Categories > Books > Anita Blake > Silver Bullets
Chapter 5
"Minerva." A voice said from the other side of the door.
"How can we be sure?" Arthur asked.
"Mr. Weasley, you and your friends tortured me through my first year of teaching transfigurations. I distinctly remember someone putting Feline Felicis in my pumpkin juice. Do you remember that, Arthur?"
Without further questions, Arthur opened the door, ignoring the pointed stare Ginny was giving him. Remus laughed to himself, he heard about the prank, but had no idea it had been Arthur that managed to pull it off.
"Minerva, lovely to see you." Arthur said, his tone significantly changed. She gave him a hard stare and finally smiled.
"I came as soon as I could. I quite literally ran into a group of lost first years." She said, vanishing her umbrella. She sighed to herself. She had come from her old office. She knew that she was allowed and even expected to use the headmaster's office, but she couldn't bring herself yet to move her things there. It had been a hard start to the new term, and the start was marked with the heavy impact of low attendance. How was she to teach a school when parents didn't feel safe leaving their children with her?
"Have you heard anything from the Board of Governors?" Remus asked.
"Not as of yet." Minerva said. After Albus had passed, she was elected to stay on as the Headmistress until they properly inducted her or they found a suitable replacement. She was under review, waiting for them to tell her if she was qualified or not. The popular consensus was that she was going to get the position because she was not only the deputy headmistress, but because she was Dumbledore's confidant. But as it were, many of the Governors didn't feel the same. No doubt under threat from outside sources. All the more reason to take the offensive.
"What has happened, Arthur?" She asked.
Arthur sighed and handed her the parchment that had been taking down what Remus had said. No point in having the man repeat himself. Minerva read the parchment slowly. After she had finished, she handed it back to him. "I see. Have you spoken to them since?" She asked.
"No. I didn't know if calling would be wise. I'm being watched." Remus said. "I gave them the slip to get here, but I'll have to go back. It would be so much easier if I could send them an owl."
"No use in giving them something else to wonder about." Minerva said. "They are muggles, despite all of their dealings with extraordinary circumstances."
"I think you should just wait." Ginny said. "They know how to get in touch with us. And if what Hermione found on this Anita Blake is true, she'll be here."
"I agree, and hope that she is aware of what she's getting into." Minerva said, nodding her head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I do still have a school to run." She nodded and walked to the door, the events taking place only strengthening her resolve to keep the school safer for what students remained.
Remus walked her to the door and gave her a small bow as she left. He shut the door and looked back at Arthur. "I'll have to be leaving too." He said. "I've given direction for Richard to contact you at the Three Broomsticks. Tom will forward any messages to you. And please," he paused, "Just be careful."
He gave a small wave and walked out the door. Ginny gave her dad a small look.
"Feline Felicis?"
++++++++++++++++++
/St. Louis, Missouri/
John Burke and I waited in the sterile room of the morgue. Small talk wasn't something either of us made, a comfortable silence was good now and then. Manny was the same way, he was looking at the floor, keeping his thoughts to himself.
I had managed to get John to some on short notice. I had an ulterior motive. I was going to be asking him to take most of my raisings in the event I had to leave for London; which was looking more and more likely as the case went on. So we all needed to leave before sunset. Not only for work, but due to new morgue regulations. After the last time a revenant vampire had gone on a killing spree, all civilians and most staff had to evacuate the building after sunset. All security was done via closed circuit television, guards and staff watching from a safe enough distance to come over if needed, but call for backup if the situation was bad. I was glad that some rules had changed, not so glad about the sunset rule on autumn days when they were shorter. The plan was a good one though.
A technician came in with a box. This was what we were here for. I had briefed John on what was in it, he was the one who had suggested Manny come along as well. I was all for more input on the thing in the box, after my run-in with a voodoo zombie maker, I wasn't taking any chances. The tech explained that time was short, and he looked at his watch before leaving. Eager to get out before the party started. I didn't blame him.
We all donned gloves and said nothing as I opened the box. Her belongings were inside, just as they had been collected from her. A small card somewhere had everything categorized inside. No more taking evidence from the morgue. Ah, the good old days.
I rolled the eye out of the bag and it fell to the table. It was perfectly round and electric blue. It rolled on it's own and seemed to focus on John first. He leaned in to get a better look and it moved again, this time glancing over at Manny. Before I could even get a decent look at it, John took the lid to the box and covered it.
"What was that for?" I asked.
Manny didn't say anything, only watched John as he tried to explain. I had told John that I needed all the information on the eye that I could get for the case I was working on.
"Has that eye done that before?" He asked.
"Well, yeah, it did that at the scene. Just kinda rolled on it's own. That's why I called you here." I said. "What is it?"
John looked at Manny for a moment. "It's not voodoo." He ventured. Manny nodded. He wasn't usually this quiet. "But it was magic." Manny nodded again.
"Alright, enough of the good cop / silent cop crap, just tell me what it is." I said, getting very impatient.
Manny spoke up. "This is something else all together. Not voodoo or any flavor of indigenous magic, but something different. The person who cast this was a very powerful person."
"Cast what?" I asked.
"Whatever spell is making that eye see. John was smart to cover it up before it saw you again. Assuming that it saw you at the scene." Manny finished, looking at John.
"It is safe to assume that it may be no accident this woman was carrying this eye." John said.
"Why?" I asked. I was acting like Dolph had trained me. No influence here.
"Does a severed eye usually see?" Manny asked.
"No."
"Does a severed eye look around on its own?"
"No. Well, unless it belongs to a zombie."
"But this one does, and this eye is from no zombie. I believe what John is saying sums up that this eye is seeing. But we don't know who owns it." Manny concluded.
I waited for one of them to continue. Neither did. "So you're saying that this is a magic eye, possibly reporting to someone else what it sees?"
They both nodded. "Correct." John said.
I found it hard to believe. I knew that I was being skeptical, but the fact that neither of them knew what kind of magic this was, or what exactly had been done to it sort of threw me off.
"I may be able to turn something up on it, given more time." John said. "In some of my travels, I have some across slightly similar things." I nodded. "I will call you if I find anything."
I supposed I should have been grateful for the assurance, but I was disappointed. They had left me with more questions than answers. I left the morgue, assuring Manny that I would come by after this case was over for a dinner. John stayed behind to have another look at the eye. There was a possibility that it was looking for something, and seeing me again could raise suspicions. I went along with John's advice and left the morgue.
So far, I had strange phone calls, crime scenes, morgue visits and irritated ex-boyfriends. The day was just getting better and better. I started the car and drove for the Circus. Business aside, I had more business to take care of.
The sun was setting behind a bank of trees on the other side of the road, and as it sank, the strobe light effect on my eyes subsided, and I felt that first whisper in my mind. It was a metaphysical sigh and stretch as Jean Claude woke up. Damian followed, another restless turn. All in my mind I could feel the dead waking up for the night.
I pulled into the parking lot and unbuckled my seatbelt, walking past Richard's car. I hoped Madeline hadn't been in the mood for a show tonight. I tried to push that thought out of my head. Nice, I was supposed to play nice.
Micah and Nathaniel were already gathered with a handful of other shifters in Jean Claude's meeting room. The drapes covering the walls had been replaced again, and everything in the room had a new smell, covering the smell of underground. I walked past the group and into the halls leading to Jean Claude's room. It was the first place he went when he woke, and I knew I would find him there.
"Ma petite." He said as I walked through the door. It was a rare time that I came to find him without being angry. He was trying not to smile. I think he realized it too.
"Morning." I said, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"How has your day off been?" Jean Claude asked, becoming more serious. I couldn't help but send him a glare. For someone who said he could read me like an open book, did he really need to ask. He was smiling again. Damn him. I ignored it and filled him in on all the events of the day, leaving nothing out.
"Minerva." A voice said from the other side of the door.
"How can we be sure?" Arthur asked.
"Mr. Weasley, you and your friends tortured me through my first year of teaching transfigurations. I distinctly remember someone putting Feline Felicis in my pumpkin juice. Do you remember that, Arthur?"
Without further questions, Arthur opened the door, ignoring the pointed stare Ginny was giving him. Remus laughed to himself, he heard about the prank, but had no idea it had been Arthur that managed to pull it off.
"Minerva, lovely to see you." Arthur said, his tone significantly changed. She gave him a hard stare and finally smiled.
"I came as soon as I could. I quite literally ran into a group of lost first years." She said, vanishing her umbrella. She sighed to herself. She had come from her old office. She knew that she was allowed and even expected to use the headmaster's office, but she couldn't bring herself yet to move her things there. It had been a hard start to the new term, and the start was marked with the heavy impact of low attendance. How was she to teach a school when parents didn't feel safe leaving their children with her?
"Have you heard anything from the Board of Governors?" Remus asked.
"Not as of yet." Minerva said. After Albus had passed, she was elected to stay on as the Headmistress until they properly inducted her or they found a suitable replacement. She was under review, waiting for them to tell her if she was qualified or not. The popular consensus was that she was going to get the position because she was not only the deputy headmistress, but because she was Dumbledore's confidant. But as it were, many of the Governors didn't feel the same. No doubt under threat from outside sources. All the more reason to take the offensive.
"What has happened, Arthur?" She asked.
Arthur sighed and handed her the parchment that had been taking down what Remus had said. No point in having the man repeat himself. Minerva read the parchment slowly. After she had finished, she handed it back to him. "I see. Have you spoken to them since?" She asked.
"No. I didn't know if calling would be wise. I'm being watched." Remus said. "I gave them the slip to get here, but I'll have to go back. It would be so much easier if I could send them an owl."
"No use in giving them something else to wonder about." Minerva said. "They are muggles, despite all of their dealings with extraordinary circumstances."
"I think you should just wait." Ginny said. "They know how to get in touch with us. And if what Hermione found on this Anita Blake is true, she'll be here."
"I agree, and hope that she is aware of what she's getting into." Minerva said, nodding her head. "Now if you'll excuse me, I do still have a school to run." She nodded and walked to the door, the events taking place only strengthening her resolve to keep the school safer for what students remained.
Remus walked her to the door and gave her a small bow as she left. He shut the door and looked back at Arthur. "I'll have to be leaving too." He said. "I've given direction for Richard to contact you at the Three Broomsticks. Tom will forward any messages to you. And please," he paused, "Just be careful."
He gave a small wave and walked out the door. Ginny gave her dad a small look.
"Feline Felicis?"
++++++++++++++++++
/St. Louis, Missouri/
John Burke and I waited in the sterile room of the morgue. Small talk wasn't something either of us made, a comfortable silence was good now and then. Manny was the same way, he was looking at the floor, keeping his thoughts to himself.
I had managed to get John to some on short notice. I had an ulterior motive. I was going to be asking him to take most of my raisings in the event I had to leave for London; which was looking more and more likely as the case went on. So we all needed to leave before sunset. Not only for work, but due to new morgue regulations. After the last time a revenant vampire had gone on a killing spree, all civilians and most staff had to evacuate the building after sunset. All security was done via closed circuit television, guards and staff watching from a safe enough distance to come over if needed, but call for backup if the situation was bad. I was glad that some rules had changed, not so glad about the sunset rule on autumn days when they were shorter. The plan was a good one though.
A technician came in with a box. This was what we were here for. I had briefed John on what was in it, he was the one who had suggested Manny come along as well. I was all for more input on the thing in the box, after my run-in with a voodoo zombie maker, I wasn't taking any chances. The tech explained that time was short, and he looked at his watch before leaving. Eager to get out before the party started. I didn't blame him.
We all donned gloves and said nothing as I opened the box. Her belongings were inside, just as they had been collected from her. A small card somewhere had everything categorized inside. No more taking evidence from the morgue. Ah, the good old days.
I rolled the eye out of the bag and it fell to the table. It was perfectly round and electric blue. It rolled on it's own and seemed to focus on John first. He leaned in to get a better look and it moved again, this time glancing over at Manny. Before I could even get a decent look at it, John took the lid to the box and covered it.
"What was that for?" I asked.
Manny didn't say anything, only watched John as he tried to explain. I had told John that I needed all the information on the eye that I could get for the case I was working on.
"Has that eye done that before?" He asked.
"Well, yeah, it did that at the scene. Just kinda rolled on it's own. That's why I called you here." I said. "What is it?"
John looked at Manny for a moment. "It's not voodoo." He ventured. Manny nodded. He wasn't usually this quiet. "But it was magic." Manny nodded again.
"Alright, enough of the good cop / silent cop crap, just tell me what it is." I said, getting very impatient.
Manny spoke up. "This is something else all together. Not voodoo or any flavor of indigenous magic, but something different. The person who cast this was a very powerful person."
"Cast what?" I asked.
"Whatever spell is making that eye see. John was smart to cover it up before it saw you again. Assuming that it saw you at the scene." Manny finished, looking at John.
"It is safe to assume that it may be no accident this woman was carrying this eye." John said.
"Why?" I asked. I was acting like Dolph had trained me. No influence here.
"Does a severed eye usually see?" Manny asked.
"No."
"Does a severed eye look around on its own?"
"No. Well, unless it belongs to a zombie."
"But this one does, and this eye is from no zombie. I believe what John is saying sums up that this eye is seeing. But we don't know who owns it." Manny concluded.
I waited for one of them to continue. Neither did. "So you're saying that this is a magic eye, possibly reporting to someone else what it sees?"
They both nodded. "Correct." John said.
I found it hard to believe. I knew that I was being skeptical, but the fact that neither of them knew what kind of magic this was, or what exactly had been done to it sort of threw me off.
"I may be able to turn something up on it, given more time." John said. "In some of my travels, I have some across slightly similar things." I nodded. "I will call you if I find anything."
I supposed I should have been grateful for the assurance, but I was disappointed. They had left me with more questions than answers. I left the morgue, assuring Manny that I would come by after this case was over for a dinner. John stayed behind to have another look at the eye. There was a possibility that it was looking for something, and seeing me again could raise suspicions. I went along with John's advice and left the morgue.
So far, I had strange phone calls, crime scenes, morgue visits and irritated ex-boyfriends. The day was just getting better and better. I started the car and drove for the Circus. Business aside, I had more business to take care of.
The sun was setting behind a bank of trees on the other side of the road, and as it sank, the strobe light effect on my eyes subsided, and I felt that first whisper in my mind. It was a metaphysical sigh and stretch as Jean Claude woke up. Damian followed, another restless turn. All in my mind I could feel the dead waking up for the night.
I pulled into the parking lot and unbuckled my seatbelt, walking past Richard's car. I hoped Madeline hadn't been in the mood for a show tonight. I tried to push that thought out of my head. Nice, I was supposed to play nice.
Micah and Nathaniel were already gathered with a handful of other shifters in Jean Claude's meeting room. The drapes covering the walls had been replaced again, and everything in the room had a new smell, covering the smell of underground. I walked past the group and into the halls leading to Jean Claude's room. It was the first place he went when he woke, and I knew I would find him there.
"Ma petite." He said as I walked through the door. It was a rare time that I came to find him without being angry. He was trying not to smile. I think he realized it too.
"Morning." I said, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"How has your day off been?" Jean Claude asked, becoming more serious. I couldn't help but send him a glare. For someone who said he could read me like an open book, did he really need to ask. He was smiling again. Damn him. I ignored it and filled him in on all the events of the day, leaving nothing out.
Sign up to rate and review this story