Page 31

Before doing anything else, I sat down at my desk, the bank of screens in front of me, and placed my hand on the mouse. The monitors switched from fuzzy black and white speckles to crystal clear images displaying a vast variety of locals here in the Realm. I didn’t linger on any single, live footage. I had one goal—find Brittney, and I found myself repeating the same search I’d utilized at my Connecticut mansion.

I skipped over all the feed from the forests and deserts, the display showing the castle and the one of the Realm’s equivalents to a city hall and focused on the metropolis. The skyscrapers and skyline rivaled those of Manhattan, minus the smog. The foggy air of the Third was replaced with the meandering, orange-tinted mist that was prevalent here, a by-product of the underground rubies.

Once I zeroed in on the shop I’d seen earlier; I adjusted the view for a closer look. I could no longer find her signature, but she wouldn’t have gone far. A place like that city would be the most familiar thing to her, with how similar it was to a human hub. She’d be there looking for shelter and assistance.

My hand gripped the computer mouse almost hard enough to crack it. The urge to charge the streets and grab her by the hair and drag her across the desert and into my home was nearly too much to bear. Not only was it unreasonable, but it was also inherently stupid. I didn’t cause scenes—I let others do that, and I reaped whatever rewards I could during the ensuing chaos.

What I should do is make an appointment with a business contact to maintain relationships and ensure work keeps flowing my way. It would, but playing the game always helped and would give me a legitimate purpose to be in the demon-based stronghold.

After typing up a couple of emails sending out feelers, I shut everything down and grabbed the phone I used in this Realm. I’d be able to check responses on the device.

The next thing I did was head to my ceremonial room. The space was cavernous, lined with river rock, and filled with the tinkling sound of dripping water in the distance that came from a small brook that wasn’t immediately noticeable.

Thirteen runes specific to the Second Realm remained drawn on the floor inside a circle in the center, left behind from the last time I was here with friends. They were in their standard order, naming minerals and other elements, the design perfect for a multitude of rituals.

The Second Realm allowed for the full range of magic—unlike the Third, which was an advantage. I didn’t bother with candles on the floor, waving at the candelabras set against the walls instead. As I stood in the middle of the circle, I focused on the centers of power in my chest and my mind and waited with my arms outstretched.

After a brief second, I sensed the change in the atmosphere and let it surround me. My body buzzed, alight with the rush of magic I attained so easily while here. Then, a rush of wind burst into the cave and a pulsing, rhythmic wave filled the space as a hundred crows filled the air around me.

When I dropped my arms, they landed on the rough stone floor, lining up around the outer edge of the circle. I instructed them to guard my home and patrol the area for anyone working against me and to report their findings to me. A couple of the birds hopped around, flapping their wings and cooing while another cawed.

It was clear they remembered me, and it was nice I wouldn’t have to retrain them in my ways and expectations. Still, I nudged the one that landed on my shoulder away. I had things to do.

But it was nice to not be forgotten, and I dipped my head at the bird in acknowledgement before exiting my ritual chamber.

From the outside, my home appeared to be in severe disrepair, collapsing under its own weight. That was on purpose, with the point being to discourage marauders, thrill-seekers, or anyone stupid enough to try and take a closer look. The indoors were very different, though still a bit chaotic looking, just like my Third Realm mansion.

The building had been a luxurious castle in its heyday and still bore many signs of its former glory, with fine stonework, elaborate tapestries, and molded wood. The lack of windows was an aberration, but my surveillance system addressed the issue. The majority of the remaining structure was underground, anyway.

Although I didn’t need to sleep, I had a bedroom and enjoyed the occasional lie-down to rest my body. The urge to indulge at the moment was there, but I needed to get to the city, so I got busy adjusting my appearance.

After I dressed in an embroidered and heavy cloak over my ruffled shirt and dress pants, I magicked fresh, shiny black polish over my fingernails to hide the quartz or glass like look they naturally held. I preferred painting them myself but didn’t want to wait for them to dry.

Finished with that, I brushed a fresh, thick, coat of onyx shadow around my eyes and a deep red lipstick that appeared ebony unless one took a very close look. If one could see it, it’d likely be their doom.

I glanced in the mirror and suddenly remembered how someone once said I looked like a “mime.” They weren’t wrong, literally or figuratively. Cosmetics allowed me to imitate human behavior under the guise of a novelty figure while also keeping many away.

Satisfied with my appearance, I left my home and began the long, arduous journey toward the city. It was unfortunate not to be able to just transition myself there, and I didn’t care for horses much, so I had to make my way on foot.

Legend had it that the rampant disorder in the Realm had removed the ability to simply teleport, and I had to assume it was a matter of balance and safety, for the reasoning. Who was I to question the gods? I could make do.

I was able to move quickly, cutting the travel time to a sixteenth of what it would have been for a non-vampiric human, and went through the main gates of the city.

Several hundred feet ahead of me there was a check-in station where visitors were scanned for identification and then able to secure any needed services. I stopped inside the busy building and was largely ignored by the demons milling about in the lobby. Someone I vaguely recognized nodded his head at me and then went about his business.

Once I was noticed, I was met with some suspicion, being a vampire in a largely demon-run Realm. Or at least, it had been, but changes had been made. However, the city, at least, still belonged to the demon clans.

“State your business,” the man behind the counter greeted me, not unfriendly despite the words.

“Car service, please,” I replied, sliding my plastic card containing universally accepted funds through a reader. The light turned red. Accepted.

The man tapped away at a screen. “It will be outside shortly, Mister Hawthorne.”

“Thank you,” I said, heading outdoors.

Cars zipped down the road at varying speeds—some blowing by unreasonably fast and others meandering as if they had all the time in the world. The lack of traffic laws worked, allowing the city to operate at a level I found most convenient.

After my assigned car arrived, I instructed the driver to take me to the last place I knew Brittney had been.