Blood Brothers (Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2)

by C. D. Hersh

  Eli answered the door at Alexi’s house. “We dinna expect ye, Captain,” he said as he ushered Harry in. “Are ye here tae see Alexi?”

  “Rhys told me she was getting a little stir crazy. I thought I’d pop in and relieve the boredom.”

  “She’s in the kitchen, cleaning. Apparently, the lassie thinks the house ’tis filthy.”

  Harry sniffed. “Ammonia?”

  “Aye, and ’tis killing an auld man’s nose, but I canna leave her.”

  “Why don’t you take a walk to clear your sinuses? I’ll stay with her until you return.”

  “You dinna mind? I hate tae leave the lassie alone.”

  “Go. I’ll make an excuse for you.”

  Eli grabbed his trench coat from the hall closet and wrapped a plaid scarf around his throat. “I’ll be back in two shakes o’ a pony’s tail.”

  “Make it four.” Harry hung his coat on the hall rack, closed the front door behind Eli, and then went into the kitchen.

  Alexi perched on the top step of a bright yellow ladder, scrubbing the inside of the cabinets as if she was trying to eliminate blood at a crime scene. Dishes lay scattered across every flat surface. He waited until her head was out of the cabinet before speaking.

  “Captain,” she said, swiveling on the step. “What are you doing here?” She dropped her cleaning rag into the bucket on the counter. Stripping off her rubber gloves, she peered past him. “Where’s Eli?”

  “He took a walk to clear his sinuses.” He pointed at the bucket. “Pretty potent stuff.”

  “Sorry,” she said as she moved the bucket away from them. “I clean when I’m frustrated.”

  “Being cooped up is frustrating?”

  “You got it. What brings you here? Do you have news about the investigation?” she asked eagerly.

  “Sorry. Nothing new yet. I thought a visitor might help your cabin fever.”

  She climbed off of the ladder and cleared a couple of chairs, indicating he should sit. “I see you’ve been talking to Rhys.”

  “He’s concerned about you, and so am I. How are you doing, really?”

  “I’m okay.”

  Something in the tone of her voice made him scrutinize his favorite detective. Her eyes lacked their usual sparkle. She seemed worried, like Rhys had. But then why wouldn’t she? Waiting around for them to find her would-be killer couldn’t be easy. He hoped that was all that bothered her.

  “How are things with Rhys?” he asked, careful to keep his tone light and natural. “You two adjusting to married life okay?”

  Eyebrows wrinkled, she leaned forward in her chair and stared at him. Crap! He’d jumped in too quick with the married life question.

  “We’re fine,” she finally said. “Why? Are you thinking about joining us?”

  He choked on her question. “Why would you ask such a thing?”

  “Because you’ve got the hots for Delaney?”

  He sputtered again.

  She continued, “You know, she feels the same way.”

  “I doubt it. We’re not exactly on the best terms. She’s got a lot of secrets, Alexi, and women with secrets don’t sit well with me. Speaking of which, she won’t tell me anything about her daughter, Lila. She’s your best friend, right?”

  Now Alexi stammered, “Well. We. Yeah. She is.”

  For a moment, he didn’t speak as he watched the emotions flash over Alexi. Surprise. Concern. Fear. What was she afraid of? “I thought you’d called her your best friend. Or was it Lila and Rhys who told me? The day I found out you were supposed to be dead.”

  A wave of remorse washed across Alexi’s features, a true emotion he could trust, unlike the ones accompanying her flustered admission of friendship with Lila.

  His gut twisted into a sailor’s knot. Was all this cloak-and-dagger stuff tied to Lila somehow? Delaney refused to talk about her daughter. Alexi couldn’t even answer a straightforward question about her friendship with the woman. Rhys had been captured in a Kodak moment cozying cheek-to-cheek with Lila and had bolted for the door the minute he learned about the photograph. She figured heavily in all these things. He decided to probe deeper.

  “You said Delaney liked me, well, actually had the hots for me.” He remembered their night together. That had been hot. “The hots are great, but I don’t want one-night stands anymore. I want a woman who’s ready to settle down, and I told her so.”

  Alexi leaned forward, her interest obvious. “What did she say?”

  “She wanted to find a special someone, too. But when I suggested I meet Lila and get to know her, Delaney pushed me away like a mama bear protecting her cub. When you get serious about a woman, you’re getting serious about her family.”

  “Is that what’s holding you two back?”

  “Maybe. And all her secrets. I’ve spent my whole life ferreting out answers to mysteries. Unearthing undisclosed details about murders and crimes and people. When I finally say I do, for the last time in my life, I don’t want shadowy skeletons between me and my special woman. I’ve got a feeling Delaney’s closet is full of them.”

  A sad expression filled Alexi’s eyes, and she touched his arm. “We all have secrets, Captain. Some we can share. Some we can’t. If you really love her, don’t let things you think she is hiding stop you from going after her.”

  Sudden guilt, for surreptitiously questioning her to find out about Delaney and Lila, overwhelmed him. Covert interrogation made him no better than the woman he loved.

  Loved? He couldn’t be in love with her. But if he didn’t love her, how could he be this torn up over her?

  “Talk to her, Captain. Tell her how you feel. A woman wants to know.”

  “I’ll think about it.” All of her clandestine activities would be a big hurdle to overcome.

  Chapter 30

  The evening sun was setting, casting pink-and-blue rays over the peak of Alexi’s house as Delaney knocked on the door. Alexi, shifted as Lila, let her in as Rhys and Eli exited. A stab of pain knifed Delaney’s heart when she saw her daughter’s image.

  “Where are they going?” she asked.

  “Shifter practice,” Alexi replied. “Eli’s working on third level shifting and thought it would be best if they did it outside.”

  “Kind of risky, isn’t it, since we have no idea what Rhys’ animal ego is?” Delaney asked. “Any luck finding out?”

  Eli was rushing Rhys into his third ego. The choice of serving the dark or light came with the animal alter ego, and Eli didn’t want to take any chances the rogues might get Rhys before he made the choice for the light. If her suspicions were correct, he had already made his choice and was playing them for fools.

  “Not yet, but I think Eli believes Rhys is close.” Alexi closed the door behind her. “You don’t mind if it’s just us girls, do you?”

  “No, as long as you shift to yourself.”

  In one fluid motion, she shifted to her normal persona.

  Delaney smiled. Her protégé was progressing nicely. “You’ve been practicing.”

  “There’s not much else to do when I’m hanging around waiting for everyone to do my job and discover who tried to murder me.”

  Guilt flooded Delaney. “We’re doing our best. It’s tricky, because we had to involve Harry. There’s a lot more at stake here than your would-be killer.”

  Alexi sighed. “I know. It’s hard not being involved. Solving crimes is my life. Correction, was my life, before I died.” She gave Delaney a quick hug. “Have you eaten yet? I’ve got a casserole in the oven. Should be ready soon.”

  “Sounds good. I didn’t have time for lunch, and I’m starved.” Delaney removed her jacket, hung it on the hall rack, and followed Alexi into the kitchen. The scent of roast beef, rosemary, and potatoes filled Delaney’s nose, ma
king her mouth water. Alexi handed her two plates from the cupboard. Delaney set them on the table and opened the silverware drawer.

  “I had company today,” Alexi said. “Captain Williams came by.”

  The cutlery chattered in her hands at the mention of Harry. She grasped the knives, forks, and spoons tightly to stop the nervous rattle. “What did he want?”

  “To talk about you.”

  The silverware clattered against the dishes as she dropped it on the table. Scooping it up, she laid it alongside the plates, concentrating on perfect placement to take her racing mind off possible conversation scenarios. Had he told Alexi about their involvement? Complained about her FBI intrusion? “What about me?”

  “He thinks you don’t want a serious relationship because you don’t want him to meet Lila.”

  Delaney whirled around to Alexi, knocking the place setting onto the floor. Stoneware shattered, sending projectiles across the room. Alexi dodged a triangular shard, but not before it scraped across her calf, drawing blood.

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed as Alexi bent to examine her cut.

  “Just a scratch.” Alexi grabbed a paper towel from the holder, wet it, and wiped the blood off. “See. Stopped bleeding already.” Removing a broom and dustpan from the utility cupboard, she gathered the broken plate into the dustpan, as Delaney returned to setting the table.

  “Why don’t you want him to meet Lila?”

  Another plate hit the floor. Delaney sank onto a kitchen chair and covered her face with her hands.

  “Breaking my dishes isn’t going to get you out of answering the question,” Alexi said, a hint of laughter coloring her voice.

  Peeking through parted fingers, Delaney saw amusement, tinged with curiosity, sparkling in Alexi’s eyes. She swept the second broken dish into the dustpan and emptied the pieces into the trashcan, then she sat beside Delaney.

  “It’s keeping him from you, you know,” Alexi said, reaching for Delaney’s hand. “He feels when you get serious with a woman, her family is part of the relationship.”

  She let Alexi hold her hand. “There’s more to it than that, honey. It’s way more complicated than you can imagine.”

  “Because he’s mortal?”

  “And a cop.” And I suspect one of his favorite detectives of? What? Murder? Kidnapping? What had Rhys done with Lila, anyway? “Harry hates secrets. My life is nothing but secrets. Besides, I don’t know where Lila is.” She clamped her mouth shut as the words popped out.

  Alexi frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “She’s out of the country,” she lied, “and I don’t know how to contact her.”

  Alexi stared at her, and Delaney knew she was scanning her aura. Trying to figure out what she was hiding. She tried to raise a shield, make herself believe the lie she had told to mask her aura.

  “You’re lying,” Alexi said.

  Delaney folded her arms against her chest. “Now you’ve got Eli’s lie detector abilities?” she asked. “When did you develop those?”

  “I don’t need to be the Keeper of the Stone to figure out you’re not telling me the truth. You had a fit when Eli declared my mimic shift was to be Lila, and you act strange every time you see me shifted as her.”

  “Not so,” she protested. She cast about in her mind for some lie she could tell Alexi that would keep her from poking her fears about Lila’s disappearance. Fears she barely managed to keep in check. Fears that she had to keep corralled to maintain her sanity. Fears that would paralyze her if she failed to control them.

  Alexi gave her the same kind of stare Delaney had always given Lila when she knew she was fibbing. “Why don’t you know where she is?”

  “We had a fight over a man she was dating, and I haven’t heard from her since.” The truth leaked out through the cracks in her armor like water through a sieve. She tried to stop her confession, but couldn’t. On some level it felt good to let Alexi know. On another level it was wrong. She had to handle this alone.

  “Who?”

  Concern creased Alexi’s face and Delaney fought harder for control. Sympathy would only make her fall apart. She couldn’t afford to fall apart.

  “A rogue shifter. He said he was going to leave the society. They were going to leave and become normal people. Hide among the masses.”

  “Maybe they did.”

  “If so, they left everything behind, except her ring. It’s missing and she is, too.”

  “You should tell the police. Tell Captain Williams. He can help you find her.”

  “What would I say? My shape shifter daughter has run off with another shifter and I can’t find them?”

  “Yes, except for the shifter part. She’s a missing person, right? Maybe they can find some clues to her whereabouts in the apartment.”

  “Been wiped clean.”

  “Then there has to be foul play involved. We have to tell Eli, Rhys, and Harry.”

  “No! You have to promise me you won’t tell a soul, especially Rhys or Eli. If Harry discovers Lila, or I, are shifters any love he might have for me will be shattered.” Alexi didn’t answer. Delaney pressed harder. “Swear you won’t say anything, Alexi. I have to handle this by myself.”

  “You don’t have to do this alone, Delaney. You have me. I need to warn you about revenge. It will eat you alive. I know.”

  “If she’s dead, and I suspect she is, I will find her killer. I won’t stop until he’s dead.” She heard the tremor in her voice. Felt the hate rising. She scrambled to put her emotions back in the box where she could control them. Compartmentalize them until they needed to be released to avenge her daughter. And she would, if it came to that.

  “Acting on your revenge will ruin you, your place on the council, and could land you in jail. Even Eli can’t protect you if you’re caught.”

  “I know, and I’m willing to take the chance. Promise you won’t say anything.”

  “I need to think about it before I can promise. But I won’t say anything until I decide. I’ll let you know what I decide first, to give you a chance to tell everyone yourself.”

  Delaney scanned Alexi’s aura. Soft blue edged the green and red ring aura. She was being truthful. “I can live with that option.” Delaney supposed it was the best she could hope for at the moment. With any luck, she would find proof of Rhys’ involvement and take him down before Alexi made her decision.

  She gently extricated her hand from Alexi’s. It didn’t feel right taking comfort from the wife of the man she would probably kill.

  The city lights twinkled outside the plate-glass window of Lila’s apartment. Delaney stood in the dark staring out, a paper bag containing the beer bottle with Rhys’ prints and DNA clutched in her hand. Her conversation with Alexi earlier this evening made her escalate her timetable. The sound of a key in the door lock broke her thoughts, and she snapped on the table lamp. Katrina entered, a take-out bag in her hand.

  “I’m sorry I ended your dinner date this way,” Delaney said, “but something has happened. I need the tests fast-tracked.” She stuck her head out of the door and perused the hallway. The area was clear. Closing the door, she indicated Katrina should sit.

  “No problem,” Katrina said. “We were finished eating anyway.” She put her take-out on the end table and took the paper bag Delaney held out. “What do you need?” she asked, peering inside the sack.

  “DNA from the mouth of the bottle, and fingerprints.” She handed her a clear, plastic bag containing the picture of Rhys and Lila Harry had discovered. “There should be some fingerprints on the photo. I need to know if any on the photo match ones from the bottle.”

  “Has anyone else touched this photo or bottle?”

  “Captain Harry Williams, of the Cleveland police force, and I both handled the photo. I picked up the beer bott
le with a tissue. The topmost prints, the ones from the person who last held the bottle, are the ones I’m interested in.”

  “Do we need to dust the apartment?”

  “No. The place had been wiped clean when I arrived. The picture fell out of a book a few days ago. I’m thinking whoever scrubbed down the apartment might have missed the picture.”

  “Wiped clean? Is this a crime scene, Delaney? Because if it is, you need to bring in the authorities.”