Chapter 235 - Intercepted

"The controlled array?" I asked Eve.

"To cover the entire place," the witch gestured at the surrounding area, "the seal is separated into several pieces that create a net of sorts on top of it. To work, not all the pieces have to be undamaged—there are several that were specifically added as spares—but at least sixty-five percent. So I wouldn't have to check the integrity of every one personally—some of them are hard to reach—the controlling array, which binds them together, does that for me. It's in the ritual room. I will lead the way." Eve paused for a moment, then added. "Nice job with taking out that pent-up anger, by the way. It would give us some time.."

"Hopefully enough, at least, for everyone unaffected directly to leave." JJ inclined his head in agreement. His eyes kept darting around in a constant lookout for threats. "Would be an awful shame for all this elite of society to die so gruesomely… except for a few people, but we can't sacrifice everyone else just for that." He smiled jokingly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"They can kill each other on their own time." I snorted. "Let's go."

"And after we are done with that, I have to find my piece of the Seal of Absolute Knowledge," Eve said when we reached the mansion and dropped from a run to a slower, but safer, walk. This way, JJ had time to deal with anyone we detected ahead. Thankfully, the hallways were empty here, both of enemies and friends.

"I doubt it's still around. Staghead had all the time he wanted to steal it and leave if that was his goal." I frowned. If he was after the seal, then he must've been the one to send these people after my piece… If I assumed that until now he was doing things quietly, then after today I could expect him coming up at me with arms.

I shivered. To look over my shoulder again… at this point, it became less scary and more annoying. What was the guy's problem? And his goal, too. The Seal of Absolute Knowledge was a useless thing for anything but research purposes. What he'd do with it? Staghead wasn't even a witch. I had no idea what fey could do, but whatever it was, I doubted it was in the same area as seals.

Whatever it was, from someone to crash a party like that, it couldn't be anything good.

Eve grunted in unhappy agreement before stopping me with an outstretched arm. In a moment, I noticed what must've alerted her, too.

"A vampire ahead. He seems to be looking for something in the rooms, and moving in our direction. Our ways will cross if we keep like that." Eve turned to JJ. "Looks like a job for you."

"I'm always ready to defeat a dragon or two in the name of a beautiful dame." He looked at me as he said that. "Too bad I left my dragon-slaying sword at home. It could've been useful, and now I will have to immobilise this person with my bare hands. It's much nastier that way."

I cringed a little. "Yes… Why not keep going for now. We still have distance between us, this vamp can change directions yet. Or find what they're looking for."

Since unnecessary fights weren't something either of us strived for, the decision was accepted unanimously. But the vampire neither changed directions, nor stopped, and I knew that our last chance of missing him disappeared for sure when he suddenly paused in his search and vampire-blinked in our line of sight.

Then it was my turn to pause. That was one familiar face here, and one of the few I didn't want to greet with my fist. "Bob!"

He looked… on a scale of how nasty vampires could look after a fight, I'd give him three explosions out of ten. Which was relatively good: just a few scratches and a few drops of blood here and there, which, for a vampire, meant nothing at all. In fact, they even added him some rugged handsomeness.

His expression, though, was an entirely different story. His eyes were too wide, and his stance too tense, and the anger with a flash of pain that appeared in his eyes when he looked at JJ said nothing good about his mental state.

"Oh, pal. I'm glad to see you out of there, but I'm so damn not glad to see you at all right now." Bob curled his upper lip, showing off both his missing tooth and his fangs. "I'd like to spar with you, but not like that."

JJ looked just a slightest bit less pained. "Of all people…" he turned, then glanced at me. "Keep going without me. I hope the rest of the road is clear. I will join you after I'm… done here."

Bob's eyes focused on Eve and seemed to clear a little for a moment. "You're the one who made the calming spell, didn'tcha? Good. Right, go on. I just have some… choice words to say to our common pal." He grinned ferociously at JJ. "I will try to keep you alive, but I have to give you a good wringing for making me think you kicked the bucket!"

As I and Eve rushed down the hallway, I caught the rest of their conversation.

"That was no fault of mine, and I will be glad to explain all that to you, friend of mine, after I show you the wrongness of that accusation by physical means… And it will pain me to have to break your limbs when I do."

The rest was just all crashes and smacks and other fighting sounds that blended well with the fighting sounds from the main hall. I put my trust in JJ and went on, until Eve stopped in front of a door that, for me, looked just like any other in this house—opulent, but not too much, and with style.

"Here."