The young woman bent over and picked up a small card from the side of Eloim’s coffin. After quickly looking at it, she held it up. “This is what was used to open the portal that your vampire disappeared through. It is infused with dark power.”
“Can we open the portal again witch?” Polly asked, but the woman shook her head.
“The spell was engraved onto the card but it burnt out when it was used. I cannot read the symbols to reactivate it, the card is useless. I can create a search stone but you will need to be close to your target for it to activate and guide you.”
Polly pulled out her mobile phone and pressed redial, she waited a moment. “Nothing from the witch Mum, the only lead we have is from my phone call to him. The succubus from the ballroom has disappeared without trace; JC and Valador are cracking heads now to try to find her. We will need permission from the werewolves to enter Romania to go get him, can you get it?” Polly listened for a while before she hung up and cursed.
“The werewolves have refused to allow us to enter their lands?” Gary asked.
Polly nodded. “We don’t have enough proof he’s been taken into their lands, if we go after him it’s an act of war.”
“Dad has ordered a helicopter to be fuelled and waiting on the roof,” Gary said. “I’m sure you will avoid leaving any witnesses.”
“Serenyty, gather up a hit squad, we take silver weapon experts only. The last thing we need is someone slipping and getting a silver burn,” Polly said to her sister who stood in the doorway.
“Any werewolves that get in our way will be yelping all the way back to their dens.”
Polly turned back to the witch. “That search stone would come in handy.”
Twenty minutes later, Polly left her room having changed into her more accustomed hunting clothes and walked down the corridor. Serenyty fell in beside her, handing her a large bag.
“I packed you a sword, throwing stars and a small crossbow, the others are waiting on the roof,” Serenyty said.
“Thanks, we have an hour till sunrise so we’re headed to the Charles de Gaulle airport. There we have a plane headed for Turkey that will make an emergency landing at Belgrade, where we get off. Then we go by truck and will be in Tutana by nightfall, ready to start searching for Eloim. Who did you pick to come with us?” Polly asked as they entered the lift that would take them up to the roof.
“Just the usual bunch of vicious killers, everyone wanted a chance to go up against the werewolves again so there’s a few disappointed at being left out.” Serenyty replied trying to hide her excitement at the mission ahead.
“What about them wanting to get Eloim back?” Polly asked.
“Well it would be nice to not have to lock up our boots,” Serenyty said with a grin that Polly didn’t return. “Joking, don’t worry; we’ll pull that place apart until we find him.”
Eloim sat and watched as the two brothers edged further into the room. The one called Dragos held out the crucifix in front of him in a shaking hand.
“Would you mind putting that cross down, it’s giving me a headache? And then you can tell me why I’m here,” Eloim said in a polite tone.
“Be silent fiend, you are our prisoner,” Dragos said, trying to sound more confident than he was.
“Am I?”
With lightning speed, Eloim launched himself at Dragos and snatched the cross from his hand before pushing him back into his brother with such force that they both ended up in a heap on the floor. Eloim ginned at the terrified brothers as the crucifix, still in his hand, burst into flames and he let it drop to the floor.
“No vampire has set foot in Romania for over a hundred years, something to do with werewolves,” Eloim said and then paused as he tried to remember Amanda’s lessons on recent history. “Yep, I’m sure it’s werewolves. Anyway if you want to keep that blood of yours inside you and not inside me, you’d better start talking.”
To be continued.