"Hmm." I flashed another smile at Marsilia. "But you need me because I'm a walker, and we're supposed to be good at killing vampires. And this sorcerer is exactly that. A vampire."
Marsilia smiled back, the expression looking more human than anything I'd seen on her face—she was probably making an effort.
She rolled the mostly empty glass in her hands, making the inky black liquid swirl. I didn't know if Uncle Mike's served blood in wine glasses, but since all I smelled was various flavors of alcohol, I expected not. Since she was making such a show though, I was pretty sure I was supposed to think it might be blood and be unnerved.
"Thank you for meeting me here," she said at last.
I shrugged and exaggerated just a little bit. "I was going after it anyway." I realized only after I said it, that it was the truth. "Since it's a vampire though, having your approval for this hunt makes it…" I pretended to search for a word. "Safer—for both of us."
I was playing a dangerous game. If she really thought I was a danger to her seethe she'd kill me. But if she didn't respect me, I was likely to end up just as dead.
She sighed and set her glass on the table. "You were raised with the wolves, Mercedes, so I understand the need for playing dominance games. But two of mine are missing and I fear for them. Stefan was among the strongest of mine, but the return of the remains of one of his companions tells me that he has failed."
All of her body language was just a little off. Perhaps she was really worried about her vampires, but her performance set my hackles up. To the wolves, body language is more important than words—and her body language was all wrong, sending messages that her voice did not. I couldn't tell which I should be listening to.
" ‘Remains' is a little strong," I said. "Warren's not dead."
She didn't say anything more for a moment, tapping the table lightly in the same pattern that she'd used the last time I'd seen her. I thought that I hadn't reacted quite as she'd intended—was I supposed to have accepted her help eagerly?
Finally she said, "I know you think it is my fault for sending Stefan off by himself. There were reasons to make it appear a punishment, but Stefan was a soldier. He knew an assignment when he heard one. He knew I believed him, just as he knew I had no choice but to send him after this creature."
That I could believe.
"She meant for him to ask me for help," Andre broke in. "It is my fault that he didn't. Stefan and I had… have been friends for a long time. But I made a mistake and he was angry with me." He looked at me and met my eyes for a moment, but looked away when I averted my gaze. I wondered what he would have done if I'd let him ensnare me.
He continued as if nothing had happened. Maybe it hadn't.
"Daniel was one of Stefan's when he was human. He was more fragile than he appeared and he died while he fed me. There is only an instant when the choice to bring one back can be made, Mercedes Thompson. Less than five human heartbeats. I thought to lessen the cost to everyone by bringing him back a vampire instead of putting him permanently to earth."
Marsilia touched his hand, and I realized his speech hadn't been for me, but for her.
"You gave Daniel a gift," she said. "Ample recompense for your mistake."
Andre bowed his head. "Stefan didn't think so. Bringing him over made Daniel mine, and Stefan was convinced that I'd done it on purpose."
The vampires were damned hard to read, but I thought Stefan probably had the right of it. Andre had been too pleased about something to do with Daniel and Stefan the night of Stefan's trial.
"Unkind of him," Marsilia told him.
"I'd have given him back," Andre said. "But I was waiting for Stefan to ask."
See. Vampires play stupid dominance games, too.
Marsilia shook her head. "It was, perhaps, all to the good that Stefan did not take you. I might be here talking with this walker with both my best soldiers dead." She turned her attention back to me. "So here is how I propose to make your job easier, Mercedes. I will lend you my left hand to guard your back," she said, nodding at Andre, "my right being sundered. And I will give you what information I have."
"In return for what?" I asked, though my question was automatic. She thought Stefan was dead.
She closed her eyes for a moment then stared at my forehead. The vampire version of courtesy, I think. It made me feel like I had a smudge on my forehead.
She said, "In return for you finding this bedamned thing. Since it killed Stefan, I have to accept that any other vampires sent after it will likewise be destroyed. You are the best hope we have of eliminating it."
"And besides," I added dryly. "If I don't succeed, what have you lost?" She didn't reply, but she didn't need to. "So tell me, how do I kill this sorcerer?"
"Just like any other vampire," she said.
"Most of what I know is from Dracula. Assume I'm totally ignorant, please."
"Well enough," she agreed. "A wooden stake through the heart works. Immersion in holy water or direct exposure to sunlight. It is said that the great saints could kill us with their faith, but I do not think, despite your lamb," she waved her hand at my necklace, "that your faith is great enough for that. But take your little sheep with you, Mercedes, because it should work as well on demons as it does on vampires."
"What was it that walkers could do that made vampires fear them?" I asked.
She and Andre both went very still. I didn't think she would answer me. But she did. Sort of. "The first you already know," she said. "Many of our powers do not work well on you. Most of our magic is useless."
"Your truth spell worked," I pointed out.
"That chair is not vampiric magic, Mercedes, not entirely. Though all magic, I believe, finds you difficult prey. But blood magic has a power all of its own, as do very old things. That chair is a very old thing."
"I didn't mean to distract you from the subject," I said politely inviting her to get back to the point.
She gave me a faint smile. "No. I don't suppose you did. Walkers also speak to ghosts."
I blinked at her. "So what?" A lot of people, even otherwise perfectly normal humans, can speak to ghosts.
She pushed back her chair. "I think that I have answered enough of your questions." She gave Andre a look, so I knew that he wouldn't clarify anything for me. "I believe that you ought to start by finding out where Stefan went last night."
"Warren won't be talking, not for a while," I told her. His throat had been crushed. Samuel thought it could take several days to heal.
"Stefan was in the habit of talking with his people," she told me. "They are afraid. They won't talk to me or mine. But I think they will talk to you. Andre will take you to Stefan's house where you can speak with the menagerie."
Then she disappeared. I suppose she could have cloaked herself in shadows as some of the fae can, but I couldn't smell her, couldn't sense her anywhere.
"I hate it when she does that," said Andre taking a sip out of his glass. "Mostly envy, I expect. Stefan could do it, too—the only one of her get to receive that gift."