“Funny,” returned Bram.
Once everyone was gone, he took a second to think about everything that had come about.
Dana is more at ease with us, said the demon.
“She is,” returned Bram, smiling once more. His face muscles weren’t used to so much cheer and he had to admit they hurt somewhat.
His smile was cut short as something small and furry darted at him from the back of the library. He had supernatural vision, and even he had trouble catching all the movements of the small animal he assumed to be a rat as it came at him.
As it leaped into the air, right at him, he realized it wasn’t a rat. It was Marcy’s familiar.
He caught it with as light a touch as he could manage. Its heart was beating even faster than it had been after the shoebox incident. “There, there, little one. It’s all right.”
You’re coddling a squirrel, said the demon in an unamused manner.
“Wasn’t it you who reminded me she’d not take kindly to harm befalling it?” asked Bram.
The demon shut up.
The squirrel, however, did not. It began to cluck and bark and then chirp at him frantically.
Bram lifted the small creature higher to get a better look at him. “What’s wrong? Did stray cats manage to get into the vaults again?”
He wasn’t sure why he expected it to answer him, but he did. It took him a moment to remember understanding it was Marcy’s thing. Not his.
With a chuckle, he brought it close to his chest and went in search of Marcy. He went to the second row of shelves containing the birth records for the past fifty years in Grimm Cove, only to find she wasn’t there. The room was excessively large and had many long rows of shelves, all full of books and reference material. He’d seen famous libraries with less material than the Van Helsing vaults possessed.
It was easy to miss someone within the main portion. That being said, his senses were far above a human’s. He should have smelled or heard her at the very least.
Yet there was no sound other than the squirrel’s heart beating and his chatter. His pitch got higher and had far more urgency behind it.
Bram stiffened as he realized what the one thing would be that could set it off in such a manner.
Marcy being in danger.
“Where is she?” he asked.
It burst free of his hold and raced toward the back of the main library.
Bram was hot on its trail. The second it darted through a set of doors that led to the rest of the massive vault system, worry slammed into him. The doors had been shut and locked as per his request the day prior. None of his men would have dared disobeyed him.
As he ran behind the squirrel, his demon began to punch at him from within.
I sense something, said the demon. Something dark. Free me enough to assist in finding her.
Normally, Bram would have laughed off the idea of permitting the demon to rise. Right now, he welcomed the help.
Chapter Nineteen
Bram
The squirrel took yet another turn down one of the corridors, and Bram continued his pursuit. The scent of blood struck him full on, and his demon zeroed in on it but not for the typical reasons. It didn’t permit bloodlust to overtake it.
No.
The demon used it to track Marcy’s possible location and tap into its full supernatural speed. Within a second, Bram was far past the small animal, tracking the scent of blood.
When he came to another turnoff, the smell increased, and he knew he was close. There, on the wall, was blood dripping from one of the mounted swords.
The crimson trail led in the direction of another vault room entrance. The same vault where the truth of Bram’s past was housed as well as details on The Order and those associated with it. The vault was the only one in the entire system that Bram made sure he and he alone had the key for. No one entered it without his express permission, and the door was never left open.
He was almost to it when the demon spun him around, sensing another predator in the vicinity. Nothing else should have been down in the vault system with them. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t assured there was proper warding, helping to safeguard it. Not to mention it had very human forms of security, such as alarm sensors at the various entrance points.
With all of that, Bram could still sense something close, watching him. He looked in both directions—the way he’d come and the opposite, trying to discern where the threat was coming.
There was nothing.
His vampire side allowed him excellent low-light vision. Even with that, he could only see as far as the lighting from the low overhead fixtures and wall sconces provided. That was anything but normal and a clear signal something was gravely wrong.
He and the demon both thought of Marcy, their collective gazes snapping to the drop of blood on the floor. Was it hers? Was she hurt?
Reason left him, and Bram spun, unconcerned with the threat in the hall with him. His only worry was for Marcy. He grabbed the door handle, tried moved to open it, only to find it was still locked. His every instinct said she was behind the door, within the vault.
He didn’t know the hows or whys.
All he knew for sure was he had to get to her. He had to know how hurt she was.
The key was way back in his study. With no time to waste, Bram pounded on the door. “Ms. Dotter!” he shouted.
The demon remained partially up.
She didn’t answer.
He pounded more, so much so that the sound echoed through the corridor, sounding like thunder. With as much force as Bram was using, the door should have accidentally given way. It hadn’t so much as budged.
Dark magik, said the demon. It coats the area.
He was right.
Bram drew upon more strength and struck the door again. Nothing happened. He backed up and charged it, hitting it full on, only to bounce back with such intensity that he lost his footing.
“Boss!” shouted Austin, appearing from the direction Bram had come. With him was the squirrel, running alongside the young man.
Elis wasn’t far behind. “What in the hell are you doing? It sounded like you were trying to bring the entire estate down on your head.”
“Where is Dana?” demanded Bram, worry for his daughter hitting him hard. Whatever dark magik was afoot could easily target her as well.
“She and Jeffrey are on their way back to their place,” said Elis, lifting his hands and holding them out in what was supposed to be a calming gesture. “Take a deep breath. Your eyes are partially filled with black.”
Austin’s gaze fixed on the bloody sword tip. He gasped. “Did you hurt Marcy?”
“No!” shouted Bram with so much force that Austin stepped back quickly. “Whatever is down here with us did.”
Austin glanced around and then to his cousin. “Uh, there isn’t anything down here with us. Unless you count the spiders. Are we counting them now?”
Elis shushed him and motioned for Austin to back up more.
The young slayer bent and grabbed the squirrel before retreating slightly. “Bram, there isn’t anything dangerous down here—except you. Where is Marcy?”
Austin’s voice echoed down the hall in the other direction, only to bounce back at them. Except it no longer sounded like Austin. While it was his words, the owner of the voice was different.
They were far from alone.
“I take it all back,” said Austin quickly. “That sounded dangerous. What was it?”
Elis went on guard, taking a stance that said he was ready to do battle should the need arise.
Bram locked gazes with him. “Dark magik coats this hall.”
“How?” asked Elis in disbelief. “Maria and her coven come out here four times a year to be sure this is warded from that type of shit.”
“I know,” returned Bram. “But it doesn’t change the fact it’s here. And the three of us are ill-equipped to stand against magik alone without protection.”
“I’ll go hit up the
magikal artifact area. We’ve got some premade poppets and whatnot in there,” said Austin.
Bram went to grab the handle of the door again, desperate to gain entrance, only to find his hand being ripped away all on its own. He stared at it in midair, his breath catching. “Was that you?”
“Is he talking to us?” asked Austin.
Elis sighed. “I don’t think so.”
No, said the demon, feeling like a lion coming awake after a long slumber. It stretched more within him, and Bram went to lower his natural defense against it to give it the freedom it required to help Marcy.
The only thing was, it picked then to recede.
No! it shouted from within. I’ve seen this type of dark magik before.
“What is it?” asked Bram.
Necromancy.
He twisted around to face his men fully. “Restrain me! It’s necromancy magik!”
They shared a look and then shook their heads at the same time.
“What? No,” said Austin. “I like my arms attached to my body.”
Elis stiffened. “Can it control you?”
Bram looked to his hand that he’d only just been able to lower and nodded. “At least slightly. Possibly more.”
“And you’re worried it will force you to hurt us?” asked Elis.
Bram stared at the door, knowing deep down that Marcy was behind it, possibly harmed. “Her. I think it will make me hurt her. Don’t let me. Kill me if you have to. Protect her, even from me.”
Much to Bram’s shock and dismay, Elis motioned for Austin to stand down.
Bewildered, Austin shook his head. “What? No. You heard him. He thinks the necromancy magik is going to make him hurt Marcy. I’m not letting him harm a hair on her head.”
“Trust me,” said Elis. “He won’t. The worst thing we can do right now is take him from her.”
“What do you mean?” questioned Austin, voicing Bram’s thoughts as well.
Elis raised his shoulders and let them fall slowly, with purpose, making a showing of relaxing. “Dark magik feeds off certain things—fear, pain, anger, and so on. If we fight him, it’s only going to make it stronger.”
“Fine, but we can’t let him hurt Marcy,” said Austin.
“He won’t.”
Bram’s breathing increased as panic began to build in him. “I might!”
Elis strolled right up to him and put his hand on Bram’s shoulder as if there was no danger whatsoever. “Trust me, Bram. You won’t hurt her.”
“How can you know that?” Bram asked, his voice barely there.
“Because I think she’s your mate. And that means you’re incapable of ever hurting her—necromancer influences or not.”
Austin’s jaw dropped, and he stood there stroking the squirrel in a way that looked nothing but awkward. The squirrel appeared to be fine with the attention.
Bram simply stood there, his mind racing with the implications of Elis’s words.
Do it. Kill her.
Bram turned his head partially as a voice that didn’t belong to his demon filled his head. While he’d not had a direct run-in with its owner in some time, he knew who it belonged to.
Ager.
Smell her blood? It’s divine, isn’t it? You want it. All of it.
“Kill me, now!” shouted Bram at Elis. “He’s in my head.”
“Who?” questioned Austin.
“Ager,” said Bram.
Deep, hate-filled laughter filled his head.
There is only room enough in here for Van Helsing and me, snapped his demon at the necromancer. Be gone, necromancer.
“Careful.” The word seemed to come at them from every direction and angle possible in the corridor. It echoed, bouncing off the stone walls, only to come back at the men again. “You may think your age can protect you from my power, but in the end, Abraham, you are nothing more than walking death. I own death. I control it. Therefore, I can control you.”
Bram twisted in a circle, his senses disorganized as dark magik beat at him. It felt as though he was being pulled in all directions at once. Like his body was no longer his to control.
The demon in him struggled against the lure of the death magik. As much as it wanted to exert its dominance, Ager was right. In the end, it inhabited a body that, without its presence, would be dead.
As quickly as it started, it stopped, causing Bram to step back and grab his head.
“Is the big guy going to go all fangy and slaughter us all?” asked Austin, still petting the squirrel in a clumsy manner.
“You good?” Elis watched him with caution.
Bram wasn’t sure.
We are good, said the demon. Get to our mate.
“This isn’t over,” said a deep voice from the far end of the corridor. “But rest assured—I will be back. In the meantime, best of luck keeping your mate safe from my associate. He’s had his pet hunting her for weeks now, stalking her in her sleep, taunting her. And tonight, he got the scent of her blood.”
“You will not touch her!” shouted Bram with a strong mix of his demon joined in.
Laughter was the response. “Too late. I’ve already more than touched her, Van Helsing. Ask her. She and I go way back.”
Kill him! shouted the demon from within, nearly overtaking Bram fully.
“Bullshit,” snapped Austin. “Marcy doesn’t hang out with evil dickwads.”
“Little boy, you have no business in this fight,” said the necromancer. “It’s between the head of your line and me. Go before I let my associate do what he wants to you. He’s been itching for a fresh kill since New York.”
“Who the hell are you calling a little boy?” Austin asked, fury in his voice. He put the squirrel down. Then, the young slayer tried to charge toward the darkened area. “I’ll shove my bigger-than-average foot up your ass so far—”
In the blink of an eye, Bram snatched ahold of Austin and tossed him backward with more force than intended. Bram didn’t want to be standing over Austin’s dead body at the next crime scene.
No.
He’d handle the bastard himself.
Once and for all.
“So predictable,” said Ager, followed closely by the sound of retreating footsteps. He was getting away.
Bram went to rush after Ager, only to find Elis grabbing him, tapping into his slayer abilities fully. Breaking the hold was within Bram’s capabilities but already he was on edge. Killing Elis by mistake was a real threat. And he’d already killed enough of his family members in his life.
No more would die by his hand. “Release me this instant!”
“No!” Elis shook his head. “You get to Marcy. Austin and I will track the necromancer.”
“We will?” asked Austin.
Elis grunted. “Yes. We will. Did you hear what the guy said? He called Marcy Bram’s mate. He knows the truth. The necromancer wants to lure Bram away. It knows what buttons to push. If he’s hunting it—”
“Marcy is left here with us,” said Austin.
“Yes,” said Elis. “She communes with the dead, Austin. And the necromancer mentioned its associate, whoever the hell that is, has been hunting her—in her dreams too. That means it can walk between realms. Between living and dead. Who is the only other person here beside Marcy that could possibly do that?”
Austin’s gaze whipped to Bram. “The big guy.”
“Right. Let’s go,” said Elis.
Austin set the squirrel down. “You stay here.”
It disobeyed, running alongside him.
Stopping, he looked down at it. “Bad squirrel. Stay.”
It squeaked and barked at him.
“Come on!” said Elis as he ran in the direction the necromancer’s voice had come from.
Bram focused his attention on the door to the vault room. He went at it again, pounding more. “Marcy!”
A sickening thought occurred to him. She might be too injured to get to the door.
He and his demon let out a battle cry as they we
nt at the door once more, to no avail. Bram fell backward and tripped, landing on his backside unceremoniously. The next he knew, he had a lapful of squirrel.
The little creature scurried up his chest and went straight for his shoulder. It lifted his hair and positioned itself near his ear, making more noises.
The demon actually sighed. Maybe we could kill it and blame the enemy.
Bram nearly laughed. “She sees the dead. I believe he would tattle in spirit form.”
Pity.
Chapter Twenty
“Jack, are you still there?” I asked, wondering how much time had gone by since I’d been holed up in the newest vault. It felt like forever, but I wasn’t sure. Could have been hours, could have been five minutes with the way my attention span was.
Whatever had been in the corridor hadn’t, as of yet, followed me into the vault room.
Always a plus.
Absentmindedly, I brought my injured hand to my face and touched my lip as I pondered the situation. I regretted the choice the minute I tasted blood on my lip. I’d been using my skirt in an attempt to help slow the bleeding and while it had worked some, it wasn’t perfect. The act had also left my skirt looking as though I’d rolled around a murder scene. For as small as the cut was, it sure did bleed a lot.
I’d already removed Bram’s shirt and laid it on the back of one of the chairs at the table near the entrance to the vault. I hadn’t wanted to get blood all over it.
I returned my hand to my side and clutched a section of my skirt once more. My tongue darted out and over the blood on my lip and I stood there a second, making a face that indicated I wasn’t a fan.
Frankly, I’d tasted better things.
But whatever floated a vampire’s boat.
With a sigh, I went back to looking through reference material. I’d lost track of the number of scrapbooks, photo albums, journals, and logbooks that I’d come across. Someone had taken great care over the years to assure the memories were preserved.
But sadly, none of the information so far had pertained to my family. Everything I’d come across far predated that year. In fact, unless I was secretly over a hundred, I highly doubted this particular vault room held anything of use to me. That being said, I kept nosing around.
Spellcasting with a Chance of Spirits: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Romance Novel (Grimm Cove Book 3) Page 20
