Chapter 30 #3
We stopped at a table where a kooky old man was bartering rocks. He offered a number of other items, but plain rocks were lined up on his front table.
When I reached for one, Krys seized my wrist.
“I wouldn’t touch those,” he cautioned me. “People don’t pay money to collect rocks.”
“Says who? Crystal shops make a killing. Are these geodes that you smash open?” I asked the seller.
The old man approached, his brown pants as worn and tattered as his face. “Care for a trade?” He flashed a smile at Krys. “Those are some nice shorts. Yes, they are.”
I held up Cleo’s picture. “Have you seen her?”
“Maybe yes and maybe no. Maybe I’ll talk if I have a little dough.”
I shook my head at Krys, since I’d spent my last dime on him.
“Nice shorts,” the man repeated.
“You’re not taking my pants.”
The old man shrugged and walked off.
“What about this?” Krys held up his wolf pendant.
The man squinted at it and waved it off. “Not special. Not pretty.”
I removed my necklace and displayed the pendant over the back of my hand. “What about this?”
His eyes lit up. “Give it here! Let me see.” He turned the stone by his lantern and admired the dark beauty and the way the light brought out the blue crackle pattern and shimmering colors within.
He placed the necklace in a wooden box and locked it.
After leaning over the table, he lowered his voice.
“To your right, there’s a ladder. Go three levels down.
You and I, we never met. No more questions. That’s all you get.”
Darcy sauntered past us. “What a doofus. He didn’t even give you an address! You got ripped off. Swindled. Taken to the cleaners. Bamboozled.”
Krys received a few sneers as he strolled through the tunnel in his silly shorts.
“What’s your plan?” I threaded my hair away from my face. “Knock on all the doors? That doesn’t sound suspicious at all.”
He stopped at a hollow space in the wall where a built-in ladder went into a hole in the floor. My stomach churned at the thought of vermin crawling at my feet, but then I reminded myself that Cleo needed us and those fears vanished.
Is this how I die? At least it won’t be from tripping in front of oncoming traffic. Virgil Nightingale deserves a noble death. Hang on, Cleo. We’re coming for you.
Once we reached the third level down, we observed our surroundings. The stone walls on either side had doors, and oil lanterns lit the way instead of electric ones.
I wrapped my arms around Krys’s neck and whispered, “What if we don’t find her?”
He pulled back, conviction brimming in his eyes. “If I have to live down here until I do, so be it.”
And he meant it.
When a figure walked by, I planted a soft kiss on Krys’s mouth. Though meant to throw off suspicion, it might have been our last chance to say our goodbyes, so I clung to him. He kissed me back before pressing his forehead to mine.
The emotions came out of nowhere. I knew this was dangerous, but it didn’t hit me until just then that I could lose the most important person in my life.
Darcy popped up between us so unexpectedly that I staggered backward.
“Cut that out,” I hissed.
“I have an idea! I’ll search the dwellings for Cleo. Don’t worry, I’ll be discreet in case there are other ghosts. I know how to fake it.” She tilted her head to the side with a zombielike countenance and shuffled around Krys. “See?”
Krys noticed my shifting gaze. “What’s up?”
“Let’s take a stroll.” I clasped his hand in mine, and when he moved toward the first door, I jerked him back and motioned for him to continue our walk.
He must’ve figured it out, but with our targets being Vampires, we couldn’t risk talking.
Darcy flew out of a room and shuddered. “People are gross!” Then she jogged into the next dwelling and back out. She kept going until she disappeared around the bend.
As we turned the curve, Darcy waved frantically before racing back. “She’s in there. I saw her! There’re two men. Vampires.”
“Double-check,” I said, crossing my arms.
Darcy eagerly rushed back to the door on the right and dove in. Meanwhile, Krys squatted to tie one of his laces that had come loose.
She took longer this time before finally returning. “Only the two,” she said quietly. “One is reading a book by the door, and the other’s on a laptop.”
I tapped Krys’s shoulder and held up two fingers. Then I turned them upside down in front of my mouth in a pathetic attempt to simulate fangs.
“You always sucked at charades,” he grumbled before standing.
Darcy hopped excitedly in a circle while scanning the tunnel. “Cleo’s in the back room, alone. I triple-checked.”
Krys closed his eyes as he drew in a deep breath, held it for a beat, and slowly exhaled. In a fight, he was the picture of composure, never panicking or losing control. Cage fighting had sharpened that skill.
He gestured for me to do the same, so I did, feeling my heart slow down immediately.
At a certain distance, if their attention was given, Vampires could hear a heartbeat. If it sounded like a team of horses in our chests, it would tip them off that something was up.
Krys reached the door, held up his fist, and knocked twice.