“Promise.”
Her snort was a sharp sound of disbelief. I grinned and left. But three hours later, I was no closer to uncovering where the vamp was hiding.
By the time I got back to the café, it was empty. The bell chimed as I entered, and Penny glanced up from behind the cake fridge.
“Belle’s in the reading room, if you’re looking for her.”
“Client?”
She shook her head. “Not this time, although we did have a good run of people for a while there. Nothing like a newly minted local almost getting killed in a bomb blast to stir up curiosity.”
“As long as they come back, I don’t really care.”
There was no telltale flash of light above the door to indicate Belle was in the middle of a spell, but I nevertheless knocked.
“Enter,” she called. ?
?I’m just finishing up.”
“Finishing up what?”
The table had been pushed to one side and the carpet rolled up to reveal the pentagram we’d inked into the floor. White candles burned at each point, their light dancing merrily through the otherwise shadowed room.
“Stronger charms—not only for you and me, but also Penny, Mike, and Frank. I don’t want them getting caught up in anything nasty.” She held out what looked like a bracelet made with a random selection of colorful strings interspersed with flashes of silver and wood. “One vampire deterrent, at the ready.”
Clean, bright energy caressed my fingers as I took it. “How much of a deterrent?”
“It will—if Gran’s book is correct—stop them getting close enough to bite you, but it’s not going to stop bullets or anything like that.” She hesitated. “There’s also a warning that the newly turned could be immune to them, thanks to the tumultuous state of their mind.”
I slipped the bracelet over my left wrist; the pulse of power flared briefly and then died down. “I doubt she’ll be sent at us. I think it more likely she’ll be aimed at her mother.”
“I agree.” Belle began snuffing out candles. “It would probably be easier—safer—if the ranger got her off the reservation.”
“She won’t leave now that she knows Karen has been turned.”
“He can force her—”
“And she’ll no doubt shove a restraining order right up his ass, and return.”
Belle grunted and climbed slowly to her feet. “We can try putting a protection spell around her house—”
“But it won’t stop madness getting in—and that’s all Karen will really be right now.” Madness and hunger. I hesitated, my gaze sweeping her, seeing the tiredness I could feel through her thoughts. “Go upstairs and rest.”
“Yeah.” She placed a hand against her back and arched backward. “I’ll certainly need the latter if I’m to be in a fit state for tonight’s activities.”
“Meaning you and the lovely Zak have another date?”
“We do indeed. He’s picking me up at seven and taking me to dinner. Dessert is at his place.”
Her dimples flashed, leaving me in no doubt as to what she intended dessert to be. “Then I shall prepare a potion to speed up recovery.”
“I don’t trust the evil gleam in your eyes right now.”
“Me?” I said, all innocence. “Do you really think I’d plot revenge for all those shitty-tasting drinks you’ve forced on me over the last few days?”
“That angelic expression you’re going for isn’t working.” She touched my shoulder lightly. “If you have the strength, it might be wise to ramp up the nighttime perimeter wards down here.”
“On it.” I stepped to one side to give her room to pass. “I’ll be up in ten with that drink.”