I handed her the map. ‘Tell you what. Mark out each worm’s route for me and I’ll investigate them on my own.’
‘I am not refusing to come with you, I am merely stating that it is a waste of time.’
I didn’t say anything. Eventually, when the silence grew too much even for Lady Penelope, she clicked her tongue. ‘I will summon another worm to take us.’
I grinned. ‘Nope. I want to do this on foot otherwise we might miss something.’
The vampire looked horrified. ‘There are several miles to cover.’
I patted her shoulder. ‘Then we’d better get a move on.’
Chapter
Eight
Following in Nicola the worm’s footsteps, so to speak, was easier said than done. Although the route was marked on the map and Lady Penelope knew exactly which way to go, neither my witchlight nor her flaming torch were strong enough to illuminate the wide tunnels properly. I was aware that I could easily miss vital evidence, so we had to move slowly.
I made a mental note to find something that would cast a stronger light when I next explored the Understream. There were a few useful spells in my old chest that I reckoned would do the trick.
I expected Lady Penelope to huff some more at our snail-like progress but she seemed to approve. Perhaps she recognised that speed had to be sacrificed for results or perhaps, as a vampire, she never felt any need to rush. After all, she had all the time in the world. I was aware, however, that for me the clock was ticking.
Spotting a crumpled ball of paper against the wall of the tunnel, I picked it up and smoothed it out. It was a receipt from the large witchery store, Pickover. I squinted at the listed items:some powdered spruce, a vial of bovine tears and three crates of Jing’s Tonic.
I raised an eyebrow. Jing’s Tonic was a mildly effervescent bottled drink that allegedly enhanced one’s magical powers, although the jury was still out as to whether that was actually true. I’d seen no evidence of it and never felt the urge to try the stuff; I’d been told it tasted like mouldy cheese, which was more than enough to dispel my curiosity as to its efficacy.
I showed the receipt to Lady Penelope, who raised her shoulders in a fluid shrug. Damn: everything about her was elegant. ‘A lot of vampires drink Jing’s these days,’ she said, as if that explained everything.
‘Why?’
‘As I am sure you are aware, when a witch or a druid – or indeed any Preternatural – chooses to become one of us, they lose most of their natural powers. Many spend decades seeking ways to regain those powers.’
‘I thought most vampires were originally human.’
‘They are. Every vampire must possess at least eighty percent human DNA for the turn to take.’
I nodded: there were no vampiric trolls, ogres or werewolves. I knew vamps could still wield spells but they didn’t have the magical strength to create their own spells. The reliance on other beings had to annoy them.
Lady Penelope continued. ‘But there are occasionally those with magic running through their veins who decide to take the fang.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Often they discover they lose more than they gain.’
Ah. ‘Hence Jing’s Tonic.’
‘Indeed.’
‘Does it work?’
‘I neither know nor care.’
It was the sort of response I’d expected. Lady Penelopeprobably knew exactly how effective Jing’s Tonic could be but I was an outsider and information about vampires, no matter what it was, was not to be distributed without careful consideration.
I dropped the receipt into a plastic pouch and put it in my backpack. I didn’t know what was important yet so I would keep everything I found no matter how inconsequential it might appear.
We continued on our way. The floor of the tunnel was smooth beneath our feet, doubtless eroded over the centuries by the many worms who had slithered this way. The tunnels might well have been created by the worms, too.
I wondered if the giant creatures ever resented their servitude but I knew better than to ask Lady Penelope. Although she’d been pleased to be invited along, our relationship remained brittle. She was rather like a feral cat, although she wouldn’t have appreciated the comparison. I’d softened the hardest of stray cats’ hearts in my time; it would be an interesting challenge to see if I could do the same with the straitlaced vampire.
I crossed the tunnel diagonally to examine another scrap of litter. An empty glass container that looked similar to several I’d seen containing blood at the marketplace was lying in a dip in the ground.
Lady Penelope tutted. ‘It is nothing,’ she dismissed. ‘Merely another piece of rubbish.’
