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The skewers varied in length from a few inches to a foot long. They appeared to be made of metal and had extremely sharp tips. “No way,” I said.
“It’s true,” he said. “Sometimes they’re magically enhanced and very valuable. These look like ordinary ones.”
“How would you even know that?”
Finch touched the bed. “Do you think it’s the same one where she died?” he asked in a sickened tone.
I darted over to the bed to touch it. It did not give me any insights. It was an ornately carved wooden beast of a four-poster bed.
“Probably,” I said, doubting they would have bothered to replace that.
Finch’s face looked stricken. Suddenly I realized that he was imagining Zezi in Leonie’s place.
“Dude, chill out,” I said, patting his arm. “We’ll find Zezi. I don’t think she was in here.”
He scowled. “How could you possibly know that?”
“I guess maybe I would have felt it.”
Finch’s feathery eyebrows drew together. “You mean you’re a psychic?”
“Keep it quiet, would you? I don’t want these vampires to know. Are you going to help me with this door or what?”
The door was intricately carved with imagery of flowers and birds and things. I resumed pressing my fingers against all of the nooks and crannies, trying to locate the mechanism, but it was hard going given that I was clutching my sword in one hand.
Finch nudged me out of the way. “Here, let me.”
He put his hands onto a circular carving at the center of the door. It was a ring of stone about two feet wide with more flowery carvings inside it. He held onto either side of the ring and twisted it. The door effortlessly rolled out of its recess in one silent movement and into a fully closed position. I was astonished. It had been so easy.
I wanted to go out to see if I could break in from the other side but I already knew I would not be able to. The other side of the door had been completely smooth with no carvings, which clearly mean that this door could only ever be closed or opened from the inside. No way had anyone gotten into this room on the night of Leonie’s murder after Steffane had locked the door.
I watched carefully as Finch opened it back up again. The door was halfway open when we heard footsteps rapidly approaching from the other side. “There they are!” said Rodrigge’s irate voice.
“Oh crap!” said Finch.
I peered over his shoulder and saw Rodrigge approaching with two Agency officers who I recognized by their distinct black uniforms and the weapons belts around their hips. They looked a bit silly with their anti-mesmerism goggles on.
“Oh shit, indeed,” I said grinning at Finch.
Roddigge stopped outside the door and pointed at me. “That girl is trespassing on my property and I want you to arrest her immediately!”
I stayed where I was towards the side of door, my sword concealed behind it. It would do no good if the officers caught sight of it. Worse, they might try to take it away from me and I was pretty certain the sword would not let me give it up without a fight. It wanted blood, and I did not want to let it get anywhere near the Agency officers.
Now how to get ourselves out of this pickle? An idea occurred to me and I nearly laughed. It was darned good job that Finch was such a slight delicate looking fellow. Not scary at all.
I opened my eyes wide. “Thank God you’re here, officers. My friend and I were so scared. This vampire,” I pointed at Rodrigge with my free hand, “Was trying to imprison us again our will! We had to run through these ca
verns and corridors until we found this chamber to hide!”
The Agency officers took a look at little old me and then turned their frowning gazes at Rodrigge, who looked hopping mad. Slightly batty in fact.
“Nonsense!” he shouted. “This girl is a liar. She forced her way into my home and now she refuses to leave!”
The officers looked at me like they were doubtful that I could force my way into anything, much less a vampire’s nest.
I clutched Finch’s arm as if desperate for his protection. Finch played along, putting his arm around me. I allowed a tear to roll down my cheek. “He invited us in for t-tea! We didn’t know he was a vampire. He said he needed staff for his soiree this weekend and we would be perfect. And then he…he…” I let my voice tremble and rise into a wail. “He tried to trap us! He wanted to drink our blood!”
Both of the Agency officers reached to their weapons belts; one for his stunbommer, the other for his cagenet. Rodrigge took an astonished step back. His face contorted into apoplectic fury. He couldn't even deny it because his servants really had brought us tea and his wife really did try to drink my blood.
