Julian leaned back in his chair and looked intently at the pale, lanky man across the desk from him. "What's the matter, Daedalus?"
Even though they were close friends, it was rare for the Nosferatu Primogen to come above ground. Daedalus had long ago accepted his fate and was content to remain underground. His sudden request for a meeting could only mean that something important was going on. Fortunately Julian was free anyway, so he welcomed the elder vampire without delay. The look on his disfigured face told him that he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear. He had already argued with Sasha earlier in the day, so his mood was already ruined at least. All he could do now was sit back and wait to find out what his latest headache would be. It was just one of those days.
"I feel...a great threat is coming." the old Nosferatu began slowly, "When I sleep I have dreams of two wolf packs fighting in the jungle. It's an extremely bloody battle and many on both sides die."
Julian listened then gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Go on."
"I'm concerned, because these dreams are recurring and very vivid. I would have told you earlier, but I wanted to be sure." Daedalus continued, "I'm sure it means something. One of the wolf packs was grey and the other was black. The moon in the sky was blood red. I have a terrible feeling about what this could mean."
Julian closed his eyes for a moment and sighed heavily, "You think there may be Sabbat in the city, don't you?"
Daedalus replied with an emphatic nod and said, "I'm afraid so. Frank has already told us that two teenage girls have gone missing in the past week. If there is a Sabbat pack here, that would be a reasonable kill for them."
"It would be." Julian agreed reluctantly. He hated the idea that the old vampire's dreams meant what they seemed, but over the years he had learned to trust in the Alchemist's visions. Daedalus was an accomplished Mage. When he had dreams this strong, they always foreshadowed something that would soon happen...usually something bad.
"The thing I can't figure out is the ending." Daedalus continued, "In the end of the dream a white tiger comes out of nowhere and helps the grey wolves defeat the black ones."
Julian paused to think for a minute then suggested, "An unexpected ally, perhaps?"
"I think so. The tiger turns the tide of the battle then walks away with the grey wolves." Daedalus concludes before standing from his seat. "I will see what else I can glean, but for now this is all I have."
"I appreciate your insight, Daedalus." Julian stood and extended a hand toward him. "I'll put my enforcers on alert. If you see anything further, let me know immediately."
Daedalus gave a solemn nod then turned on his heels and headed out the door, closing it behind him.
Julian tapped the end of his pen against the top of his large cherry desk and frowned. The Sabbat had been growing in numbers and were becoming more and more brazen with every passing year. If they were in his city, it would indeed end in a bloodbath. They were like animals...no conscience, no discretion, no honor. You couldn't reason with them. You could only kill them. That was the only way to keep the Masquerade and the city safe. He needed to call Cash. There was hunting to be done.
At that same moment, Cassandra Erikson was standing behind the counter, her mahogany eyes giving her new store's layout.a final appraisal. It had taken her a week to get the shelves and displays set up, but it looked good. She had finally accomplished her goal of opening her own shop, one that serious occultists could feel good about coming to. There were no Satanic knick-knacks or cheap spellbooks here. Everything was premium quality, and the items were separated in a unique way...by magical path. She had never seen it done before, but to her, it made sense. It was the way she would like to have seen shops set up. She wanted to have something for everyone, but until she had established a client base, she would keep her inventory basic. Surely the Wiccan merchandise was a keeper, but since she herself was new to San Francisco, she had no clue how many Graeco-Roman, Egyptian, Santeria, Celtic and Norse practitioners were around. Time would reveal which traditions would earn permanent space in the store. For now, she wanted to offer a little from all of the popular paths.
Today had been a good opening day. Almost everyone who came in bought something, and everyone seemed to like the layout. Once they knew where their section was, they went right to what they needed. She was tired, but happy. Now there was only a half hour left before closing, then she would reward herself with a nice hot bath infused with rose and chamomile. That and a hot cup of Sleepytime tea would be the perfect ending to the day.
Suddenly her train of thought was broken by the jingling on the bells that hung from the front door. A nicely dressed young woman with dark, curly hair walked in and immediately approached her, handing her a written list. "Hi. I'd like these items please if you have them."
Cassandra glanced over the list then gave the woman a curious look, "I'm sorry, but I only have about half of these ingredients. Alchemy isn't exactly a well-known practice."
"It's for a friend of mine." the woman explained, "I told him I'd pick these up since I would be in the area."
"I'll give you what I can. Tell your friend if he promises to be a regular customer, I can have everything else in about a week." Cassandra replied politely.
The woman nodded. "I'll tell him that. Thank you."
The woman stood quietly as the counter as Cassandra gathered the items on the list that she had available. This was a pretty large order. Whoever her friend was, he was obviously a serious magicians. She'd never actually met an Alchemist. It was for all she knew a dead practice. Surely this wasn't the last surprise this city held for her. The entire area was seething with psychic energy. It felt heavy at times, almost overwhelming. It would take some getting used to.
Once she had everything, Cassandra went back to the counter and added up the price on the cash register. "I'd like to meet your friend sometime." she told the woman, "I've heard of Alchemy but I've never met anyone who actually practices it."
"Unfortunately that won't be possible." the woman replied nervously, "Truth be told, he has a syndrome that affected his appearance."
"I'm so sorry." Cassandra apologized, "That's none of my business."
The woman smiled pleasantly and replied, "Don't worry about it. He's a real sweetheart, but he never comes out. I help take care of him."
"That's very noble of you." Cassandra commented as she handed the bag to her, "Tell your friend I'll be happy to stock what he needs. Come back next Friday and the merchandise should be here."
The woman politely thanked her then headed out the door. Cassandra followed her and looked out the large glass window for a minute before turning the door sign over to "Closed". She was definitely not in Kentucky anymore.