Page 26 (1/2)

With a sigh, I toreto be out of it for a day or so, and Delilah wil be exhausted by toone I have Vanzir, Shao to work--and Tril ian And Tril ian won’t leave Cao with you" Nerissa leaned down and kissed my lips, but I shookYou have your strengths, but babe, I can’t watch out for you and do what I need to do You stay hoet down there before any other haunts take up residence"

We headed forI wasn’t tired in the least, and Vanzir looked down, but not out I promised Iris we’d cal her in an hour Nerissa pouted her way back to bed, but I reluctantly slipped out the door

"Shea little "You two obviously have it going on I’ranted It’s easy for vaht of Roet to be generous, even if their e/undead relationship, you two do pretty good" He slid into the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt

As we veered off, back to the Greenbelt Park District, I thought over the equipht

Sometied to pul one together

However, in the backseat, I had a bag with several wooden stakes--just in case we met our serial kil er--a couple of knives, a pair of handcuffs, and a few other accoutreh the silent streets "You blame yourself for Morio, don’t you?"

I stared at the road, hands on the wheel, not answering for ato tel him Instead, I just said, "What happened with Caether Final y, he said, "Touché Unless you’re ordering me to answer, I’d rather she tel you"

I wanted to confront him, to order him to tel , but Camil e’s privacy was tenuous at best, with three husbands, and I dreaded taking ahat she had left I frowned "Whatever it is, wil it interfere with our quest?"

He shrugged "It’s up to her, and I’l abide by whatever decision she makes Look, isn’t that the turn up there?"

I nodded, silently swinging the car to the left, where I neatly slid into a parking space right near the oing to bakery jobs or early-ht as wel stil be the dead of night

We hopped out of the car and headed over to the tunnels Vanzir stopped to shake his head

"Fuck, wo here? I can feel her residue This scares the shit out of ht?"

"Yeah, she went back to whatever rock she lives under" I tossed the manhole cover aside "I’m headed down, punk boy Fol ow if you dare" And with that, I leaped over the side and floated down to the tunnels below Vanzir fol owed, shi down the ladder at record speed

The tunnel felt different as I looked around It wasn’t any brighter, but as I flashed htened considerably Thanks to Ivana Regardless of what the others said, I decided I’d done the right thing We started through, fol owing our initial direction, but this ti jumped out of the ork to attack us Oh, there were a few viro-mortis slimes on the wal s, and I saw rats here or there, but the air felt clear and I glanced over at Vanzir

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head "There’s nothing of ere fighting left down here

Whatever else the Maiden of Karask e, I slid through, Vanzir fol owing Once in the chalanced at the entrances leading out of the rooht my arm "Are you sure you want to do this? Maybe we should just explore farther up the main tunnel? This seems off the beaten path for your vampire"

"Yes, I’m sure Now come on" I chose one at random We stil had a serial kil er on the loose, and I didn’t want to take a chance on getting caught by the creep

The passage continued for about ten feet before it began to descend, and withindown I paused, wondering if I should cal Iris now But we’d barely been here twenty minutes, and to cal her, I’d have to return to the surface There was no reception here I opted to wait

We approached another opening, through which the stairwel plunged Vanzir stopped behind o back--please?"

"What the fuck is your probleasped as the wal s fel away

I gaped at the panorae syste frohborhood, entirely belowground We were no longer in Underground Seattle, but ere truly under Seattle No huer mortal

How far down the cavern went, I do not know There was no end in sight I could barelythe stairwel s Not ht hours, but enough to show that the stairwel s el used and active

I paused, staring at the expanse below me "What the fuck do you think it is?" I whispered "The vampire serial kil er, he couldn’t possibly be responsible for this"

"No" Vanzir drew close behind o back"

"Hel no, not just yet Look at this--it’s like so down there in the labyrinth? But our serial kil er--if he’s down there, we have no chance of finding him" I shook my head "We’l have to hope he hasn’t discovered this place But what the hel

who could have h He turnedabyss

"Actual y, I knoho made it I suppose I’d better tel you what you’ve stu around down here"

"You know? Have you been here before?" I tiltedhow the hel this could have reh this entrance" He shrugged "Most of the entrances are guarded by ht the spirits and shadow ht? What is this place?"