“What you gonna do? It’s okay. I’ll watch the door for trouble.” He took out a cigarette packet and tapped it absently against his thigh pushing the door open and going back out into the night.
“That’s a bad habit,” Simian said as we walked down the corridor.
“I can’t blame him,” I said in his defense and explained to Simian that LeBron might be joining their ranks. Simian looked back at the doors to the outside guiltily.
“If he only got bit yesterday and he’s walking on that leg today-I’d say we don’t need the full moon to know.”
“He had some magical healing.”
“Magic couldn’t fix it that good that quickly. Even I know that healing magic doesn’t work like that.” I nodded.
“He’s also firmly in denial. Maybe you could talk to him, he’s going to need a sponsor anyway.”
“He got hurt doing this for us, I would be honored. Come on now, they’re waiting.” He pulled the door open for us and we headed down the stairs. When we reached the doors to the main chamber, they cracked open and Brie, the shifter girl, stepped out. She looked up at us and startled a little.
“Oh you’re here. Good. They’ve been waiting.” Her eyes narrowed and focused on Sorin who was clutching my hand and keeping very quiet at my side. Brie bent down in front of him giving him a very pleasant and genuine smile. “Hi there. We’ve been expecting you. We’ve got a nice room all prepared if you’d like to come with me.” She extended her hand out to him palm up. The gesture was completely unthreatening but still the boy looked up at me for a sign that he should trust this person. I nodded my head and released his hand from my own. Brie rose slowly to her feet, turned her side to us and offered her hand out again, this time Sorin took it. She began to lead him away down a side corridor, I could tell she was talking to him but I couldn’t really make out the words, my eyes were transfixed on his little face as it peered back at me over his shoulder. I felt a little uneasy letting him out of my sight but I had done my job where he was concerned. I had delivered the boy to the werewolves. Simian held the door and we went inside.
It was amazing how much the room had changed in the course of a day. Garlands hung from the walls and ceiling creating a festive covering over the stone. Tables had been prepared on either side of the room, draped in fine white linen tablecloths, one prepared as a bar, the other as some sort of buffet minus the food. Plastic chairs had been laid out in neat rows bound with blue and red ribbon on the inside to create an aisle in the middle almost like a wedding. The candidates were sitting in a semi-circle of chairs at the front that struck me as being like an AA meeting in any church hall. I wanted to take a seat with them and chirp proudly-I’m Cassandra and I’m lunarly challenged. Except it wouldn’t have been true. I grabbed a chair from the front row, spun it around and sat on it backwards so I could lean my arms on the back of it.
“Fellas, we’ve got a problem,” I said cutting straight to the point. They looked at me and I could tell each of them were evaluating my new haircut but wisely chose to ignore it in favor of keeping on topic.
“We had begun to think as much when you did not return when we expected you,” said Sam Kinsley adjusting his glasses. “Could you perhaps elaborate?”
I went into a full explanation of what happened, and could tell several times that they wanted to ask questions but I held my hand up in a stop gesture so they knew I’d prefer if they held them till the end. Simian hovered behind me twitching from foot to foot rather than taking a seat too.
“What happened to your escort?” asked Duncan.
I shrugged.
“I don’t know, he vanished sometime during the fight, I was too busy to notice which direction he went.”
“The boy’s guardian said he went for help?”
“Yes and I sent Farir after him. If neither of them have checked in here,” I said looking over their faces, they all shook their heads. “Then I presume they are both missing.”
Leroy Craven studied my face carefully and stroking his chin as he did so.
“There is more to your thoughts.”
“Well, I have only two workable theories. Either both of them have been subdued by the enemy in some kind of ambush or DJ was in on it and when Farir went after him he silenced him. He could have been one of the wolves around us at the barn, I never saw him change so I couldn’t have picked him out.”
“I do not believe DJ would turn on us,” said Duncan scratching at stubble on his chin.
“You know him better than me but I’ve found that it’s just a question of the right motivation and anyone will turn on you.”
“I would hate to think that of him, he’s had a job as security for many years, he kept his position from the old system due to his popularity.”
“Maybe he was hoping for a bit of a promotion.”
The three looked between each other and it was almost like they were communicating using their facial expressions, a twitch of an eyebrow and a twist of the lips spoke volumes. They reached some sort of silent conclusion.
“We will leave this in your hands. Simian, take Ms. Farbanks to DJ’s house and see if you can find any evidence of treachery. We will increase your fee appropriately to cover your investigation.”
That was music to my ears. I smiled, gave a curt nod and getting up spun my chair back into place. I started up the aisle. Simian blinked, gave a bob of his upper body and followed after me at a quick clip. Once we were out in the corridor Simian took tight hold of my arm to stop me.
“Cassandra, are you really sure about this?” I looked at him and gently pried loose his fingers. He flexed them and looked slightly apologetic.
“No, I’m not sure. We’ll go to his place to look for some evidence of his guilt or innocence.” Simian’s brows drew together.
“I just can’t see DJ doing this. He’s intensely loyal. I’ve known him since he was a kid, he’s a really good guy.” I patted his arm reassuringly for a minute and then looked towards the stairs.
“Hey, I’m not jumping at the bit to condemn him, he seemed like a decent guy despite the fact that he let you push him at me.”
Simian’s expression got a little sheepish as I glared at him. He knew exactly how I felt about his theory that I just needed to meet a nice wolf man to settle down with.
“What did you tell him about me?”
“That you were single…” I opened my mouth to deny that I was but to tell the truth I really didn’t know anymore.
“Uh huh. Get to the part that led him to believe it would be okay to squeeze my ass.” I knew if I hadn’t have warned him off it in his car while I was leaned over him, that was exactly what he would have done.
“You don’t like passive men, Cassandra. I’ve seen you around guys and you tend to respond to more aggressive pitches for your affection. With someone of your power that is understandable. You’re an alpha personality.”
“Gee thanks, Doctor Phil.” Simian smiled broadly at me.
“So you like DJ?”
“I didn’t say that. I said he seemed like a decent guy.”
“He’d be good for you, better than the vamp. Warm breathing and…” I faced Simian and put my hands on his shoulders.
“Simian, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, it’s sweet in a vaguely interfering way but right now I have a lot to deal with and my last concern is whether or not there is a man in my life. Now let’s go find out if he’s a traitor or not before you plan our wedding and name our first born.”
Chapter Twenty
When we got back up to the first floor of the building and outside I found that LeBron was not alone. The shifter Brie was sitting on the wall across from him hanging on his every word as he told a story between puffs of smoke.
“My original captain said I was a little wet behind the ears and that I needed to do a year with a unit that would toughen me up. I got a choice between homicide and PCU. I chose preternatural crimes because it sounded more interesting.”
I gave a little cough. LeBron looked at me, quickly stubbed out his cigarette and dusted off as he drew himself to his feet.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
“I’ve had my contract extended, I’m going to have to stay on here a while. Go on home and get some rest.”
LeBron looked a little peeved at me but shoved his hands deep into his pockets like he was resigned to the facts. Simian moved past me draping his arm over LeBron’s shoulders.
“I’d like a word with you before you go.” LeBron went with him and they walked a discrete distance away from privacy. I turned to look at Brie who was watching LeBron’s back sadly.
“Something the matter?” She gave a little start, her cheeks flushing an adorable shade of red.
“Your friend is very interesting,” she said focusing on her hands in her lap. I felt myself smirk.
“Interesting is certainly a good word. Some might even stretch to nice and handsome.” Brie flushed a little deeper then tried to mutter that she hadn’t even noticed.
“Brie?” called Simian and she scrambled to get up on her feet. “Would you be a darling and escort our friend to the gate.”
“Sure,” she said beaming and linking her arm through LeBron’s began walking him down the street and out of our sight. I leaned in close to Simian as they from view around the corner.
“So what sort of shifter is Ms. hips and lips?”
“Hips and lips?” he said arching a brow. “And what makes you say she’s a shifter?”
“She’s swaying her hips as she walks and licking her lips a lot, both signs that a woman likes someone and when I last checked you didn’t let single adult norms live in the community.”
“She could be the adult daughter of a Were to human marriage.”
“If so, at her age, she wouldn’t be single and her body language is way too predatory for someone who is only associated with shifting.”
“True and don’t worry about your friend, Brie is pretty harmless.” He started walking away. I hurried to walk by his side.
“Not what I asked but thanks for your assurance.” He sighed as he could probably tell that I wasn’t going to drop it.
“She has the Felis catus XL strain.”
It was my turn to cock an eyebrow.
“You’re telling me she‘s a large house cat three nights a month.”
“Yes, about the size of a Labrador. She’s black and her family comes from somewhere around…Bodmin.” He muttered the last word hoping I wouldn’t catch it. I burst into a chuckle.
“LeBron is having goo goo eyes made at him by a descendant of the Beast of Bodmin.”
“Cassandra, a little sensitivity.”
“Maybe next month they can roam the moors together, scar a whole bunch of Cornish people.” Simian swept his arm out to clip my ear but I ducked taking a step back.
“Humph, your reflexes have improved.”
“That was so not cool, you used all your extra speed.”
“Don’t you have extra speed?”
“Not noticed any so far but I’m not much of a runner.”
“Not in a physical sense anyway.”
“Touché.” He grinned and bobbed his head, pleased.
“Let’s get a move on to DJ’s, if he thinks he’s close to being busted, he’ll destroy evidence.”
“If he was involved.”
“Yes, our old friend if, so terribly vague and non-committal.”
The Full Moon bar looked pretty much like any bar anywhere. It was a long rectangle right next to the outer wall. It had two entrances, a fenced walkway that came from the wall and a double door entrance at the end with doors that looked like they were thick and heavy. A drunk human would have difficulty opening them so I figured it was a security measure, a very subtle one. The long side that faced the inside of the community had small high windows that would allow in the minimum of light needed. With the high wall on the other side it had to rely on electric lighting inside. It probably added to the bar type atmosphere. Bars to me always seemed to prey on the darker sides of human nature, dimly lit corners where goings on could occur. I remembered the feeling of isolation. It also seemed like the perfect place to sit around plotting a coup over some frosty mugs of dark brew.
At what I considered the back of the building was a flight of iron stairs leading from a back door to what looked like an apartment door. Dumpsters sat neatly under the stairs brimming with black trash bags that clicked and rustled in the slight breeze.
“He lives above his bar?”
“He likes to be close in case there is trouble here, it’s a breach point. The only other is the school as the playing field extends outside the wall.”
The school had only been added in the last few years. Community parents had become frightened to send their kids to public school outside because of intense bullying. I’d been picked on at school and I thought I had been relatively normal. If the other kids knew you or your parents turned fuzzy it opened up a whole new wave of cruelty and other kids can be very cruel indeed. The school only covered key stage one and two because there just hadn’t been enough room to include a full comprehensive high school.
Simian started up the stairs stooping at the top step to reach under the metal work for something trapped there. It was a spare key.
“There are no secrets here, huh?”
“Not when you can smell the metal and the adhesive tape. Come on.” He slid the key into the lock, twisted it and slowly pushed open the door. I hurried up the stairs to be next to him, stopping when he pressed his hand against my shoulder. He stuck his head into the dark gap and sniffed. I wrinkled my nose then tried it myself, I couldn’t smell anything in particular. I guess one of my new talents was not going to be an extra sensitive nose. I was sort of thankful for that.
“Place is empty,” he said taking a step inside. A werewolf nose was obviously some kind of Geiger-counter too. I followed him inside feeling along the wall for the light and flicked it on. Simian looked startled.
“If no one is home is there a reason we need to do this in the dark?” While Simian adjusted himself to the logic of that statement I proceeded past him and the doorway he was stood in front of to enter the main living room.
DJ had a supersized TV in the middle of a huge entertainment system that took up almost one complete wall. Across from it was the most masculine recliner I had ever seen, smooth black leather, a place holder for the remote, a beer holder with a space for ice to keep it cool and several buttons that seemed to indicate massage speed. On either side of this, forming almost a tunnel towards the TV, were two ratty torn couches, I assumed for when he had company. Two bookcases stood against the back wall either side of a door. They held a random selection of movies, some tatty paperbacks in a jumble of piles and a lot of sports trophies. Ribbons hung from some of the shelves too and not a single trophy was dusty. He was proud and so took care of them.
The door opened up into a bathroom, a tub on one side and a shower cubicle on the other. The sink was scattered with man products, shaving gel, razor blades, shower gel and cologne, some of which smelt very strong. The bath held some muddy sports equipment and the brown residue showed that this was all it was used for.
“The kitchen’s typical of a single man, takeout cartons and pizza boxes.” Simian appeared in the doorway behind me blocking my light.
“Don’t look at me, most of the time that’s what my kitchen looks like. Where’s the bedroom?”
“Far wall.” I circled out around him under his arm and found the door almost opposite the front door. I opened it carefully and reached inside for the second light. The room was typically male, unmade bed, dirty clothes on the floor, pin up girls and cars, or pinup girls on cars, decorating the walls but in a small corner was a desk covered in papers. I took a seat in his rolling chair and began going through them. Simian came into the room behind me shaking his head and murmuring to himself about house cleaning. Almost all of his papers pertained to the bar, there wa
s not a single thing to indicate that he’d been plotting anything. It was bogged down with disputes with beer suppliers and replenishing inventory. Running a bar had to be harder than I thought.
“There’s nothing here,” I said throwing the papers down and leaning back on the chair which squeaked loudly.
“I told you DJ was not our man.”
“Then he’s dead or a prisoner because he’s not come back. I really don’t get this. Explain to me about how this whole king thing works?”
“Well,” Simian began taking a seat on the edge of the bed then throwing his arms out to steady himself as the mattress sloshed. “Once the candidates are chosen a letter is sent to Romania to send the anointer.”
“Slow down. Can anyone be a candidate?”
“Oh no. Pure blood wolves only can become king.” I leaned forward in my chair.
“Wait a minute, you’re saying that other shifters and turned Weres get no representation. That’s hardly fair, they make up what? About twenty-five percent of the community population?”
“Yes, true, but when they come to live here they understand it’s as an auxiliary member of this pack and pack tradition and rules will be abided by. I don’t know what you believe, Cassandra, but a pack isn’t a democracy.”
“I don’t know what you believe,” I said shaking my head and copying him, “it doesn’t matter if they say they understand, it doesn’t mean they think it’s fair and if an opportunity for change arrives they won’t take it.” The picture was becoming clearer in my head.
“How many bitten Weres live in the community?”
“Twenty-five. You think they’ve banded together?”
“Maybe, keep telling me about the process.”
“The anointer comes and meets the three, he will choose one, says some old words and brands him on the arm. Then his power is absolute, he is king and we must follow him.”
“Hang on. You must follow him?”
“Yes, the symbol imbues him with the power of the alpha voice meaning his aura will be so strong we can’t ignore his commands.”
Inhuman Heritage Page 18
