Wizard War

by Sheryl Steines

  “This looks like a good hiding spot,” she said as she showed the picture to Spencer. The small home was made of stone and covered in dead brown ivy. The roof looked as though it had caved in.

  “Yeah, it does. What did they say about this… place?” Spencer asked as he examined the picture.

  “Just to be careful while we’re here,” Annie remarked as Fabien entered the conference room. “Look here.” She held out the picture for Fabien, who grimaced lightly at the dilapidated building.

  Annie scried again for the princess, but again there was no response from her crystal. “Amelie’s got to be cloaked. I should have her by now if she’s at any of these locations,” she said casually. She didn’t want to accuse, remembering what Samantha and Marcus had warned.

  “That would be difficult to find her then. I see that this looks promising, Annie. How many guards shall I have ready?” Fabien asked.

  “Well, there’s Spencer and me. I think five should make a good perimeter. I would like to leave Louis Van Alton and Sturtagaard here. Less dead weight to drag around.”

  “No problem. Sturtagaard seems comfortable in the vampire cell, and the nonmagical whines quite well. How will you work this?”

  Before Annie could answer, they all turned when the stench of rotten flesh wafted to them. Roland was coming their way.

  “All taken care of,” Roland stated. “I should run these bodies to the lab. Their stench is beyond horrible.”

  “Where’s Marielle?” Fabien asked.

  “She was behind me. I don’t know where she went. Maybe to work on paperwork.”

  “Thanks for the assistance, Roland. We were just discussing the plan. I’d like to have your team secure the perimeter. Spencer and I will teleport in and verify the vampire’s presence. This is, after all, an educated guess. If she gets past the perimeter, I’d like to have the tracker with us. This time we’ll have her outmanned.”

  “That is a good plan, Annie. I will return after I drop off the bodies.” Roland bowed once as he exited the room.

  Annie turned to the cabinet against the far wall in the conference room and perused the many vials. She reached inside, pulled out a vial of light purple liquid, opened the stopper, and sniffed the contents. It smelled bitter and spicy. She returned it to the stores, pulling out several vials of holy water. When she felt comfortable she’d taken what she needed, she closed the many open doors. “Who will be on the French team?”

  “I think Marielle and Roland, plus Jory. He is the best tracker we have. I think he will be able to find the princess, should she escape. I will also join you, along with a guard named Marcel. That should be plenty of coverage.”

  Annie hadn’t expected that. Unlike Milo, who directed, guided, and ruled from inside Wizard Hall, it was always nice to see a manager like Fabien actually work in the field.

  “Have you eaten recently? I think it’s time for a meal. It might be awhile until you kill the vampire.”

  Spencer and Annie followed Fabien into the Wizard Hall kitchens. The enormous room was large and industrial with several large metal countertops running lengthwise through the kitchen. The counters held bowls of fruit, loaves of bread, a mixer, a slicer. Cabinets lined three of the four walls, and the far wall contained three extra-large stainless steel refrigerators, which hummed softly.

  “What shall you have?” Fabien asked.

  Before they could answer, he whispered something to a young elf in a chef’s shirt and hat. The elf nodded once and ran for the refrigerator, pulling out contents.

  “He’ll make some sandwiches, plus some additional ones to take with should we need them.” Fabien advised.

  They watched in fascination as the elf, named Brantley based on his name tag, laid out the bread across the counter. In the first sandwich, he spread a thick layer of tuna salad across the wheat bread. He layered it with a tomato slice and crisp green lettuce. When he finished, he cut it in half, placed it on a glass plate, and pushed it softly to Annie.

  “Thanks,” she said and took a bite. “It’s good.”

  The elf repeated the motion and made sandwiches for Spencer and Fabien, who accepted and ate. They all watched as the elf made additional sandwiches for their trip.

  “I think this should be sufficient. Thank you, Brantley,” Fabien said.

  They watched the elf toddle his way from the kitchen. Fabien packed his work in his field pack.

  “Thanks. This was a nice break,” Annie told him.

  “We have more should you want something,” Fabien advised. He sat on a stool across from them. “So what’s next for you?”

  “We’ll talk to Sturtagaard before we go. Let us know when everyone is ready,” Spencer said.

  “I will.”

  Annie and Spencer waved briefly and headed to the vampire wing.

  Because France had a smaller wizard community than the United States, the headquarters was housed in one building, completely underground, beneath the Eiffel Tower and a large portion of Paris. The main Wizard Hall filled out a large central office space, and different units or departments were housed in wings breaking off from the central room.

  Annie and Spencer turned down Wing B, the prison wing. At the entrance, a security officer viewed their identification, comparing it to his list of approved officials with permission to enter. He waved them through the first gate.

  “Nice to meet you,” said François as his shoes clicked against the linoleum floor. He wore a uniform, brown pants, and a matching short sleeve shirt. Above his heart was a small, silver pin, the same that Annie had seen on several others in their Wizard Hall.

  “Um… Francois. Can I ask you a question?” Annie asked. He was tall and plain but very friendly with a permanent smile across his lips.

  “But of course. What can I answer for you?”

  “Well, I keep noticing these lapel pins. Everyone here seems to have one. Is this required for everyone to wear, or is it a choice? What are they for?”

  He chuckled quietly. “Ms. Pearce, these pins are a source of pride for all of us who work here. But, of course, we are required to wear them when we enter. They were given to us as a way to promote… team building, I think you call it.”

  “Has it been something you’ve always worn?” Spencer asked.

  Francois stopped walking. His gaze shifted to the wall, or through the wall. It was a distant, cold stare.

  “I could not tell you for sure. I think it was maybe a year ago,” he replied.

  “Thanks. I just found them fascinating,” Annie said.

  He smiled uncomfortably with a crooked smile as he pushed open a door. Annie and Spencer exchanged confused glances before following him down a flight of stairs to the vampire floor of the small prison.

  A small wooden box hung beside a sliding door. Francois cast a spell, and the door slid inside the wall with a rattle and a bang.

  A second security guard waited for them on the other side. He too wore the silver pin just above his name tag, which read Stefan.

  “Stefan, this is Annie and Spencer, the American wizard guards. They are here to see the vampire.” A look of acknowledgement passed between the men. Annie’s discomfort grew.

  “Stefan will see to what you need,” Francois advised before he turned and walked back through the door.

  Annie watched after him. His heavy footsteps pounded against the cement floor. As he climbed the stairs, they grew softer until Annie and Spencer were blanketed in painful silence.

  “Welcome to France. It’s nice to meet you,” Stefan said. He stood from his small desk and walked to the far wall. “Your vampire has been no trouble. I expected more.” He offered a wan smile and waved them to join him. “You know; we’ve heard such things about him.” He sent a spell through the lock box, and the door slid open to reveal a sparse room with four cells, two on each side. If there was more than one vampire, they were awfully quiet or muffled.

  She knew the answer as they passed the first two empty cells. The next was in
habited by a petulant Sturtagaard.

  “Here he is. I will leave you to it. Call me should you need anything.” Stefan bowed slightly and headed out of the small room that held only four cells and only one prisoner.

  When he closed the door, Annie turned to Sturtagaard. He glanced up and leered.

  “I better get back for this,” the vampire growled.

  Annie observed the brightly lit room. The strong artificial light bounced around the shiny white walls, floor, and ceiling. Annie shielded her eyes as she adjusted to such bright light.

  It must be hell on vampires.

  “What are you talking about. This place is awesome. There’s no sun streaming in from an acidiac window and look over there.” She pointed to the pile of blood receptacles in the corner of the cell. “It looks like they feed you well,” she answered.

  “Tartarus is far better than this hell hole.” Sturtagaard grimaced. The room was devoid of a cot or sink and was half the size as his cell at Tartarus. He’d definitely had more roaming room at Tartarus; here the vampire was chained to the wall by a notch in the collar. Not only was he tethered to the wall, but the chain hung high above him. All Sturtagaard could do was stand. If he chose to pace, his path was barely four feet wide.

  Interesting choice, Annie thought.

  “We could have accomplished this together,” Sturtagaard said.

  “Yes, because you were so helpful before.” Spencer glared at Sturtagaard. The vampire was not known for childish maneuvers.

  “Where is your boy? He’s much more pleasant,” Sturtagaard remarked, glaring at Annie.

  “Are we done here?” Spencer asked. He switched his weight between his feet, anxious to leave this dank wing of prison.

  “You, go meet the team.” Annie pointed to Spencer and then to the door. Rather than arguing, Spencer skulked down the hallway.

  “You, shut up. When we get the princess, I’ll take you home. Anything else we should know?”

  “Check out drug dens and student hostels. Look for young men traveling, a beautiful young woman. I would see if any travelers are missing. If not, she might still be hiding there.”

  Annie tossed him a phone. “My number is the only one programmed. If you need me or have other ideas, call. Make yourself useful for once.”

  Before Sturtagaard could answer, Annie was halfway down the hallway.

  Chapter 21

  Large maps cluttered the conference room table. All of them had large circles around any possible location where the princess might be hiding.

  That’s a lot of options, Annie thought. Her scrying crystal hung loosely around her hand.

  “Any luck?” Jory, an affable young man with a clean-shaven face, entered the conference room.

  Annie glanced up, still shocked how young he looked. “No. I’m not sure why I keep looking.” She smiled lightly as she picked up her scrying crystal holding it in her palm.

  “You do because that is who you are. You… don’t give up.”

  “I’m not so sure anymore,” Annie admitted. The small crystal was cool and smooth. She ran her finger across the nearly perfect rock.

  “Eh, but that is what we do. We keep at it until we’ve exhausted all options. Do we not? We are wizard guards after all.” His dark blue eyes, harsh against his fair skin, twinkled and he offered a smile. Summoning his own crystal, he held it in his hand. “So where should I try?”

  “I’m trying this next. These are all done. You can start at the end of the table,” Annie suggested. She let her crystal necklace fall so that it hung above the next map. Without Annie moving it herself, the crystal began to swing softly at first, rotating on its own. The swing grew wider and faster, nearly jumping from her hand.

  It stopped just as quickly, landing on a location in Austria. “Her cloak is growing weak,” Annie murmured.

  “What?” Jory stopped and glanced over.

  Annie glanced back at him.

  Could he be the mole?

  His delicate features and his warm smile told her he’d be a good actor if he was. She was greatly aware she shouldn’t give away too much information, but it was only a matter of time before Amelie was discovered. She would eventually kill the wrong person.

  Maybe she already has.

  “Here.” She finally handed the map to Jory and watched as he studied it carefully, circling several locations. He was, after all, their best tracker.

  He glanced up and smiled before returning to the map, double-checking his options. Finally, he said, “Okay. Here are the coordinates to which to teleport.” He slid the map to Annie.

  “If you’re positive, we need to leave soon. I don’t want to bring in yet another Wizard Guard unit to kill her,” Annie said.

  “I don’t trust the magic. You have been unable to find the princess for several hours, and all of a sudden she is there,” Marielle said. She stood with her hands on her hips, her lips pursed. “I don’t think we should go in. It’s much too dangerous.”

  Annie set up the scrying crystal and the fabric from the coffin and re-scried for the princess. Again, it dropped over the house in Austria. “Is that enough for you?” she asked.

  “Fine, but that seems to be a very difficult location for the princess to reach so quickly. From the house in Southern France to there. She would need more than vampire speed, cars, or trains. She’d need…” Marielle stopped.

  “She’d need a magical assist,” Annie finished.

  Color drained from Marielle’s face. Neither French wizard guard spoke.

  Do they believe there’s a mole too?

  “That’s not possible!” Marielle protested. “Nobody here would have done such a thing!” Her angry voice reverberated off the walls. Annie felt the vibration in her fingers.

  “I wouldn’t suggest that, and there’s really no proof that’s how the vampire’s getting around. It just seems odd that she’s moving so quickly across countries,” Annie said.

  “Well. You should have mentioned your suspicions. We can’t do our job when you don’t share your thoughts.” Marielle’s voice grew calm and yet her hands shook.

  “For that I apologize. However, that isn’t our main concern. What we need is enough wizard guards to sweep each location she’s been at and track teleportation spells,” Annie asked.

  They can’t spare anyone. I wish we could bring in our team!

  “What is all this commotion? I can hear you from the middle of the hall,” Fabien inquired, stepping into the room.

  “We were just discussing the possibility Amelie has magical help to get around. Marielle thought we should have discussed this sooner,” Annie said and repeated her desire to search for magical trace at all locations where Amelie had been. Fabien looked at her and nodded in understanding.

  “Yes. Yes. I do see that would be helpful. If the trace is the same across the locations, we will have a likely suspect. Our database is quite extensive with magical trace,” he said thoughtfully.

  Marielle paced, her lips curled in concentration. When she stopped, she glanced at the map and at the crystal as it lay on Amelie’s current location. Agitated, the French wizard guard continued to pace to the short wall. With no more room, she turned and headed back to the other side.

  Deep in thought, she began to chew her lower lip roughly. “No. I disagree, Fabien. We need all of the assistance we can get to ensure the princess is captured and killed. We do not have time to send someone off on a hunch. It is much like sending guards to this location. It’s all a hunch!” Marielle threw her hands in the air.

  “We’re wasting time, Marielle. You either come with us or keep quiet. We should leave, yes, Annie?” Jory asked.

  “Yeah. We should leave. Can you get us out of here without needing the tower?” Annie asked. She grabbed her phone and started typing out a message to Spencer.

  Fabien nodded. “Yes, of course.” He glanced around the small room. “But is Spencer not joining you?”

  “Phone call from home,” she said. “I just text
ed him. Shall we?”

  Fabien led them from the room. Annie waved to Spencer who hastily concluded his call and joined them at the back wall. If Annie hadn’t been magical, she wouldn’t have known that the empty wall held a doorway to somewhere. With a wave of his palm, Fabien accessed the back door to French Wizard Hall.

  Why don’t they just use this one all the time?

  The door materialized with a shimmer and opened into a dark, narrow hallway. With flashlights shining brightly, they stepped inside, shedding light on a little-used entrance. Annie glanced at Spencer with the same quizzical look.

  “This place is backwards,” Annie whispered. Spencer shrugged while Fabien played with his phone. They followed the soft glow of the smartphone.

  “I am ordering a few more teams to meet us there. They will arrive in intervals after us. Should that be acceptable, Annie, Spencer?”

  “Why are you asking them? This should be our mission,” Marielle said. Her voice pierced the quiet. Annie’s stomach roiled.

  “Enough, Marielle. Go back. Go home if you cannot keep quiet. Annie, are we good with this plan?” Fabien asked.

  “Yeah. That’s fine. Are we ready, then?”

  “Yes. Follow me.”

  The narrow passage angled upwards toward the ground level. Flashlights swept the seldom-used passage, which was covered in cobwebs and smelled musty. Annie skirted around a small puddle where the water had seeped through the rock walls. It was imperative that they trust the French Wizard Guard, and yet Annie couldn’t. Something felt not right, strange, backwards. She reached for Spencer’s hand. He was the only person who, in this moment, she trusted. He squeezed her hand.

  They could be leading us to our deaths.

  It was a ten-minute walk to the end of the corridor, where a hastily constructed staircase led to a door and, they presumed, outside. Annie gave Spencer a nervous look and followed Fabien, who took the stairs with ease. A worn, steel door stood waiting. Fabien twirled the wheel open and pushed the door upwards. It squeaked with rust and lack of use.