That was kind of insulting. “Aren’t you forty?”
“So?”
“I’m only twenty-three. That’s closer to two decades.”
Now it was Zoe’s turn to be offended. “Not in my head.”
“And yet simple math makes it true.”
“We’ll compromise at a decade and a half.” Zoe slowly lowered her hand and gave me a once over. “I’m glad to see you didn’t dress all in black for this excursion. You wouldn’t have made it past the front desk if you had.”
“This isn’t my first time.”
Zoe licked her lips and nodded. “No, probably not. Stay here a second.” She held up her finger and moved to the hallway, looking left and right before returning. “You’re trying to visit Lisa Savage.”
I saw no reason to lie. It was the same reason she was here. “We can’t get any information on her prognosis … or even what’s wrong with her. I thought if I could touch her … well, you know what I thought. That’s the same reason you’re here.”
“Not exactly,” Zoe hedged, shifting from one foot to the other. “I was going to try something else.”
“What?”
Zoe opened her mouth, furrowed her brow, moved her mouth, wrinkled her forehead and then exhaled heavily. “I think we need to talk.”
That sounded promising. “Where?”
“There’s a coffee shop right around the corner. It’s less than two minutes if you drive.”
“I took an Uber.”
Zoe made a face. “Of course you did. Come on. You can ride with me.”
“What about Lisa?” I vaguely gestured toward the hallway.
“There’s a police officer sitting in her room. I mean … right inside. I was trying to think of a way around him, but then I saw you. I think our conversation is more important … at least for right now.”
“You might not believe that if you were Ethan Savage and still missing.”
“Good point.” Zoe gave my shoulder a soft shove. “But I’m not Ethan Savage, and we definitely need to talk.”
ZOE PICKED A CORNER table that was far removed from the rest of the coffee shop patrons. It was a bit late for a caffeine buzz, but the shop was bustling with hipsters and what looked to be a few mothers desperate for solitude.
“There’s nothing to do in this area if you’re a certain age,” Zoe explained as she sat in a chair and sipped her cappuccino. “We’re concerned about the trouble Sami will manage to find when she hits her teenage years because of the dearth of options.”
“I think Sami is the sort of kid who will find trouble no matter where she is, so worrying about where you live is probably a waste of time,” I said as I stripped my straw of its wrapper. I opted for a blender drink with a lot of ice and strawberry flavoring. I had no doubt I’d be riding a sugar high when it was time to head back to the hotel.
“I think you’re probably right,” Zoe agreed. “That’s the kind of kid I was. Is that the kind of kid you were?”
It was hard to describe the kind of kid I was. “Not really. I tried to be good because I was always so worried about my parents. We figured out pretty quickly that I could … um … see things that other people couldn’t. I had a penchant for blurting out those things when I was a kid. That never went over well.”
Zoe chuckled. “That must have been hard on your parents.”
“It was.”
“Still, you made it to adulthood and managed to survive. That has to be a relief for them.”
“They died when I was a teenager.” I left out the fact that they’d adopted me. My birth parents either died or abandoned me when I was four. I could remember nothing before then. Whenever I told that story it made people sad, so I decided to leave it out … at least for the time being.
Zoe’s expression fell. “I’m sorry. That must have been hard for you.”
I shrugged and blinked back tears. I had no idea where the urge to cry came from, but I fought it off. “I like to think they’d be proud of where I landed. I worked hard to get here.”
“Yeah.” Zoe kicked back in her chair and searched my face. “We’ve done some intensive digging on The Legacy Foundation. It’s an interesting group. We’d never heard of them until you blurted out the name. Now that we know, we can’t help but be a little worried.”
“Because you’re magical?”
Zoe stared me down. “Because I’m different … like you. What I find interesting is that you’re hiding among a group of people who would love to study you. You’re exactly what they’re looking for. That’s either incredibly smart or ridiculously stupid.”
“I like to think of it as smart,” I said. “I can control what I do and fly under the radar. Er, well, at least for the most part. I want to help others.”
“And you want to find answers regarding what you are,” Zoe noted. “I don’t blame you. Answers are key. I struggled with the same thing when I was eighteen.”
“You did?” She was finally opening up and I was eager to hear what she had to say. “Does that mean you didn’t always know what you were?”
Zoe sipped her coffee and shook her head. “I had no idea until I showed up at college and everyone else seemed to know what I was. I lived in the dark, hung out with some unsavory people and didn’t find out the whole truth for a very long time. In between, I muddled through and tripped over trouble at every corner.”
I was intrigued. “What are you?”
“I’m a mage.”
I knit my eyebrows as I ran the word through my head. “Doesn’t that basically mean ‘magician’ for all intents and purposes? I mean … are you really saying you’re a magician? I saw inside your head and that’s not the word I’d use to describe what I witnessed.”
“I would deny that, but I know it’s a waste of time,” Zoe grumbled. “You’re like a Kardashian at a shoe sale. You won’t let it go until you conquer everyone.”
I snorted. “I don’t know how I feel about being compared to a Kardashian, but I get what you’re saying.”
“Insulted. You’re supposed to feel insulted about being likened to a Kardashian.”
“Duly noted.”
Zoe rolled her eyes at my smirk. “It’s a long story and I won’t get into specifics, but true mages are … different. They’re selected as children, removed from their homes and trained to keep both sides of magic – we’re talking good and bad here – from getting too strong of a foothold. They’re not supposed to get involved in the battles but make sure nobody gets out of control.”
“Like security guards at the mall.”
“Basically.” Zoe rubbed the back of her neck. “My parents were both true mages. They spent a very long time doing their jobs. Then they met, fell in love, and fled.”
“Why?” The story was beyond fascinating. “I mean … why did they have to run?”
“Mages aren’t supposed to fall in love with one another. They’re most certainly not allowed to breed. Mine did, though, and they somehow managed to stay off the mage police radar. They raised me in private and never told me what I was.”
“So … you’re like a super-duper mage, right? If you have double the powers you’re something special.”
“I guess that’s one way to look at it. Another way is that my powers are coveted and every low-life magic thief on this side of the equator wants what I have … and they’ve come for me.”
The reality of Zoe’s situation was like a kick in the gut. “I didn’t think about that. I guess I should have. I saw some of the things you’ve gone through, and when I was inside your head it was as if I was living your life.”
“Then you know I’ve had a great life.” Zoe sipped again. “I’m not sorry about what I am or where I ended up. In general, I’m happy. Things have been much better the past year.”
I put a few of the puzzle pieces together. “Since Covenant College was wiped off the map.”
Zoe arched an eyebrow. “I’m impressed. How did you tie me to Covenant College?”
&n
bsp; “It wasn’t all that difficult. Whoever you paid to wipe your information from the student database was good, but I know somebody better.”
“Your good buddy Jack?”
I refused to answer the question. “What happened at Covenant College?”
Zoe stared long and hard into my eyes. “I could make you answer. You probably don’t believe that, but it’s true.”
On the contrary, I had no doubt she could. I felt her power in the brief time we were connected and recognized she was fully capable of taking me down. It was humbling … and also a relief. Knowing that I wasn’t the most powerful person on the block made me feel better, more human even.
“What happened at Covenant College?” I repeated.
Zoe sighed. “I won’t hurt Jack. I saw his heart and mind while we were in the woods, and he seems a genuinely nice guy, if a bit strict and sometimes morose. He’s not a bad man, so you don’t have to worry about me hurting him.”
I balked. “I’m not worried about you hurting him. I can see what kind of person you are. You only go after the bad guys.”
“Yes, I’m like Batman.” Zoe pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. “I don’t know how much I can tell you about Covenant College. The entire thing is weird. I mean … like, so weird. I thought for sure that the college burning down would be the top story on the news for months. Instead, people talked about it for days and then let it go.”
Hmm. That was mighty interesting. “I guess a little magic was involved in that, too, huh?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you … and, no, I’m not going to tell you. It’s not important and it’s not entirely my story. Suffice it to say that Covenant College was built upon a vortex of evil and needed to be taken down.”
“I’m fine with that.” I had figured it was something like that. The way the college was eradicated and forgotten so quickly was truly dumbfounding. Magic had to be involved. “Because you’re a mage, does that mean Sami is a mage? Is your husband a mage, too?”
Zoe immediately started shaking her head. “I’m not here to talk about Sami and Aric. Don’t push me on them. You won’t like what happens if you do.” Her voice was chilling and I believed she meant what she said. “I’ve decided to tell you about me because … well … you won’t let it go. As for everyone else, it’s really none of your concern.”
“Except I’m here investigating a potential paranormal murder,” I pointed out.
“I thought you were here looking for werewolves.”
“I don’t like it when you use that derisive tone. You just told me about a school burning to the ground and no one noticing. Werewolves aren’t out of the realm of possibility.”
“They’re definitely not,” Zoe agreed, taking me by surprise. “Werewolves are real. I have no doubt about that. So are witches, vampires, sphinxes and any number of other creatures that I don’t have time to list. They’re all real.”
I sucked in a breath. “Have you run across all of them?”
“A time or two. That’s not really important either. What’s important is Ethan Savage. He’s out there somewhere.”
“You’ve met werewolves.” I adopted a rational tone. “Do they eat people?”
“No.”
“What do they eat?”
“Chocolate cake.” Zoe made a face that warned me to back off from my line of questioning.
“Fine.” I held up my hands. “I’m sorry for sticking my nose in your business. You have to understand, though, I’ve rarely run across anyone like me. And, yes, I know you’re really not like me. I know you’re something else, but you’re closer than most.”
Sympathy flitted across Zoe’s features, and that almost made me feel worse. “I get it. I’m sorry you’re in the position you are. I really am. It doesn’t seem fair. Didn’t your parents tell you what you were?”
“They didn’t seem to know.” I pictured my poor, worried, beaten-down parents not long before they died. They spent their lives trying to protect me, but I frightened them beyond belief. “I asked. They researched. No one knew.”
“That makes things worse.” Zoe shook her head. “Tell me exactly what you can do. I know a few people. I can ask questions, maybe come up with some answers for you.”
“Really?” I couldn’t keep the hope from my voice. “Are you serious?”
Zoe nodded. “I even have one of them on speed-dial. She has a cranky toddler at home, but she’ll answer. She always does.”
I chewed my bottom lip. I wasn’t sure now was the time for a deviation of this sort. On the flip side, when would I get another chance to tap the resources of a mage? I mean … it was just so fantastical.
“Okay.” I made my decision on the spot. “What do I have to lose?”
Zoe turned serious. “You need to be careful. You could lose everything. I know that seems rich coming from me, but you have to consider your personal safety when it comes to sharing your secret. You don’t know me. I know it feels like you do because you were in my head, but you really don’t. You just happen to be lucky because I’m a bleeding heart and overall good person … unless you talk to my mother-in-law, of course. Then I show traces of being related to the Devil.”
“Is the Devil real?”
“I have no idea. I’ve seen numerous devils in human form, though. You need to be careful. You can trust Millie.”
“I do, but she only knows because of an accident.”
“Yeah. That was the thing in the abandoned old west town, right?” I widened my eyes, causing Zoe to smirk. “I saw in your head too,” she reminded me. “Now tell me what you can do. I can’t promise that we’ll come up with answers, but I might be able to point you in a different direction.”
“That sounds great.” I let out a shaky breath. “So, basically, I have psychic flashes and I’m telekinetic. Oh, and I’ve seen a ghost or two. I also saw the Chupacabra, but it was after a fall down the stairs and Jack is convinced I imagined it. Oh, and I met some witches and they think I might have witch in me. That’s basically everything.”
Zoe smiled. “Well, then let’s see what we can find out.”
17
Seventeen
“Try it again.”
Zoe lifted her hand in the air, her fingers glowing purple, and nodded.
I was exhausted. Our conversation in the coffee shop led to Zoe insisting we head to the woods to test my powers (something that felt as if it lasted for years rather than hours). So I nodded and concentrated, waiting for the blow to come.
This time when Zoe tossed a zinger of magic in my direction it harmlessly bounced off and fell to the side, catching both of us by surprise.
“That was much better.” Zoe beamed as she moved closer, taking a moment to look me over under the muted moonlight. The temperature remained high even though darkness fell hours before, and my skin was sticky because of the humidity. “Does anything hurt?”
I shrugged. Everything hurt. I didn’t want to come across as a baby, though. “I’m fine. What did you just throw at me?”
“Not much,” Zoe admitted, dragging a hand through her curling hair. It seemed she wasn’t immune to the humidity either. “It was just a little something that wouldn’t have hurt you. That wasn’t the aim, though. I wanted to see if you could block, which you did.”
I felt triumphant because of that, even though it seemed a small win compared to the fifteen times she’d smacked me upside with magic that I couldn’t block. “So, what do you think that means?”
Zoe shrugged. “I have no idea. I told you, my friend is doing research. She has a lot of books. She says that your powers don’t necessarily mean you’re anything. You could be a witch … or something else … or you could simply be a powerful individual with few powers. We simply don’t know.”
That definitely wasn’t the answer I was looking for. “So what should I do?”
“Keep doing what you’re doing.” Zoe ordered. “Hide who you are. Don’t tell the people you work with unless you�
�re sure you can trust them. You haven’t been there long enough to be sure, although Millie seems fine.”
“She’s great. She’s kind of like a grandmother, but a fun one who always wants to go out drinking. She’s obsessed with your husband, by the way. She can’t stop talking about seeing him shirtless.”
“Yes, well, it’s a marvelous sight.” Zoe grinned as she bent over and rooted around in a bag, coming back with two bottles of water and handing me one. “I heard you stopped to see Aric this afternoon. He said Jack was a little intense and he felt sorry for you.”
“Jack isn’t so bad.” I had no idea why I felt the need to stand up for him. “He’s a good guy. He’s just … regimented. He thinks people should act a certain way, follow the rules to the letter and never act out of sorts. He can’t help himself.”
Zoe snorted as she swigged from the bottle. “Aric was kind of like that when we first met. We had a lot going on and there was a time I thought he didn’t put me first. I was wrong. He did put me first, and we worked things out. He turned out to be completely trustworthy.”
I couldn’t figure out what she was trying to say. “Does that mean you think Jack is trustworthy?”
“I don’t think he’s after you because of what you are or anything.” Zoe tilted her head to the side, considering. “I think he’s a good man with a lot on his mind.”
“Like what?”
Zoe made a tsking sound as she wagged her finger in front of my face. “I’m not telling you that. It’s an invasion.”
“I could look for myself.”
“You could, but you’re not great at controlling it yet, and Jack isn’t the sort of person I’d test your powers on.”
She had a point. “I guess I should get going. I need to walk back to the inn. It will probably take me half an hour. We’re fairly close, right?”
Zoe nodded and pointed. “It’s that way. I’ll take you. You shouldn’t be walking around in the woods alone at night.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re not. It will take five minutes. And then I won’t have to feel guilty about leaving you to walk home alone. Speaking of home, we need to get going.” Zoe checked her phone screen. “Aric expected me home almost two hours ago. He’s probably freaking out.”
The Werewolf Whoops Page 15
