She squeezed my hand and smiled up at me.
“You ready?” I asked.
Penelope offered a slight nod and pulled a hood over her head. Together we walked through the nearly silent square to the shop.
Chapter Ten
I reached to open the shop door, and she pulled my hand, shaking her head.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Sadness came to her eyes. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and released it. When she opened her eyes, tears shimmered. “I thought I could do this … Forrest, what if my father failed? What if he’s dead?”
“Then we kill this vampire,” I replied with boldness and slight anger in my voice. I took her hand into both of mine.
Penelope read the determination in my eyes and nodded. When it came to slaying a vampire, I had been successful each time thus far, but if this vampire had killed her father, I swore that I’d find and slay it. I would end its existence for the pain it had caused her.
I opened the shop door and allowed her to enter first. The shop smelled of various incenses. Smoke drifted in tiny spirals from brass canisters. Stacks of silk cloth in various colors were piled on one table. Another table was covered with dried ginseng roots, turnips, potatoes, and truffles. Dried flowers and herbs hung from the rafters. Fishing nets and supplies hung on one wall. Hats for men and women were on another table. The shop contained a hodgepodge of items without focusing upon any specific wares.
An elderly stooped man and I assumed his aged wife stood behind the counter. No other customers were in the shop, but the day was still early. From the look of the nearly abandoned, rundown section of town, business probably stayed slow.
“Excuse me,” Penelope said. “But I was wondering if the bounty for the vampire in the Black Forest is still unclaimed?”
The elderly man adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened as he peered at her. “Lorcan? Is that the vampire you’re speaking of?”
She nodded.
He made an odd smile, showing his yellowed teeth. “Yes! It is, actually. Several Hunters have sought directions and information to the Black Forest, but none have ever returned to claim the bounty.”
She stiffened. Her voice broke when she spoke. “I see.”
The man stared at her for a few moments. He pressed his glasses firmer against his nose, squinting. “You look familiar, young lady. Have you been in our shop before?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He turned toward his wife. “She looks familiar, doesn’t she Abigail?”
Abigail nervously looked up from her needlework, glancing a brief moment in our direction. She nodded and looked down at her needle. Her voice was rough and scratchy when she spoke. “Yes, Karl. She does.”
Karl rubbed his chin and shook his head. “My old mind can’t keep my memories straight. I could swear you’ve been here before.”
“No, but my father was here a few … years ago.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Wilbur Hastens.”
“One second,” Karl said in a shaky voice. His aged fingers shook as he thumbed through some papers in a drawer. He licked his thumb and pulled up one document and held it close to his face to read it. After he lowered it, he nodded. “He sought the reward for the same vampire you seek.”
Penelope glanced back at me with tears in her eyes. I stepped beside her and wrapped my arm across her shoulder. She turned and buried her face against my chest. Her hands clenched my shirt and formed tight fists around the material.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. He studied her for a few moments, as if he was trying to figure out why she was crying. After failing to make the connection, he glanced toward me with what sounded like a complete repeat of his pitch to entice people to collect the bounty. “A lot of Hunters have sought to kill this vampire but not one has ever returned to collect the bounty. But, the good news is that the bounty has more than doubled.”
“Good news?” I asked with a firm frown.
Karl looked at Penelope still confused, and then to my angered gaze. “Forgive me. I … I shouldn’t have worded it like that. But, you’re a Hunter, too, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
“There’s another bounty for a vampire in a cemetery nearby, if you’re interested in a quicker reward? Granted, the reward to slay Adnet is about a forth of what Lorcan’s is, but it’s than a half hour’s walk on foot. Isn’t that correct, Abigail?”
She nodded but didn’t look in our direction. She stuck the long needle into the thick cloth. “Less than a half hour. Not far.”
My jaw tightened. Anger swelled inside of me, not toward the old man, but for Penelope’s loss and her pain. She sobbed against my chest. “Give me the information for both of them.”
“Certainly,” the old man replied with a shrewd grin. “Give me a few minutes to write out the directions for both Lorcan and Adnet. And in the adjoining room, I have wares a Hunter like yourself might be interested in.”
I held her close, rubbed her shoulders, and rested my chin atop her head. “Just because your father never returned for the bounty doesn’t mean he’s dead. Perhaps he was sidetracked or changed his mind.”
“If he changed his mind, he’d have returned home before now.”
“Maybe, but lots of things happen when one travels abroad. Cling to the hope that he’s still alive for now. Until we have proof otherwise, no need to abandon the likelihood of him being amongst the living.”
She squeezed me tightly and then released me. She patted my muscled stomach with her hand and formed a tight smile as she looked up at me.
“Care to see what wares he has?” I asked.
“Sure.”
We walked into the adjoining room to find three small tables layered with various weapons used to slay vampires. There were stakes made from different types of wood and in assorted sizes. Other items were tacked to the wall as well. The first weapon on the wall that caught my attention was a polished wooden crossbow. I took it off the large nail and stared down the sight to check the straightness of the flight groove. Pure perfection. Great attention had gone into every detail of its design. The wood grain was nearly black, which made it almost invisible in the dark. Power pulsed from the wood into my hands with a slight tingling sensation, causing me to examine it even more closely.
“That’s a nice bow,” she said, running her fingers down the dark wood. “Do you prefer a crossbow over a regular bow?”
“My mentor had one and let me use it. I’ve never shot a short bow like yours. For me these are easier to maneuver and require less time to aim. I think I’ll buy this one.” Without stating it aloud, I believed I was meant to find and purchase this crossbow, even though I didn’t understand why. But I never argued with my Hunter’s intellect.
I found a dusty wooden crate beneath one table. It was filled with empty, corked globe-shaped bottles that I liked to fill with garlic juice and toss at vampires. Since such an attack only worked if the bottle shattered, I needed to restock the ones I had destroyed and fill these to use later. I counted out eight and placed them into a small empty crate. On a table with garlands of garlic cloves were small bottles labeled: Holy Water. I took a half dozen bottles of holy water, the biggest garland of garlic, and placed them in with the empty bottles.
“I’m set. Do you see anything you want?” I asked. “Since we are hunting vampires and not demons, do you have any stakes?”
Penelope shook her head. “I’ve never hunted vampires, but wouldn’t a wooden arrow through the heart work?”
“Yes, but you might consider having a few stakes for backup in case something happens to your bow. Vampires move faster than a mortal’s eye can track, and vampires tend to be somewhat cautious in their approach if you’re holding a stake.”
She grabbed several wooden stakes off the table and practiced downward motions with each in her right hand until she found a couple that suited her.
We returned to the old man at the coun
ter. He had two pieces of yellow parchment in his hand. On the top parchment he had drawn the map to find Adnet’s lair at the cemetery. It looked like a simple run to the crypt, stake the vampire, and return for the reward. In and out. Such arrangements are ideal but rare, and drew immediate skepticism on my part.
“Why hasn’t anyone slain this vampire yet?” I asked.
“A few have tried and failed.”
“Why? What do you know about Adnet?”
The old man adjusted his glasses and then rubbed the stubble on his chin. “No one rightly knows. He settled in the cemetery after the last war. None of those who have entered the cemetery have ever made it to his crypt.”
“Were they actual Hunters?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Very few Hunters visit the outskirts of the city. As you have probably noticed most of the buildings here are empty or rundown. We’re still recovering from the war. Most of the residents packed up and moved away. Some refuse to leave. It’s their homes, but labor … finding a trade, tis hard here. People get desperate and are willing to do almost anything to make money. That includes risking their lives to slay a vampire.”
“So Adnet killed them?”
“We don’t know. A few returned and swore the cemetery is haunted. Right, Abigail?”
She paused with her needlework, nodded, and said, “Haunted.”
I placed the crate of supplies and the crossbow on the counter. “I’d like to buy these.”
He rummaged through the crate, counting out the items, and then he looked at the crossbow. He held it up, admiring it. “Fine crossbow. I almost hate to part with it.”
“Why?” I asked.
“This one came from an Irish weapon-maker living in Bucharest, at least that’s how the story goes. Finest craftsman I’ve even seen.”
I frowned, staring at the crossbow. “His name?”
“Roy, I think.” He scratched his wrinkled forehead and nodded. “Yes, Roy.”
Rose’s father? No wonder I had felt a connection with the weapon. He fashioned all types of weapons exclusively for Hunters. This one shouldn’t have been in a shop for sale though. A Hunter would never have parted with it. “How did you get it?”
He closed his eyes for several moments while rubbing his chin. “Let me think. If I recall correctly, a peddler brought it in. He was having difficulty selling door to door with all the empty houses, of course, and decided to ask if I’d buy any of his supplies. When I saw the crossbow, I figured I’d eventually sell it to a Hunter. And if I didn’t, it was worth far more than the modest price he had asked.”
I nodded. “So how much for all of this?”
He adjusted his glasses, and pointed at each item, counting again. Finally he gave me the price, which I thought was too modest, given the bow’s quality, but with our money almost gone, I couldn’t have offered more if I had wanted. After paying him, I barely had enough to buy one meal to split between all of us. We had no choice but to slay the local vampire.
The old man smiled. “Can I help you with anything else?”
I pointed to the goggles tethered around Penelope’s neck. “Do you happen to have any goggles like these?”
His brows rose with interest when he noticed them. He leaned partway across the counter, squinting. Penelope stepped closer for him to see. His lower lip tightened over his upper one while he thought. Finally, he shook his head. “No, I’ve not seen anything like that, but in our kind of business here, we get odds and ends all the time. I never know from one week to the next what a traveler might bring in to trade.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Anything else?” he asked.
“What should we bring back as proof we’ve slain these vampires?” I asked.
Karl frowned. His brow furrowed deeply. “What do you usually turn in as proof?”
“If you know what types of jewelry he wears, that’s usually something. Or we can bring back his ashes.”
“I don’t know if Adnet wears any jewelry, but if he does, that will suffice.”
I shrugged.
“If there’s any other way I can help you?” he said.
“Do you happen to have a garlic press?” I asked.
He nodded. “Sure. Follow me.”
Chapter Eleven
My eyes stung and my throat itched after pressing enough garlic to fill three of the globe bottles with garlic juice. Penelope and I reeked of garlic. If anything, neither of us needed to worry about vampires trying to bite us anytime soon. However, I feared the odor would alert the slumbering vampire before we could get close enough to stake him. Overall, I was just glad it hadn’t been onions we’d pressed.
Once she and I stepped outside the shop into the cold, she asked, “Have you seen that crossbow before?”
“No.”
“Do you know the craftsman?”
“He crafted my Hunter box and carved some of my stakes.”
“So it’s a good bow?”
“If he made it, it’d be one of the best a Hunter could get.”
Penelope smiled. “Then that’s good for you.”
I nodded.
The ominous sky was dark with thick gray clouds that hung lower than normal. For a moment I was reminded of the blizzard sky on the late afternoon when I had encountered my first vampire. It wasn’t something I’d ever forget, and I supposed I’d be reminded of it with each winter storm that arose.
A few snowflakes floated along with the twirling breeze. The old buildings looked abandoned, even though we knew several that were not. The old shops reflected the depressive spirit of those who continued to reside here. The aftereffects of any war left scars, and it often took decades, sometimes generations, before the townspeople fully recovered. It was a common scene throughout the unrest in Europe, and one that I had grown tired of seeing, but the wars weren’t about to lessen. In fact, I feared they’d become far worse.
Midway across the square, Penelope took our rolled map from the small crate I was carrying. After unrolling it, she studied it while we walked toward the inn. “Do you think this graveyard is haunted?”
I laughed softly. “Have you ever seen a ghost?”
She gave me a serious side-glance. “Would you laugh at me if I said that I have?”
I stopped and looked at her. “No, I would never laugh at you. Have you seen one?”
Penelope gave a reassured smile before she nodded. “A few actually. You never have?”
I turned and started walking. “I’ve felt the coldness of one’s presence, but as far as actually seeing one? No. I don’t deny their existence though.”
“I’d worry about you if you did,” she said, playfully crinkling her nose at me.
“Why?”
“You kill vampires and I kill demons. We both know zombies, ghouls, and were-creatures exist, so why not ghosts?”
“Don’t forget magic.”
She grinned and her eyes sparkled. “That, too.”
“Pixies and fairies?” I gave a sly grin.
“And leprechauns, too. Especially if you’re a wee bit Irish.”
I was glad to see her smile again. I had hurt inside when I watched her cry. I wanted to make her aches go away.
I placed the crate beneath my left arm and pulled open the inn door, allowing her to walk through first. I followed her down the narrow hall until she stopped outside a door and unlocked it.
Father sat in an old rocker with a quilt covering him from the neck down. He was snoring. Madeline sat with her back against the headboard of the bed. Varak was cradled in her arms. The child was alert and staring around the room. When he heard us enter, he sat upright, watching us.
Penelope glanced toward Varak and stared at him for several seconds before turning toward me. She visibly shivered, leaning closer to me as I set the crate onto a small round table. “His eyes …”
I nodded.
“Wake your father and let’s head to the cemetery,” she whispered. “I’m not very comfortable being near the chil
d.”
“I told you.”
I crossed the room and gently shook my father’s shoulder. Alarmed, his eyes popped open. He took a deep breath and put his hand over his heart. “Heavens, son, I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“Sorry,” I said, grinning.
“So did you get the directions to find a vampire?” he asked.
“For two different ones,” I replied.
“Two?”
Penelope nodded. “One is nearby, and the other one is on the way to Freiburg in the Black Forest.”
“We could use the extra money,” he said. “Since our party keeps growing.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll earn my keep.”
Father smiled. “I wasn’t implying that you are a burden to us, but we still need to eat and find lodging whenever the weather’s unfavorable.”
“I know,” she replied with a narrow smile. “But I refuse to expect others’ charity.”
“She makes more than we do, Father, and she doesn’t even collect bounties.”
Penelope laughed softly.
Father folded the quilt and placed it onto the rocker’s seat. He came to the table where she had placed the map and studied it for a few moments. He frowned with confusion. “What’s the catch?”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems too … easy?”
Penelope laughed. “The old man said that the cemetery is haunted.”
“Don’t tell me that you two believe that?”
I shrugged. “We won’t know until we get there.”
“Did he indicate how far we needed to travel to get there?”
“Less than a half hour on foot,” I said.
“In this cold?” Father asked with wide eyes.
“You don’t have to go. Penelope and I can probably handle it.”
“No,” he replied in a gruff tone. “I’ll manage.”
I imagined his legs still ached from the cramped seating arrangement in the coach and the cold weather would make them hurt even more. “We could get Thomas to drive us out there, but he was up all night and intends to head on to Freiburg once he awakens,” I replied.
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