Little Tree, page 4
Fortunately, the Eislaüfer’s presence interfered with the cameras, and we knew which ones were offline because the guards had shown us. We only had to follow the trail back, and we’d be invisible.
We climbed over the tall fence and dropped quietly onto the property. The guards were walking the perimeter, so we had to move stealthily between buildings and snowy cover.
One of the large barns was lit up more than the others, and I could hear the sound of men shouting and horses neighing. Jack and I scaled the side of the building, and I popped out a ventilation cover to get in. We crept onto the rafters twenty feet above the floor so we had a good vantage point to see what was happening.
Below us was an arena where der Wüstling and a woman stood in the center, while half a dozen guards waited along the walls. The woman stood holding a long lead attached to the horse, while der Wüstling barked a few commands. When the horse didn’t immediately comply, der Wüstling wielded an industrial size cattle prod.
The animal neighed and tried to get away, and the woman lost her grip. Immediately, the horse galloped off, and der Wüstling turned and backhanded the woman for letting him go.
“How do you think we should handle this?” Jack asked me in a low voice.
“That is a very wealthy man who is preparing for the end of days. He isn’t going to listen to reason. He will keep torturing these poor animals and threatening the existence of the Eislaüfer. There’s only one way to stop him — I am going to kill him.”
“I should take out a few guards,” Jack said.
“You don’t have to kill them, but they do need to be incapacitated,” I told him. “I’ll drop down and take care of der Wüstling. You hit the lights and go after the guards that you can.”
Jack looked a little nervous, but he nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
I walked along the rafters until I was above der Wüstling, and then I dropped to the ground directly behind him. It was from high enough that my feet ached, but the pain subsided by the time der Wüstling whirled around on me.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in confusion.
“Making an example out of you,” I said, and then I lunged at him and tore into his throat.
I deliberately ripped at his arteries, so the blood would spray out around us, and create a terrifying scene for any guards that might think of attacking. Plus, as a disgustingly cruel human being, his blood tasted terrible, and it would leave me feeling anxious and angry if I drank much of it.
When I was certain der Wüstling was dead, I dropped his corpse on the ground. The woman was screaming behind me, but I hadn’t really thought she’d be much of a threat anyway. The guards aimed their guns at me just as the lights went out.
In the darkness, they couldn’t see, but Jack and I could. We easily dodged their bullets as they shot blindly at us, and within a matter of minutes, we’d taken them all out.
While I broke the weapons to make them unusable, Jack was comforting the horse. He’d always been good with animals, and he had an especially soothing presence. The scared animal was already calming under his touch.
“We should go before the other guards show up,” I said. “We shouldn’t hurt more of them than we need to.”
“What will happen to the horses, do you think?” Jack asked, and he was reluctant to stop petting the one he’d calmed.
“They are valuable, so they will be sold,” I said. “Hopefully to someone who treat them better.”
He frowned and gave the horse’s snoot one last pat, and we hurried out of the barn. Sirens started blaring shortly after the gunfire, and guards were rushing all around the property. We had to move quickly and quietly between the buildings, and then we climbed the fence.
We were silent as we walked back up the mountain, to the home of the Eislaüfer. I tried to use snow to wash the blood off my hands and clothes, because I didn’t want to alarm Dario and Evora more than I had.
When the ice door opened, Dario and Evora were already waiting for us. This time, Dario stood holding a spear with a shiny diamond point, but Evora was unarmed.
“We did not expect to see you again so soon,” Dario said.
“There was no need to let the cruelty continue any longer,” I said. “We took care of the man responsible for the spate of animal deaths, so your immediate concerns are handled. But the village down the mountain remains nearby, and there are changes happening all over the world that will affect you. I don’t believe that it will benefit you to stay in isolation.”
“We will not leave our home,” Evora reiterated again.
“I would never suggest that,” I assured her.
“Then what are you proposing?” Dario asked, and even Jack was looking at me questioningly.
“There is a vampire in town, Fritz Payne. He works on the council, and he can help you navigate human relations and maintain your privacy,” I said. “He can put you in contact with the Agency. They’re who sent me here to help you, and I know we all would be happy to help you again, if you need it.”
“We have not wished to break our isolation,” Evora said.
“But our isolation has been broken anyway,” Dario told her, then he looked to me. “How can we communicate with those that would help us?”
“If you’re okay with it, I can bring Fritz to see you, or we can meet in a more neutral place, if that makes you comfortable,” I said.
“Here is acceptable,” Dario said. “When?”
“Tomorrow after sunset,” I suggested.
Dario looked to Evora, but she only stared straight ahead for several moments. Finally, she nodded. “If it will keep the mountain safe, then so be it. We will meet with you tomorrow.”
Chapter Eight
The meeting between Fritz and the Eislaüfer went well. It was tense and unnerving at first, but Fritz was nothing if not a diplomat, so he seemed to be the perfect vampire for the job.
“Thank you for making those introductions,” Fritz told me afterwards. We had made the long hike down the mountain to the nearest road, where his vehicle was parked, and now he was driving us back into town. “I think this arrangement will be very beneficial.”
“I am glad you think so, too,” I said. “I know we’ve left you with… a mess. I’m sorry about that again.”
His mouth pressed into a line that might have been a smile or a scowl. I wasn’t sure if his deference to der Wüstling had just been for show, or if he actually had any feelings of admiration for the man. When I’d called Fritz last night to tell him what I’d done and set up the meeting with the Eislaüfer, he hadn’t said much of anything, because he’d immediately wanted to get off the phone to deal with it.
“How you handled things with Mr. der Wüstling is not how I would have handled it,” Fritz said finally, and his hands were tight on the steering wheel. “But he was not a good man for this town or these mountains. The power that came with his wealth meant that he could make changes without needing anyone else’s consent.”
“That is why I did what I did,” I said. “I didn’t know of a better way to stop him.”
“It is good that he was stopped,” Fritz agreed somewhat reluctantly. “I will have more work to do in the coming days, but in the end, I know this will be better for the town, and hopefully, for our new friends, the Eislaüfer.”
When he dropped us off at the hotel, we thanked him again, and then we parted ways. I had already called Ettie last night, and she was sending down an Agency lawyer to help clean up der Wüstling’s death, so that no vampires were implicated in it.
She would personally be flying out later to meet with the Eislaüfer herself, but my part here was done. I was the investigative muscle, and now the work was for the legal teams and diplomats.
By the time we finished with everything in Kleinerbaum and checked out of the inn, we had just enough time to get to the Christmas party in London. Because of the holiday, there weren’t any flights that would get us there on time, but if we drove there without stopping, we might just make it. That’s why we’d taken our SUV to Switzerland anyway, because driving was always our contingency plan.
As we rolled out of the alps with Jack driving, I flipped through my road trip playlist to our wedding song by Florence + the Machine. The sun was setting, making the sky a bright red, but the mountains left us mostly in the shadows inside the vehicle.
“Sorry we didn’t have much time for romance,” I said.
“Are you kidding me?” Jack grinned over at me. “There’s nothing hotter than seeing you be a major badass. Not to mention that we got to meet some ice giants.”
“They were tall, but I wouldn’t really call them giants,” I argued.
“That’s not even my point. Did you know they existed before this trip?”
“No, I didn’t. I hadn’t even heard of them,” I admitted.
“Ezra is going to lose his shit when we tell him about this,” he went on excitedly. “I know you’ve dealt with some unusual circumstances and supernatural situations beyond just vampires, but the Eislaüfer seemed pretty special.”
“I know. Hopefully, Fritz will help them stay connected with the Agency, and we can find out more about them,” I said. “Maybe we can even help them.”
“I’ve always admired you for what you do.” He reached over and took my hand. “I know you’re strong, and you use your strength and immortality to help others. But I also really love the way you put your heart into it. You’re protecting those that can’t protect themselves, and you’re experiencing incredible things.”
“Sometimes, yeah,” I allowed. “But most of my work isn’t this exciting. It’s usually complicated, smaller issues, like fights between ex-lovers or improperly educated fledgling vampires.”
“That doesn’t change my point,” he insisted. “I thought I wouldn’t like doing what you do, because I’ve never been a big fan of violence. But I really enjoyed working with you these last couple days. Even all the parts that weren’t romantic or exciting.”
I smirked at him. “Jack, are you proposing… you work with me?”
“Maybe.” He laughed. “I don’t know. Yes? I’ve got Jeroen trained enough at the comic book shop where he can handle things if I wanted to cut back there. You and I have been looking for more ways to spend more time together, and I know you can’t really cut your hours because the Agency is short-staffed. Which means they could use me, too, and you haven’t had reliable backup since Bobby stepped back.”
My coworker Abner did often go out with me on calls, but he couldn’t always, because we were so busy. Which meant everything Jack said was true.
“Okay,” I said. “When we get back after Christmas, I’ll talk to Ettie about getting you on the staff.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it weird that I want to pull over and make out with you right now?” Jack asked.
I glanced around. “There aren’t any cars. What’s stopping you?”
That was all the encouragement he needed, and he pulled over. When he put the SUV in park, I climbed onto his lap and straddled him between my legs.
“Well, hello there,” he murmured before I smothered him with kisses.
I separated from him so I could look into his soft blue eyes, and I brushed his hair off his forehead. “Thank you for coming with me on this trip. And I don’t even mean just this work-cation to Switzerland. I mean, our whole marriage. Our whole life. I love you so much, Jack.”
“I love you, too, Alice,” he said in a husky voice, and he pulled me closer, and we finally found time for romance.
Chapter Nine
Brunehamme Manor was all aglow, and snow was softly falling. Vehicles were parked all along the curved driveway, so it was safe to assume we were the last to arrive.
I glanced in the rearview mirror, making sure my lipstick wasn’t smudged. “How do I look?” I asked Jack as I smoothed out my sweater dress.
“Gorgeous, as always,” he replied. “But Zuzu and the kids are waiting on us, and they don’t care how you look anyway.”
“True,” I said with a laugh.
We got out of the SUV, and as we walked up the driveway toward the mansion, Jack took my hand in his. Before we could even reach the front door, Mae threw it open to greet us.
“You’re here, you’re here, you’re finally here!” She stepped outside and pulled us both into a clumsy hug. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much. I’m so glad you’re here. Now come in, come see the house, come see everybody.”
“Sorry we’re late,” I offered, but she brushed it off immediately.
“You were working, I understand.” She looped her arm through mine and led us inside the grand entryway.
From down the hall, I heard the puppy barking, and then my little niece shouting for us. “Ally and Jackie!” For some reason, she found it easier to call us that instead of “Alice and Jack,” but her pronunciation was still pretty good considering she wasn’t even three yet.
Then they were barreling toward us. Amelia Marie in her frilly velvet blue dress, and Zuzu the big black puppy with a red bow tied around her neck. Jack swooped in front of Mae and me to intercept them, and he scooped up Amelia with one arm and Zuzu with the other.
“Merry Christmas, Miss Amelia,” Jack said as she hugged him and the puppy slobbered all over his face. “Have you been having a good time?”
Immediately, she began rattling off all the ways that she’d been having fun since she got to England. I couldn’t quite understand every word, especially with as quickly as she talked, but she’d made cookies with Mae, built a snowman with Ezra, and played with the puppy.
Jack carried her and Zuzu as we walked to the great room, where the party was underway. It was an immaculately restored ballroom, with a marble fireplace, original wood flooring, and a white grand piano in the corner, where my former mentor Olivia was playing a jazzy holiday song while Bobby sang along with her.
Today, though, the main focus in the room was the giant white Christmas tree in the corner, all decked out in lights and ornaments. A mountain of presents were already stacked under it (Jack and I had mailed ours ahead of arrival so we wouldn’t have to deal with travelling with them).
There were dozens of vampires here, most of them I knew, but some were new friends that Ezra and Mae had here, and others were old friends they hadn’t seen in decades. Even with the crowd, my brother spotted me immediately and made a beeline straight to me.
“Alice!” Milo held a martini glass out to me, full of a deep red liquid. “Good, you’re finally here and you can try my latest cocktail. It’s a peppermint twist!”
“How festive,” I said and took a sip of his latest concoction.
He really enjoyed using his culinary skills on vampires, and I was often his taste tester. I wasn’t sure exactly all the work that went into making his cocktails, but it involved paying humans to have a carefully controlled diet for a few days before they “donated” their blood, via IV and bags. After that, he’d infuse the blood and do weird science experiments in the kitchen that I really did not understand, but in the end, he would make tasty beverages — and the occasional edible gummy or ice cream — that vampires could enjoy without feeling sick.
This one had the heady taste of chilled blood mixed with a creamy peppermint. “Yum,” I said as I licked my lips. “It’s like a blood-flavored candy cane.”
“That’s exactly what was I was going for!” Milo beamed. “How was your job?”
“I’ll tell you all about it later,” I said, and I was already scanning the crowd for Ezra, because I knew he’d love to hear about the Eislaüfer. “It’s Christmas tonight, and that’s all that matters.”
I finally spied him across the room, holding the sleeping baby boy, Grant Cristopher, in his arms. My nephew was only a few months old, and this was only Ezra and Mae’s second time meeting him, so I was surprised that Mae had even allowed him out of her clutches.
No sooner had I thought that, when Mae steered us over to them, where Ezra handed the baby off to her. She cooed over him, and Milo checked to make sure he didn’t need a diaper change or anything.
I wondered if two babies had ever been more fawned over than Amelia and Grant. They were surrounded by immortals who hadn’t had children in decades, or centuries, or ever, and those two little lives had become such surprising bright spots in our family.
When Milo and Bobby first told us they were planning to have children, none of us were really sure what to think. They wanted kids, and Bobby was mortal, so he could handle more of the human complexities. He could be the face that aged for school conferences and playdates, while Milo could hang back if need be.
Right now, the kids were much too young to understand what vampires were, but as they get older, eventually, Milo would have to tell them what we were. When they were old enough, if they wanted to, Milo would turn them into a vampire, but Bobby never wanted to be one, so they could also see the option to remain human if they wanted.
It might be complicated and difficult in the future, but raising children often is. Or so it seems to me, as a very involved but childfree aunt.
“Alice, it’s so good to see you,” Ezra said as he pulled me into a hug.
“Thank you for having us,” I said. “The house looks fantastic.”
“I’ll have to give you a proper tour tomorrow,” Ezra said with a proud smile. “We were able to restore so many things. We kept the original fixtures whenever possible, and it was definitely arduous, but it was worth it.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” I said honestly.
“What about the rest of the grounds?” Jack asked, coming over to join us. He’d apparently untangled himself from Amelia, who was running around in a circle with the puppy while Milo and Mae watched on.
“The rest of the grounds?” Ezra asked, sounding perplexed.
