by J. C. Diem
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. “If this thing likes caves, we should do some digging on whether there are any caverns in the area.”
“I’ve already searched the internet,” Harley replied. “I couldn’t find anything, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any caves here.”
“The monster is here somewhere,” Rudy said. His suit was covered in twigs and leaves and looked even more rumpled than usual. He wasn’t cut out for searching through the forest. “Even if it’s dug out its own hidey-hole, that thing is in these woods. I can feel it.”
We could all feel it and knew exactly how he felt. This creature was a predator and it was an expert at remaining unseen. Both Rudy and I were almost impossible to kill, but Harley was just a fragile human. Even the most seasoned hunters often died when they encountered something that was beyond their ability to fight. I hoped he wouldn’t become a casualty during this mission.
Chapter Eleven
Returning to our hotel, I took a shower, then Rudy stole us breakfast. I didn’t ask where the plates of bacon, eggs and toast had come from. It was easier just to nod my thanks and devour the meal. His suit was clean and he was dirt free. He’d magically cleaned himself while I’d had to wash my grime away. That was a skill it seemed I could only use when I was in the fae realms. Or maybe I just hadn’t learned how to harness my magic properly in this dimension yet.
We beat the workers to our base and I was already staining one of the wardrobes I’d carried back outside when the convoy of vehicles arrived. With minimal chatter, they went to work. The new roof was almost done and they would start working on the basement next. It was amazing how a little bit of fae help could speed up a process that usually took weeks. At this rate, the new kitchen and bathrooms would be installed even faster than I’d anticipated.
Leroy watched me through the open window. I’d already filled him in on how our mission had gone last night. The ghost wasn’t impressed by our lack of progress, but he didn’t have any suggestions on how to find something that was a master at remaining unseen. Even with all my experience, I was at a loss.
Feeling the hankering for something other than takeaway for dinner, I called Harley and told him to meet me at a diner just after dark. I arrived first and chose a booth in a back corner where we could talk in private. The kid arrived promptly on time and sauntered over to me. Still dressed in black cargo pants and a black t-shirt, he’d left his vest and weapons in his truck.
Rudy materialized just after a waiter finished taking our order. He was short enough that no one could see him sitting across from me. Harley blocked him from view with his body. I didn’t like to sit with my back to the room. Neither did Harley, but he already trusted me enough to warn him if trouble walked through the door.
Speaking of trouble, our drinks had just been brought over to us when a woman stepped inside. Rudy had made himself scarce while the waiter had brought us our beverages. He appeared just as the woman’s gaze latched onto our booth.
“Do you know her?” Harley asked as she strode purposefully over to us.
“Nope,” I replied. She was average height, slightly overweight, fairly plain with frizzy brown hair and sharp hazel eyes. She appeared to be in her early fifties and I could feel power emanating from her. Although it was moderate in comparison to Ari’s, I knew she was a witch.
“You’re the hunters?” she demanded in a hushed tone when she came to a stop next to our table. She swept her eyes across us all and didn’t even blink when she saw Rudy peering up at her. It was almost as if we’d met before, but she was the only one who remembered it.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. “Are you in some kind of trouble?” She obviously knew about us, but I wasn’t sure how. We’d been keeping a low profile since arriving in town.
“We’re all going to be in trouble if we don’t find and kill this thing that’s eating people,” she said, then plopped down onto the seat beside me without an invitation. “I’m Pru Weaver,” she added and turned to offer me her hand.
I clasped it and she shook briskly before releasing me. “Jake Everett,” I replied.
“I’m Harley Reid,” the kid said and offered her his hand next.
“I’m Rudy,” the leprechaun told her, but didn’t bother to offer his hand. She would have to stretch herself across the table to be able to reach him.
“How do you know about us?” I asked when the witch leaned back in her seat. She wore a dowdy dark brown dress and sensible shoes. Clearly, she dressed for comfort rather than to impress. I could definitely relate to that.
“You know I’m a witch?” she prodded and I inclined my head. Harley frowned at that revelation, but Rudy wasn’t surprised. “I sometimes get visions,” she added. “I saw a vague image of a monster heading towards this town, then I saw a small group of supernatural hunters battling it.” She looked at us and her brow furrowed. “We’re missing two people. Where is the black man and the girl with long blonde hair?”
“The black man must be Leroy,” I replied. “He’s a ghost and he’s bound to our farmhouse. We haven’t met a girl with long blonde hair yet.”
“I’m just a human,” Harley told her.
Pru waved that away. “You know about the types of creatures young Jake and Rudy deal with. I’m a human, too, but here I am.”
“Are you going to be a part of our team?” I asked in surprise.
“So my vision tells me,” she said with a shrug. Raising her hand, she gained the attention of the waiter. He hurried over and she ordered a drink and a meal.
Rudy vanished long enough for the waiter to jot down her order, then reappeared again once the human was gone. “What sort of supernatural creature is this girl going to be?” he queried.
Pru pushed some of her unruly hair behind her ear as she regarded him. “I have no idea. I just know she’ll be instrumental in helping us on our quest.”
“Ugh,” the leprechaun said with a shudder. “Don’t wish that fate on us, lass.”
“What’s wrong with quests?” Harley asked.
“They involve strong magic and they can’t be shirked, no matter how hard you try.” Rudy glowered at the memory of the quest I’d been sent on. It had taken me to hell, which had been as unpleasant as I’d expected. I’d been magically bound to fulfil my end of the bargain I’d made. The bonds had only lifted once my mission had been completed.
“You’re not from Devil’s Peak?” I asked Pru.
She shook her head, then paused while her coffee was delivered. “I worked in a bookstore a few hours north of here,” she said when it was safe for her to talk. “I saw the vision last night and quit work this morning. Everything I own is packed in my car.”
“You left everyone you know and love behind just because you saw a vision?” Harley asked skeptically.
“I’m single and I don’t have any close family or friends,” she said. “It wasn’t that hard to leave. The coven I was a member of were a bunch of snobby cows. I’m better off without them.” She sniffed in derision, then took a sip of coffee.
Rudy caught my eye and his were dancing with mirth. “She’s going to fit right in, lad,” he predicted. “Leroy is going to love her.” The phantom’s filthy mouth would probably cause some friction between them.
“How is a ghost going to be of any use to us if he can’t even leave his haunting place?” the witch asked.
“He’ll be able to leave once you cast a binding spell on him,” I told her. I sensed that she didn’t have enough power to cast enchantments of that magnitude, but I could always give her a temporary boost.
“I’ve never heard of a binding spell,” she said doubtfully. “What does it do?”
Our meals arrived and Rudy vanished again. When he reappeared after the waiter left, he conjured up a meal for himself. He was too short to reach the table and had to sit the plate on his lap. I told the witch about the enchantment that would bind a spirit to an object so they could leave their haunting place.
Pru knew
about the events that had happened last winter and that two powerful witches had been involved. “You’re saying the witch who defeated the demon is your foster daughter?” she asked in disbelief.
“I didn’t know Ari was a witch when I saved her life,” I said. “We only found that out after she was turned into a vampire.”
“A vampire who was called from her grave by a necromancer who she stole his life force from, which enabled her to keep her soul,” she summed up. “And she works for an alpha werewolf and is mated to a true shapeshifter?” I nodded and one corner of her mouth lifted in a disbelieving smile.
“They have a ghost and a siren on their team, too,” Rudy added. “It sounds like our team is going to be just as strange as the Hunter Elite.”
“We aren’t going to give our team a name, are we?” Harley asked.
“Nope,” I replied with a grin. “We’re not working for anyone, so I see no need to come up with a name.”
“Aw,” Rudy complained. “I was thinking we could call our team ‘Rudy’s Rascals’.”
“More like Jake’s Jackasses,” Harley shot back. “He’s our leader.” He hiked his thumb at me.
“Jake’s Jackasses?” the leprechaun said with a snigger. “I like it. It has a certain ring to it.”
“We’re not calling ourselves that,” Pru said flatly. “There will be no swearing while I’m around.”
“Oh, boy, Leroy is really going to love you,” Rudy said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the sparks the would fly when the pair met.
Pru pressed her lips together primly. She would become the mother figure of our group. That much was already evident.
“So, what’s our plan?” Harley asked a few minutes later when Rudy made his empty plate vanish. Like me, he ate quickly and economically. I’d finished my meal only moments before he had.
“We need to find the girl,” Pru said before I could answer him. “We’re going to need her talents, whatever they are.”
“What’s the catch?” I asked, noting her hesitation.
“She might not be easy to spring free,” the witch replied.
“Is she a prisoner?” Rudy asked, interest spiking.
“Of a sort,” Pru said uncomfortably. “I saw her sitting in a padded cell.”
“She’s in a nuthouse?” I asked. At her nod, I rubbed my chin in thought. The stubble on my jaw made a slight rasping noise. I really should shave more often. “Is she dangerous?”
Pru’s answer didn’t exactly reassure me. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
That was the problem with visions. They were usually frustratingly vague.
Chapter Twelve
“Do you know where the asylum is?” I asked Pru. She daintily forked the last of her salad into her mouth and shook her head. “Is it somewhere near Devil’s Peak?” I tried again and received a shrug.
“Sorry,” she said when she swallowed her food. “My vision wasn’t all that clear. I just saw a girl sitting on a bed wearing a green hospital gown.”
“I’ll run a search for asylums,” Harley offered and took his cell phone out. I ordered more coffee for us all when our plates were taken away. The waiter gave me a strange look for ordering myself two beverages, one of which would actually go to Rudy. It didn’t take Harley long to come up with something. “There’s an institute a two-hour drive from here,” he said and handed his phone to me.
Pru leaned in to see the screen and I angled it towards her. The main building was made of gray stone and it wasn’t particularly inviting. It looked more like a jail than an asylum. The witch’s eyes went distant as she consulted her vision and she nodded. “That’s the place,” she confirmed. “You’ll find the girl there.”
“You’re not coming with us to get her?” Rudy asked.
“Harley and I will stay behind,” she told him. “It would be best if just you and Jake went.”
I shared a look with my sidekick. The leprechaun made a face, but he didn’t argue with her suggestion. “Do you want me to teleport us there, lad?” he asked. Once he had a specific location, he could easily take us both to it.
“We don’t know what sort of creature this girl is yet,” I replied. “It might be best to travel in my truck. It’ll give her time to acclimatize to being free again once we spring her from her cell.” It would be interesting to see why she was in the institute and to learn exactly what sort of species she was.
Two shifters entered the diner and paused to examine the small crowd. Strong energy emanated from them both and I clamped down on my own power before they could feel me. I recognized them from the battle most werewolves from the US had been drawn into. Their eyes passed over me without pausing. They moved to a booth on the far side of the room and took a seat.
Their alpha strutted in next. He was a big, tough looking guy with shoulder length black hair and hard black eyes. He also swept his gaze over us without pause. This part of Texas was their territory. Packs tended to move around the various properties they owned, keeping their eye on their turf.
“I’m telling you, something bad is coming,” one of the shifters said as their alpha took a seat across from them. “My Grandpappy told me about a strange event that happened a few hundred years ago back in Europe. From what he told me, I have a feeling it’s happening all over again.”
“What mystical event was this?” the alpha asked condescendingly.
“All supernatural creatures can feel trouble brewing,” his subordinate said. “It begins with a sense of doom, then the killings begin. There’s just a few to start with, but everyone in town will end up being slaughtered in the end. If he was still alive, my Grandpappy would say he could feel a dark moon rising. That’s the final sign, or so he told me. The moon will appear to be darker than usual to non-humans when it’s full, then all hell will break loose.”
“What happened the last time a dark moon rose?” his friend asked. All three seemed a bit spooked by his story.
“Something ate everyone in a small village. There were no survivors. Then the creature moved on and it started all over again the next month. Human hunters stood no chance against it. The demon, Spencer Von Hades, sent some supernatural creatures out to find it and kill it. This was a couple of centuries before he formed his special band of monster hunters.”
“Why doesn’t someone call in Quin Vale and her crew?” his friend asked, then flinched when the alpha let out a low snarl.
“This is our territory,” their boss said, resting his arms on the table and leaning forward menacingly. “We don’t need another alpha sniffing around here and bringing her strange pack of misfits with her. We’ll find this thing and deal with it ourselves.”
I was the only one with hearing acute enough to make out their quiet conversation. They’d heard about the disappearances and had come to investigate. Werewolves could be a volatile bunch and their alpha was just as touchy as most of them tended to be. He wouldn’t be happy once he learned a band of supernatural and human hunters were in their territory.
At my signal, we all stood and headed for the door. The shifters watched us suspiciously, but they were too distracted to sense my strangeness. Rudy had teleported himself to my truck and was waiting for me when we reached it. “Follow me to our base,” I said to Pru and Harley, letting down my shield again. “The house isn’t ready to be lived in yet, but you might as well know where it is.” It would be at least a couple more weeks until the rest of the house had been repaired. We would all have to continue to stay in hotels until then.
Our small convoy headed back to the farmhouse. Leroy watched us through a window as we pulled up out front and climbed out. “I see you’ve made some friends, honky,” he said when I unlocked the door to let our guests in. “What a surprise, two more white people,” he added and rolled his eyes. “Have you ever heard about diversity, bro?”
“It isn’t our fault they’re white,” Rudy shot back. “It isn’t like we have a choice about the skin color of the people we’re gathering togethe
r.”
“So, I’m going to be the token black person?” Leroy taunted him as the witch and the kid followed me inside. “I suppose I’m going to be the first one to die, too,” he added sourly.
“You’re already dead,” I reminded him.
“That’s exactly my point,” he said triumphantly. “Fate stepped in and made sure I’d be the first one to bite the dust. She didn’t even let the token join the team when he was still alive.”
“I take it you’re talking to the ghost?” Pru asked as I shook my head wordlessly at the spirit’s logic. She took in the state of the house and seemed less than impressed. The brand-new floorboards and drywall needed to be stained and painted. There was no furniture at all and the kitchen and bathrooms were still completely bare.
“Leroy Lacrosse is our resident ghost,” Rudy said. “Leroy, meet Pru Weaver and Harley Reid.”
Harley raised his hand in greeting, while staring at a spot a good three feet to the left of the phantom. Pru nodded briskly. “What room will I be using as a conjuring den?” she asked.
“I’ll have an area of the basement sectioned off for you,” I replied. I would also have a room built for Leroy. Once he became bound to an object, I would need somewhere to send him to if we needed to use him during a mission. I’d come up with a mobile option of a temporary cell that I could send a ghost to, but it would be good to have a room in the house that we could use as a prison anyway. After all, spirits weren’t the only types of creatures that could be stashed there.
“We should get going, lad,” Rudy told me. “It’s going to take us all night to drive to the asylum, spring the girl free and make our way back here.”
“What girl?” Leroy demanded. “Why are you bringing a crazy person here?”
“Pru is a witch,” I explained. “She saw a vision of a girl in an asylum. We’re going to need her help to find and kill the creature we’re hunting.”
“She’s a witch?” the spirit asked, eyes widening as he examined Pru more closely. “Is she going to cast that spell on me that’ll let me leave this place?” He seemed hopeful, but fearful at the prospect, too.
