Page 36 of Silent Stalker
NINE
View it as a spa day for a stake.
As warned,the collection of vaccinations, covering all things magical and mundane, knocked me on my ass. Emerick, while he’d enjoyed an assortment of vaccinations, fared far better, and he enjoyed his status as mildly inconvenienced.
Color me unsurprised.
Unfortunately for my plans to enjoy cuddling in a blanket while reigning over Emerick’s lap, my father sent a second courier requesting a meeting. If a meeting wasn’t possible, he’d accept a phone call instead, which indicated something had happened, something important and dreadful.
“It’s important,” I informed Emerick without bothering to send the courier away. “While a meeting isn’t happening unless everyone wants to experience the thrills of a sick vampire making a mess of the conference table, I can handle a phone call. He’d just request a meeting and wait unless it’s really important—and of a serious matter. The fact he’s accepting a phone call means he’s willing to adjust his schedule to make the call happen. That automatically puts it as a top priority. My father lives his life to schedule, and anything that messes up his schedule is a critical matter.”
Emerick sighed. “When did he want the meeting?”
“Immediately,” the courier admitted. “He’s made himself available for the rest of the evening so he can handle the call at your convenience, and he inquired with your reception during the day to find out your evening hours. He has been notified of the vaccinations, which is why he requested a phone call if a meeting isn’t possible.”
Well, color me surprised. My father, show anyone courtesy?
I resisted the urge to ask the courier if he was certain he’d received his orders from my father.
Emerick nodded. “Then we’ll call promptly. If he requires warning, we’ll give you five minutes before we call the number on this message.”
“No warning is required,” the courier replied. “Thank you for your prompt response.”
Without another word, the courier fled the penthouse.
“Scared of vampires?” I guessed.
“Absolutely terrified of us,” Emerick replied with a grin. “Considering how badly you’re sniffling, it’s no wonder you couldn’t smell his fear. Blow your nose before I call your father.”
I grabbed the half-empty box of tissues and obeyed, hoping I’d last longer than five minutes this time. “This poor trash can is going to be overflowing within an hour.”
“At which point I will get up, make you some tea, empty the can, and bring you a new box of tissues. I would tell you to be grateful you are merely a snot factory, but Ben would not be pleased if I exposed his secrets when he is vaccinated. He actually requires a dedicated babysitter when he is going through his reactions.”
“I vomit early, I vomit often, and it doesn’t stop for two nights,” Ben announced, stepping into the sitting room armed with a stack of papers, a folder, and a steaming cup. “I took the liberty of making tea, and I’ve brought our notes on the Francis empire and its current activities. I also bring a gift of understanding why the call is so important.”
“Speak,” Emerick ordered.
“The vampire Pepper saved last night is one of her father’s more important employees. Several of the other vampires are also employees. They were kidnapped six to eight months ago. We’ve cuff tested them all, and it appears they were held for a period of one to two months before being turned into vampires. We haven’t been able to question them, but they’re in a bad state. Pepper, I’ve been asked if you have any stakes specifically carved when you were particularly distressed. Those tend to work best. These victims require additional comfort.”
Walking sucked, as the vaccinations had done a good job of slaughtering my sense of balance, but I escaped the blanket and staggered to the bedroom to where my stakes waited on the dresser on a bed of violet velvet. I considered the history of each stake, trailing my fingers over the often roughly hewn surfaces. “How many do you need?” I croaked.
“Ten are in dire need, but fifteen would be better.”
Damn. With that many stakes needed, I would have to send most of the ones I had left out into the world. I separated the stakes out I’d carved when I’d been in a nastier mood, ready to seek out vengeance for having been turned into a vampire. That left me with a collection of twenty-six stakes, and I organized them by how bleak my mood had been. Once done, I pointed at them in order based on the potency of my emotions at the time of carving.
“When you are feeling better, we’ll go find new stake wood for you to work with,” Ben promised. “It may be a while before these find their way back to you. Three of your stakes are being cleaned and will be brought in for you later tonight. They have opinions, and it took us a bit to realize they wanted to be cleaned before being brought back.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“The closer we got to the penthouse, the more disconcerting the stakes became to hold. Emilio ended up going to the bathroom, and the sense disappeared when he was near the sink, so he gave the stake a brief rinse and dried it, which made it glow, so we’re assuming the stakes wish to be purified before return. We have methods of cleansing stakes, so they’re getting the complete treatment. View it as a spa day for a stake.”
Emerick joined me at the dresser with his phone in hand, and he dialed a number. “Good evening, Mr. Francis. Your courier just left, and I wanted to return your call as soon as possible. Pepper will need a few minutes before she’s ready to join us on the call, as she’s feeling quite ill at the moment, but she’ll be present soon. It’s good that you sent your courier to me, as I just received news we have several of your employees, unwillingly turned into vampires, in our care, suffering from similar trauma as Pepper. We are taking care to treat them, but they will have a long recovery ahead of them. I don’t have a list of names for you yet, but I’m sure someone will be bringing that along shortly.”
Ben nodded, held a finger to his lips, and gathered up the stakes, putting a tag on each one and numbering them so he wouldn’t forget their order. Once he gathered them all up, he left our bedroom.
“It would be wise to allow us to handle treatments for the first few weeks. At this stage, the gentlemen we rescued may attack without provocation due to long-term mistreatment. We are doing what we can, but this sort of trauma takes time to recover from. We will take care not to ask any questions pertinent to your operations, but even we are having to take precautions to feed and care for them at this point in time. As soon as I know more, including names, I’ll notify you. Should I call this number when I have news? Yes? Excellent. It shall be done. I’ll call you back in five to ten minutes.” Emerick hung up. “Ben!”
The other vampire cursed as he came back into our bedroom. “I had almost escaped. What is it?”
