Page 84 of The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag

She shuffled. ‘Only took few,’ she complained.

‘Well, give them back. All of them. And then you can keep the rest.’

She smiled happily and flashed her metal teeth before picking up her husband's skull and pushing it into the earth. One by one, she did the same with the rest. Who knew that the Knight Stalkers had a whole freaking store cupboard of skulls? I guessed they’d stolen them from the hag, hoping to make her angry and violent. They’d beenstirring things between the dwarves and Matilda, but it had all come to nothing and that gave me a grim sense of satisfaction. I did so love to foil a plot.

But I was all too aware that, with Thomas taken, this was far from over.

Chapter 49

Once the Reef Mine was secure, I checked anxiously for my fellow Portlockians and found them all alive, although most were wounded. The only one who wasn’t there was Thomas; I’d been hoping against hope that I’d seen an illusion and he’d be there on the shore pulling Sidnee into his arms with that tender look he had only for her. But he wasn’t.

Sidnee reached the conclusion at the same time as me and her face twisted in fear. ‘Has anyone seen Thomas?’ she asked loudly.

I bit my lip. ‘I’m sorry, Sidnee. I saw Chris – Chris Jubatus—’

‘Fuck Chris,’ she snarled. ‘Where’s Thomas?’ She’d started to shake.

‘Chris … he took Thomas.’

‘What?’ she breathed.

‘He kidnapped him.’

‘Thatbastard.’ Her eyes flashed back to mer-black. ‘I’ll kill him myself.’ Her hands flew to her top as if she was going to strip off and shift into a mermaid to chase her ex across the whole fucking globe if necessary.

‘Sidnee, my love, calm down. You need to think rationally. Once they stop moving, we can scry Thomas.’

‘Unless they get him somewhere warded!’ she snapped back.

‘This is the Knight Stalkers we’re talking about. They don’t like magic.’

‘They used Emma! They used a fucking air ward against Matilda!’ She was panting, her eyes wide with panic.

‘Thomas is alive,’ I said firmly. ‘And I swear we will find him. But you can’t run off half-cocked. That will get him – and you – killed. We have to be smart, Sidnee honey. You know I’m right.’

Her eyes leached to their usual brown and she started to cry. I pulled her into my arms as Gunnar looked on, obviously heartbroken for her. ‘We’ll find him,’ he vowed gruffly. Sidnee leapt from my arms to his and let herself collapse against him.

Our MIB team was busy setting charges; when we were well away, they blew up the cursed mine so it couldn’t be used against us again. Next to me, Matilda snorted attheir work. ‘No good,’ she sniffed. She disappeared into the mine, presumably to collapse the whole thing properly.

Sometimes, her power was more than a little scary. If she’d arrived sooner, the tide of battle would have changed far quicker. Maybe then Thomas wouldn’t have been taken and we would have captured that shitbag Chris for ourselves.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda helped no one so I put my thoughts aside, but in my heart I plotted revenge against the selkie for once again breaking my best friend’s heart.

We didn’t dare leave Sidnee alone. Gunnar and I debated whether she was better with me or with him, but since Sigrid was still at the station we decided my home was the right place for her for now. Connor came in too, and quietly told Fluffy and Shadow what had happened as he sorted them out with fresh food and drink.

Meanwhile I helped a near-catatonic Sidnee into the shower. She was like a large doll who moved when directed but froze after she’d complied. It freaked me out, but she didn’t need me to lose my mind right now; one of us needed to keep our shit together.

I tucked her into the spare-room bed once she was clean and warm. I couldn’t get her to eat or drink anything, but I’d fight that battle in the morning. I left water and some biscuits next to her bed; it was the best I could do.

I pulled the door almost closed and slunk back to the kitchen where Connor was waiting. He was looking at his phone with what looked like amused triumph. ‘What’s up?’ I asked.

Connor’s grin widened. ‘Our resident water dragon kicks ass and takes names.’

My eyes widened. ‘It didn’t?’

‘It totally did!’ He laughed. ‘Apparently it coiled around the submarine and squeezed until the damn thing ruptured. I love it.’

Despite myself, I grinned. ‘That water dragon is scary as heck. I’m glad it’s on our side.’

---