Page 28 of How to Stake a Vampire (Diary of a Reluctant Werewolf #2)
WAITING FOR WORD
The Chamber of Commerce felt like a mausoleum the next morning. Exhausted Alliance members and their teams had been trickling in since dawn, all bearing the same news. There was no sign of Ludvik, no trace of Virgil, and no leads worth following.
I sat on the second-floor landing, nursing my third cup of coffee and watching the steady stream of exhausted Alliance members reporting their failures.
Gregory paced by the windows, his usual composure fraying at the edges.
Constantia sat rigidly on the leather sofa beside Victoria, her hands clenched so tightly around the cup in her lap it was a miracle it hadn’t shattered.
Every few minutes, she would glance at her phone, hoping for news that never came.
Barney stood talking to Daria in a corner of the lobby, his expression darker than a thundercloud. He’d spent the night tracking down every vampire contact he had in three states, calling in favors and making threats with equal measure.
Unfortunately, it looked like he’d been right. Ludvik’s new abilities meant he could mask his presence easily. Add to that the wraith he had entrapped and I couldn’t help but feel we were fighting a losing battle.
“Anything?” Samuel appeared by my side, his hair still damp from a shower. He’d been out with Detective Johnson and the werewolf search teams all night and had used the bathing facilities in the building to freshen up.
“Nothing.” The word tasted bitter in my mouth. “Where’s Detective Johnson?”
“He went home to get some sleep.” He pulled me up to my feet and kissed my forehead. “We’ll find them.”
I swallowed and nodded. We headed downstairs.
Ellie sat cross-legged on the floor next to Bo, absently scratching behind his ears while staring at nothing.
She’d been like that for hours, her new vampire senses stretched to their limits as she tried to detect any trace of Virgil’s scent.
Though exhaustion showed in every line of her body, I could feel the coiled tension beneath it. She was ready to snap.
She looked up at our approach.
“He’s out there somewhere,” she told me wretchedly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I can feel it. And he’s scared.”
I sat down beside her. “Can you sense where?”
Ellie shook her head, frustration etched across her face. “It’s too faint. Like an echo of an echo.”
Bo whined and put a paw on her knee.
Samuel followed my gaze as I glanced at the large clock above the reception desk. He frowned.
We had less than twelve hours before the full moon rose.
“Where is Hugh?” I asked, partly to break the oppressive silence.
“He’s checking out the forest north of Amberford with Caroline and Kent.”
The sound of footsteps at the entrance made everyone tense, but it was only Titania arriving with a group of pixies I didn’t recognize. She looked as exhausted as the rest of us.
“Nothing in the Crossroads,” she reported to the lobby in general. “We checked every building, every basement, every abandoned lot. If he was there, he’s gone now.”
Gregory’s jaw clenched. “What about the warehouse district?”
“Cornelius and his people covered that last night,” Daria reported, coming over with Barney. “Also nothing.”
“The docks?” Constantia asked hopefully.
Amberford sat on the confluence of two rivers and had an extensive dock area.
“Melody’s teams searched there at dawn,” Titania replied tiredly, settling into an empty chair. “Same result.”
It felt like we were trapped in some kind of horrible loop. Question, negative answer, growing desperation, repeat.
Samuel’s phone rang. The sound cut through the room like a gunshot. Everyone’s attention snapped to him. He answered the call and put his phone on speaker, a muscle jumping in his jawline.
“Didi, please tell me you and Gavin have something.”
“We found him.” Didi’s voice was tight with exhaustion but carried a note of triumph that made my heart skip. “Mindy tracked the wraith’s energy signature to an abandoned mine about twenty miles west of town. Nigel’s with her.”
Gregory was on his feet in an instant, Constantia right behind him. Barney’s expression shifted from frustration to deadly focus in a heartbeat.
“Are you certain?” Gregory demanded harshly, storming over.
“As certain as we can be,” Didi replied. “Mindy says the wraith’s signature is stronger than at the Chamber of Commerce. She thinks the wraith has been there since yesterday.”
I clenched my jaw. Ludvik had stayed one step ahead of us all this time. I hoped his luck was about to run out.
“What about Virgil?” Constantia quavered.
“We can’t tell from here, but”—Didi hesitated—”there are definitely signs of recent vampire presence. Gavin found a dead deer. It was a fresh kill.”
“Where exactly is this place?” Samuel asked tensely.
“It’s in dwarf territory,” Didi replied. “Old mining country. Finnic should know of it.”
Surprise widened Daria’s eyes. She disappeared and returned with a detailed topographical map.
“Here!” We gathered around her as she spread the map on a coffee table. She pointed at a location in the forest to the west of Amberford. “This must be the place.”
I felt a spark of hope for the first time in hours. “Can we get inside without being detected?”
“That’s the tricky part,” Didi said awkwardly. “Mindy says the mine has multiple entrances, but most of them are collapsed or flooded. She and Nigel didn’t venture too deeply inside.” The witch paused. “Finnic might know a passage that’s still passable.”
“Where’s Finnic?” Gregory asked in a strained voice.
Samuel frowned. “Still out searching.”
“I’ll call him,” Titania said hastily.
“The mine’s main entrance is hidden in a valley between two ridges,” Didi continued. “There’s an old access road, but it’s overgrown.”
“I know of it.” Barney frowned. “That was a clever move by Ludvik.”
“Why?” I asked warily.
“That whole area is full of traps.” The vampire met my gaze. “Which means it’s going to be dangerous for a large team to get in that mine.”
“Traps?” I echoed weakly.
“Dwarves are very protective of their properties,” Samuel said darkly.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ellie said tightly. “We’re going.”
I furrowed my brow. “Ellie?—”
“No,” she cut me off, her eyes blazing. “Don’t even think about trying to talk me out of this. I’m coming with you!”
Bo whined and pushed in between us.
Frustration churned my insides. I could tell there would be no changing Ellie’s mind.
“I know what you’re worried about Abby, but I can handle myself,” my best friend said, her voice taking on an edge I’d never heard before. “In case you missed it last night, I’m not exactly helpless anymore.”
My chest tightened. I couldn’t deny the power Ellie had exhibited when she’d stormed the building. It had even given Barney and Pearl pause, after all.
“Alright,” I said reluctantly.
Gregory and Constantia exchanged a look I couldn’t quite read.
“I’m not putting my son’s life at risk for anyone,” Gregory stated, his eyes glinting with menace. “If you come, you follow orders. No heroics, no improvisation.”
“Agreed,” Ellie said immediately.
“And if things go wrong, you get out,” I added in a hard voice. “No arguments, no looking back.”
Ellie hesitated for just a moment and nodded curtly. “Alright.”
“I still don’t like it,” Titania said uneasily. “A newly turned vampire is too unpredictable.”
Daria sighed. “Neither do I, but we might need her abilities.”
It was another half hour before Finnic arrived.
“I heard the news,” the dwarf said grimly as he stormed inside the building. “That bastard really chose to hide in one of our abandoned mines?!” He slammed his axe blade down on the coffee table.
For once, no one protested.
“Yes,” Samuel said curtly. “Didi says a lot of the entry points aren’t passable. Do you know a way to get inside?”
“Don’t worry your wolfy head about that,” Finnic said dismissively. “Everyone gear up and meet back here. We leave within the hour. That should give me enough time to assemble my best warriors.”
Bo followed me as I headed for the stairs. “I’m coming with you.”
I stopped and frowned at the Husky. “A mine is really not the kind of place I should be taking a dog.”
“But I’m no ordinary dog,” Bo huffed.
“He’s right.” Pearl padded quietly toward us. “Take the mutt, wolf.”
I frowned at the cat’s sphinx-like expression. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Pearl twitched her whiskers. “Paranoia really doesn’t suit you. I just think he might come in handy.”
“Fur Ball,” Bo whined. He tried to lick the cat.
Pearl booped him on the nose. “Stop that. It’s disgusting.”