by Lily Webb
“Oh, thank Lilith, there you are,” Raina breathed and gripped my arm like she needed to make sure I was real.
“What’s wrong? Where’s Blaine?”
Heath leaned forward until he was inches away from my ear. “We don’t know. He said he was going to step away to take care of the damage you did to his toes, but he should’ve been back by now. No one’s seen him.”
My heart lurched, and Obax drew closer to me, growling and scowling at the crowd around us like someone might curse me at any second. “Do you think…?”
“We aren’t sure, dear, but we can’t rule anything out,” Raina whispered.
“I doubt anything happened with all these people around. Someone would’ve seen or heard, right?”
Raina’s face fell. “Not if it happened elsewhere. We don’t know where Blaine went.”
“What about his guard, Nazarr? Has anyone seen him?”
Heath shook his head. “No.”
“Then we need to find both of them before—”
“It might be a good idea to wrap things up here and send everyone home first,” Heath interrupted. “We don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea and panic. We never officially announced it, but I don’t doubt that word about Dawn’s disappearance has spread.”
“Leave it to me.” Surprised by my initiative, I cleared my throat and turned to face the circle. “Hey, everybody! Can I have your attention, please?” Dozens of pairs of eyes snapped to me. “I’m sorry to bring bad news, but because of the way I stomped on Councilman Rathmore’s toes, he’s had to step away to take care of them.” Nervous, uncertain laughter rippled throughout the circle. “So since we’re missing a leader, we have to call it quits early tonight. We’ll announce when he’s doing better and when to expect our next meeting. Thank you all for coming.”
Amazingly, the crowd didn’t protest. A wall of sound washed over me as they gathered their things and dispersed, stomping over the lawn like worn out concertgoers after a night of partying. Only Raina, Heath, Vaxis, Flora, and Mallory remained.
“Is everything okay?” Mallory asked.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I need to talk some things over with Heath and Raina, so why don’t you two wait for me in my office? Obax, show them inside, please.” The gargoyle’s otherworldly eyes flashed like she’d sooner die than leave me alone. “It’s okay. I’m with Heath and Raina, you don’t need to worry.”
She growled, but relented and stomped off toward the entrance to the town hall. When I was sure my friends were far enough away that they wouldn’t hear, I turned back to Heath and Raina. “What do we do now?”
“Raina and I will search the premises. We have to keep a low profile. It’s entirely possible that Blaine is here somewhere, but in case he isn’t, we don’t want anyone else to know — including your friends,” Heath said.
I nodded. “Right, of course not. What should I do?”
“We’ll escort you back to your office. Don’t leave and don’t let your friends go until you’ve gotten the all clear from us.”
The advice formed a lump in my throat — were they afraid I might be the next council member to disappear? — but I nodded and the three of us set off with Vaxis on our tail. Raina and Heath pulled their wands from their robes, and though they dangled them at their sides as nothing more than a precautionary measure, it made me nervous enough to take mine out too.
Outside my office, Obax looked relieved to see us. She opened the door for me and I found Flora and Mallory sitting in their same chairs. They whirled at the sound of the door opening, both white-faced.
“Don’t forget what we agreed on, and don’t open this door for anyone but one of us,” Heath whispered and left us without another word. I took a deep breath and readied myself to face my friends before I turned around.
“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Mallory asked, staring at my drawn wand.
“Oh, yeah, it’s fine.” I pocketed my wand and strode to my desk to sit in the chair across from them. “So, what did you guys do out there while I was gone?”
“Nice try, girl, but you’re not changing the subject. Flora and I weren’t born yesterday; we know something’s wrong. Is Blaine missing?”
I agonized over what to say. Heath had made it abundantly clear he didn’t want me to share what happened with my friends, but I didn’t want to lie to them either, especially since it was the first time I’d seen them in a while.
“We won’t tell anyone, Zoe,” Flora said. “You know I can keep a secret, no matter how big it is.”
I sighed. “I don’t know if he is or not, but it sure looks that way.”
“I knew it!” Mallory shouted. “But how could that happen right under everyone’s wands?”
“Good question. It’s true that he left to tend to his foot, but no one’s seen him since then. Raina and Heath are searching around but they don’t want me or either of you to leave the office until they’re done.”
“Do you think this is connected to Councilwoman Bloodworth’s disappearance?” Mallory asked.
“It seems way too coincidental not to be.”
“This is terrifying. How have two council members vanished without a trace?” Flora asked.
“You’re telling me. I feel like a sitting duck here just waiting for someone to burst into the office and carry me away. It doesn’t help that I’m pretty much hopeless with my wand.”
Mallory leaned over the desk. “Maybe, but you’ve got other skills. Do you have any idea why someone would want to go after Blaine?”
Immediately, Julien Delroy popped into my brain. Blaine hadn’t exactly been secretive about his views of the vampire and what he wanted to do to him, so had the word gotten back to Julien? But that didn’t explain how or why he’d also gone after Dawn, who’d never once said anything negative about Julien or the vampires — at least as far as I knew.
Maybe the disappearances weren’t connected. Or if they were, maybe the link had nothing to do with the vote to expand the Council.
“This is baseless, but the only person I can think of is Julien Delroy.”
“The new vampire president? Really?” Mallory asked, her eyes wide. “Why?”
“He seemed to come out of nowhere. Most people I’ve talked to about him have said they’d never heard of him before he ran for president. Doesn’t that seem fishy to you?”
“That seems more than fishy, that’s downright weird. Have you talked to him yet?”
“No. I’ve wanted to, but I worried what it might look like to everyone else if word got out, especially after the explosive Council meeting we had a few days ago.”
“Well, if you really think he might know something about all this, I don’t think you have a choice.”
Mallory wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t know how to make it happen. It wasn’t like I could just show up on his doorstep like I used to do as a reporter for the Messenger. Back then, I had a much smaller profile, so I could sneak around easier, but now that I was Head Witch, I couldn’t go anywhere without it being front page news — and I knew that having an impromptu interview with the new vampire president wouldn’t go unnoticed by the media.
“I can’t do that. The press would freak out if they found out and trust me, they would.”
Mallory frowned. “Why? Isn’t it normal for leaders from different communities to meet? I don’t see how this would be any different.”
She had a point, but somehow I doubted that Heath and the rest of the Council would ever approve of me meeting Julien. They’d shoot it down as a PR disaster waiting to happen, especially with Dawn and Blaine missing — assuming we didn’t find either of them before then.
“Why don’t you just call him then?” Flora asked and I almost beat my head against my desk. Duh! It was so obvious it hurt. Unless Julien or one of his aids told the press that we’d talked, no one would ever know — not even Heath. All the phone lines in the town hall had the highest levels of magical protection and encryption on them, particularly mi
ne and Heath’s.
“The only problem with that idea is that I don’t know Julien’s number. His position is new and since the vampires tossed out their entire system of governance, I doubt the old numbers still work.” But there was someone who might have contact info. “Marcel!” I shouted, and both of them looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe they were right to. “Sorry, I just thought of someone, Marcel Desfleurs, the photographer at Grave Times. Vampires own and run his magazine, so if anyone would have a direct line to Julien or know who does, it’s him — and I actually know how to reach Marcel.”
I pulled my phone out of the pocket in my robes and tapped through to Marcel’s contact card. I’d had the sense to program in all of my old reporter friends and sources before I left the Messenger just in case I ever needed them, and now I was glad I had. I didn’t dare place the call on my insecure cell though, so I picked up the desk phone and dialed Marcel’s number then turned on the speaker so Mallory and Flora could hear.
“You two keep quiet while we’re talking. I don’t want him to know anyone else is here.” They nodded. After a few rings, Marcel answered.
“Grave Times, this is Marcel speaking.”
“Hey, Marcel, it’s Zoe. How are you?”
He chuckled. “Wow, a direct call from the Head Witch? This is unexpected. I’m well, thanks. What’s going on?”
“Oh, not much. I just finished a magical self-defense lesson. You know, another day in my boring life.”
“Why do I get the sense you’re fishing for something?”
“Because I am. Listen, I wouldn’t normally bother you, but you’re the only link I have, and I think you might’ve been right about us working together again.”
“You mean because of Councilwoman Bloodworth’s disappearance?” he asked, and I nearly dropped the phone. Word had definitely spread, which shouldn’t have been a surprise, but I couldn’t believe how quickly it got around. “I’ll take your silence as a yes.”
“Fine, yes, it does — among other things.”
“Oh, now you’ve got my interest. How can I help?”
“I need to speak to Julien Delroy, but I don’t have a way to reach him. Do you?”
“Working me for sources, are you? That doesn’t seem very professional, Councilwoman.”
“Ugh, please don’t call me that. I get enough of that from everyone else.”
Marcel chuckled. “I had to devil you at least a little. Anyway, yes, I have the number for his office, but I’m curious: why don’t you?”
“I dunno, chalk it up to me being new to the Council or how new Julien’s position is. Whatever the reason, I just don’t have it.”
“Okay, next question: why do you want to talk to him?”
“That’s, uh, confidential Council business,” I said and Mallory snorted.
“I might be dead, Zoe, but I’m not an idiot. You think he has something to do with the disappearance, don’t you?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“That means yes. It would be a good way for him to make sure this vote he’s demanding passes.”
“No, it wouldn’t. We can’t vote on anything without the entire Council.”
“Oh, Zoe, your greenness is showing. That’s what the Council tells everyone these days in the interest of being fair, but there are several examples throughout Moon Grove’s history of the Council taking action on urgent issues without a vote, usually directly by the Head Witch and Warlock. Together, the two of them can pass anything they want, but they have to agree.”
I looked at Mallory, who nodded eagerly to confirm what he’d said was true. If anyone would know obscure history like that, it was her, so I had no choice but to believe Marcel. But if the Head Witch and Warlock could take unilateral action, why hadn’t Julien and his friends appealed directly to Heath and me instead of the entire Council? Maybe that was their backup plan.
“Thanks for the history lesson. Anyway, are you gonna give me Julien’s number or not?”
“Fine, but don’t tell him you got it from me. I’m not sure I want to get wrapped up in whatever it is you’re doing. It’s 08-7349.” I scrambled for a pen to scribble the number on my palm.
“His chief of staff, Arielle, will probably be the one to answer, but I’m sure she’d be happy to put the Head Witch in touch with President Delroy — and I’d love to be in the room when she tells him it’s you on the line.”
“Why’s that?”
“Are you kidding? He’s newly elected and trying to make a name for himself among the larger community. Speaking with you is a big deal. Then again, he might be afraid of you too.”
“What? Why would he be afraid of me?”
“Oh, come on, Zoe. You’ve got a new job now, but everyone knows about your adventures chasing the truth. Julien ran unopposed, which I’ve never heard of happening in all my hundreds of years on this planet, so you can bet your broom he’s got some skeletons in his coffin. Stay on your toes, that’s all I’m saying.”
I didn’t like the sound of that at all. I already had plenty of my own suspicions about the new vampire president, but hearing he’d rocketed to the top of the undead leadership without any opponents raised more than a few red flags.
“Thanks for the info, Marcel.”
“Don’t mention it. Really, don’t.”
“I won’t. See you later,” I said and hung up. Mallory and Flora sat staring at me, hanging on my every word.
“Well? What did you learn?” Mallory asked.
“Not much, but it turns out President Delroy didn’t really win an election. He ran unopposed.”
Flora’s eyes widened. “What? Really? That’s news to me, and I think I would’ve heard that before now if it were true.”
I shrugged. “Maybe it isn’t, I dunno, but I trust Marcel more than most. He wouldn’t feed me lies. I guess I’ll just have to ask Julien about it personally.”
“But not in this first conversation, I hope?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, definitely not. All I wanna hear from him is what he knows about Dawn and Blaine’s disappearances. Anything else he tells me is window dressing.”
But I didn’t dare call him now with Mallory and Flora in the room. Besides, Raina and Heath could come back to my office at any moment, and I didn’t want them to know that I’d spoken to Julien either — especially Heath.
Hiding a conversation with the vampire probably wasn’t one of my best ideas, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Julien knew something. Considered together, his arrival to town, his unopposed run for president of the vampires, and the successive disappearances of two council members who could’ve been political threats didn’t seem coincidental.
A knock at the door made all three of us jump.
“Who’s there?” I shouted, my heart racing.
“It’s Obax. Councilman Highmore and Headmistress Woods have returned.” Wow, right on cue.
“Okay, send them in.” Heath swept into the room looking flustered, and Raina was right behind him.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I need to speak with the Head Witch privately. It’s late though, so let the guards walk you both home,” Heath said to Flora and Mallory.
“Yeah, right, thanks. We’ll get out of your hair,” Mallory said and Flora nodded. They got up quickly and showed themselves out, but I didn’t miss the concerned look Mallory threw at me over her shoulder on her way to the door.
Raina closed it behind them and slumped down into the chair across the desk from me. Heath joined her and cradled his head in his hands. It couldn’t have been a good sign.
“What did you find?” I asked.
“Something disturbing,” Heath answered without looking at me.
“Councilman Rathmore wasn’t in his office when I searched it,” Raina said. “But the stone remains of his guard, Nazarr, littered the floor near his desk. Books and papers were strewn everywhere, and it looked like there’d been a struggle.”
The room
seemed to spin away from me and my breath leaked out of my lungs. Someone must have attacked Blaine in his office, and Nazarr died trying to save him like he’d sworn to do, but how had the attacker gotten in? I couldn’t imagine Nazarr would’ve allowed anyone he didn’t recognize, so whoever had attacked them must have been someone Blaine knew.
But how did they kill a gargoyle? And what had they done with Blaine?
“We’ll have to put the town hall on lockdown. We’re all potential targets now, and if council members keep vanishing, I don’t know what the public will think,” Heath said. He looked up at me and I almost gasped at the brokenness laid plain on his face. “I think you should call your grandmother and have her escorted back here as quickly as possible. Until we find who’s behind this, there’s no safer place than this. I’ve already arranged for a non-stop patrol of gargoyles and Raina’s going to strengthen the protective enchantments on the building.”
That all sounded well and good, but based on what happened to Nazarr, I doubted there were enough gargoyles and warding spells in all of Moon Grove to keep us safe. Besides, we couldn’t stay holed up in the town hall forever — and I still needed to talk to Julien, which couldn’t happen within earshot of Heath or any of the other council members.
I picked up my desk phone in a daze and dialed home anyway, feeling more frightened than I ever had in my life.
“Clarke residence, this is Eleanor,” Grandma answered.
“Hey Gram, it’s Zoe. Listen, this is gonna sound crazy, but the Council’s sending some gargoyles to pick you up and bring you to the town hall.”
“Oh, Lord have mercy. Someone else disappeared, didn’t they?”
“I’ll explain everything when you get here. Bring Luna and pack anything you’d need for an overnight; we might be here for a while.”
Chapter Nine
Grandma arrived in a flurry with the rest of the Council, whom Heath had summoned back for their safety. No one looked happy, least of all Grandma as she entered the chamber with Luna in her arms and an overstuffed backpack drooping from her shoulders.
