Her Vampire Master Book two

Chapter Six

Ciaran had taken the bigger of the two carriages, that left them with the smaller coach. Elizabeth had a purse stuffed with notes and coins in varying currency, she was quickly finishing a sandwich that had been hurriedly prepared before they had left the house.

She looked out the small window, watching as they crossed the river, she could see another bridge in the distance. The closer they got the more anxious she felt. The tingling of alchemy in the air made her nervous.

She was thirsty after finishing her sandwich and the harsh spasms of anxiety made her feel like she needed to pee. The two seemingly conflicting messages her body was sending her made her take a deep breath to try and steady her nerves.

The atmosphere of the Jewish quarters lacked for nothing, she had seen it in the sunlight on her tour of the local synagogue. You saw places like it all over Europe. The one she had seen was like an addition made hurriedly, and left, like an afterthought. It had its charm in the sunlight, at night though, with a creepy fog that seemed to be flowing up from the cobblestones, it was eerie.

The clicking of her short walking boots clicking on the cobblestone made her feel more noticeable, she was wearing one of Fiona's hooded cloaks, the thick fringe of fur that hung on her shoulders. Ther fur had a purpose though, it was meant to hide her scent. Something that Charles had mentioned to her once, she felt strange because the evening was far to warm for such a thick cloak.

Elizabeth walked past a lamp post when she paused and took a step back, she stopped as something cool and sharp, like the edge of a knife seemed to pass through her. She turned her head and saw not an empty alley, but one that was teeming with shadows. The shadows turned towards her with stony eyes, as more forms of people started to take shape.

She had the feeling of the danger of a knife resting against her skin, that if she took one step forward everything would disappear, she waited until a teenage boy stood up from his seat on a stoop.

The boy was tall and thin, with sharp features that looked almost rat like to her, he prowled towards her trying to do an imitation of a vampire's loose-jointed grace. He didn't realize that she had been around vampires for so long that she couldn't be fooled by his movements, there was a life to his steps that the dead lacked.

Elizabeth felt weak for a moment and closed her eyes tightly when she opened them again, an old man stood before her. He stroked the fur of her hood caressing it in a blatantly obscene way, he was begging her for a coin, and the knife that hovered at her side reminded her of Helena and her lessons on the subject of beggars. Never, ever open a purse to feed them, never feed anything that won't work as hard as you did for your coin.

The rat-like teen was gone, everyone was gone. She looked at the beggar refusing to move off the mystical focal point. It was a threshold, a kind of magical trigger to something, she just didn't know what. She stared at him as he repeated his question in the same tone of voice.

Elizabeth took a deep steadying breath, smelling the humid night air, she could smell a mixture of burning herbs lingering in the air. That was the smell that shifted the scales in her mind. Every other little detail was complete down to the gnarled filthy fingernails and thin gaunt fingers, gray with dry dying skin, the scent was the only thing that was off. Beggars didn't smell like sweet incense and aromatic herbs.

It was a glamour spell, she realized with a start. Once she realized this, the sharp sensation of the knife started to become cool and narrow, feathering under the skin of her side in a way that made her want to shudder.

The tall thin teenage boy was standing back at her side when she blinked, he had a thin eyebrow raised as he took a bow towards her. "You're more powerful than any other witch I've seen in a very long time, yet you don't know how to use it yet." He said making conversation as he stood to his full height. His voice was now matched his appearance, she was shocked that he was speaking to her in English, it was old English, she knew that it was probably impossible.

He pulled out an amulet from his shirt, by a thin leather cord, "Just a charm, very useful," he smiled at her, "Are you here to buy or sell?"

“Buy,” she answered staring into his youthful face, that didn't seem quite right either.

He nodded at her, he turned gesturing for her to follow him. "I'm Rahl," he said. "If you don't have a man and you're looking for one, the house numbered 27 comes to me when my father passes and we wouldn't have to share a room with anyone else."

Elizabeth looked at him, trying to decide if he was kidding or if he was serious.

He looked over at her his youthful face hopeful, he let out a sigh as he turned away, "It's another man." He let out a sad sigh, "Well, you do look about 10 years too old for me," he shrugged, "It never hurts to ask."

A part of her that remembered being a young teenager was shocked into awareness, 10 years too old, four years passed. She must look older than she felt, they walked past house 27 and stopped at house thirty. The door was painted a light cerulean blue, "Don't try and haggle, the prices are fair and the quality is better than what you'll find out there." He said gesturing towards the world beyond the boundary.

Rahl turned and left her waiting at the door, she watched as he sauntered back to his stoop. She raised her hand to knock on the door, before she could finish knocking the door swung open and Nadine stood there holding her newborn clutched to her breast. She had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders that Mary would have loved, the lace pattern was intricate and beautiful.

She moved out of the way smiling at Elizabeth as she came in, Elizabeth realized that she didn't speak her request for her to enter.