is a black blobby fog,” I mumbled.
“A zombie is a fitting comparison. To have this blob directed to do harm is bad, but it can get worse.”
“How much worse?” Saber pressed.
“It can become an independent entity. Go off the creator’s leash, as it were, and wreak its own havoc.”
“Shit.”
“Indeed, Saber, but there is good news of a sort.”
“Cosmil, don’t make us pry it out of you,” I warned.
He heaved a breath as if bracing to tell us the bad news. “Being in direct contact with the energy gave me a clue to its origin. I suspect the Void is being directed by a wizard named Starrack.”
“And who the heck is that?” I asked.
Cosmil’s blue gray eyes locked on my face.
“Starrack is my brother.”
FOUR
“Your brother?” I echoed.
You could’ve knocked me over with a gull feather. I glanced at Triton’s stunned expression then at Saber’s grim one.
“Sadly, yes. We have been estranged for several centuries, and in fact, I thought him dead.”
“But why would he create a monster like the Void? What would he gain?”
“Money. Power. It might even be a whim. Starrack was an extraordinarily talented wizard. More talented than I. However, he lacked the level of discipline and the morals to be great. One could never be certain of his motives.”
“Then let’s deal in facts,” Saber said. “Do you know where Starrack is now? Know how to track him?”
“I would like nothing better than to say yes, but I do not know where he is, and I cannot track him at this time.”
“Why not?” Triton demanded. “Just cast a spell.”
“Loath as I am to admit a weakness, tracking spells are not my specialty. I might have been able to follow the Void back to Starrack through the Veil, but that is no longer an option. The Veil is temporarily closed.”
“Because it’s a crime scene?” Saber asked.
“Yes, there is a team investigating, but they are also searching for the body I found. It has gone missing, you see.”
I rubbed my forehead. “We don’t see, Cosmil. Explain.”
“Whereas the main portals are more or less static, the Veil is not. One does not step through a doorway to instantly arrive at one’s destination for the series of pathways in the Veil are in flux. The Veil may fold in on itself, directing and redirecting a traveler, especially when one is traversing long distances. Or when there is a disturbance within the Veil’s energy.”
“A disturbance such as a murder,” Saber said flatly.
“Are you sure this Legrand guy was dead, Cos? Maybe it was an illusion. Maybe he took off when you were being attacked.”
“Had I not touched the body and were it not for the ruby ring, I might agree with you, Triton. However, the ring was not merely Legrand’s affectation, it was his talisman. The stone is obscenely large, mounted in an ornate fifteenth-century gold setting, and was reputedly stolen from the true French royal line. It was one of a kind.”
“No, it wasn’t,” I said slowly, my psychic sense and my memory kicking in. I’d seen the same ring or an incredible facsimile of it. “Normand had one that fits that description. Don’t you remember, Triton?”
“Hell, no. I never got close enough to him to notice his jewelry. What do you remember?”
“That he had a honkin’-huge ruby ring, although . . .”
I lost track of what I was saying as I flashed into the past. The villagers and soldiers had come just at dawn to set fire to Normand’s stronghold and to slaughter Normand and every member of his nest, including the humans held captive. I’d waited underground for the mob to discover me, but they hadn’t. They’d been high on their victory, and the governor had come then to order that each body be stripped of its riches. The adornments and anything the soldiers gathered from the ashes of the house were claimed for Spain.
“Although what, Cesca?” Triton asked.
I shrugged. “The governor took possession of the loot from the bodies, so I suppose Normand’s ring is long gone.”
“Be that as it may,” Cosmil said, “Legrand would not have removed his ring. Not for any reason. When the body is located and forensic tests are conducted, I feel certain it
will be Legrand.”
“Meantime, we have Starrack and the Void on the loose,” Saber said. “What can you tell us about him? Is he older? Younger? Do you look like brothers? Does he have known associates or hangouts?”
“Starrack is the younger by thirty-two years, and yes, there is a strong family resemblance. But, as I say, it was centuries ago when I last saw him. I know little of his more recent movements.”
More recent being how long? I might be over two hundred myself, but I thought in years more than centuries. And Cosmil was thirty-two years older than Starrack? Geez, how old did wizards live to be anyway? And how the hell long were they fertile? Talk about a late-in-life baby.
“I do have positive news, however,” Cosmil said to Saber. “After my cleanse, I phoned another Council member who will help us. Ancelia is a sorceress who had dealings with Starrack for decades.”
“When will you hear from her?” I asked.
“As soon as she has made her airline reservation.”
“The sorceress can’t conjure a plane ticket?”
Triton swore, either at me for being flippant or at the situation in general.
“Cos, we need answers, not another musketeer.”
“A Council of Ancients member has been murdered, Triton. We need every resource.”
“And this woman can’t pop in sooner because the Veil is closed,” Saber said flatly.
“Precisely. Ancelia—Lia—must arrive the mundane way. If she cannot locate Starrack on her own, we will work on a location spell together.”
“Great. Then you two can work your magick to bring him down,” I said.
“Not quite, Francesca. I told you weeks ago that you and Triton needed to train with me, to combine your powers to defeat the Void. Saber will join you as well, and Lia will assist me with the training.” He paused to give each of us a long, level stare. “We must be ready to act when we have the opportunity.”
I gritted my teeth. “Cosmil, I’m not saying no, but you have the whole Council of Ancients at your disposal. Why can’t your COA put a stop to Starrack and the Void?”
“There are too many factions, my dear. Besides vampires, wizards, and sorceresses, the thirteen Council members represent the various faerie realms, the merfolk, and the werecreatures. We even have a dragon member.”
Always the Vampire Page 4