Page 20 of The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee

Her mum answered reluctantly. ‘Her boyfriend’s house, I think.’

‘Who’s her boyfriend?’ I pressed.

‘His name is Luke Savik.’

‘Related to Lukas or Akiak Savik?’ I frowned. The dead hunters we’d retrieved from the other side of the barrier had been Saviks. How many Saviks could there be in this small town? I remembered from Lukas’s file that he had a son called Luke. It couldn’t be a common name.

Nora confirmed my suspicions. ‘Lukas was his father.’

The Savik brothers had died when they were hunting on the other side of the barrier. If Aoife was dating Luke, she must know that the monster was real. Why on earth would she try to bring the barrier down?

If she was with Luke, the most pressing issue right now was his family and their safety. The gem was deadly and Aoife was strolling around with it in her pocket. The last thing the Saviks’ deserved was for their family home to go up in flames.

‘We’d better hurry before the gem incinerates a house full of people,’ I said urgently to Sidnee. She nodded and we ran out to the car, Sidnee still carrying the box. I opened the car for Fluffy to jump in and we sped off.

I prayed we’d get to the Saviks’ house before the gem did its thing and burned everything in its path.

Chapter 11

Sidnee got the address from the Nomo’s database and I drove as quickly as I dared to Lukas Savik’s house. I’d been to Akiak Savik’s house twice before, once to get the information on the missing men and the second time to inform the two widows of their husbands’ untimely deaths. The second time haunted me: it had been hard to deliver that news. I’d never been to Lukas’s house. I hoped I wasn’t going to deliver any more bad news.

We screeched up, dived out of the car and I knocked on the door, Sidnee on one side of me and Fluffy on the other. When Lukas’s wife, Olena, opened it she looked panicked to see me. I couldn’t blame her: the last time we’d spoken, I’d told her that her husband was dead.

‘Ms Savik, is your son at home?’ I asked urgently.

Her lips trembled and one hand fluttered to her heart. ‘Is he okay? Is he in trouble?’

I shook my head. ‘He’s fine. I’m looking for his girlfriend, Aoife Sullivan. It’s possible she’s carrying around a dangerous artefact.’

‘Aoife? She’s so sweet. She wouldn’t…’ She trailed off. ‘I’ll call them down. I’m sure this is all a big mistake.’ She left us waiting on the porch as she went to holler for Luke.

I heard a distant, ‘What, Mom?’

She sounded exasperated. ‘Please come here immediately. The Nomo’s office is at the door.’

I heard quiet whispering then a ruckus and knew immediately that Aoife would run. Sidnee had heard it too. I gestured for her to go left around the side of the house as I ran right, Fluffy by my side.

Both kids were heading down the street behind the house towards the trees. The boy might be human but Aoife was definitely supernatural – though that didn’t seem to translate to speed. Luke was athletic and he pulled ahead, but I was a vampire and I caught up with them in no time. I snagged them by their jackets and Fluffy growled threateningly to stop them trying to bolt again.

‘Why did you run?’ I asked grumpily. ‘I only wanted to talk.’ And arrest Aoife.

Luke shrugged but his eyes shifted to Aoife; she was clearly the ringleader here. ‘Why are you following me?’ she demanded, contempt pouring from her voice. ‘I already had an interview with you. I told you everything I know.’

Sidnee was panting as she caught up. ‘That’s not true, is it, Aoife?’ She kept her voice soft and friendly. ‘Hon, we know you took the fire gem. It’s dangerous and we need it back immediately. It’s cursed.’

Everything about Aoife’s body language shouted disdain. ‘That’s ridiculous. You can’t prove that I took anything.’

‘We found the empty box in your room.’

‘I found it in the trash,’ she lied, eyes wide, suddenly looking less certain of herself.

‘Don’t take us for fools,’ I snapped. ‘Return the gem and I promise it’ll be a slap on the wrist. If you don’t, it’ll be far more serious.’ I wasn’t sure I could promise that, but if she handed over the gem I’d do my best to persuade the council to go easy on her.

She looked around nervously. ‘I don’t have it on me.’

Annoyingly, I believed her. ‘Will you let me search you?’

She nodded and lifted her chin. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide.’

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