Vampires always wanted to set up their nests in the catacombs. He’d flushed out many over the centuries, but as soon he left, they’d just move back in. At least the catacombs were interesting, a living tunnel back in time.
“I’ve never been to the catacombs.” Charlie, fidgeting, sounded nervous. “Not sure this is how I wanted to do it.”
“Right?” Ahmed said.
Luke fingered the tip of a stake in his coat’s pocket. “I’ve been through these catacombs too many times over the years, all for the same reason. Might be nice to go on a public tour sometime.”
Ahmed snorted. “I sometimes forget how much you’ve seen and done.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Your Excellency?” Jung-sook asked. “You don’t know this Robert Beaufort very well, and the catacombs are extremely isolated.”
Luke stopped and surreptitiously glanced around. “That’s a fair point, but I think the reward outweighs the risk. It’s a good opportunity to make a connection with an important figure while also investigating one of the more interesting places in Paris. There are miles of tunnels under Paris far beyond the few open to the public. It would be advantageous to our cause to get a look inside to see what they hold in this day and age. The scouting opportunity is too good to pass up. Besides, we need to maintain the Comte’s façade, and the Comte would accept the invitation of a powerful individual.”
“That’s a fair point. Doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Ahmed mumbled.
“Oh, I don’t like it either. My skin is practically crawling at the thought of being that deep in vampire territory without most our gear and only a skeleton crew. We’ll have to rely on our planning and the fact the vamps view the Comte as a mark they can take advantage of. We’ll just have to be extra charming.”
Jung-sook held up a finger to her mouth. “We should probably rein in our conversational topics. We’re getting close, and we don’t want any enhanced ears picking up hints about our illustrious Count de Money.”
Ahmed and Charlie chuckled. They quieted as they approached the rendezvous point. As the wind shifted, Jung-sook held up a hand and poked her nose into the air.
“Stank de vamp,” Jung-sook whispered.
Concentrating on his vampy sense, he could feel the first twinges of the creatures as they approached their destination. The team formed up around Luke, hands sliding into pockets to grip weapons. Luke drew his hand out of his pocket and got into character, squaring his shoulders and straightening his back.
“Your Excellency, I think our rendezvous point is just ahead,” Charlie said, pointing toward an open gate leading into a cemetery.
They changed directions and crossed the street, entering the cemetery. Charlie pulled out the small map with the penciled in directions the vamps had sent that afternoon through one of their thralls. Luke smirked as Ahmed, Jung-sook, and Charlie stared around, looking at the statues, gravestones, and mausoleums in the old, tightly packed cemetery. Trees, denuded of leaves, groaned and swayed in the evening breeze, adding an extra creaky bit of spookiness to the scene.
The partially clouded light of the moon fell in patches over the cobbled paths, replacing the dimming streetlights as they walked further from the road. Fortunately, none of them needed a flashlight since they all possessed supernatural night vision.
“Left up here.” Charlie, speaking in a hushed tone, pointed toward a narrow cobbled path.
“There are so many bronze statues,” Jung-sook said, her head swiveling around as she tried to take in all the sights.
He smiled, sharing in his friends’ joy with their brief bit of tourism even as they marched toward a dangerous meeting with an even more dangerous vampire. After a few more turns down narrow paths, they neared their destination. The sense of a nearby vampire nearly overwhelmed him, his hands itching for weapons that weren’t there. He drew in a breath through his nose and let it out slowly through his lips.
“Are you the Comte?” the vampire asked.
Luke nodded, clenching his teeth.
“Alright, let’s go.” The vampire turned around and waved them forward.
Ahmed cleared his throat. “You mean ‘let’s go, Your Excellency.’”
The vampire turned around and rolled his eyes. “Let’s go, Your Excellency.”
Ahmed placed himself between the vampire and Luke. “Lead the way.”
The vamp shrugged and turned around, powering on a lantern flashlight. He pulled open a metal door into the mausoleum he’d been standing by, then checked over his shoulder to make sure Luke and his escort were following.
The door shut behind them. Inside the mausoleum, they stood around a large sarcophagus with the lid hinged open along one of its longer sides. The fanger climbed a short stepladder, swung his leg over the edge, and climbed into a hidden cavity. Ahmed stepped up and over and ducked his head down.
A moment later, his head appeared over the edge of the sarcophagus. “It’s a narrow staircase leading down. Looks like a long descent.”
“You coming?” The vamp’s voice floated up from below. “Your Excellency.”
Luke shrugged and climbed the stepladder. Ahmed made way for Luke by working his way down the stairs toward their vampire guide. The rise of the stairs wasn’t standard nor was the run as wide as standard modern stairs—the joy of ancient staircases.
Stopping once he’d left enough room for Jung-sook and Charlie, he waited until they were on the stone steps before turning and heading downstairs. “Watch your head.”
He took the stairs slowly like he was indeed an American used to modern building codes. He’d been up and down nearly every style of step in Europe over the centuries and could navigate this set easily. He just didn’t feel like it. Pretending to be an American with all it included just allowed him to be petty. And it slowed down the vampire, who seemed less than thrilled to be playing tour guide to an upstart human Comte and his werewolf bodyguards.
After probably a hundred steps, Luke lost count, but they still had more to descend.
“We going to end up in the bowels of hell?” Charlie mumbled from the rear.
Jung-sook sniffed a few times. “Smells musty, but no sulphur. So probably not hell.”
Luke chuckled at Jung-sook’s good natured teasing. He knew they were nervous, the banter easing their tension. Joking in times of a stress was a tradition as old as time. When they reached the bottom, the vamp was leaning against the wall, clenching his jaw and pursing his lips.
Once Charlie touched down on the passageway at the bottom of the stairs, the vampire rolled his eyes and headed down the unlit corridor, the vampire’s lantern flashlight lighting their way. They had a few small, high power flashlights each in case they got separated.
The stone walls were smooth with the occasional columns spread out along the walls. Every once in a while, they’d pass a side tunnel, though most were blocked by a variety of methods including boards, piles of equipment, or the occasional barrel.
After several turns they emerged into a wider section of tunnel with rougher walls. They were emerging into the older mines that hadn’t been refined and smoothed out for other uses. Ahead, he could see light not generated by the flashlight.
When they turned the last corner and made it to the end of the short corridor, they stepped into a wide open space. Around the edges of the cavern, risers cascaded down from the walls. Chairs and tables spread around on the risers reminded Luke of a comedy club. On the opposite side from where they stood, and separated from the other risers, a massive table loomed, with chairs arranged on three of the four sides, leaving the side facing the audience open. Two thrones sat in the center of the chairs.
Luke stared across the vampire hall at the man and woman sitting in the thrones—Robert Beaufort and Antoinette.
The sense of being surrounded by vampires nearly overwhelmed Luke as he breathed shallowly trying to control his desire to burst into violence. He was neither armed nor armored for such activities. Through a Herculean effort, he unclenched his jaw and tried to force a casual smile onto his face. He just hoped it didn’t look like the rictus of loathing that must be the expression on the flip side of his face—if there was such a thing.
Robert stood and gestured grandiosely around the room, trying to imitate an aristocrat. “Welcome! Please rise, my loyal subjects, and greet our guest—His Excellency the Comte de Maubeuge.” The vampire bowed with a hand flourish that could only be described as sardonic at best and sarcastic at worst.
Luke replied in kind, giving a gracious bend of his neck accompanied with a wave of the hand that would have made the Queen of England proud.
“Come join me, my friend.” Robert gestured toward a chair to the right of his throne.
Luke did his best to keep his attention and his eyes focused solely on Robert. He had to rely on Ahmed, Charlie, and Jung-sook to do their parts and look like calm, collected bodyguards. If Robert was indeed based out of Bordeaux, as Jean-Paul said, he had to be the vampire known as Le Mousquetaire. From a distance, there was some semblance of similarity. In their first encounter, Luke had been more focused on the army of werewolves and vampires Le Mousquetaire had brought with him than the vampire in his Mousquetaire costume. The mask he wore didn’t help. The second time they’d faced each other… Luke’s memories of that fight were still hazy after the events of the rest of that night.
They crossed the wide open space toward the table. His shadow danced on the ground around him in the flickering light of torches set about the room. An undertone of smoke permeated the air. He’d have to dry clean his suit after this.
When they neared the table, Luke smiled at Antoinette. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Antoinette.”
“Indeed, Your Excellency.” She curtsied.
“Robert, hoping to talk me into another card game so you can win back your money?” Luke goaded.
“Very droll, Your Excellency. I only hoped to welcome you properly to Paris and show you what makes this city magic.”
“I’m guessing very few people get to tour the mines of Paris this deeply,” Luke replied, stepping around the table. “Thank you for the invitation. I haven’t been to a gathering this interesting in a while.”
Robert extended his hand. Luke forced his hand out to shake it, then sat at the offered seat. When Robert sat, the vamps in the room followed suit.
“Can I offer you refreshment?”
Luke angled in his seat toward Robert. “I guess it depends on what you’re offering?”
“I have a Bordeaux Rouge or a Bordeaux Blanc. Both are produced not far from my estate.”
“I’m not sure a deep subterranean maze pairs well with a white wine. I’ll take the red.”
Robert clapped a couple times. “Bring His Excellency the red.”
A vampire bowed and disappeared into the shadows. While Luke waited, servers spread throughout the cavern pouring red liquid into glasses. He couldn’t tell at this range, but the liquid looked too thick to be wine. Robert hadn’t specified a winery when he’d offered “Bordeaux Rouge.” Luke hoped it was only wine.
A vampire behind him coughed to get Luke’s attention. Startled, Luke hopped in his seat, recovering by shifting to face the vampire. He offered a wine bottle, label directed toward Luke. Château Margaux 1999. If it was indeed a Margaux inside the bottle, Robert was offering a superb bottle.
Luke nodded. The vampire quickly opened the bottle and poured a splash into a wine glass. Luke brought it to his nose and tentatively took a sniff. Wine. He swirled it and smelled it again then brought it to his lips, letting the barest amount pass them. Wine. After he gave another nod, the vampire filled the glass. When the vamp finished, he set the bottle down next to Luke and disappeared.
“Is the Margaux a satisfactory offering?” Robert asked, swirling a glass of his own.
The coppery tang of blood drifted to Luke’s nose as Robert swirled. Fighting back his revulsion, he picked up his glass of Bordeaux and lifted it toward Robert.
“The fine wine makes an exceptional pairing with the uniqueness of the location.”
“My pleasure, Your Excellency.”
Luke took a drink, letting the bouquet of the wine dull the now omnipresent scent of blood. How many humans had they drained to fill those pitchers? As sharply as he was smelling it, it had to be nearly gag-inducing for his werewolf bodyguards. Luke took another drink.
“How are you liking the vintage?” Robert asked.
“It’s exceptional.”
“Excellent. I wouldn’t want to slight you after dining with such a renowned oenophile as Jean-Paul.”
That confirmed they’d been watched. “He does set a fine table.”
“I’ve arranged a little entertainment for you, Your Excellency. While I can’t provide a fine meal in a place such as this, I think you’ll find the diversion appropriate for the venue.”
“I’d be delighted.” Luke gestured lazily to proceed, the wine sloshing up the side the glass.
Robert clapped his hands sharply twice. Out of another shadow-shrouded tunnel, a handful of musicians—an accordionist, a drummer, a violinist, a cellist, and a pipe Luke didn’t immediately recognize—appeared and set up.
Once they were in postilion, the drummer beat out a steady tempo then went into a crisp roll. From the shadows, fools dressed in motley tumbled into the center of the room doing flips and rolls and other acrobatics. Soon the pipe joined the drummer, creating a melody that bordered on frantic as more performers entered the room.
As more and more vampires entered the cavern, the oppressive feel of them nearly overwhelmed Luke. He inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the tang of blood, and let it out slowly. With the dazzling display of acrobatics, he had trouble finding a safe place to keep his eyes as stimulus piled on top of stimulus.
Turning slightly away from Robert and shifting his glass to his left hand, Luke slipped his hand between the buttons of his shirt until his finger touched the medallion Selene had given him. His growing nausea settled, and the oppressive omnipresence of fanger diminished to manageable levels.
A fool tumbled across the floor until it popped up in the middle of the others, flipping around them before blowing fire toward the ceiling shrouded in deep shadow. As the accordion set a jaunty tune, the acrobats worked in pairs and small groups, performing elaborate tricks until they formed a large ring separating the spectators. A chant rose from under the music to gradually more audible levels.
“A joust… A joust… A joust…”
Two of the acrobats, starting from opposite sides of the ring, started a tumbling pass toward each other that would have shamed the best gymnasts. It looked like they were going to smash into each other until, at the last minute, they changed their path. One tumbled low while the other sprang high and over to continue their tumbling passes until they returned to the circle.
The tumblers’ distraction complete, a vampire dressed in a garish ringmaster’s outfit strode into the center. He doffed his hat and bowed elegantly.
“Mesdames, Messieurs, and assembled gentles all.” He turned to Luke. “And to His Excellency, I bid thee welcome.”
The chant from the ring continued at the low volume. “A joust… A joust… A joust…”
“We shall have a joust!” the ringmaster called, procuring a flag on a stick from somewhere on his person.
A gap opened on each side of the ring and a pair, composed of a massive behemoth of a vampire and a riotously dressed fool with a stout stick capped with a large padded ball, emerged from each side. The fools leapt onto their mounts’ backs and pumped their fists into the air. Bowing smoothly, the ringmaster lowered the flag toward the ground while holding onto his hat.
The chant rose in volume “A joust… A joust… A joust…” until it filled the cavern, echoing off hard walls and the unseen ceiling. When the chant crescendoed to its peak, the ringmaster yanked the flag upward, propelling himself into a back flip. He landed perfectly with his arms sticking straight out, the flag in one hand, his hat in the other.
The mounts took off, the crowd cheering. Fueled by blood and the dark magic of the vampires, the two behemoths dashed toward each other recklessly. Luke held his breath as the jousters approached one other. When they missed and zoomed past, he exhaled noisily. The competitors reset into the positions where their opponents had started.
Robert leaned over in his throne. “What do you think of our little farce, Your Excellency?”
“Unexpected. Their skill is almost supernatural,” Luke replied.
Robert laughed.
Antoinette rolled her eyes then spoke in German. “You said he was intelligent for a human.”
“Patience, love. Humor him for now,” Robert replied in German.
Luke ignored them, directing his attention to the show. The ringmaster stood, his body bladed with his flag arm outstretched. With a sudden cartwheel across the jousting lane, he leapt out of the way and started the action.
The crowd roared as the jousters charged each other. The padded balls struck, knocking the vampire riders back but not off. They flailed sinuously as they feigned a near dismounting.
“How are you enjoying your time with Mathis Heinen?” Robert asked.
“Well enough.”
Robert swirled his blood-filled glass then took a drink. “I hope you’re not trying to divert my acquaintance. You seem to be all he can talk about lately.”
Luke stared ahead, focusing on the entertainment. “I do not control who the man talks about.”
Antoinette switched to Italian. “Does the imbecile not understand a veiled threat?”
“Ah, but is his obtuseness deliberate or merely a handicap of his kind?” Robert replied in Italian.
“I think you should know I speak Italian fluently,” Luke said in Italian, then switched to German. “As well as German. And before you go looking for more obscure languages, you should skip Latin and Ancient Greek. Beyond that, the gamble is yours if you attempt some other language, hoping to insult me. You might find one I don’t know, and then again, you mightn’t.”
“My apologies, Your Excellency. Since we’re being open here, Your Excellency.” Robert filled the honorific with mild contempt. “I do not appreciate whatever game you’re playing with Heinen.”
“Last game I played with him was poker. I associate with whom I like for whatever reasons I wish, but I’ll take your concerns under advisement.” Luke continued watching the entertainment, forcing his body to remain as relaxed as possible.
Robert shifted, leaning closer to Luke. “I suggest you take it under serious advisement. If I have to intercede, I’d take it as a personal insult that you ignored my advice.”
Luke gave the barest of nods. As the volume of the music picked up, the jousters reset for another run. This time, the ringmaster held the flag in the air. When he thought he’d generated enough tension in the forced wait, he flipped forward, but instead of sticking the landing, he landed on his back in the middle of the jousting lane, voicing an exaggerated “oof.”
As the jousters approached the downed ringmaster, their beefy vampire mounts leapt over the ringmaster, the padded jousting lances of their riders careening toward each other. The fool in green landed a blow to the chest of the one in red that sent him flying backward in a graceful flip to land on his feet. He then rolled backward, flipping over to land in a carefully choreographed heap. As the fool settled into a defeated pose, the music ended.
Someone clapped slowly behind Luke and to the left. He turned to see who it was. Jean-Paul Aquitaine walked out from a dark tunnel. He continued his slow, disrespectful clap as he made his way into the room, stopping in front of the dais where Luke sat with the vampires.
“Bravo, Robert, Bravo.” He stopped clapping and looked around at the crowd. “This is quite the little gathering you have here in my city.”
“Your city?” Robert asked, sitting up straighter.
“Last I checked, Robert Beaufort ruled the vampires of Bordeaux. You are at best a guest in this city, where I have a treaty with its vampire master.”
“Old treaties often die when new leadership takes the reins.” Robert paused, feigning mild surprise. “Oh, were you not informed of the little change of leadership? Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re slipping.”
“Be that as it may, you are currently threatening a guest of mine. He dined under my roof and drank of my wine,” Jean-Paul replied, adding an edge of sharp steel to his voice.
Luke nodded at the packleader of Paris and gave him a small smile. Crossing his leg and relaxing into the chair, he picked up his glass of wine and took a drink before letting the glass rock casually in his hand, the stem splitting his middle and ring fingers.
Robert turned and stared, pouring forth his glamour. Luke let his face go slack for a moment before slapping a smarmy smile onto it. He winked at the vampire and took another drink. Robert squashed down a low growl of annoyance.
“Jean-Paul, in honor of the times we’ve gamed together and in respect for the treaty, you may walk out of here, but I’m afraid His Excellency is going to have to stay.”
As if on cue, a bunch of figures in dark clothing wearing black ski masks poured out from one of the side tunnels. Shot guns were pumped and machine guns were cocked. Jung-sook pulled a hand gun out from the holster inside her jacket and stepped up behind Robert. Ahmed and Charlie pulled their handguns as well, moving closer to Luke.
“You’re making a terrible mistake, human. Do you think a gun can kill me?” Robert sneered.
Luke maintained his casual position. “No. But it’ll take you a long time to rebuild your head.”
Jung-sook pushed the gun into the back of Robert’s head. “You will refer to him as ‘Your Excellency.’”
“Tell your puppy to heel, human.”
Jung-sook pulled back on the slide, racking a bullet. “Your. Excellency.”
“Your Excellency,” Robert ground out.
Jean-Paul put his fingers between his lips and whistled. From the tunnel he’d emerged from, armed people in various dress jogged into the room, adding their firepower to Luke’s black-clad backup.
Luke drained the last of his wine, set the glass on the table, and stood. Grabbing the cork, he shoved it into the top of the bottle of Château Margaux 1999, then tucked it under his left arm. Reaching forward, he patted Robert on the cheek a couple times.
“Thanks for the wine, but I think I’ve had enough of your hospitality for now.” Luke stepped off the dais and joined Jean-Paul. They shook hands. “Jean-Paul, fancy meeting you here.”
“Your Excellency. Care for a stroll through the mines with me and my friends?”
“That sounds delightful, old chum.” With a casually raised hand and a quick flick of his fore and middle fingers, Luke summoned his security detail—except Jung-sook, who kept the handgun pressed into Robert’s head. Brutus slipped through the bodyguards, stopping long enough to growl at Robert, then nudged up against Luke’s leg. He patted the dog’s neck.
“This really is a spectacular cavern,” Jean-Paul commented, leading Luke back toward the shadows he’d emerged from.
Backing out, Jean-Paul’s heavily armed packmates kept their guns pointed toward the vamps as they followed their leader. Luke’s team surrounded him and Jean-Paul, keeping a tight eye on the vampires.