He rolled his eyes, his mobile mouth parting in a slow smile as he looked at her. “Did I mention this other problem I need your help with? There’s this girl I’m crazy about, but I think she’s afraid of me…”
She scowled with dark suspicion, her eyes glittering with warning, and I hid a smile. Fern was good, but I was pretty sure my cousin was going to wear her down, given enough time.
“So, Thomas, where is your brother, Todd? I thought he was joining,” Sadie asked.
Thomas shifted position, snugging me in closer. “I’m not sure. He said he had something to do first and took off right before we left. He was heading down the mountain at a pretty fast clip.”
“Any idea where he was going or what for?” I asked.
“No, he got a text on his phone, and he looked kinda funny when he read it, but he wouldn’t tell me who it was from or what it was about. Maybe it was related, not sure. He said he’d try to make it back and join us if he could. I suspect we’ll find out if he’s a mind to tell us. He’s pretty private.”
It hadn’t always been that way, but Todd, more than any of us, had been through a lot—most of it unpleasant. He’d been captured, tortured, starved, and nearly killed. And then there was the girl he’d never forgotten but who had apparently forgotten him.
I changed the subject. “Nick, how are things going in Bitterroot with Mayor Seul? Did your dad figure out what was going on in Bitterroot? Weren’t witches and sorcerers losing their powers? And shifters having difficulty with their changes?”
Nick spoke up, “No, and it’s a problem that seems to be growing. It first showed up during the Halloween celebration, and it’s getting worse. I believe at last count dad said there were now eight patients in the infirmary. They are recovering, but slowly. Whatever happened to them, something sucked the magic right out of them. It’s like they need to build it back up again.”
“And nobody has any idea what’s causing it?”
“No, not yet. It’s a frustrating mystery. Mom’s fit to be tied, too. Dad’s gone all the time, working with the Rule 9 Council to figure things out.”
“Perhaps I can help with that.”
We all jumped, jerking our heads towards the soft words spoken from the entrance to the cave. Todd stepped forward, leaving the slim figure behind him in his larger shadow. But something about her lithe form and short curtain of light hair niggled at my memory.
When she stepped into the light, those of us that recognized her gave a shocked gasp.
Jayne Martin stared at us all, her eyes seeming to glow with tiny pinpoints of flickering flames. Maybe that was just our imagination, based on what we all knew she was.
The summer before we’d traveled to Greylock Mountain and the Valley of the Dragons. It was where Sadie had first met her cousin, Niel. It was also where Sadie had learned to embrace her dragon for the first time. On Greylock Mountain we’d had our introduction to an insidious group of killers that were targeting Others and Magicals. Jayne had been one of them and none of us had forgotten that fact, but she’d also been a victim.
It was right before she saved our valley and, unwittingly, almost killed us all at the same time. Jayne was a Phoenix, with powers that defied imagination and put the rest of our abilities to shame. And Todd had fallen for her hard, devastated when her change robbed her of her memory, of every horror she’d lived through, and all memories of him as well.
“Hello, Jayne,” Sadie said, her expression flat with suspicion.
“Sadie.” she gave my best friend a cool nod back. Her eyes moved over the rest of us, pausing in open curiosity when she caught a flash of fin from Mirra, cuddled up against Dael’s impressive chest.
Todd grinned broadly. “She was in Breathless and sent me a text to meet. I couldn’t believe it. I went down and got her and asked if she wanted to join us.”
“Well then, you should both come on in. It’s tight, but we can manage,” Sadie offered, unsmiling, her eyes never leaving Jayne’s.
“So, Jayne,” I began as she disrobed down to a dark singlet suit and eased in beside me and opposite Sadie, whose expression remained unreadable. “What have you been up to? Where have you been?”
Last we’d known, she’d taken off to discover herself. Her words, right before she left and broke Todd’s heart.
“Oh, here and there. My memory has mostly come back, though there are still areas where it’s spotty.” Her gaze flitted to Todd as she spoke, and I wondered just what she still didn’t remember. “I’d love to tell you this is a social call, but I’m afraid it’s beyond that.”
Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good.
“What are you here for, then?” Sadie asked, just short of rude. Todd frowned at her, his eyes flashing werewolf gold.
Jayne sat stiffly in the water, her back rigid and her now short, blonde cap of hair cut in a short shag, framing her delicate face. She maintained a careful distance from Todd, not nearly as comfortable with him as he wanted to be with her.
She gave Sadie a terse smile. “About that. When I left Greylock Mountain, I did not know what I was about. I found myself in Seattle, trying to reinvent myself from the ground up, brand new and starting over. Which was when the APCP discovered me.”
“APCP?” I asked.
“Stands for Association for the Protection and Control of Paranormals. It’s a secret sector of the government that deals with Others and Magicals. You know, people like us. Human laws don’t work the same for those of us with certain—abilities. Too many variables. So they exist to work with us and protect the innocent, and deal with the not so nice elements of what we are as well. Think Law and Order for Magicals. They found me and recruited me. Gave me a place in their organization where I can be comfortable in my skin, and also help make a difference. It’s been… interesting,” she finished.
“So, that still doesn’t answer the question,” Sadie persisted.
She gave a short laugh. “You don’t change, do you? Still a bit of a hard-ass, aren’t you?”
Sadie didn’t answer, ignoring Todd’s dark growl.
Jayne merely seemed amused. She turned to Nick and spoke. “The reason I’m here may relate directly to what’s been going on in Bitterroot. You have Magicals and Others that are losing their powers, at least temporarily. Well, for the last few months the Association has been pursuing leads to track down a Paranormal of Interest. The MO is always the same. Whoever it is, they set up shop in a city, prey on the Paranormal population there, and then when we close in, they know it and…move. They’ve been elusive so far, but I’m hoping this time will be different.”
“Are you saying you think this…person…is in Bitterroot?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. They have to be stopped before the body count rises.”
“I didn’t think anyone had died…” I started.
“They have. Most recover, though the process is lengthy and painful, but so far we’ve attributed the deaths of five to this power-leaching vampire.”
“Maybe we can help,” Todd offered, his eyes besotted as he stared at her.
Her chin notched up, and her lips pursed. “Absolutely not. The Association wants no interference here. We don’t want whoever it is to get suspicious and run. I’m only sharing this because I want you to let your father know, Nick, that we are in town, and why. We’ll be taking over from here.”
Sadie laughed, the sound deep and amused. Nobody joined her. “Actually, you won’t. We’ve never been the sit on the sidelines sort. I see no reason to let you have all the fun. Consider us officially on the case. Of course, if you’re willing to share…we’ll let you join us.”
“No way, the Association will never let that fly.”
Sadie’s smile darkened, her dragon close to the surface. I shivered when she spoke. “Just so we’re clear? I never ask for permission to serve justice, and this isn’t where I start.”
I looked over and met Thomas’ eyes, and we grinned.
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Books by Elizabeth Rain:
Rule 9 Series:
Fire Born Dragon Book I
Fire Bound Dragon Book II
Valley of the Dragons Book III
Dragon’s Blood Book IV
Dragon of Deep Lake Book V
Book I-II Rule 9 Series Boxset
Book III-V Rule 9 Series Boxset
Book I-V Rule 9 Series Boxset
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Snips and Snails Mystery Series:
Risky Bisqueness Book I
Murder on the Oxtail Express Book II
Cauliflower Kale Caper Book III
Death by Dumpling Book IV
Snips and Snails Mystery Series Boxset Books I-III
Rule 9 Academy Series Boxset: Books 3-5 Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy (Rule 9 Academy Box Sets (3 Book Series) 2) Page 77
