To Ashes

Down a Dark Path

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Chapter Eight

Down a Dark Path

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The town was old and uninviting, framed by a late afternoon sky of heavy, dark clouds. The lack of sunlight did nothing to help the appearance of the neglected houses and the fences that only stood with the help of old ivy and many dead rose bushes. The people in the town seemed just as drab and uninteresting as the buildings they inhabited. The waterlogged grass lay thick and green in the fields. Sheep wandered about in a nearby paddock, lifting their heads to watch the man curiously now and again.

Barden hadn't moved in nearly an hour. He was beginning to doubt that he was in the right place. It seemed near impossible that anyone of great knowledge could live in such a drab and unimaginative little town. He dared not leave his post however he felt about the place. Alois had told him to wait so wait he would. A sheepdog barked with interest as a long-eared hare darted out between a few thorny hedges and raced across the narrow muddy road. In the entire hour, Barden had seen only two vehicles. The wind howled and threatened to bring down the rain. Barden scanned the houses as a few lights turned on inside.

Finally, a sound drew his attention away from the town. 'I'm sorry to keep you waiting,' Levente said as he appeared beside his brother.

'It couldn't be helped,' Barden murmured.

Levente took in the town with fresh eyes. 'Any wraith activity?'

'No. I still find that point concerning. Kadrek must know we will be looking for the dagger and ways to destroy it.'

Levente hummed thoughtfully. 'Kadrek is still a fae. I can't imagine he had the forethought to consider the humans who know about the dagger to be of any importance. It is his biggest failing.'

'If the archivist knows about the dagger. I've been watching the house for nearly a week. No one has entered or left the building,' Barden rumbled. 'Are you sure the woman is even alive?'

Levente nodded. 'Yes.'

'Well, it means little. We can't enter without an invitation and if the caretaker does not open the door, we cannot compel them.'

'Then we will have to persuade another to do it for us.' Levente started down the hill without waiting for his younger brother. Barden followed him, the wind tugging at his short hair. There was a small building on the outskirts of the little town that served as the only police station. A small truck and two dark blue cars with yellow checkers sat outside in its wide driveway. The police building would likely have only two officers on site. It was late in the afternoon, and this was hardly the place for regular crime. The advantage of such places was that police buildings functioned in the same way as cemeteries and hospitals. They were public places which meant neither vampire would need an invitation to enter.

Barden waited outside, partly hidden in shadow and watchful as his older brother slipped inside. There was no commotion, no shouts or thuds. Levente was the oldest of Alois's children. Compulsion was a skill the man excelled at. Barden had little patience for compulsion as he preferred to use other abilities. Of his siblings, Barden had some of the sharpest senses.

It was a common misconception that all vampires had the same abilities. With age came greater control or power, but all fledglings had natural gifts that guided which powers they developed. Barden was and had always been a hunter. He had no interest in trickery or mind games. He was a sharp blade and Alois often used him as such. The door opened and Levente exited with a calm, uniformed police officer behind him.

'This is constable Bennet. He's going to do a wellness check for us on Ms. Patel.'

'Wonderful,' Barden grunted. He pushed off the brick wall he had been leaning against and fell into step with the placid policeman. The trio moved soundlessly down the main road; the buildings close on each side. There was a ripple of ambient magic as Levente drew the shadows in a little closer to them, masking their outlines to any eyes that might peer through the windows of the houses they passed.