Read Online Staked (Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne - Free Book Online

be stopped before he hurts anyone else with his carelessness.”
    “I don’t want revennnge.”
    “No, no, me neither. This is simple justice. And peace of mind. I worry about who else he might hurt. You can leave this place, right?”
    “Yess, but I don’t want to leave. I want to talk to you.”
    “And I want to talk to you. But I think it’s important to stop this man first, and then we can talk all you want.” She nodded her agreement, and then I held up a finger. “Just one moment while I make arrangements? Wait here for me for a small while?”
    “I willlll wait. I have been waiting allllready.”
    “I’ll be right outside the door and return for you as soon as possible.”
    I grinned at her as I climbed to my feet and scooted for the door. Once in the hallway I turned on my cell phone and immediately got pinged with missed calls. One of them was from Hal Hauk, my attorney, with whom I wished to speak anyway, so I thumbed the callback button.
    “Atticus, where are you?” he said.
    “Toronto. Look, Hal, I need you to get ahold of Leif and ask him for Werner Drasche’s number.”
    “What?”
    “You can still get in touch with Leif, can’t you?”
    “Yes, but who’s this Werner Drasche?”
    “Long story. I just need his number right away, okay?”
    “Okay, but we’ve been trying to get hold of you regarding something else. Your archdruid wants to start a grove up near Flagstaff, take on six apprentices.”
    “Apprentices? Where’d he find them?”
    “I found them. They’re the children of pack members, born before their parents were turned.”
    “Sounds perfect! Except that things are going to be warming up on the vampire front. You all should look out, take precautions.”
    “Were you responsible for this morning’s headlines?”
    “Yeah, that was me. Or sort of me. Remember that guy in my shop with the beard who tried to throw a silver knife at you that one time?”
    “Oh, yes, that odd rabbi.”
    “He’s much more calm now. It was his organization that did all that last night, using information I gave them. I’m moving fast and ambushing them as much as possible, but they’re going to catch up with me eventually. There could be blowback, especially after today, so you guys should watch out.”
    “Thanks for the warning.”
    A familiar growly voice shouted in the background of the call. Hal said, “Your archdruid says to meet him in Tír na nÓg at the Fae Court. He has something for you.”
    “All right, I will, but I have things to do here first. Werner Drasche’s number.”
    “Call you back soon.”
    It was only five minutes of agonizing waiting in the old chapel before Hal called back with Drasche’s number and gave me Leif’s as well for future reference.
    “Leif was only too glad to cooperate,” he said. “Said to tell you to carry on, you’re doing well.”
    “Gods below, he’s a smug bastard.”
    “What’s he talking about?”
    “I’ll have to tell you later. Clock’s ticking.”
    We rang off and I dialed the number for the arcane lifeleech. He picked up immediately and answered in German. I replied in English.
    “Hello, Werner. It’s your favorite Druid.”
    “O’Sullivan! Where are you?”
    “Probably not that far from you if you’re in Toronto.”
    “I am. Your little stunt will not do you any more good. I’ve sent notice that everyone should move.”
    “You must be very popular among the vampires right now, what with compromising their security and making them lug their coffins around. And all those staked vampires on the West Coast. Your people will be scrambling around to keep the reports on all those autopsies secret.”
    He cursed in German. “That witch in Africa said you’d never return to Toronto!”
    Mekera was a tyromancer, not a witch, but Drasche probably would not care about the distinction. “She told you the truth as best she could see it. I’m just unpredictable. We have that in common, Werner. When you killed my friend Kodiak