Endless Magic (Stella Mayweather Series Book 6) (13 page)

"So, it does exist?"

"I didn't say that. I said I’d heard of it, not that I'd seen it."

"I think I know where to find one." Matthias raised both eyebrows, but said nothing, waiting for me to continue. "Do you know where I can find Francis Hale?" I asked.

He paused, his face inscrutable as he stared at me. Finally, he said, "Yes."

"I was told he either knows where it is, or he actually possesses it."

"And who told you that?"

"I can't tell you."

"Hale is a dangerous vampire. He won't play your no-answer games, Stella."

"Will you take me to him?"

"I can't guarantee your protection."

"I can protect myself."

"Something only the foolhardy say. He is very old and a born killer. A master of my kind. You shouldn't forget that despite your interest in that thing you seek. I strongly suggest you think again before asking me to take you to him."

"It's vital I find the talisman. Étoile must have told you that."

"On the contrary, she said very little."

"I don't have a choice. I need it. Will you take me?"

"He is in the city. I can take you now, but like I said, I can't guarantee..."

"I know. You already said you can't guarantee my safety," I snapped. I relished the sudden thrill at knowing I might have another talisman in my hands shortly.

"But I'll try."

"I know you will. Étoile would never forgive you otherwise." I pushed off my chair, grabbing my jacket as I dropped to the floor. I slid my arms into the sleeves, wondering exactly what I was getting myself into before making my second breakout attempt from The Amethyst in one day. I was fairly sure I could trust Matthias, if only because Étoile would be furious if anything happened to me.

Matthias finally cracked a smile that revealed his very sharp teeth in a handsome mouth. "Very true."

Chapter Fourteen

Flying in the arms of a vampire is nothing like the movies. In a word, it is terrifying. And nothing like Superman effortlessly holding his girl as they soar through the clouds as while she gapes in silent admiration at the twinkling lights far below. Instead, it took a hell of a lot of pure effort not to swallow bugs while trying to breathe while having the air ripped from my lungs with the force of supernatural speed. I hoped Matthias would never ask me to fly with him again.

My knees shook as we touched down in a dark alleyway several miles from The Amethyst. I could just see the pointed top of the building through the alley before I had to bend down, grab my knees and suck in a lungful of garbage-tainted air. When I glanced up, Matthias looked amused. "Don't tell me Étoile enjoys this," I heaved, straightening to full height, my lungs slowly recovering from their ordeal.

"She loves flying."

"You're both nuts."

"It has been said before."

A rat scurried past my feet before disappearing under a dumpster, and I had to suppress a scream. I was pretty sure the rat would be the least of my worries today. "We're meeting him here?"

"No, in the park over there, but it's awkward to touch down in a park where humans might be watching. They don't take to flying vampires very well."

"I wonder why that is," I muttered under my breath, following Matthias as he turned on his heel, walking swiftly to the end of the alley. I had to hurry to keep up. When my boot squelched in something wet, I grimaced, but carried on.

The alley exited between two buildings. One housed a cafe — the sign on the door read “Closed” — and the other an Italian bakery. When I twisted my neck to look up, myriad apartments rose above me for five floors. The buildings were pretty and neatly kept, some lights on in intermittent windows, and I could hear a jazz tune playing somewhere. We crossed the road between parked cars, and walked into the park like two regular people. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Brooklyn."

"A master vampire lives in Brooklyn?"

"He has a vacation villa in Transylvania."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

Matthias laughed. "No. I wouldn't tell you where he lived even if I knew, but I do know he frequents this park in the early evenings, and I was told he would be here tonight."

"Is he going to be mad that we're surprising him?" I asked as I swallowed down a bitter gulp of fear. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea.

"He's expecting us."

"Oh." Matthias seemed to know his way around the park, and I followed him along several paths and around a small duck pond — no ducks to be seen — before passing a few chess tables. We only encountered one person riding a bike, but I had the distinct impression many eyes were on us, and had been since we entered the park.

"There," said Matthias softly as he tapped my arm and nodded towards a man sitting on a bench. "Remember what I told you."

"I will." I stepped forward. After a couple of paces, I realised Matthias hadn't moved. "Aren't you coming with me?" I asked, pausing for him to catch up.

"He prefers to speak with you alone. I will remain here."

"We're not alone, are we?" I asked, my voice as soft as his.

"No."

I turned, my eyes searching the park fruitlessly. Of course, I wouldn't see any vampires, not if they didn't want to be seen. They could be up in the trees, or the air, or moving so swiftly that my witch eyes couldn't track them. There were too few to comprise an army, I was sure of that, but too many to blindly assume this would be a simple meeting. I wondered why he thought he needed protection from me, or if that was how he always took his evening stroll.

"Miss Mayweather," he said when I reached him, as if he'd been waiting a long time. He moved his fingertips to the brim of his hat, tipping it towards me in an elegant, old-fashioned gesture. His suit was a three-piece, immaculate, expensive-looking, topped off with a silk pocket square in a blaze of pink.

"Mr. Hale," I replied, following his lead.

"You appear slightly ill-at-ease. Do I frighten you?"

Anyone whose first question is asking if he frightens me, should, reasonably, frighten me. However, I forced myself to glance casually toward the left and then the right as if I hadn't a care in the world. "Not at all," I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. Plus, I was bizarrely pleased to hear another English accent, although his had all the smoothness of an old-time movie star, which only added to his charm. "I was concerned that I might be upsetting your minions."

"Minions?" the old vampire hooted. "Oh, they won't like being called that. Rest assured, they are fine. Please sit. There is a blanket if you are cold."

"Thank you." I sat next to him, folding the blanket over the bench arm, puzzled at the strangely thoughtful offer.

"My...
minions
... are for my protection, Miss Mayweather. They are not here to harm or intimidate you. I do not believe you intend to cause me any harm."

I nodded. "I don't."

"Good. My young friend, Matthias, would not have brought you if you did. Nor would he survive if you should change your mind."

"If I should change my mind, I'll let him know to run first."

Mr. Hale let out another hoot of laughter. "Oh, you are an enigma, dear. Afraid, yet so brazen in confidence." He paused, turning his nose up to the air. "Can you smell that?"

I wondered if he was about to tell me he could smell fear, but just then, a delicate floral note drifted towards me. "What is that?" I asked, sniffing more rapidly.

"Night-blooming stocks. Delicious, aren't they? I compelled the gardener to introduce plants here that would be especially fragrant at night. It makes my evening strolls so very pleasant. But enough about me, to what do I owe the pleasure of your audience?"

"I was told to consult you."

"By whom?"

I hesitated, and even considering lying, but there didn't seem to be any point. "A horologican."

"Ahh, how fascinating. I haven't seen one for years. And it mentioned me?"

"Yes, it said you had something that I'm looking for."

"Even more intriguing. And you are here to ask for it?

"Yes."

"And presumably, this thing is worth something to you?"

"I don't know." Mr. Hale raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath, adding, "I don't think it has any financial value, per se. At least, not to me and I'm not interested in it for any kind of profit."

"And what if I am? You look surprised. Are you here to buy something? I can assure you I do not sell things like a common storekeeper. Or perhaps you want to ask if I even have this thing first before we barter? Tell me, dear, what is it?" He slid back his jacket and pulled on a chain, landing a shiny, gold pocketwatch in his palm. He checked the time, then snapped the lid shut. "I have other appointments I must attend to. A gala event and a spot of torture for a traitor. Do hurry. I detest being late."

I wanted to ask him if he were teasing me about not wanting to be late to torture some poor soul, but I was afraid he was probably being as truthful about the torture as he was about timekeeping. "I'm looking for a talisman," I began. "I don't know what it looks like, or what it is, only that you might have it."

"Go on, dear."

"It was probably made by a witch. A witch who made other talismans. I don't know whom she made it for originally, or why. It could have been a gift, or even a commission."

"You think I have this thing, this thing that you cannot describe? Because your horologican said so."

"A horologican is never wrong."

"They can be. They can only write the future the present path takes. If that path alters, so does the future."

"Yes, but it wasn't telling me about the future. It was telling me where the talisman is now."

"What, exactly, does the talisman mean to you?"

"I don't know."

"You seem very determined to have something without any reason why. I suspect something else. It's better to dispense with this pretense and simply tell me."

Footsteps made me look up, but instead of a vampire flying toward my neck, I saw a couple strolling past, hand-in-hand. Neither looked in our direction, but kept talking softly between themselves. I wondered if they could see us, or if the vampire used some kind of glamour to conceal us.

"You've heard about the imminent war with The Brotherhood?" I asked, veering towards the truth, if not exactly imparting all that I knew.

"Of course. We are all committed to eradicating that scum."

"The talisman could help with that."

"How?"

"I don't know." I felt lame repeating myself, but Mr. Hale quietly pondered my answer, apparently uninterested in me or my blood.

"I don't believe you are telling me the whole truth, yet I find you very convincing. Perhaps you cast a spell on me?"

Before I could open my mouth to protest that I wouldn't do that, Mr. Hale laughed. "Spells haven't touched me for decades. Tell me, Miss Mayweather, what would you offer in exchange for such a talisman?"

"Offer? I..." I faltered. I never even considered what he might want for it. I had a little money put away from my job, but I doubted that would be enough. I wondered if the Council would be willing to pay his price. "How much do you want?"

"Answering a question with a question isn't polite. Didn't anyone ever tell you that? No, dear, it isn't how much I want, it's more a case of what are you offering to trade?"

"I don't have much." I spread my hands, indicating that I hadn't brought anything with me. Not unless he wanted my jacket, but I felt almost a hundred percent sure it wasn't his style.

"Perhaps a favour. A favour for the loan of the talisman?"

"So you
do
know where it is!"

Mr. Hale smiled. "I believe I possess the item you seek. We are agreed per those terms?"

A favour? That didn't sound so bad. I couldn't think of what the vampire could possibly want from me in the future, but there wouldn't be much of a future if The Brotherhood weren't defeated, and for that, we needed to gain the upper hand. Only the talismans could give us that. Before I could think about it any further, I nodded. The vampire smiled, his brilliant white teeth peeking below his lips. He offered his hand and I shook it, trying not to react to the cold. Only it wasn't his coldness I felt, but the pressing of something small and metallic in the palm of my hand. Without letting go, he said, "Give it to Matthias when you are finished. He will know how to return it to me." His nostrils flared slightly as another waft of the fragrant blooms floated past us. Then, with a rustle of fallen leaves and a flash of a breeze, he was gone.

Unfolding my palm, I looked down at what the vampire gave me. It was a locket on a chain. I pushed at it with my finger. No, it wasn't a locket; it was a flat black enamel, or stone, edged in fine gold that curved at the sides before tapering down to a point. It looked a little bit like a crescent, and at one point was a diamond star, embedded in the black. More interestingly, it vibrated with magic.

Matthias was at my side in an instant. "And?" he pressed.

"He gave it to me. Well, he didn't give it. It's on loan."

"What did Hale want in return?"

"Nothing, really. Just a favour."

Matthias dropped onto the bench next to me, in the recently vacated spot. "You promised a favour to a vampire? To Francis Hale?"

"I didn't promise, but those were his terms. A favour for the loan of the pendant."

"You should never, ever agree to do anyone a favour, especially a vampire."

"Even you?"

"Even me. You do not know where, or when he will collect, nor at what cost to you."

I brushed away the chilliness of his words, refusing to admit how silly I'd been. I should have asked Matthias what pitfalls might occur during our meeting. Unfortunately, it was too late now. I owed a favour to a merciless vampire. "I'll have to deal with that when the time comes, I suppose."

"Étoile told me you weren't a fool, but I see now she was wrong. You shouldn't have done it. You should have summoned me. I could have negotiated something far less foreboding."

"He might never ask me for it."

"Mark my words, Stella, he will. It might not be tomorrow, or next week. He might wait fifty years before he calls it in. We have infinite life spans and can be very patient."

His words frightened me, but I couldn't dismiss them; not when I knew Matthias was right. Agreeing to a favour was an error in judgment, but I already made it, so I had to deal with it. The most important thing now was the small pendant lying in my palm. I found another talisman! I stood up, zipping my jacket to block out the night air. "Let's get out of here."

"Finally," grinned Matthias, "a very good decision."

~