by Gina LaManna
“You’ve been here before?” Matthew’s voice was level. “Curious.”
“We had things to discuss.”
“You don’t need to explain,” he said in the same pointed way I often told him I was ‘fine’, but really, was anything but.
“Matthew, it was nothing,” I said. “And it was before we were... well, an ‘us’.”
“I understand.”
There was no more room for discussion because the sound of Grey whistling filtered over the dusky, waving grasses. The wolf returned, just a slight hint of dampness around the light blue shirt he wore—one that brought out his eyes. I wondered if he’d chosen it on purpose.
“Shall we?” Grey pointed toward the front door. “It’s good to have you back, Dani.”
“Grey,” I warned. “Watch it.”
He grinned widely, throwing the front door open as he gestured for Matthew and me to go through first. Matthew reached for my hand, and this time, I let him take it.
It was interesting to see how both men thrived off the night in their own ways. Grey appeared almost childlike in his joy, a sense of wild abandon coursing through him. The sort of energy that would prompt him to run through the wilderness without a care in the world. To smile with giddy enthusiasm for no reason at all. To poke fun at Matthew and I, prodding the vampire to the very edge of his patience.
On the other hand, Matthew seemed bigger in the darkness in every way. He oozed danger, a sense of intense lethalness. His eyes were thirsty, darker, and his skin paler, brighter. Everything about him was a little rawer, more vulnerable. He was amplified in his speed, his powers, his emotions. He loved more, fought harder, destroyed quicker when night rolled around.
Then there was me. A little old witch whose coolest superpower was the ability to piss off the two most powerful paranormal creatures in Wicked in five minutes flat. That, and I had some new boots that were pretty cool. They were a gift from Sienna.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” Grey said, gesturing to the wide-open living room with a few strategically placed comfortable couches and loungers. “Can I get you anything to eat, drink? Sorry, Matthew. Not sure I can help you there, but Dani...”
“Grey,” I warned again.
“I’m just saying,” he said, raising his hands, “last time you were here, we had a nice time. Good food, good talk—”
“What did you want to discuss?” Matthew asked sharply. He slid his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. “We didn’t come for a dinner party.”
“No, I suspect not,” Grey said, his eyes leveling on Matthew. “That’s something quite private, I’d imagine.”
“Let’s just focus on the reason we’re all here.” I shrugged Matthew’s arm off my shoulder and stomped across the room to stand directly between the two men. “I originally called this meeting to discuss how you knew I was in trouble—” I pointed an accusatory finger at Grey before swiveling it toward Matthew—“and why you weren’t mad about finding Grey in my apartment. But I’ve since had those questions answered.”
Grey shot a curious look at Matthew. “Ah.”
“I’m not happy about your little watch party,” I said. “If you guys are going to keep an eye on me, the least you can do is let me know about it.”
Matthew nodded. “I told you I would.”
Grey nodded in agreement. “Fine.”
“Now that we’ve got that covered, there’s something bigger that we need to discuss.” I retracted my pointed finger. “The Hex Files.”
“Dani—” Matthew began.
I whirled to face the werewolf and ignored Matthew’s argument. “How’d you come to learn about the files in the first place?”
All sense of humor left Grey’s face. Even Matthew stilled. The room seemed to chill by a few degrees as Grey shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next.
“I have resources,” he said. “I know more about what goes on in the borough than you’d ever expect.”
“Legal resources?” Matthew shot.
Grey met Matthew’s stare with an unkind one of his own.
“Seriously, you guys,” I said. “If you can’t cooperate, I’m going to interview you separately. Matthew, chill. Grey, we need honesty. Whatever is said in this room is between the three of us—you two might hate each other’s guts, but I vouch for both of you. I trust you both more than anyone in Wicked. If that’s not good enough, I don’t know what is.”
There was a long silence.
“Good enough for me,” Matthew grunted.
Grey mumbled some semblance of agreement.
“Good,” I said, moving over to the biggest couch. I plopped on the seat and crossed one leg. “I’m listening. Grey, you start. What the hell are you?”
Grey gave the slightest curl of a smile. He leaned against the counter, extending his arms, flexing them, staring at the tattoos that lined his skin. “I have known about The Hex Files for a very long time. Hence the reason I was so pissed when I realized Matthew roped you into them. In fact, I was sent here to investigate them.”
“Sent by who?” I sat heavily on a couch as Matthew moved across the room at lightning speed and eased down next to me. He depressed the couch so deeply I had to pull myself out of the crater before I fell onto his lap.
Grey watched our movements as he carefully considered his response. “I’m an Elderwolf.”
I blinked. “A what?”
Matthew expelled an unwilling breath. “I thought that pack was lore.”
“I thought vampires were lore,” Grey shot back. “Can’t believe everything you hear, can you, vamp?”
I prepared a retort, but Matthew didn’t seem offended, merely curious. I turned back to Grey. “For those of us who are less than three decades old, a little help, please. What’s an Elderwolf?”
“The pack to rule all packs,” Matthew whispered softly. “They’re not subject to basic tribal laws. They are said to inherit a coat as pure as snow and powers beyond what anyone can imagine.”
Grey gave the slightest nod.
“What about the ability to breathe fire?” I said wryly. “Is that included in the deal, too?”
Matthew looked surprised, and that fact alone had me terrified. Matthew knew pretty much everything there was to know about the supernatural order of the universe. For an entire pack to go undetected by him for multiple centuries was something of a miracle.
“Where are you based?” Matthew asked. “How many are there?”
“Twelve,” Grey said. “I’m the twelfth. The newest. I ascended a century ago and came into my powers. We don’t have a base—we’re everywhere and anywhere, whenever we are needed.”
“What sort of stuff do you do?” I asked. When Matthew and Grey both looked at me, I shrugged. “There’s no such thing as a stupid question! I’ve never heard of you people—er, wolves—before.”
Grey laughed, a sound that came easily to him. More easily than to Matthew, and it lightened up the room “Matthew is right, essentially. We Elderwolves rule over all the werewolves. We make law. Enforce it. Protect it,” Grey said. “We make sure the world generally leans more toward good magic than evil—and that’s the reason I’ve shown up in the borough now. Because I’m needed here.”
“That doesn’t explain how you came to learn about The Hex Files,” Matthew said. “Answer the question.”
“And while you’re at it,” I added. “Can someone explain what these files actually are?”
“I don’t think that’s a good—” Matthew began.
“We can’t keep her in the dark,” Grey said. “She’s a part of it whether you want to admit it or not. The prophecy is coming to fruition, and Dani is a part of things now. We can hardly deny it.”
“But the more she knows—”
I gaped at Matthew. “Withholding information from me is only going to be dangerous.”
Grey nodded. “I’m with her on this one.”
“I’m sure you are,” Matthew snarled. “I still don’t thin
k it’s a good idea.”
“It’s my life, my choice, and I want to know,” I said stubbornly, spinning back to face Grey. “Continue. Please.”
“The Hex Files are a set of six files,” Grey said. “You probably only saw one piece of them.”
“Yes, it was a tiny little sheet,” I said. “It had a sort of prophecy, or incantation, or something on it. But I couldn’t decipher more than that.”
“Do you remember it?” Grey asked. “This is very important.”
I nodded. “It’s been seared into my brain since I read it.”
Grey waved a hand for me to go on. Resolutely ignoring the look of dismay on Matthew’s face, I repeated the short paragraph I’d found in the unlocked box that had been my reward for helping on a recent case.
“One will lead the way by heart—
Another seeks bright in the deepest dark.
The third lives in shadow and searches the light—
A fourth will break from a desperate plight.
The last meets death for their greatest lie—
As the unbreakable enchantment brings the future nigh.”
“You found the master then,” Grey said. “The base file, if you will.”
“How do you know there are more files?” I asked. “I suspected they were missing, but even Matthew couldn’t say for certain.”
Grey’s eyes flicked toward the vampire. “I suspect Matthew could tell you more if he felt it was in your best interest.”
I still couldn’t manage to look at Matthew. “Well, you and I seem to agree it’s in my best interest. How can you be so sure there are more files? How can you be sure there are six in all?”
“Think about it logically. The idea of six different pieces to the puzzle makes sense, yes?” Grey prompted. “The controller file spells out the list of other files that can be found. There are five listed in your prophecy.”
“What are the other files?”
“There’s a file for each individual named in the master document,” Grey said. “You agree that this prophecy specifies five different people?”
I rubbed my hands against my temples. “It sure seems that way. But how do we know who has been named? I feel as if the prophecy is vague enough it could be anyone. Seeking light? Desperate plight? Not exactly identifying features.”
“Last night was the first sign,” Grey said. “The Elderwolves have been feeling a resurgence of evil in the borough, of unrest. For the first time in decades, The Hex Files have been mentioned. Someone is searching for them.”
“What could someone get from tracking down six different files?”
“The hex to rule all things,” Matthew said, his voice clipped. “The curse that will bring Wicked to its knees.”
I turned a blank expression on him. “You knew this the whole time and didn’t tell me?”
“He wasn’t supposed to,” Grey said. “It wasn’t time. After the last attempted takeover of The Hex Files, there was a council gathered to separate each piece of the puzzle, to independently hide the files all across Wicked so they weren’t easy to find.”
“Who was on this council?” I asked. “Were you? Is that how you know all of this?”
Grey gave a shake of his head. “No, but one of the Elderwolves was on the council, and we don’t have secrets between us.”
“Who else?”
“A vampire,” Grey said uneasily. “A goblin, a witch, a sorcerer, and a human.”
“A human?” I asked, blanching. “How could a human be involved?”
“It was when we created the paranormal branch of the NYPD,” Grey said. “We needed to have some sort of bond between Wicked and the rest of New York. So, we created a partnership that has grown and blossomed for hundreds of years.”
I chanced a glance at Matthew, but he seemed completely unhappy at this turn of events. Grey had obviously shared information Matthew knew to be true, information he wanted to keep from me.
“He only wanted to protect you,” Grey said softly. “Your anger is misplaced if you’re looking at Matthew to blame. We have to focus on whoever is after the files.”
I swallowed. “I don’t suppose you have any clue who that might be?”
“No, but it would have to be someone who knows the true power of The Hex Files,” Grey said. “It’s not common knowledge.”
“I beg to differ,” I said. “Between you and Matthew and the Elderwolves, it feels like I’m the last person to know anything.”
Matthew, still suspiciously quiet, turned his head away and stared out the window into the darkness. I could feel the restraint radiating off him. A wild guess told me it was frustration with Grey that he was battling back.
“I think I’ve finally understood why I was sent here,” Grey said. “I think my purpose is to help protect those who are listed in the files. Specifically, Dani.”
The ensuing silence felt like the world shut down—as if the forest had closed in on itself and the sky had descended, dampened the very air around us.
“You think I’m mentioned in the prophecy?” I said, when I finally managed to speak again. “What gives you that idea?”
“The Hex Files contain six puzzle pieces. The person who puts them together will have the power to control all of Wicked—and beyond. This threat could potentially affect the magical world as a whole. The Elderwolves are determined to prevent that from occurring.”
“How are you supposed to fight an unknown enemy?” I asked. “And what on earth makes you think I’m involved?”
“There is a built-in way to defeat The Hex Files according to lore,” Matthew said, watching Grey through lidded eyes. “I don’t know the details, just that it will require the protectors mentioned in the files to work together.”
“Let me get this straight.” I bent forward, resting my head in my hands. “The files are actually people? And you think I’m one of them?” I gave a dark laugh. “Even if I believed you, that would mean we need to find the other four people who are part of the files and convince them to work together. And you haven’t begun to explain why you think I have anything to do with it.”
“What other reason would someone attack you?” Grey pressed. “Out of the blue. In your own home. A very powerful someone—someone who was watching, who has been watching you. I don’t believe it was a coincidence the attack came on a night Matthew was called away from watching over you.”
“He shouldn’t have been watching over me without my permission,” I grumbled, but I didn’t disagree. “I agree with you about the timing, but I’ve been a cop for years. Any number of criminals wouldn’t mind if I died. It could have been any one of them who came after me.”
“Fair,” Grey agreed. “But is there one who would actually take the risk and have the power to follow it through with an orchestrated attack? Especially after you’d been out of the business for nearly a year?”
Both men waited for a response.
“Unfortunately,” I said finally, “I can’t think of anyone who wants me dead that badly. Not at the moment.”
Grey gave a good-natured smile. “Exactly. And if whoever is after the hex managed to locate the file on you...”
“Their first order of business would be to take you out of the equation,” Matthew said. “If we wait long enough, Grey theorizes our mastermind will pick off the other members of The Hex Files one by one.”
“What’s your theory?” I shot at Matthew. “Do you agree?”
Matthew’s calculating eyes drifted over my body. “I don’t disagree, though I’m not entirely convinced.”
“And until you have a better theory,” Grey said to Matthew, “you won’t take the risk of ignoring my theory. You both know I’m right.”
“It’s a big leap to make.”
“Maybe,” Grey said. “But I’m open to alternatives.”
I sucked in a breath. “If we are going to pretend that’s true for now, then we have to do something. We have to move. We can’t wait around for people to get picked o
ff one by one.”
“We’ll have to find the other files,” Grey said. “There are four left.”
“Four?” I echoed.
“I imagine he—or she—found your file.” Grey straightened. “You know where the master file is. It will need to be protected with the other five as well.”
“They all need to found and kept safe,” Matthew confirmed. “For now, the master file is in a safe location.”
“Fine,” Grey agreed. “And we’ll have to keep a tab on other seemingly random attacks on civilians. I imagine you two can do that with your access?”
“Matthew will keep an eye out, and I will too,” I confirmed. My back went rigid. “You don’t think... the murdered werewolf—could she be one?”
“It’s possible,” Grey said. “She’d only been a member of the pack for one day—hardly enough time to gain her powers, but it’s worth looking into. If her murderer, and a logical reason for her death, isn’t found quickly, I think it’s a theory we have to entertain.”
“Let me back up to the master hex,” I said. “In order for it to work, someone needs to have all six of the files?”
“Yes,” Grey said. “They’re like puzzle pieces for the hex to function correctly.”
“What about the people listed in the files?” I asked. “They’re some sort of protectors? What if one of them dies?”
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Grey said. “I think it’s best we just keep all of you alive—at least until the prophecy has come to pass.”
“Say all five protectors manage to stay alive,” I said dryly. “Then they find all six files. What happens next?”
“I assume that’s something only those five people will know when the time is right,” Grey said. “I imagine there will be clues in the files once we locate them all.”
“I think that’s enough for today,” Matthew said. “You’ve made your point clear. The Hex Files have come to life. We’ll be on the lookout. I trust you’ll keep us informed of any information the Elderwolves come upon?”
“But, wait!” I scrambled to my feet, away from Matthew. “I have so many more questions. How... who...” I struggled to articulate the overwhelming amount of curiosity and dismay I was feeling. “What’s next?”
