Cronin's Key II by N.R. Walker

answers, not cryptic clues.” He took a deep breath. “So please, anything you can tell us. Anything at all.”
    “The talent transfer is alarming,” Eleanor said. “Fascinating and powerful, but alarming. Alec, I can’t wait to see what powers you will yield when reborn as a vampire.”
    “Can you not see that?” Alec asked.
    Eleanor shook her head. “No. There is no knowing until it occurs. Though you will be powerful. How can you not be? A human key that will become vampire? I’d imagine very powerful indeed.”
    Cronin, Eiji, and Jodis all looked at Alec and each of them smiled a little proudly. “I don’t want to be powerful,” Alec said, shaking his head. “I just want peace and fucking quiet and no psycho vampires vying for world domination to have to kill.”
    Eiji laughed and Alec glared at him. He wasn’t in the mood. “I’m being serious, Eiji.”
    The Japanese vampire laughed again. “I know, that’s what makes it so funny.”
    Cronin squeezed Alec’s hand and steered the conversation back to Eleanor. “Jorge said forever was in the stones. What do you think he meant?”
    “Tell me everything he said,” Eleanor said.
    Cronin repeated verbatim, what Jorge had said.
    From his blood comes the sun. Blood from a stone. Stone from a blood. So many questions. Blood from a stone.
    Red hand, blue moon, silver river, the earth will come to life. Blood from a stone, stone from a blood. He is risen already, as she was risen, the answer is in the stones. Blood from a stone, stone from a blood.
    Blue moon, silver river, blood from a stone. You will not find him with your eyes.
    Yes, through the key. Through the key.
    Red hands in the stones. Forever is in the stones. The key asks different questions, he does. Yes, he does. Red hands in the stones. Forever is in the stones.
    “We think we understand some of it,” Alec said. “The blue moon, of course, and ‘blood comes from the sun’ comment is what happened in Egypt. The earth coming to life is the Terracotta Army, we think, and the part about them being risen, we have figured out. But blue moon, silver river, red hand, blood from a stone we have no clue. If he means stone as in terracotta, we just don’t know. There’s a saying that to get blood from a stone is impossible, so does he just mean we do the impossible? Is it that simple?”
    “It could be,” Jodis answered. “But I don’t think it likely. Nothing Jorge says is simple.”
    “Nor should it be disregarded,” Eiji added. “If he said it, it means something.”
    Eleanor frowned and her head swayed back and forth as though she was searching through her mind for the answers. “Forever is in the stones,” she repeated, mumbling to herself. “I see you all underground. I see a large room, there are terracotta vampire soldiers and horses—”
    Alec interrupted. “There are vampire horses ?” He blinked slowly. “What the actual fuck?”
    Eleanor shook her head. “They did not fare well with the change.”
    Alec put his hands up. “Okay, stop.” The four vampires stared at him. “Horses? As in equine, My Little Pony, clippety-clop fucking horses?”
    Cronin squeezed his hand. “Animals do not change, at least, not well. There have been some attempts at vampiring guard dogs, but the animal—” He made a face. “—does not complete well.” He looked at Eleanor. “These horses were turned to terracotta over two thousand years ago, yes?”
    She nodded. “Perhaps those who did it didn’t know, or perhaps they hoped in vain. The Mongols revered their horses. They still do. They are a country forged on horseback. It’s not pleasant, but I am not surprised to see horses in tombs alongside their soldiers.”
    Alec shivered from head to foot, and Cronin let go of his hand so he could put his arm around him. “Alec, are you well?”
    He gave Cronin a weak smile and nodded, then looked back at Eleanor. “I interrupted before, sorry. Do you see anything about stones?”
    Eleanor