Moon Grieved

by Jennifer Snyder

  Julian’s brows pinched together. “I’m sorry; I had no idea. My condolences.”

  Eli nodded.

  “We’re here because we aren’t sure whether the Midnight Reaper is one vampire or multiple,” Dorian said when Eli seemed to have gone quiet. I reached out for Eli’s hand again. This time, my touch didn’t seem to have the same effect as before. Maybe he was too far gone in his memories of finding his father. “We think he, or they, might have a special power as well,” Dorian continued.

  “What sort of power?” Julian asked as something more than curiosity built in his eyes.

  “Have you ever come across a vampire who happens to be exceptionally fast?” Dorian asked.

  Julian leaned back. “Yes, actually I have. A few in my time, to be honest.”

  “Is it a popular power among vampires?” Dorian pressed.

  “Yes.” There was a smugness to Julian’s tone I didn’t care for. “All vampires have this ability, but some are faster than others. Same with humans. Not everyone’s top speed is the same.”

  “What about vampires who can make you see things that aren’t there?” I asked.

  Julian grew stiff. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting my question. I had his attention though.

  High heels clicking across the wood floor echoed close by. A woman slightly older than Julian stepped into the room with us. She wore a black leather dress that hit above her knees and a pair of strappy stilettos. Her dark hair was twisted on top of her head into a formal bun, and her lips were painted blood red. She held a wineglass filled with a deep red liquid I wanted to think of as wine but knew it was most likely blood.

  “Let me introduce you to my oldest sister, Octavia,” Julian said once she situated herself on the sofa beside him and placed her glass on the coffee table. “Sister, this is Eli, Mina, and—I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name,” he said as he pointed to Dorian.

  “Dorian,” Dorian introduced himself.

  “And Dorian of the Mirror Lake wolves,” Julian insisted, finishing his introductions.

  “I know they’re of the Mirror Lake wolves. Any idiot could sense that,” Octavia said in a raspy tone. She crossed her long, slender legs. “What exactly are they doing here? Do they need our help again?”

  “No,” Eli said in an eerily calm and authority-ridden voice. “Quite the contrary. We came to warn you the Midnight Reaper is now in Mirror Lake.”

  “And why would you need to warn us?” Octavia asked as her dark eyes drifted over the length of Eli.

  I wasn’t sure if she was sizing him up because she liked the look of him, or because she was annoyed with him. Either way, I was beginning to think Octavia Montevallo was a grade A bitch.

  “Because when my father was murdered by him last night, there was a message written in blood across his forearm,” Eli snapped. Clearly, he didn’t like the tone she was using with him.

  Julian shifted and something passed over his face. The same emotion seemed to register in Octavia’s eyes for a split-second as well. It caused my wolf to sit up and take notice. The fine hairs along the back of my neck stood on end.

  The Montevallo vampires were hiding something. The question was: What?

  “What was the message?” Julian asked.

  “One down,” Eli seethed.

  I squeezed his hand in mine as silence bloomed through the room. His rage was sweeping off him in waves. I knew the vampires could sense it as plainly as Dorian and I could, and I didn’t want this situation to get out of hand. No one needed to feel threatened here. We were just talking.

  “That could mean anything. Why waste your time warning us?” Octavia asked as she glared at her fingernails.

  “Because we aren’t sure what it means,” I said, finally deciding to speak up. “We know it can mean one of two things—either this killer vampire is hell-bent on wiping out our pack members one by one, or he’s planning to go after all supernaturals in town. In which case, we decided to warn you. You’re welcome.”

  My flippant attitude garnered her attention. She lifted her dark eyes to lock with mine, and I swore I saw the flicker of a smile twist the corners of her red painted lips.

  “Also, we’d like to know the best way to take out a speedster vampire,” Dorian insisted. “If that’s what we’re dealing with.”

  “Thank you for your warning. We appreciate you taking the time to give it to us personally,” Julian insisted. Octavia had gone back to picking at her nails. While she was the oldest Montevallo sibling out of the vampires I’d met so far, Julian appeared to run things. Maybe he was the first created? After all, with vampires human age didn’t count. “However, there is no trick to take down a speedster. They’re the same as any vampire.”

  “What about one who can make others see things that aren’t there?” I asked, reminding them all of the other power we seemed to have encountered with the Midnight Reaper.

  “I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer for that either,” Julian insisted.

  I waited for him to elaborate, but he never did. In fact, he didn’t seem to want to discuss the issue further.

  “Okay, well. I think we’re done here.” Eli stood. “We’ll be paying the Caraway witches a visit next to warn them as well, and then we’ll begin patrols.”

  “Patrols?” Julian repeated.

  “We have to find the Midnight Reaper, whether it’s one vampire or more. The safety of my pack and the town of Mirror Lake relies on it,” Eli insisted.

  Even though he didn’t say it, it was clear Eli was hell-bent on getting revenge too. I could taste his desire for it in the air.

  “I’d like to help with patrolling if you’ll allow me,” Julian surprised me by saying.

  I waited for Octavia to offer her help as well, but she didn’t. Instead, she reached for her wineglass. It slid across the table directly to her hand. I blinked. Apparently, Octavia could move things with her mind. It seemed as though each Montevallo had a special power.

  “Absolutely,” Eli said. “We’ll always welcome more help. Meet me at my trailer at seven o’clock tonight. I’ll give you your designated search area.”

  Seven tonight? I was surprised Eli had said such a late time, considering it was almost 10 a.m. Maybe he was finally realizing he needed sleep and food to fuel him if he wanted to make it through the search tonight and hold his own.

  “I’ll be there,” Julian insisted as he walked us to the door.

  The three of us followed him. I could feel Octavia’s eyes on us. While I didn’t think the woman was evil, I did think she had an attitude from hell. I also thought she and her brother were hiding something. They knew something about the Midnight Reaper but were refusing to tell us. Why?

  15

  We pulled into the gravel parking lot beside the Caraway Inn. It was also another massive house. Four stories, including the attic level, towered above us as we climbed out of Eli’s truck. A set of brown stone steps led up to a screened-in porch that ran the entire length of the house. The white exterior with brown accents gave the inn a homey feel. An array of beautiful flowers in a multitude of colors and multiple forms of greenery landscaped the place magnifying the warm, comfortable vibe emanating from the place.

  Knowing it was inhabited by witches had me questioning if the vibes coming off it were the result of one of the Caraways’ powers or a spell. One that made the inn seem more inviting.

  “Hanging out in these gigantic mansions today is going to make returning home to my little trailer feel cruddy,” Dorian muttered as we started up the stone steps to the front door.

  Rowena Caraway opened the door before any of us had a chance to knock. Back at Julian’s, I knew his swiftness to open the door had most likely been because of his vampire hearing; here, I attributed it to the powers Rowena was said to possess. She often seemed to have a knack for knowing things.

  My gaze drifted over her, taking in her casual gray slacks and a lightweight black sweater. Her dark hair fell to her chin in sleek strands, and
her chocolate brown eyes appeared warm and inviting, same as the smile spread on her face at the sight of us.

  “Hello,” she said and then motioned for us to step inside. “It’s a surprise to see the three of you here. I would say I hope all is well, but I can tell from your auras it’s not.” Her dark brows knitted together as she continued to stare at us.

  A flowery scent filled the foyer of the inn as I stepped inside. I glanced around as the realization I’d lived in Mirror Lake my entire life and had yet to step foot inside the Caraway Inn rushed through me. Ridley and I were friends, but I never visited her at home. Same way she never did me. Enjoying the peace and serenity oozing through the place, I made a note to remedy that.

  Gray walls with white trim and weathered wood floors made up the foyer. What little bit of furniture filled the tight space was black. A staircase stood ahead. The place was not at all gaudy or outdated like I’d thought it would be. In fact, it was clean and classic, modern even yet still charming and welcoming.

  “Why don’t the three of you follow me? I’ll whip up some tea while you fill me in on what it is you’re here for,” Rowena said.

  We followed Rowena into the kitchen where a large bay window filled with plants resting on rustic wood shelves captured my eye. A broad wooden table sat a few feet away with mismatched chairs spaced sporadically around. Its surface was covered with glass jars of dried herbs that had me thinking of Gran. She would love this place. Why didn’t she visit Rowena? They clearly had something in common.

  Unless these were magical herbs, ones only usable by a witch.

  I glanced at the rest of the room. Herbs in various stages of drying hung from a rack near the stove. White cabinets and butterscotch-colored butcher block countertops gleamed in the can lights of the high ceiling.

  “Please, have a seat,” Rowena insisted. She pointed to the bar stools tucked underneath the island countertop.

  “Thanks,” Eli said as he pulled one out for me. I eyed him as I situated myself. He was calm. Too calm. Especially with the way his behavior had been at the Montevallos. “And you’re right, we aren’t here bringing good news.”

  Even as he spoke, the sense of calmness lingered around him. Was there a spell responsible? Or was it something stemming from Rowena?

  “I’m sorry we’re coming over unannounced, but this is an important matter. One I didn’t feel should be discussed over the phone.” Eli placed his hands on the counter as he watched Rowena fill three mugs with boiling water from a kettle on the stove.

  Had she been expecting us, or did she always have a kettle of water ready for her guests staying at the inn? It was hard to tell.

  “I understand,” Rowena said as she scooped two spoonfuls of dried herbs from a glass jar labeled calm and comfort into three loose leaf tea holders. I watched as she plopped them into the steaming mugs of water next.

  “I know you’re aware of the Midnight Reaper killings. Mina spoke to Ridley yesterday about them. Ridley claimed you had plans to put up a ward around Mirror Lake in an effort to keep any vampire who wasn’t part of the Montevallo family out,” Eli said.

  Rowena nodded. “That’s true.”

  “Would this ward of yours still work if the vampire, or vampires, making up the Midnight Reaper were already in Mirror Lake?” Dorian asked.

  Rowena passed us each a mug. Her lips pinched together into a frown before she spoke. “I’m aware the Midnight Reaper is already in town. Ridley told me about the young girl stumbling into the trailer park last night. Such a tragedy. I can’t imagine what her family must be going through.” She took a sip of her tea and stared into space for a long moment before shifting her attention back to the three of us and the question Dorian had asked. “I do believe even if the vampire, or vampires, were within the town limits, the ward would still work. Theoretically, it would cast them out the instant it went up.”

  “When will you be able to put one in place?” Eli asked.

  “Unfortunately, I can’t set the ward in place until the full moon, which, as you know, is two nights away,” Rowena said.

  “Is there a way to bypass the full moon? The Midnight Reaper is dangerous. Not only did he attack and kill Jane Hawker but also my father.” Eli’s voice was low when he spoke. I reached for his hand, hoping my touch would bring him comfort again. It couldn’t be any easier to say this time around than it had the previous times.

  “Oh no. I’m so sorry.” Rowena’s gaze fixed on Eli. Genuine concern reflected in her eyes. “Please, let me know if there’s anything I can do for you or your family. Your pack.” Rowena’s voice shook when she spoke and tears pooled in her eyes.

  While I knew the werewolves and the witches weren’t chummy with one another, Rowena had still known our alpha well. They’d been friends, for lack of a better word.

  “Thank you,” Eli insisted. “Unfortunately, letting you know of my father’s passing isn’t the only reason I’m here. I wanted to warn you the Midnight Reaper left a message on my father’s forearm. It said one down. Because we aren’t certain it means this vampire, or group of them, is targeting our pack members specifically or if they’re targeting all supernaturals in Mirror Lake, we wanted to give you a heads up.”

  Eli’s steadiness surprised me. While I’d always been impressed with the way he handled himself in such a businesslike manner during tough situations, this one was for the record books.

  Maybe there was something more to the tea Rowena had given us. Was it possible it added another layer of whatever comfort spell rang between these walls?

  No wonder this place was always filled with guests.

  I took a tentative sip to test the tea out on myself since my nerves were frazzled. Warmth rushed through me, but I couldn’t be sure there was anything magical about the sensation.

  “I truly appreciate you taking the time to warn me,” Rowena insisted.

  “You’re welcome.” Eli nodded. “We’re beginning patrols in an effort to catch this killer before anyone else is harmed.”

  “Wonderful. I hope you’re able to find whoever’s responsible and bring them to justice properly,” Rowena said with a coldness I’d never heard from her before. “If not, then at the very least, I hope they don’t hurt anyone else between now and the full moon so my ward can cast them out of town for good.”

  While I wanted the Midnight Reaper out of town as much as the next person, I didn’t think casting him out so he could continue to wreak havoc on the rest of the world was the best solution.

  “I think we’re all wishing for something similar,” Eli insisted. He took a sip of tea, and I noticed him relax even more.

  “Before you go, would you like me to pour your tea into a to-go cup?” Rowena asked.

  “Sure. That would be great,” I said. Her calming tea was probably the only way I was going to get Eli to relax enough to catch some shut-eye before beginning his patrol tonight. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Rowena reached for our mugs and then poured the contents into standard to-go cups you’d find at a coffee shop. “Please come back and see me should you need anything else. I’ll also be in contact after the full moon to keep you posted on whether the ward went up successfully.”

  Eli nodded as he stood and reached for one of the cups she was passing out. “We’ll talk soon for sure.”

  Rowena walked us to the front door of the inn.

  “Oh, tell Ridley I said hey,” I said as I paused in the foyer.

  “I will.” She winked. “She’s out with Benji at the moment.”

  “Figures.” I grinned.

  After the three of us situated ourselves inside the cab of Eli’s truck, I took another sip of tea. My muscles loosened as my mind cleared. Whatever was in the stuff reminded me of Gran’s calming tea except this was more potent. Like times a hundred.

  Of course, I’d never tell Gran that. She’d kick my butt for comparing her natural home remedy to a witch’s brew that was destined to be more powerful.

  “I f
eel better,” Dorian insisted as Eli cranked the engine of his truck and pulled away from Caraway Inn.

  “Of course you do.” I laughed. “It’s the tea.”

  “Well, yeah.” Dorian grinned as he took another sip. “But not entirely because of that. I feel better because we talked to the supernaturals in town. We’re all on the same page, and planning to do our part to rid Mirror Lake of this evil. Teamwork. It’s a beautiful thing.”

  He was right. Knowing we had help from the vampires and witches made me feel more at ease as well. Maybe we could defeat whatever we were up against without losing anyone else to its darkness.

  I leaned back against the bench seat of Eli’s truck and sipped my tea, letting its soothing properties work its magic.

  16

  When we pulled into the trailer park, Eli looked exhausted. I reached out and rubbed his back when he leaned forward to rest against the steering wheel.

  “Maybe you should head inside and get some rest,” I suggested in a soft voice, hoping he wouldn’t fight me.

  “I can’t. We need to focus on patrolling. I know I said I’d deal with that all later tonight, but I feel like it needs to be handled now,” he said. “More rotations need to be set in place. I need to be out there helping.”

  “I think Mina is right,” Dorian chimed in from where he sat beside me. “I think it would do you good to get some sleep first. I can handle all of that while you rest.”

  Eli didn’t speak. Instead, his jaw worked back and forth while he seemed to be contemplating what to say.

  “You’re not doing anyone any favors by being exhausted and rundown. We’re hoping to catch the Midnight Reaper,” Dorian insisted, pressing harder on the subject. I was grateful it was coming from him and not me. I didn’t want to sound as though I was nagging. “Which means you’re going to need every bit of strength you have to help take the bastard down.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Eli pulled the keys from the ignition and popped his driver door open. “Follow me inside. I’ll set you up with the map. It’s already sectioned off; you just need to assign sections to people.”