Mr. Frank and Ms. Wrenn were still talking outside in the cold when Mr. Lennart took Gabe and Sophia to their house to get clothes. They were going to stop and pick up dinner at Raven’s Gaze, and Gabe was sure Lennart and Bjorn were angry about something to do with the restaurant, but Lennart wasn’t particularly specific.
Gabe didn’t ask. He’d had enough of magic for a while.
Lennart took a suitcase into Mateo’s room and Gabe and Sophia went into theirs. They were to get their homework and any electronics they needed, and at least a week’s worth of clothes, just in case. The house was chilly, but not as bad as he thought it was going to be, even though there was a huge hole where the garage should have been. Lennart said Mr. Magnus wanted to build them a mansion, but their Papa had told him then he’d have to build everyone else in Alfheim mansions, too.
Gabe wouldn’t put it past the elf to do just that, to make a point.
He rummaged around in his room, got his homework from the family room, packed up his bag, and went to find his sister.
Sophia sat on the floor next to her bed, her bag next to her feet and one of her storage boxes from the closet next to her elbow. She’d tossed all the sweaters that had been in the box onto the bed.
She had a notebook on her lap, one of those leather-bound blank-diary-type books for people who like to journal, except this one looked old.
“What’s that?” he asked.
She slammed it shut and tucked it into her bag. “You can’t tell Mr. Frank I have his notebook.”
She’d stolen a book from Mr. Frank? “Did you take that?” He pushed his way into her room and loomed over her like a babysitter. “Seriously, Sophia! What were you thinking!”
Gabe grabbed it from her bag.
It really was old. The paper inside had dried out and he had to extra careful not to rip anything. “It’s blank,” he said.
“No, it’s not.” She grabbed it from his hand.
“Sophia….” Was the notebook magical? He looked over his shoulder at the door. “Does this have anything to do with the kelpie?” Was the book bad?
She thinned her lips. “It’s how I knew we were supposed to bring Ranger’s bridle home and give it to Mr. Frank.”
When Mr. Frank came home this morning, Sophia said she’d handed the bridle to him and told him to take it to someone named Ellie.
Mr. Frank disappeared for a bit after that. Then Wrenn came by.
“I don’t like all these magic things we don’t understand,” he said.
She nodded yes as if she, too, felt overwhelmed. “I was really scared of Ranger,” she whispered. “And those vampires.”
Gabe dropped down to the floor and hugged his sister. He didn’t think she’d seen the bodyguard behead his boss, but she had seen the bullets impact his vampire body.
It hadn’t been anything at all like gunfire on television. The vampire had popped and snapped and sprayed more than just blood.
“If that notebook is magical,” he said. “Mr. Lennart will know.”
She shook her head. “The elves think it’s useless and no longer magical.”
Still, Gabe thought. What if there was magic that got by the elves? He didn’t want to think about that. Because that meant there might be a way for those vampires to get back into Alfheim.
And the last thing he wanted to think about was vampires.