Read Online Prague Murder by Amanda A. Allen - Free Book Online Page B

way,” Carol said. She nodded covertly to a little door hidden in the shadows. “It’s different than the one leading into the cell.”
    “What cell?”
    “Where the Presidium fellows are interviewing people.”
    “Why is it a cell? There aren’t any bars. It’s just a tiny room.”
    “That’s what they called the rooms where nuns used to live. A small, bare room to turn your mind towards God.”
    Emily imagined it up and then shuddered. “That sounds horrible. I am definitely not devoted enough to anything to decide to live in a closet.”
    “Well…” Carol mused and then shrugged. Maybe she agreed. Maybe she was distracted. But she didn’t expand on what she had started to say.
    They walked together towards the door that was inset rather than flush with the wall and Carol looked around while Emily checked to see if it was locked.
    It was not.
    She slid it open and the two of them made their way into another hall. This one held several doors, but one was open with a light on.
    They smiled at one another in triumph and eased forward towards the light while not making a sound.
    “I can smell you,” Igor the Vampire said.
    “Oh my gosh,” Carol said. “I almost had a heart attack.”
    “You need to live near Ingrid. She’ll teach you to be afraid of nothing but fire. Once you are randomly set on fire, a little noise? No big deal.” Emily’s voice was dry and she could see the utter lack of belief on both Igor the Vampire’s face and Carol’s.
    “That doesn’t sound better,” Igor the Vampire said. “Why does she set you on fire?”
    “She doesn’t mean too. She’s just really bad at magic. Hey, where did you go?”
    Igor looked at her and then the room.
    “Oh, duh. You went here. What the what? You can’t just disappear when the rest of us have to linger around wondering who is going to die next.”
    Igor cleared his perfectly chocolate throat. “Well…”
    “It’s the blood isn’t it?” Carol moved forward and laid a hand on Igor. “You are kind of cold.”
    “Vampires run a lower body temperature,” Igor said. “Why is the normal type here? Did you tell her I was a vampire?”
    “Why was she on the tour?”
    “Meredith messed up,” Igor said.
    “Who is Meredith,” Emily asked, scowling at him.
    “She’s the lovely girl who sold us our tickets,” Carol said. “She’s from Austria and speaks four languages. She’s one of seven children. I have seven children, so we chatted for a while.”
    “Obviously not about magic,” Emily said. “Since you’re a normal chick on a magic tour of Prague.”
    “She gave them the wrong tickets and starting place. She’s been having a hard time lately,” Igor said. “I was going to try to roll with it since she’s already in trouble with our boss.”
    His face said something else when he talked of her though. But he looked around as he said as if to make sure no one else knew that he, what? Had feelings for her?
    “That’s a pretty big screwup,” Emily said. She didn’t really care about Meredith. “Quit changing the subject. Did you kill that guy? We want to leave. Fess up, so we can go.”
    “No,” Igor growled. “Why would I do that?”
    “Why would you disappear,” Emily countered. She wanted to lay a hand on him like Carol had. Emily was pretty sure though that Carol got away with it because she was clearly a grandma.
    “Look, things are different when you’re a vampire,” Igor shuffled and look around again.
    “Who are you looking for,” Emily asked, eyeing the little room herself.
    “No one,” he snapped.
    “I knew it! It was the blood.” Emily high-fived herself and said, “Take that Presidium idiots.”
    “I didn’t take my potion today. And it’s been subpar lately. I need a new supplier. Man, I’m starving.”
    “Do vampires drink blood?”
    “What?” Igor the Vampire look frustrated as if he couldn’t believe he was being talked to like this. As if they’d made some sort of weird racial slur.