Weber fired again, but the vampire leaped a hedge and ran around the building.
I thought about chasing after him, but the remaining hounds hadn’t given up along with their master. By the time Sindari and I finished them, leaving flesh and fur all over the parking lot, a distant splash reached our ears. The vampire swimming to the far side?
With the last of the cursed hounds dead, the parking lot fell silent, save for the hushed murmurs of people watching from the open door to the building.
“You’re death to dogs.” Weber looked around at the carnage. “I wish you’d gotten the vampire instead though.”
“If you’re going to get attacked by ten magical beings at once, maybe you should take on a couple more bodyguards.”
He pointed as he counted the heads of the fallen hounds. “Eleven.”
“What’s the deal with the vampire? I thought it was werewolves who were pissed at you?” I removed one of the magical collars that had cloaked the hounds from my senses, thinking Willard or Nin might be able to figure out who had made it. If Zoltan hadn’t been missing, I would have asked him.
“All of the magical community feel threatened by the app I’m working on.”
“Apparently so.” As I prowled, looking for other clues, I spotted one of the bullets that had bounced off the vampire’s armor. Still surprised the first one had hurt a nearly immortal undead being, I plucked it up to examine.
The tip, flattened from striking the armor, was made from metal, but the core of it was wood, wood with a couple of ancient vampire-hunting symbols carved into it. I’d seen them before. Magic imbued the wood to give it extra strength. I doubted the bullet could have killed a vampire—it was a far cry from a long wooden stake—but it had proven it could sting.
“Funny how you came armed specifically for vampires.” I held the bullet up between my fingers.
“Is it? I like to be prepared.”
“Want to tell me who else is likely to attack you this week? As your bodyguard, I think I have a right to know.”
“Nobody tomorrow. I’m going to stay at home.” He lifted a hand as his conveniently detained limo driver pulled into the lot, and waved him over. “So I won’t need your services.”
“What about the day after that?”
“Likely so. Keep your phone on so I can contact you as needed.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Do you no longer trust your employer? Sindari sat at my side.
I never did. You don’t give trust to random strangers, even the ones dropping wads of money in your lap. Especially the ones dropping wads of money in your lap.
I looked toward the water, wishing I’d thought to send Sindari off after the vampire before he’d disappeared. Maybe he could have caught him and I could have questioned him. Because I would dearly like to question a vampire right now.
14
The next morning, I was on the phone with Dimitri when I sensed Zav approaching my apartment. Dimitri hadn’t slept. He’d checked on Zoltan’s place, found him still missing, and then driven down to Beacon Hill with Gondo, hoping to get information from a vampire that supposedly lived in the basement of an abandoned building there.
“I sneaked in and poked around,” Dimitri said, “but couldn’t find him. I did see signs that he lived there, but the place was empty last night. I was hoping that if I could talk to some other vampires in the area, they’d know what happened to Zoltan.”
“I appreciate you wanting to find your friend and business partner, but you shouldn’t be sneaking into strange, potentially vampire-filled basements in the middle of the night. That’s a good way to get yourself killed.” I wished he’d told me about his plans. Even though I’d gotten back late from Weber’s shindig, I would have joined him.
“I wore my cervical collar and had backup.”
“That’s not going to do anything except keep your neck warm. And Gondo doesn’t count as backup. I’ll come over to the coffee shop later to help—this might be a good time to start questioning some of the customers.” I wanted to question Weber, who’d not only known that being attacked by a vampire was a possibility, but he’d deemed it more likely than a werewolf attack, at least judging by his bullet choice.
If I thought he would tell me the truth, I would consider doing it, even if it lost me the job, but I doubted he would. Too bad Zav couldn’t read his thoughts, or I could ask him to question Weber.
Maybe it was time to ask Weber if he wanted me to do that security survey of his house the assistant had mentioned. That would give me an opportunity to snoop while I offered advice and played the role of loyal employee. He might be more likely to open up to a loyal employee than a sarcastic one who kept peppering him with questions. Too bad I was better at the latter role than the former.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to interrogate your customers,” Dimitri said.
“Just slip something in their coffee to make them chatty.”
“Like what?”
“Whatever you give the goblins.”
“They seem to be naturally chatty.”
Zav was arrowing toward the rooftop, so I wrapped up the conversation. “Just wait for me before getting into any more trouble. I’ll help you. Whatever is going on with Zoltan could be linked to the rest of the missing vampires and my new employer.”
After hanging up, I checked my messages to see if Willard had replied yet. I’d sent her a report covering the attack at the yacht club and done my best to describe the vampire. I was hoping she could identify him and had uncovered more information on what was going on with the vampires of Seattle. Nothing yet.
I have acquired scones, Zav spoke into my mind from the rooftop.
Good. Did you manage to land without smashing any deck chairs?
A landing pad is not the appropriate location to place flimsy wooden chairs.
It’s not a landing pad, and I’ll take that for a no. I’ve seen you shift forms right as you alight in tight spots. What’s the deal with the deck?
There is no deal.
I’m beginning to think you like the way they crunch under your butt. Maybe it was the dragon equivalent of popping bubble wrap.
The balcony door slid open with a gust of wind that nearly tore the curtains off the rod. Zav strode inside, his robe flapping around his ankles, and the gold medallion he sometimes wore glowing on his chest.
“Making a dramatic entrance, I see.”
After the curtains settled, I noticed two more things. First off, Zav was carrying a large white paper bag bulging with scones. Second, he’d refined his foot attire. He still wore the Birkenstock sandals, but now he’d added white socks. I decided not to make matters worse by telling him that look wasn’t trendy.
“Dragons are dramatic by nature,” Zav said.
The balcony door slid shut, seemingly by itself.
“No kidding.”
“I have your baked goods.” Zav lifted the bag. “Will you now agree to listen in rapt attention?”
“Yes, I will.” I checked my phone one last time for updates, then flipped it to silent so I wouldn’t be tempted to break my word to him. It wasn’t until he handed me the bag and I set out plates for the two of us at the peninsula counter that it occurred to me to ask, “Where did you get the scones?”
I hadn’t forgotten that dragons didn’t have money, but it hadn’t been on my mind the night before when I’d suggested that he bring food. I also hadn’t truly thought he would do it. Instead, I’d expected him to say that grocery shopping was too menial an activity for dragons.
“After researching what they were and where they could be acquired, I went to a bakery and selected them, as well as fish for myself.” He pointed to several pouches of smoked salmon that had also been in the bag.
Smoked salmon wasn’t cheap, and I took out a pen and a pad of paper, then perched on the stool opposite him instead of beside him. Sitting side by side seemed dangerous, like it would lead to me leaning against his shoulder and having the randy thoughts I’d promised him I wouldn’t have.
“Which bakery? I assume you haven’t gotten a job and earned money since the last time we talked, so I need to send the owner a check, right?”
“A check?” Zav arched his eyebrows and drew a checkmark in the air, his magic making a glowing line visible for a moment.
“A check is… complicated. Let’s just say I’m prepared to send the owner some money. Was there a receipt, by chance?” I peered into the bag. My stomach grumbled at the delightful sight and smell of freshly baked blueberry and raspberry scones—oh, and some of them were even frosted. I didn’t see a receipt.
Zav gave me the name of the bakery and said, “There is no need to pay.”
“You already paid? Or bartered something?” I couldn’t imagine what he would have bartered. For that matter, where had he gotten those socks?
“I told the merchant what I wanted, and she gave the items to me.”
“Because you threatened her?”
“No, because I am a dragon and most members of lesser species seek to please me.” His narrowed eyes suggested he felt I should work harder to do that myself. Fat chance.
I tallied the number of scones and packets of salmon and made a note to check the bakery’s website later to see if the prices were listed there. I also made a note not to ask Zav to bring me things anymore.
He was watching and frowned. “You are making calculations and plans for payment? This is not necessary. I assisted her with a problem, and she was very eager to give these items to me. She said they were on the house. Which I did not understand because it was not a house, nor was there anything on the roof, but she assured me I did not need to pay.”
“What problem?”
“Vandalism. When I arrived, she was out front attempting to remove an uncouth graffito from her wall with an ineffective scrub brush. I incinerated the paint as well as the grime embedded in the brick. In addition, I repaired a sign that was supposed to light up but had a short-circuit.”