by Rain Oxford
Henry parked in front of the door and we all got out. When I knocked, a young woman opened the door. She had auburn hair and sand-brown eyes. Her complexion and soft face suggested she had some Japanese ancestry, but her hair and eyes looked natural. She offered us an honest smile. “How can I help you?”
“I’m Devon Sanders. This is Darwin Mason and Henry Lycosa. We were asked to come by Becky Adams.”
“Yes. I was told you were coming. Please, come in. I’m Juliet.”
The mansion was still overly rich. There were an endless number of rooms, all of which had high ceilings, elegant artwork, and extravagant furniture that looked like it was never touched. There was nothing modern about the place; there were no electrical lights, no televisions, no computers… instead it had fireplaces, bookshelves, and gas lanterns. It gave the mansion an ominous feel, like it was trapped in time. Nevertheless, there was a sense of peace about it, telling me that things were changing for the better.
Juliet led us to one of many studies. It had wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves except for large bay windows and a grand fireplace. In the center of the room was a writing desk. Becky was sitting at the desk.
She was naturally thin with straw-blond hair and large round glasses. There was nothing special about her appearance, but her personality was special. She looked up when the door opened and stood. “Hi, Devon.”
“Oh! That… I wasn’t expecting that,” I said, pointing to her distended stomach.
She laughed. “Brian said you were clueless. I didn’t believe it.”
“I’ve never really been around a pregnant woman.”
“Can I get you some tea or anything to drink?” Juliet asked.
“Tea, please,” Darwin said.
“Coffee for me please.”
“How do you take it?”
“Blacker than my ex-wife’s soul. Oh, right. That darkness doesn’t exist yet.” She laughed and left us alone. “How was your summer?” I asked Becky.
“Busy. Yours?”
“The same, minus the baby prep. Why did you call me here?”
The door opened and Becky nodded. “Right on time. Devon, this is Serena Luella,” she gestured to the door. We all turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She had a porcelain complexion, soft, young facial features, dark brown hair, celadon-green eyes, and light pink lips. She was shapely, athletic, and in her twenties. I released my power to read her mind, but I encountered a complete block. Her mind was as well protected as Hunt’s and Vincent’s.
My instincts weren’t warning me that she was an enemy or ally, as if her mental block was strong enough to shield her completely. That was unexpected. Her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was slightly pink. Either she had allergies, or she had been crying.
“Serena, this is Devon Sanders, the wizard I told you about.”
“You can help me?” she asked, approaching me tentatively.
“I suppose that depends on what you need help for.” I held out my hand to shake hers, but she hugged me instead. “Oh.” I didn’t know a lot of huggers in the paranormal world.
Henry leaned closer to sniff her. “That’s an interesting scent,” he said.
Serena let me go and stepped back. “Sorry. It’s sandalwood and cocoa butter. My husband taught me to use it to protect myself.”
“How does that protect you?” I asked.
“Sandalwood bothers vampires and cocoa butter blocks a person’s natural scent from shifters,” Darwin explained. “Garlic is a strong and offensive scent, which can deter vampires, but paranormals know that it’s sandalwood that really repels them. They won’t bite someone who smells of it and they can’t smell a person’s emotion over sandalwood.”
“Do you have something to hide?” Henry asked.
Serena’s face filled with surprise. “No. I wear it as a precaution. I’ll go wash it off if it bothers you.”
“Serena is not under suspicion,” Becky interjected. “Devon, I called you here to help her. She’s a good friend. Her husband was killed and her baby was kidnapped.”
“You might be better off talking to the police,” I said.
“I have pack members in the police,” Darwin offered.
“No, it’s… it’s a paranormal matter,” Serena said, fighting back emotion. “My husband was Rick Luella, a former member of the council.”
“He left ten years ago,” Darwin said.
“You shouldn’t know that,” Serena said. “He couldn’t stand what John was doing to the council, so he relinquished the position to his brother ten years ago, right after we married.”
That explained why Serena’s mind was blocked; her husband probably used a number of spells to protect her from John.
“Rick had just accepted a position on the new council,” Becky said.
“When was he killed?” I asked.
“Two months ago.”
“Do you have any suspects?”
She nodded. “My stalker did it. His name is Peter Goff. He was supposed to be my bodyguard, but he ended up falling in love with me. He said I was meant to be with him. He tried to scare Rick off, but Rick kicked him out. He made up this fantasy that Rick was abusing me and that he needed to save me. It wasn’t until my son was born that Peter got violent. Peter was convinced that I had been sleeping with him and that Eric was his.”
“Is Peter a paranormal?”
“He’s a vampire.”
“And you know for sure that he took your son?”
“He told me I could have Eric back when I realize we’re meant to be together. I agreed to move in with him and marry him to get my baby back, but he wouldn’t believe me with my scent disguised and he smelled my fear when I washed it off. I’m afraid he’s going to give up and kill Eric.”
“Darwin, Henry, and I will do everything we can to help you,” I said.
“Thank you.”
“Do you know where Peter is keeping your baby?”
She nodded. “I can take you to him.”
“No,” I said. “That would put you and Eric in danger. Give me his address and we’ll go get him.”
“Peter doesn’t know Serena is here,” Becky said.
“How old is Eric?” I asked.
“Eighteen months.” Serena answered.
I felt Darwin pushing open a link and I let him. “Make her believe she loves Peter. That way, she can get her baby and Peter will believe her. When Eric is safe, you can drop your mind control.”
“That won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll tell you in private.” I closed the link and pulled out my notebook. “I need the address and a rough description of Peter.”
She gave me the address and described him as tall and muscular with dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and a strong jaw. “He looks like a really nice guy. He hides his craziness perfectly. Please don’t let him trick you. I miss Eric so much.”
“We’ll get your baby back.”
Chapter 9
As soon as we got on the road, Darwin asked, “What’s going on with your mind control?”
I carefully considered my words before answering. “I had a vision in which I accidentally hurt Jason and Jamie with my mind control, so I went to Vincent for help.” I pulled up my sleeve to show them the chain tattoo. “He created a binding spell that can stop me from controlling anyone. It can be removed, but I didn’t ask how. I’m also taking lessons from Hunt on the soul element.”
“Is that what you wanted to tell us earlier?” Henry asked.
“No.”
“Well, it’s not like you were keeping the chain from us, right?” Darwin asked.
“It’s a little embarrassing. I’ve started controlling people too easily.”
“You weren’t trying to mislead us, though,” Darwin said. “It’ll be more difficult to get the kid without your ability, but we’ll make due. Do you feel like it separates you from John?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” Henry said. “I ca
n see why you did it. Being able to trust yourself is vital. Darwin and I trust you not to try to control us, despite the fact that you have done so on accident more than once.”
* * *
The rest of the hour-long drive was pretty quiet. Darwin napped, so we didn’t have to take a dozen pit stops. Henry stopped in the middle of the road, at the mouth of a dirt road, and I checked the map. The sky was light, but the sun hadn’t broken the horizon yet. “This is it. How do you want to play it?” Henry asked.
“We’re going to follow my instinct and your nose.”
“I’m going to park in the forest and then I’ll scope the house.”
“I will search for minds so that we don’t get ambushed.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He pulled off the road and hid the truck as best as he could. When we got out of the truck, it woke Darwin. We gave him a few minutes to fully awake and then we followed the dirt road.
The cabin was peaceful as the early morning sun shined on it. I released my power. Aside from Darwin and Henry, I sensed two minds in the vicinity. One was harder to read than an animal’s, so I figured that was the baby. The other’s was coherent, so I focused on it. Through his eyes, I saw him talking to a baby in a highchair, who was eating cheerios. He looked healthy and happy.
“When your mother comes home, she’s going to be so excited to see what I’ve made for her.”
The baby smiled. “Mama.”
“Yeah, that’s right. It won’t be long now. We’re going to be such a happy family.” I let my power seep deeper in his mind. I felt his love for Serena and the baby. No matter how delusional he was, his feelings for her were real.
He wiped Eric’s face, picked him up, and put him in a crib. I backed out of his mind.
“He’s going to bed,” I said.
“Vampires are hyper-aware in their sleep,” Darwin said. “Marcus and I pulled a few all-nighters and he complained a lot about it. The guards outside could wake every vampire in Stephen’s mansion if they spoke in regular tones. They can be awoken by sounds they can’t even hear. If someone is fearful or deceitful, a vampire can smell it, and when they talk, a vampire can hear it in their voice.”
“That’s really good to know. Can he hear us?”
“Their sense of hearing isn’t much stronger than a human’s. They’re just more aware in their sleep to the sound of a threat.”
“Did you read his mind?” Henry asked.
“Yes. He really believes Serena loves him, which gives me an idea. We can’t sneak up on him, right?” I asked.
“It’s unlikely, especially if he’s in a mindset of protecting a baby he thinks is his,” Darwin said.
“Okay. Darwin and I will knock on the door and introduce ourselves as private investigators sent by Serena. We’ll tell him she’s being kept by wizards and we want to help her escape. Meanwhile, Henry, you sneak in and take the baby. What are the problems with that plan?”
“My scent,” Henry said.
“Vampires can smell lies,” Darwin added. “That’s why Serena couldn’t get her baby back herself.”
“Two good points. How do we fix them?”
“My jaguar doesn’t put off as much of a scent as a regular jaguar. I’ve stolen from vampires before. Not while they were in the room, but there’s a first time for everything. If you two stink, it should mask me. Addison left some scented lotion in my truck.”
“Good.” He went to get it.
“As for our emotion, just leave all of the lying to me,” Darwin said.
“How’s that?”
“I mastered lie-detectors at the age of five, which is the same concept. I can make myself believe what I’m saying.”
“Sounds good.” Henry joined us again and handed me a bottle of cherry-blossom lotion. “So, we have a plan. If the plan fails, Henry, go invisible and fight the vampire, but don’t get hurt. I have silver bullets, too. Darwin, you can shift and fight, but again, don’t get hurt. Vampires are a lot faster than shifters.”
Vampires were so fast, in fact, that shooting him wasn’t our first plan. I was certain that he could get to the baby before the bullet could get to him.
“We know,” Darwin said.
“Is this a better plan than trying to steal the baby while the vampire is asleep?”
“A lot better.”
I applied a large dollop of lotion to my hands, but I wasn’t willing to put it anywhere else. “Is this enough?”
Henry made a face. “Yes.”
“Then let’s go before he falls asleep.” I handed the lotion to Darwin, who rubbed it on his hands and arms. “Are you going to shift?” I asked Henry.
“Not yet. Don’t worry about me getting the baby. You just keep him from looking at me.”
Darwin and I went to the door and knocked. I didn’t know how Henry was going to pull it off, but I trusted him to know what he was doing. The vampire who answered the door was just as Serena described him. The roof of the porch was barely wide enough to protect him from the sun in the doorway.
“Hello, Peter,” Darwin said.
“How do you know me?”
“Serena sent us.”
His eyes widened. “She did? Where is she?”
“A group of wizards captured her.”
He sniffed the air. “You’re not lying.”
“No.”
“Come in.” He stepped out of the way and we entered. The cabin was cozy inside. The main room had a black leather couch, a fireplace, a fur rug in front of the fireplace, and bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. Across from the entrance was a glass door with black-out drapes. On the wall to the right was a doorway into the kitchen and a hallway. The kitchen was simple, but clean with wooden cabinets and stainless steal appliances.
“This is a nice place,” I said. If I didn’t speak at all, it would have been suspicious, and it was the truth.
“Thank you. Serena will love it.”
“I’m sure she will,” Darwin said.
“Did she send you to tell me where she was so that I could save her?”
“No. She wants you to stay here and protect your baby. We’ll save her and bring her here to you.”
“Why did she send you?”
“She’s afraid you are mad at her for not realizing before that you were the one for her.”
“Of course I’m not! Rick was poisoning her against me. I’m just glad she realized I was right to take our son. She was in shock over being free of Rick. I knew Eric and I just had to give her time.”
“And she appreciates that,” Darwin said. “Women love when a man understands what she really needs and gives it to her even if it’s hard. She was ready to rejoin you and Eric when the wizards captured her.”
“Why?”
As if he didn’t even have to think about it, Darwin answered without a split second of hesitation. “They blame her for Rick’s death.”
“I have to help her.”
“She knew you would say that, and told us that the best way for you to help her is to protect Eric.”
“Do you have a plan?” he asked.
“Yes, but we don’t want to tell you out loud in case they have a magical way of eavesdropping.”
“That’s good thinking. Maybe you should protect Eric and I’ll go save Serena.”
“It’s daylight and I don’t think Serena can hold on until nightfall. Besides, we are really good at fighting wizards.”
My cell phone rang and the name on the screen was Henry’s, so I answered it. “What’s taking so long?” he asked.
“We’re on our way.” I hung up. “We have to go,” I said.
“Oh, they must have left her alone. We have a friend watching her. We’ll go get her. You stay here and… maybe fix her a nice meal. Something to celebrate.”
Peter nodded. “Yes, she’ll love that. I’ll make spaghetti; it’s her favorite.”
Darwin and I left without any resistance from Peter and walked back to the truck as fast as we could withou
t being suspicious. When we reached it, Henry was sitting in the driver’s seat and Erik was in Scott’s car seat. The car seat was too big for him, but it was better than nothing. Darwin got in the passenger seat and I got in the back so that I could hold the baby if I needed to.
We didn’t breathe easy until we were back on pavement. “That was a little too easy,” Darwin said.
“Don’t pick at healthy skin,” Henry said.
“Don’t kick a gift horse in the mouth,” I added. We drove most of the way in silence. Eric babbled a little, napped, and fussed, but he didn’t cry. Serena was waiting at the front door when we arrived. She was exuberant.
As soon as he saw her, Eric reached for her and yelled, “Mama!”
She held him tightly to her chest and kissed his head. “Thank you! Thank you so much.” She was crying with joy and relief.
“It’s no problem. Just let the wizard council protect you. If you need me, call the school and we’ll come back.”
“You’re not leaving already, are you?”
“We have work to get back to.”
“Unless you know about sleep curses,” Darwin said. He shrugged when Henry and I looked at him. “The school doesn’t have nearly as great a collection of books as the university.”
“I don’t,” Serena said. “I’m not that great at magic, though. I’m sure anyone on the council would tell you anything they know, and there are tons of books here.”
“We really should be getting back,” I said.
“I don’t want to leave Scott with Addison all day,” Henry agreed.
“Can you look into it and message us if you find anything?” I asked Serena.
“You saved my baby; it’s the least I can do. What are you looking for exactly?”
“We want to know how someone could put children into comas, and how to break such a curse.”
She agreed to it and we got back on the road.
* * *
Darwin napped through half of the drive, and then explained string theory and M-theory in detail. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to make information interesting to other people, because he found it interesting no matter how dry it was.
