Wizard War

by Sheryl Steines

  “I’ll give you that. Let me get the plans made, and then we can get the asshole to France. I’m hoping to be home tomorrow night.” He slid off to a quiet corner and dialed Wizard Hall.

  While Spencer made their plans for the night, Annie folded up the map and checked Sturtagaard’s anklet. It blinked.

  “All set?” she asked when Spencer returned. His phone beeped.

  “Yeah. We’re staying at the Hotel Arvor. It’s at the center of town. Here are the coordinates to teleport to. The hotel room should be booked by the time we land. You okay to land first and get us the room? I’ll follow soon after with him.” Spencer pointed to Sturtagaard, who groaned in his sleep.

  “I’m on it. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to teleport,” Annie said as she glanced out the window toward the empty street. With no one around, she opened the door just enough and teleported away from Paris.

  Chapter 7

  The street was a narrow cobbled path leading up an incline toward the center of town. Annie, again nauseous from expending so much energy to teleport into town, leaned against a rock wall overlooking the valley. As it was late, only a few homes and buildings were lit; their lights twinkled below her.

  Refreshed from the breezes, Annie crossed onto the street and walked to the hotel. Three tile steps led to the double doors, which welcomed her inside the small, dimly lit lobby of Hotel Arvor.

  Pink-and-black tile covered the floor, leading to a shiny black reception desk. where a slight and slender man with dark hair and a thin mustache sat at the ready. He smiled when she walked in.

  “Hi. Reservation for Ray. Spencer and Anne Ray?” she said as she drummed her fingers against the wooden top.

  The man, glanced cautiously. “Yes, madam. You just recently called. So late at night,” he added, accusatory.

  She offered a tired smile. “We were trying to make it to Paris tonight, but were just too tired. This hotel seemed like a lovely option.” If it eased his mind he did not show it.

  “Well, yes, madam.” He passed her a register to sign, glanced at her once more, then grabbed the room key and led her up the narrow stairs to the first door at the top of the stairs.

  “And your husband, madam?”

  “He’s parking and unloading. He’ll be along in a little while,” she said and offered him a few francs from the pile they pilfered from Wizard Hall. In order to always be prepared, Annie and the Wizard Guard could obtain world money from the cashier as needed. The man smiled and took the money, handing her the key.

  “Merci.” Annie smiled and closed the door behind her.

  She listened for his footsteps, suspecting he was listening for hers. Grimacing, she jingled the door handle, startling the man. Soon enough, his footsteps clicked against the wood floor, deliberately and slowly until she could no longer hear him.

  The comfortable room contained a large bed, desk, armoire, and, most importantly, space enough for a sleeping bag.

  She threw open the window, stuck her phone out, and calculated her location before sending it to Spencer. When he acknowledged her, she plopped on the bed and waited for him to arrive.

  Spencer had teleported an unconscious vampire from Paris to Dinan at the northwestern corner of the country—a sleepy little village with narrow streets along the river Rance.

  It took less than two minutes for Spencer to stand before her, holding a limp Sturtagaard.

  “He’s still asleep,” Annie commented and helped Spencer tie the vampire to one of two antique chairs in the room.

  “Yeah. And I don’t have to listen to his mouth.” Spencer pulled the magical rope taut against the vampire’s chest and added a sticking spell, ensuring the vampire wouldn’t be able to release himself.

  “When will we tell him the anklets aren’t quite as magical as we let on?” Spencer asked as Annie secured his feet, and his hands.

  “Maybe he won’t notice and we won’t have to tell him. Sometimes he can be dimwitted,” Annie said as she finished. “I think this should be good,” she pronounced. “I guess it’s time for you to come in. Right, sweetie?” she added in a sing song voice. For the time being, she and Spencer were husband and wife on their honeymoon.

  “I’ll be back Missus,” he joked and teleported back out the window to a location down the street from their hotel.

  With him momentarily gone, Annie sat against the headboard on the bed and sank against the pillow, resting for the first time in hours. The building popped and creaked, voices outside of the room grew closer, and footsteps clicked against the wood floor. Spencer said something to the night manager before popping the door open just enough to slip inside.

  “Hey.” Spencer sat beside her on the king-sized bed and kicked off his shoes. “He’s still quiet?”

  “Yeah. Any problem from the night manager?” Annie mumbled, nearly asleep.

  “We came in too late.” Spencer held her hand and rested back against the pillow. “Otherwise, I think he believes we’re newly married. Damn, I’m tired.”

  “If you want to sleep on the bed I’m too tired to care,” she yawned and slipped herself under the covers.

  “No. I’m good. I’m getting up.”

  *

  Hearing footsteps drag against the carpet, Annie flew awake.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Spencer rolled out a sleeping bag at the foot of the bed and sat on the floor.

  “You didn’t.” Annie glanced at the vampire slumped in the chair, his mouth open, drool rolling down his chin.

  “Damn. That was one strong jinx you applied. He’s sleeping like a demon baby,” Annie quipped. She strolled across the room, leaned against the small desk, glancing out the window to the parking lot across the narrow street. Annie concentrated on the shadows, searching for movement. She thought she saw a shadow move, but it was early in the morning in this sleepy village, and she suspected she was merely tired and needing rest.

  I’m seeing things, I think!

  They had fallen asleep with the window still open, and now the cool breeze fluttered the heavy drapery and whipped around Annie. She shuddered and coaxed the aged window closed.

  “You okay?” Spencer asked as he lay his pillow on the floor.

  With a heavy yawn, she sauntered past the unconscious vampire and sat on the bed, pulling the heavy gray covers around her. She summoned a pillow and lay on her stomach, staring down at Spencer.

  “Yeah. I’m just so tired.”

  The wind was strong high above the valley. It battered the old building, which groaned against the force.

  “What time is it now? We need to decide—”

  “Shhh.” Annie bolted upright. It wasn’t just the old building that cried out against the wind. It was footsteps that stopped in the hallway, just outside their door. A shadow was visible under the door.

  The manager? Listening to us?

  For several minutes, the shadow remained at the door, until the manager likely believed there was nothing of consequence happening inside. Annie held her breath until he finally scurried away. Footsteps clicked against the floor, growing softer. The stairs creaked with each step until Annie and Spencer could no longer hear the manager moving about.

  “Maybe I was wrong about him,” Spencer said.

  “I guess our separate late arrival was a bad idea,” Annie whispered.

  “Either that or he thought he might hear a little, you know…”

  “Ugh. That’s just gross.”

  “What, sex with me, or that he listens to the hotel guests?”

  Spencer unfurled a map of France across the bed and enlarged the paper. Annie tossed him the coffin lining from Amelie’s grave. “Where was she last time you scried for her?” Spencer asked. He balled the lining in his fist, wrapped his scrying crystal necklace around his hand and set the necklace to sway across the map.

  “She was out and about in this area here.” Annie pointed just west of town.

  The scrying necklace twirled and spun without dropping. Spe
ncer stopped the swing, glanced at the map as if it could tell him something he didn’t already know, and set the necklace again, pulling it away from its starting point and letting it go. It swung rapidly, jerking across the map.

  “That’s a little weird,” he said as it continued to hop and jerk.

  Finally, the magic connected to magic, dropping a few short miles from their hotel.

  “Probably hunting earlier. Let’s wait twenty minutes and see if she moves on.” Spencer said and laid the crystal necklace on the map.

  “You want to get her now?” Annie asked as she examined the princess’s location. Her finger trailed the road from town to house.

  She’s out in the country.

  Annie glanced at the vampire. “Do you have the muffle bag in case he wakes?”

  Spencer smirked and summoned the thick black bag, holding it out for her. Returning his evil grin, she placed the magically enhanced bag over the vampire’s head, pulled tightly on the strap, securing it over his head.

  “Don’t forget to ‘turn off’ the anklet, just in case,” Spencer joked.

  “He better not do anything stupid while we’re gone,” Annie said as they reopened the window and teleported out to find the princess.

  *

  Annie focused her binoculars on the expansive mansion doors. There hadn’t been any activity since arriving thirty minutes prior.

  This is gonna take longer than a day.

  Cold and damp, Annie wrapped her coat tightly around her petite frame, warming herself from the northern wind that blew through the still-bare branches. It did nothing to warm her. The binoculars swung against her chest as she rubbed her hands together before sticking them in her pockets. She began to pace between the trees.

  “Shhh,” Spencer said as he concentrated on the front of the abandoned mansion. There had been no movement at any of the windows or doors.

  “She probably went on an early kill and is down for the night. How long do you want to stay?” Annie asked. She glanced at the once-grand house; the stucco not as white as it once was, still shone brightly in the full moon light.

  Spencer summoned a heavy blanket, holding it open for Annie to join him inside.

  “It’s close to dawn. We should come back when she’s truly down for the day. Surprise her then.” Spencer stifled a yawn.

  Footsteps crackled against the gravel drive, diverting their attention. Both peered out from behind the tree unable to see more than an outline of a body strolling up the lane.

  “Vampire?” Spencer asked.

  Annie peered through the branches. “Doesn’t look like one.”

  Spencer adjusted the binoculars and stopped, freezing when the lens clicked loudly. Annie kept her attention on the young man as he continued toward the mansion. He didn’t react.

  A vampire would have reacted to that sound.

  The blanket hanging from Spencer’s shoulders slipped to the frozen earth when he turned for a better look.

  “So who is he?” Annie whispered.

  The man hopped up the steps to the mansion door seemingly happy with his light, bouncy steps; until the door opened. A young woman exited onto the portico; the man shrunk back from her as she spoke.

  Annie examined the face of the girl with dark black hair. The light at first was too dim to see the features, to see the eyes that haunted Annie every day. She turned into the moon light where Annie could finally see that face, those lips, the eyes.

  Princess Amelie!

  Holding her breath in anticipation, Annie could barely speak. “It’s her,” she whispered. Anxiety ripped through her gut at the realization of how extensive her mistake had been. Knowing she searched for vampire tracks couldn’t ease the anxiety and guilt she felt. Her hands dropped to her side, and she watched in horror as Amelie kissed the man who reluctantly wrapped his arms around her.

  He’s shuddering, but it’s not from the cold outside.

  “How does he not know she’s a vampire?” Spencer queried without benefit of the binoculars.

  “He knows,” Annie remarked. She passed him the binoculars.

  “So she uses him for things, victims. What does he get for the trouble?” Spencer asked.

  “Sex and immortality. Think of all the near victims we’ve interviewed. Some of those people confessed to seeking out the vampires, to live forever and leave a young, beautiful corpse,” Annie said almost dreamily.

  “They romanticize life as a demon. That’s pathetic and stupid,” Spencer mumbled, sounding much like Gibbs in that moment. Annie chuckled as Amelie continued sucking air from the man. When he could no longer breathe, he pulled away and visibly shook as he stepped back.

  “I think he’s afraid of her,” Annie commented.

  “That might be useful,” Spencer said. “So why is he hanging with her?”

  “Sex,” Annie murmured. Amelie spoke again to the man, as if they were discussing business. The man, turned and pointed back toward the road as if explaining an important point. When he finished, he entered the house, though watched from the doorway as the vampire headed down the lane, toward town.

  “Essentially necrophilia. Gross. So why is he with her?”

  Cautiously and deliberately, the vampire walked past their hiding spot. Annie held her breath as Amelie sniffed the air. Her eyes roamed the landscape, peering through the trees on either side of the lane.

  She’s a smart vampire!

  Still careful, yet less unnerved, Amelie picked up her pace to the main road. Annie and Spencer both released stale air, relieved that Amelie didn’t care or notice them hiding in the trees.

  “He must scout for her,” Annie suggested.

  “And again, why? It would help if we knew how long he’s been doing her bidding. I can only think she’s either blackmailing him to get him to do this or he knew her prior to being turned and he’s helping an old friend.” Spencer summoned the blanket and hid it away in his field pack. After peering through the trees and glancing at the front door of the mansion, he said, “I think we’re safe.”

  They hiked through the sparse branches in the densely packed woods, easily able to watch the princess turn on to the main road heading into town. Following at a fair distance, they climbed into the ditch, hoping Amelie wouldn’t catch a whiff of their scents of sweat and soap or the musty wet in their clothing from trekking in the wet grass.

  Close to the fields of lavender, deep in the ditch, they followed the princess, a trip that by car would have taken all of ten minutes.

  It took forty.

  They watched Amelie head into town, and by the time they entered village limits, they were drenched in sweat. The extra moisture frizzed Annie’s curly hair above and around her head. Spencer wiped his brow; his normally pristine locks of hair were now a wet, disheveled mess.

  “We’re gonna stand out,” Spencer bemoaned.

  “Hush, love. You’ll scare away the vampire,” Annie chided as they passed their hotel and headed toward the only open establishment in Dinan.

  Chapter 8

  The village streets were old, narrow, and quiet in the early morning hours; very few people lingered in the streets, let alone at the bar at the end of the cobblestone walkway. A dim, dusty light emanated from the front window, and soft conversation wafted through the open door as Amelie stepped inside and took her place at the bar.

  Stopping across the street, Spencer and Annie watched as Amelie struck up a conversation with the bartender with some familiarity.

  She’s been here before.

  “Would you rather stay out here and wait for her to leave with whichever victim she chooses, or would you like a ringside seat?” Spencer took a seat on a nearby bench to watch the bar intently.

  “Ringside seat, my love,” Annie said as she playfully tugged at his arm.

  “Fine.” He sighed. His normally laidback style made work easy and enjoyable, but the longer they were in France, away from home, the more he grew languid and a little grumpy.

  “Sorry. I’
m not myself,” he said, pulling himself up. Re-focused, they strolled through the front door, arm in arm, passing another young couple on the way out. A very petite woman was holding up a very large, very unsteady man.

  He’s gonna topple her!

  Annie eyed the princess as they took their seat at the table near the door. Watching her target, she held her breath when Amelie, the life of the party, stopped and whiffed the air. She glanced around the small bar, her eyes finding Annie and Spencer. Annie pulled out a small menu, hiding behind it.

  “She caught our scent at the mansion,” Spencer whispered.

  “I saw that. We need to be careful with her,” Annie replied.

  After the friendly, helpful waitress took a drink order that neither intended on partaking in, they turned their attention to each other, as if they could hide from the vampire.

  Making small talk for Annie and Spencer had been easy. They had known each other for many years and worked more than one undercover case, always following a well-written script. She reached for his hand and rubbed the inside of his palm, hanging on his words, smiling as their drinks were placed in front of them.

  Amelie laughed loudly and touched the hand of the man beside her. He pulled away as she whispered in his ear, but she grabbed his wrist and wouldn’t let go.

  “I know you’d rather be at home. I would too, but you’re a little lifeless. I need you. I can’t do this alone,” Annie said.

  “Sorry. Melinda. The pregnancy, it’s been rough.”

  Melinda Ray, Spencer’s wife of nine years was pregnant, something they had both wanted for years. Though they had two boys, Melinda wanted a girl and experienced much difficulty getting pregnant for the third time. Annie sympathized with his reluctance in leaving his family.

  I should’ve taken anyone else.

  “Why didn’t you say something? Gibbs would’ve come,” Annie chided.

  “Because I abandoned you on the last case. You’re hurt and here. I can’t just not do my job. Let’s just get this vampire,” Spencer argued.

  “You didn’t abandon me. You went to your kid’s birthday when I caught a case. It happens. Just get your head back here. Please,” Annie groused. She took a sip of the wine and observed the intended victim glance nervously as Amelie’s hand traveled up his thigh.