The Crucivire

Chapter Sixteen: The Human Connection

The next few hours were tedious. Alice and Captain Wagner were taken to the infirmary as a group of night hunters searched the maze. Terry Caldwell must have had some plan to get Alice out of the facility. They just didn't know what it was. Wagner and Alice were both questioned by Agent Thompson, and he was surprised to learn that magic was involved in the incident.

Soon afterward, Doctor Brown concluded that Alice and Wagner weren't seriously injured and could be released. Alice had developed a few bruises on her forehead from where Caldwell had knocked her out but was otherwise fine. Wagner looked the worse of them, his face covered in bandages. Normally, Alice would think he was seriously injured, but as he so accurately put it, he wasn't exactly a normal human being.

Once out of the infirmary, they were led to a conference room. Director Farrow sat at the head of the table with Agents Thompson, Walker, and Swann sitting near him. Alice sat next to Captain Wagner, and across from her sat a man Alice didn't recognize, a middle aged, mousy looking man with freckles and big, round glasses. Soon, more night hunters entered with a rolled up carpet.

"We found this in one of the vents," said one of them.

The hunters placed the carpet on the conference table and unrolled it, revealing threaded lines, circles, and symbols Alice didn't recognize. Tied to the carpet were little bottles with different materials in them. Most of the bottles had some sort of herbs, a few had an amber liquid, and one bottle had some sort of dust. Every face looked at the carpet with stoic expressions except for Alice. She felt confused. Director Farrow, however, looked astonished.

"Professor Halloway," said Director Farrow. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I'm afraid so," said the mousy looking man, adjusting his glasses as he studied the carpet. "It's a teleportation spell, almost ready to go."

"And hidden in one of the vents," said Wagner, clenching his fists. "He wouldn't have had to leave the maze."

"And there was more magic besides," said Halloway. "Upon examining the maze, we found a thin layer of paint on the levers. This paint was the same color as the levers themselves, so it's clear that the paint was the medium for the spell that prevented you from controlling the doors. Mr. Caldwell must have been planning this for weeks."

Director Farrow leaned back, putting his fingertips together as he gave this some thought. "I thought magic had largely faded from the world."

"It has," said Halloway. "The wells and leylines from which we would have drawn magic have largely dried up. While magical entities like vampires and zombies can still create more of themselves, there hasn't been a new type of monster in over a hundred years. Furthermore, would be witches and warlocks are nowhere near as powerful as they used to be. The vampires must have found a leyline that hasn't dried up."

"How did they find it before us?" demanded Farrow.

"I don't know sir," said Halloway. "But it get's worse. All sources I can think of describe teleportation as a spell requiring significant power. If they can do this, then they can also perform a displacement spell."

"What's that?" asked Alice.

"It shifts things to a slightly different plane of existence," said Halloway. "In the right plane of existence, one can see what is going on in the normal plane but cannot interact with it. Those in the normal plane of existence can neither interact with nor even see those in the alternate plane. It's the perfect way to hide something."

"Halloway," said Farrow. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"I'm afraid so," said Halloway. "There's a good chance that we cannot find the vampires because of this. We could be right on top of the lair and never know it. Wherever they're hiding, we may already have searched there."