XIII

After Dreyon's shower, they got ready. Ellis, Serena, and Dreyon quickly packed some supplies, while Sam, who was already prepared, waited for them. Ellis stuffed two extra shirts and one thin pair of yoga pants into her backpack, along with a few packets of blood sealed carefully in a little box, for snacks and emergencies. She also got an umbrella, her kindle, her phone, and after a moment of hesitation, a teeny tiny bottle of whiskey which she kept with the blood. When she was done, she waited with Sam for Dreyon and Serena.

Once they were all ready, they headed out.

"Where are we going?" Serena asked.

"To… Magnon, that's his name, right?" Sam said. "The guy who does your ink?"

"Yep," Ellis confirmed.

"Well, Rose has been part of many clans, so she's probably visited him quite a few times. She might have told him some information or asked for some advice… I'm sure he'll know something." Sam said.

It made sense. They headed down into the subway station, which was nearly deserted, hopping quickly onto the train. For the first time in forever, Ellis finally got a seat on the plastic chairs built into the walls.

The trip was very quick and uneventful, but filled with chatter and conversations. Dreyon was livid that he had absolutely no idea that his best friend was a werewolf, and Serena was very interested in how a werewolf worked. They spent the entire ride drilling Sam about werewolf-y habits, routines, and even some questions that made Sam splutter and leap to the other side of carriage. Ellis was slightly proud that she was the one who asked that one question.

When they arrived, they were breathless with laughter, stumbling down the streets like drunks, but once Magnon's shop came into view, they sobered up quickly.

Ellis knocked on the door, and after a moment, it opened to reveal a slightly sleepy Stone.

"Hey," Stone said, leading them inside. "How are you guys? Here to see Magnon?"

The interior was exactly the same as the last time they visited – with its random assortment of trinkets and toys. They took a seat on the couch, squeezing together. Stone snapped his fingers, and six teacups appeared before them, filled to the brim with fragrant Darjeeling tea. After another snap, a massive plate of tiny tarts appeared, some of them filled with blood jam, and a few with regular strawberry.

"Nice!" Ellis exclaimed.

Stone grinned with pride. "Took me a long time, but I got it."

Ellis reached for a tart immediately, along with Dreyon and Serena. However, Sam picked one up and sniffed it carefully before taking a bite, because "Right now, the worst thing that can happen is me taking a bite of your blood stuff."

Stone vanished into the back room to fetch Magnon, who came out and greeted them warmly before taking a seat. The six of them huddled around the coffee table, a little cramped, but still very cozy.

Ellis finished off her tart. "Magnon, we're really sorry about coming here so late and all, but we kind of need your help."

"Who doesn't?" Magnon said, but not unkindly.

"Have you ever heard of someone called Rose?" Sam asked.

Magnon stiffened.

"She's in danger," Sam said immediately. "We need to find her, to get her to a safer place, because the vampire clans are hunting her down. She has the power to…"

"I know," Magnon said, his voice hard. "I know who she is."

"Great!" Sam said. "So you understand why she is…"

"I know," Magnon snapped. "I won't help you."

Silence settled over the group. Sam's face was frozen in shock, and Stone's face was frozen in a wince. Dreyon's and Serena's expressions weren't much better, and Ellis could only imagine how hideous she must look right now.

"Why not?" Serena said, her sweet little voice cutting through the silence.

"Don't get me wrong," Magnon's face softened. "Ellis and Serena, you are both very good girls, very kind and strong, but please understand that I can't simply give away Rose's location whenever I want to. I trust you, but not enough for me to tell you a secret as big as this."

Ellis nodded in understanding. She was close to Magnon, but not that close. Despite everything, she did have to stamp down a little twinge of hurt.

"Please," Sam said. "You might not trust us enough, but the lives of thousands of people are in danger, and… well… we can't just sit down here and do nothing!"

"Magnon," Dreyon said. Everyone stilled, glancing at him. "Magnon, I'm a Nightwalker. I was a Nightwalker, and I know my father. I know the clan. You think you know us, but in reality, you have no idea. They see Rose as a weapon, and if that weapon is ever used, it could literally wipe out every vampire in the world. I know that you don't care about us, but when all of us end up slaughtered around you, you're going to have to sit down and deal with the guilt that you could have stopped it, but you didn't, for all eternity."

The silence that followed was painful. Dreyon's face was a cold mask, and darkness seemed to radiate from him in waves. Magnon's face was frigid, which was no surprise, since Dreyon who was a thousand years younger had just scolded him, but there was no anger in his eyes. There was just a whole lot of sadness.

"I've seen a lot of people – people filled with personalities bright enough to challenge the sun, and people with so little emotion they're no better than the vegetables we eat – but nobody could quite match you," Magnon said at last. He took out a pen and scribbled something on a sheet of paper, handing it to Ellis. Ellis glanced down quickly, seeing an address, and quickly stuffed it into her pocket.

"Rose has a guardian – my niece, Aafje." Magnon said. "Show her the note, and she'll know what to do."

"Thank you," Ellis managed. "Magnon, I'm so sorry, I…"

Magnon held up a hand. "Go now, and don't bother me again."

Everyone quickly moved out of the shop, but Ellis hesitated. It was literally like a physical blow, of Magnon banishing them from his home. Yes, they might have gotten the address for Rose, but at the same time… the cost of Magnon's friendship might not have been worth it at all.

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