by Gayla Twist
“Okay, but I’m going to need Jessie’s number. I know the Vanderlinds like to keep their privacy and have their number unlisted, but they’re going to have to make an exception.”
I didn’t know what to do. It had to have been Jessie’s grandfather that grabbed Fred. There was no doubt in my mind. Fred was a strong, vigorous young man. He wouldn’t be taken easily by mortals. Not without his friends at least hearing something. It had to have been a vampire. But would having an upset mother calling the castle prompt Grandpa Vanderlind to spare Fred or kill him? I didn’t know.
“Aurora?” Mom interrupted my thoughts again. “The number?”
“I’m sorry,” I told her. “I’m having trouble thinking clearly.” I hopped out of bed and went to my desk. Grabbing a scrap of paper, I hesitated for a moment and then scrawled down a number. Jessie’s cell phone number.
“I need to head over to the castle this morning to pick up my car, anyway,” I said. “So I can always ask Jessie if there’s any chance his cousin did something stupid. He wouldn’t lie to me.”
“Your car’s in our garage,” Mom said, giving me a concerned look.
“Oh, right.” Jessie must have returned it and forgotten to tell me. “I meant to say sweater,” I said lamely. “I guess my brain isn’t working right.”
“It’s okay,” Mom said, her voice soft and understanding. She got up from the bed and wrapped her arms around me. “I can’t even imagine ... I don’t want to even imagine …” Her words trailed off. “Just be careful,” she said, kissing me on the head.
Mom left the room and I just sat there stunned. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew I had to do something. I had to try to save Fred. I had to try to save everyone, but it was the thought of Fred dying at the hands of a vampire that really drove me forward. I was going to find out where Grandpa Vanderlind was keeping them and set them free even if it killed me.
I got dressed while my mom called back Mrs. Lighton. I found Fred’s earrings in the pocket of my bag and put them on. They were much prettier than I deserved. Fred was trapped somewhere being slowly drained of his life, and it was my fault. If I’d just been willing to date him instead of chasing after a vampire then this probably wouldn’t have happened.
After that, I burrowed into the back of my closet to find my old backpack. If I was going to accomplish what I hoped to accomplish, I needed to carry a few supplies. A backpack was just a more efficient way to go when I needed my hands free.
When I got downstairs, I immediately checked the garage. My battered gold bug was there, freshly washed and gleaming. I could see my bag on the passenger’s side seat, but the doors were all locked. We had a spare set of keys somewhere, but I had no idea where.
“Mom,” I said, walking into the kitchen. “Do you know where …”
“Your keys are?” she asked, holding up my set of keys, clinking together as they dangled off their chain.
“Where did you find them?” I asked, taking the keys from her.
“In the refrigerator, next to the half and half,” she told me, giving me an amused look. “That’s pretty absentminded, by the way.”
Jessie must have put them there, knowing that my mom would find them when she went to add cream to her coffee in the morning. I glanced into the next room and saw that my winter coat was hanging on a hook near the front door. I had no idea that Jessie had ever left my bedroom. Or maybe he’d returned everything before knocking at my window. I gave a small shiver. Vampires were so stealthy. Maybe it was a good thing that Jessie was no longer granted access to our home. I knew he would never intentionally hurt me, but maybe his grandfather would think of a way to manipulate him.
“Are you sure you’re all right, honey?” Mom asked. “You’re acting really out of it.”
“No, I’m fine,” I assured her. “I’m just really worried about Fred.” When I said his name, my voice cracked. Fred was being held prisoner somewhere in Tiburon by an insane vampire. I started crying. I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t know what to do or how to help him. Should I tell my mom? How would that end? How could I explain everything to her while making it clear that I hadn’t lost my mind?
Mom came over and put her arms around me, which made my crying worse. “I really need to talk to Jessie,” I said between sobs.
“Maybe you should call,” she suggested. “Or at least wait until you’ve calmed down a little. I don’t like you driving when you’re upset. It’s dangerous.”
I took her advice and had some breakfast before heading out. People always tell you don’t text and drive, but there should be another rule: don’t cry and drive.
Over my meal, I noticed my mother’s left hand was bare of any kind of ring. Did that mean Danny didn’t propose? I wanted to know but also couldn’t stop worrying about Fred. Finally, I just plunged in. “Any big announcements you need to tell me?” I looked pointedly at my mom’s hand as she sat and sipped her coffee.
Mom set down the pile of work papers she was browsing. “The big news is we’ve decided to wait. We want our families to get to know each other before we make any decisions about combining houses.”
“That’s very grown up of you,” I told her. “But please don’t put anything on hold because of me. I’ll be in college next year, so that’ll make combining households a lot easier.”
“I know, sweetie. And I appreciate that,” she told me. “But we are trying to be grown up about it. Thank you for noticing.” She gave me a smile.
Driving to the castle, I noticed my hands were still trembling a little. I pulled the car over, put it in park, and gave myself a good slap across both cheeks. Being a crybaby wasn’t going to save Fred. Or anyone else for that matter. My mom was right; I had to be strong. I had to focus.
As I tooled up to the castle gate, the guard, dressed in his deep purple livery, looked out at me from his little hut. “Hi, I’m Aurora Keys,” I said in a weirdly bright voice. I wondered if he knew who I was.
“Mr. Vanderlind isn’t receiving visitors right now,” he said, looking very dour. “You should know that.”
“I do,” I told him. “But I’m not here to see Jessie. I’m here to speak to Viggo.”
The guard frowned even more. “Listen, kid. Take my advice, and don’t come here to visit anyone. The Vanderlind Castle is no place you want to be. Trust me. I’m leaving as soon as I can find another gig.”
“I appreciate that,” was my reply. “But I still really need to speak to Viggo. Plus, I left my sweater here on Christmas Eve, so I’m going to need to get that back.”
The guard shook his head, obviously deciding I was suicidal. “Let me call up to the house,” he said.
I sat in my bug for what felt like a very long time, but was probably only about ten minutes, before Viggo appeared carrying my sweater in his left hand. His right arm was in a sling. Instead of having the guard open the gate and me driving in, he exited through the pedestrian access and stood next to my car. “Good morning, Miss Aurora,” he said in a very somber voice.
“Good morning, Viggo,” I replied. “Are you all right?” I asked, nodding at the sling.
“Yes,” he said. “Thank you for asking.” And then he added, “Miss Aurora, vould you please take a short valk with me?”
I unlocked the car, and he opened the door for me. “What’s going on?” I asked when we had moved out of hearing distance of the guard at the gate.
“Things are very bad,” he told me. “Mr. Wanderlind is going to make trouble, I’m afraid. He is a wery bad man.”
“That’s why I’m here,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I think it’s Mr. Vanderlind who has been kidnapping people. Jessie couldn’t tell me directly, but he implied that maybe it was.”
Viggo gave me a steady look. “I know of no one being held prisoner in the castle dungeon,” he said, placing a weird amount of emphasis on the word “castle.”
“Are you aware of anyone being held prisoner someplace that is not the castle dungeon?” I asked
.
The giant frowned, pressing his lips together in thought, and then said, “I have no direct knowledge.”
“Are you afraid to say anything?” I asked in a barely audible voice. “Have you been threatened or something?” I wondered if the senior Vanderlind had some type of supernatural control over the giant the way he did over Jessie. It would take someone as powerful as a vampire to intimidate a man of Viggo’s size.
“Life at the castle is not as pleasant as it used to be,” he said. “I do not see that changing any time soon.”
“Can you quit?” I asked, thinking maybe the guard at the gate had a good plan. “Why not just leave?”
“I vould hate to leave Mr. Jessie, but if I could figure out a way for Gloria to be free, then I vould not stay.”
“Is there a lot left on her debt?” I asked rather hesitantly. Gloria had sold herself into service to pay off her father’s debt. I didn’t know if I was being rude by asking.
“Mr. Jessie has cut most of her debt,” he said. “But it is still a large amount. If ve both vork wery hard then maybe vhen we are old ve can leave this place.” He looked away and said in a softer voice, “If ve live to be old.”
I put my hand to my cheek and thought it over. There had to be a way they could leave. But vampires took mortal debt very seriously.
I brightened, an idea occurring to me. “Viggo, if a friend was to give you something worth a lot of money. Let’s say it’s valuable antique jewelry or something like that. Something that would probably bring big money in an auction. Would that be enough to help you? Would you and Gloria be able to get away if you had,” I tried to run a quick estimate, “I don’t know, an extra hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”
The giant blinked very slowly at me a few times. “I didn’t know I had that kind of a friend,” he said carefully.
I shrugged. “I think you might.” I would have to explain things to Jessie if I ever got to see him again, but I saw no reason to let gorgeous pieces of jewelry just sit around in a safety deposit box. I’d keep my Pools of Light, of course, but I thought I could part with the other pieces. They were much more expensive, but they had way less sentimental value. Besides, that stupid Grandpa Vanderlind had hurt a giant that I considered a friend, and I wasn’t about to put up with it.
Viggo nodded, mulling the whole thing over. “Yes, I know someone who vorks at a wery famous auction house. He might be able to arrange a quick sale.” He looked me straight in the eyes. “I am sure if I had such a friend, their gift vould not be vasted.”
“And if a parcel was to arrive for you, it would be addressed to … the castle?” I asked.
Viggo shook his head. “It vould be better if it vas made as a general delivery to the Tiburon post office.”
“I see,” I said, this time nodding at him. “If there’s nothing else you have to tell me, then I guess I’d better get going.” The day was pushing toward noon, and I had to get to the bank.
“I vould tell you to never come back here, but I guess you vouldn’t listen,” Viggo said, giving me a penetrating look.
I thought about Fred locked in some cell, juice box for some nasty old vampire. I thought about Liz and Don and even Mervin, who I didn’t really know personally but saw quite frequently driving his cab around town. “No, I probably wouldn’t listen,” I agreed.
“Miss Aurora, I have learned over the years that the castle has many secrets,” Viggo said, his face very earnest. “There are things about this place that even some of the family doesn’t know. Sometimes you think something is wery vell hidden, but it’s actually right under your nose.” He tapped his large nose significantly. “If I was sitting in the Vanderlind dungeon, that is something I vould think about. That might be a vay to find vhat you are looking for.” He tapped his nose again, giving me a steady gaze.
“So you’re saying I need to search the dungeon?” I asked, trying to divine meaning from his words.
“No, I am saying that if I vere you, I should stay wery far away from the castle,” he told me, his voice flat and grave.
“But …” I stammered, not at all sure what he was trying to tell me.
“Miss Aurora, do you remember how ve met?” he asked.
“Of course,” I told him. Jessie had sent him to help me drag an unconscious Blossom out of the secret tunnel.
He nodded his head. “I remember it, too.” He nodded some more. “I thought you vere a wery brave young lady.” He tapped his nose again. “And smart, too.” With that, he turned to head back toward the castle.
I wanted to chase after him. I wanted to yell at him until he gave me some damn information I could actually use. Here I was about to hand over a small fortune in antique jewelry, and the giant was being all cryptic. But then again, the guard was in his little hut watching us. Word would probably get back to Grandpa Vanderlind that I had come by and that Viggo had spoken to me. If he was questioned, even under a vampire’s influence, Viggo could honestly say that he had told me nothing. He did have his own life to think about. And Gloria’s.
Chapter 29
After leaving Viggo, I headed out of town. When I’d returned from Budapest a month earlier, I had a fake passport, a huge diamond engagement ring, and a moonstone necklace created by a famous French designer. Also a few thousand in euros, all courtesy of Jessie Vanderlind. I didn’t know where to keep them, so I drove two towns over and opened a security deposit box in Colette’s name using the fake passport as my ID. Colette was conveniently over twenty-one.
Sitting in the bank parking lot, I called the house. My mom didn’t pick up, but I left her a message casually mentioning that I had talked to Jessie and he didn’t know anything about Fred. Neither did his cousin. If I went missing, I knew my mom would tell the police I was headed over to the castle, and I wanted her to know that I’d left there in one piece. I knew it was stupid that I wanted to protect Jessie even if it put my own life at risk, but that was the way I felt.
After that, I stared at my phone for a long time. I needed to call Jessie and leave him a message, but I really didn’t want to. I decided I would wait and just deal with the bank first. It was best to take these things one step at a time.
I took everything out of the safety deposit box but my passport then headed to a drugstore for a box, tape, and bubble wrap. I wasted a few minutes in my car looking at the engagement ring, admiring it on my hand, wishing that I could actually marry Jessie. But then I finally managed to put it in the box with the necklace. Almost as an afterthought, I slipped the Marquis de Sade’s ring off my finger and tucked it in the box. Big diamonds and famous designers were one thing, but I was sure there were plenty of rich weirdos out there that would pay big money for the ring of a legendary pervert. Jessie had intended for me to use the ring as protection. And I was, to some extent. I just wasn’t using it to protect myself.
It occurred to me that Viggo wouldn’t know the history of the ring, so I wrote down what I could remember on the back of a receipt I found on the floor of my car and stuck it in the box. After I sealed everything in securely, I headed over to the post office and sent the box general delivery as requested. The clerk thought I was nuts. He told me I should just hand deliver the thing myself, but I explained that I was on my way out of town and didn’t have the time.
A block down from the post office was a mom-and-pop hardware store that had somehow managed to survive when almost everyone else had been run out of business by the big chain stores. I found some wooden dowel rods that I thought, if I put my knee into it, I would be able to snap in a way that would make sharp points.
“Need any help, young lady?” an elderly gentleman asked.
“Do you have any wooden tent stakes?” I gave him a hopeful look. Those would already have a point.
“Wooden tent stakes?” The old man frowned as he thought about it. “No, I’m sorry, miss. I think if you want wooden tent stakes you’d probably have to carve them yourself.”
“That’s okay,” I said, grabbing
a half dozen of the dowel rods. “I’ll just take these.” I thought of something else. “Do you carry crowbars and maybe some bolt cutters?”
With my errands done, I headed back to Tiburon, directing my car toward the public pier. I knew something special about a storm drain that was about twenty yards from the pier. It wasn’t actually a storm drain, just a small tunnel mocked up to look like one. It was a secret entrance to the Vanderlind Castle. Viggo had helped Blossom and me use it to escape when we unwittingly crashed a vampire party. Blossom had been unconscious at the time, so it was very good the giant had been there. My best friend was not overweight by any means, but dragging her as dead weight was surprisingly challenging.
I parked the car and then just sat there for a while looking out at the river. I kept thinking about Fred. I knew without a doubt that I loved Jessie. I loved him with all of my heart. But I couldn’t let Fred and the others die. If there was even the smallest chance that I could save them then I had to try.
Something kept nagging at my brain. When Grandpa Vanderlind made his big entrance during the Christmas Eve party, he appeared from somewhere off by the kitchen. That also happened to be the general location of where the steps were that led down to the dungeon. Adding that to Jessie’s information plus the cryptic hints from Viggo, I had an idea where my classmates were possibly being held. Or at least where I should start looking. I was convinced that if Fred and the others were still alive, they were imprisoned somewhere that was accessible from the castle.
The idea of sneaking into a vampire fortress was pretty damn scary, even if I was dating one of the vampires. Still, I had to be brave and force myself to enter. The day was getting on, and I needed time to look for Fred and everyone while there was still plenty of sunlight.
Steeling my hand, I picked up my phone and hit Jessie’s number. I’d already programmed it into my cell. I could barely hear the ringing over the pounding of my own heart. If things did not go well, there was a strong possibility that Jessie wouldn’t get my message until after I was dead. The phone rang several times, and then went to voicemail. I wasn’t expecting it, but Jessie had already recorded an outgoing message. He said, “Aurora, I know it must be you calling because you’re the only one who has this number. Please be strong, darling, and know that I love you.” Then there was a beep.
