by Ally Shields
“No calls. Sebastian said no calls or the meeting is off.”
“Well, your boss is the one who’s so anxious to meet.”
The vamp gave her the same stone-faced look.
Non-negotiable, huh? She pocketed her phone. Ryan was too far away to help anyway. What did she care if they found the bodies? “Fine, but the Toronto Guardian and I go together or not at all. We’ll follow you in our own car.”
The tattooed vampire frowned but offered a compromise. “You can go together, with Pierre in the backseat. No calls. Let’s go now. Prince Sebastian is waiting.”
* * *
An hour later, they pulled into the rear parking lot of a modern twenty-two-story hotel. Zoe parked her VW next to the vampires’ black sports car. As they entered the hotel rear entrance, additional escorts arrived to take them to the top floor. VIP suite. Vampire guards stood at every entry.
Once inside the suite, the tattooed vampire directed them toward a seating area near the large bay window. The drapes opened to the night sky, and Ari looked out on a spectacular view of Toronto’s lights. Zoe chose the nearest chair and made herself comfortable, casually crossing her legs. Ari elected to stand.
Double doors opened on the left, and five vampires glided into the room. Even though the haughty demeanor of the vampire in the lead identified him as Sebastian, Ari had to stop herself from gaping. The Toronto prince was the most underwhelming vamp she’d ever seen.
Squat, stubby, but it wasn’t his diminutive size that drew her attention. She didn’t dare look at Zoe. Ari swallowed hard to force down a wayward giggle and peeked again at the very weird mustache dominating his upper lip. History book pictures of Hitler came to mind. The same black, bristling scrub-brush. Only larger. It couldn’t be real.
Sebastian suddenly focused on her, and she forgot the mustache. A sense of malevolent loathing slithered over her. She clamped down her magical defenses. Too late. Sebastian’s power pushed through her outer walls like they weren’t there. Blinding pain sent her collapsing on her knees, and she squeezed her fingers to her temples.
She dropped her hands to call the witch fire, but muscled arms grabbed her from behind, trapping her hands to her sides. Throwing her body against him in a frantic attempt to break free, she knocked them both to the floor, but her hands remained imprisoned. Curling in against the pain, Ari teetered on the edge of panic.
A sudden rush of heat flared in her head, a mental door slammed shut, and the pain lessened. Sebastian’s intrusive magic battered unabated against the barrier. She couldn’t push him out, but the certainty grew that he wasn’t going any farther.
The pressure seemed to last forever. In reality, it was only seconds. Then Ari was able to think clearly again. She relaxed her struggles, and as soon as the guard let go, she shot to her feet. Five vamps formed a circle around her. Zoe’s arms were held by two others, a knife at her throat.
Sebastian stared at her with cold, calculating eyes. “Interesting. Have a seat, Guardian. I am sure you would be more comfortable.” His words, even recited in a soft, singsong voice, were not a request.
She sat. It was a minor issue, and Sebastian had made his point. By some miracle, Ari had blocked him, but she had no idea how she’d done it. Or how to do it again.
“Tell me, Ms. Calin, how do you like our city so far? Is it not fabulous? I believe this is your first visit.”
Well, hell, now he wanted to chitchat? “I find it…overrun with dead things.”
“How unfortunate. I thought we provided a rather lively nightlife. What would you say, Ms. Vesper?” A benign smile beamed at Zoe.
Released by the restraining guards, Zoe stretched to her full height. “You can leave me out of this, Sebastian. And in the future, if you have anything to say to me, do it through the Magic Council.”
He barely spared her a glance. “I was merely being polite, my dear. I have absolutely no interest in you or your Magic Council.”
“So what do you want?” Ari asked, grabbing the offensive. “I have a plane to catch. If there’s a reason for this meeting, beyond your obvious power demonstration, let’s get on with it.”
The guards watching her stirred, but Sebastian kept a smile painted in place.
“So impatient. Part of your American manners, I suppose. Very well. We shall get on with it. What brings you to my city? We rarely have foreign visitors, especially from the States. And never from Riverdale.” His smiled broadened, displaying yellowed fangs.
Ari shrugged. “Nothing that concerns you.”
“But everything concerns me. You visited the wizard. Why?”
“How did you know we were there?” she countered.
Sebastian giggled, an unexpected sound that made her skin crawl. “I know everything.” He spread his hands in a wide arc. “Or I will when we are finished.” His reptilian eyes focused on Ari. “Would you like to answer my question now? Or do you need further persuading?”
No thanks. Not the kind of persuasion he could deliver. Besides, what did she lose by telling him? Maybe she’d learn something useful if she dropped a hint or two.
“I wanted to talk with Dubrey about drug trafficking. Do you know anything about his drug experiments on vampires?”
Sebastian studied an invisible speck on his sleeve. “Experiments? On vampires? It sounds highly unlikely. Enlighten me.”
“A drug called Fantasy. That Louie Molyneux is busy distributing to the vampires in Riverdale.” Ari watched closely, but Sebastian gave nothing away, except by his silence. And that could mean something—or nothing. “Do you know Louie?”
Sebastian smiled. “You tell me. You seem to have all the answers.”
“I think he works for you,” she said boldly. “Or maybe you work for him,” she added, seeing if she could prick his pride. “And you’re both connected to the wizard. Did you order Dubrey’s death? I can’t help but wonder why. Afraid he was going to control your mind?”
Sebastian giggled again. “How accusatory you are. It all sounds so fanciful. I have no knowledge of such matters. I am very distressed that you believe me capable of such bad behavior.” His singsong voice rang with insincerity.
Ari snorted. Bad behavior? More like evil. Zoe stirred beside her. Anticipating more action? Reminding Ari to tread lightly?
“How is my old friend, Prince Daron?” Sebastian asked abruptly, a jovial smile creasing his face.
Ari chose her words with care. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not personally acquainted with Prince Daron.”
“No? Did I misunderstand?” The prince cocked his head. “I thought my people said you were bringing a greeting from his court.”
“I lied.”
Sebastian covered his giggle with a lace handkerchief. “A pity. But you know his lieutenant, Andreas, I believe. Another very old friend of mine.”
“Isn’t that nice. I’ll be sure to tell him you said hey.”
Sebastian’s eyes slitted. “You are a disagreeable witch, and you have involved yourself in matters that do not concern you. If you hope to live a long life, Guardian, stay out of my affairs.”
“By affairs, do you mean the drug traffic? Or the murder of the wizard? Your old friends in Riverdale will be so disappointed that you threatened me.” Ari knew she should stop pushing. Sebastian had already proven he could breach many of her defenses. She braced for his reaction.
A wicked smirk crept across the old vampire’s thin lips. “If Daron or Andreas object to my behavior, tell them to come see me.” His nostrils flared above the bristles as he waved an imperious arm. “Get these females out of my sight. I have heard more than enough.” He left through the double doors, another giggle escaping his lips. His departure left behind a power vacuum in the room and a dry taste in Ari’s mouth.
The guards hustled the guardians down the elevator. The tattooed vampire’s face twitched, obviously disappointed Sebastian had let them go. As soon as Ari closed the passenger door of the VW, Zoe floored it. She was as anxious as Ari to pu
t distance between them and the vampires before someone had second thoughts. They didn’t speak until they were more than half a mile away.
“What the hell was that about?” Zoe demanded.
Ari swore under her breath. “I don’t know, Zoe. Way too weird.” Ari clasped her hands together to stop the post adrenaline trembling. “If he wanted to scare me, he succeeded. Beyond that, I’m not sure. Did they hurt you?”
“I’m fine.” Zoe glanced at her passenger. “But how about you? For a minute there…”
“Yeah. It was close.”
Zoe drove straight to the airport. Once Ari was safely in the air, Zoe intended to take the whole story to the Magic Council. The wizard’s death, the notebooks, the confrontation with Sebastian.
While on the drive, Ari remembered to ask about Molyneux and his wolf pack.
Zoe started nodding right away. “I know the perfect wolf to ask.” When she pulled into the airport parking, she used her cell phone for a few minutes, then flipped it closed.
“Molyneux’s in town all right. Or he was. Seen in a local bar late Saturday night. My contact Pepe says Louie works for anyone who pays. And he’s worked for Sebastian before.”
“And the others? Sheila and the pack?”
“Not seen around here for weeks. According to Pepe they have their own small pack. Sheila, Louie, their various siblings, and a couple of cousins. I’m familiar with most of them. Lowlifes.”
“How big a pack?”
“Three Montgomerys, five of Louie’s family, plus the cousins. Ten at least.”
“Sounds like we have the entire clan in Riverdale.” Ari opened the VW door and stepped out. She leaned on the window frame and made eye contact with Zoe. “Sebastian was fishing back there. Wanted to know how much we knew. In my book, that says he’s guilty as hell. Watch your back.”
“And you do the same. What do you think he’ll do next?”
Ari didn’t know what to tell her. Events were rushing forward faster than she could figure them out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Once she made it home, Ari slept until noon. She finally crawled out of bed, made the coffee, and found two messages on her cell phone: Ryan and Zoe. She called Zoe first.
“Is there a problem? Something went wrong?”
“Not in the way you mean. The Magic Council took it well—even your part—and thought it was an excellent idea you had returned to the States. They felt Sebastian might take some action if you stayed.” Zoe chuckled. “The Council already has the computer, CDs and journals in custody. Somebody on our staff was very busy last night.”
Ari let out a breath of relief. That was one major concern off her shoulders.
“But that isn’t the reason I called,” Zoe said. “Louie Molyneux’s body washed up on the beach near Lake Shore Blvd this morning. Coroner says he’s been dead less than eight hours. Thought you’d want to know.”
Speechless, Ari sucked in her breath. She hadn’t seen that coming. His death wasn’t so surprising, but the timing brought her up short.
“Ari? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, Zoe, I heard. How’d he die?”
“Neck snapped. No other marks.”
“Quick and clean. Vampire.”
“Like Sebastian?”
“Well, not him personally. But he ordered it. Isn’t that how you said he handles things? People disappear? I mentioned the wolf last night and now he’s gone. If Molyneux wasn’t such a dirtbag, I’d feel bad about it.”
“Yeah, I hear your sorrow,” Zoe said dryly.
In a strange way, Ari was sorry. The witnesses in this case, anyone who could explain what was happening in Riverdale, were being picked off, one by one. And whether Sebastian was eliminating competition or covering his ass, the sneaky toad was involved in this right up to his funny mustache.
* * *
The rest of the day was a lost cause. Uncomfortable or unpleasant, often both. When she stopped to let Claris know she was back, her best friend became alarmed, almost to tears, about the meeting with Sebastian—and Ari had cut out most of the details.
Even Yana scolded her for going to Canada alone. Ari would have received a longer lecture if she hadn’t mentioned the strange phenomenon, the mental gate that had blocked Sebastian’s magical assault.
“Oh, my dear, you must have been in such grave danger for that to happen! If only your Great-Gran was here to explain this.” Yana’s voice broke.
Appalled, Ari thought her mentor was going to cry. She could almost see Yana ringing her hands on the other end of the phone. “I don’t get this. You sound more concerned about this gate thing than about Sebastian. What’s wrong?”
“Wrong? Everything. No, that isn’t what I mean. It’s really good news. It was the fire spirits that came to your rescue. A fire shield. A rare protection that usually accompanies other abilities that haven’t surfaced. At least not yet. It is as I hoped or feared. Since you’re witch powers weren’t nourished in childhood, they’re emerging as you need them. Oh, dear, this isn’t how it’s supposed to happen. You need training to control these things. Do be careful, Arianna.”
How could she be careful about something she’d never heard of? Ari hadn’t heard Yana so flustered before. She demanded a better explanation, but the nymph refused until they could meet in person.
“I need time to think, Ari, and do some research. I’m not a witch. Oh, why couldn’t this have happened years ago?” Yana promised to visit Ari tomorrow evening and explain everything.
The conversation added to Ari’s frustration. She was tired and discouraged. Now her friends were ganging up on her.
When she met with Ryan at his office, he disapproved of almost everything she’d done in Canada. Like she’d planned for it all to happen. He wasn’t even happy she’d brought back the thumb drive, claiming she’d tampered with evidence. Ari had sighed but said nothing. She wasn’t looking for trial evidence, just information. They both knew this case wouldn’t be settled in a human courtroom. Ryan still had a scowl on his face when he took the thumb drive to the lab for data recovery.
And Andreas. Ari didn’t think he had any room to complain. He’d warned her about Sebastian, but just barely. Not enough. She wondered if he’d suspected Sebastian from the beginning. When she stopped at the club to ask him, he chewed her head off the moment she mentioned Sebastian’s name.
“Trust you to go off and do exactly what you were warned against.” His dark eyes flashed with annoyance.
Ari stood her ground. “Maybe if you’d told me Sebastian was behind the drugs and violence in Riverdale, I wouldn’t have met with him. Although, I’m not sure we had a choice. You suspected him, didn’t you? From day one.”
“No, Arianna, I did not. Don’t try to put me in the wrong. You broke your promise and could have gotten yourself killed.”
They were standing in the middle of his office where she’d found him going over the club receipts. Ari had her hands on her hips.
“Maybe that’s because someone didn’t share. Unlike you, I’ve told you everything I know. So what’s going on? Some private vampire war? Coincidental, isn’t it, how everything seems to be about the vampires?” She glared at him.
“Your suspicions of me are tiresome—and wrong.” Andreas walked away from her.
“Really? Sebastian said he knows you well. Have you talked to him recently? He made a point of saying he knows you and I are friends. “
Andreas swung around; his gaze sharpened. “Did he? Now that is the first interesting thing you’ve said tonight. Very interesting. He must have a spy in town.”
“Well, duh. Molyneux was here.” Ari knew she was being bitchy, but she was more than annoyed by the way her friends and partners had reacted to her trip. She hadn’t gone looking for trouble, but if she hadn’t talked to Sebastian, she still wouldn’t know who was behind this whole drug scheme.
Andreas paid no attention to her attitude. “The spy has to be someone else. I was not with you
when you visited Molyneux. That was Steffan.”
“Fine. Maybe Molyneux saw us somewhere else. It doesn’t matter. And don’t try to change the subject. I still think you’re hiding something.”
Since the conversation had deteriorated to bickering, Ari went on patrol.
* * *
Thursday morning she woke in a better mood. A full night of sleep had improved her perspective. Although her friends were overly protective, she decided they meant well. She patched up the disagreement with Claris by phone then she called Yana. They talked for an hour. Ari said she was sorry; Yana admitted she’d overreacted. Her mentor even laughed when Ari described Sebastian’s mustache. Yana still wouldn’t talk about the fire shield until they met that evening, but today that short delay seemed acceptable. Satisfied two parts of her life were back in sync, Ari made early rounds throughout Olde Town, stopped at her office in the afternoon to write a lengthy report on the Toronto trip, and started home.
She glanced at the setting sun and hurried her steps. It was late, near dusk. The report had taken longer than she thought. She didn’t want to keep Yana waiting. Her mentor was bringing dried herbs for a new potion, and Yana would insist on explaining the details of its various applications. Ari wanted to allow plenty of time for dinner and a long discussion regarding the mysterious fire shield, an ability Ari had never heard of before yesterday. She was making a mental checklist of restaurants they might try when she turned onto her street and saw the first of the flashing red lights.
Emergency vehicles crowded haphazardly around her apartment building. Her first thought was fire. Then a horrible premonition hit her, crushing out rational thought. She started to run, shoving through the onlookers. A uniformed officer grabbed for her arm, but she pulled away.
“Miss, you can’t go over there! This is a crime scene.”
Ari saw cops near the front steps and a mound of rumpled clothing.
