Fire Storm

  The path wound down for a long time, finally leveled, then gradually sloped upward. After what must have been two miles or more, Grogan halted before a heavy oak door, secured by a massive beam. He lifted the beam with ease and laid it aside. Ari opened the door and peeked inside. Stone stairs.

  “Steps go to Verdammung. Second door. Lift beam. Cellar. More steps. Then kitchen.”

  “You’ve actually been inside?” she asked. “You’ve seen this for yourself?”

  “I was child. Vampires came. We run. Tunnel now off limits.”

  “Then why the lanterns and flashlights at the entrance?” Lilith asked.

  The troll’s mouth showed an abundance of teeth in a huge grin. “Me, I not like limits. Cool tunnels. Good storage. Need for grog.” He lifted his arm and pantomimed drinking.

  Rum. They were hiding rum in the tunnels. Ari suppressed a laugh. She’d fallen in with a moonshiner.

  “So is the door guarded on the other side?”

  “Not long ago.”

  “How long ago was that?” Ari peered up the stairs again.

  The troll scratched his bare head. “I was ten, so one hundred eighty years or so.”

  “Wow, you’re that old?” Lilith blurted. “Uh, I didn’t mean anything bad by that, just…you’re well preserved.”

  Grogan’s throat rumbled in a chuckle. “We long-lived race. Three hundred is old.”

  Ari ignored their idle conversation. She wanted to see the top for herself. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She started climbing.

  In wasn’t far. The worst part was the cobwebs and spiders—maybe a hundred and eighty years worth. The door at the top was just as Grogan had described. She tried the beam, but it was too heavy for her to budge. She’d need to bring reinforcements and tools when she returned. After listened with her ear against the door and not hearing anything, she opened her senses and sent her magic looking for Andreas. This was the nearest she’d been to him in weeks. For a moment, she saw a dark room, then the image faded.

  Somewhat startled, she frowned. This was the third or fourth time she’d seen vague images in the last couple of days. Always when Andreas was in his sleep cycle. Their magics had communicated once before when Andreas was sleeping. Almost two years ago. Was it happening again? Were the magics finding each other when Andreas wasn’t awake to block it?

  She concentrated to see if she could do it again, but nothing happened. Maybe she was just being fanciful.

  After one last listen at the door, she retraced her steps down the stairs. “Tell me again what’s on the other side? A storage room and kitchen? Did you see anything else?”

  “We found kitchen, then they found us. We ran— Quiet!” The troll straightened to his full height, listening intently. “Do you hear?”

  Debris began to fall on the stairs behind Ari, pouring dust into the tunnel. She jumped away as Grogan slammed the door and put the beam in place. A loud rumble came from the ceiling above them, and a large crack spread from side to side.

  “Cave in!” Grogan bellowed. “Run!”

  Ari and Lilith whirled and raced back down the passage. Dirt crumbled around them, and they ran faster. Lilith shifted into lion form for greater speed, and Ari began to fall behind. She pushed harder, but she couldn’t keep up. Realization finally hit. Her Guardian abilities had eroded, leaving her with only normal witch speed. Thank the Goddess she trained regularly, but it might not be enough.

  The rumbling increased behind her, growing closer, and chunks started to fall in her path. She dodged over and among them, pushing herself until pain shot up her legs. She was losing the race, when a large hand snatched her from behind. Grogan tucked her under one arm as his long legs continued to cover the distance at a dizzying speed. He caught up with Lilith and passed her.

  As the mountain shifted, cracks opened, threatening to swallow them. The tunnel filled with blinding, choking dust. Grogan ran on.

  Ari clung to the troll’s arm, watching for falling debris and protrusions on the sides of the tunnel. It wouldn’t take much to knock her from her precarious perch. Dust filled her nose and mouth and eyes.

  Finally he slowed and set her down. “Worst is over. Rest now.”

  It didn’t sound like it was over. The mountain shook and groaned, as if it would come down on top of them. The ground under her feet vibrated. Ari coughed, forcing the thick dust out of her lungs and rubbed her eyes.

  “Lilith?” She searched the darkness behind them.

  Seconds later, the lioness bounded out of the tunnel and threw herself on the floor, panting.

  “Is it safe for us to stop here?” Ari asked him.

  The troll looked down from his height and nodded. He wasn’t breathing hard or sweating, nothing to show he’d just sprinted a mile or more. And carrying Ari half the time. “Mountain settle now.”

  Ari squatted next to Lilith. “Are you OK?”

  The big cat bumped her hand with her head and blinked her yellow eyes. Ari took that for a yes. The lioness had made the run of her life and saved herself, but Ari owed her rescue to someone else.

  She stood and looked up at the giant troll. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t help me.”

  He gave her that toothy smile. “Not to worry. Grogan watch out for you.”

  “So what happened? Do these cave-ins occur all the time?”

  “First big one. Maybe vampires. Someone hear, smell us.”

  Not the vampires, the warlock. Holy crap. He’d felt her magic. When she’d done the magical search for Andreas, she’d forgotten she wasn’t just dealing with vampires. Warin had noticed the probe—unless someone had warned him. Gerhard and Sophie were the only people who knew she was looking for the tunnel. She trusted the priestess, but Gerhard could have betrayed them and talked to his brother. Or was it Gerhard waiting in the castle hoping she’d die in the tunnel collapse? She couldn’t be sure which brother had been in Riverdale. She’d ask Gabriel about the scar—if she ever got out of this death trap.

  She looked at Grogan, but he was staring back into the collapsed tunnel.

  “Is someone there? Are they coming after us?”

  “No. No one coming.” He swung his gaze back to her. “Cave-in block vampires too. Weeks, maybe months before open. Someone not want you here.” He turned and started walking toward the exit. “Much you not tell Grogan.”

  Ari said nothing. After all, she hadn’t mentioned the magic or the extent of their prior history with the O-Seven. Lilith got to her feet, shifted back into human form, and they followed him out. Ari fought off a return of the claustrophobia—not so fanciful in light of recent events—and breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted the entrance ahead.

  They stepped into sunlight, and Grogan replaced the heavy boulder, sealing the tunnel again. “I leave now. My friends felt mountain move. Worry about…supplies.” He gave that toothy grin again. “I go tell them it safe.” He pointed toward a path on the left. “Go that way to market.” He held his huge hand out to Lilith. “Thank you for niece.”

  “Glad I could help.” Lilith dropped his hand, obviously embarrassed.

  He then took Ari’s hand. “Sorry not help. Too bad you not give up. Friend fortunate. You find way into Castle Verdammung. Vampire see you, you do like Grogan. Run.” His deep laugh rumbled again. He turned away, taking a path to the right through the dense trees, his long stride quickly carrying him out of sight.

  “What do we do now?” Lilith asked.

  Good question. Ari glanced up at the sun, calculating the time. Definitely after midday. Early morning in Riverdale. She wouldn’t be able to talk with Gabriel for hours. And what could he really tell her? Identifying the guilty Kirsch brother would be nice—and necessary if they ultimately wanted to stay alive—but it wouldn’t get her into the castle.

  She leaned against the boulder, closing her eyes and welcoming the sun’s warmth on her face. “I don’t know, Lilith. The witches can’t help, the tunnel’s closed, the foxes are being
pulled out tomorrow night. I don’t know what else to try. I need time to think.” She slid her back down the stone until she was sitting on the ground. “I can’t…won’t go home without him again.”

  After a long moment, Lilith sat beside her. “I know. We’ll come up with something.”

  “Yeah? I’m open to ideas.” Ari leaned forward, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees. “I’m fresh out of them.” She turned her head, raising an eyebrow.

  “Don’t look at me. I’m not the idea part of this team.”

  Ari wasn’t confident she was either. They sat in silence, watching the birds, a couple of squirrels, even a doe that eyed them back curiously. Ari couldn’t think of a single plan of action, so she did what most people do when things go bad: she called home. Not wanting to burden Claris with her problems, she called Ryan.

  “Ari, is everything OK?” His voice was casual, but she heard the underlying worry.

  Is this what their lives were like now? Always expecting a crisis?

  “Nothing’s changed. I thought I’d found a secret way into the castle, but it didn’t pan out. How’s Claris?”

  “Good.” His voice was careful, but she understood why when he added, “She’s right here. Would you like to talk with her?”

  “Of course.” A second later, she heard her friend’s quiet voice.

  “Hi, Ari. No progress, huh? Are you freaking out?”

  “Not exactly freaking, but kind of at a standstill.” Just telling Claris eased the tension in her neck. She closed her eyes and imagined them sitting in Claris’s cheery kitchen. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out soon.”

  “Of course you will. In the meantime, could you do something for me?”

  Ari perked up. “Anything. Just tell me what you need.”

  “Get Ryan and Steffan to go home. Mangi left yesterday, and either Ryan or Steffan has been here every minute since. I love them both for wanting to help, but I have to get back to my own life.”

  “Why did Mangi leave? He seemed so determined to stay.” Ari latched onto the most startling part of the conversation. Ryan and Steffan’s protectiveness was a given.

  “A guy, a vampire, I didn’t know came to get him. He said Zylla told him to come home.”

  “What guy? Who? Let me talk to Ryan again.” She heard the sounds of the phone being passed.

  “Before you get excited, I talked with Gabriel,” Ryan said. “Zylla told him the danger she foresaw is gone from Riverdale.”

  “Oh. But you and Steffan don’t believe that? No, wait. You just don’t want her to be all alone and are using her alleged need of protection as an excuse to keep her company.”

  “Not entirely,” Ryan hedged. “Just being cautious.”

  “Yeah, right. You forget I know how smothering male protectiveness can be. Just back off a little. OK?” She hesitated. “I hope you know how grateful I am that you’ve done everything you have. I wish I could be there. I should be there. Claris is my best friend, and—”

  “Don’t do this to yourself,” he interrupted.

  Ari heard muffled words and sounds that could be a struggle over the phone.

  “It’s me again,” Claris said in a rush. “I could tell you were talking about me, and I’d rather talk for myself. If you’re feeling guilty about not being here to hold my hand, then stop it right now. Getting Andreas safely home is almost as important to me as it is to you. I mean that, Ari. In some way it would give meaning to what happened to Brando. I don’t expect that to make any sense to you, but in my heart it does.”

  “OK, OK. Don’t you get me started crying, girlfriend. I still have a job to do.”

  “Then you better be getting at it.” Claris’s voice softened. “I miss you. Bring everyone home soon.”

  Ari disconnected and blinked the threatening tears away.

  “How is she?” Lilith asked.

  “I think she’s doing better than I am.” But that wasn’t entirely true. Ari had relaxed over the last few minutes, somehow rejuvenated. The butterflies in her stomach had settled simply knowing home was there, safe and sound, even if it had been horribly changed. “She suggested we ‘get at it.’” Ari pushed to her feet. “So I guess that’s what we should do. And if we don’t have any ideas of our own, let’s go brainstorm with someone who might.”

  But arranging a sit-down with Sophie was harder than she’d anticipated. The priestess had already checked out of the hospital, and patient information didn’t have a forwarding address or phone. Ari tried calling Greta, but the call went to phone mail. She left a message, but too impatient to wait, they set out to find the new camp.

  Ari figured other local covens would know the location, and she remembered talking with a witch named Dela who worked at a nearby pharmacy. They found her at work, she contacted her priestess, who contacted Sophistrina, and they finally had a phone number and directions to the new camp. Ari called ahead and talked briefly with Sophie. When they drove into the wooded glen, the priestess met them in the parking area.

  “Should you be out of bed?” Ari stepped out of the hired vehicle.

  “The doctors want me to be up and about. I’ll take a nap later. Besides, I didn’t want you and Rebekah at each other’s throats. She’s sulking that I reversed her edict. Come on inside. If you’ve been wandering through the mountains, I bet you missed lunch.”

  “That’s a word I’m glad to hear,” Lilith said eagerly. With her high lycanthrope metabolism, she was almost always hungry.

  Sophie led them inside. This camp was more rustic than the original one. Maybe they just hadn’t had time to add the amenities, but food was stored in an ice chest and water jugs on the counter seemed to be filling themselves. Lilith walked over to examine them.

  “It’s one of my water spells,” Sophie admitted. “It saves us from carrying water from the well. What’s the good in having a talent if you don’t use it?” She turned to Ari as if she could hear the American’s inner assessment of the camp’s facilities. “Things will get better. They’re delivering a solar generator this afternoon.” Her voice filled with pride. “Eventually, we’re putting in a hydro system from a nearby stream that will supply all our energy needs.”

  Ari blinked at her. Having always lived in populated areas, she’d given no thought to how you got power in the middle of a forest. It was just another reminder of the world of difference between the life she led and the lives of Sophie’s coven. “Sounds impressive,” she finally said. “I guess I’ve always taken too much for granted.” She cut a wedge of cheese, spread something that looked and smelled like humus on a slice of bread and took a bite. “This is good.”

  “You have to try the coffee.” Sophie poured three mugs from a heavy kettle. “It might be a bit strong—it’s made over the fire. It’s definitely got a kick. While you’re eating, we can talk about getting into the castle. I’ve been thinking about it since you called.” She sat down across from Ari. “Many theories have been tested or at least discussed within the league. If I told you about them and why they were discarded, it might spark an idea.”

  Her mouth too full to speak, Ari nodded. She’d been hungrier than she thought. Lilith had already started on seconds.

  “We’ve analyzed the regular castle activities to see if any of them would provide us with access. The problem is not only getting into the castle but getting enough forces and/or equipment inside to handle the hundreds of occupants. You have the added problem of finding a prisoner and bringing him out with you.” Sophie’s look was discouraging. “Frankly, I don’t see a way, but I hope I’m wrong. Anyway, there’s a weekly fresh blood delivery every Friday morning. A van arrives at the front gate, is unloaded by werebears, and the delivery people are not allowed beyond the castle gates.”

  “Only one delivery?” Ari frowned. “How can they support hundreds of vampires on that?”

  Sophie snorted in disgust. “Donor Monday, as we’ve come to call it. The O-Seven uses live donors to meet most of the castle need
s. Blood bags are just extras. Snacks. The humans and sometimes a few werecreatures line up on Monday evenings near dusk, begging to be chosen as permanent donors who live within the castle.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Lilith paused in her eating and stared at the priestess.

  “I wish I was. A hundred or more every week. Many are wannabes, begging to be transformed to the vampire life, some just want an exciting adventure, others are down on their luck and hoping for a place to stay. We’ve attempted to divert people before they reach the fortress, but it usually doesn’t work. By the time they come, they’re already committed to taking the risk.” She shook her head. “It’s a pity. Three or four dozen are chosen. I suspect half of them die that night. Why else would the vampires need more replacements every Monday? I wouldn’t recommend you try to get in that way. Even if you ignore the risks a donor takes, you might not be picked. The selection seems random.”

  But still a possibility.

  “It would certainly be my last choice. What else?” Ari took her first sip of the coffee, nearly choking on the contents. Campfire coffee was strong enough to raise the dead.

  “Visitors come and go every day, but they’re predominately vampires. The only non-vampires we’ve seen, except for the donors, are the werebears and wereraptors who work there, occasional lycanthrope travelers who are neutrals or allies, and consorts traveling with vampires. Too bad we don’t have a spell to make us look and smell like vampires. It would make this so much easier.”

  “Is there such a thing?” Lilith asked.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Sophie appeared to consider her question.” There are disguise potions—”

  “And cloaking spells.” Ari raised an eyebrow at Sophie. “Has anyone tried?”

  “They must have, but I don’t remember hearing anything about it.”

  They discussed the possibilities for a while, creating various scenarios using one or both of the enchantments, but finally concluded that the current spells and potions were too unreliable and lacked sufficient duration to be useful.