I had so few friends in this world; I couldn’t afford to lose any of them.
“Let’s check the rest of the library. Perhaps she’s studying or tutoring someone.”
Caroline wasn’t much of a people person. I couldn’t imagine her signing up to tutor someone. She didn’t have the patience and her sarcasm would be more deconstructive rather than constructive.
It was worth a shot. Especially since I didn’t want to consider something worse.
The door to the archives slid shut.
There was a sound. Slight, almost undetectable to a human’s ears. But for a vampire it was as loud as a shout.
I checked the area in my peripheral vision, seeing nothing. Keeping my motions as nonchalant as possible I turned toward the sorcerer, getting a look behind us. Then I acted like I was looking for the exit and turned in the opposite direction.
Nothing.
Movement, so small I thought I imagined it. Could just be a trick of the light.
Something shifted in the shadows.
We were being watched by someone who didn’t want to be detected. I was betting he or she was supernatural in nature given the way they’d wrapped those shadows around themselves.
I nudged Peter and flicked my eyes to where I knew someone waited. He caught on quick and tilted his chin down once to indicate he saw.
The watcher lurked behind the stacks closest to the exit. We’d have to pass him when we left. I’d planned to search more of this floor before heading to the next floor. Perhaps the watcher could help expedite my search.
I tapped Peter on the shoulder, hoping he’d take it as a signal to follow my lead.
“Guess she’s not here after all. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
He nodded. “I think you’re right. Yes, let’s try again tomorrow.”
I paused, giving him a look with widened eyes that said ‘what the fuck?’
He shrugged, looking sheepish. He’d sounded stiff as if he was reading lines in a book. I had totally misread his ability for subterfuge. That, or maybe he was so nervous that he wasn’t able to bring his normal talents to bear.
Naw, not the sorcerer. He had to have encountered much more dangerous situations than this.
Or maybe he knew something I didn’t.
We headed to the exit. Just as we passed where I had first spied our peeping tom, I lunged into the shadows. My hand grabbed an arm and I yanked, dragging my watcher into the light.
A hiss and yowl, like something a cat would make, assaulted my ears. I grabbed a wrist and then twisted and yanked, contorting the arm into an unnatural position behind the person.
It was a man with short, yellow hair and slightly pointed ears.
Go Army combatives training. I hadn’t been certain I remembered that move until muscle memory took over. I guess all that repetition paid off.
“Who are you?” I yanked the arm I was holding higher.
The man yowled again. Not a sound I’d heard a human ever make so he was definitely some type of spook.
“Why were you watching us?” Peter no longer sounded like a teenager, rather his voice was that of someone much older. One used to interrogation and who had no problem doing what had to be done to get the information he needed.
“Stop, please. I meant no harm.”
I yanked the arm higher. “That’s what everybody says when they’re caught.”
“Do you know who we are?” Peter asked, every inch the arrogant sorcerer I first met.
