“I don’t know what you think I can do,” says Gabriel dismissively. “I’m barely even a warlock. There’s no way I could stand a chance at going up against Theodore.”
“You might not be a warlock, but what you are is extremely well read.” Ethan glances at me. “Tell me Tegan, does he still hide himself away at the back of that shop researching old Grimoires and magical texts day in day out?”
I remember how I would always find Gabriel amid stacks upon stacks of books whenever I went in the back. “How do you know that?” I ask, glancing between the two of them.
“I know a lot of things.” Ethan answers mysteriously. “But anyway, I take that as an affirmative. So Gabriel, what I propose is this. You go away and consult those books of yours. You must have a better collection than even the twelve families by now. You discover a way to get rid of Theodore, with a spell or a ritual, I don’t care about the specifics, and if you are successful you will be richly rewarded for your labour.”
“That is a ridiculous proposal,” Gabriel snorts. “There’s no way to defeat a Sorcerer unless you become a Sorcerer yourself, and that would take a lot more time than we’ve got. Decades in fact.”
“Find a way and I will give you your share of what was left in our father’s will,” says Ethan and all of a sudden the room is thrown into absolute silence. Did I hear him correctly? Ethan had said “our father” as if he meant that both he and Gabriel are in fact brothers? This is bizarre.
“You two are brothers?” I ask on a whisper.
“Half-brothers,” Ethan replies, but it seems that this isn’t quite the shock to everyone else as it is to me and Finn. We’re the only two who appear thrown by the information. We lock eyes for a second in disbelief. It certainly explains why Gabriel despises Ethan so much. I wonder just how much their father left them when he died, how much he didn’t leave to Gabriel because he was a dhamphir.
Antonia coughs impatiently. “Are we here to discuss the fact that Alin Cristescu enjoyed the company of human females, or are we here to plan a war?” she asks, with her nose raised to the ceiling.
“I apologise, my Governess,” says Ethan with a deferential lowering of his head.
“Very good,” says Antonia, before addressing Gabriel. “So little dhamphir, am I to believe that you have the knowledge to devise a spell that will defeat Theodore?”
I can tell it takes a lot for Gabriel to speak to Antonia in a polite manner, when he replies. “I can make no promises, but I suppose I have no other choice right now but to try.”
Antonia peers at Gabriel through a slit gaze. “You suppose do you?” she pauses a moment, never once moving her attention from him, as though in quiet assessment. “Very well then,” she continues finally. “We will see what the bastard son of Alin Cristescu can do. I will return here tomorrow just after sundown, and I expect results.”
Gabriel looks like he wants to tear his hair out. I’m sure when he woke up this morning he never imagined he would end up working for the vampire Governess of Tribane come nightfall. Antonia rises from her seat, and with her three guards behind her, exits the club with a graceful flourish. Dru shoots me a grin and waves goodbye to me just before she disappears out the door.
After that the rest of the vampires, whose names I do not know and don’t care to learn, leave in dribs and drabs. Some go to Ethan and speak with him in earnest hushed tones before they go, probably wanting to be reassured of Gabriel’s merits and trustworthiness. I suppose Ethan can vouch for him since he knows that Gabriel could do with the money he promised him.
An idea springs into my head and I take Gabriel and Finn aside for moment to talk to them.
“What is it Tegan?” Gabriel asks, as we stand under an arch at the back of the club.
“I think there’s someone who can help you figure out how to fight against Theodore – with magic that is.”
“Oh yeah, who?” says Finn, who’s leaning back against the wall. I glare at him and turn to Gabriel.
“Rita.” I say simply.
Gabriel laughs softly. “Look Tegan I know she’s your friend and all, but I don’t think she’s going to be able to help. Fighting Theodore is a big task, and Rita isn’t even a member of one of the magical families.”
“Maybe you should just put your stupid bloody prejudices aside for a minute. I mean, you don’t belong to one of the families and yet you practice magic quite well.”
“Yes,” says Gabriel. “But I am merely an academic. Just because I know how to cast certain spells doesn’t mean that it actually works when I try. Rita is in the same boat, I may humour her by selling her spell ingredients, but that doesn’t imply that I believe she can use them in any kind of successful way.”
“I’ve seen her do magic Gabriel, and not Marcel’s light a candle and do some meditation kind of magic. Real effing magic. You are all so blind that you can’t see a powerful witch when she’s standing right in front of you. And I believe that
with your academic knowledge alongside Rita’s talent at real live casting you could stand a chance at actually doing this.”
He eyes me suspiciously, crossing his arms over his chest and thinking for a minute. Finn is the one to interrupt the silence. “You know Gabe, I think Tegan might be right. When we arrived at the port Rita cast a light spell that transported us from the back of the crowd to the very front where you and Marcel were standing.”
Gabriel looks at Finn a moment. “Are you certain it was Rita?”
“Oh for Christ’s sake,” I sigh. “It was Rita. She knows how to do all kinds of cool stuff. Now do you believe me? Finn has no reason to lie to you.”
Gabriel furrows his brow. “All right then, you can call Rita and fill her in on the situation. Tell her to come to my apartment in the morning, she knows where it is, and we’ll give it a trial run.”
I grin and kiss him on the cheek. “I knew you’d see sense,” I tell him and I think I see him blush just as I slip away to use the bathroom and call Rita in private.