When I stepped into the lobby, I first noticed the guards. Tutu employed shifters, vampires, fae, and wizards to make sure all her weaknesses were covered. She hired thebestfighters she could find locally—Tutu’s was my backup plan if I hadn’t gotten hired by the Curia Cloisters.
The guards were stationed at regular intervals along the long wooden counter where the tellers worked.
Tutu’s Crypta & Custodia further displayed its benign front—hiding or screening the vast power that went into guarding the place—by resembling an old-fashioned bank.
The teller counters were blocked off with wrought-iron bars and made of carefully polished wood, while red velvet ropes marked out lines for customers.
Red, white, and black tile formed what appeared to be some kind of art nouveau mosaic. My limited knowledge of fae magic made me suspect it was the base work for a massive spell.
Expensively framed artwork hung on the walls, and there were statues and carvings of dragons everywhere—in the wood of the teller stands, in the painting on the ceiling, everything had a dragon on it.
Maybe it has something to do with dragon shifter magic?
As a slayer, I was far less sensitive to magic than a regular wizard. I could sense Tutu’s seals, and could tell when I entered them, but there were so many in here I’d never be able to tell where one seal started and another began.
“I can’t tell if they’ve actually increased security or not,” I muttered to Considine—as a vampire, he couldn’t sense magic.
He scanned the lobby, his red eyes extra dark in the cozy, golden light shed by lamps that emulated the same lighting as a crackling campfire. “The number of guards is roughly the same as when I’ve visited before.”
“I just don’t understand why she’s so unconcerned,” I said. “Do you think it’s sheer stubborn belief in her security?”
“No,” Considine said. “Having met Tutu, I’d say if she really is unconcerned, it has more to do with her estimation of her hatchmate’s abilities.”
“She must believe there’s no way Gisila can take what she’s looking for.” I nodded to a set of uniformed guards, who nodded back to me, likely recognizing me. The Cloisters had sent over basic files of all task force members weeks ago, so there wouldn’t be any…misunderstandings while we investigated.
I continued, “Seeing all the security measures in here, our few guards outside do feel a little…feeble.”
“And yet the task force has stopped Gisila from infiltrating Tutu’s thus far.” Considine’s tone was sardonic, but he was scanning the lobby in a precise manner.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Someone’s heart is beatingveryfast. I heard it when we walked in,” Considine said. “Which is not that unexpected. This building sees a great deal of rampant emotions, I imagine. But I’d like to pinpoint the source…”
Instead of looking around—which would only put any watchers on edge—I busied myself with shaking my hand free of Considine’s grasp.
When he let go, I took off my gloves and stuffed them into a pocket in my jacket. I then sucked in a gulp of air so deeply my shoulders puffed up, and awkwardly slipped my hand back into Considine’s before I lost my nerve.
Considine glanced down at me, both of his eyebrows raising.
My face burned in a blush, but I couldn’t afford to let embarrassment get to me—it would be very unprofessional.
I made myself swing our joint hands while plotting out our approach. The standing desk in the center of the lobby would give us a good view. It was filled with all the various forms you needed to fill out to view and/or remove anything from your lockbox or vault, so it would provide a good excuse for loitering, too.
As we made our way toward it, a swarm of pixies flew so close to us that we had to step aside, pausing directly in front of one of the teller stands to avoid them.
I felt the spicy sensation of dragon magic in my mind, before my senses died.
I froze, shocked.
My human senses were going strong—I could feel my hand in Considine’s. But my awareness of all the vampires in the lobby was gone.
What’s going on?
When the pixies passed, Considine tugged on my hand, pulling me away from the teller. “Something wrong?” He asked. “You tensed up.”
As soon as we stepped away from the teller, my senses returned to me, flooding my brain with the number of vampires surrounding me.
“I don’t know what happened, but some of my abilities just…cut off.”
