“Not everything,” Aric countered. “Your mother is an adult, though. She’s had to learn control, too. You didn’t see that because it was before we had you. I’m not saying this to be mean.”
“You’re always mean.” Sami wiped her hand under her nose. “You’re always mean and take her side.”
“Sami ...” Aric momentarily looked as if he was going to give in. Apparently, he couldn’t hold out in the shadow of his crying child.
Thankfully, Rafael picked that moment to swoop in. He’d returned from his fact-finding mission an hour before and had then promptly holed up inside to work on the computer. I had no idea what he was doing.
“Come on, little mage,” Rafael chided, sweeping Sami up and giving her a hug. It was surprising, because although I’d seen him willing to kill and die for her, I hadn’t seen him coddle her. Now he was the one giving her emotional support while Aric and Zoe awkwardly stood and watched the interaction.
“They’re mean,” Sami sniffed, burying her face in the hollow between his neck and chest. “This is why I want to marry you.”
“They’re not mean. They’re your parents. It’s their job to teach you right from wrong. You must understand that.”
“No, they’re mean.”
Rafael carried her past Aric and Zoe. “That’s not their intention. They love you. They simply want you to grow up to be the best person you can be.”
“By being mean?”
Zoe shook her head as she watched Rafael carry Sami into the cabin. “I’m sorry about the tree. She’s just ... frustrated. She can’t understand why any of this is happening. She has zero control. It’s not easy for her.”
“That’s not an excuse.” Aric tugged off his shirt and handed it to Zoe. “She shouldn’t have done that. It’s just ... she misses the dog. He’s like an emotional support animal for her.”
As a new cat mom, I got it. “She’s doing the best she can,” I told him. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“You won’t think that if she keeps getting bigger and bigger with the vents.”
I found I couldn’t stare at Aric’s face because I was too distracted by his body. He might have been in his forties, and I might have been completely devoted to Gunner, but the package was pretty impressive.
“Um ...” I couldn’t remember what we were talking about.
Gunner shot me a dirty look. “I see how it is.”
Smirking, Zoe moved to stand in front of Aric. “Be careful out there.”
“I’m always careful.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “You be careful here. Try not to wipe everyone out if someone attacks. Leave one to question.”
“No promises.”
He gave her a quick kiss. “Sorry about the kid. I guess I owe you meltdown moderation one day in the future?”
Zoe nodded. “I’m taking a spa day the next time she has PMS and she’s all yours.”
“That’s cruel, baby.”
“That’s my price for dealing with this meltdown.”
“That’s fair.” His gaze landed on Gunner. “Are you ready?”
Gunner nodded. “Let’s do this.”
ZOE AND I SPENT THE FIRST HOUR after Gunner and Aric disappeared into the woods going through files. As far as I could tell, the missing women didn’t have a lot in common, other than they were shifters.
“Have you ever heard of shifters and vampires working together before?” I asked as I perused the fact sheet on Jordan Baker, a nineteen-year-old shifter from what used to be Gunner’s pack. “I mean, other than the vampire you have working with you?”
Zoe’s eyes flicked to the spot next to the bonfire, to where Rafael had Sami working on venting with the flames. Even though he wasn’t a magical being, he seemed intent as he walked her through a myriad of steps. As for Sami, she remained pouty, although she didn’t take her emotions out on Rafael. I found that interesting, while also recognizing it had to be frustrating for Zoe.
“Actually, I have.” Slowly, Zoe’s blue eyes tracked to me. “Toward the end of my time at Covenant College, we uncovered a, let’s say partnership, between a lot of supernaturals and the head of what was called the Academy.”
I’d heard her use the word before but remained in the dark as to what it meant. “Was that a special school for paranormals?”
She shook her head. “Covenant College attracted paranormals, both good and bad, and the Academy was set up to root them out.”
I waited but she didn’t expound. “Then what?”
“Then they tried to kill or control them.”
I exhaled heavily, surprised. “It was an extermination academy.”
She nodded. “At first, they tried to recruit me as a monster hunter. They kept telling me they knew more about what I was than I did. That wasn’t much of a leap, because I knew nothing. My parents wanted me to have a normal childhood, so they kept secrets from me, and I was at a disadvantage when I landed at the college. I went through these phases,” her lips twisted. “I wanted to believe I was fighting for the right side and I kept hearing things from different factions, including Aric. When things fell apart for that year, I convinced myself the Academy was doing the right thing and I started working for them. I was wrong.”
“How did you figure it out?” I was honestly curious. “There must’ve been a ‘come to the Goddess’ moment in all of that.”
“I don’t know if it was one moment.” Zoe glanced back at Rafael and Sami. The teenager caused the flames to take the shape of a man in a kilt, something the vampire shook his head at, but the girl enjoyed to the point where she began wiggling her hips as part of an off-beat dance. “I always knew they were up to no good. I let anger get the better of me, and they took advantage. Honestly, I just started putting things together, and one of those things was an amulet, one that’s long since gone, that the Academy wanted to use,” she explained, smirking when an exalted Sami threw her hands in the air and caused the fire highlander to dance. “The amulet could enslave vampires. The ones wanting to do the enslaving were shifters.”
“That’s not really the same thing,” I argued. “The two factions weren’t exactly working together in that case.”
“No, but there were some vampires joining the cause,” Zoe replied. “Born vampires believe turned vampires are below them. They treat them as fodder.”
Realization dawned. “That’s what you think we’re dealing with.”
Zoe shrugged. “I don’t know. It feels like a possibility. In fact ...” Zoe trailed off, her eyes going dark.
Confused, I shifted my attention to the fire to see if Sami was acting up. The teenager had gone rigid and seemed to be on the verge of tears. “Mom?”
Zoe was already on her feet and striding toward the trees. Rafael, probably sensing the change in the atmosphere, grabbed Sami around the waist and held her to him.
“What is it?” the vampire hissed.
“It’s Dad!” Sami howled, tears spilling down her cheeks. “He’s in trouble. I ... there are bad people going after him.”
Zoe remained calm, although I could practically feel the anxiety washing off her in waves. “He’ll be fine.” Her tone didn’t allow for any argument. “I’m going to make sure of that. You have to stay with Rafael, do what he says. I don’t want to hear one single word of argument.” She extended a warning finger in Sami’s direction, daring her daughter to put up a fuss.
It was then that the reason for the Winters’ parents waffling strictness became apparent. In times of crisis, like now, Sami recognized when certain boundaries couldn’t be breached. The child nodded and clung tightly to Rafael.
“You’ll know if something happens,” Zoe said, her gaze on me. She looked uncertain. “I’m going after them. You don’t have to.”
She had to be kidding. “Gunner is out there, too. Just because I can’t feel him in the same manner you can feel Aric ...” I didn’t finish. It wasn’t necessary.
“Good.” She flashed a smile that didn’t make it all the way to her eyes an
d then focused on Rafael. “Take her inside. If an enemy comes—”
“I know what to do.” Rafael’s expression was immovable. “I’ll take care of her.”
“I know.” Zoe ran her hair over Sami’s head. “Do what Rafael says. If something happens and you feel you have to come to us in the woods, don’t.” She kept her tone icy. “It might be a trap. You leave us to figure out our problems. You and Rafael need to worry about yourselves. Understood?”
Sami nodded, solemn. “Bring Daddy back.”
“I will.” Zoe strode toward the woods, me close at her side. “Try to keep up. I won’t stop for anything, and I’ll burn this world down if he’s hurt.”
My blood chilled. I believed her. “I’ll keep up. Let’s do this.”
ZOE DIDN’T LOOK LIKE THE SORT OF WOMAN who could easily navigate the woods and yet she never deviated from her path. She was sure-footed and quiet as we ran between the trees, our footsteps muffled on a bed of pine needles. To my utter surprise, within fifteen minutes, she’d led us to a clearing in the woods. And it wasn’t empty.
“Gunner?” I raced toward the figure on the ground. Gunner, in human form, had an ugly wound on his shoulder. He was breathing hard, his eyes cloudy, but otherwise he looked okay.
“Wait!” Zoe reached out to try to stop me but I easily avoided her.
At the last second before I reached Gunner, sensing trouble, I veered to my left and narrowly avoided a boobytrap when a volley of arrows sailed past me and landed in the trees across the way.
“What was that?” Gunner was dazed.
“Don’t worry about it.” I placed my hands on his skin. He was hot and clammy, as if he was burning up from the inside.
“What happened?” Zoe asked, her keen eyes scanning the darkness. She looked ready to go to war.
“I don’t ... know.” Gunner managed to lift his chin and hold my gaze. “It was fast. They came out of nowhere.”
“Who came out of nowhere?” I was confused. He wasn’t making a lot of sense. “Is this your only wound?”
He hissed when I tried to get a better look at the gaping cut. “Ow!”
Zoe shifted so she was next to me and immediately placed her hand on Gunner’s injured side. When he sucked in a breath, signifying he was in pain, I was ready to pick a fight with her. Ultimately, it wasn’t necessary.
“Wow. That’s nice.” Gunner brightened when Zoe poured blue magic into him. “I ... what are you doing?”
I blinked several times in rapid succession, watching the wound slowly close up. “You have healing magic.” Technically, I already knew that. I’d seen her heal Rafael. Somehow it was different watching her fix my broken boyfriend.
She nodded, her eyes back on the tree line. “Someone is watching us.”
We’d also yet to find Aric, although she hadn’t mentioned that. Rather than question her I focused on Gunner. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, his expression clearing. “I feel better, less confused.”
I moved my finger in front of his eyes to see if he would follow it.
“I can see fine, Scout.” He captured my finger and gave it a squeeze. “I’m okay.”
I leaned in and gave him a quick hug, and then turned to the business at hand. “Where’s Aric?”
“I’m not sure.” Gunner looked appropriately apologetic as he settled his eyes on Zoe. “It was the shifters, the females. They were waiting for us. We sensed them at the last second. I ... I don’t think they were alone. We fought, and it should’ve been over quickly, but then there were more bodies than there should’ve been and I got really confused.” He rubbed his cheek. “I’m not sure where he ended up.”
“It’s possible he ran,” I offered helpfully.
Zoe shook her head, grim. “He wouldn’t have taken off and left Gunner. They have him.”
“Where?”
“Not far.” Zoe kept her gaze on Gunner. “Look at me.”
He did as instructed. My stomach shrank when I saw the guilt lurking in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s my fault.”
“It’s not.” Zoe wasn’t accusatory, something I didn’t understand. If I was in her position, I would be screaming, yelling, and pointing fingers in every direction. “This was a trap from the start. The weapon used on you was meant to kill you slowly. You were supposed to serve as a misdirection, which means they’ll do the same to Aric. I need you to get on your feet and tell me which direction they went in.”
Gunner furrowed his brow, confusion lining his face. “I don’t understand.”
“He’s very close.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “They’ve shrouded him somehow. I know he’s here, though. I can feel him. I need you to use that super sniffer of yours and tell me where.”
Gunner bobbed his head as her words sunk in.
He started circling, extending his senses, and I flicked my eyes to Zoe. “How did you know he was poisoned?”
“I’ve been around the block a few times. He wasn’t meant to survive. He was supposed to slow us down. I won’t let them do the same to Aric. I will find him, and then I’ll kill them.”
Her demeanor was icy enough that I shivered. “You really are as terrifying as they say.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Seventeen
Gunner immediately hopped to it, his fingers elongating as he tapped into his shifter side. His recovery was remarkable, which I was grateful for, but a small part of me remained wary.
“He’s okay, right?”
“Yes.” A muscle worked in Zoe’s jaw but otherwise her face was a blank slate.
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I’m good at what I do.” Impatience flashed in her eyes as she watched Gunner stalk from east to west. He looked frustrated, which was doing nothing to tamp down her anxiety. “Anything?”
“I’m working on it,” he growled.
She watched him for another few moments and then shook her head. “Okay, enough.”
Gunner jerked up his head, confusion etching across his handsome face. I was right there with him. She couldn’t be giving up. That wasn’t who she was. I opened my mouth to say just that, but I was cut off when she started zinging magic in a multitude of directions. I was so caught off guard, I could focus nowhere but her face, and for a moment — just a split-second — I thought her eyes had gone black.
And then the magic ricocheted against something hard to the west and she moved in that direction.
I was keyed up, ready for a fight, but it didn’t come to fruition. Instead, Zoe extended her hands and unloaded on the spot where the noise had emanated from. There was so much magic being unleashed on the small square that something began to smoke, and then flash.
One flash.
Two flashes.
Three flashes.
And then whatever was hiding Aric, an invisible wall that seemed somehow miraculous for her to find, fell with a whimper rather than a roar. Zoe raced to her husband’s side. He rested on his back, his eyes closed, and his forehead was beaded with sweat.
“Where?” Zoe demanded, wasting little time on preamble.
He weakly gestured toward his flank. Gunner dropped to his knees and helped her roll him and my heart caught in my throat when I saw the huge wound in his side. How he was still alive was beyond me, and I worried he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. There was no need to point out the obvious to Zoe. Her hand was already planted on the wound.
“Look at me,” she ordered.
Slowly, as if it took great effort, Aric opened his eyes and met his wife’s wild blue orbs. His lips curved into a lazy grin. “I knew you would find me.”
“Yes, I’m good at it.” She was calm as she poured magic into him, the blue of her healing fingers flaring so bright it illuminated her entire face, making her look like some otherworldly being. “Were you poisoned?”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “They said I wouldn’t last until you showed up but I knew otherwise.”
; “The shifters?”
“Vampires, too.”
“Did you recognize any of them?” Zoe’s magic never faltered as she questioned her husband and I marveled at her strength. I wanted to be just like her one day, although I would have preferred an angelic child who never talked back to the one she had to regularly admonish. I recognized that was probably an unreasonable dream.
“The female shifters from the bar,” Aric replied. “They were here. They were ... excited. They kept talking about taking down a mage.” His hand moved to her face, fingers tracing over the tight lines of her forehead. “I told them they should be careful what they wished for. They didn’t care. Obviously that worked out to our advantage.”
“I don’t know what sort of advantage we have,” Zoe argued, letting out a breath when she’d finished healing him, her smile rueful. “We survived again. That’s all that matters.”
“Definitely,” he agreed. “And they’re dead. We won again. Yay.”
Zoe’s lips curved down. “They’re dead?” She joined me in glancing around, both of us looking for bodies. “How did they die?”
Aric’s forehead wrinkled. “I thought you killed them.”
“No.”
He licked his lips. “Then how did you find me?”
“Brute force. How do I do anything?”
That earned a chuckle, although his expression remained cloudy. “I thought they were lying in wait for you. I thought ... they said they were going after the mage.”
A dark whisper of worry ran down my spine and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. “What if they weren’t talking about this particular mage?” Honestly, I hadn’t meant to voice the question. The way Zoe and Aric reacted had me snapping to attention.
“Sami,” they said in unison, scrambling to their feet. They were already racing back in the direction we’d come from.
Gunner didn’t hesitate to follow, although he looked as confused as I felt. “Do you think this was all a ruse to get the kid?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to believe that Sami Winters was perfectly safe, perhaps playing cards with her vampire and bitterly complaining about her parents. Yet that notion didn’t feel quite right.
Cut to the Crone (A Spell's Angels Cozy Mystery Book 4) Page 17
