“I assume you’ve notice the magical stuff. Brando says any conjurer would pick up on some really bad vibes.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to miss. What is it?”
“They’re trying to figure it out. He’s at your Magic Lab, consulting with the council and the lab techs. They’ve been trying to identify the spell surrounding the vampire compound and its source.” Ryan leaned across the table, flipped her jacket open enough to reveal the Walther in its shoulder holster and let the soft leather fall back into place. “Since when did you start carrying that?”
“Way to go, Ari.” Lilith opened her eyes wide in approval. “You’ve graduated to a gun with real stopping power.”
“It was a gift.” She passed off the pistol with a casualness she didn’t feel. The gun’s bulk was a constant reminder of the unfinished business in Germany. She brought the focus back to the situation in Riverdale. “I should join them at the lab.” She hesitated when she remembered the problems that might raise with the Magic Council demanding an explanation of her recent activities. “Um, maybe I better call Brando first.”
Something flickered across Ryan’s face. “Good idea.”
“What?”
“Just call him.”
She tapped Brando’s speed dial number.
He answered immediately. “You’re here. Have you talked with Claris?”
“Yes, I just left there. I’m with Ryan now. Are you having any luck at the lab? Should I come over there?”
“We’re making progress. It’s a black magic energy barrier of some kind, cutting off everything. It’s almost as if the compound has been wrapped in another dimension.” Brando cleared his throat. “As for coming here…”
She heard voices in the background, then a new speaker came on the phone. “Ari, it’s Steffan. I’m sorry, but the magic council called in another guardian earlier today. With this crisis, they couldn’t wait to hear from you. Most of us resisted as long as we could, but the hyenas had been demanding your replacement for days.”
“I’ve been fired?” Her voice came out smaller than she’d hoped.
“Suspended, including your abilities. It will be permanent in thirty days.”
She stared at the phone, absorbing the news. It hadn’t occurred to her what getting fired would really mean. Losing her Guardian abilities. She’d had the enhanced strength, speed, and healing for so long they seemed a natural part of her. To lose them now, when she needed them the most… She knew from others—retired Guardians—that the abilities would wear off gradually over a few days. But that delay wouldn’t be enough to help her in Germany. By the time she returned to rescue Andreas, her Guardian abilities would be gone. She had the magic, the martial arts, the weapons training. None of that expertise would go away. And she ran every day, keeping herself in decent shape. Still.
“Is this reversible?”
“I can’t answer that, but you should try. If you’re home for good, I’d make an immediate appeal and—”
“I’m not. This is only temporary. I have to go back.” She sighed and gave a rueful smile that only Ryan and Lilith could see. “At least I don’t have to feel guilty that Riverdale is being neglected.”
“You know I didn’t want this. I’ll do anything I can to make it go away.”
“It’s OK. I was warned this could happen. So who’s the new Guardian?”
“His name’s Tom Bodie, a warlock out of St. Louis. He seems OK, but I think they pulled him out of retirement.”
“Is he a fire witch?”
“No. His abilities are based in earth magic. But, uh, now that he’s here, you realize you’re not the Guardian in charge of this case.”
She kept her voice steady, emotionless. “Yeah, I got that. I guess I should stay away from the lab, huh?”
“Uh-huh, but there’s no reason we can’t meet with you somewhere else. I got the impression from Bodie that he’d come too. He was recommended by Moriana.”
Interesting. How had her former witch mentor gotten involved in this? Obviously, the St. Louis connection should have been a clue that the two would know each other, but Moriana wasn’t the type to pay attention to things outside her own city. Ari had a dozen more questions, but she’d wait to ask them when the current crisis was over.
“How about we meet at my place for a beer or two in about an hour?” Steffan asked. He always had a chilled keg available. Werewolves loved their beer.
But Ari had a better idea. “I’d rather make it the back of Claris’s shop. It’s time she knew what was going on, and I don’t want to leave her alone for long.”
“Sounds reasonable to me. We’ll be there.”
In the meantime, Ari wanted a quick look at the vampire compound. If a conjurer was inside, maybe she could get a feel for his magic.
* * *
The boarded-up warehouse that hid the entrance to Olde Town’s vampire compound was barely visible in the gathering dark. A streetlight cast the building in dark shadows. It stood silent and apparently deserted. The warehouses in the area that were still in use for anything except occasional storage of overflow goods were two blocks over and closed for the evening. The vampires owned this entire block, and the dilapidated access doors were identical. Without prior knowledge, it would be impossible to know which one was still in constant use.
Ari, Lilith, and Ryan halted at the end of the street. They’d agreed to proceed with caution before going any closer.
“Is this magical stuff stronger here?” Ryan asked.
“Oh, yeah. Someone or something is expending a lot of energy.” Ari rubbed at the sensation of slimy things crawling over her skin. “It’s similar to the dark magic I felt during the treasure hunter case, only much more sinister. I don’t recognize the spell, even though something…seems familiar. A faint scent or a trickle of energy.” She shook her head, when she couldn’t pin it down. “It could be nothing, just one of our vampires. My sensory system is being compromised by the negative energy, but I can sense vampires are inside.”
Lilith hunched her shoulders. “Even I feel the bad vibes from this close. Usually I don’t pick up on sorcery.”
“It’s pretty heavy duty.”
Ryan looked around uneasily and shrugged. “Glad I don’t tune into these psychic things, but it does seem rather gloomy down here.”
Ari cut him a speculative glance. Unless he was picking up on her mood, the human cop might be more psychic than he thought.
She studied the rooftops for sentries or snipers. “I don’t see anything unusual outside. Andreas doesn’t keep guards out here because we have the cameras.”
Ryan perked up. “Any way to tap into them?”
“No, they’re on a closed circuit. Wait. That’s not completely true. There is a way. Andreas has camera access from the house that he installed two years ago.” She called Samuel on her phone. “Have you checked the compound cameras?”
“One of the first things I did. I didn’t call you, because the tapes are blank.”
“How can that be?”
“They were wiped or turned off at 2:17 a.m.”
Geez. Didn’t this conjurer make mistakes? “What’s the last thing on them?”
“An empty street, then nothing.”
“Dammit. That doesn’t help, but it was worth checking. Thanks. Any other news?”
“Nope. It’s quiet here.”
“At least that’s something.” She disconnected. “Blank tapes,” she reported. “But he hasn’t had any trouble at the house.”
“So, do we have a plan?” Ryan jerked his head toward the compound.
“Let’s go bang on the door. You might want to keep your guns out. Just in case.”
He pulled out his service pistol as they started toward the door. Lilith already had a gun in each hand. Ari pounded repeatedly, even borrowing Ryan’s sturdy Maglite. No response. Finally she shouted Gabriel’s name a few times. The building remain eerily silent, as if her pounding and voice had gone unheard.
??
?What kind of magical spell is this?” Ryan asked. “We seem to be able to touch the door. If it’s just locked, can we knock it down with a battering ram or burn it with your witch fire?”
“Reinforced metal. Fire retardant.” She laid both palms against the door. “I don’t feel a barrier repelling my hands, so in time we might be able to bash it in. Then again, if it’s a dimensional spell, I wouldn’t feel anything, because it really isn’t here.” She stepped back, and Ryan frowned at her. “Don’t ask. I hope we can get our questions answered when we meet with Brando.”
“Which should be soon.” He consulted his watch. “We need to hurry.”
Ten minutes later, Ryan parked his unmarked police vehicle on a side street, and they walked to Claris’s back door. It led directly into the greenhouse, and Brando opened the door before they knocked.
“Claris is up front. I haven’t told her anything yet, except we’re having a meeting.” He hugged Ari briefly. “I’m glad to see you.” His brown eyes were worried; dark circles under his lower lashes made his boyish face look older. “I feel better now you’re home. I was so scared something might happen to Claris.” He made a poor attempt at a smile. “I don't think I could live with that. I've been doing what I could to keep her safe, but I’m not cut out for the crime-fighting life.”
“It’s not your job. It’s mine.” She hesitated. “Or it was.” She looked over his shoulder at the group of three seated at the kitchen table: Steffan, a young wizard from the magic lab, and a gray-haired warlock she assumed was Tom Bodie. She brought her attention back to Brandon. “I guess it’s Bodie’s job now, but we’ll keep her safe. I promise.”
“Two of my officers are outside the shop and will stay there,” Ryan added.
“Thanks. I appreciate everyone’s concern.”
“Hey, are you guys coming in or not?” Steffan called.
“We’re coming.” Brando turned and led the way. Additional chairs were found and seven people squeezed up to a table intended for four. It was sufficient since they were only drinking beer and coffee. Steffan had brought a case of Werebeer, and Claris’s coffee pot was full.
Bodie and Ari were introduced. He immediately set her at ease. “I’m expecting my stay in Riverdale to be temporary. I rather enjoy retirement. Tell me you’re coming back eventually.”
“Oh, I’ll be back, but the job won’t be my call. But thanks, for saying that.” She glanced around the group. “I hate to rush things, but what have you guys figured out?”
“Quite a bit. It’s been pretty exciting.” The young wizard from the lab, who Ari had been reminded was Nathan, leaned forward. “It’s black magic all right. A total communication blackout.” He grinned. “No pun intended. It’s extremely impressive, I might add. But lucky for us, it’s also a power drain. According to our calculations, whoever is doing this is using up tremendous amounts of energy.”
Brando jumped in. “It’ll be hard to maintain this spell over an extended period of time. Particularly if we add to the strain. A concerted assault should break it.”
“This isn’t the kind of barrier that grows stronger under attack?” Ari was surprised.
Nathan nodded eagerly. “Yes, it is, but we’ve misunderstood the true nature of these barriers. New research shows they feed off the feelings of the attackers, not the physical attack. All we have to do is stay calm.” He looked at her bright-eyed, as if he enjoyed the idea of outwitting their enemy.
He was almost too eager. Had he ever been in a real fight? Probably not.
“So we go in cold,” Ryan said. “I can do that. But won’t we just get something else thrown at us?”
“If we’ve drained his energy while he tries to hold the barrier, we should have at least a minute or two, maybe more, to get inside.” Ari hesitated, suddenly uncertain. “But what are we going to find when we get in there? What’s he done to the vampires, and what’s he want?”
“We don’t know,” Steffan admitted, when no one else spoke. “I talked to everyone I could find, but no one saw any strangers near the compound. We don’t have a clue who is in there or what’s gone on. If it wasn’t for Brando and Nathan, we wouldn’t have anything.”
“Is any of it related to Zylla’s warning about Claris?” she persisted.
Steffan’s eyes clouded. “I’m sorry, Ari, we just don’t have the answer.”
They sat in silence for several seconds, until Claris came through the curtain of beads. “Why’s everyone so glum?”
“Frustration,” Ari mumbled.
Brando stood and pushed his chair toward her. “Why don’t you have a seat, honey. I think it’s time we told you what’s happening.”
Claris’s uneasy gaze flitted over them, settled on Ari for a moment, before returning to Brando. She sat gingerly as if the chair might suddenly disintegrate. “I knew you were holding something back.”
Mangi appeared in the doorway. “Can I come back too?”
“Why not.” Ari sighed. “Unfortunately we don’t have any secrets to hide.”
Brando took over most of the explanation. It didn’t take long, because there were so many gaps in their information.
“But I don’t understand.” Claris seemed more confused than scared. “How would a takeover at the compound involve me?”
“We don’t know that it does, but has Gabriel said anything to you?” Ari asked. “Mentioned any trouble? Any secrets?”
“I hardly see him. He drops the kitten off to play with Hernando every once in a while, but he usually doesn’t have time to talk.” She pursed her lips. “I don’t think I’ve seen him this week.”
“Wasn’t he here right after Ari left for Italy?” Brando asked.
“Yes, he came once, but we didn’t talk about much except Andreas. He was worried, and we speculated on who had taken him and why.”
“What did Gabriel say?” Ari prompted.
“He thought it was the vampires from Europe. Yes…” Claris nodded as if recalling the conversation. “He seemed worried they might try to take advantage of Andreas’s absence. Right after that he left.”
“Take advantage how?”
“He didn’t say. See, I don’t know anything that would make some bad guy come here.” She raised a brow at Ari. “I heard you and Mangi say that Zylla’s visions aren’t perfect. I don’t think her vision was about me. Andreas is obviously the one in danger. Or maybe she meant Gabriel.”
“Yep, old lady not so good anymore.” Mangi shrugged when Ari turned her head to look at him. “She said so.”
“Uh-huh, but don’t call her an old lady or she’ll turn you into something small and croaky.”
Impatient with all the vague theories and “I don’t knows,” Ari shoved back her chair and stood. “I’ve heard enough guesswork. We need to do something, find out what’s going on inside the warehouse. Either the vampires are bespelled or restrained or…who knows? I’ve run out of reasonable possibilities.”
“If no one else has an idea how to proceed, I do.” Ryan pulled out his cell phone. “I’m calling in a SWAT team and see if we can bust down the compound door.”
“Isn’t that a bit hasty?” Bodie scrunched his face in a frown. “Shouldn’t we run this past the Magic Council?”
“Won’t bursting down the door just piss off the vampires?” Nathan asked.
Ari gave Nathan a wry look. “I hardly think they’re going to object to a rescue.” Her gaze settled on Bodie. “Yes, you should talk with the council. But I don’t work for them at the moment, and I agree with Ryan. We need to get into the compound—any way we can.”
“It sounds like a hell of a party,” Steffan said. “Just give me time to round up some wolves, and we’ll join you. Bodie, she’s right. Go talk with the president. We don’t want to get another Guardian fired.” He turned to Brando. “I think you and Mangi should stay here to protect Claris.”
“I agree.” Ari immediately backed up Steffan when Brando began to protest. “I’m still not convinced she isn’t at risk
.”
“And I need you with me.” Claris aided their cause by winding her arm through Brando’s. “They’ve got guns and claws and witch fire. They can handle it without you. I don’t want to stay here alone.”
Geez, Claris. Don’t overdo it. Ari bit back a comment. Her friend’s desire to keep Brando safely away from the fighting was rather obvious, but he didn’t seem to notice she was unusually clingy. He hugged his fiancé and promised he’d stay with her.
Mangi glumly plopped on the floor as Ari, Steffan, Ryan, and Bodie trooped out the door. “I’m gonna miss the fight,” he grumbled. “I thought I was supposed to save someone.”
* * *
It took almost an hour to work out the details. Bodie went back to the Magic Council to inform them of the pending confrontation, while Ryan arranged for a SWAT team, and Steffan gathered his wolves. In order to fill her time, Ari stopped by Club Dintero to see how they were managing without the vampire staff. Russell had called in several of the weretigers to help. It wasn’t business as usual, but they were managing.
By the time she reached the street corner outside the vampire compound, Ryan’s team was already in place and setting up spotlights to turn on when needed. The seven-man SWAT unit had arrived in full gear with helmets and shields. They carried assault rifles and handguns loaded with silver bullets.
Before she had time to talk strategy with Ryan, Steffan arrived with a dozen wolves. He was the only one who had not morphed into wolf form, and he carried an assault rifle.
“What’s the plan?” Steffan asked.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Ari said, as she and Ryan met him. “Instead of just charging the door, I’d like to see if we can get their attention, find out who we’re dealing with before we go in blind. If SWAT would spotlight the door and fire off a volley, we could try getting a response with the bullhorn.”
Ryan shrugged. “I don’t see that we’d lose much. We’d never have the element of surprise with supernaturals anyway. They’ve already caught our scent or aura or something.”