Dark Debt (Chicagoland Vampires 11)
“It’s possible to emulate a person with magic.” Catcher didn’t sound thrilled about the possibility that that was what had happened. “It’s in the same chapter as making a familiar, and equally as dark.”
Mallory had reincarnated Ethan in an attempt to make him a familiar for her magical use. She hadn’t entirely succeeded, but that magic, the darkness of it, had nearly sent her over the edge.
“So Reed’s got this faux Balthasar, and a sorcerer to remake him?” Ethan asked, anger only just banked. Sorcerers, to his mind, caused trouble in Chicago nearly as frequently as vampires, even though there were fewer of them.
“The sorcerer would need an actual piece of Balthasar. A lock of hair, a bit of skin—”
“A tissue sample from the Memento Mori?”
We all looked at Jeff.
“They may have been torturers,” Jeff said. “But remember they were also scientists, at least to their minds. They collected samples. They ran experiments. If the ledgers survived, why not the samples?”
“So it was magic,” I said, thinking not just of the tricks “Balthasar” had done on Michigan Avenue, but the entirety of his “visit” to Chicago. “I mean, there was preparation, sure. He’d have done his research, his homework, read the ledgers, learned about the man. But it was mostly magic, and he was the prestige.”
“It was a con,” Ethan countered, and looked at Catcher. “Can you talk to your Order contacts? Find out if there are any rumblings about a sorcerer in Reed’s employ?”
Catcher nodded. “We can do that. Mallory’s forensic skills could also help there.”
I wondered if they could help with something else. I looked at Catcher. “I used to be immune to glamour, or at least a lot less sensitive to it. But after Balthasar attacked me, something changed. Everything affects me now. We weren’t sure how it was possible—but maybe the magic had something to do with it. Maybe that’s why it affected me.”
Ethan and Catcher looked at each other, expressions considering.
“Magic and vampirism can do weird things to each other,” Catcher said. “As we’ve seen. It’s certainly possible.”
I nodded.
“So if we’ve got all this right,” my grandfather said, “and we’ve got a sorcerer helping another vampire play Balthasar, where’s the real Balthasar?”
“According to Maguire,” I said, “faux Balthasar knew real Balthasar from their Memento Mori incarceration. That means real Balthasar survived the attack by Persephone’s family. And since Luc and Jeff managed to confirm some of what faux Balthasar told us about the rest of the real Balthasar’s history, he survived the Memento Mori, too. But we’ll have to go back to the timeline, those sources, to narrow it down any further than that.”
Ethan nodded, then offered a hand, pulled me to my feet. “For now, we need to get back to the House, get ready for the Investiture.”
“What’s the dress code?” Jeff asked.
I hadn’t known the Ombuddies had been officially invited, but I was glad of it. It would be good to have friends nearby.
“Black tie,” Ethan said. “We’re putting on a show, after all.”
* * *
We returned to the House to find paparazzi outside, lining up for tomorrow’s Investiture.
“Nick moved quickly,” I said.
“As did Helen,” Ethan said as vendors moved supplies through a checkpoint set up at the gate, carrying boxes of flowers, wineglasses, champagne.
“She’s efficient,” I agreed.
We walked inside, found the foyer absent of supplicants, the check-in table temporarily gone. If Balthasar took the bait and decided to cause trouble, they’d be in the line of fire. It was best to keep the House closed to anyone who didn’t already need to be there.
We walked together to the Ops Room, found Luc reviewing a security plan with Keiji. Luc had been smiling, but his expression grew serious at the sight of Ethan.
“He’s not Balthasar.”
“He is not,” Ethan said. “Although he did substantial work in preparing for the role. The Ombuddies suspect Reed engaged a powerful sorcerer and used tissue samples from the Memento Mori to emulate Balthasar.”
“Oh, good,” Luc said blandly. “Jeff’s looking for the stand-in?”