Chapter Ten

Rookery's curt words on the other end of the line immediately promted Aila to hang up, sling the duffel bag on the carpet next to an arm chair over her shoulder, and turn to her guests. "Go home," she said.

"What?" Von asked.

"Go. It's not safe fer yae. Somethin's happened, and yae need tae go home."

"What happened?"

"Jus' go." Aila opened the door to the room and stepped aside. "C'mon. I havenae got all day."

"Gregory, take the kids and go," Von said, and before Gregory could protest, he pushed him out the door. The younger humans followed. Von flicked his wrist at the door, which slammed shut despite Aila's hold on the knob. "I want to come with you."

"Why? Yae know Rookery's gonnae try tae kill yae."

"It doesn't matter. I've heard enough to know that this is worse than anything you've encountered before. I want to come with you."

"Dae yae have any idea what he's goin' tae say tae me if he sees us?"

Von closed his eyes and tilted his head to one side for a moment. "I have an idea."

"Sae don't do it."

"I don't mean to be pushy, really, I don't, but do you understand that this is a serious matter?"

"Yes, I do understand. Every case is serious tae us, sae let me work."

"Rookery's tone was enough to tell me this isn't a normal case."

"The reason I'm down here is enough fer me tae know this isn't a normal case."

Von sighed. "If you ever need me, whistle."

In that instant, all tension and anger left Aila's body. "What?" she asked, creasing her brow.

"Do you know how?"

"Is there a specific way?"

Von whistled an etherial note that seemed to want to endure as long as possible. Aila attempted an imitation, though it took her a few attempts to get it right. "I'll let you leave now. You don't want to be late." She nodded and walked out the door.

TLV

"Alright, what've we got?" Aila asked as she descended the steps. Rookery turned toward her, but the neon cross hovered over the body. She walked up to him, and he turned his head back toward the corpse. She studied the form in the tattered suit, with two bite marks, almost gashes, in his neck and his eyes frozen open in a final, terrifed stare. The jaw hung slack, revealing a gleaming white fang.

"Lord McAshton," Rookery said. He tried to sound professional, but Aila could tell he was choking slightly on his own words.

"The late lord."

"Aye."

"Killed by another vampire. This is an unusual case."

"Well, how do we determine which vampire killed him?"

"Obviously it's someone who had a claim tae the top spot in vampire world. That's thae only reason I can think of why another vampire would be killed." Rookery gave her a sidelong glance and raised an eyebrow, but Aila continued to study the victim. "We can always ask around, see what thae townsfolk know about thae situation, make sure no one gets hurt and thae like. That may be our best bet."

"If they can't tell us?"

"Believe me, I know someone who can tell us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive."

Rookery straightened, his cross still trained on the dead body of the vampire Lord McAshton. "And if a vampire killed another vampire, or anyone, I think I know where he'd be. Where they all go to celebrate a kill," Rookery said, switching the cross off. Aila found the sudden darkness to be unnerving. He turned and walked up the stairs, and she rushed after him, eager for the light of the foyer.

TLV

Gregory, Tony, Anna, and Rudolph were three-fourths of the way across the square when the sound of footsteps made Gregory and then the others turn. Von hurried across the cobblestones toward them, and in a matter of seconds he was beside them. "She has a strong will," he said.

"Don't tell me you like her already," Gregory said.

"Give it a rest," Rudolph added. "It's been three hundred years."

"He spent most of that time lying next to Elizabeth, mind you," Anna said.

"My love life is my business, thank you very much," Von said. "Point being, I am a little worried about her. I can tell she can handle herself quite well, and I won't meddle, typically because that gets me in trouble. Either way, this is bigger than either her or her hunter uncle understand. It's also consididerably more dangerous."

"Hasn't she trained for this her whole life, this Aila?" Rudolph asked. "She certainly looks it."

"I can only assume so, and we'll need all the help we can get."

Von fell half a pace behind the humans as they finished crossing the square. He looked over his shoulder at McAshton Castle, where Rookery's truck was still parked. What on Earth was going on up there? he wondered. "You four go on," he said. He turned and walked back across the square without making a sound.

Carefully, he stepped up the hill, taking the greatest care with his movements to remain completely silent. He could hear voices even from half-way down the hill, talking in hushed tones about a body in the cellar.

He quickened his pace and reached the path without incident. Now the question became how to get around the truck and into the cellar while escaping notice.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose. While the stench of garlic almost made him gag, he focused on the smell of death and followed it around to the side of the castle. Gingerly, he loosened the catch on the window and slipped inside, re-fastening the catch behind him. From the dining room he had entered, he could see Rookery and the new Lord McAshton discussing the issue of the body.

"Well, what am I to do?" the lord asked. "What am I to say? The whole town already believes him to be dead."

"They believe him to be a vampire," Rookery replied. "You can prove to the world that he really is dead. Your position will still stand."

"You think all I care about is my position?"

"Quite frankly, yes."

The lord huffed and straightened, though Von wouldn't have thought it possible, and tilted his nose in the air. "I want you to get these vampires out of my town, Rookery. Every last one of the filthy things. Then we'll talk about you and your little assistant leaving, too. How does that sound?"

"My 'assistant' has a name," Rookery hissed, "and until we understand and eliminate this threat in the most effective manner possible, we will not be leaving." Rookery stuck a cigar in is mouth and lit it, puffing a few times. "And as to the matter of the body in your cellar, you know as well as I it will be sent to the coroner, who is already familiar with the circumstances of the other victims. That puts poor, inexperienced, naive you in the center of a vampire investigation. Do you really want me gone for that?"

"There will be no such investigation, not as long as I see to it."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Rookery puffed on his cigar, and Von felt with his mind, finding Aila pacing back and forth in front of the door to the cellar, either keeping watch or trying to process what had just happened. "There's a whole 'nother world out there, and they're starting to figure out where to look for it."

Something in Rookery's words made Von jerk involuntarily. His hand hit the counter, attracting the attention of both men. Rookery stormed into the dining room, brandishing the neon cross, and Von stumbled back in an attempt to avoid it.

Aila ran into the dining room, and at the first available opportunity she placed herself between Rookery and Von, her hands up. Von froze, Rookery narrowed his eyes, and Aila looked between the two of them, waiting for Rookery to lower the cross. He did precisely the opposite-she was suddenly yanked back and into the table, and Rookery pushed his way past her toward Von. Aila got to her feet and shoved Rookery as hard as she could. His shoulder slammed into the counter, and she stepped in front of Von.

Rookery pushed himself to his feet and stumbled a couple steps. "What are you doing?" he spat.

"We've got bigger fish tae fry than Von," she replied. "Remember, there's a body in the cellar."

"How do we know he's not the one that got to him?"

"He was with me thae whole time."

Rookery sneered. "Somehow that makes him worse."

"Will yae stop?"

"Sympathizer," he hissed, tossing her aside once more. Von stepped forward, and Rookery flew back into the wall.

"Drop that cross," Von said in a low voice. The cross slipped out of Rookery's hand. He tried to get up, but Von said, "Stay where you are." He approached the hunter slowly, and Aila propped herself up on her elbows to watch. "Do you value your life?" Rookery nodded. "Touch her in anger again and you will lose it." Rookery struggled to his feet, but an unseen force kept him on the floor, staring up at Von. "Do you understand me?" Rookery nodded. "Good."

Von lowered himself to the floor, and Aila pulled herself to her feet. He turned toward her and held one of his hands out. She stepped back and walked out into the foyer. She walked out the front door and was slightly past Rookery's truck when she heard the front door open and close again. She turned, took a few steps back, and studied Von. "What?" she asked. "Wannae protect people? That it?"

"That was how we were raised. It's chivalrous."

"In case yae hadn't noticed, I can handle myself."

"I'm very well aware of the fact. I can tell as much by looking at you. People need a little assistance sometimes, is all."

"And you don't?"

"Oh, believe me, I do."

"With what?"

"With becoming human again. I need assurance for three hundred years that the stone is going to be safe. I need a human family to help protect it. I might need help finding food, or recovering from an attack."

"Alright, alright, shut up. I get it."

"Do you? Because I don't see any sign of you admitting to your fears and inadequacies."

"Because I can't," she yelled suddenly. Her arms fell to her sides and she bowed her head. "It's an embarrassing secret that we don't dare discuss."

"I understand."

"Good."

Von let out a breath. "I'm sorry I intervened," he said. "I'm sorry I caused you trouble or harm. I swear that it will never happen again." He turned and disappeared. Aila glanced at the front door and walked down the path to McAshtonland proper. To the motel.