Finally she said, "I know you think it is my fault for sending Stefan off by himself. There were reasons to make it appear a punishment, but Stefan was a soldier. He knew an assignment when he heard one. He knew I believed him, just as he knew I had no choice but to send him after this creature."
That I could believe.
"She meant for him to ask me for help," Andre broke in. "It is my fault that he didn't. Stefan and I had... have been friends for a long time. But I made a mistake and he was angry with me." He looked at me and met my eyes for a moment, but looked away when I averted my gaze. I wondered what he would have done if I'd let him ensnare me.
He continued as if nothing had happened. Maybe it hadn't.
"Daniel was one of Stefan's when he was human. He was more fragile than he appeared and he died while he fed me. There is only an instant when the choice to bring one back can be made, Mercedes Thompson. Less than five human heartbeats. I thought to lessen the cost to everyone by bringing him back a vampire instead of putting him permanently to earth."
Marsilia touched his hand, and I realized his speech hadn't been for me, but for her.
"You gave Daniel a gift," she said. "Ample recompense for your mistake."
Andre bowed his head. "Stefan didn't think so. Bringing him over made Daniel mine, and Stefan was convinced that I'd done it on purpose."
The vampires were damned hard to read, but I thought Stefan probably had the right of it. Andre had been too pleased about something to do with Daniel and Stefan the night of Stefan's trial. "Unkind of him," Marsilia told him.
"I'd have given him back," Andre said. "But I was waiting for Stefan to ask."
See. Vampires play stupid dominance games, too.
Marsilia shook her head. "It was, perhaps, all to the good that Stefan did not take you. I might be here talking with this walker with both my best soldiers dead." She turned her attention back to me. "So here is how I propose to make your job easier, Mercedes. I will lend you my left hand to guard your back," she said, nodding at Andre, "my right being sundered. And I will give you what information I have."
"In return for what?" I asked, though my question was automatic. She thought Stefan was dead.
She closed her eyes for a moment then stared at my forehead. The vampire version of courtesy, I think. It made me feel like I had a smudge on my forehead.
She said, "In return for you finding this bedamned thing. Since it killed Stefan, I have to accept that any other vampires sent after it will likewise be destroyed. You are the best hope we have of eliminating it."
"And besides," I added dryly. "If I don't succeed, what have you lost?" She didn't reply, but she didn't need to. "So tell me, how do I kill this sorcerer?"
"Just like any other vampire," she said.
"Most of what I know is from Dracula. Assume I'm totally ignorant, please."
"Well enough," she agreed. "A wooden stake through the heart works. Immersion in holy water or direct exposure to sunlight. It is said that the great saints could kill us with their faith, but I do not think, despite your lamb," she waved her hand at my necklace, "that your faith is great enough for that. But take your little sheep with you, Mercedes, because it should work as well on demons as it does on vampires."
"What was it that walkers could do that made vampires fear them?" I asked.
She and Andre both went very still. I didn't think she would answer me. But she did. Sort of. "The first you already know," she said. "Many of our powers do not work well on you. Most of our magic is useless."
"Your truth spell worked," I pointed out.
"That chair is not vampiric magic, Mercedes, not entirely. Though all magic, I believe, finds you difficult prey. But blood magic has a power all of its own, as do very old things. That chair is a very old thing."
"I didn't mean to distract you from the subject," I said politely inviting her to get back to the point.
She gave me a faint smile. "No. I don't suppose you did. Walkers also speak to ghosts."
I blinked at her. "So what?" A lot of people, even otherwise perfectly normal humans, can speak to ghosts.
She pushed back her chair. "I think that I have answered enough of your questions." She gave Andre a look, so I knew that he wouldn't clarify anything for me. "I believe that you ought to start by finding out where Stefan went last night."
"Warren won't be talking, not for a while," I told her. His throat had been crushed. Samuel thought it could take several days to heal.
"Stefan was in the habit of talking with his people," she told me. "They are afraid. They won't talk to me or mine. But I think they will talk to you. Andre will take you to Stefan's house where you can speak with the menagerie." Then she disappeared. I suppose she could have cloaked herself in shadows as some of the fae can, but I couldn't smell her, couldn't sense her anywhere.
"I hate it when she does that," said Andre taking a sip out of his glass. "Mostly envy, I expect. Stefan could do it, too--the only one of her get to receive that gift."