The remaining Vampire had a good idea and tried to skewer me as I came down. Unfortunately for him, my sword was longer than his knife. I pushed him off my blade with my foot and whirled around, looking for my next opponent.
The sound of footsteps drew my attention to two Vampires running away from us. A whoosh accompanied the fireball that passed me and enveloped the vamps when they were about fifty feet away.
I scanned the area and saw four more bodies that I hadn’t killed. The night and the neighborhood were quiet.
“That was interesting,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen vamps try anything like that.”
“I hate Earth cities,” Valinir said as he wiped his blade clean on a Vampire’s pants.
“I can’t say that I blame you, but this wasn’t random,” I said. “There’s no way they couldn’t tell we’re Elves, and they weren’t hunting for food or sex. Ten Vampires for two people? That’s hardly a taste a piece.”
After cleaning and sheathing my sword, I walked over to the Vampire who was missing his legs. Vampires aren’t immortal, and they don’t heal the way they do in Human myths, but they are tough. A Human or an Elf with both legs cut off would be dead or close to it. The Vampire was trying to crawl away, his stumps partially cauterized by the silver in my sword.
Putting my foot on his head, I pressed it to the street.
“I am curious as to why you attacked us,” I said.
He tried to roll and struck my leg with his arm. I put more of my weight on that leg. Then Valinir reached out with the tip of his sword and touched the end of the Vampire’s nose.
“It’s rude not to answer the lady’s question,” Valinir said quietly.
“We were paid to capture her,” the Vampire answered.
“Paid by whom?” I asked.
“Don’t know. Elf.”
“Oh, really. Describe this Elf.”
“Shorter than you. Black hair and black eyes. Pointed ears. Realm walker. That’s all I know.”
“Capture, or kill?” I asked. “Your buddies didn’t act like they were trying to capture me.”
He glared at me but didn’t answer. Valinir’s eyes met mine. I spun on my heel and resumed walking toward our hotel. I had taken only a few steps when he fell in beside me.
“A Dralf?” he asked. Dralf was a common contraction for Dark Elf.
I shrugged. “There were rumors that the Vampires in Transvyl paid a Dralf realm walker to open a rift for them on Beltane two years ago. There were also rumors that Werewolves paid a demon. At one time, some people in Washington thought I wanted to become queen of the world. I never know what to believe, but in my time here on Earth, I’ve never met a Dralf.”
“They would blend in better than you or I would,” Valinir said.
“Yes, they would. I didn’t say they weren’t here, I just said I’d never seen one. I would know the difference between a Dralf and a Human. It could have been a halfling. I do know a halfling realm walker, and if he had dark hair, he might be mistaken for a tall Dralf.”
Chapter 6
The following morning, it didn’t take me long to figure out that Valinir had never been on a subway before. I noted that he braced for battle when the train came thundering out of the tube. He had been nonchalant about the train we took from Liverpool to London, but riding one underground seemed to unnerve him a bit. He acted relieved when we transferred to the above-ground light rail.
We headed into the docklands, and it took me almost an hour to find the market. It was always in the same general area, but it moved around from time to time. Finally, I spied the small bright-red-and-white striped tent with an ankh on a long pole jutting into the air above it.
Ten-foot-tall Giants armed with axes stood on either side of the tent’s entrance. Valinir eyed them cautiously, but I didn’t pay them any mind. The humanoid perched on a tall three-legged stool was a far more dangerous gatekeeper. I had never figured out the little man’s race, but he looked like one of Santa’s elves. An essence of magic rolled off him in waves.
“How much?” I asked.
“Five pounds.”
The price hadn’t gone up since my last visit. I paid the man for Valinir and me and ducked through the tent’s entrance. The tent looked to be about ten or twelve feet square from the outside. Valinir sucked air when he straightened inside the door and looked around.
Under a multi-peaked red-and-white striped ceiling, the market ran away from us in every direction. I couldn’t see the end of it, or the tent’s walls.
“Just keep an eye on me, but don’t hang too close, okay?” I said as I started off toward a section to our left and several hundred yards away.
“I have a question,” Valinir said, gazing out across the huge marketplace. “You said you’d never seen a Dragon’s egg. What makes you think you will recognize it?”
Touching my bag, I said, “I know what this feels like, and the Dragon scales I saw in Dublin and other places feel the same. The magic in them feels the same. I’m hoping the egg feels the same.” I shrugged. “If it doesn’t, then I don’t know. I’ve made a point of checking out any magic that I don’t recognize, but none of it has been from a large egg.”
He gave me a smile and nodded. “Makes sense to me. Lead on, O Great Magic Detector.”
I hadn’t gone very far into the maze when I noticed a Vampire watching me. At times, he dropped out of sight, but I would later see him again. Considering my height and green hair, I wasn’t that difficult to track.
I was searching for the area where artworks and other collectables were displayed. Not all wares transported across the realms were practical, or magical. Paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and rare objects brought good prices from collectors. Since many of the great mages were wildly wealthy, they often turned their attention to collecting things—either for their own enjoyment or to display.
My route took me through the apothecary’s area, so I could search for a particular merchant that a Human witch friend of mine had recommended. I found the merchant and purchased a few potions and elixirs. Then I bought two cases of potions for shipment to Linda in West Virginia.
“Have you ever heard of a Dragon’s egg for sale?” I asked the apothecary.
She gave me a sharp glance, then shook her head. “I would look for such an item where those of the dark arts gather to trade.”
The London market’s alchemical section was different than most places I had seen. If a witch wanted to purchase eye-of-newt, she had to buy the whole damned newt, take it home, and slaughter the poor beasty herself. London merchants didn’t carry jars of the pickled eyes like other places did. Luckily, none of the alchemy I practiced required such ingredients. It felt a little too much like blood magic to me.
I saw other ingredients that sickened me and made me angry. Rhinoceros horn, elephant and walrus ivory, tiger bones, bear bile, and seahorses—all came from animals headed for extinction on Earth. I wondered how much of what I saw from other realms came from animals my grandchildren would never see. Elf magic used hair, scales, and such things from magical beasts, but never used parts of an animal that required its death, and we considered the use of such ingredients bordering on the dark arts. But Humans and some other races traded parts of killed animals openly.
When I finally reached the collectibles area, one of the first booths I saw specialized in ancient artifacts from the British Isles. Among the items from the druids and Celts and Vikings, I recognized a wooden carving of Danu, the goddess of the Elves. The merchant had a carbon dating certificate that showed the carving was three thousand years old. The price was so far out of my range that I never considered buying it.
But several of his artifacts radiated magic, some so strongly that it shocked me. A couple of the objects, which I noticed the merchant had set in a back corner of his booth, felt evil.
“Are you really going to sell those?” I asked, nodding toward the artifacts.
The merchant—a Human from another realm—jer
ked as if I’d slapped him, glanced back at the corner, then straightened. “And what would you do with them?”
“Drop them in the English Channel.”
“I have money invested,” he said.
“And damage to your aura just from being so near them,” I replied. Shaking my head, I backed away and turned to leave.
“Arrogant Elf,” the merchant said to my back. I didn’t answer him, but I marked his booth and his name. He was the sort of person who might try and sell a Dragon’s egg if it fell into his hands.
Some of the booths were large and ornately decorated, while others were small, dingy, and dirty. The merchants themselves often reflected the pride they took in their booths. Such things were superficial, however, as the quality of their merchandise could be wildly at odds with the quality of its surroundings. One Devil—he and his booth dressed in silks—had some of the crappiest jewelry imaginable. On the other hand, a Human who needed to become acquainted with soap and water was selling the most delicate, finely-wrought miniature statuettes. I braved his smell for fifteen minutes, totally fascinated by his wares, and bought a tiny fairy crafted in filigreed silver.
But after six hours of working my way through the marketplace, I hadn’t found anything even resembling a Dragon’s egg. I did have the names of a collector and two dealers in rare objects who did their business away from the market.
Valinir was even easier to find than I was. Other than three Giants and another Elf, he was the tallest person in the entire place. I collected him and headed for the exit. My Vampire shadow looked rather bored the last few times I’d seen him, but he suddenly appeared to regain an interest in what I was doing.
We passed out into the mundane world, and I leaned close to Valinir.
“A Vampire followed me around all day.”
Valinir raised an eyebrow. “After last night, that raises the question of what Vampires would want with a Dragon’s egg.”
“It raises the question of why a bunch of Vampires would think I was looking for a Dragon’s egg,” I said. “The interesting thing is I saw that same vamp at the marketplace in Dublin.”
Valinir seemed to mull that over, but the only thing he said was, “I’m hungry.”
We hit a pub, and over beer and fish, I told him about the three names I had gathered.
“One is a collector,” I said, searching for the name using my phone. “The other two are merchants.”
“Since Vampires aren’t magic users, one might guess they are working for someone else,” Valinir said. “I suppose that fellow could have overheard some of your questions in Dublin.”
I glanced up at him. “That makes sense. This guy, Orlando Gonçalves, lives in Holland Park. Other than that, almost no information about him is available on the web.”
“Which makes sense if he’s a mage,” Valinir said. “Until two years ago, magic was completely in the shadows, and to a great extent it still is.”
“Shall we wander by his place on our way back to the hotel?” I asked. “Sort of a scouting expedition?”
Valinir chuckled. “Can’t be any less productive than what we’ve done so far today.” He held up his hand and signaled the waitress for two more beers.
Gonçalves’s mansion was impressive, and so were the magical wards surrounding the property. We could see the building beyond the wall and the trees surrounding the property. It was three stories tall, huge, and fit well in a neighborhood of impressive mansions.
Searching on my phone didn’t reveal a phone number, business address, or any other way to contact Gonçalves. Stalemate.
“Now what?” Valinir asked.
“I don’t know. We could stand out here and hope he comes out some day.”
Valinir’s expression told me what he thought of that idea. The two dealers were easier to contact, if not any easier to get an appointment. I left a message on the man’s answering machine. The woman, I was told by her assistant, was currently in Spain and expected home the following week. I left my number, but I didn’t plan to hold my breath until she called me.
We went back to the market place the following day, and I walked the length of every aisle, trying to feel the magic around me. I investigated every touch of magic I didn’t recognize, and everything that reminded me of the magic contained in Dragon scales. At the end of the day, I had a raging headache from sticking my nose into unappetizing places.
As we left the market that evening, I could tell that Valinir wanted to say something, or ask something, but he didn’t, and I was grateful.
After a potion and some dinner, I felt much better. Leaning back in my chair, I said, “There are other people we might contact, but I’m not sure it will do us any good. We’re just blundering around without any idea if the egg is even on this side of the world.”
He nodded, his expression glum. “You’re mirroring my own thoughts. We have no idea if the damned thing ever came to England.”
We left the pub, and as we got ready to cross the street, I glanced at a car driving slowly by. “That’s him,” I said, pointing at the car. “The Vampire from the market.”
Valinir sketched a rune and spoke a Word. “Shall we go have a chat with him?”
The car’s engine died, and it coasted to a stop as we walked toward it.
I laughed. “I don’t know any fancy spells for shutting down machinery, but it’s always a dice throw if something electronic will work for me or start smoking.”
The Vampire was frantically pumping the accelerator and grinding the key when we approached the car. I tapped on his window and had to stifle a laugh when his eyes turned toward me.
“Need some help?” I shouted at the closed window. “My friend is a dynamite mechanic. I’ll bet he can get it started for you.”
I heard a snigger behind me.
“Ah, no. It’s all right,” the Vampire said. “I’ll call a friend.”
Valinir raised an eyebrow and I nodded. He reached out, grabbed the door handle, and jerked. There was an awful sound of ripping metal as he pulled the door open. I reached inside, wrapped my hand around the Vampire’s throat, and hauled him out of the car.
“I said we’d be glad to help.” I held the vamp above me, his feet dangling in the air. He wasn’t looking at me, however, even though he was starting to turn a little red as I choked him. I glanced over my shoulder, curious about what was so interesting, and saw Valinir’s sword glittering in the street light.
“You’ve been following me around,” I said. “I am flattered, but if you want to ask me for a date, you’re taking altogether too much time. And if you plan to do me harm, then you’re in big trouble. So, what’s going on?”
His response was sort of garbled, and his face was turning a really dark red.
“I think he probably needs air to speak,” Valinir suggested.
“Oh, I didn’t think of that. Silly me.” I set the Vampire on his feet, pushed his back against his car, and let off the pressure on his throat. In less than a minute, his complexion improved. I gave him my best expectant look and waited.
He evidently thought I wasn’t paying attention anymore, because he hit my arm and tried to make a break for it. I tightened my grip again, and Valinir slapped him on the side of the head.
“The lady asked you a question,” Valinir growled.
“I-I’m not following you,” the Vampire said.
“Wrong answer,” Valinir and I said in unison. Valinir punctuated it with another slap.
The Vampire sagged. “We were paid to follow you and capture you if we could.”
“Paid by whom?” I asked.
“Who’s we?” Valinir asked at the same time.
“I don’t know. I’m not a master. I do what I’m told.”
“Why?” I asked
He shook his head. “No one tells me anything.”
I took a deep breath. “We need to speak with your master.”
“I can tell him.”
Valinir slapped him again. “Take us to hi
m.”
The vampire sneered at him. “Death at your hands doesn’t frighten me.”
I reached in his pocket, pulled out his mobile phone, and let him go. “Tell him.” I tucked the phone in my bag. “Have him call me.”
He nodded. I took Valinir’s arm and led him away. “We can push him only so far,” I said. “He won’t betray his master. If he did, the master would slaughter his family.” I looked back at the Vampire, standing in the middle of the road staring at his car. “Are you going to lift that spell?” I asked.
“No. I think the walk will do him good.”
Walking across the park to our hotel, Valinir said, “You seem to know a lot about Vampires.”
“More than I ever wanted to know. I’ve learned a lot about them since I came to Earth. Before that, I’d never seen one.”
Chapter 7
To my surprise, our first contact came from Orlando Gonçalves, who called on the Vampire’s phone the following morning while we were eating breakfast.
I answered, expecting to hear from the vamp’s boss, but instead heard a cultured voice with a mixture of Spanish and English in his accent.
“Miss Rogirsdottir? This is Orlando Gonçalves.”
“Yes. Good morning.”
I waited, and he waited. The silence stretched. I figured that if he thought he could out-patience an Elf, a little education wouldn’t hurt.
Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “I understand you wanted to speak with me.”
“If you’re the person who is paying a Vampire lord to have me followed, then, yes, I would.”
“Ah, yes.” I had Gonçalves off balance, and he sounded a little unsure of himself.
“In that case, I am curious to know why,” I said.
Valinir raised an eyebrow and mumbled, “Followed? How about attacked?”
I winked at him and nodded.
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