war since 1329 when the two sides nearly annihilated each other.”
“But why pick on Andreas? He hasn’t been involved in their war.”
“How would any witch over here know that?” Ari shrugged. “It’s just one theory. I’m not ruling out anything.” She stopped in the center of the room. “I can’t pick up a magical trail strong enough to follow.” It had been too long since the attack. She also didn’t feel that tiny void that accompanied every Otherworld death. So no one had died here. That was remarkable, considering all the blood. She tucked Andreas’s scarf in her pocket before reaching down with one finger to touch a splatter and bring the sample to her nose. “Werebears.”
“Bears? How would they get in?” Lilith demanded. “The door was still sealed.”
“They don’t live in the area,” Samuel said. “There’s not enough cover for even a pair of creatures that large to hide and feed.”
“Somebody teleported them. That’s the trace of black magic I felt. Residue from a teleportation spell.” She turned to Andreas’s local staff who had hung back near the doorway. “Where is the nearest bear country, dense forests and mountains?”
“North, in Austria or Switzerland,” one of them said.
Samuel cleared his throat. “How far can they transport? The Black Forest in Germany must be filled with bears.” He exchanged a significant look with her.
Crap. O-Seven territory. Yes, that would fit, except—Andreas wasn’t dead. Had he escaped and gone into hiding, or had he been kidnapped? Neither answer made sense.
“If they came from that far, they’d still need a local stop. No one could do a teleport and return with an unwilling captive without renewing their magic.”
“So they’ve taken him somewhere local?”
Ari shook her head. “I don’t know yet, Lilith. Just thinking out loud.”
She closed her eyes and centered herself. Now that she knew what to look for, she wanted to try reaching out into the surrounding countryside with her own version of Spidey senses. Maybe she could pick up the scent of werebear or the location of a teleport circle. Her magic spread out around her in increasing circles. The same faint trace of dark spellcraft came back to tickle her senses, but not enough to follow.
Lilith shifted her feet in impatience. “Well?”
“No go. The sorcerer was careful. I’ll walk around outside, see if I can find anything, but I’m not counting on the teleport circle being close by. More likely a mile or two away. Maybe more. Outside my immediate sensory range.”
She left the room, heading down the stairs to the front door. Everyone followed, but she waved them off except for Samuel.
Lilith took the hint. “I’ll get us settled in and take a quick shower.” The weretiger guards grabbed their own bags and went off to find their accommodations. Andreas’s staff scattered.
Once Ari was alone with Andreas’s security chief, she looked him in the eye. “So, explain how this happened.”
He returned her gaze without flinching. “I’d been away for the evening, visiting relatives. Andreas planned to go over the estate books and was in the study when I left, about nine o’clock. I returned around 2:00 a.m., and he’d already gone to his room. It looked like he’d taken some of the books with him, and I found them beside his bed the next afternoon. Anyway, I checked that night to make sure his bedroom door was secured. I knocked, and he said, ‘Goodnight.’”
“Was that his usual routine?”
“Yes. We often turn off the downstairs lights after midnight to make the casa look more natural. So neighbors won’t think it’s odd for him to stay up every night.”
“I still can’t believe they don’t know he’s a vampire.” She frowned. “So how did he sound? Are you positive it was his voice?”
“Just like normal. I’d swear to it.” Samuel looked away. “After that, I went to bed and slept through whatever happened.”
“And your
“But why pick on Andreas? He hasn’t been involved in their war.”
“How would any witch over here know that?” Ari shrugged. “It’s just one theory. I’m not ruling out anything.” She stopped in the center of the room. “I can’t pick up a magical trail strong enough to follow.” It had been too long since the attack. She also didn’t feel that tiny void that accompanied every Otherworld death. So no one had died here. That was remarkable, considering all the blood. She tucked Andreas’s scarf in her pocket before reaching down with one finger to touch a splatter and bring the sample to her nose. “Werebears.”
“Bears? How would they get in?” Lilith demanded. “The door was still sealed.”
“They don’t live in the area,” Samuel said. “There’s not enough cover for even a pair of creatures that large to hide and feed.”
“Somebody teleported them. That’s the trace of black magic I felt. Residue from a teleportation spell.” She turned to Andreas’s local staff who had hung back near the doorway. “Where is the nearest bear country, dense forests and mountains?”
“North, in Austria or Switzerland,” one of them said.
Samuel cleared his throat. “How far can they transport? The Black Forest in Germany must be filled with bears.” He exchanged a significant look with her.
Crap. O-Seven territory. Yes, that would fit, except—Andreas wasn’t dead. Had he escaped and gone into hiding, or had he been kidnapped? Neither answer made sense.
“If they came from that far, they’d still need a local stop. No one could do a teleport and return with an unwilling captive without renewing their magic.”
“So they’ve taken him somewhere local?”
Ari shook her head. “I don’t know yet, Lilith. Just thinking out loud.”
She closed her eyes and centered herself. Now that she knew what to look for, she wanted to try reaching out into the surrounding countryside with her own version of Spidey senses. Maybe she could pick up the scent of werebear or the location of a teleport circle. Her magic spread out around her in increasing circles. The same faint trace of dark spellcraft came back to tickle her senses, but not enough to follow.
Lilith shifted her feet in impatience. “Well?”
“No go. The sorcerer was careful. I’ll walk around outside, see if I can find anything, but I’m not counting on the teleport circle being close by. More likely a mile or two away. Maybe more. Outside my immediate sensory range.”
She left the room, heading down the stairs to the front door. Everyone followed, but she waved them off except for Samuel.
Lilith took the hint. “I’ll get us settled in and take a quick shower.” The weretiger guards grabbed their own bags and went off to find their accommodations. Andreas’s staff scattered.
Once Ari was alone with Andreas’s security chief, she looked him in the eye. “So, explain how this happened.”
He returned her gaze without flinching. “I’d been away for the evening, visiting relatives. Andreas planned to go over the estate books and was in the study when I left, about nine o’clock. I returned around 2:00 a.m., and he’d already gone to his room. It looked like he’d taken some of the books with him, and I found them beside his bed the next afternoon. Anyway, I checked that night to make sure his bedroom door was secured. I knocked, and he said, ‘Goodnight.’”
“Was that his usual routine?”
“Yes. We often turn off the downstairs lights after midnight to make the casa look more natural. So neighbors won’t think it’s odd for him to stay up every night.”
“I still can’t believe they don’t know he’s a vampire.” She frowned. “So how did he sound? Are you positive it was his voice?”
“Just like normal. I’d swear to it.” Samuel looked away. “After that, I went to bed and slept through whatever happened.”
“And your
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