I resumed walking. “Feel free to join me if you want to squeeze a few melons.” I immediately regretted my choice of words.
“And here I thought you didn’t like me.” The prince caught up and I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead.
“I’m going to see a friend of mine who might be able to help identify the metal, but he won’t talk in front of a vampire.”
“Even a royal one?”
“Especially a royal one.”
“Then we’ll simply tell your friend my name is Stefan and that I’m a vampire you know from work.”
“Lann has known me for a long time. He’ll know you’re lying.”
We crossed the road to the next block and I turned right down an alley. Unless you knew the smithy was here, you’d have no reason to venture in this direction.
“Then I shall simply turn invisible and your friend Lann will be none the wiser.”
Rolling my eyes, I came to a stop in front of the entrance to the smithy. “If you insist.”
“I do.”
“Then stay hidden and keep your mouth closed.”
The Lord of Shadows eyed me closely. “Interesting.”
I touched my face, checking for marks. “What?”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever been told to shut up and stay hidden, not even by my brother.”
I fought the urge to shudder. I refused to let the vampire prince know how much he frightened me, mainly because I knew how much the news would delight him. I had to make him think I wasn’t afraid or I wouldn’t be able to work for him, certainly not when he insisted on keeping me company.
“Will your feathered friend be coming in with you?”
I glanced at Barnaby still flying above us. “No. He hangs out unless there’s cause for alarm.”
He wore a roguish smile. “And I am not cause for alarm?”
I forced a casual shrug. “Apparently not.” I pushed open the door and entered the smithy.
Lann was within view, in the process of polishing a longsword. The dwarf hobbled to the counter when he saw me. His glasses were round and too large for her face. Tufts of gray hair sprouted on either side of his head. His nose was bulbous with a roadmap of visible veins that converged at the tip.
“London, my lovely. So good to see you.”
I leaned a hip against the counter. “You’re looking well. How’s business?”
“Fair. Did you lose another blade?” He shook his head. “You lose swords the way toddlers lose their temper.”
A soft chuckle reverberated in my ear and I fought the urge to stamp on the vampire’s foot.
“I haven’t lost a sword in ages. I’m here for information.” I produced the piece of metal and the photograph and set them on the counter. “I’m trying to identify this.”
“You know I like a challenge. Let’s see what you have there.” He squared his glasses on the bridge of his nose and examined the hunk of metal first, then shifted his attention to the photograph. “Is someone in there?”
I nodded. “An unfortunate end.”
I felt something brush against my butt and realized it was an invisible prince trying to get a rise out of me. Very mature.
“Sorry, accident,” he whispered in my ear.
Invisible or not, having him in such close proximity was unsettling me. Steeling myself against further attacks, I maintained my composure.
Lann returned his attention to the piece of metal. “Where did you find this?”
“Confidential.”
He nodded his acceptance. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Would you mind if I conducted a couple experiments?”
“Will it ruin the sample?”
“Most likely.”
“Go for it.” There was an entire human-sized cocoon at the palace if I got desperate for more.
Lann picked up the sample with a set of tongs and held it over an open flame. The metal remained unchanged. He shifted the tongs, holding the piece out to me.
“Hot or cold?”
I hesitated. Lann didn’t realize anyone else was observing our little experiment. Too late now. I reached out and touched the metal.
“Cool.”
“I thought as much.” He dropped the sample on the counter. “I’ve heard tales of such elements, but I never believed them to be true.”
“What kind of tales?”
“Metal that existed long ago.”
“Before the eclipse?”
“Ages before the eclipse. It disappeared deep into the earth’s crust and some believe it was spat out by the supervolcanoes during the eruptions and then buried by the debris.”
“Does it have a name?”
“Damascus steel,” the dwarf said.
“What’s special about it?” I asked.
Lann nodded toward the photograph. “That, for one thing.”
I cut a glance at the image. “It’s malleable.”
“Yes, but not by just anyone.” He picked up a hammer and whacked the sample. Nothing happened.
He was right. The fire didn’t affect it and neither did blunt force, yet somehow the metal had formed a cocoon around its victim. How?
“I know you can’t tell me details, but should I be concerned?” Lann asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Fair enough.” He admired the sample. “Imagine the kind of weapon this would make.”
I didn’t have to imagine. The cocoon already showed me. It wasn’t a traditional weapon but it did the job.
The dwarf placed a hand on the sample. “Would you mind leaving it with me? I’d like to experiment more, but I need time to come up with ideas.”
“Consider it yours.”
“I’ll let you know if I learn anything.”
“Thanks, Lann.”
I tucked the photograph away and headed for the exit. I felt the prince’s presence right behind me as I spilled into the alley.
He waited until we reached the corner to speak. “Not an ex-boyfriend then. I must admit, I’m mildly disappointed.”
“Why would that disappoint you?”
“I was curious to see your taste.”
“You mean how I taste.”
A hint of a smile touched his lips. “Mind your tongue, or I may have to mind it for you.”
I needed him to stop talking about my tongue. “How did you manage to stay invisible the whole time?”
Typically the older a vampire was, the longer they could maintain their invisible form, but the prince wasn’t much older than I was.
“Lots of practice.”
“No childhood friends to play with?”
“Maeron and I didn’t always get along. I’m sure you can imagine the reason why.”
I could. Maeron was the elder child of House Lewis, the only son, until Callan was sent to live with them and be raised as one of their own. It couldn’t have been easy for either of them.
“I’ve answered your question. Now answer one for me.”
I dreaded to hear it.
“The smithy offered that piece of metal to you after it had been heated.”
I resumed walking. “And it was cool to the touch.”
“But he didn’t know it would be. But he did know you could touch it either way.”