Twilight Watch

But I didn't really feel any desire to root about in the clothes of Higher Vampire Witezslav. The homogenous gray dust that filled the suit and had spilled out around it was all that remained of the inspector from the European Office of the Inquisition.

When Svetlana walked through into the box-room behind me, she gave a quiet gasp and grabbed hold of my hand. Gesar gave a quiet groan. Zabulon sighed-and it even sounded sincere.

When Kostya came in last, he didn't make a sound. He just stood there as if he were in a trance, gazing at the pitiful remains of his fellow vampire.

"As you, of course, understand," Edgar began quietly, "what has happened is appalling enough in itself. A Higher Vampire has been killed. Killed quickly and with no signs of a struggle. I would assume that this is beyond even the powers of the respected Higher Magicians here present."

"The Higher Magicians here present are not stupid enough to attack an agent of the Inquisition," Gesar commented in a grave voice. "However, if the Inquisition insists on verification…"

Edgar shook his head. "No. I called you here precisely because I do not suspect you. I think it makes sense to ask your advice before I inform the European Office. After all, this is the territory of the Moscow Watches."

Zabulon squatted down by the remains, scooped up a little of the dust in his hand, sniffed it and-I think-even touched his tongue to it. He stood up with a sigh and muttered:

"Witezslav… I can't imagine who could have destroyed him. I would… I would have thought not twice, but three times before entering into combat with him. And you, colleague?"

He looked at Gesar. Gesar took his time answering, surveying the dust with the enthusiasm of a young naturalist.

"Gesar?" Zabulon asked again.

"Yes, yes…" Gesar nodded. "I could have done it. We had actually had… certain disagreements. But to do it so swiftly… and so neatly…" Gesar shrugged and spread his hands. "No, I couldn't have managed that. Alas. It even makes me feel rather envious."

"The seal," I reminded him cautiously. "At temporary registration they apply a seal to vampires…"

Edgar looked at me as if I'd said something really stupid: "But not to agents of the Inquisition."

"And not to Higher Vampires!" Kostya added defiantly. "The seal is only applied to petty riffraff who can't control themselves, novice vampires and werewolves."

"In fact, I've been meaning for a long time to raise the matter of removing these discriminatory restrictions," Zabulon put in. "The seal should not be applied to vampires and werewolves from the second level upward, or better still-from the third…"

"Why don't we do away with mutual registration at the place of residence as well?" Gesar asked sarcastically.

"Stop this argument!" Edgar said with an unexpected note of authority in his voice. "Gorodetsky's ignorance is no excuse for holding a debate. And apart from that… The termination of the vampire Witezslav's existence is not the most terrible thing about all this."

"What could be more terrible than an Other who kills Higher Others so effortlessly?" asked Zabulon.

"A book," Edgar replied laconically. "The Fuaran. The reason he was killed."

Chapter 2

Zabulon gri

And Gesar seemed to be really furious. It was hardly surprising. First I'd nettled him with the Fuaran, and now an Inquisitor was doing the same.

"My esteemed… European Inspector…" After a brief pause the boss launched into an address that was only moderately sarcastic. "I am no less fascinated by mythology than you are. Among witches, stories about the Fuaran are very widespread, but we know perfectly well that they are no more than an attempt to add luster to the reputation of their own… caste. There are precisely similar folktales in the culture of werewolves, vampires, and various kinds of Others who are fated to play a subordinate role in society. But we have a real problem here, and wandering off into the thickets of ancient superstition…"

Edgar interrupted him. "I understand your point of view, Gesar. But the problem is that two hours ago Witezslav called me on his cell phone. While he was checking Arina's things, he stumbled across the secret room. Anyway… Witezslav was very excited. He said the Fuaran was lying in the secret room. That it was genuine. I… must confess that I was skeptical. Witezslav was an excitable character."

Gesar shook his head skeptically.

"I didn't come right away," Edgar went on. "Especially since Witezslav said he was summoning Inquisition operatives from the security cordon."

"Was he afraid of something?" Zabulon asked curtly.

"Witezslav? I don't think so, not anything specific. But it is standard procedure when an artifact of such great power is discovered. I completed my round of the security posts and was actually talking to Konstantin when our operatives reported that they had surrounded the house but they could not sense Witezslav's presence. I ordered them to enter the house. They reported that there was no one in the house. At that point I…" Edgar hesitated before continuing "… felt rather puzzled. Why would Witezslav hide from his colleagues? I took Kostya with me, and we got here as quickly as we could. It took us about forty minutes-we didn't want to go through the Twilight because we might need all of our Power-and our agents were unable to put up a reliable portal. There are too many magical artifacts here…"

"I see," said Gesar. "Go on."

"There was a cordon around the house and two agents were on guard inside. We entered the secret room together and discovered Witezslav's remains."

"How long was Witezslav left without protection," Gesar asked, still speaking doubtfully, but with a new note of interest in his voice.

"About an hour."

"And for another forty minutes Inquisitors guarded his corpse. There are six of them, third- and fourth-level." Gesar frowned. "A powerful magician could have gotten through."

"Unlikely," said Edgar, shaking his head. "Yes, they are third- and fourth-level-Roman is the only one who's just barely second-level-but they're equipped with our guard amulets. Not even a Great One could have gotten through."

"Then the killer must have been here before they arrived?"

"Most probably," Edgar confirmed.

"A magician powerful enough to kill a Higher Vampire swiftly…" Gesar shook his head. "I can only think of one candidate."

"The witch," Zabulon muttered. "If she really did have the Fuaran, she could have come back for it."

"First she abandoned it, and then came back?" Svetlana exclaimed. I realized she was trying to defend Arina. "That's not logical."

"Anton and I pursued her," Edgar responded ingenuously. "She fled in a panic. Clearly she didn't make a run for it immediately, as we assumed, but hid somewhere nearby. And then when Witezslav found the book she sensed it and panicked."

Gesar gave me and Svetlana a dark look. But he didn't say anything.

"Or perhaps Witezslav died without any help?" Svetlana persisted. "He found the book, tried to work some spell in it… and was killed. There have been such cases."

"Aha," Zabulon said acidly, "and in the meantime the book grew legs and ran away."

"I wouldn't even exclude that possibility," said Gesar, standing up for Svetlana now. "It could have sprouted legs, and it could have run away."

Silence fell, and in the silence Zabulon's scoffing laugh sounded especially loud.

"Well, well! So we believe in the Fuaran?"

"I believe that someone killed a Higher Vampire with ease," said Gesar. "And that someone is not frightened of the Watches or the Inquisition. That very fact demands speedy and efficient investigation. Don't you agree, colleague?"