Page 30 of Sleeping With the Vampire

“Grey Lands,” he nodded. “There is fighting all over the place, sounds bad. Some of the men on the product delivery told me this morning. All supply lines are down. The price of blood will go up.”

He leaned in. “The vampires are going to go to war again, we’d better keep our heads down, go into hiding if we must. The wife has already gone down to the basement, she won’t come out, she says.”

He winked at Costello. “Good news for me, I reckon!”

But this is not good news for me.

“I have to go there, see if he’s okay,” I said.

Costello was not happy to hear that but I’d told him what was going on with Lucca and I and he understood.

“If you’re right,” he said. “And the vampires are at war, then humans should stay out of it. You’ll get hurt,” he said to me.

“Are you insane, you want to go there now?” the captain said.

“You’ll never get through anyway,” he added.

But it was daytime and I knew that it would be quiet now. I’d contract a plane and put it on Lucca’s account.

“I’d come with you,” Costello said, “But…”

“No, it’s fine, really. I’m okay with this. This is my responsibility now,” I said.

As soon as breakfast was over, I said goodbye to Costello and headed over to Lucca’s son’s house in the Citadel. I had heard about Sunil the previous day and I was surprised that Lucca was so fond of him. Word on the street was that he was corrupt and in league with wrong people on the Council.

The sun was up but it was not yet out in full force. I was hoping to talk to Sunil, but when I got to the house, no-one would open the door. I figured some servants might be around, but nothing. I eventually found an open window and let myself in. The place was beautifully furnished, very tastefully and I recalled that Lucca said his first wife had decorated it. I peered into doors, went down the stairs and along a beautifully carpeted hallway until I found what had to be Sunil’s study. I started rifling through papers, trying to look for something incriminating, when I heard voices upstairs.

I softly walked out the door and into the hallway.

I could hear someone talking upstairs on the phone, snatches of the conversation floated down the stairs. I made my way up the stairs as far as I dared.

“Injured? Is he dead?”

I didn’t know who he was talking about, but I had an idea. There was an urgency in his voice that made it clear.

“....my brothers? No… I don’t think so.”

He ended the call and I feared he would be coming down the stairs, heading for his study. I went into an adjoining room, some kind of storage room and heard him on the phone again.

I only managed to catch a few words.

It was enough to turn my blood cold.

I made my way out of the house as quietly as possible but when I got to the top floor, I walked into an old crone with a tray of product, heading down to the study. She was as surprised to see me as I was to see her. Before she could do anything, I pushed her out of the way and ran for the window, slamming the door behind me. As soon as I was outside, I quickly crawled in under a car and not a moment too soon as the front door opened and Sunil peered out.

The sun was stronger though, he didn’t want to risk coming out, but he scanned the street for movement. After the door closed, I waited a while before sliding out and running crouched among the crowds of people until I was sure that I had managed to get away. There was no way I could get one of Lucca’s planes now. Sunil would find out and put a stop to that. He would know that I was onto him.

I checked my mobile phone and tried calling Lucca, but couldn’t get through.

In the end, I went to the capital, found the fastest car I could nick and headed West. I found the way to Grey Castle easily enough, with the road leading up to a rampart at the foot of the mountain.

It was an impressive sight to behold, Grey Castle with its blackened turrets rising into the sky. It seemed formidable and impenetrable. I stopped outside a huge iron gate and I had toget out and call for guards to let me in. I followed the winding road up to the entrance of the building, parking to one side. It was after midday but the sun was strong and I didn’t think there would be too much activity around here.

I got out of the car and walked up the steps, knocking on the door.

After a long time, it was opened by an old lady with long white hair.

“Good afternoon,” she said, in a friendly voice.

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