“We came across mention of them and the children in a church roster that had been uploaded to the California archives. Took us hours to find the mention and then it was only luck that we checked through some of California’s records,” he said. “I think during her research she may have stumbled across something besides those names that her attackers didn’t want us to know.”
“Do you know what that is?”
He shook his head. “Given enough time, I could probably recreate her work, but as it stands several pieces are missing. Without them I’d only be guessing.”
I sat back.
“It may not be important anyway,” I said, thinking carefully. “My primary objective is to find Caroline, not complete her work. This can wait. Right now it’s enough to know this probably has something to do with the vampires.”
I needed a way to find her. The witches. They’d been able to track the draugr based on a picture. They just needed an item with some kind of tie to Caroline.
“What are you doing?” Peter asked as I started sifting through the piles.
What would Caroline have considered important? The item needed to have enough sentimental value that it could make the link.
“I’m looking for something we can take to the witches. They can cast a spell that’ll pinpoint her location.”
She loved books, but I couldn’t tell which ones were her favorite. Same with the photos.
“It won’t work.”
“Of course it will.”
Maybe this, I picked up metal key with the ornate initial C engraved on the top. I remembered it. She had hunted through several stores for the exact one she wanted during a school trip to Washington D.C. our senior year. When she was the only one in our group who didn’t get a nasty case of a stomach virus, she’d sworn the key had acted as a good luck charm.
“No, it won’t. The people who did this have magic of their own. The witches don’t have enough power to counter dark magic on this level. Even if they did, what makes you think they’d help you? In case you haven’t heard, they use their magic for their own interests.”
He had a point. Miriam hadn’t exactly been happy with me by the time she’d left my apartment last night. I doubted Sarah would walk across the street to spit on me if I was on fire, and from my encounter with the coven at the tea shop, I was willing to bet the rest of them were likely to follow her lead.
“I’ll just have to take that chance.”
“And while you waste time on a pointless endeavor, your friend is probably being tortured for information, or they may be just doing it for fun at this point.”
“What do you suggest I do then?” I shouted. “Sit around doing nothing? I need to do something. Even if they don’t help, at least I’ll have tried.”
“I want you to put that brain to use,” he snapped back. “She can’t afford for you to go off half-cocked.”
We glared at each other.
He was right. I was letting my desperation and fear for Caroline influence my actions. Rushing off halfcocked wouldn’t do anyone any good and might result in my friend being hurt or killed.
I took a seat beside him, cradling the key in my hand.
“You have experience with this world. Is there another way that doesn’t involve the witches?”
He tapped the paper with his forefinger. “The wolves might be able to track by smell.”
I shook my head. “I suspect one of them has been compromised.”
“How do you know?”
“I may have hit one with my bike and then followed it to some type of meeting between it and a man in a hooded sweatshirt. Can’t be sure but it looks like he was conducting a ceremony. Could be the one responsible for the demon taint.”
Either way, I didn’t want to chance any of Brax’s other wolves working for the wrong side.
“There are other spooks capable of doing something similar,” he said in thought. “None that I’m in good standing with.”
As a vampire, one without a clan, it was likely I wasn’t going to have any more success in convincing them to help us either.
