Chapter 42 - Cards on the Table

 It was the following night before Xander was able to rejoin Cassie and Gwen, following their directions to arrive at Glimmerbrook Watch late. Still, he found his sister and her wife awake and restless, having spent the day investigating on their own. They all had a great deal to share.

First, however, Gwen insisted that Xander explain how he came to be a vampire.

"The question," Gwen said coolly, "is can we really trust you."

Gwen's suspicion didn't hurt Xander half as much as seeing doubt in his sisters eyes, but he couldn't fault them. He knew enough about the events of last year to guess that their dealings with Vlad had left them distrustful of vampires.  

So, for the first time, he shared his story - Filling in some of what they didn't know about his relationships with Elsa and Morgan, explaining about his relationship with Lilith, and finally about that fateful night. He told them how Max Villareal had shot him, killed him in fact, and how Lilith had saved him the only way she could.

"Max," Cassie gasped. "Oh God, I have to tell you. We went into the city today, investigating. Our friend Jenny is missing too. I went to her apartment and spoke to her... well, roommate, kind of... Olivia. She was a reporter and..."

"Wait, Olivia? Olivia Kim-Lewis? Olivia's dead," Xander said. 

"Yes," Gwen said matter of factly.

"Right," Xander said, "Nevermind, go on."  

"It seems Jenny has been dating Max," Cassie continued. "Olivia said they met in Sulani, shortly after she finished filming there... he must have been watching us. I can only guess he moved in on her to get close to us. Olivia tried to warn Jenny about him, but she was totally enamored of him."

"Yeah," Xander said bitterly, "I've seen that before. He can a real charmer when he wants to be, until her shows his true colors."

"I hate to say it, but this gets worse," Xander continued, "Remember I said I thought those cops knew more than they let on. I tracked down that Detective Williams, to see if I could find out what he knew. He has a description of the two men who were seen loading Miranda into a van outside of PanEuropa... perfect matches for Max V and his faithful goon Wolfgang." 

"If they know who's behind this, why aren't they doing something," Cassie demanded.

"Yeah, that's the 'it gets worse' part," Xander said. "I used a little vampire charm on Detective Williams. Turns out the good detective was familiar with us. He's been a thrall of the vampires for years... a servant of Count Straud until his disappearance. So was Max. Now, William's told me, they both serve a new vampire... Miss H." 

"I've heard of her," Gwen said. "She's making a play for Vlad's place as master vampire here."

"Big time," Xander agreed. "The vampire community is divided between Lilith's people (me included) and Vlad's former supporters, a lot of whom are rallying behind Miss H. Looks like she's been working to pick up his mortal network too." 

"So, the cops work for the vampires," Cassie groaned.

"Well, this one does anyway," Xander said. "He's got standing instructions to protect other thralls, like Max, from official investigations. That's probably why the little weasel didn't get picked up last year. They couldn't protect the Landgraabs... too much attention... but Max V slipped through."

"So, no help from the police," Cassie fought back tears. "Can this get any worse?"

"Yes," Gwen said gently. "The other girl who is missing - Claudette Blackwood - I did some digging.

"There aren't many witch families around anymore and I didn't recall her's at first," Gwen explained to Xander. "The other girls at Brookside remembered her saying she grew up near old Windenburg, so I started there..."

"I dug through the historical records and genealogies for the old city," Gwen continued. "The Blackwoods were, indeed an old family. They lost their fortunes generations ago but had been prominent enough that it wasn't hard to find them. It also wasn't hard, when you know what to look for, to recognize that they had, indeed been an old magical family."

"The last living Blackwood on record was a Gretchen Blackwood... and the last record of her was of her marriage almost twenty years ago. The priest I spoke with at Windenburg Cathedral was very helpful. He'd been a seminary student at the time, but he had been there and actually helped in the ceremony. He remembered it especially, because despite there being almost no one in attendance, the groom insisted on a full ceremonial wedding."  

"He said young Gretchen seemed deliriously happy to become Mrs Professor John Faust."

"Faust?!" Cassie cried.

"Who?" Xander asked.

"A dark wizard," Gwen explained, "and another servant of Count Vlad Straud... who, incidentally, according to the good Father was one of the few attendees at the wedding. Faust is centuries old, a mortal who ascended to magical power. He was respected member of the magical community until it was discovered that he practices forbidden, dark magic. He works with the vampires, with Vlad particularly and now probably with this Miss H."

"That explains how they knew to confuse my Sight," Gwen continued, "It would take dark magic  to shield Miranda from us now. Faust must have learned from his mistakes last year."

"So, Claudette?" Xander puzzled.

"Is, I believe, Faust's daughter," Gwen replied grimly, "likely his apprentice and weapon, which he has aimed at Miranda."

"By why?" Cassie cried. "Why did he take Miranda?"

"I don't know," Gwen admitted. "I've been more concerned with how. How exactly has he hidden her from us? From... our... Oh... OH... Great Goddess, OF COURSE!"
 "He'll have taken precautions," Gwen continued, "He has mortal agents. We'll need help. Xander! If you can get Lilith or any of her vampires to help... Cassie, can you go to Moonwood Mill? See if the Jake and the Collective will come."

"Yes, yes!" Cassie gasped.

"What?!" Xander demanded. "What have you figured out?"

"Even if she answered, you probably wouldn't understand," Cassie shook her head. "I never do."

"I need to do one thing," Gwen said, "then we're getting Miranda back!"