Chapter 6

“I don’t know if you’re a genius or unhinged some days, Ashley,” Jack said waiting for Ashley to finish packing.

Ashley flicked his wrist and several leather-bound books floated into a duffle bag. “What do you mean by that?”

“Making Crofton think you’ve had some previous assignation. He was really worried.” Jack chuckled, then stopped. “You didn’t, did you?”

“Of course not. You saw how he sat there all pompous. He’s an arrogant vampire prat, I just wanted to unsettle him. If we get him on the back foot even before we start the investigation it might make him careless.”

“I suppose Niall did say you were to get under his skin, and you certainly did that.”

Crofton was attractive, there was no mistaking his chiselled features and great physique, but he was a relative baby in the paranormal world, and that gave him a naivety that could be exploited. “Between us we could have all sorts of fun. If you’re game, I can be all standoffish and insulted, and you can go the other way and be all slutty. You’re good at that.”

“Oi! That’s uncalled for.”

Jack had a way about him that attracted all sorts of people, and Ashley was well aware of his capabilities, having been his boyfriend for a while, although way back. “What I meant was you were good at not only putting people at their ease, but once you have them there, keeping them interested.”

He had a lovely way with people, stemming in part from certain family traits he’d inherited that meant Jack didn’t even need to use his magic to charm folks into doing what he wanted. Once he’d snared them, he’d spring the legal side and they’d usually capitulate with minimum resistance.

“I’m not sure Ben Redbourn would fall for that. I think you’re underestimating him because of his age. He’s been a vampire more than a century, compared to Isaac Galloway he’s ancient.”

“But compared to us he’s wet behind the fangs.”

Jack smirked. “Yes, well, we can’t all have the advantages we were born with. Magic adds an extra flavour to everything, but even so I wasn’t that much more than Redbourn’s age when I worked alongside Robespierre on secondment to the Vampire Council. And I know from your stories you enjoyed manipulating the Duke of Wellington when you were younger.”

“Politics is fine for a while but it becomes pedestrian.” He wasn’t about to let Jack win this with logic. “You are too quick to find the good in a situation. I’m sure our trip to Crofton Hall will help cure you of that.”

“Perhaps.” Jack rotated his hand and purple light crackled between his fingers. “If you’re ready to leave, shall I do the honours? I assume we’ll have no issue using portals.”

“Go ahead, but we’ve only clearance for the entrance hall. Once we’re in I’ll cast to make sure that we can have access hall-wide. I’m not being curtailed like some common oik. Bloody cheek.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I think it might be better if you don’t go in trying to be an antagonising arse over everything.”

“Maybe.” Jack could be annoying when he was right. “But having only one area cleared is dangerous, I’ll request a second. For emergencies.”

Jack rolled his eyes but didn’t answer and instead flicked his wrist and a purple line appeared, extending into one of Jack’s portals. “After you.”

Ashley stepped through and into the moderately interesting entrance hall of a manor house. He’d been in many of these types of places over the centuries, and had always thought it odd how attached some got to their inconsequential buildings. But, as with pretty much all the things he’d seen, even the most beautiful of their ilk decayed to nothing from neglect once their owners died or could no longer afford them. Jack and his luggage followed.

He hadn’t sent notice about when they would arrive, and it was mid-afternoon so both Charles and Ben should be sleeping in a crypt or somewhere dark. A crackle of static electricity distorted the area and a burning circle appeared on the floor in front of them. In it appeared a black-haired man who had a pair of curled horns and dressed in a tweed three-piece suit.

“Gentlemen, we were not given an exact time for your arrival,” he said. “I am Karl Vinter, Lord Benjamin Redbourn’s valet.”

“Crofton has a level-three demon as a valet?” Ashley said, sharing a surprised look with Jack.

“Yes.”

“Why? How?” Jack asked, and Ashley was also curious, demons weren’t known to take positions as domestic servants.

“I’m sure that would be the younger Lord Crofton’s story to share. Am I correct in welcoming Mr Niven and Mr Webb to Crofton Hall?”

The presence of a demonic staff member would be added to the list of questions, not just because of his own curiosity but because Ben Redbourn may have used illegal means to staff his household.

“Yes, I’m Niven and this is Webb. I appreciate our arrival may not be at the most convenient time for certain members of the household but then we’re here to do a job and not socialise.”

Part of his plan was to use the daylight hours as much as possible to ensure the vampiric residents were out of the way.

“I’m sure their lordships will be as accommodating as possible. You will see that the windows have been treated to prevent the dangerous portion of sunlight from being able to permeate, and there is a central complex that has no windows, including a significant subterranean footprint.”

Ashley turned to the windows, at first glance they appeared to be the standard leaded glass of the period of the original construction of the manor, including the decorative stained glass elements. But he concentrated harder and a nasty prickle flitted across his skin. He saw Jack shudder as well.

“How have they been treated?”

“Oh, it is a relatively new addition,” Karl said.

“I’m less concerned about the when but the how.” He did not like the feel as his magic probed them and he dropped the spell.

“They would be my doing.” Another suited and booted individual had arrived. Long blond hair, bright green eyes and high cheekbones.

“You’re an elf!”

“Yes, my humanised name is Alex Reynolds. I’m from the Sarurna faction to be exact.”

Ashley had never had a good encounter with an elf, and the Sarurna were some of the least cooperative and dissenting groups he’d ever dealt with. “You’re a nasty bunch of bastards, what are you doing here?”

He smiled, he was beautiful but deadly. “I’m Lord Benjamin Redbourn’s private secretary.”

Jack gasped. “What? Why has a vampire got an elf as a secretary?”

“I’m sure his lordship will share if he deems it necessary. Now, gentlemen, myself and Mr Vinter were made aware of the nature of your visit, and just to assure you, we are loyal servants to Benjamin Redbourn.”

If that wasn’t a threat, he didn’t know what was, but Alex appeared serene and Karl looked as if he were about to break out the tea. Interesting though that the elf had said Ben and not Charles.

“I’m sure he is happy to have your devotion,” Ashley said carefully. “I would say it is in his best interests to support our investigation.”

“Indeed,” Alex said. “As the rightful next Dark Earl of Crofton, I am certain he will comply with the very letter of your requirements. We are available to help with your requests at your convenience. All you need do is click your fingers and say one of our names and we’ll be there.”

Another piece of elvish magic to investigate. But he doubted Alex and Karl would be quite as strict adhering to the rules as Ben, and Ashley thought there must be something different about Ben Redbourn if he could have these two on his side.

“We will show you to your allocated rooms,” said Karl. “Mr Niven, would you like to come with me. Mr Reynolds will escort Mr Webb.”

“Surely we will be housed close by to each other, no need for separate guides,” Ashley said, and levitated his bags off the floor.

“Unfortunately we weren’t able to arrange that at such short notice.” Karl smiled—it did not reach his eyes. “If you’d follow me, Mr Niven, you’ll be in the east wing, and Mr Webb the west.”

Ashley was not happy, but to complain would show weakness and they had ways to communicate that didn’t need them to be housed close by. “I also sent word that we would need a workspace,” he said as he followed Karl.

“I have assigned one of the internal reception rooms.”

“With a fireplace? I did specify that I might need to brew.”

Karl led him up the wood panel-lined staircase and he saw Alex was now guiding Jack away to the other wing. “There are outhouses available within the grounds if you need to utilise them. Due to the age of the house, and the wooden framework in places, it would be better not to risk such an operation inside the hall itself.”

He couldn’t argue with that rationale, but he did think that if the elf was capable of warding the whole place against sunlight, then a few rogue sparks from an open fire should be as easy.

Crofton Hall was a decent-sized property, and it must have taken them the best part of ten minutes to reach the set of rooms he had been assigned. Part of him thought they had not gone by the most direct route, and this was another tactic by the servants to mess with his equilibrium, and hope it would interfere with his magic. It might be the case for some, but he hadn’t made it to Senior Warlock because he would get distracted and set off stray sparkles due to being made to take a bit of a longer walk.

“These are your rooms, Mr Niven.”

He couldn’t complain about their size, and there were all the elements of home comforts, including a sitting area with a music system and television, and a cosy reading nook. The bed was large and the en suite had a bath and separate shower equipped with expensive toiletries, which he had no intention of using.

“I will leave you to settle in, sir. His lordship will be up and about within the hour and I will inform him you are here. I will arrange a welcome meal and I believe he planned to give you a tour of the hall personally.”

“The Dark Earl of Crofton?”

“No, sir, Lord Charles Redbourn is in London, it is the Dark Viscount of Crofton who is in residence at the moment, along with his siblings. Although we were not aware of your exact arrival we knew you were coming so we were prepared for the eventuality.”

Not necessarily a bad thing. He wanted to meet Harry and Catlin Redbourn, who were as likely as anyone to have been behind the anonymous request, although his money was on someone from one of the other vampire Houses. There was a reason these bastards had risen to the top of their society and stayed there, and it wasn’t due to their charitable nature or by being neighbourly.

“I look forward to it. Myself and Mr Webb will want to go through some ground rules of the investigation.” He would be damned if he didn’t get the last word, demon or not, Ashley deserved some respect.

Ashley was left on his own. He tapped his watch and it glowed red. He spoke into it. “I take it you’re free to talk?”

“Yes. The pointy-eared prick left me to it after making it very clear without saying the actual words that he was watching us closely, and he would not let us derail Ben Redbourn’s future.”

“I wonder what he did to have that sort of loyalty from an elf?”

“The only thing I can think of is he saved his life. And properly, because otherwise there would have been a loophole and he wouldn’t have actually cared.”

Ashley didn’t like the sound of that. “Elves are evil fuckers, maybe he’s just biding his time.”

“Could be, or he could be the one who triggered the investigation and this unswerving loyalty is a red herring.”

He wouldn’t put it past an elf to play the long game. “Add him to the list.”

“Would the valet be in a similar situation?” Jack asked.

“He didn’t speak to me like the elf spoke to you. But again, I’ve never known a demon act as a skivvy willingly, without being summoned and made to perform exact tasks.”

Jack was quiet for a moment. “Me either.”

This was a secure channel but if they left it open it could be tracked. “We’ll meet for dinner and proceed as we originally planned. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”