Ashlynn started to protest, but Cael propelled her up the stairs. She heard glass shatter and a crash, and smoke followed them up the staircase. Either her father or Alatar had released a smoke bomb. The staircase narrowed around them, and Cael cursed, as they pushed into the hallway, the walls of which shrunk and warped ominously.
“What is this?” He demanded.
“There must be humans amongst those that are breaking in downstairs,” she replied throwing open the door to the staircase to the roof. “Alatar’s expansion spell is shrinking as it would be noticeable to them if the building inside is twice the size of what it is outside. They shouldn’t have been able to find their way to the shop,” she added as they reached the roof. “It is glamoured to disguise it…”
“If they were tracking your father, and he led them in, surely that would expose the glamour?”
“No, it doesn’t work like that…” She trailed off. Alatar had said something powerful had crossed his shield. What was powerful enough to put that look of alarm onto the warlock’s face?
Cael pulled her against him and lifted into the air. As they rose above the street, she saw three faces looking up. “Shit,” she said. “It is the Wingless.”
“So it is,” he replied with interest. “I wonder – are they tracking you, or your father?”
She threw up a shield deflecting a spell. “There is your answer. Take us higher, Cael!” Spells rebounded off her shield several times before Cael took them beyond firing range. “Shit,” she strained to see through the clouds. “I didn’t see if dad and Alatar won or lost.”
“They lost.”
“Oh my god, what did you see?”
“I saw them get into one of the cars, and your father did not look happy about it. I know that expression on his face well, as it’s how he looks at me,” he was amused by that.
“Crap,” she looked at the cloud below her feet as if the solution lay there. “Well, there is nothing for it. Take us back down Cael. To one of the rooftops of the Vampire Square. We will cast the glamour there and see what we can find out. Maybe we will find out who has dad and Alatar.”
“As you command, my mate,” he replied cheerfully.
“You are awfully happy,” she looked up at him suspiciously.
“I was imagining the look on your father’s face when I rescue him,” he grinned wickedly. “He will hate that, almost as much as he hates being my father-in-law. The saying is right – it is the small things that bring the most joy.”