by Martha Carr
"Come on, it's a jogger."
"At three a.m. in Rock Creek Park? You're out here this time of night, you're looking for trouble or you got nowhere else to go." Isabel gripped her wand and took off in the direction of the man.
The man passed briefly under a streetlight, illuminating dark thick hair cut short around his ears, wearing a hoodie and jeans.
"Nobody told me to wear running shoes," hissed Toby, doing his best to keep up with Isabel. They crossed over Sixteenth Street and went into the darkened park running and stopping for over a mile, listening for the sound of a twig breaking or branches being pushed aside.
"I think we lost him," said Toby, breathing hard next to Isabel.
Isabel pinched the soft underside of Toby's arm and scowled at him, baring her teeth. "Be quiet!"
Toby's mouth formed a large 'O’, but he said nothing and looked in the direction Isabel was pointing with her wand.
A naked man was bent forward, his arms stretched out wide as the bones twisted and reformed, the sound of bones cracking reaching the young witch and wizard. Toby pressed his hand to his stomach and swallowed hard.
Fur sprouted first along the ridge of his back, working its way out to his extremities. His head bowed, the jaw growing longer as the man became a shifter, his front paws softly touching down on the ground.
Slowly, the shifter pushed up on his hind legs, snarling and growling until the pain of his change subsided. He stretched his back legs and took a deep breath, bowing his head down and moving his shoulders.
The animal crept out of the trees and stood for a moment in the center of the park, howling loudly, lifting his head toward the moon. The noise rose into the air to echo across the park.
"Yip, yip, yip!" The sounds of other shifters answered the call. The wolf howled again, stopping abruptly and sniffing the air.
The large, furry head swung in the direction of the young magicals, the lips pulled back to reveal large fangs as the shifter growled. Toby bit his bottom lip, tasting blood and held out his wand. He held his breath, his eyes wide doing his best not to think about the last time he had been faced with shifters.
"I can do this," he muttered.
"Of course you can. I would have knocked you out and left you for bait by now if I didn't think so." Isabel made small circles with her wand and snapped it forward, winding out a light of gold studded with thorns. The magical lasso wrapped around the back leg of the shifter, digging in and drawing blood. The wolf whipped his head around, biting at the light with his teeth, easily cutting through it and turning it to ashes.
"Wait, that's not supposed to be possible," said Isabel, the color draining from her face, her eyes wide.
"What the fuck?" Toby looked down at his hard-soled shoes and scanned the nearby trees, calculating which one he could climb fast enough to get out of the way.
The yipping grew louder as the other shifters closed in on the location. The wolf in front of them lifted his snout and howled out a plaintive cry that ended in a loud, high-pitched note. The sound of the other shifters increased, breaking into a chorus of yips and howls that seemed to grow closer, faster.
"What the fuck have we done?" yelled Toby. "You know he just told the entire pack what you did."
"What we did." Isadora stood firm with her wand but seemed to hesitate. "Oh, fuck it." She took off at a run in the opposite direction, her wand still in her hand, not looking back over her shoulder.
Toby watched her go, his mind reeling with what to do next. He finally ran in a zigzag pattern up the middle of the park in a blind panic. "Don't look at what's chasing you. Don't look at what's chasing you." He kept repeating the mantra, spittle dropping on his shirt.
He came to the creek that ran through the park and dashed into it, wading across with no particular destination in mind. He slid on a rock, landing on his ass, the water splashing up around his face and scrambled to his knees, crawling the rest of the way out of the creek. His hands were bruised, and his face was scratched from running through the dense trees, but it didn't matter. He kept running until he realized the sound had grown more distant.
He stopped for a moment, his heart pounding so loudly he heard a buzzing in his ears, trying to focus on where the yipping was coming from now.
"Southeast corner." A look of horror came over his face and he looked in that direction and back over his shoulder. "Isabel." He held out his shaking wand, steadying it with his other hand and tapped the air three times. "Find me her heart, dark as this night."
The sound of Isabel's heart echoed from the tip of his wand, slowing fading until it finally stopped. Toby leaned over, his hand pressing against the bark of a tree and threw up the contents of his dinner, tears filling his eyes. He took his wand and broke it over his knee, a dark thread of magic pouring out of it.
He pulled out his phone, blinking back tears and pulled up his mother's number. I'm coming home, he texted. I've had enough. I'm sorry.
He started to walk in his wet shoes for the far side of the park when a bing sounded from his phone and he held it up to his face. There is always a place for you here. We'll figure it out together like a family. Hurry home.
Toby wiped his face on a dry part of his sleeve and swallowed hard, putting his phone away and trudging out of the park.
Chapter Eighteen
Louie sidestepped a pair of hedgehogs burrowing under the raised garden behind Ghouls Tavern deep in the Dark Forest. "That is not gonna go over well with Markette, guys. You've been warned."
The door to the tavern suddenly flew open and a Dwarf tumbled out, end over end, landing flat on his back. "Nice to see you again Jolly. I see your day is going well."
"You too, Louie," groaned Jolly, shutting his eyes and making no attempt to get out of the dirt. A third hedgehog scurried around him, heading for the same hole toward the side of the bar.
Louie went into the darkened bar, walking across the uneven floor to the long oak bar, taking a seat on a stool. He shifted the sword strapped to his back and swiveled on the seat to get a better view of the rest of the tavern.
"Hey, Louie," said the bartender. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and a smear of eyeliner from last night was still under her eyes. "Your usual?"
"Sure, hit me, Markette," Louie replied, looking around the dim bar. "Where's Hairy and his brother, Fang?" Louie took a slow look around the bar, peering into the darkened corners for his connection. Not here yet.
Markette snorted, putting a glass of whiskey down in front of Louie. "Kilomeas don't take well to body shaming, Louie, especially those two brothers. Haven't they kicked your ass enough for one lifetime?"
"It's become our thing. We have a bromance going on, even if they don't know it." He took a sip, the warmth spreading down his throat. "I've gotten in a few good licks myself," he said with a wink.
Markette smiled, shaking her head at him. "I must have been off those days." Markette reached under the bar and pulled out an envelope, slapping it on the bar. "This came for you while you were gone." Markette gave him a long look. "You sure you know what you're doing?"
Louie raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I always know enough for the next five minutes, give or take a minute."
Markette rolled her eyes and went back to wiping glasses. "One of these days, Louie, that charm won't be enough to get you out of whatever death defying hole you dug for yourself."
"Make sure you serve everyone the good whiskey at my wake. I don't want anyone saying I was a cheap bastard." He opened the envelope and read the short message. Meet me out back behind the first stand of poplars. The words quickly changed into worms, wriggling on the page.
"Take those outside," growled Markette, sampling some of the gin.
"I'll go feed the birds. Don't take my drink," he said, pulling out a handful of pintas and tossing them on the bar. "I'll be back."
"Yes, but will it be today?" called Markette, as Louie pushed through the door and went outside, stepping over Jolly, snoring in the dirt.
He came around the back of the thatch-covered building and walked through the thick undergrowth, making his way to the stand of trees. He stepped past the first line of poplars and a beefy hand reached out to grab him, pulling him further inside. He neatly slid his wand out of a pocket, the start of a spell on his lips.
"Point that thing somewhere else," the Kilomea growled.
"What's with all the drama, Bruce? There's a perfectly good bar right over there with chairs and alcohol. Why are we playing in the woods?"
"I have news on Sirius," he whispered. "Your boy is playing a very dangerous game. There's talk around the Dark Market that there's a new player who's doing the impossible."
Louie waited, shaking his head. "You’ll need to be more specific about what impossible means. We need a dramatic pause? Come on, give me the goods."
"You're ruining this for me."
"Sorry, let me try again. Oh my God! What is it?"
"Okay, now you're just fucking with me."
"Most magicals think Kilomeas are big lugs who like to steal shit and kill things."
"And now you're hurting my feelings."
Louie patted him on his bulky arm. "But I know better. You do like to steal shit and kill things, though."
"Truth. Most of my cousins would like to hunt you down." The Kilomea grew somber, putting his hands on Louie's shoulders, the weight pressing down on the wizard. "Enough with the bullshit. If you're messing around with Sirius, you've pulled yourself into something beyond both of us this time. The new player is making a name for himself in both worlds. He's gaining power in the royal court and there's talk he has power on Earth, too."
"Ah, the impossible," muttered Louie. "Fuck, this is bad."
"Sirius has signed up to help him, but I'm not sure it was altogether voluntary, or that there's any kind of out clause that doesn't involve dismemberment."
"Ouch. That would sting. Where can I find Sirius?"
"You're still gonna hunt him down. I have to give you respect. When they find pieces of you can I have the sword?" Bruce reached out to touch it, but a spark flew out and stung his hand.
"It kind of has to choose you, big guy. Sirius?"
"He's in the other world, in Washington, DC. He's on tap to take down Leira Berens or die trying. In exchange he gets protection and the chance to control a section of their world."
"Who is powerful enough to first convince Sirius that's even doable and then attempt to pull it off? Most important, where can I find Sirius?"
"He goes by Wolfstan Humphrey. Bad Light Elf did a stretch in Trevilsom and came out with his mind intact. That is some serious magic."
"Narrow it down for me a little more. Where exactly can I find Sirius. DC is a big city."
"You have the artifact I wanted?"
"I have it. First an address."
The Kilomea shook his head. "That won't work. Sirius moves around every few days. He's gotten paranoid and with good reason. I'm not sure he has the complete backing of the families anymore."
"Then our deal is off."
"Now hold on. I have something even better. Sirius checks in every day with Wolfstan. He uses the old trapping spell."
"Right, it's impenetrable and perfect for sending messages you don't want anyone else to see." Louie scowled, getting that itchy feeling to get moving. That feeling had saved him more than once.
"That's usually true. But I have a gift for you." Bruce reached into the pocket of his cloak. "It can't do much for me. I'm not willing to tangle with Sirius or Wolfstan Humphrey." He held out a purple geode. "Every relic starts as something ordinary till a magical infuses it with magic. This one used to belong to Sirius and still has his signature."
Louie's eyes widened with delight. "You are a genius. Worth some of your weight in gold." He took the artifact from Bruce, turning it over in his hands. "It'll act as a GPS for Sirius."
"Once it gets within a hundred miles of him. And if you get lucky with the timing of the trapping spell..."
Louie spun in a circle. "We might be able to track Wolfstan too."
Bruce grinned, his large canine teeth showing. "That should work for your purposes."
"Like a charm." Louie reached into his satchel, pulling out a drawstring pouch and securing the geode. He pushed it toward the bottom and pulled out a larger drawstring bag, loosening the top and sliding out a wooden music box. "Per our deal. You've earned it. A music box that can help anyone fall in love with you." Louie shook his head. "You are a giant, hairy marshmallow, Bruce."
Bruce grinned, his large molars protruding, taking the box from Louie.
"Don't open it here!" Louie put a hand on the top. "I like you, Bruce, but let's not take it any further. I don’t need to be under your spell. You sure you know what you're doing?"
"I'm sure. I have my eye on a Kilomea from the mountains. She has three suitors, all with more money than I've got. I can't lose her."
Louie smiled, patting him on the back, raising a small cloud of dust. "Good luck to you. I hope it's everything you want."
Bruce looked at Louie solemnly. "You too, Louie. Be careful. You've never gone up against forces like this. I'd kind of miss you."
"Bruce, that is the nicest thing a Kilomea has ever said to me. You're one of a kind. I hate to leave you here, but time is not on my side on this one."
Bruce patted Louie on the shoulder, jarring him a little. "No, it is not. Get out of here, and before anyone sees us together. I don't want that geode being traced back to me. Be safe, Louie."
"That's not in my cards, Bruce." Louie ducked out from the trees and made his way through the brush till he could find a clearing and create a portal. He circled his wand, opening up a space into his apartment and stepping through, reaching for his phone he had left on the counter. "Three a.m. I'm texting her anyway."
Chapter Nineteen
Leira stood at the kitchen window sipping a glass of water looking out at the alley. She had woken up in the middle of the night, her chest still aching from the run in with the world in between and had crept quietly downstairs.
Bang!
A trash can hit a wall and rolled on its side, clattering against cobblestones. Leira put down the glass and quietly opened the back door, stepping outside, staying back in the shadows.
She saw the outline of a large dog limping down the alley and narrowed her gaze, watching the creature move. "Shifter," she whispered, her body growing tense as she gripped the railing.
The shifter's back leg was wounded, and he was winded, gingerly stepping across the stones till he got to the neighbor's back door.
Angel Moss opened her back door, the light from her kitchen shining out on the shifter.
"Oh my God," she exclaimed, running down the steps, petting the large head of the shifter and running back inside, only to reappear with a bath towel to hold against the leg.
Leira’s face changed to surprise as she watched the shifter nudge Angel away from him and he braced his three good legs. His bones twisted with a loud crunch, shifting back into human form. The head lifted back into place and the jaw shortened as the hair sunk into the skin until standing under the light was the naked form of Matt Moss. There was a gaping wound along his left calf and blood was oozing out of it.
That explains the buzz I kept getting from him. Leira pressed back against the wall of her house.
"You lost your best track suit. No matter," said a nervous Angel, draping her husband's arm over her shoulder. "Good thing you showed me how to do stitches. What the hell happened out there?"
"We were ambushed. One of them got away."
Angel looked around to see if anyone was out, but Leira was tucked too far into the corner for Angel to see. She helped her husband up the steps, talking to him the whole way, reassuring him that everything would be alright.
Leira went back into the kitchen, quietly closing the door just as Correk came into the room, his hand on the light.
"Don't turn that on," said Leira. "Keep it dark."
>
"What's happened?" Correk came and stood next to her, looking out the window.
"This is a very small world. I just saw our neighbor, Matt shift from a wolf back into human form and he was injured."
"Did they see you?"
"No, and for now I'm going to keep their secret. But how did he get injured? He said something about a trap. I know what you're thinking but why would the Dark Families bother with a local pack?"
"Better question is how did anyone find them?"
"A traitor. That's a new wrinkle. Why does it seem like there are traitors everywhere?"
Leira's phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. She picked it up and looked at the text from Louie.
I have some intel that can't wait. On my way over.
"It looks like everyone is up tonight," said Correk with a yawn.
"Go back to bed. I can keep Louie company. I wonder if Matt is a part of Lucius' pack."
"Something for when the sun is up."
"What's up?" Leira sat across her kitchen table from Louie, watching him inhale a leftover piece of pot roast.
"You eat like Yumfuck."
"I live on Chinese food, so give me a fucking break." Louie replied, wiping his mouth.
"Whatever you found out has you keyed up. I take it, it was useful."
Louie nodded his head, folding another piece with his hand and stuffing it in his mouth. He held up a finger, chewing as fast as he could and swallowed, sitting back in the chair with an exhausted sigh.
"You know, I could have probably waited till morning for this information."
"No, information goes stale pretty fast. Sticking to that rule is what made me into a primo scavenger." He got up and looked in the refrigerator grabbing a jar of green olives off the door.
"Whenever you're ready..." Leira rested her chin in her hand.
Louie opened the jar with a pop, pulling out a few and sliding them into his mouth. "There's a bounty on your head."
"Not new information and shut the fridge."
"Yeah, well, the Dark Families have company. Wolfstan Humphrey wants you dead and he's using Sirius to do it."
