The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires

"Good thinking." Sarah sat back to make a few more notes. I spent the rest of the way to the castle mentally sorting the events of the last few days, looking for something we might have missed. I had an uneasy feeling that something significant had happened that I'd failed to acknowledge, but a quick survey of the last three days didn't come up with anything to assuage my uneasiness.

"Someone is bound to notice this fog isn't normal," I murmured to Theo forty minutes later, as we stopped just beyond a small doorway cut into the stone wall that surrounded the Court. Ahead of us stood the building we'd visited earlier, the library where the Akashic Record was held.

"We will be gone before they can trace the source." Theo's voice was muffled, oddly contorted through the heavy fog that now rolled through the area surrounding the library. Even though he was just a few feet away from me, I could barely see his silhouette. "Just a little more, sweetling, then we can go in."

"I resent being put on watchdog duty," Sarah hissed from somewhere behind us. "I won't be able to see anyone until they are right on top of me."

"No one knows who you are," I whispered back, taking Theo's arm. His fingers closed around mine, reassuringly warm and strong. "All you have to do is distract anyone who comes to the door. It's not rocket science, Sarah."

"Hrmph."

Theo guided us to the main doors of the library, opening them wide. I summoned more fog, and sent it into the building, thick white rolls of it slowly filling all available space. We crept along the now-fogged hallways, hands outstretched to avoid colliding with obstacles. There were a few exclamations of surprise from people who found themselves caught in the fog, one person shouting for someone to find the mare.

We don't have much time, Theo said. I clutched the back of his shirt, my other hand holding Sarah's arm, so we wouldn't get separated.

I know. "Sarah, this is the doorway to the archives. Stand here and keep anyone from coming in."

"Will do."

I released her arm and followed Theo into a small, dusty-smelling room, shutting the door behind me to keep the fog out. Theo flipped on a light switch, and stood considering the cases around us. The room was, thankfully, empty of people.

"We can split up and search for it," I said, moving to the nearest glass archive case. "What does it look like?"

"I have no idea, but since it is one of the most valuable records in existence, I assume it will be found in one of the more elaborate cases."

I quickly examined the books contained in the climate-controlled case in front of me, but nothing had a title even remotely similar to Akashic Record. I skirted a giant library-sized dictionary opened on a book pedestal, and started for the next case.

Something tickled at the back of my head. I looked back at the dictionary, giving it a closer examination.

Ofaniel, also known as sefira Wisdom. Primary residence: Court of Divine Blood, Grand

Apartments, second floor. Mundane residence:

Marseille, France. Mundane name: Clementine

Massier.

Oglien, demon third class, servant of Bael, twenty-second legion. Mundane residence: none. Mundane names: Will O'Bannon,

William Bannock, Will the Decapitator.

I closed the dictionary to read the title. The Akashic Record: Being a List of All Immortals Possessing Membership in the Court of Divine Blood and Abaddon.

"Theo, I found it. It's very large."

He hurried over, frowning slightly. "They keep it out here in the open?"

"Evidently. I thought it was a dictionary. F, G, H…ah. Here it is: Hope, originally internuncio, later designed virtue by request of holder. Primary residence: Court of Divine Blood, Grand Apartments, third floor. Mundane residence: Seaton. Seaton?"

I looked up at Theo.

"That's near Newton Poppleford."

"That would explain why she was around the faery ring, then. Mundane name: Hope Campbell. Is that ink blotch covering another name, do you think, or is it just a blot?"

Theo bent over the book, squinting at the black area next to Hope's name. "It's hard to tell. It could be either."

"Hmm. I'm willing to bet she covered up her mortal-world name on purpose."

"She could have." Theo looked thoughtful as he tapped his chin. "If she thought she was in danger, she might have destroyed any proof of her name as a safety precaution."