There was no response to Bree’s knock, but the hair was prickling on the back of Kristofer’s neck, like they were being watched. He pulled up that search on antique shops on his phone again, and went to the store’s website, looking for a contact email address. He found one and sent a message.
We’d like an appointment.
Is Micah available?
“Do you think vampires check their email?” Bree asked, her tone hinting that she didn’t.
“Who knows? It’s worth a try.”
“So, now we just wait?” Bree threw back the last of her coffee and surveyed the door with obvious disgust. “Do you know anything about picking locks?” she asked, just as the door swept open.
“That would be my specialty,” said the man standing in the shadowed interior. He was tall and lean, with dark hair and very blue eyes. He was so handsome that he didn’t seem to be real and his eyes glittered in the shadows. He was wearing dark jeans and a black hoodie emblazoned with the logo of a high end fashion house. His accent was European, although Kristofer couldn’t place it.
He inclined his head slightly, seeming to enjoy their surprise. “Kristofer Anderson, Pyr warrior. Sigrdrifa Brianna, Valkyrie.”
Kristofer felt Bree’s shock and knew it was equal to his own.
The man in the shop smiled slightly, as if he was amused by that. “Micah, unfortunately, is unavailable. Might I be of assistance?”
“Who are you?” Bree asked.
“Sebastian,” he said, not offering a surname. “Micah and I are...associates.”
“Sebastian, vampire,” Bree said, mimicking his greeting to them.
His smile lifted just a little at one corner but his gaze remained cool.
Assessing.
Way too glittery for him to look trustworthy.
“We have something very specific in mind,” Kristofer said.
“I assure you that I know all of the inventory.” Sebastian stepped back, inviting them into the shadows with a smooth gesture.
Bree and Kristofer exchanged a quick look. “We won’t take up too much of your time,” Kristofer said, stepping forward.
Bree was right behind him. “We’re just looking for a book for a... friend,” she added when they were inside.
Sebastian smiled, revealing the points of his incisors. “I know just the one. The perfect gift for that discerning lady and queen of darkness.”
Kristofer knew he shouldn’t have been surprised that Sebastian had guessed their goal.
Would he actually surrender Maeve’s book to them?
Would he sell it to them?
Or were Kristofer and Bree stepping into a trap? Standing in the shop felt like a bad idea. There was a chill emanating from the interior, not unlike that of the mortuary, and Kristofer couldn’t see much, even with his keen Pyr vision. The golden glow of the firestorm seemed brighter, and its urge was more insistent.
He took Bree’s hand and she didn’t fight him, her fingers curling around his tightly.
It felt like they had something else in common.
Meanwhile, Sebastian closed and locked the door behind them, then pulled down a blind. Kristofer saw a glow illuminating the edges of a barrier ahead of them. That proved to be a curtain of black velvet, which Sebastian ushered them beyond. There was a hurricane lamp burning on the other side. Didn’t they use electricity?
The three of them were in the middle of an extensive space, which must have extended all the way to the back wall of the building. It was crammed with books and dishes, lighting fixtures and furnishings, all touched by the light thrown by half a dozen hurricane lamps set on various surfaces. The smell of the kerosene seemed particularly strong to Kristofer.
Visually, the shop’s interior was a feast, though. The chandeliers glittered, their crystals reflecting the light, and he had the sense that he’d stepped into an Aladdin’s cave.
“Or a dragon’s hoard,” Sebastian said, smiling more broadly when Kristofer met his gaze in surprise. “No, I can’t read minds, but sometimes the thoughts of mortals are so painfully obvious that it’s impossible to avoid a good guess.” This seemed to disappoint him. He gestured with a long pale hand. “What you want is in the vault, for very good reasons.”
He led the way through the shop, apparently certain they’d follow. They did, and Kristofer couldn’t stop ogling the riches around him. It really was an antique shop, not just a cover story. The wood of the old furniture gleamed, and he saw inlays of ivory and ebony. There was butterfly veneer, pieces of mahogany and cherry, and even a collection of Biedermeier pieces gleaming golden in the far corner. The china was beautiful, Asian pieces mixed with European porcelain; collections of dishes in the breakfronts; crystal tableware glinting in the cabinets. He was fascinated by several collections of crystals and gemstones, in particular a pair of huge amethyst geodes as tall as his hip that they walked past.
Bree gave him a nudge to draw his attention to a display case on the other side. It was filled with gold jewelry pieces. There were cloak clasps, necklaces, armbands and neckbands, as well as rings and earrings, lined up on black velvet. All were ornamented with swirls and dots, in the Viking style. Some were studded with garnets. “I was at that funeral,” she whispered. “That hoard is priceless.”
“You’ll find that most items said to be priceless do have a price, if you’re rich enough to be able to pay it,” Sebastian said, proving that he heard whispers if not thoughts. He was standing at the top of a staircase, apparently waiting for them. It was wide enough for three people to walk abreast and descended into inky darkness. Kristofer had to think that it led to a space beneath the adjacent building.
“Micah owns the block,” Sebastian said with a smile.
Kristofer wondered if Micah’s legal identity could be traced by that.
He hoped he had the chance to check.
Sebastian took one of the lamps and led the way down the stairs. They’d taken two steps forward when Bree suddenly squeezed Kristofer’s hand and pointed with her other hand.
There was a Hello Kitty purse, black and pink, on the table at the top of the stairs. It looked incongruous, as incongruous as the corpse’s words had been.
Hello kitty.
Here, kitty kitty.
Had he been calling to a vampire when he died? That seemed like a bad choice. Preying sexually on a vampire would be even worse. There was a phone in a pink case beside the bag, though, making Kristofer recall the corpse’s comment about kitty losing her phone.
He didn’t have time to worry about it, though. Sebastian had almost disappeared and Bree tugged his hand. As they descended the stairs together, Kristofer became acutely aware that they were in a sanctuary for vampires and no one else knew where they were. He hadn’t told Alasdair. He lifted his phone, but the vampire was suddenly by his side, cool fingertips upon his arm.
“That won’t be necessary,” Sebastian said softly, then gave Kristofer a steady look when the Pyr thought about arguing the point. “Not if you really want the book.” He smiled and it was as hungry and troubling as a vampire smile was reputed to be.
Kristofer pushed his phone into the pocket of his jeans.
“You won’t be here long,” the vampire said with a confidence that might bode ill for their futures. His smile gave Kristofer the creeps—and so did that Hello Kitty bag. He knew of two vampires, Micah and Sebastian, but the bag indicated there was a third. Just how many vampires were in town?
The flickering light made Kristofer feel like he had stepped back in time, or maybe into a movie. He was tense, braced for anything to jump out of the shadows and attack.
He had the definite sense that he and his mate were headed into danger.
To his dismay, Kristofer realized that he couldn’t summon the shift. He should have been shimmering blue on the cusp of change, but that stupid red string limited his ability to shift. He hoped Maeve would remove it when she got her book back.
Then he wondered what exactly their fate would be
. Maeve had changed the rules on Bree once: there was nothing saying she’d keep her promise, even if they did deliver the book.
And she hadn’t promised Kristofer anything.
Plus there was no guarantee that this vampire didn’t plan to trick them either.
Coming to the shop seemed like a bad idea in hindsight, but what was done was done.
“The way out is through,” Bree murmured and he nodded agreement.
They went down two floors, the smell of earth growing stronger with every step. Kristofer heard distant dripping and a hum that might have been a passing subway train. Sebastian flicked back his cuff, as if to check his watch, and nodded once. Then he put down the lamp on the floor and gestured to a round metal door, half-hidden in the shadows ahead of them.
“A bank vault as large as a room,” Sebastian said, his tone idle. They might have been looking at a common housefly, not a remarkable steel box, constructed as part of the building’s foundation two floors below the street. “An artifact from the Victorian era, when railway barons ensured the safety of their own treasures, thank you very much.”
“And now you and Micah keep your treasures there,” Kristofer guessed.
Sebastian smiled. “I’d heard that dragons were astute.” He stepped up to the lock and rapidly turned a combination. “Don’t be surprised if one of the treasures tries to run,” he warned quietly.
Kristofer had time to be confused, then the tumblers rolled inside the door. They sounded huge. The round metal door creaked, then Sebastian depressed the lever and opened it. The hinges gave a minute groan, but the door swung open smoothly with what looked like the barest touch from Sebastian. It had to be a foot thick, and shone with the gleam of polished steel.
The space inside was the size of a small room. As Sebastian lifted the hurricane lamp again, the interior was lit, revealing that it was also furnished. There were drawers and cabinets all around the perimeter, a red velvet fainting couch in the middle, with a table in front of it.
There was also a woman. She sat up with a gasp, blinking against the light, then made a stumbling run for freedom. Sebastian easily caught her around the waist and held her feet off the ground. She was dressed conservatively and had her dark hair twisted up. Her glasses fell off as they struggled.
“Let me go!” she demanded, aiming a kick at his shin.
“You know it’s for your own safety,” he insisted, but she still fought against him.
“I don’t care! I want to go home.”
“Where you will be killed, or worse,” Sebastian said.
“While being a vampire’s captive is a complete picnic,” she snarled and his eyes flashed.
“It was your dream,” Sebastian began in a low voice and she slapped him.
“Hey!” Kristofer said, stepping forward. “If she wants to leave, let her!”
“Stay out of this, dragon,” Sebastian snarled. “It’s not your concern.”
“I think it is my concern when someone is being held against their will...”
The woman kicked Sebastian again, taking advantage of his distraction, and her blow was hard enough to make him wince. Her hair broke free of the clip, falling loose over her shoulders in dark waves as she kicked him hard again. Sebastian’s lips tightened and he cast her into the interior of the safe. She caught the back of the fainting couch and steadied herself, then backed away from him, looking angry but not afraid.
“You could fuel a small town with the heat between these two,” Bree muttered, folding her arms across her chest as she watched. She raised her voice then to address Sebastian. “Can we just get the book? Then we’ll leave you to your games.”
“But she—” Kristofer began.
“Likes it,” Bree concluded then rolled her eyes. “And him. A lot.” She shook her head slightly.
“Don’t kiss me again,” the woman said to Sebastian, her words low but not as hostile as Kristofer might have expected. In fact, she seemed to be daring him to do just that. “Don’t fill my thoughts with that dream...”
“Because it’s distracting?” Sebastian asked as he stalked her around the fainting couch. He bared his teeth. “Trust me, Sylvia, it distracts me as well, and it was your dream.”
He caught Sylvia in his arms and the fight went out of her. Her hands rose to his shoulders and her expression softened as she stared at him. In fact, her eyes widened and she smiled just a little. Sebastian chuckled as he bent his head and Bree exhaled.
“See what I mean?” she said quietly.
Meanwhile, Sebastian kissed Sylvia, although Kristofer knew that the vampire hadn’t forgotten them. When the vampire lifted his head, Sylvia gave a little sigh then seemed to fall asleep.
“It must be a good dream,” Bree commented.
“It’s one of my favorites,” Sebastian mused.
Kristofer noticed Sylvia’s smile then.
Sebastian laid her on the fainting couch inside the safe, unexpected tenderness in his gesture. “So frail,” he murmured with what seemed like affection.
“Is she all right?” Kristofer demanded. “Why are you keeping her here?”
“It is for her own safety. She’s the guardian of the book, and it’s not wise for her to be undefended,” Sebastian replied, his voice hard. “We’ve already been attacked, several times.”
“You can let her go after you give us the book then,” Bree suggested.
Sebastian glared so hard at Bree that a mortal would have flinched. “Don’t meddle in business that is not your own, Sigrdrifa.”
They could argue all they wanted. Kristofer didn’t intend to leave without Sylvia, book or no book.
“Book,” Bree reminded the vampire.
Sebastian moved quickly to one of the numbered doors inside the safe, unlocked it, and removed three books. He laid them in a row on the table. Even at a distance, they looked identical, just notebooks with imitation leather covers. At Sebastian’s gesture, Kristofer stepped forward to examine them. Bree was right beside him. He was pretty sure that they were both wondering if this was a trap.
The books didn’t appear to be worth fighting for. In fact, Kristofer was sure he could have bought a dozen of them at any convenience store.
He looked up at the vampire. “Is this a joke?”
“Glamours,” Sebastian said, then his expression turned disdainful. “Obviously.”
“They’re enchanted to hide their contents,” Bree said. “Which is the one we want?”
“Where would be the fun in telling you that?” Sebastian asked, then his voice hardened. “Everyone wants the book. Maeve created the book. It was stolen from her. She wants it back.” He gestured to the sleeping woman. “Sylvia was entrusted with it. Now you want it, purportedly to return it to Maeve.” He leaned back against the interior wall of the safe, still managing to look ready for anything, and shook his head. “It is a highly sought item.”
“Is this about money?” Kristofer asked.
Sebastian laughed. “No, no. That would be predictable. It’s about the game.” He touched the covers of the three books in turn. “One of these is Maeve’s book. The other two are forgeries. They’re not even copies: they’re just blank.”
“They have a glamour on them to make them look the same,” Bree said.
“Actually, Maeve’s book is the one with the glamour to make it look the same as the others,” Sebastian said, correcting her. “It’s not filled with blank pages. It just looks like it right now.”
“What’s in her book?” Kristofer asked. “Why is it important?”
The vampire shrugged, his eyes alight with conviction.
He knew but wasn’t telling.
“But if you want to protect Sylvia, giving us the book would make her safe, wouldn’t it?” Kristofer continued.
“Not necessarily. Matters with Maeve are never that simple. She can be vengeful.” Sebastian gestured, inviting them to choose. “She also appreciates the power of the number three. I’m willing to let chance shape our future
s. Aren’t you?”
Kristofer glanced at Bree, in case she could discern a difference. She shook her head minutely. He inhaled deeply, wondering if the scents of the books varied, but they all smelled the same. None of them had a whiff of Fae about them, much less of Maeve.
But then, she wouldn’t have left such an easy mark.
“Can I touch them?” he asked and the vampire gave a dismissive wave with one hand.
All of the pages in all of the books were blank. Kristofer fanned through them twice to be sure, then looked at Bree again. They really did look identical. She shook her head. Kristofer was on his own.
The red string was on his left wrist.
It was as good a choice as any.
“This one,” he said, choosing the left one.
“I hope your gift is well-received,” Sebastian said crisply. His manner became brisk. He scooped up the other two books and put them back in the drawer of the safe. “I believe you can show yourself out.”
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass?” Kristofer said.
“Something like that. The sooner you’re gone, the better.” Sebastian smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly expression.
Kristofer had to hope that meant he’d chosen right. He gave the book to Bree and she left the safe.
He didn’t. “I think Sylvia should come with us.” Kristofer moved toward the sleeping woman and found Sebastian suddenly obstructing his path.
“When you have the book?” the vampire asked. “How would that ensure her safety?”
“We’ll take her with us,” Kristofer insisted. “I’m not convinced she’s safe here...”
Sebastian’s eyes blazed and his features were transformed by fury. “No!” He planted the flat of his hand in the middle of Kristofer’s chest and pushed.
Kristofer was flung backward by the force of the blow and landed on his butt twenty feet outside the safe. “Hey!” he said, getting to his feet, but Sebastian reached for the door of the safe. Kristofer lunged toward the door even as it closed, but he knew he was too late.
Dragon's Kiss (The DragonFate Novels Book 2) Page 12
