by Cate Dean
“After ten. What happened today, sweetheart?”
Dad always saw right through me. With a sigh, I sat, pushing tangled, sweaty hair off my face. Ugh—I’d need a long shower before I even thought about going back to bed. Oh, and clean sheets.
“There was another murder. Only this one was aboveground.”
“I heard.” I figured as much.
Dad held my hand, and his presence finally unleashed the emotions I’d been fighting all day.
“Dad—” Tears choked my voice.
He pulled me into his arms, and I cried until I couldn’t think. When I finally came up for air, Mom was sitting on the other side of the bed, gently untangling my hair, tears in her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed my cheek, hugging me.
It felt good, being surrounded by the two people who loved me, no matter what. I was waiting for them to denounce Sam, forbid me to see him, help him, do anything related to him—
“Whatever you need, Alex.” Mom’s voice was quiet, but calm. “Tell us what you want to do, and we will support you. And Sam.”
“Mom—”
“He’s a good boy. I can’t believe he did something so violent.”
Even if she was lying to make me feel better, I loved her like crazy for saying it. And I felt—stronger, knowing I had them on my side.
“I need to find a way to prove Sam didn’t kill them.” I told them about Simon helping, and Detective Sampson’s afternoon visit to the haven.
“I’m not surprised,” Dad said. “He’s good at his job, and he’s been investigating the unanswered questions about your case.”
Mom cringed at even the mention of what happened to me, and quickly changed the subject.
“Get some sleep.” She rubbed my back, then stood, moving to Dad. He wrapped one arm around her waist. They were so good together—I wanted that someday, daydreamed about having it with Sam. “I’m going to call school in the morning, tell them you’re sick. No argument,” she said, when I opened my mouth to argue. “You’re exhausted, and I want you to have a quiet day at home.”
That so wasn’t going to happen. After watching Simon with Oliver this afternoon, I had some ugly suspicions. It was time to find some answers.
11
After Mom and Dad left for the day, I snuck out, using my pendant to keep from being snitched on by my next door neighbor, Mr. Gregory. As a retired Marine drill sergeant who resented the fact that he was retired, he considered it his duty to report my movements when he deemed them unfit for a teenage girl. Since he barely considered me a teenage girl, with my tomboy wardrobe, my parents probably got their ears filled on a regular basis.
He was out watering his lawn, just like every morning. Even if rain was two minutes away, he’d still be out there, like it was on his duty roster.
I made my way past him, careful not to step on any leaves or twigs from the huge oak between our properties. For an old guy, he had sharp hearing. Once I got past him and on the sidewalk, I took my first full breath, and moved faster, ignoring my cranky ankle. After my muscles warmed it would be better.
The McGinty house was deserted, as usual. I did notice that someone trimmed down the piles in the front yard—not enough to be obvious, but enough to keep us from tripping over them every other step. I reached for my pendant as I rounded the corner. It didn’t work in the haven, and we discovered some of the more sensitive demons got physically ill from the field it emitted.
Sam and Jake were actually the most affected. Outside the haven, they were fine. But underground—wearing the necklace, or being close to one for any length of time had both of them fighting to control the Fenris. We all found out the hard way, during a meeting in the small conference room attached to the office, where we used to store the necklaces. I needed to find out if someone was using that weakness against them—
I froze when an agonized cry cut through the air.
It came from behind the house.
I was unprepared for any kind of confrontation—especially since I stopped carrying my Swiss army knife. Frantic, I scanned the area around me, and spotted the rusty crowbar near a tree. I grabbed it up and inched around the side of the house.
My heart stopped when I saw Detective Sampson sprawled on the dead grass. Trapped by a growling Fenris.
Before I could open my mouth to scream the Fenris lowered its head and sank long teeth into the detective’s left shoulder.
“Oh, God—”
They’d both be able to see me, even with the pendant, but I shot forward, swinging the crowbar like a bat.
It smacked against the Fenris’s right hind leg. With a furious snarl it turned on me. I stumbled backward and lost my balance, the crowbar flying out of my hand. I scrabbled away from it, hitting up against the back wall of the house. With a frightening smile, the Fenris rose up on its hind legs and crouched, ready to spring at me.
A figure slammed into its back, knocking it off balance.
“Run, Alex!” Detective Sampson backed up and rammed his good shoulder into its hip, throwing them both to the ground.
I may not be the most courageous person on the face of the planet, but I do not walk away when someone I know is in trouble.
I pushed to my feet and grabbed the crowbar. With the broken end facing my target, I put all my weight behind it and stabbed the Fenris in the side.
It shrieked, one claw slamming into my left arm hard enough to throw me across the yard. The house stopped my flight.
By the time I managed to take in a breath, I was too late. The Fenris was dragging the unconscious detective into the manhole.
~ ~ ~
I climbed down the ladder as fast as possible. My left arm hurt like hell, and I could feel blood sliding across my skin under my shirt. I had one of my heavier hoodies on, otherwise the claws would have shredded my arm.
When I reached the bottom I glanced around. The Fenris wouldn’t take him through the town, so where—
The support forest.
Damn.
Gripping the crowbar, I limped forward—and spotted movement just beyond the first set of supports. The Fenris would be hurting, and wouldn’t carry its prey any farther than it had to. A pained grunt, and the sound of a weight hitting the ground pinpointed them.
I took off the pendant and slipped it in my pocket, afraid it would light up at the wrong second and betray me. My left arm throbbed, and my side joined it, angry from the impact with the house.
The Fenris crouched over Detective Sampson, growling and whining. Good—I hurt it. That gave me a little bit of an advantage. I’d just aim for the injured side—
“Kill me if you have to.” I almost tripped at Detective Sampson’s low voice. “But leave the haven alone. Leave my town alone.”
His left hand twitched on the ground. No—it didn’t twitch, it pointed. He knew I was here, and he was distracting—
I forgot the pain, raised the crowbar as I ran forward, and swung it at the back of the Fenris’s head.
The impact jarred me all the way to my shoulders. But it worked.
The Fenris howled in pain and leaped away, crouched in the shadows.
“Go,” I said. My voice was raw, but it carried enough. “I find you hurting my friends and I’ll kill you.”
After a plaintive whine, it turned and ran deeper into the forest.
“Detective.” I dropped to my knees, scanned the damage. There was a lot of it. The Fenris hadn’t been gentle when it dragged him down here. “I’m going to get help—”
“Looks like it’s coming,” he whispered. I glanced behind me, and saw bobbing lights headed our way. “How bad, Alex?”
“You’ll live, most likely.”
Those dark brown eyes met mine, and I could tell. He knew. I nodded, and he closed his eyes.
“Damn, it burns. Sorry.”
I bit back a smile. “I’ve heard worse. Candace can help with that. With—all of it. She’s working on a treatment to—”
“Keep me from changing?” He
looked at me. “I’d appreciate any information.”
“Detective.” This was my fault. I didn’t push him far enough away, and now he was—his life would never be the same. Because of me. “I’m so—”
“No apology. I walked into it, Alex, knowing full well what was killing. And please call me Joe. I believe saving my life entitles you to call me by my first name.”
“Okay.” Candace reached us first, her huge first aid kit with her. “He’s been bitten.”
“Fabulous. Welcome to the family, Sampson.”
He let out a choked laugh. “Thanks.”
“Her bedside manner is a little rough,” I said. “But she knows what she’s doing.”
“Thanks, Finch. Now stop the rest from interrupting me, before he bleeds out. And don’t go far—I want a closer look at that arm.”
I used the support next to me to stand, just in time for Sam to haul me into his arms. He froze when I let out a pained gasp.
“Alex—where?”
I didn’t have to point it out; he saw the blood on my arm. Cursing with a variety that startled me, he eased me back to the ground, and helped me take off my hoodie. Blood soaked my shirt from shoulder to wrist. Since the shirt was white, it probably looked much worse than it was. I hoped that was the case, because it looked pretty bad.
Simon knelt on my other side, and gently pulled the shredded fabric off my arm.
“The claw marks are shallow. A couple of them may need stitches, but you’re not in danger of dying from them.” Looks like I’d have more scars to join the one on my forearm. He flashed a smile at me. It faded when he glanced over at Detective Sampson. “How is he?”
I let out a shaky breath. “He was bitten.”
Sam froze. “You’re sure?”
“I saw it. The attack started up top, in the yard. Is Jake—”
“Here.” He stepped out of the shadows. “Sam and I were holed up with Candace, working on the latest version of her serum. Whatever you saw attack Sampson—”
“Wasn’t one of you. I knew that when I first saw it.” All three of them stared at me. “I’ve seen both you and Sam in your Fenris form. The Fenris that attacked Detective Sampson wasn’t black or grey.” I met Sam’s eyes. “It was white.”
Jake’s voice broke the silence. “That would be from age. Fenris always have the hair coloring of their human version. Either we have a second killer on the loose—”
“Or you just proved them both innocent, Alex.” Simon touched my cheek. “What you did was stupid—”
I stiffened. “I couldn’t—”
“And more courageous than anything I’ve seen in a while.” He smiled. “Sampson is lucky to be alive. He may not feel that way at first, but he’ll come around to it.”
I looked over at the detective, his face pale and blood streaked. In one blinding second of violence, his life changed forever.
I hoped he would appreciate the fact that I saved his life, instead of hating me for it.
~ ~ ~
After Candace finished with my arm, it throbbed worse than before she started on it.
She forced a sling on me. “A reminder, so you don’t go swinging weapons at monsters any time soon.”
“Thanks. And thank you for helping Detective Sampson.”
“It’s what I do, Finch. Patch up fools and try to keep them alive.” Her smile softened the words. “He’ll need support, once it all sinks in.”
“Yeah.” He’d get it here, if he wanted it. I hoped I could talk him into it, so he didn’t feel like he had to take on his new situation alone.
I started back toward the buildings, my ankle smarting almost as much as the rest of me. I abused it getting to Detective Sampson, and it was letting me know how unhappy it was about that.
Movement halted me.
I peered through the shadowed forest, my vision still not adjusting after being surrounded by bright LED lanterns. Feet shuffled over loose dirt, and I caught a flash of blonde hair when the figure shot out from behind the support and ran toward town.
Diana. She was the only slight blonde in the haven . . . oh, God. Did she see what happened? If the Fenris that attacked Detective Sampson was the killer, then the death surrounding it would have choked her.
I limped faster, heading for her rooms at the end of the street. We separated her from the other residents to give her some breathing room, and planned to move other people in as she became accustomed to them.
I stepped up to the porch, and before I got to the door I heard the voice. A familiar, gravel voice.
Bracing myself, I did what I didn’t normally do with the residents—I walked in without knocking.
Hern stood in the middle of the small living room, claws digging into the carpet.
“Hern—what are you doing here?”
My voice was quiet, but he whipped around like I’d shouted at him. His fear nearly flattened me.
“Alex!” He quivered, and I knew he wanted to lunge at me. The fact that he didn’t told me how much control he’d learned in the last few months. “Diana was hurting, and I just wanted to help.”
“I know you did, Hern. Come here.” He leapt at me. I forced myself to hold still, and he stopped inches from my leg, tucking himself against my hip. “Your—enthusiasm is hard for her to block. Do you understand?”
“I’m overwhelming her. I didn’t—she was crying and I couldn’t leave her alone.”
“You have such a good heart, Hern. Thank you for wanting to take care of her. When she’s better, I’m sure she’ll want to thank you personally.” I rubbed his spiked head. “Can you leave us alone now?”
“Okay.” He moved past me, stopping in the doorway. “I didn’t hurt Diana, did I?”
“No, sweetheart.” My heart ached at the anguish in his yellow eyes. I barely felt it brush my skin—and I was proud of his control, as emotional as he was.
“Mama’s going to be so angry.”
“I’ll make sure she knows how much you helped. She’ll be proud, Hern.” I limped to him, laid my hand on his shoulder. “Let Simon know what’s going on, and go wait for me at my desk. And yes, you can have some jelly beans. Just not the entire bowl.”
“Yes, Alex. Thank you!” His joy smacked me as he loped through the door and across the porch.
I turned back to the huddled figure. “Diana? It’s Alex. I’m the only one here.” I closed the door. “Hern is gone.”
There was a long pause, where all I could hear was her panicked breathing, then her voice whispered across the room. “Simon?”
“He’ll be here as soon as he can.” As soon as Hern stopped vibrating enough to tell him what was happening. “I know you’d rather talk to him, but will I do for now?”
She didn’t answer, but after a couple long minutes, she eased out of the corner and stood, gripping the back of the sofa.
“Hey, Alex.”
“Hey.” I wanted to touch her, let her know she wasn’t alone. I knew she’d bolt if I got anywhere near her. “Hern told me he knew you were hurting. Can you tell me what you saw?”
“I was coming back from the dining hall, and I felt—heard someone in pain.” Oh lord, she was feeling pain now. It was time for Simon and Zach to work with her. “When I got closer, I saw—you, and the Fenris. The wave of death just—slammed into me.” She lowered her head, arms wrapped around her waist. “It dropped me, Alex. I couldn’t help you, and I’m so sorry—”
“There’s no reason to be sorry. I’m just glad you’re okay. Can you tell me what happened next?”
“By the time I was aware again, it was over, and everyone was there, helping you. I stayed, to make sure you both were all right, You saw me.” I nodded, waited for her to continue. “I—ran, and then the pain found me, knocked me over. Hern found me, crawling to my door. He was worried for me, I think.”
“He was. He’s sensitive, like you.” I moved a few steps into the room, halting when she retreated. I backed up until I was next to the wall again. “Diana, all y
ou had to do was hit the panic button. One of us would have come running.”
“I don’t want to be a burden. Y’all have been so generous—”
“This is your home, as long as you need it. And you’re not a burden.” I leaned against the wall, trying to be as unthreatening as possible. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
She nodded. After a few shaky breaths, she managed to spit it out. “It came close to knocking me out. There was so much death, I felt like I was choking.”
“This is going to be a horrible question, and I hate asking it, but did you recognize any of the—souls?”
She studied me, the panic fading from her blue eyes. “The more recent ones, yes.” Those eyes widened. “They were the murder victims.”
12
I knew, the second I saw the Fenris, who had been attacking our residents. Who killed Matt. Simon practically waved a sign in my face, and Diana finally forced me to accept it.
What made it worse—we let the killer in, trusted him, and he repaid that trust by framing both Jake and Sam, and killing in the one place he’d be accepted.
It was time for Oliver to go.
I was planning on using his obvious attraction for me to talk him into leaving on his own, before Sam did something he could never take back. I didn’t want to put Sam in that position. Ever.
I used the distraction of Detective Sampson’s attack to my advantage, and headed for Sam’s rooms. I needed solid evidence before I outed Oliver as the killer.
I wished I had a weapon of some kind. Even my Swiss army knife would have been welcome. I shifted the sling, flinching as fresh pain shot through my injured arm. Another point against me—I was at half capacity, if I needed to defend myself.
“It’s only an evidence finding mission,” I whispered. It didn’t help my pounding heart, or the fact that my fingers shook against the latch on Sam’s door. With a deep, uneven breath, I opened it and slipped inside.
I spent so much time here I could move around without a light. So I did, to keep any curious residents from peeking in. Sam had an open door policy—and one of them taking advantage was the last thing I needed when I was trying to find evidence against a killer.
