Day In Court

CHAPTER TWO

"I'm a witch now, Zanna. I gave up the warlock life."

"Bullshit. You don't quit being a warlock, Ollie. You either die or... Nope, that's pretty much it. Death is the only way out."

"I'm in hiding, like you... Or at least, I was, until I realized my baby cousin was in danger. I'm risking a lot by being here."

"Don't bother. I can take care of myself, Ollie. Go back to whatever hole you were hiding in."

She slammed the door in her cousin's face, determined not to let nostalgia make her trust him. Oliver was a complete stranger to her now. She hadn't seen him in twenty years. He was a Blackrain warlock, no matter what he claimed, and she couldn't trust him.

She pulled out her cell phone and sent a text message to the only cousin she intended to face that night.

I need to talk to you. Can we meet up?

She waited only a short time for a response. Thirty minutes.

+++

It was nearly sunrise when the Master of the City demanded Douglas Gardner meet her in the tunnels. Every cemetery in the five boroughs was connected to the others by a series of underground tunnels that were mostly used by the vampires. Many members of the supernatural community knew about the tunnels, but very few were willing to venture into them other than the vampires who had created them.

Now, Doug was emerging from the tunnels when he really should have been going to bed. He was nervous to be outside as the sun rose, and he was not thrilled with his new assignment.

Doug had a tendency to run his mouth sometimes. Unfortunately, he had been foolish enough to do it where the Master could hear him one too many times. As punishment for his insubordination, Doug had been assigned as a bodyguard to a vampire with an unknown sire.

"I can't believe she turned me into a babysitter," he mumbled.

As the warm sun began to shine, Doug automatically flinched away from the light. He'd been undead since the seventies, and he hadn't been able to let sunlight touch his dark skin in all of that time.

He hesitated before testing it out, half convinced the Master had lied and was setting him up to die for the crime of daring to piss her off. When the light didn't hurt and his flesh didn't burn, he cautiously emerged from the shadows.

He sighed contently after a moment, savoring the experience of basking in light again after so many decades.

"She was telling the truth... I can walk in daylight," he said with a grin. "Maybe this babysitting gig does have a few perks after all."

He held the talisman the Master had given him in his hands. It was a silver necklace shaped like a sun with runes carved into it. The Master was a vampire, but she was also a warlock by birth and a witch by choice. She possessed great power, and even though this assignment was a punishment, Doug knew her magick would hold.

A matching talisman had been given to a warlock who would deliver it to Doug's assignment. He was to go find the young vampire once night fell again. Until then, he was free to enjoy his time in the sun.

The first thing he decided to do was to visit the veterinary clinic on Bleecker Street. He went back to his apartment to collect his pit bull, Viking. One might assume that a big, scary pit bull with a name like Viking would be a fierce warrior who lusted for blood as much as his vampire owner did, but one would be wrong. Viking was an overgrown puppy who wanted to play with everyone he met and would probably befriend a serial killer if said serial killer was willing to provide head and ear scratches.