Chapter Eight
Simon left his aunt’s house, completely baffled by the night’s events. His aunt had seemed unclear as to who Miss Sophie Spencer was and what she was doing at her ball. She wasn’t too pleased that he had neglected Miss Waterford and had warned him to fix the situation promptly.
He hardly cared. He needed to find out why Miss Spencer had departed in such a hurry. Was she in trouble, or was it something he’d said or done?
As Grosvenor Square was only a ten-minute walk from his aunt’s dwelling, he’d not bothered to bring his carriage, and so he set out to walk home along the gas-lit streets of Mayfair.
But no sooner had he rounded the corner, he heard someone shout, “Are you trying to kill me?” And he saw something that looked like a small bottle fly through the air.
Simon turned to see who had shouted and froze in terror.
A man with blazing red eyes and teeth that looked like fangs sat on the street corner and shouted at no one.
Simon rubbed his own eyes, realizing he must be exhausted, and what he was actually seeing was a drunkard causing a ruckus—not a common sight in Mayfair, but then again, this night had been no common night.
He was about to continue his walk home when the drunkard said, “A vampire named Dimitri took Miss Spencer.”
“What was that?” Simon said, turning and taking a cautious step toward the man. But he appeared not to notice Simon and continued to rant about spells and ghosts despite no one else being present.
Simon shook his head. He was hearing things.
What could this drunkard know about Miss Spencer?
He was about to leave when the man suddenly shot to his feet and sped past Simon like a whirlwind, almost knocking him to the ground.
Within seconds, he was gone. Simon stood blinking in the drunkard’s wake, wondering if he was indeed going mad.
*
“My lord, are you well? You look…” James asked as Simon stumbled into his townhome.
“I’ll be better after a brandy or two.” Simon shrugged off his coat despite still shivering. “I do hope you have some fires blazing.”
“Of course, my lord. Both the drawing room and your chamber are warm and ready to receive you.”
“Very good,” Simon said and headed for the drawing room.
As Simon poured his brandy, James reappeared, carrying a silver tray. “A letter arrived for you, my lord.”
“A letter? When?”
“This very night. Not too long ago. It was most strange. The gentleman himself delivered it.”
“The gentleman?”
“Yes, I would say so. He wore a fine suit, and he was most striking-looking. His eyes were…well, gold in color.”
“Did he give his name?”
“Indeed. He called himself Dimitri.”
The blood in Simon’s veins grew icy. He snatched the envelope from the tray and tore it open. As soon as he did, a silver bullet dropped into his hand. He stared at it before turning to the letter.
Only a duel can set her free.
Midnight at Highgate Cemetery.
You will require a silver bullet.
Come if you dare. Kill me if you can.
Simon lowered the letter with a trembling hand. Was this some sort of a trick?
“Is something the matter, my lord?” James asked, glancing at the bullet.
“Do you believe in the supernatural?” Simon asked.
He needed validation that this wasn’t reality.
That ghosts and vampires didn’t exist, no matter what sensationalist nonsense the papers printed about sightings in Highgate Cemetery.
People have become obsessed with the supernatural of late.
It is utter rubbish, perpetrated by fraudsters.
“Do you mean ghosts, my lord?” James said. “I know a man who attended a séance once, and he swears he spoke to his dead wife.”
“What about vampires?” Simon asked.
James hesitated and then said, “I never have, my lord. But tonight, if I didn’t know any better, I believe I may have seen one with my own eyes.”
Recalling the red-eyed daemon he’d seen shouting in the street earlier that night, Simon shuddered.
Then, something caught his attention. The painting delivered earlier by Lady Waterford, which he’d ordered put away, now hung on the wall.
Only, there was something different about it.
Simon turned to James. “Did you put this up?”
“No, my lord.” James paled.
Simon tightened his fist around the silver bullet and stepped forward to inspect the painting.
And then he saw that the woman he was kneeling over in the picture was not Miss Waterford but Miss Spencer.
And that wasn’t all. Behind him, peering over his shoulder at the prostrate young woman, was a hooded figure with golden eyes and pointed fangs, who looked as malevolent as Hades himself.
“That’s him,” James said in a trembling voice as he pointed with his shaking index finger. “That’s the gentleman who delivered the letter.”
*
Mildred grew frustrated as she tried once again to penetrate the stone walls of Dimitri’s vault and failed.
“This is ridiculous. I’m a ghost!” she cried, zooming backward to build momentum and try again.
“It’s an ancient protection, millions of years old. You’ll never be able to penetrate its walls,” Alexi said. “It’s best you leave.”
“We are not going anywhere without our niece,” Agnes said. “Sophie, if you can hear us,” she called, “we are right here. We will never abandon you.”
“She can’t hear you,” Alexi said. “The stone is protected by—”
“Oh, do be quiet, Alexi!” Mildred snapped as she floated to the door of the vault and inspected it.
“You’ll never be able to open—” Alexi began when something caught Mildred’s eye. There was a notice pinned to Dimitri’s door.
“Hush!” she said, scanning the notice as she hovered in front of the vault. “It says here that there’s going to be a duel at midnight.”
“A duel?” Agnes said. “Between whom?”
“Dimitri and Lord Rodwell. The earl is going to fight for Sophie’s freedom!”
“Is the earl mad?” Alexi said. “A man against a vampire. Impossible! He will die.”
“And then Dimitri will declare himself the winner and Sophie the prize.” Agnes zoomed forward to look at the notice affixed to Dimitri’s vault. “We can’t let it happen!”
“You have no choice,” Alexi said. “If the earl doesn’t show—and I assume he will, because he is a man of honor—then Dimitri will automatically be the winner, and he will still claim Sophie as his prize.”
“Well, there must be something we can do.” Agnes turned to Alexi. “What is the fastest way to kill a vampire?”