“Don’t forget the Four Paws parking lot.” Laina rubbed her stomach as if she was already guarding the baby inside. Her hand circled the small mound of her lower abdomen. Was it only his imagination or did she already look pregnant? Kyle rubbed her shoulders, hovering protectively.
“Whoever stabbed Laina could change his or her appearance to look like Nickelova,” Kyle said. “That’s a clue, isn’t it?”
“Did Nickelova actually say Alex was going to raise Panaal?” Selene asked.
“More or less. She said Alex was his tool. That his goal is to overthrow Hecate as the master of this world and turn the tables, unleashing the underworld.”
“Who else thinks it would be a bad idea to allow that to happen?” Jason raised one hand.
“Bad is the understatement of the year. It would be chaos,” Selene said. “War. Violent, bloody carnage until there was nothing left to eat or be eaten.”
“So… bad,” Jason said.
Selene tilted her head, her mouth twitching with a suppressed smile.
“What is he waiting for?” Meredith asked no one in particular. She’d taken a seat in Silas’s chair and rested her boots on the desk.
“I know enough from my study of the goddess to presume Alex is working out some kind of ritual,” Selene said. Every eye in the room snapped to her. “Crossing dimensions takes magic and energy. Lots of energy. If he’s opening a pathway to the underworld, literally raising Panaal, physically and permanently, he’ll have to complete a ritual powerful enough to merge this dimension with the next.”
“Blood magic?” Silas asked, thinking of the dark sorcery he’d heard Grateful talk about.
“Yes and no. Most likely it will require blood,” Selene answered, “but Alex is a werewolf. Even with the dragon fae amulet, his body can’t wield elemental magic like a witch. He’ll have to use ritual, not sorcery. Only all werewolf rituals are pleas to the goddess. Whatever ritual he’s trying to perform must turn everything I know on its head. Something like that would require a major source of metaphysical power… like… like… a celestial event.”
“An exploding star or something?” Meredith asked.
Selene rose and crossed the room to Silas’s wall calendar. Her finger skimmed the page and landed on a square. “Holy shit.”
“What is it?” Silas strode to her side to get a better look.
“A full eclipse of the moon.”
“Goddess, why didn’t I think of that? I knew it was coming. We’ve been preparing at Rivergate for weeks.”
“Fill me in,” Kyle said. “What happens to werewolves during a lunar eclipse?”
“The shift is irregular. Some wolves will shift back to human when the light of the moon is blocked.”
“Wolves like Alex?”
“With the added power of the amulet, I’d count on it.”
Jason rubbed his chin, supporting the weight of his arm by the elbow. “What if Alex hasn’t attacked us yet because he’s storing up power and collecting ingredients to perform this ritual?”
“He took bones from the crime scene,” Meredith said.
“Bones from an unconsecrated grave,” Silas added. “I don’t know what it means, but it sure sounds like an ingredient for a spell.” A collective moan rose between them.
“Selene, do you think you can find the ritual?” Jason asked. “Maybe we can stop him from obtaining all of the components to perform the spell effectively before the lunar eclipse.”
She shook her head. “This is dark magic, Jason. Artemis isn’t going to have anything like this in the sanctuary texts, not even from a theoretical perspective.”
Laina sighed. “Of course not. This is black magic.”
“There is one place we can find books on rituals like this,” Selene said, glancing over her shoulder at Jason. “But I doubt you’re going to like it, Silas.”
“Ryker,” Jason said.
“Ryker,” Selene confirmed.
“Ryker! Who’s to say he wasn’t the one to provide Alex with the ritual in the first place?” Silas asked. He didn’t trust Ryker. How could they be sure Ryker wasn’t responsible for the sulfralite they found in Laina’s wound? “Can demons disguise themselves as other people? How do we know it wasn’t Ryker who stabbed Laina?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jason said. “Ryker’s not a Sunday school teacher, but he lives based on one very basic principle: he acts in his own best interest. He has no motivation to change the status quo. Why would he compromise his business? More money? The guy is rich. Power? He doesn’t need it. He’s very persuasive. He gets what he wants.”
“Besides, demons can’t look like someone else,” Meredith said softly. Silas turned around to face her. She’d removed her feet from the desk and was concentrating on her clasped fingers. “A demon can possess someone, make them do something they don’t want to do, but a demon can’t change their appearance to look like another person, well any more than you or I could disguise ourselves. There are charms of course. Costumes.”
“The enchantment around the property would null a camouflage charm, and it wasn’t a costume.” Laina’s voice was firm.
“A demon could have possessed Nickelova and forced her to stab Laina, but that demon could not transform himself into a Nickelova look-alike without magic,” Meredith said.
“How do you know?” Silas asked.
“Because the only creatures who can change their appearance without magic are skinwalkers. It’s the pride of my mother’s people.”
“So then, do you think a skinwalker did this?” Jason asked.
“No. That’s the thing. Skinwalkers hate Alex and everything he stands for. He killed my father. No way would any of my mother’s people help him. There are other communities, but they are notoriously neutral. What motivation could they possibly have?”
“What if magic was involved?” Kyle chimed in. “A witch or fae could have deconstructed the enchantment and simply suggested they looked like Nickelova after they stabbed Laina. That stuff she was infected with could have changed her memories.”
Laina shrugged. “It seemed real, but I’m beginning to think anything is possible.”
“I could check with Gerty. See if she’s heard any rumblings from the dark fae,” Kyle said.
Silas scratched the stubble on his jaw. “I like it.”
“And I can check with Grateful about the witches,” Laina said. At Jason’s quizzical look, she added, “She is my neighbor. I’ll pop over for a visit.”
Jason put his hand on Selene’s shoulder. “We’ll check out Lost Things and see if Ryker can help us figure out where Alex might have obtained this ritual.”
“And I’ll see what I can learn from Nickelova.” Silas reached for his coffee. When was the last time he slept? When was the last time he ate?
Meredith stood from behind the desk, “And I’ll make sure Silas eats something and lies down before he falls over.”
Laina and Jason exchanged glances. “Thank you, Meredith.”
He was tempted to protest, to tell her all he needed was a cup of coffee and he was good to go, but he knew it was a lie. He was on the verge of collapse, and he hadn’t even realized it until now.
She slid her fingers into his, her red hair swinging over one shoulder as she met his gaze. “Come on, hero. I’m taking you home.”
Chapter 17
Silas plopped onto Meredith’s couch. The thing wasn’t much to look at, but its gray cushions were remarkably cozy. He sank two inches, feeling like the padding was swaddling him. He’d removed the backpack with Nickelova’s heart so he could snuggle in properly and propped his feet on the upholstered coffee table. “Twenty minutes and then I have to get back to this case.”
Meredith covered him with a crocheted blanket. “We just theorized that Alex wouldn’t strike until the lunar eclipse. Nickelova isn’t recovered enough to help you yet. She needs time. Selene hasn’t found the ritual yet. She needs time. And Laina and Kyle need time to talk to Grateful and Gerty. T
hat means you, Silas, have time.” She kissed him gently on the cheek. “You need to take care of yourself so that you can be strong for everyone else when the time comes.”
He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. “Twenty minutes.”
“You know the beauty of our relationship?”
“Hmm?”
“Because I’m a mixed breed, I don’t have to do what you say.” The corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m going to go make us sandwiches. When I come back, you’re going to eat and then you’re going to bed.”
Once she left the room, Silas laughed softly. Meredith’s hardheaded nature was one of the things he loved best about her, but this time, she was wrong. Twenty minutes and he’d be good to go.
He leaned his head back again and rested his eyes. He’d just slipped into sleep, or at least he thought he had, when a bright light burned through the cracks in his eyelids. Was he dreaming? He’d fallen asleep on the beach or inside a tanning bed. He’d forgotten his sunglasses.
“Silas?”
He blinked rapidly. “Soleil? What are you doing here?”
“This is the only way I could talk to you.” When he sat up with a start, she pressed a finger to his lips. “You sealed me out of your place. I can’t get through the enchantment anymore. I was hoping I’d find you here eventually.”
“What’s going on?”
“I came to warn you. What you’re doing will end in disaster.”
His face tightened. “Could you be any more cryptic? What are you talking about?”
“I made a terrible mistake.” Her face twisted. “You need to return the heart to me before it’s too late.”
“Not likely.” He snorted derisively. He hooked an arm through the backpack.
She eyed the bag, deducing its contents. “You don’t understand. It’s a trap.” Noise from the kitchen made her glance in that direction. She lowered her voice. “She’s not who you think she is.”
“You are not who I thought you were.”
Soleil pulled back as if he’d slapped her. “I am exactly who you thought I was,” she snapped. “I gave you the heart, and I’m sorry I have to ask for it back. But it’s for your own good. If you ever loved me—”
“Don’t go there, Soleil. That ship has long since sailed. I respect what we had, but it’s over. People’s lives are depending on this. I’m sorry, but no.”
“You don’t understand. If you don’t return the heart, everyone you think you’re saving will be destroyed.”
“How?”
“I’m… not sure. I don’t know.” She shook her head, looking confused and disoriented. Or was it guilt he saw in the way her mouth tightened? Someone had put her up to this. He was sure of it.
“You need to go,” he said. “Now.”
Soleil stared at him for a long moment. “It’s over for you. Permanently over. Even if I gave up what I do and did everything your way, it would be too late.” Slowly, she shook her head back and forth. “You’re in love with Meredith. And you are a one-woman man.” Her eyes opened wide with the realization, and she blinked several times as though she found it difficult to fathom that he’d moved on.
Silas had to consciously force himself to hold eye contact, although he desperately wanted to look away. He didn’t want to see the hurt in her eyes. “Yes. I’m in love with Meredith.” It was the first time he’d said it out loud. Why hadn’t he said it to Meredith?
“I’ll never understand how limited your love is, to only be capable of one lover at a time.” Soleil tilted her head as she examined him. “It’s more than that, though. You don’t trust me like you once did. Not since Ryker.” Light beaded in the corner of her eye, and it took Silas a moment to realize she was crying, literally shedding sunlight.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you. I think you have reasons for doing what you’re doing, but I can’t trust you on this. I need the heart a little while longer.”
She brushed a tear away. “I’m happy to hear you’ve moved on. It gives me closure.”
“Is that the real reason you’re here? Closure?”
“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I’m here to save your life. You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”
“Then tell me. Tell me the truth. Do you know something about what Alex is planning?”
She turned, rubbing her temples. “I can’t. I don’t know why. All I know is I was tricked into giving you that heart, and I was tricked for a reason.” She grabbed one strap of the backpack and tried to pull it from his grip. “You must give it back.”
Silas held firm. “There is no way I’m giving this to you. Not without a better explanation. Hell, even with a better explanation.” A bad feeling was gathering in his chest. “Does this have to do with the lunar eclipse?”
She pulled harder on the backpack until they were engaged in a full-out tug-of-war. When it was clear Silas had her outmuscled, Soleil’s usual sunny glow morphed. “This is for your own good!”
The heat she was putting off increased from a gentle ray of sunshine to what Silas imagined the inside of an oven might feel like. His skin reddened. His hands started to blister. The smell of burning hair tinged the air. He had no choice but to close his eyes and turn his face away. He released the backpack, shaking with pain as he flipped over the back of the couch to escape her scalding heat.
“I’m sorry,” she cried.
“Not as sorry as I am.” Meredith stood in the kitchen doorway, her gun drawn.
Soleil turned toward the light of the window, her form dulling at the edges as she blended and faded into her preferred mode of travel.
Pop. Pop. Pop. The bullets plowed into Soleil’s chest, sending showers of sunlight that left cigarette-sized burns in the couch and rug before fizzling out. And then her light faded, and she stared, shivering toward the ceiling.
“Bet you weren’t expecting me to have iron bullets, bitch.” Meredith marched to Soleil’s side and yanked the scorched backpack from her hands. Then, with one look at Silas, she pulled her phone from her back pocket. “I need an ambulance… Two victims... Fae and werewolf… Yes. 336 Maple Grove...”
Why was she looking at him like that? And why couldn’t he feel his hands? His charred, skinless hands. He leaned his head back against the carpet and closed his eyes.
Chapter 18
“I want her guarded around the clock,” Meredith shouted into the phone. “She almost killed one of our detectives.” Silas watched her pace the room, the dull ache of his body as he came out of sleep growing more intense. And he was thirsty. Very thirsty.
“Thank you. Okay. Got it. I’ll be here until then.” Meredith slid the phone back into her pocket. “How ya feeling, Alpha?”
“Like burnt toast,” he rasped.
“Exactly how you look then.” She nabbed a plastic cup from the bedside table and brought a straw to his lips. He sucked greedily, expecting water but getting a delicious sweet liquid instead. With raised eyebrows, he pinned the cup between two bandaged hands and drained it dry.
“Peony nectar,” she said. “It’s supposed to speed healing. They covered your burns in fire lily balm, but the doctor said it would take at least twenty-four hours for your skin to grow back. And it’s not going to feel good when it does.”
“Heart?”
“I have it. It’s fine. Your backpack is ruined, but dragon hearts are remarkably heat resistant.” She laughed.
“She said it was a trap.”
“Really? The person trying to steal the heart told you the heart was leading you down a road to doom. You don’t say?”
He licked his lips. “She said someone tricked her into giving me the heart. What if she wasn’t lying? What if someone manipulated Soleil?”
The corners of Meredith’s mouth pulled back in contemplation. “I think she gave you the heart to win you back. Her demon lover got angry, demanded its return. She sensed it was over with you anyway and regretted her earlier generosity.”
“It is the simplest explanation
,” he mumbled.
“Occam’s razor, the simplest hypothesis is the most likely to be true.”
He shook his head slightly. “She said… there was something she couldn’t tell me. A reason she’d changed her mind.”
“Hmm. That’s convenient.”
“I think one of us should interrogate her.”
“Well, when she wakes up, that might be an option. Right now, a bunch of fae doctors are trying to pick the iron out of her chest without starting themselves on fire.”
With a moan, he sought to scratch his shoulder, the movement causing pain to radiate through his entire body. Meredith carefully scratched the spot for him.
“I can ask them to give you something for the pain.” She refilled his drink from a pitcher on the bedside table. “But Jason and Selene are on their way to give you an update. You might want to stay sharp.”
As promised, a knock came on the door a few minutes later, and Jason and Selene entered. “We came as soon as we heard.”
Meredith welcomed them in. Kissing a small space above Silas’s right eyebrow that didn’t hurt as much as the rest of him, she gathered her things. “While you three talk, I’m going to go take care of a few things. I’ll be back later.” She swept from the room.
“How’s it going, brother?” Jason said, scanning his bandages with a look of pity.
“Hurts,” Silas said. He didn’t expand on the statement. Even his lips hurt.
“We’re about to make you feel a hell of a lot better.” Jason took a seat in the chair near the bed. “Ryker wasn’t happy when he heard you had the heart. Soleil had promised to keep it in her possession while Alex was on the move, and Ryker was worried it wasn’t safe enough in his shop anyway. Apparently, celestial fae are known to have hiding places that are impervious to outsiders. He acted rather hoodwinked and regretted taking Soleil up on her offer, although the sex was, in his words, delectable.”
Vengeance: A Knight World Novel (Fireborn Wolves Book 3) Page 12
