The Cardkeeper Chronicles: Books 1-5 (Complete Collection) Read online

  I straightened up, glancing at the magicard on the desk. I wondered if I could go for it. Would he see it coming? Would he snatch it out of my reach before I got to it? I knew it would take some time to warm up – that I couldn’t use it immediately. As sensitive as vampires were to fire, it would take more than a spark to burn one to death. I put that plan on hold and simply nodded. “Right.”

  “And you didn’t make any stops along the way?”

  “Right.” I didn’t want to tell him the truth: that Lena and the werewolves were expecting some sort of attack to happen here, while I stood and watched.

  Edgar sighed, sitting back once more. “Thing is, we’ve been on to you since we saw you at Jackson Park. We saw you head to Karen Saunders’ house. We followed you back to the VHS store, and we saw you go to the sewage plant. What do you have to say about that?”

  My mouth went dry, words sticking in my throat. If I had been followed, there was every chance that the vampires knew my plan, which meant that Edgar knew I had lied to him. I looked over at Link, who sat on the bird’s perch, swinging softly while hiding behind the rope suspension. I needed to get us out of this vampire lair before we became a midnight snack.

  “Well?” Edgar pressed, anger lighting up his eyes.

  There was only a slight chance that I could make it, but I had to try. As fast as I could, I lunged forward and reached for my magicard. For a second I thought that I would succeed, but when Edgar made his move, I realized how much trouble we were in.

  The vampire’s suit vanished in a blue streak, moving faster than the eye could see. He scooped up the card and carried it away before I could make out what had happened. That’s the thing with vampires; they move so goddamn fast, and they were almost impossible to kill without a little fire to aid with crowd control.

  He struck my jaw with his lightning-fast fist. I hit the deck. It hurt like crap but I tried to recover, tried to get to my feet and grab Link. The blue swirl of air swept around the room and the cage sprung open. Before I knew it, I was watching Link float helplessly inside the fish tank, while a furious vampire with red eyes and extended fangs contemplated how to finish us off.

  “Link!” I screamed, frozen stiff.

  “There are only two ways you’re getting your little faery back,” Edgar snapped. “Either I hear the truth immediately, or his bones will be tipped out when the tank is cleaned on Sunday. What’s it going to be?”

  I didn’t need convincing that this wasn’t a bluff. My eyes lingered on Link as my pounding heart strangled my throat. Fish surrounded him. One with sharp teeth swished around him as he struggled to keep his breath. It looked like only seconds before my best friend would become fish food.

  “Let him out,” I said quickly.

  Edgar shook his head. “The truth.”

  “Let him out! I’ll tell you what you need to know!”

  “Tell me now.” Edgar tapped on the glass of the tank with his sharp nails. “Clock’s ticking.”

  My lips moved by themselves, but no words came out. I didn’t know what to tell him, other than how I’d really found their lair. What else was there? He said I’d been followed, so they probably knew I was on Team Wolf. All I could do was be honest, and pray that I wouldn’t be condemned to join Link in the fish tank.

  “Fine,” I said. “The wolves told me about this club.”

  “Why?”

  “To see if I would really come here.”

  “They let you live?”

  In the tank behind Edgar, Link thrashed around, trying to scare off his predators.

  “Yes,” I said urgently.

  “But why?”

  For God’s sake. “They want me to stop Kronin, and thought that this would help. Listen, I’ll tell you anything else you need to know, and then you can do what you like, but please, please get my friend out of the goddamn tank!”

  Edgar smiled and turned slowly toward the glass. He studied it long and hard, before finally lifting up the top and reaching in to grab Link. “Here’s your pitiful faery,” he said, and tossed Link across the room to land at my feet.

  I knelt to pick him up, desperately searching his body to check for bite marks. His eyes slowly peeled open, and I had never known relief quite like it. He coughed up a shot of cold water, spitting it onto the floor. Those tired, terrified little eyes looked up at me with gratitude

  A soft breeze whooshed past my face, and I turned to see Edgar sit back in his chair, feet up as if nothing had happened. “Okay, Keeper. I’ll let you in on a little secret. This buddy of yours, Victor–”

  I ground my teeth. “He’s not my buddy.”

  “Whatever you say. Anyway, he came by here looking for trouble a couple weeks ago, throwing magic around like it was pixie dust. Didn’t hurt anyone though, and that seemed a little strange to me. So I brought him up here, showed him around.”

  But you didn’t kill him, I thought, furious.

  “We struck something of a deal, and I turned him into a vampire.”

  “You what?” I stood up and removed my jacket, wrapping it around Link and cradling him in my arms. “You turned a mage into a vampire, and then set him loose? Are you crazy? That man will kill us all!”

  “Watch your tone, girl, or you can go for a swim, too.”

  I snarled at him and took a short step back. “What did you want from him?”

  “Oh, just a few little jobs. You know, a bank robbery here, a mass genocide there.”

  I shook my head in disapproval. Victor Kronin was dangerous enough with the Chaos card, but making him immortal had to be the most selfish and thoughtless decision ever made. “I want to find him.”

  “Ha!” Edgar smacked his knee. “Me too!”

  “You don’t know where he is?”

  “No. We turned the bastard, and then he turned on us. Last time we saw him was at Hale’s Hotel, where he used your stolen card to kill twenty vampires just like that.” Edgar snapped his fingers. “Turned them into dust as easily as you could crack an egg.”

  “But why?”

  Edgar George shrugged, his suit creasing up at his shoulders. “Testing his power, I suppose. I should have known the guy was crazy. All he ever talked about was growing stronger, hurting people and… a summoning.”

  “A summoning?”

  “Don’t ask me what that means. I just know that it wasn’t good.”

  The more I heard about Victor, the less bothered I was about vampires and werewolves. I hadn’t signed up for this but someone had to do it, and nobody else seemed able to manage without falling victim to the cards’ powers.

  “The reason you’re still alive,” Edgar went on, “is because I want that man dead. We all know how much I love to kill mages, but I would rather he die than you. If you think you can handle that, go see what you can dig up at the hotel. If you die…” He shrugged. “Well, it would be no skin off my nose.”

  “You’re letting me go?”

  “Obviously. But don’t let me regret it.” Edgar tossed my magicard at me, and I somehow managed to catch it without dropping Link. “I have to warn you, though; Victor is getting stronger with each passing day. If you ask me, he’s up to something bigger. All this talk of summons and temples… Kill him, and do it fast.”

  Temples? Was Victor planning an attack on the vault? Doing so would cause the Sacred Temple of R’hen to topple, and that would end in complete annihilation for us all. I knew that he was a bad guy, but didn’t think he could be that crazy.

  The thought of a psychopath in possession of the Chaos card sent chills up and down my spine. If he was stronger now than he had been back when he’d wiped out those vampires, my odds of stopping him were significantly lower than before. Rattled by what I’d learned, I tore through the club and left via the back exit, readying myself to find that hotel.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  By the time I’d gotten outside and maneuvered through the crowd of clumsy drunks, I’d already begun to persuade myself not to continue this investigati
on. Danger lurked around every corner and my chances of dying were greater than my chances of success. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do my job – it was simply impossible. Victor Kronin was already a far stronger mage than I was, and he was gaining more power each time he killed. How the hell was I supposed to combat that?

  With Link still cradled in my arms, I leaned over to protect his battered body and crossed the street. I figured I should get him to safety, let him rest up and see how he fared tomorrow morning. Poor guy had faced his worst nightmares tonight. Then again, I guess we both had.

  As I approached the street corner, a familiar figure stepped out from an alley. He took my arm in a firm hand and led me into the cover of darkness. I was far too stunned to react. Dumbstruck, I simply let myself get taken by him.

  When a wave of light from the road flashed across his face, I exhaled with relief. “Jason.” His name came out in a gasp. “You made it.”

  “Barely.” He turned his face to the side, where a beam of light from the street shone through and illuminated a deep, scarlet scratch on his cheek. It consisted of three lines, each an identical width apart. Claw marks.

  “Oh, crap.” I felt responsible. Sure, I had done my best in leading one of his attackers away, but I should have gone back to him. I should have done more. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay? I mean, does it hurt?”

  “It’ll heal.”

  “I’m so sorry I left you.”

  “It was worth it. I want my brother’s killer off the street. No. I want him dead. Look, come with me…” He tilted his head, signaling me deeper into the alley.

  I followed, unquestioning.

  “What did you find out from the vampires?”

  “Ah.” I lowered my head. “I’ll be no use against those toothy monsters. They’ve already been attacked, and it looks like they’ve come out the other side of it just fine. That’s all I can tell you without–”

  A horde of drunks passed the mouth of the alley, yelling and shoving each other. We remained quiet, concealing ourselves in the shadows until they passed. Two young girls came running behind them to catch up, and finally, we were left in peace.

  Jason leaned in close, whispering softly into my ear. The warmth of his breath made me shiver. “There was already an attack? What happened?”

  “I only know that a mage wiped them out at Hale’s Hotel.”

  “I think I know the place.”

  I nodded, my heart rate increasing rapidly. “Good for you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It just means that if you want to check it out, you’re welcome to.” I began to walk away, getting a head start before he could stop me. “But I think I’m out. Even if I had help from your pack, I don’t think we could pull this off.”

  Jason hurried to my side, tightly gripping my arm and stopping me before I could make my escape. “You’re out? No, I don’t accept that. You’re a Cardkeeper for God’s sake. It’s your responsibility to–”

  “It’s my responsibility to guard the cards,” I snapped, feeling horrible when I made him sulk. “I failed. Everyone at the Vault failed. There was an unfortunate security breach and now we’re all going to hell in a hand basket. Okay? We don’t all have self-healing flesh and a ton of muscle.”

  Jason stared at me blankly… and then began to smile.

  “What could possibly be funny about this?” I snapped.

  “Just… I have both of those things, but you even kicked my ass once or twice. You need to give yourself more credit for your strengths. Lena told me about the last Keeper – your predecessor. Apparently he didn’t have a scratch on you in terms of guts or power.”

  I snorted a laugh. “Am I supposed to feel special?”

  “No, but you have a right to know that you’re one of the better ones.” Jason looked quickly to the end of the alley, licked his lips and then returned his gaze to me. “Look, I don’t know all that much about you, but I know you’re braver than you think you are. I’m asking to help you, Keira. Even if you want to drop out at the last minute, just let me help you find this Victor guy. After that… well, he’s ours.”

  I happily considered the offer. It might have been just the escape I’d been looking for – a chance to flee from the danger without appearing to give up like some coward. I could find Victor and just send the werewolves his way. Then again, I would be putting Jason in danger. There wasn’t a hope in hell that he would survive in a fight with Victor Kronin. It hit me then: whatever I did next, I was screwed.

  “How about it?” he pressed.

  Avoiding eye contact, I turned and made my way back toward the street. “I’m going home,” I said, knowing full well that I would regret my next words. “Meet me at my apartment tomorrow; 1802 Drexel Avenue. And bring a suit.”

  Jason said nothing, but I swore I could feel him grinning. I supposed having a werewolf as a partner couldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Even if Victor wiped us out, at least I wouldn’t die completely alone.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  I left the apartment in the morning, wearing a ridiculous black skirt and a wrinkled white blouse to go with it. The plan was to go into the hotel posing as police officers and see what we could dig up. Sadly, I looked more like a cheap stripper in a traffic cop’s uniform. Best-case scenario: I would get a fifty-dollar bill slipped into my cleavage. At least I wouldn’t come home empty-handed.

  “You ready to go?” Jason asked, shivering. He stood outside in a classy suit. His facial wounds were already healing, and only three faint lines remained across his cheek and eye. Even with that, he looked handsome.

  I felt like an asshole for making him wait outside my apartment building. I wasn’t ready to let him see my home just yet, so I’d just left him out in the cold as a casualty to foolish pride. Besides, I didn’t want an entire pack of werewolves knowing which floor I lived on.

  “I’m ready.” I closed the main door to the building, feeling a wave of guilt for leaving Link behind. I wasn’t sure why – I knew he loved to be tucked away from all the danger. It might even have been that he was milking it, though I understood why. Poor little guy had been through enough already.

  Jason and I walked up the street until he pushed the button on his car key. The lights blinked on a beautiful black Mercedes, and there was a clunking sound as it unlocked. Surprised, I looked to Jason and awaited an explanation. All I got was a blank stare.

  “What?” he said, opening the passenger-side door for me.

  “Where did you get the car?” I asked, snuggling down in the comfortable leather seat.

  “Same place I got these.” He threw a couple of black wallets into my lap and closed the door. When he walked around the car and climbed in behind the wheel, he grinned like he’d just won first place. “Go on, take a look.”

  I opened up the wallets both at once, and looked down in amazement. In each hand was a detective’s badge, One of them was silver and star-shaped, and the ID above it read: Homicide Detective Sarah Albright. The woman in the photo looked a little like me, but only if you squinted your eyes.

  The other badge was bronze in color, and had San Francisco Police printed into the metal. The ID photo looked nothing like Jason. Not even close. “You do realize that one of these is from San Francisco?”

  Jason nodded, firing up the car’s engine and pulling out onto the quiet, frosty road. “Just give it a quick flash and hope they don’t ask to inspect it. Should be fine.”

  I uttered a small laugh. “Where did you even get these?”

  “A friend owed me a favor.”

  “Uh-huh.” For the sake of comparison, I held the photo up beside his face. There must have been around twenty years difference between him and the cop. Not only that, but Jason’s skin was far darker, and his eyes were infinitely more enticing. The man in the photo, however, just looked rugged but kind. “All right.”

  We sat in silence for the rest of the journey. An awkward hour passed by until we arrived at a vast
, brightly colored building with stained glass. Smoke billowed from a chimney up top, and hedges lined the quarter-mile long driveway. A gaunt man in a red coat stood with his hands cupped in front of him. When we got out, he welcomed us to the hotel and took our keys, parking the Mercedes somewhere round the back of the building.

  “Well then,” Jason said, holding out his arm. “Shall we?”

  I fed my arm through his and he escorted me through to the reception area, a grand hall with a high ceiling and a desk, which sat just inside the door. I shivered as I drank in the stony architecture, even though it wasn’t cold inside.

  “May I help you?” asked a smartly dressed woman from behind the desk. Her blonde hair and blue eyes gave her a European vibe, but there was no accent in her voice to support that theory. Just plain old Midwestern.

  Jason took the lead, flashing his badge and introducing us as Chicago detectives. I stood close to him, showing my badge just as he said my name, but tried to stay quiet and let him take control of the situation. “We’d like to talk to the manager about the disturbance that occurred here a few nights ago.”

  The woman hesitated, and then shook her head. “I’m afraid Mr. Lincoln isn’t here at this time, and I’m not sure where he is. If you like, I would be happy to give you his cell number.” She opened up her books and ran her finger down the page, stopping near the bottom. “Here it is.”

  The cell phone number was useless. We needed to get inside right now. “Pardon me,” I said, leaning in. “Do you have a restroom I could use?” I kept my voice firm, stifling my lack of confidence beneath blunt pronunciation.

  “Of course. If you follow me–”

  “Just point me in the right direction, thanks.”

  The front desk clerk looked offended, but quickly adjusted her expression so as not to be rude. It was obvious that she had worked in the hospitality industry for quite some time – anyone else would have addressed their suspicions.