The four of us were allowed to pack an overnight bag to take with us, although each of us was assigned an overseer to ensure we didn’t pack anything unnecessary, like our guns. Snake Man and All American Joe headed off with the boys, while NBA stuck close to Talley. I was honored with Stefan’s watchful eye.
After another round of goodbyes to Dad and Angel, and a brief phone call to Mom, we were herded outside to the SUVs. Charlie and I were escorted to one, and Jase and Talley were herded to the other.
“Isn’t this the preferred mode of transportation for rap stars and drug dealers?” I asked Charlie as I stowed my bag in the back. “What does Stefan do when he’s not marching poles or whatever?”
“Being the Alpha Male is pretty much a full time job,” he said, shooting me a look.
Stefan was the Alpha Male? Awesome. Why couldn’t someone have mentioned that to me earlier? Was the pretentious ancient language really necessary?
“So, how is it he can drop so much cash on two sets of wheels?”
“The Alpha Pack’s finances are covered by a tithe collected from all Packs.”
“Like Shifter taxes?”
Charlie nodded as we crawled into the backseat.
“What is it I’m being accused of?” I asked Stefan as NBA started the vehicle. “It’s not tax evasion, is it?”
Stefan turned in his seat so he could see me. “I’m surprised it took you so long to ask.”
“It’s Shifter business. It didn’t seem wise to discuss it in front of an audience.” Plus, the less my dad and sister knew, the safer they would be.
“The official charge is Thaumaturgy.”
I waited for someone to explain what that was, but no one volunteered.
“Thaumaturgy?”
“That’s a pretty serious charge,” Charlie answered from the other side of the backseat, which was approximately three miles away. “Did the accuser offer any evidence to support the claim?”
This time when Stefan smiled he did nothing to disguise the malevolence. “I believe she provided ample evidence of witchcraft last night, don’t you?”
Charlie’s only response was a bulging of the muscles in his jaws.
“Witchcraft?” Although, that did clear up any doubt as to who turned us over to the Alphas. Mr. Matthews all but called me Goody Osborne and doused me with Holy Water during his little visit. “You’re taking me away from my family and putting me on trial for being a fictional entity?”
“The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he did not exist,” said a rich baritone voice, thick with a British-type accent, from the front seat. So, not so much African American as African.
“Many Shifters and Seers believe in the existence of Thaumaturgics and Immortals,” Charlie informed me quietly. I think the idea was for the comment to be a private one, but there was really no point. We all had super-hearing. If Jase and Talley had been talking in the other car I would’ve heard it.
“Thaumaturgics being witches?”
“Yes.”
“And Immortals being… vampires?”
“What is it with girls and vampires?” Charlie asked, trying to smile.
“They’re pretty and they sparkle in the sun, just like unicorns.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “No, Immortals aren’t vampires. They can hang in the sun without becoming a disco ball, there are no garlic allergies, and blood isn’t part of their daily menu. They simply don’t die.”
“Ever?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really know. Our family doesn’t believe in that stuff. To us, they’re more like legends and bedtime stories than an actual people walking around.”
“What about you, Mr. Vasile? Do you believe in witches?”
Instead of turning around, Stefan peered at me through the rearview mirror. “My belief is that you should take advantage of what I believe is called the right to be silent in your country. Feigning ignorance to gain information will not be looked upon as favorable by our queen.”
I didn’t like Stefan. I had absolutely no desire to impress or please him. I knew that my situation was fairly dire, and I didn’t even understand what it was I had done wrong. I wanted to press on, ask questions until I had a firm grasp of what was happening, but eighteen years of being a good girl who does what she’s told doesn’t get undone in a single moment, or even a single summer. So, I shut my mouth and stayed silent for the remainder of the trip.
I didn’t, however, put away my phone.
They think I’m a witch, I texted to Talley.
You’re not, she hit back.
Of course I’m not!
It will b hard 2 prove.
Y? That wand in my room came from Harry Potter World in Orli. Is so not real. Also, I do NOT weigh the same as a duck.
THIS IS SERIOUS!
I know that.
Then stop being so flippant.
I’m always flippant. This is Scout, remember?
I’m scared.
Well, crap. There went any amount of calm I had managed to achieve.
Me 2. I followed up that oh-so-not-shocking announcement with, How is Jase?
Freaked. Charlie?
I looked across the vast expanse of the back seat and saw not the boy who I’d been working on getting to know again over the last few weeks, but the one from the beginning of the summer.
Not good.
Where do u think we’re going?
Alcatraz?
Scout…
Sorry. Coping mechanism.
Just as I was hitting send, the SUV lurched to the left. I glanced out the window and realized we’d somehow made it to the Serenity Shores Cottages. There are tons of rental properties in Lake County to accommodate the summer tourists. Most of them run the gambit of rustic to modern, the cabin equivalent of roach motel to Holiday Inn, but Serenity Shores catered to a much more affluent market. According to Meg Jamison, who worked in the office over the summers, the cheapest cabin rented out for over $2,500 a week.
The cabin we parked in front of was not of the $2,500 a week variety.
The majority of Lake County is lower middle class. My parents hardly bring in big bucks as a school superintendent and nurse, but we are still better off financially than most of our neighbors. Our house, a medium sized two story neocolonial, is one of the biggest on our side of town. The cabin was at least three times that size. Could you even call something a cabin when it had three floors and a four car garage?
NBA stopped just in front of the Rocky-like steps leading up to the front door. He quickly came around the vehicle and opened the door for Stefan, who in turn opened the door for me.
“I have handcuffs,” he informed me in the same bland tone you might tell someone you have a stick of gum. “I would really rather not use them, they just seem crass, but I will if you don’t feel as though you can control yourself.”
The idea of having my hands bound behind me in the present company was one of the most terrifying thoughts I ever had.
“I won’t give you any trouble,” I said, knowing with morbid clarity there was no way I was capable.
Chapter 22
The inside of the cabin was just as opulent as the outside. The shiny wooden floors were new enough the smell of oak could be detected under the assault of Lemon Pine Sol. Over them stretched the kind of old lady rugs one normally associated with museums. The framed artwork on the wall, which was also made of tree carcasses, looked like actual art instead of the typical Ken Holland prints found tacked up on every available surface in Lake County. The chandelier hanging above our heads was the only thing assuring me we were still in my corner of the universe. Where else besides Western Kentucky would a four foot wide chandelier made entirely of deer antlers count as classy?
The Shifter who opened the door stayed bowed over as we all entered, although I’m not certain if it was because of some sort of lower station thing or because his decrepit old back couldn’t fully straighten.
“Sir,” he breathe
d as Stefan entered, dipping even lower.
Stefan shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over the elderly gentleman’s arm, revealing the worst case of sweaty pits I’d ever seen. “We have two additional guests, Akay. Can you have a room prepared for them?”
“Of course, sire. Would you prefer them on the upper levels or with the Thaumaturgic?”
“One of the empty rooms on the third floor.” He gave both Jase and Charlie a once over. “And make certain it’s not a room adjacent to one of the girls.”
Another man who looked like a younger version of Akay came into the room and the servant spoke to him in a multitude of vowels and hard consonants. Once Akay was done issuing out orders in his native tongue, the younger man bounded up the stairs.
During the whole exchange Jase, Charlie, Talley, and I stood clumped together in front of the door. There was a comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone, and having their bodies near soothed me. If I hadn’t thought it would make me look like a complete pansy, I would have grabbed the two hands closest to me and clung on for dear life. I didn’t want to be here, and I was so scared I probably would have a full on coronary if one of the muscled men turned around and said, “Boo!”
“Shall I inform the queen of your arrival?” NBA asked.
“Please, Mandla.” Stefan turned to the servant as the African guard also headed up the stairs. “Akay, show the Seer and coyotes around.” Akay moved his torso impossibly closer to the floor. “Hashim and Travis, you many lead the Thaumaturgic to her quarters.”
Something about the way they kept referring to me as “the Thaumaturgic” made me doubt my chances at a fair trial.
“We’re on it, boss,” the blond said with a Texas drawl. “You want us to stay and keep her company?”
Stefan nodded. “For a moment. We will begin rotations after I meet with the Taxiarhos.”
Both Travis and Hashim, the human serpent, bowed, though if it was a sign of actual respect or just an attempt to stay on the punishing side of the Shifter politics, I couldn’t say.
I expected to be led away with the same stoic severity the two had exhibited for the last hour or so of our acquaintance, or perhaps even frog-marched away, but instead Travis came up and offered me an arm. “Shall we, ma’am?”
Unable to say anything due to terror induced muteness, I nodded and slipped a hand into the crook of his elbow. The sensation of his warm and surprisingly soft skin against my palm made my heart skip a beat, and not out of fear. I looked up into his chiseled face and felt my face heat.
“Where are you taking her?” Charlie demanded, sounding much braver than I could have mustered.
“We have prepared special accommodations for the Thaumaturgic,” Stefan said. “We must guarantee everyone’s safety, including her own, until the trial.”
Charlie stepped forward, looking ready to take on Travis despite the fact he maybe came up to his nose. “I’m going with her.”
“Sorry, but I’m afraid the Thaumaturgic must be kept separated until the new moon. Perhaps, however, you can convince the queen to allow short visits during your stay so you may ensure her health and safety as is your duty.”
Charlie didn’t immediately stand down, which made me happy on some deeply selfish level, but I couldn’t allow anything to happen to him just because I was afraid to be alone. He caught my eye, and I shook my head, forcing my face to remain calm and authoritative. There was another beat before he inclined his head in a move similar to the reverence the others showed Stefan.
“I’ll come check on you as soon as I can,” he said.
“Take care of each other, okay?” I said to the three of them, unable to address Charlie individually. I couldn’t cry in front of the others. It was like when I walked into the middle of the Hagan Pack after my first Change - I couldn’t let them see my fear. Or my heartache. This was the Shifter world I was dealing with. Strength was everything.
Fortunately, no one expected Seers to be tough, because Talley was a virtual waterworks as Travis whisked me away with Hashim following at a distance most people would have found socially unacceptable. Every step away from my Pack felt like something vital was being ripped away from me. The stress must have shown, because Travis reached over and patted the hand gripping onto his elbow.
“Don’t worry.” His tone was somewhere between gentle and condescending. “We’ll treat you right.”
“Said the Big Bad Wolf,” I muttered before my brain could inform my mouth that might not be the smartest move. Travis only laughed.
“Does that make you one of the Three Little Pigs?”
I frowned. “I was thinking more like Little Red Riding Hood.”
Another laugh. “Except in this version Grandma is Maleficent, and instead of the Woodsman coming to the rescue, Red turns into a giant white wolf?”
“I’m not a witch.”
“Sorry, Miss Donovan, but this is the Alpha Pack, not CSI: Boondocks. Here you’re guilty until proven innocent.” When he looked at me, I thought I detected regret in his overly handsome face. “And no one is ever proven innocent.”
***
I’m not exactly sure what I expected my jail cell to look like, but an actual jail cell never crossed my mind. I mean, who puts steel bars in the basement of a deluxe cabin on the Kentucky Lake?
Yet, that is exactly what I found at the bottom of the back staircase. The cell was located in the corner opposite the washer and dryer. It was larger than the cells I’ve seen on TV, something close to a fifteen by fifteen foot square. The decor was very uninhabited dorm room. A twin bed with cheap white sheets was pushed against one wall with a beaten up dresser at the foot. And that was the entire extent of my furniture.
A crappy bed with crappy sheets I could handle. However, what gave me a serious case of do not make me go in there was the bathroom, or what was to be counted as a bathroom. On the far wall was a toilet, which had been relieved of its seat. A cheap shower head stuck out of the wall. The area was surrounded by a track from which hung a thin white shower curtain.
Then there were the shackles hanging off the walls.
Someone needed to explain the definition of “serenity” to the owners of Serenity Shores.
“Cozy,” I said as Travis keyed a code into the door.
“Just in case you get any strokes of genius, you need to know these here are some of the strongest steel bars you can get, and they are hiding beneath the concrete walls, too.” The Texan pointed to a box on the wall nearest the door leading out of the basement. “Once I have you in here, I’m going to flip that switch, which will run enough juice through them to make that stick straight hair of yours look like Justin Timberlake’s white boy fro.”
“The window?” I asked, nodding to the tiny opening a good six inches over my head.
“Double-plated bullet-proof glass. Also, it’s armed with two different security systems, just like all the doors. Both systems run off a generator should we lose power.”
“Not to mention a house full of Dominants, right?”
Travis’s teeth gleamed under the fluorescent lights. “Right, cupcake.” He leaned over to where his nose was hovering scant centimeters away from where my neck and shoulder met and then breathed in deeply. “Damn shame you’re Thaumaturgic,” he said, his breath tickling my collar bone. “I would have really enjoyed getting to know you.”
This time it wasn’t just my face that flushed, it was my whole body.
“I’m not a witch.” Was that really my voice coming out all low and breathy? “I’m a Shifter.”
He didn’t move, which was incredibly rude, completely terrifying, and more than a little thrilling at the same time. “You certainly smell like a Shifter.” He sniffed in again, the hum of noise from the back of his throat causing goosebumps to pop up all over my skin.
I’ve replayed that scene at least a million times in my head since then, and I’m still not sure what would have happened next if Hashim hadn’t interrupted. The most likely scenario involved
me pushing him away and telling him to keep his evil nose to himself, and emphasizing the point with my fist.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
“Go,” Hashim hissed as Travis jolted away from me. When I didn’t immediately obey, Hashim pointed at me and then the cage. “You. Go.”
Knowing there was no use in delaying the inevitable, and eager to get away from the weirdness of what just happened with Travis, I went inside. I heard the door slide home and then the hum of electricity. The whole time I just stood there, looking at my prison and trying not to panic. Claustrophobia has never really been an issue for me, but, then again, I was never locked in a cage for weeks at a time before. I didn’t cry, though. I kept my spine straight and shoulders back. The wolf, who still prowled close to the skin with the full moon only being hours behind us, refused to submit in any way to the two men who were now standing just outside the basement door.
Eventually, I felt ridiculous just standing there, staring resolutely at the grey concrete wall. I took my time exploring my surroundings, knowing I had all the time in the world. The bed was small, but the mattress was comfortable. Not too firm, not too soft, and free of lumps or sprung springs. The dresser was filled with dings and stains, but had the regality of a once noble piece of high end bedroom furniture. The odds and ends making up the bathroom were surprisingly clean, the scent of bleach overriding any hint of mold, mildew, or anything even less appetizing.
Once the inspection was over I lay down on the bed and waited.
Chapter 23
It took me five minutes to realize I was hearing voices, and another two to realize they weren’t in my head.
“We are honored to have you with us,” said a female voice with a heavy English accent.
“No, I’m the one honored, my Alpha,” came the reply from a familiar voice. “I am only sorry that the situation wasn’t a little different.”
“Yes, this whole thing is rather… unfortunate. But you have nothing to fear. I can See your nobility and honor. I know you would never intentionally defy your Alphas.”
Time Mends Page 18
