Drown Under Earth - Shadows of the Night 3

Chapter 36

Hi!

I'm not sure why, but I like the mood in this one, and I hope you feel the same. Something happens in this one that's not really spelled out, and I hope it came out the way I wanted it to... Read, vote, comment!  :-)

Lara

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Chapter 36

I kept on walking, ignoring the blinding lights of the Crimson District as much as humanly possible. The paths of lies and deceit had been laid out for me. Carved in stone, they sat before me, or rather, their modes of enactment seemed to be branded somewhere behind my eyes. Constantly there and yet invisible. Unable to avoid.

What happened the night was just another proof of my ignorance and blindness. It was there all the time, right in front of my eyes. Just because I was too stupid to see everything for what it was, I didn’t only endanger myself, but also Andy.

I was surprised that Raphael’s rogues hadn’t shown up on my doorstep already. They could have killed me right on the spot. Maybe I was too valuable. Maybe they thought I was even more dimwitted than I looked like.

Strangely enough, I didn’t care. Learning what I learned the night before opened my eyes. Sarah was right. Someone was after something Magenta Warrens had been storing in her attic.

What was it that a former member of the Invisibility Cloak possessed that made the murderers risk going up against a witch as powerful as Warrens? Why did they risk drawing so much attention to the murder? A fledgling vampire, even if accompanied by another, older vamp, wouldn’t have known what to look for. No. But an ardent worshipper of Raphael Medici would have.

No, Warrens didn’t die because of blood. She died because someone wanted an artifact she had in her possession. Since Warrens was an authority in the field of disguise and deception, it was possible that it was a concealment artifact – objects spelled to hide and veil things, or persons. What if this was the key to Medici’s sensational escape? How could I not have seen that earlier? How could I not make the connection?

If what I saw at the crime scenes were rogue auratic footprints all along, the only question that remained was: How did the rogue witches get past Warrens’ wards and inside the house? The wards should have been strong enough to prevent penetration with a portal.

Did Medici have help from a non-rogue magical being or from someone Warrens knew personally? A most disconcerting episodic explanation of the night Warrens was murdered. If Medici really was behind this, new disconcerting questions would be doing a 24/7 catwalk in front of my sorry eyes soon. Questions like ‘How had Medici gotten his hands on a vampire to assist him? And whose vampire would that be then?’ Or ‘Who betrayed the Circle and Magenta Warrens to play the Raven’s accomplice? And why?’

Yeah, looking forward to that one.

The punch line? The rogues shadowing me had seen me and Andy walk into Magenta Warrens’ house. I had no idea what the Raven would make of it. I figured I could still play dumb and talk my way out of it. Just your friendly TF3 member doing her duty. Right.

I shook my head and made my way through the club with purposefulness I didn’t feel. Compared to my last appearance at Ryon Club, this one was relatively uneventful. No bullying vamps with threats disguised as snide side remarks from the peanut gallery. No members of staff asking me for my ID. Even the British bouncer was abnormally well behaved and let me through with a simple and curt nod.