By the time we reached the bears strong hold there were dead vampires and bears. I could smell the burning flesh as the vampires chased some of the bears outside. A young girl and a woman sat on the side of the street trying to use their den magic to hide the scene. I threw up a veil and smiled at them. “No one can see now. Are there still more?” I asked as there was a crash of clash and a man in half bear form landed a few feet in front of us. It was Igor. Inside I saw a vampire and I used air and pulled the offending man through the window into the rising sun. He screamed as the flames engulfed him. Another tried to pull him back to the safety of the house. He had to be primeveal. That didn’t bode well when both kinds were working together. I wrapped him in air and set him on fire. Ryan was helping Igor up and I started into the building. “Are there more?” I asked.
Igor shook his head. “That was the last of them.” He was standing when I walked into the building to make sure there were no injuries.
I sighed when I saw the woman lying on the ground, “I’m sorry.”
Igor came in and put his hand on my shoulder. “You are a good kid to have around. It’s not your fault we got attacked. Damian made enemies and we are his allies in Rome. It makes sense.”
I shruged. “Still,” I said with a sigh.
Igor laughed. “They came in through the underground tunnels we used for fleeing. I dont’ know how they knew about it.”
“You have a mole.”
Igor nodded. “I know just who it is.”
“Really? They that transparent?” I asked.
“No. She’s been romancing a vamp for the past few years. And not one of Damian’s. She’s a shadow I think.”
“Where is she at?”
Igor sighed, “She left when her Master called Lena said. Convient timing.”
I asked, “What’s her name?”
“Why the fuck would I know that?” Igor shouted at me. “We can talk to Lena.”
“Then let’s please.” Though I was pretty sure, it was only at Cari’s urgings that her Master called her own. Cari was tight with Aurora Dejesus, master of the Shadow line. Ant would probably know how best to get to Aurora. But they had a mole and we had to find him or her.
Igor went up stairs and I followed him. The place reminded me of some lumberjack lodge up in the mountains of the rockies. The decor was a spitting image. I guess when you are a bear you tend to like the same things. Though I’d actually never met a werebear that wasn’t trying to kill me before. It was a novelty.
Ryan followed behind me his sword hidden in his shadow pocket and I had even less of a feeling that Lena’s girlfriend was the culprit. When the strogest vampire in the world was a Shadow vampire, you didn’t likely play against her. But then again, you’d think everyone would be afraid of Il Cane enough to stay on her good side.
We found Lena lying face down in a pool of her own blood. Igor sighed as he checked for a pulse. “See. I’m sure they did this to silence her.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Do you need assistance cleaning up the bodies? I need to check on Ant.”
“We are safe here. Can you leave that thing up outside?”
I nodded, “As long as you want. The humans will only see what is normally there. Supernatural on the other hand.”
“How long can you maintain it?”
I shrugged. “I’m not. I have to take it down.”
His eyes went wide and nodded. “Good to know. Vampires can’t do that.”
I grinned. “Vampires hide things with Shadows. I bend the light.”
He shook his head. “Foreign shit!”
I laughed. “Tell me about it.”
Ryan and I left after bidding Igor a fond farewell and helping a woman drag a body from the sidewalk where he’d fallen. She’d tend to his wounds, but he’d likely die. I didn’t tell her I wrapped his wounds with the elements and I hoped he recovered well. But I didn’t tell her that. I wasn’t sure if it’d work like it did with Walker and myself. I never knew exactly what the result would be. I just knew I had to try.
We had a bit to go to get to Ant. But I didn’t feel any danger, and Ryan wasn’t in any hurry either. So we walked. We were both a litle tired – only human.
The Mind of Nox 