by Jami Gray
“Hopefully.” She shifted in her seat until she faced front again. “Tobias set a reservation for the Pines’ back room.”
Keeping his attention on the surrounding traffic, he negotiated around the slower cars. “Better to meet him now, than hash it out in front of the Triune.” He was checking the passenger side mirror and caught her wince. “What?”
She cleared her throat. “They want to meet tomorrow morning.”
A subtle tension in her voice caught his attention. He risked another glance to find her focus wasn’t on him, but on something only she could see, as she absently played with the tail end of her blonde braid. Keeping his voice even, he said, “Not surprising.”
“No, it’s not.”
“But you’re still worried?”
His question stilled her restless movements, and the weight of her gaze landed on him. “I’d be a fool not to be.”
Since she was far from a fool, if she was worried, there was reason to be, but asking her outright wouldn’t work. He sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Time to take a roundabout approach. He asked the most important question, considering the situation. “Who’s serving as Triune?”
“Teagan Greenstone, Hadley Begay, and Wyatt Reid.”
He recognized two of the three names. Teagan was Tala’s cousin, and, while they grew up together, they hadn’t hung in the same circles for years, but the lack of closeness shouldn’t impact the upcoming meet. He knew Hadley’s name because while he was mentoring Tala all those years ago, the two women had been best friends. But the third? “Wyatt?”
“Wizard from the Karrow Cabal,” she answered easily. “He joined the Triune about three years ago after Danny stepped down.”
The quickness of her answer didn’t indicate concern, but the Karrow Cabal was one of the largest American wizarding groups. Since they could trace their bloodlines back to one of the founding European families, they held a great deal of weight in the Kyn community. “Is he the one that worries you?” Catching her shrug, he shot her a narrowed eyed look. “Tala?” he prompted, while Chay watched on.
Her jaw firmed, and her lips pressed tight, but she turned her head and looked away. “No.”
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and he waited until he passed the van in front of them before asking, “Who?”
“Teagan.”
Her cousin? “Spill.”
She made her reluctance obvious, her voice tight. “Jenny’s loss hit her hard. They were close and the way it went down…”
Yeah, the shit between the Shifters and the Magi houses just kept getting deeper and deeper. The young witch, Jenny, had been involved with the alpha pair’s son. Something that hadn’t sat well with his parents. In fact, when grief-stricken Lizbeth decided to trap her son’s soul as a Soul Stealer, she fueled the black spell with Jenny’s death, and the death of her unborn child, the alpha pair’s grandchild. “Teagan holds you to blame.” Not really a question.
It was Tala’s turn to sigh. “She’s struggling with it. She helped raised Jenny.”
He picked his way through the emotional minefield, trying not to set off any triggers. “How were you supposed to stop it?”
“It’s my job as the Magi head to keep them all safe, Cheveyo.”
Even now, the guilt she carried over the whole, twisted situation rang through loud and clear. As much as he wanted to comfort her, that wasn’t what she was looking for. “Lecturing to the choir here, but you and I both know it’s not that easy.”
“But she doesn’t.”
Her quiet answer snuck under his skin and scraped across his nerves, but it was Chay’s voice that came out sharp. “Then she shouldn’t be serving on the Triune.”
That startled Tala, who twisted around to face him. “That’s harsh.”
No, it wasn’t, but maybe if she heard the truth from someone other than Cheveyo, she’d listen. He wasn’t surprised when Chay didn’t back down. “She shouldn’t hold you responsible for Lizbeth’s actions.”
Her chin jutted out. “My position means I’m responsible for my people and their actions.”
“Lizbeth wasn’t yours,” Cheveyo tried to point out.
Tala went to respond, but Chay cut her off. “There’s such thing as free will, and you can’t control everyone’s decisions. If you follow that logic, then it’s Tomás, not you, who’s responsible for Lizbeth’s actions.”
“If I was paying closer attention—”
“What?” Impatient with her self-flagellation, Cheveyo’s question came out short. “You could have stopped Jenny from getting involved with Eric?” Their exit was coming up, so he maneuvered over to the ramp. “You’re going to tell me that telling a teenager they can’t see someone guarantees they’ll stay away? Ever heard of Romeo and Juliet?”
“That’s not the point.”
Damn, she was stubborn. “Isn’t it? You did the best you could. Lizbeth’s decisions are not yours to bear.”
“Stop.” She held up a hand, her eyes flashing. “I get it.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, can we change the subject now?”
“Fine.” Based on her crossed arms and mulish expression, he could only hope they got through to her. For now, he’d drop it as she had enough on her plate. He moved on. “What about Hadley? You two still close?”
She shook her head, her expression wistful. “Not so much.”
“What happened? You two used to be thick as thieves.”
Her smile was fond, but sad. “We grew up.”
His heart ached for her, but he wasn’t surprised. Not only did time test the bonds of friendship, but Tala’s position set her apart, making it doubly difficult to hold on to such things. He made the left, and the conversation switched to driving directions.
Tala took them into a fairly new home development filled with modest cookie-cutter homes lying on the very edges of Flagstaff. They made their way through the neighborhood’s maze and turned on to Mesa Creek Road.
Chay’s quiet curse filled the car as Cheveyo began to slow.
At the end of the cul-de-sac, a state trooper’s car was parked outside Rory’s house. Dread pooled in Cheveyo’s stomach as he turned into the slightly curved driveway and stopped in front of the double car garage. Tala already had her door open and was stepping out before he could shut off the engine. He and Chay followed her to the front door blocked by the recognizable uniform of a state trooper.
“Anne, what’s going on?” Tala barely nodded to the state trooper as she slipped around him to stand near the tear stained and pale young woman gripping the doorframe.
The younger woman clutched her arm, her voice shaky, “It’s Rory. He’s been in an accident.”
Chapter Eight
Shock rocketed through Tala as she held Rory’s petite wife close, scared that, if she didn’t, Anne would collapse to the ground. “An accident?” She aimed her question at the grim faced trooper standing silently by.
“Ma’am, perhaps we should go inside?” In contrast to his appearance, his voice was kind.
Tala led Anne inside, leaving the men to follow. She guided the young woman through the open floor plan common to so many of the newer homes and led her to the spacious kitchen overseeing the brightly lit living room.
“Talala!” A childish voice piped up, and a young boy rose from the Lego covered rug and zipped around the couch to catch her around the knees.
She dropped her free hand to ruffle his brown curls, while keeping Anne tucked close. “Hey Pax, how’s things?”
He tilted his head back and beamed. “Mom bought me new Legos. It’s the Jungle Tree House cuz we’re reading the Magic Tree House.” His attention switched with breakneck speed to his mother and the men slowly following. Pax frowned. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
Anne slipped out of Tala’s hold, visibly pulling herself together before kneeling in front of her son and wrapping him in her arms. “I promise to share in just a little bit, but for now, why don’t yo
u work on that tree and let me talk to Tala, okay?”
“Okay.” His response was muffled as he buried his face against her neck and returned her hug. The mother and child clung to each other for the space of a few heartbeats before Pax uncurled his arms, kissed his mom’s cheek, and went back to his Legos, his mood much more subdued.
“Come on, Anne,” Tala urged softly, helping her to stand with a hand at her elbow. “Let’s sit at the counter.” They did just that while the three men took up positions in the kitchen.
Once everyone was situated, Tala addressed her questions to the trooper. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Sergeant Willows.”
The sergeant looked to be in his late thirties, maybe early forties, but his gaze was decades older. Probably a result of other visits such as this. Not a job she envied. “Sergeant Willows, what happened?”
Willows looked to Anne, then back to Tala. “Before I answer, are you family?”
“No, a close friend of the family’s. Rory asked me to stop by so he could give me some references for my research.”
“Research?”
“I’m an herbalist, and with Rory’s background in botany, he’s one of my main go-to’s for research questions.” When the trooper’s gaze switched to Cheveyo and Chay, she added, “My two graduate students, Cheveyo and Chay.” Hands were shaken, and greetings murmured, before the sergeant turned back to Anne and Tala.
Behind his back, Cheveyo mouthed, “Grad student?”
Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she raised an eyebrow before turning her attention to the trooper’s conversation with Anne.
Willows stood on the other side of the counter facing Anne, compassion easing the hard lines of his face, his voice pitched low so not to disturb Pax. “Your husband was in an accident and was taken to Phoenix General.” A soft sob escaped Anne, and she covered her mouth with a shaking hand. Sympathy washed over his face. “Is there anyone you can call to stay with your son?”
Tala rubbed gentle circles between her trembling shoulders. “Anne, why don’t I call Sara and have her pick up Pax? He can spend the night with Tyler.”
Anne nodded, and Tala excused herself to make the call. After Sara assured her she’d be over in fifteen minutes, Tala left the trooper with Cheveyo and Chay, trusting them to get the details of Rory’s accident.
Once she explained the impromptu sleepover to Pax, he started picking up his toys. She used his momentary distraction to usher a stunned Anne into her room where she started packing an overnight bag as they waited for Sara to arrive. When Tala checked on Pax, he was finishing up in the living room. She helped him tuck the box away, and followed him to his room.
Covered in images of far-flung galaxies populated with space knights and warrior raccoons, Pax piled a stuffed floppy eared dog, and a crumpled pile she soon discovered were his pajamas, on his pillow. She kept a light conversation going as they picked out clothes and went in to the bathroom to gather the necessities. Once everything was safely tucked into a camouflaged backpack, she took his small hand to lead him to the living room.
They were almost to the living room, when he tugged her hand, bringing her to a stop. “Tala, why was mom crying?”
Looking down into his scared face, her heart broke. She dropped into a crouch so she was eye-level with him. “Well, sweetpea, she’s worried about your dad.”
“Is he in trouble?”
“No, honey, but something happened, and he had to go to the doctors.” When the boy’s gaze dropped, and his bottom lip began to tremble, she gathered both of his hands in hers and squeezed carefully. “Pax, look at me.” She waited until he did so. “The doctors are taking really good care of him, so you just keep him in your prayers, okay?”
“Okay.” His voice was small.
She pulled him in for a hug, letting him hold on as long as needed. When he finally wiggled to be free, she rose and keeping his hand in hers, headed back into the living room.
Sometime while helping Pax pack, Sara arrived. She now followed Anne out of the master bedroom. When she caught sight of Tala and Pax, she flashed a sad smile at Tala and a brighter one at Pax. “Hey, kiddo, ready to go see Tyler?”
The next handful of minutes became a subdued rush of getting Pax out the door, then listening to Anne’s scattered directions and reassurance that her mother, who lived in the valley, would meet her at Phoenix General. With the house shut tight and Anne ensconced in the trooper’s passenger seat, Tala waited until the trooper’s car drove away before turning to Chay and Cheveyo. “Were you able to get any information from him?”
Both nodded, but it was Cheveyo who came up to her and with a warm hand at her back, nudged her toward the SUV. “We’ll fill you in on our way to Black Pines.”
She let the quiet settle, anxiety for Anne and Rory setting up shop among her growing pile of worries, while she ignored the faintly panicked voice muttering what the hell else could go wrong because that would just jinx it. It didn’t stop her stomach from roiling with dread. Once Cheveyo was back on the main road heading for the restaurant, she broke the heavy silence. “What happened?”
Chay answered, “According to the sergeant, they found Rory’s car just past Stonelake Road. Do you know where that is?”
Shifting in her seat so she could see him in the dim interior, or at least, catch glimpses of him from the street-lights illuminating him in disjointed splashes. “If it’s where I think it is, it’s near where the road goes into a series of curves as it comes up the mountain.” Which didn’t bode well for Rory’s health.
“Okay, that would make sense then. They think the front tire blew, causing him to lose control, and then the car went off the side and down an embankment.”
Chay’s answer left her reeling and her imagination working overtime to supply the horrific images. “Oh, dear gods.”
“Rory was med-evaced to Phoenix and the last time the trooper checked,” Cheveyo joined in, “Rory was listed in critical condition.” He spared her a quick look before turning back to his driving. “Willows said when he got to the scene, he was surprised to find Rory still alive.”
Even as the two men filled in what details they could, her mind spun through various scenarios. “I’ll check in with Anne later tonight, once she has a chance to see him. If she’s okay with it, I’ll ask Danny to go down and visit.” Danny’s healing ability might keep Anne from becoming a widow.
“You may want to contact his clan as well,” Cheveyo offered.
“Actually, I can do that now.” She pulled out her phone, thumbed through her contacts, and located Ken Black, Rory’s best friend and fellow druid. She made the call, grateful when Ken picked up. After passing along all the information they had, Ken assured her he’d reach out the other druids and Danny. Knowing those closest to Rory would be there to help Anne and Pax, allowed some of her turmoil to recede.
Unfortunately, trepidation about her upcoming meeting with Tobias took its place. She pocketed her cell, and stared unseeingly out the window, her thoughts as chaotic as the day’s events. While she’d been able to push everything but the immediate happenings aside, now she was right back on the hamster wheel of questions.
No matter how much her worried thoughts twisted and turned, they kept snagging on the one question she desperately needed an answer for. What had instigated Tomás’s attack?
She and Ash had been hiking the well-worn trails behind her house, collecting herbs and plants that needed restocking. One moment things were fine, the next Tomás burst from the underbrush hitting Ash mid-body. Stunned by the unexpected attack, it took her precious seconds to recognize Tomás’s wolf form.
She tried yelling at him, then hurtled defensive spells, hoping to snag the human half of the shifter’s mind, but gave up when he turned on her. Maybe she could have fought him off with just magic, but under the whirlwind of claws and teeth, her survival instinct kicked in with a vengeance.
Remembering the feral light in his amber eyes, the
doubts haunting her retreated to whispers. There had been nothing sane for her to connect with, not then, and certainly not when her knife was buried hilt deep in his chest.
Still she wondered as she searched for an answer only to come up empty. Desperation set in. She needed something to give Tobias and the Triune, something more than Tomás had lost his fricking mind.
Warmth pressed against her hand, startling her back to the present and gently stilling her mindless picking on her jeans.
“You okay?” Cheveyo’s question was low, but the sincerity behind it brought a lump to her throat.
Unable to speak around it, she shook her head.
“One thing at a time, awéé. We’ll be okay.”
Unable to resist the devastating combination of comfort and tenderness, she turned her hand palm up and held tight, wishing he was right.
They made it to Black Pines with time to spare. Not that it mattered, because, as they stepped into the backroom, they found it already occupied. Two men and a woman were seated on one side of the table, and a waitress was setting drinks in front of them. Tala noted the three empty seats situated on the closest side and moved to the one in the middle. Cheveyo and Chay followed—one to her left, and one to her right.
They stopped behind the chairs and waited while the man in the middle pushed back from the other side of the table and stood. “Tala.”
“Tobias.”
“Toby, please.” He motioned to the empty chairs. “Have a seat.”
Everyone settled in while the waitress took their drink orders.
Tala studied the man who would be the new Southwest Alpha. Toby was the opposite of Tomás in more than just looks. Blond, light eyed, with a muscular frame that harkened back to his northern European heritage, he gave the impression he would be comfortable, regardless of his surroundings, be it a boardroom or camped out in the Alps somewhere.
Her previous interactions with him had been limited to various meetings, most of which involved regional Kyn politics. He struck her as fair and strangely levelheaded, an anomaly for most Shifters who tended to let their more primitive natures take the lead. His companions—a clean-shaven male sporting shaggy brown hair and glasses, and a sliver-streaked dark-haired female dressed in corporate professional—were complete unknowns.
