Blue Moon Rising (The Patroness) (18 page)

So I pulled out Cutter. “Your request, I accept.”

I knew what would happen and I didn’t want Kylian or Chastel to see all of it, so I moved to stand in a way they couldn’t see exactly what I was doing. One of the gargoyles stretched out his hand, palm up and began to chant in their rocky language while I sliced my wrist with the sharp blade. Slowly thick, dark red droplets of blood began to trickle along my skin. When they fell into the gargoyles palm the blood burst with a hiss into a swirling dust, first blue-green then quickly changing to a soft gold.

The gargoyle raised his voice, shouting one last word and threw his palm up in the air. The spinning cloud of dust was pushed into the night sky, where it lingered for a second, searching its target. Then it shot forwards in a wide arc and like a falling star, just as fast, it was out of sight.

My blood had found the person the gargoyles had assigned me to protect, the so called Binder. I was the Committer. The cloud would lose its coloring and be inhaled by the, at this time hopefully and probably, sleeping person. Our blood would mix, and we’d technically be bound together, although in this case the vow would become effective not until after the Binder’s awakening, which probably meant The Turn. And therefore left me a few months of independence.

Suddenly, just for a short moment, the skin around my wound burned white hot, revealing an intricate flame-colored symbol. Before I had the slightest chance to get a real glance at it the pain and the symbol both were gone. Dammit. I knew it showed the Binder’s coat of arms, and therefore it could have given me a clue as to what kind of creature I had to protect. Now it would only return until after the blood vow came into force, then marking my skin like a tattoo. A silent and constant reminder of my task, my commitment.

Blood was still trickling along my arm so I got a bit of med-tape out of my aid-kit and slapped it onto the cut. The gargoyles must have found my blood’s unusual bluish green coloring while reacting to their magic very interesting, so I had no desire of losing any more than necessary. Every magical race’s blood reacted in a certain way to magic, and showed through different coloring. A vampire’s black, and a ghost’s was gray. A shapeshifter’s blood became violet when reacting with magic, a human’s red and a faery’s white. And a witch’s yellow. Though considering the gargoyle’s age, their magic and wisdom, it was probable they already knew what I was.

Anyway, I didn’t want to run the risk and give them a chance to question me about it, so I reminded them of our deal. “Now please, would you be so kind, as to stock with knowledge my mind?”

They nodded and began in a suddenly and surprisingly calm, wise voice.

“One is ambitious and not from here

though in two different minds he likes to appear.

Three sets and it might be too late

despite the four split souls forced into the shade.

For in the end all he needs is five and five,

in a circle wide.”

I frowned and bit my lip, trying to memorize all the lines while my brain was getting a little ahead of things, already busy trying to solve their riddle. I bowed, “My apologies for disturbing your sleep and thank you for giving the answers we need.”

With a loud creaking of the hinges the doors of Notre Dame slammed shut behind us.

“Okay. That was interesting” Chastel said. Then he frowned and scratched his head. “What exactly were they talking about, though?”

Kylian crossed his arms over his chest. He really seemed to like this pose. “Well, they asked her to protect someone. And just like that, only to have them give her a damn riddle in return, she accepts, swears by blood and binds herself to a complete stranger. For life!” He looked at me through narrowed eyes, “Did you even, for one second, think about the consequences?”

Oh for crying out loud, would this guy never stop? I put a hand over my mouth, in utter – and faked – shock, “Consequences? You think there might be consequences? Oh, and did you say ‘for life’? God, I didn’t even think about it. Oh, what would I only do without you?”

Since Kylian was about to turn a little dark red I stopped the acting with a sigh. “How dumb do you think I am, huh? Of course I thought about the consequences. First of all, I needed the information. Then they’d gotten me all curious as to whom they’d like me to protect. Third of all, they are on the good side, the probability the Binder’s there too, are therefore high, so I’d basically do my job anyway. And since it’s my life we’re talking about, I decided to take the chance.”

He grunted. “Yeah, and some information we got.”

Chastel said, “Hey you two, could you postpone your little drama? I’d planned on setting out some traps for the rogue tonight, so...”

Kylian muttered, “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get moving. It’s no use discussing this anyway.”

I threw up my arms in a mix of desperation and disbelief, “’Cause there’s simply no need to discuss whatsoever. I don’t need to justify myself to you.”

We headed north. In some quite alleys Chastel had started to set up his traps, which turned out to be...really modern, whereas I’d imagined some big, rusty bear trap, maybe with a nice chunk of meat atop.

When I asked Chastel about it, he grinned at me. “That’s what I’d set up in the country, but here, in town...that won’t work so well. Authorities get a little weird when finding bear traps and cows, cut in half all over their town. For hunting in the cities I developed something special.” He got out a little bottle. Unscrewing it very quickly, he held it under Kylian’s nose.

Kylian’s eyes changed to icy blue immediately. He growled low in his throat, and turned away. Uh-oh. Shrill alarm bells went off in my head.

A little worried and cautious as to what Chastel was up to, I approached him to get a better look on his little potion. “Hey, what is that?”

He shot me one of his arrogant grins. “Sorry, can’t tell you. Let’s just say it works like a strong pheromone for shapeshifters.” Chastel got out a raw steak, stuffed what seemed to be a small tracking device into it and threw it into a bush lining the sidewalk. Then he gave a few droplets of his secret brew onto the surrounding leaves.

“You sure the rogue doesn’t bite your tracking device into very small pieces?”

“Yes. The pheromone makes a shapeshifter go crazy. I guess in their state of mind they don’t chew, they just...”

He couldn’t finish his sentence, since Kylian had rejoined our little discussion and was suddenly grabbing him by the throat, letting Chastel dangle in the air. Kylian’s eyes still glowed in that incredible blue and his incisors were a tiny bit longer than before. He was a magnificent side to behold.

“It makes them go crazy, huh? Is that what you want? Make the shapeshifters go crazy, so you have an excuse to kill us?” When Chastel didn’t respond, he gave him a nice and thorough shake, so Chastel’s teeth were chattering. “Answer me!”

Chastel demanded in a squeaking voice, “First take your hands of me!”

Kylian growled and did nothing of the likes. Chastel still hung in the air and I decided it was time to interfere. I walked over to Kylian, standing beside him and looking up at Chastel.

“Just answer him, Chastel! Do you kill shapeshifters, too? Or do you understand the difference between them and a rogue? ‘Cause there’s one, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Chastel still didn’t answer, but since he was getting blue I couldn’t say whether it was due to stubbornness or lack of air. Afraid it was the latter, I asked Kylian, “Could you please let him down for a sec, I think he might not get enough air to speak.”

Kylian frowned and observed Chastel intently, “You may be right.” He put Chastel down and loosened his grip, without wanting to let go completely.

Chastel coughed and tried to take in deep breaths. After some time had passed he finally calmed down. “Of course I don’t want to kill shapeshifters. What the hell is wrong with you?”

I pulled up my eyebrows. “Well, you brought that upon yourself. First you shoot him in the back and now you say that pheromone makes shapeshifters go crazy after putting it directly under Kylian’s nose. What else did you expect?”

“I thought it’d work only on rogues!”

Kylian laughed, “So you want us to believe that you didn’t hope for me to go crazy? Because your words and actions kind of implied the contrary.”

“Just because my ancestors were werewolf hunters, doesn’t mean I go out killing every shapeshifter that moves or stuff like that. I know you believe that I’m a white-and-black kinda guy, but I’m not. Be assured that I’m fairly acquainted with the gray, too. I don’t want you to go crazy. I want to catch the rogue. I didn’t know that stuff could affect shapeshifters that way.”

For me Chastel looked honest enough, just to be sure though I gazed up at Kylian. Shapeshifters could detect lies fairly well. He nodded. “Okay, can you do me a favor then?”

“What?”

“Use only one tiny drop of that stuff!”

Chastel tried to smile a little. “Right.”

“Okay boys, let’s go. We haven’t even covered half the city yet,” I called out.

After that little intermezzo, we continued our way into the third arrondissement, a rather quiet and very small one in area, where we stumbled upon a group of vampires. It was a group of four, three males and one female, which came to a halt in front of us. The bloodsuckers nearly dressed all alike, so actually they weren’t hard to miss. Their favorites: leather, leather and not to forget black leather. With their pale and nearly white skin, nicely accentuated by their choice of wardrobe, and their red, pouty lips, bloodsuckers believed themselves to be the most mysterious and tragic creatures of the night. But the arrogance dripping from their every pore and the ready-for-battle stance failed to trigger anything mysterious or tragic here.

I recognized the obvious leader of the four from previous and rare run-in’s during my patrols. His name was Valère, a real arrogant sonovabitch nevertheless we’ve always played nice, well at least most of the time. In his dark, long and floating black leather coat and with his shoulder long, raven black hair, he was one of the few who successfully pulled off the mysterious thing.

Although their eyes were normal and showing no signs of bloodlust, I pulled out Cutter, just in case. With those bloodsuckers and their swinging moods one could never know after all. “Bonsoir Mesdames et Messieurs, how do you do?” I greeted them, swinging Cutter leisurely.

Valère grinned, a very toothy grin at that. “Ah, the Patroness of Paris.” He cocked his head, “with a yummy human and a furry ball in her wake. How come? Yeah, right, I forgot. You like to hang out with the likes of those.” He motioned towards Kylian with his chin, his eyes still locked on me, “Don’t you see they are mere dogs, always wagging their tail and running after their master.” Now Valère looked directly at Kylian. “You do realize she already killed her share of your kind? And nevertheless you stand here, beside her?” He shook his head, “No dignity. How pitiful, tragic even.”

Kylian growled, a clear warning.

I leaned a little over to him, and whispered, but in a way I was still audible for everyone around us, “Ignore him, or he’ll go on and on with that bullshit. Believe me, I speak from experience, and I learned from my mistake.” I could see Kylian’s lip twitch. To the bloodsucker I said, “Nice to see you, too, Valère. Long time no see. Now here you’re, with three vamps, and that’s a rare picture. What are you doing up here? Keeping the streets bloody?”

“Just making sure you’ve still got something to do. Economy isn’t doing so well, would be a damn shame to lose our favorite toy due to insolvency.”

I smiled sharply at him. “Won’t happen. Now enough of that crap. What are you doing top ground?”

Instead of answering my question, he asked one of his own. “Did you kill any vamps lately?”

I ignored him. “Do I have to remind you that I’ve the right to questioning you?”

Valère ground his teeth and stayed silent. A battle of wills, I would win. We both knew it, but it still pissed him off. Since the Council has officially acknowledged me as the Patroness of Paris, I had the right to interrogate every otherworldly creature within the city walls. If he chose to not cooperate, he’d regret it.

“We’re on patrol, too,” he finally grit out. “The Queen is worried after several of her children went missing.”

Interesting. I pricked up my ears. “How many? And in what period of time?”

“Six, all in the course of last week.”

And I bet Josianne Bellemort, the main character of my demonic ‘Romeo and Juliet’ would be one of them. “Their names?”

Valère shook his head, “No can do. That one you’ll have to ask the Queen.”

That I’d like to avoid as long as I could, so thanks, but no. Mentioning Josianne wouldn’t be a wise move. Having to explain the Queen how I already knew about one of her missing subjects, would get Romaric in serious trouble. I would make do with the information I got.

So the shapeshifters and vampires all went missing in the last seven days, and I’ll bet that also applied to the witches. Someone out there was very busy and very bold. “Any leads or news?”

Valère exchanged looks with the others, who seemed to be a little nervous.

“Spill it, Valère!” Dread getting a good hold on me.