by Ally Shields
“Is Daron OK?”
“She didn’t attack Toronto. It was a smaller compound close to the US/Canadian border. That’s why we’re on alert.” He clenched his jaw. “No one knows where she’s headed next, but I’m not going to get caught unprepared.”
“You think she’s coming here.”
Samuel nodded. “Can’t rule it out. Andreas and Gabriel are calling everyone to the compound. It’s the most defensible place we have.”
“It’s also the biggest target.” She opened drawers and pulled out clean clothes. “I’ve tried to tell Andreas you shouldn’t put your forces in one spot. If that bitch breaches the compound, everyone will be trapped inside.” She started toward the bathroom. “I’ll try to send part of them back here. You’ve got the best alarm system and more escape routes.”
“The basement is the safest. It has reinforced steel doors,” he said, following her train of thought. “Andreas had modifications done when he first bought the mansion.”
“Good. Get some rooms set up and gather weapons. If I can talk anyone into coming here, I’ll send them through the tunnels via the club. That way no one will notice anything on the streets.”
“We’ll be ready.” Samuel left.
Ari stopped long enough to brush the pasty taste from her mouth and left the house within five minutes. She had Ryan on the phone as she ran through the deserted streets. He’d been sound asleep, but her words quickly brought him awake as she explained what had happened.
“If she comes to town, I can’t promise Ursula will confine her wrath to the vampires.”
“Christ, Ari, how do we fight her?”
“Blow torches, flamethrowers. Tell your officers not to wait for her to make the first move. If they do, they’ll be dead.”
“Son of a… I hope I’m just having a bad dream.” But Ari could already hear him getting out of bed. It might be a false alarm, but they couldn’t take that chance.
As Ari disconnected, she arrived at the row of warehouses that hid the entrance to the vampire compound. She stopped in her tracks, dismay written on her face. The strong presence of Otherworld power pressed against her skin. It would be like a beacon for Ursula, leading her straight to the vampires.
Ari knocked on the door and entered. The compound teemed with activity. The entire court, including Andreas and his three lieutenants: Gabriel, an older vamp named Oliver, and Glorius, a slinky vampiress who Ari wished had gone to Toronto with Daron, had gathered in the Blue Room. All three lieutenants were master vampires with abilities and power second only to Andreas. The rest of the public conference chamber was filled with vampire nest leaders and lycanthropes who headed various security teams. Everyone was talking at once.
Andreas looked up and nodded as she walked in the door. “Let us get started.”
Although he hadn’t raised his voice, the room grew quiet. “I think you have all heard what happened in Canada tonight, but let me confirm that a vampire court was attacked and destroyed by an O-Seven enforcer. No survivors. This enforcer could come here next.” He swept his gaze across the room. “It is only a possibility, but we must be ready.”
A voice called from the back. “How? We can’t fight an enforcer.”
Several voices rumbled, some in agreement, some in defiance.
“We have to be smarter by planning ahead, staying alert, and not making it easy.” Andreas glanced at Ari, his look acknowledging their prior discussions on strategy. “We start by spreading out our forces so we are not an easy target. While Ursula attacks one spot, others can survive and may be able to come to their aid. Those of you who live in the caverns, go there and stay there. We will place lycanthrope sentries at every entrance armed with torches and tending bonfires. Vampires will provide a second line of defense if those fail. If you live in town, join your friends or relatives in the caverns. If you elect to remain in town, we have places that can offer you some protection.” He paused and acknowledged Ari again. “The Guardian has warded this compound and Club Dintero with magical alarms and barriers. Both buildings are open to all. Obviously the compound has the most room, and I will remain here.” He turned to Gabriel. “Anything to add?”
Gabriel stood. “Just one word…hurry. I know this enforcer. Whatever you decide to do, make it quick and quiet. Ursula can move like the wind.”
What started as a shuffling of feet turned into a steady stream as vampires quickly exited the room, anxious to get to safety.
“Where do you want me?” Gabriel asked Andreas as Ari walked up.
“My home. Samuel will see to your safety.” He turned a brief smile on Ari. “You have convinced me that our leadership must not be too centralized.” His gaze returned to Gabriel. “Take Oliver with you.”
“Samuel’s already setting up defenses in the lower level,” Ari said. “But only Gabriel and Oliver? We have room for more people than that.”
“Another dozen, I think, plus guards and a group of Steffan’s werewolves. He has also offered extra wolves for the club and the compound.” Ari wasn’t surprised. The local werewolf leader was a personal friend and a ranking member of the Magic Council. He would do what he could to keep Riverdale and his friends safe.
“So, the Magic Council already knows?” she asked.
“I took the liberty of asking Steffan to notify the president. Do you mind?”
“No, I should have called him myself. But I did call Ryan. If trouble breaks out, at least he’ll know what kind of threat we’re facing. I told him to stock up on flamethrowers.”
Gabriel and Andreas both nodded. No one acted as if her recommendation was extreme.
Ari looked around the nearly empty conference room and sighed. She wanted to tell Andreas to get out of the compound, go somewhere unknown. A year ago, she would have. That was before he became Riverdale’s prince. Now he had to be here—at the vampires’ seat of power. Same concept as a captain on the bridge of his ship.
At least the sleeping quarters were deep underground, she reminded herself. And accessible only by a complicated maze of tunnels. That didn’t mean they were impregnable—as they’d found out eighteen months ago, but if an attack occurred, Ari intended to be right outside the last set of doors. Until Ursula was located somewhere other than Riverdale, Ari wasn’t straying far from Andreas’s side.
* * *
He wasn’t exactly thrilled with her plan. Over his strong objections, Ari set up camp in the underground tunnel. When Andreas finally accepted the inevitable, he had a cot and a battery heater brought in for her, and as soon as the vampires were inside the chambers, Ari pulled her makeshift bed in front of the hidden opening. If anyone got to the vampires, they would literally have to go through her.
For forty-eight hours, Riverdale’s vampire community and much of Canada remained on high alert, living like cities under siege.
By the third day with no further violence from Ursula, the vampires began to resume their normal activities. Andreas and Ari grabbed their belongings and moved back to the mansion. It still wasn’t considered wise for those who lived alone to go home, so Gabriel and Oliver moved to the compound.
Daron reported Ursula’s jet was still parked at an airfield near Toronto, but she hadn’t been seen there since the massacre on the border. She would be even harder to find and follow while she was moving on the ground. With her natural speed, she could travel long distances quickly, possibly hundreds of miles in an hour or two. She could be almost anywhere in a very short time.
It was a bad omen that she hadn’t returned to Europe. She was lying low, biding her time. Waiting. But waiting for what?
Ari deposited her blankets and pillows at home and dashed over to Claris’s to pick up the cats. With her at the compound, they would have been underfoot and a possible burden to Andreas’s staff. She’d taken them to Claris to keep them out of the way—and to keep them safe.
She knocked once on the greenhouse door as she usually did and entered calling out her friend’s name. “Claris, I’m he
re to—”
Gabriel and Claris sprang apart.
“Um, sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Ari struggled to find her normal voice. She stood awkwardly, not knowing whether she should stay or leave. By the Goddess, did she have to see that? What was Claris thinking?
“It was rather poor timing.” Grinning, Gabriel didn’t appear to be the least bit uncomfortable.
Claris wasn’t so blasé. She flushed a brilliant shade of pink and turned away. “Can I get anyone a cup of coffee? I could use one.”
“No, thanks.” A shot of bourbon maybe. “I’ll grab the cats and run. I need to get back home.”
“Don’t be in a hurry because of me. I was on my way out.” Gabriel looked as though he might burst out laughing. “I stopped in to let Claris know we were out of lockdown. She’s been watching Edmund too.” He pointed to the two kittens curled up with Bella in a basket in the corner.
“Where’s Hernando? Oh, no, Bella’s not pregnant again, is she?” For an instant Bella’s behavior was of more concern than Claris’s. “I didn’t think about that when I brought her over.”
Ari’s anxious voice broke through Claris’s embarrassment. “Of course she isn’t. He’s locked in my bedroom upstairs.” Claris beckoned them into the kitchen and handed Ari a filled coffee cup. “Did you think I wanted to go through this adoption process again? I’ve been very careful to keep them apart.”
“Thank the Goddess one of us was thinking.” Ari sipped her coffee and did an appreciative eye roll. “Ooh, this coffee’s not bad.”
Gabriel smirked at her obvious attempt to cover the awkward moment with small talk. “I’m going to take Edmund and go now. Thank you for watching my young one. He’ll be fine at the compound.” He bent forward and gave Claris a light kiss on the forehead. “I’ll give you a call.”
“Anytime.” Claris’s dreamy look followed him as he left. The greenhouse door clicked shut. “OK, tell me all the reasons I shouldn’t get involved with Gabriel. I know you’re dying to remind me.”
“I guess I’d be a hypocrite if I did.” Ari took a seat at the kitchen table. She and Claris had sat in this same spot and discussed a lot of serious topics over the years, but Ari had never felt so lost for words. “I see the chemistry. You two click. In some ways, maybe more than you do with Brando. Not that I think Gabriel’s the right choice.”
“I know.” Claris sounded almost sad. “I realize there are more important things than sex appeal, but oddly enough, I can’t think of one right now.”
Ari gave a reluctant chuckle. “I hear you, but look at the whole situation. You’re human. That makes a huge difference. You have a chance with Brando—or someone like him—to live a totally normal life. Babies, growing old with someone. Even more important, Brando thinks and acts like a human. No vampire wars, no bottled blood in your fridge.” Ari sipped her coffee and watched her friend, hoping she hadn’t said too much.
“All true,” Claris agreed. “But what kind of a normal life will I have if Brando always ignores me. I know you won’t like hearing this, but sometimes I think normal equals boring.”
“Boring?” Ari snorted. “I guess you haven’t visited any home with small children lately. Hardly my idea of boring.”
“That’s not what I meant. Your life is exciting. Life-and-death issues. World domination. Extinction of the species. Well, maybe I’ve gotten carried away, but important stuff. Have a cookie?” She held out a plate of gingersnaps. “Besides the shop, this is what I did today. Maybe I don’t want to spend my life raising plants and baking cookies.”
Ari started to wave the offered plate away, then changed her mind and snagged two. She immediately dunked one in the remains of her coffee. “Babies are important,” she said, talking around the coffee-soaked crumbs. “I envy you the choice. I’m adapting to my life with Andreas, but I regret the babies. I kind of hoped you’d make me an aunt or a godmother.”
“I know it’s hard for you.” Claris softened her voice. “Would you ever consider leaving him for a mate who could give you children?”
Ari blinked, surprised by the question. “No, I haven’t thought about it, and I’m not sure I could leave him. But,” she added, her face turning thoughtful, “I’m twenty-four. I can’t guarantee how I’ll feel when I’m thirty and the biological clock is ticking. I always thought I’d carry on my bloodline. Someday.” She wrinkled her brow. “I knew vampires were sterile when I chose to be with Andreas. That’s why I’m done giving advice. Only you can figure out what’s best for you, and, whatever you decide, I’ll be there cheering you on.”
Chapter Eighteen
Despite the distraction of Claris and Gabriel’s budding romance, and the ever-present threat of Ursula, Ari hadn’t forgotten about the coven or Blackhawk’s bloodstone. Finding the amulet might get those two problems off her crisis list.
With that goal in mind, she called Ryan early the next morning to do a little hunting together. He was eager to see the caverns, and a fresh opinion on the scene might help.
Ari arrived at the cliffs just as Ryan parked his cruiser. She watched him cross the road, noting he’d dressed for a rugged expedition in stone-washed jeans, denim jacket, heavy hiking boots and was armed with a large Maglite.
“I haven’t been in a cave since I was a kid,” Ryan said, as he reached her. “Is this one filled with bats?”
She flashed her badge at the unfamiliar dwarf on duty at the cave entrance; he nodded and waved them on.
“Having second thoughts already?” Ari grinned at Ryan. “I’m sure there are bats—it’s a cave—but I haven’t seen any. Just to relieve your bat phobia, I’ll go first.” She didn’t feel so bad about her spider aversion knowing that Ryan had his own issues.
As they walked along the paths and through tunnels, sometimes side by side, often single file, Ari reemphasized the need for this destination to remain secret. Without specifically talking about the ley lines, she explained that the cave held invisible magic powers that could become dangerous if used by the wrong people.
“As long as Blackhawk’s amulet is here, Hawkson, the coven, and who knows how many others will continue to search for it. Eventually, someone might be tempted to use the hidden magic.”
“How, if nobody can see it?”
“Otherworlders can, and Hawkson. Anyone with psychic abilities.” She glanced at him. “Any use of the magic would make the site temporarily visible in other times, other dimensions. We could have huge problems—demons or other interdimensional creatures, even a rift in time.”
Ryan whistled. “You’re talking about catastrophic events.”
“You bet. The sooner we stop the interest in the caves, the better.” She picked her way over a damp, slippery area. “I think you should talk with Dyani again.”
“Why me? And why waste anyone’s time? She’s left town. Besides, we’ve tried twice already, nicely and not so nice. She’s stonewalled us. It’s not likely to be any different a third time.”
“There’s something she knows that we don’t. Gabriel said finding the stone can’t be this complicated, and I think he’s right. Blackhawk would have told his son exactly where it was. We’re missing a piece of the story.”
“But we’ve seen the letter.”
“Then it was a fake, or there’s a second letter or a map or something else.” She stopped in the path, turned to look at him, and placed her hands on her hips. “I know Dyani’s the key.”
Ryan threw up a hand in defeat. “OK, OK. You’re hunches are usually right about these things. I’ll track her down. The lawyers should know where the crew is filming.”
Satisfied that she had his promise, Ari resumed the lead, and they soon reached the Chamber of Ages.
“Holy—” Ryan gasped as he took in the sight. “This is really something.” A movement on the right caused Ryan to spin and grab for his shoulder holster.
“Hey, Ryan, don’t shoot the friendlies,” Ari yelled, stepping in front of him to protect the two weretigers
who had appeared. “They’re guards.”
“Should have warned me.” He tugged his jacket back over the holster. “This place may be spectacular to look at, but you’ve reported some weird tales from down here.”
Ari grinned at the weretigers. “Full-blooded human. Doesn’t like ghosts. Or bats,” she added with a wink.
“I thought that ghost thing was gone.” He gave her a sharp look.
“It is.” She turned toward the guards. “Any new developments?”
The tigers shook their heads. “Nothing. I last checked Spirit Cave about five minutes ago,” the male tiger said.
“We’re going to try another search,” Ari explained to them. “It’s this way, Ryan.” She walked briskly along the short passage to Spirit Cave and climbed through the entrance. Since Ryan couldn’t see the ley lines, he didn’t act very impressed. The cave drawing was another matter. As soon as she uncovered the symbol, he dropped on one knee to examine it, then stood and followed her to the wall niche marked by her stun.
“Do you see anything we’ve missed? We’ve been over the room several times, checking every crevice and depression.”
Ryan ran his hand around inside the small hole and walked around the perimeter of the small cave, stopping to peer in a couple of cracks. “Have you considered that it’s not in this room? There must be thousands of hiding places in that huge area where the guards are.”
“No, it’s here. The other magic is strong, but I can still feel the bloodstone.”
“But you can’t feel its exact location.”
Ari wrinkled her nose at him. “Would I still be looking if I could?”
Ryan ran his flashlight over the walls and ceiling. “So where’s this other magic you say is in the room?”
“I told you, you can’t see it.”
“Because I’m human, right?”
“Well, in a way. It’s because you don’t have sufficient psych ability.”
“Then how could Barron see it?”
