I was watching Larry grow older before my eyes. Not in age, but in experience. The expression in his eyes was older than it had been a few months ago. Seen too much, done too much. He was still trying to be Sir Galahad, but Galahad had had God on his side. All Larry had was me. It wasn't enough.
"The only way I could get a death warrant is to lie," I said.
"I know," he said.
I stared at him. "Serephina hasn't broken any laws, yet. I won't lie about that."
He smiled. "Good. When do we meet Dorcas Bouvier?"
"Three."
"Have you figured out what you can sacrifice to raise the zombies Stirling wants done?" he asked.
"Nope."
He stared at me. "What are you going to tell Stirling?"
I shook my head. "I don't know yet. I wish I knew why he's so hot and heavy to kill Bouvier."
"He wants the land," Larry said.
"Stirling and Company have been saying the Bouvier family, not Magnus Bouvier. That means he's not the only one suing them. So killing Magnus won't solve their problems."
"So why do it?" Larry asked.
"Exactly," I said.
Larry nodded. "We need to talk to Magnus again."
"Preferably without Serephina around," I said.
"Amen to that," Larry said.
"I'd love to talk to Magnus, but before we tackle Mr. Bouvier again, I'd like to find some fairie ointment."
"Some what?"
"Didn't you take any classes on fairies?"
"It was an elective," he said.
"Fairie ointment makes you proof against glamor. Just in case whatever else Magnus is hiding is nastier than Serephina."
"Nothing's nastier than that," he said.
"True, but just in case, he won't be able to work magic on us. In fact, it's not a bad precaution before we meet Dorrie. She may not be as scary as Magnus, but she shines, and I'd just as soon she didn't shine all over us."
"You think Serephina will find Jeff Quinlan?"
"If anyone can, she can. She seemed pretty confident she could take Xavier, but then Jean-Claude had been pretty confident he could take her last night. He was wrong."
He frowned. "So we're rooting for Serephina?"
It sounded wrong, put that way, but I nodded. "If it's a choice between a vampire that obeys most of the laws, and one that slaughters kids, yeah, we're on her side."
"You were talking about killing her just a little bit ago."
"I can stay out of her way until she saves Jeff, and kills Xavier."
"Why would she kill him?" Larry asked.
"He's killing people in her territory. She can say anything she wants, but that's a direct challenge to her authority. Besides, I don't think Xavier will give up Jeff without a fight."
"What do you think happened to him last night?" Larry asked.
I shook my head. "It doesn't do any good to dwell on it, Larry. We're doing all we can."
"We could tell the FBI about Serephina."
"One thing I've learned is that master vamps don't talk to the cops. Too many years of the cops killing them on sight, or trying to."
"Okay," he said, "but we've still got to come up with something big enough to kill for raising the cemetery tonight," he said.
"I'll think on it."
"You really have no idea what to do?" He sounded surprised.
"Short of a human sacrifice, Larry, I don't think I can raise several three-hundred-year-old corpses. Even I've got my limits."
He grinned. "Nice to hear you admit it."
I had to smile. "It'll be our little secret."
He put his hand out, and I slapped it. He slapped mine back, and I felt better. Larry had a way of making me smile. Friends will do that to you.
32
Dorcas Bouvier was leaning on a car in the parking lot. Her hair gleamed in the sunlight, swirling as she moved, like heavy water. In jeans and a green tank top, she was flawless.
Larry tried not to stare at her, but it was hard work. Larry was wearing a blue T-shirt, jeans, white Nikes, and an oversized checked flannel shirt to hide his shoulder holster.
I was in jeans and a navy blue polo shirt, black Nikes, and an oversized blue dress shirt. I'd had to borrow it from Larry after my black jacket had gotten covered in vampire goop. Had to have something to hide the Browning. Makes people nervous if you go around with a naked gun. Larry and I looked like we'd dressed from the same closet.
Dorrie pushed away from the car. "Shall we go?"
"We'd like to talk to Magnus."
"So you can turn him in to the cops?"
I shook my head. "So we can find out why Stirling is so hot to kill him."
"I don't know where he is," Dorcas said.
Maybe it showed on my face, because she said, "I don't know where he is, but if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Using magic on the police is a death penalty case. I won't turn him in."