* * *
Josiah stopped short as the hostess was about to seat him. William Winkler and three others sat at a table not far away. The werewolves hadn't caught his scent yet; the restaurant was too crowded and smelled of food. "You know, I just remembered an appointment," Josiah lied to the young woman. "I'll come back later." Josiah turned and left the restaurant quickly.
* * *
"Hell, no I don't put all my eggs in one basket," Ezekiel growled at Josiah over the phone. Josiah should have known better than to call Zeke when the full moon was so close. "But I have to tell you, if I catch up with Fergus before the Grand Master does, he'll wish he'd handed himself over tied up with a ribbon. Sending kids to do what I asked?" Zeke was quite inventive in his cursing.
"You had Fergus?" Josiah worked to keep his voice steady.
"I got a lot of wolves in the palm of my hand. All askin' for favors, just like you did. He stole from our target and wanted me to take Winkler out so's he could get away with it. Plus, he snatched away his Second's wife while he was at it. And since his favor so closely aligned with what I wanted anyway," Zeke said.
"You mean he wanted to shove Winkler's son into his father's position before he was ready, and in the ensuing chaos, Fergus could get away with theft from Winkler Securities? Talk about a death wish," Josiah muttered.
"Yeah, I thought it was stupid, too, but I wasn't about to tell Fergus that." Josiah imagined that Zeke was grinning. "It got me another one for my hit. Except he was too chicken to do it himself. Gotta hand it to him, though, if those kids were older and had more sense, he might have pulled it off. As it is, he's on the run now. I've got some of mine on his tail."
Josiah didn't say anything. You didn't cross Ezekiel Tanner and expect to live over it. The only good thing, as Josiah saw it, was that the two boys hadn't been informed that Tanner was behind the hit. Winkler would believe that Fergus pulled their strings. Josiah hunched his shoulders. Ezekiel Tanner had pulled his strings for a long time through his brother Obediah. Now he was doing the pulling himself. If Josiah could accomplish this last assignment, however, he'd be free of Zeke Tanner and have his ranch as well. The prospect brightened his day considerably.
Josiah didn't like it, though, that Zeke had brought in someone else without telling him. No matter, those boys were as good as dead and Fergus was on the run. Zeke's decisions weren't always sound but he frightened everyone too much to have that pointed out to him.
"We're still on," Josiah said. "We'll get it done."
"Good. I'm counting on it." Zeke hung up.
Chapter 17
"Ashe?" Sali sat on the chair beside Ashe's desk. Ashe was working late to make up for time spent at the beach house and in Corpus Christi—Winkler had driven to the airport after lunch to talk with his werewolf pilots before sending them after Thomas Williams in Sacramento.
"What, Sal?" Ashe pecked away at his desktop keyboard, finishing emails to Andy on some of the files he was working.
"Hayes—they're gonna have the service tomorrow morning."
"That's what Trace said."
"Dude, are you going?" Ashe looked up at Sali.
"I don't know." Ashe lowered his head again.
"His mom and dad—they want all of us there. All his classmates."
"Are you sure about that? I could have saved Hayes instead of Cori. I made a choice, Sali. I chose one friend over another."
"Ashe, Hayes saved me." Ashe jerked his head up again as Sali crumpled.
Trace rushed into the room as Ashe tried to hold up a sobbing Sali. Help me, Ashe begged mentally.
"Ashe, being gay doesn't mean I'm any better at this than anyone else," Trace muttered dryly, but he helped get Sali onto the chair again and patted his shoulder awkwardly.
"Sali, Hayes gave you a gift," Ashe finally broke down and hugged his friend. "You have to accept it, dude."
"Ashe, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Sali wept. "I was stupid."
"Sal, is this about Hayes or about us?" Ashe pulled away and offered Sali his box of tissues.
"Both, I guess." Sali wiped his eyes. "Sorry, dude. Didn't mean for that to happen."
"It's okay."
"Look, you two need to sort this out." Trace nodded to Ashe and walked out.
"Yeah. There's a lot to sort," Sali muttered.
"Dude, there's someplace I need to be," Ashe said, checking his watch. "Want to come?" Sali looked up at Ashe, confused.
"Where?" Sali asked.
"Canada," Ashe said. Gripping Sali's arm, Ashe relocated.
* * *
"They're here," Matt pointed out the location on his map. "We have to take them by surprise." He and a small army of humans, vampires and werewolves stood outside an entrance into the rail tunnels beneath Chicago.
"Then let us go in first," Gerard offered. He led the contingent of five vampires Wlodek sent. "We have the map memorized and can go in swiftly. We'll take out their front line of defense before they expect the attack, which will allow the wolves and the rest of you to finish what's left."
"Sounds good," Matt said. "Are we ready?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Let's go."
* * *
"Dude, where are we?" Sali hissed. They were standing on the shore of a lake in twilight, and it was cold. Sali stared about him—tall firs surrounded the area, making it the perfect hiding place. Or hunting ground, he corrected mentally. The wolves would love to run there. He'd love to run there.
"They're shielding the camp; you won't see it until we're in the middle of it," Ashe whispered. "I've got us shielded so they won't see," Ashe grabbed Sali's arm and pulled him along.
"But can they hear?" Sali was worried, suddenly.
"Shhh, I don't know if I have the kinks worked out on the auditory shields," Ashe hushed Sali. "Be quiet. I'll turn us to mist if there's a problem." Ashe hauled Sali farther along the lake's edge. Lac Savard, Ashe spoke mentally to Sali. Sali shuddered as they walked through something intangibly colder, and then he saw them. Elemaiya. Everywhere. Preparing for battle.
He and Ashe walked right through them, with none of them even noticing. Sali wanted to talk so badly, he could taste the words on his tongue. The questions crowded behind his teeth, settling at the back of his throat, bitter as bile. What were they doing here? Had his father been right all along? Was Ashe going over to the enemy? One nearly grown werewolf had no chance against the thousands in this camp, most dressed in metal or painted leather armor, much of it decorated with gems and gold. Elaborate helmets graced heads. Even the Romans would have been impressed, Sali thought, his head turning this way and that as Ashe dragged him through the camp. At times, they stepped around piles of equipment or warriors donning gear. He saw an ornate, hammered gold breastplate that would bring enough money to pay for college with a little left over for a car or three. Steady, Sali, we're on a mission, Ashe sent. Sali turned back to Ashe and left the thing lying in the grass.
Stay with me, Sal, Ashe reassured Sali as they came to the western edge of the camp. A long line of Elemaiya stood there, all dressed in battle gear, their eyes turned toward the west as if they were watching for something. Waiting for something. Sali saw what it was soon enough.
* * *
"Where's the kid?" Winkler strode through the house, raking fingers through his hair.
"He was here a few minutes ago—Sali came and well, there was an emotional meltdown," Trace said.
"Where did they go?" Winkler stared at Trace.
"He didn't leave the house. Not in the conventional sense, anyway," Trace said, rising from his seat. He'd helped himself to a soda from the fridge and sat down at the kitchen island to drink it. Now he was up and ready to look for Ashe.
"Matt's hitting those tunnels in Chicago tonight. If I find out Ashe went," Winkler huffed out a frustrated breath.
"Boss, settle down. It's too close to the full moon," Trace said. "Let me get Trajan." Trace pulled his cell from a pocket and dialed.
* * *
"And he said not to
tell me, too?" Denise was shocked at Marcus' words. Marcus couldn't fathom why Ashe and Winkler had been so secretive about the whole thing. Denise, as the Packmaster's wife, had just as much right to know as Trajan did. Denise shook her head in bewilderment. "Surely not, Marcus," she said. "How can this happen?"
"You know as much as I do, sweetheart. Just keep it to yourself, all right? There'll be hell to pay if Winkler hears that I told you."
"He won't know. I promise." Denise went to make Marcus a cup of coffee.
* * *
"I'll pick you up at the airport tomorrow evening," Randy said.
"I have something to tell you when I get there," Sara told him.
"I hope it's that you love me," Randy said, emboldened by the fact that he was talking on his cell and not face-to-face.
"We'll get to that," Sara suddenly sounded shy.
"I sure hope so," Randy was encouraged by Sara's answer. He stood on the sand of the public beach in Port Aransas, leaning against the fender of the car he'd purchased two hours earlier. The vehicle was smaller than he might like but it suited him and his needs. Sara wouldn't mind. The moon was close to full and rising above the waters as he spoke with Sara. Randy appreciated the path the moonlight made, as if you could walk on it to the eastern horizon. "I wish you were here right now," he said. "The moon is beautiful."
"Yeah. I wish I were there too. Love you, Randall. Bye."
* * *
Sali, you're shielded, they can't see you, Ashe assured his friend. Sali gulped as his eyes roamed the lines of opposing Elemaiya. He and Ashe stood in a grassy space between two armies as twilight deepened around them. The moon was up and stars twinkled overhead, oblivious of the war about to take place. Sali watched the line of warriors they'd passed through moments earlier. Were they aware that another army had appeared? They didn't seem to be. They're shielded, too, Ashe answered Sali's unspoken question. But if their attackers come closer, the two shields surrounding each army will intersect and both sides will be visible. I'm about to lower both shields a little early.
* * *
"My Prince!" Liridael shouted as the vampires attacked. Lengthy claws sliced out before the Prince or his trusted guard could relocate. Beldris died, his eyes staring at the rounded brick ceiling overhead. His last thought was of the skies of Morningsun, homeworld to the Dark Elemaiya. Why had he and the others thought to leave it? It no longer mattered; the light was fading. Shouts and screams around Beldris dimmed with the light, and then winked out altogether.
* * *
"Ashe," Sali whispered, terrified. The shields had come down as Ashe raised his arms and then lowered them.
Sal, now's the time for you to keep quiet, Ashe warned mentally. They can see me now. They can't see you, but they might hear. Sali nodded mutely as both sides, Bright and Dark, muttered among themselves. Here was a boy, standing between them and their enemy, and somehow the shields had been lowered without contact.
"You!" Parlethis stepped forward from the Bright army.
"Me," Ashe agreed quietly. "You represent the Bright Queen?"
"Yes. I intend to kill you, but that will wait. I want Prince Beldris to step forward or his people will die."
"Beldris is not here," Baltis came from behind his first line of soldiers to stand before them. "My brother is elsewhere."
"Your brother has been attacked in Chicago," Ashe turned to Baltis with stars in his eyes. Ashe stood in the center, Parlethis and Baltis perhaps twenty feet away on opposing sides. Baltis did not fail to see Ashe's eyes. Frightened, he wanted to step behind his troops again. He was King, however. He was expected to be braver than his bravest warrior.
"My brother?"
"Is dead," Ashe sighed. "As you likely know, none of us can truly be in two places at once. A difficult lesson I learned only recently. The Bright Ones decided to attack your camp. Others attacked your brother in Chicago. I came because you have children here. I will not see them killed. Leave now and I will not pursue."
"I have no plans to leave," Parlethis snarled. "I will do my Queen's bidding. She asked me to destroy the Dark race and take the King's crown. I will not fail her."
"But you have young in your camp as well," Ashe turned to Parlethis. "Surely your Queen has no desire to see the children die."
"She knows this and sent me anyway. The Dark Ones have murdered too many of our race. We will not back down. I will kill you, King," Parlethis snarled at Baltis, raising a jeweled sword. Light played along its edge, causing it to glow brightly in the dim moonlight.
"I stand in your way, Bright fool," Baltis hissed. "Warriors, attack!"
Ashe pulled Sali into his mist as the front lines clashed together. Energy blasts flew and exploded. Elemaiya on both sides screamed and shouted as bodies hurled through the air. Weapons clanged and huge chunks of earth and rock were thrown and blocked. Water from the lake was doused onto both sides. Those who slipped struggled to rise again. Many still standing took advantage of the situation and fell on their enemy, until the ground began to shake beneath the feet of both armies. The quake was so violent it threw everyone to the ground. The shaking increased—so much so that none could rise again. Ashe materialized with Sali at his side at a safe distance. "Go now!" His voice boomed through the trees and across the lake. Elemaiya warriors began disappearing by the hundreds. The ground still shook. Sali, though, stared at his feet. The earth beneath him was as still and calm as anything could be.
"How?" he stared at Ashe.
"Don't break my concentration, Sal," Ashe murmured. Sali saw tall firs break and fall. The lake formed waves and engulfed many. Parents disappeared with their children, followed closely by others. Ashe's jaw tightened as he concentrated and the ground continued to tremble violently. Sali wanted to speak again but held back; frightened of the answers he might receive to the questions struggling against his clenched teeth. Finally, after roughly ten minutes of continuous ground shaking, the tremors subsided. Every Elemaiya was gone, including the dead. Ashe went limp, dropping to the ground in a heap. "Ashe?" Sali knelt beside his friend. "Ashe?" Sali was alone.
The End
* * * * *
About the Author:
Connie Suttle lives in Oklahoma with her patient, long-suffering husband and three cats. The cats are not long-suffering and are far from patient.
* * * * *
For information on upcoming titles, please visit Connie's website at www.subtledemon.com, her blog at subtledemon.blogspot.com or find her on her Facebook page—Connie Suttle Author. She is also on twitter: @subtledemon.
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