by Anne Bishop
“I’m so ready to come back.”
Monty smiled. His smile widened when he heard Simon Wolfgard’s voice coming closer.
“The library is a place where you can borrow books your Courtyard or pack has purchased for everyone to read,” Simon said as he entered the front part of the store, followed by five Wolves. “But a bookstore like Howling Good Reads is where you buy books you want to keep for yourself instead of giving them back.” He walked behind the checkout counter and looked at Kowalski.
“Just this one today.” Kowalski set the book on the counter, then pulled his wallet out of the back pocket of his cutoffs.
“What book did the human buy?” one of the Wolves asked, looking at Simon.
Kowalski held up the book so the Wolves could see the cover.
“Alan Wolfgard wrote that book.”
“Yes. I enjoy his stories.”
The Wolves stared at Kowalski before venturing another comment. “There are bad humans in his stories.”
“Sometimes there are bad humans in stories written by humans,” Kowalski countered.
Another long stare before the Wolves looked at Simon.
“I can show you some of the authors who write those kinds of stories,” Simon said. “Lieutenant Montgomery?”
“A minute of your time, if you can spare it,” Monty said.
Simon nodded before leading the pack of guests to the shelves that had the thrillers. Kowalski waved and left.
“Looks like you’re busy,” Monty said when Simon returned to the counter.
“I am. We are.” Simon paused. “No one had considered that the gaggle of girls would have as many questions as the Addirondak Wolves.”
“Gaggle?”
“It doesn’t sound as dangerous as ‘female pack,’” Simon grumbled. “And Charlie Crowgard arrived last night to visit for a couple of days. We got to hear his song about Teakettle Woman and Broomstick Girl. Charlie told the Wolves that the song was based on Meg and Merri Lee thwarting an attack here in the Courtyard, and that Merri Lee was Teakettle Woman. After that, none of the Wolves wanted to get near her while she was holding a coffeepot.”
Monty laughed. Dealing with the Others was dangerous work, no mistake about that, but the absurd moments like a column in a newsletter or the reaction to a song gave him hope that humans and the terra indigene could still find a way to work together. Then he sobered. “I’m here to ask a favor on Captain Burke’s behalf.”
“What kind of favor?”
“His cousin is visiting for a few days. Shady Burke assisted in bringing some special girls safely to land.” The Others had diverted a ship bound for Cel-Romano that had cassandra sangue as part of its cargo, bringing the “lost” ship to Brittania. Shady had participated in the girls’ rescue.
“I remember.”
“Shady would appreciate an opportunity to interact with some of the terra indigene to better his own ability to work with them when he returns home.”
No response. Then, “Different forms live in different parts of Namid. The Shady Burke may not meet the same forms here. Although the Crowgard may live in Brittania. They live in many places.”
“He understands that. But Shady has never seen a Courtyard.”
A thoughtful silence. “Charlie Crowgard is going to play some music tonight in the Market Square. Theral is going to play some songs on her fiddle. This would be a good time for Captain Burke and his kin to come to the Courtyard. They could have food at Meat-n-Greens.”
And be another kind of entertainment? Monty thought. “I’ll let them know.”
“Simon?” a Wolf called out.
Monty didn’t move aside to let Simon vault over the counter to talk to his guests about books.
“Something else?” Simon asked.
Did he really want to ask? Was there a choice? “My mother is going to spend some time here with me, helping me look after Lizzy. And my sister and her two children may join her for a visit.”
Those amber Wolf eyes studied him. “Is that your whole pack?”
“I have a brother, but we haven’t heard from him in a while.”
“Simon?” the Wolf called again.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Monty couldn’t even guess what Simon was thinking. A Wolf pack might be quite comfortable in a one-bedroom apartment, but it wouldn’t work for three human adults and three children.
“Where is your mother now?” Simon asked.
“She lives in Toland. So does my sister.”
A long silence. Monty could hear someone talking behind the shelves. Someone else must be helping the Wolves.
“Humans have important papers,” Simon said, not looking at him. “Things they need to keep.”
“Yes.”
“Your mother and sister. They should come soon, and they should bring the important papers with them.”
“They don’t need to bring such things for a visit,” Monty said, smiling. But that was a good thought if his mother was going to relocate to Lakeside.
Simon looked at him. “They should come soon, Lieutenant, and they should bring whatever is most important to them.”
Another chill went through Monty. This wasn’t a misunderstanding about what humans brought when they visited someone. This was a veiled warning.
Simon walked away from the checkout counter and disappeared among the shelves.
Monty went into A Little Bite and bought a cup of coffee. Instead of taking it with him as he usually did, he sat at a table near the window, ignoring Debany’s puzzled looks.
Typical of Simon to give him a veiled warning. But the message was clear enough: get your family out of Toland because something is going to happen soon.
If it hasn’t already started, Monty thought, remembering the news report about dead fish washing ashore around Toland and two other East Coast cities.
He finished his coffee, brought his cup over to the counter, then signaled for Debany to join him as he left A Little Bite.
“Where to, Lieutenant?” Debany started the patrol car.
“Back to the station. No.” Monty got out of the car. “Wait here. I have to make a phone call. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Monty went up to the efficiency apartment, where he would have privacy. Pulling out his mobile phone, he called his sister’s residence and wasn’t surprised when his mother answered.
“Mama? It’s Crispin.”
“Crispin? Are you all right? Why are you calling at this time of day?”
“I’m fine, Mama.” Monty took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m fine. But I need you to listen very carefully.”
CHAPTER 17
Windsday, Juin 13
A breeze danced over the Courtyard, softening the heat of the day as Simon and Sam trotted down the road. Meg and Tess had driven to the Market Square, so they had brought clothes for the two Wolves. Sam might remain in Wolf form, but Simon felt he should look human tonight as a courtesy to the humans who would be joining them.
Sam replied.
Which meant someone else didn’t know. Did human pups tend to misbehave during public events? Should he warn Lieutenant Montgomery and Pete Denby that anyone disrupting music would get nipped? He thought the humans were attending the concert out of politeness, but he could be wrong. Theral was going to play her fiddle, and those songs would be familiar to the other humans. The female pack was excited about the concert, both to hear Theral play but also to hear Charlie Crowgard. And Kowalski and Debany had asked him twice if Charlie was going to sing the song about Meg and Merri Lee defeating the bad human, Phineas Jones.
When he and Sam arrived at the Market Square, Kowalski and Debany already had three short rows of chairs set up in the open area that made up the center of the square.
“Vlad told us to do it this way,” Kowalski sa
id when Simon approached. “And Henry said to put some perches behind the chairs and around both sides.”
Not all the terra indigene would attend this concert. Some still needed to stand guard. But tonight was as much about mingling with humans as it was a chance to hear music. Charlie would give a private performance for those who couldn’t attend tonight—or didn’t want to mingle.
Tess came out of Meat-n-Greens, followed by Meg, Merri Lee, Ruthie, and Eve.
“We’re all set,” Tess said. “We have pizza from Hot Crust that we can warm up, fresh-picked berries, sandwiches and sweets, and ground bison already shaped into patties for those who need, or want, their burgers cooked.”
Charlie sat in a chair, tuning his guitar. He had a few more feathers than usual in his black hair—a sign that he was feeling anxious about performing in front of humans.
Henry walked in with a big drum. Nathan followed him, carrying a wooden flute, which he set on a stool near Charlie before taking his place in the audience.
The air carried the smell of her nerves and sweat, but the smile she gave Charlie seemed genuine, and Simon noticed the nervous scent faded as she showed her fiddle to the enthusiastic Crow.
The Wolves entered the Market Square: Blair, Elliot, Jane, and John, along with the six Addirondak Wolves. Thirteen Wolves, including him, Sam, and Nathan. Enough to balance out the humans who would be there—especially when Simon saw the smoke flowing toward the other side of the chairs. Erebus and two other Sanguinati took human form, while the other two columns of smoke settled into the shadows to keep watch.
Owls glided in and settled on the perches on one side of the square. Hawks flew in and took the perches behind Erebus and his kin. That left the perches directly behind the chairs for the Crows—and gave them the best view of Charlie.
He was glad to see Jake fly in, followed by Jenni and Starr. Crystal’s death had hit all the Crowgard very hard, and the Courtyard’s Business Association wondered if Jenni and Starr would remain in Lakeside, and if they did, if they would continue to run Sparkles and Junk.
Not a question to ask tonight. They were here among humans, a species who were, for the most part, becoming true enemies of the terra indigene. Simon hoped their presence was a good sign that the Crows could make the distinction between friends and enemies.
Now the humans arrived. The Denbys came with their two pups, and Lieutenant Montgomery was with them. So was the Lizzy.
Sam bounced over to greet them but returned a minute later.
The human pups seemed to be willfully disobedient, deliberately acting up to be disruptive. Wolves knew the difference between high spirits and troublemaking, and they were eyeing the two-legged pups a little too sharply. So was Ruthie. She had a look in her eyes that reminded Simon of a pack’s nanny just before she put a stop to some nonsense.
Discussion among the Denbys and Montgomery. Then Pete, giving Simon an apologetic look, herded the youngsters away while Eve went into Meat-n-Greens and came out with containers of food. She said something to Tess before following her mate.
Simon replied.
Simon wondered how the three adults had decided who would stay to hear the music and who would tend the pups. Then he saw Captain Burke and another male enter the Market Square and understood that there was no decision. Montgomery had stayed because the police were another kind of pack that brushed the edges of the Courtyard, and he needed to be here with Burke, the police pack’s leader.
“Simon?” Meg didn’t raise her voice; she didn’t need to in order to catch his attention. But hearing it reminded him that it was time to shift to human form so that he could meet the stranger Burke had brought among them.
He returned to Meg and looked at her expectantly.
“I put your clothes just inside Meat-n-Greens,” she said.
He trotted off to put on clothes and fulfill his duties as host for the evening. And, as his reward for being human tonight, he would hold Meg’s hand during the concert.
• • •
Meg had seen images of orchestras and music halls and theaters. But those images didn’t fit this experience. The center of the Market Square had three broad steps down to an area that sometimes had benches and tables where the Others could sit and eat or read or simply be around the shops as a social interaction when they were in human form.
She identified the guitar and drum as musical instruments, and Henry had shown her his wooden flute during one of her visits to his studio.
Leaning over, she placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder so the pup wouldn’t bounce up and whack his head on her chin.
“This is exciting,” she whispered, idly petting him. “Have you been to a concert before?”
“Arroo.” Sam tipped his head back and licked her chin.
She wasn’t sure if that meant yes or no but decided it didn’t matter.
Captain Burke, Lieutenant Montgomery, and the stranger approached her. Her fingers tightened on Sam, and he let out a little whuff of concern.
No reason to be afraid. She was in the Courtyard, and she trusted Captain Burke and Lieutenant Montgomery. They wouldn’t bring someone here who posed a danger to any of them.
“Ms. Corbyn?” Burke smiled at her. “This is my cousin, Shamus Burke. He came all the way from Brittania to visit me and see a bit of Lakeside.”
“Hello, Mr. Burke,” Meg said.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Shamus replied with a smile. “Call me Shady. Everyone else does.”
Relaxing her hold on Sam, and feeling better about Shady when the man crouched and held out a hand for Sam to sniff, Meg returned his smile.
She didn’t need to see them to know all the Wolves had edged closer, watching the unknown human who was too close to a pup. She just watched the way Shady quickly rose and stepped back. Then Simon, now in human form, stepped between the humans and Wolves and was introduced to Shady.
Charlie Crowgard strummed a chord, and everyone hurriedly found their seats. Merri Lee and Michael Debany sat on Meg’s right, leaving a seat on her left open for Simon. Karl and Ruthie were in the row behind them, along with Lieutenant Montgomery and Tess. Looking over her shoulder, Meg saw Burke and Shady in the third row, along with Vlad and Erebus. When everyone else was seated, Simon sat down next to Meg.
The perches, as well as the rooftops, were full of Crows, Hawks, and Owls. Sanguinati, slipping into the Market Square so quietly Meg wondered if anyone else realized they were there, now sat on the broad steps on one side of the square, while Wolves filled the other side.
Oil lamps, grouped at the corners of the steps nearest the performers, provided lights for the musicians, and several shops around the square were dimly lit as well.
Seeing Henry strike a match and light another oil lamp, Meg leaned down and rubbed the skin above her right ankle.
“Meg?” Merri Lee whispered when she sat up. “You okay?”<
br />
Simon leaned so close she could feel his heat—and that skin above her ankle prickled a little.
“Just an itch,” she whispered back, wanting to believe that.
“I brought some bug lotion.” Merri Lee looked at Simon and made a face. “It probably smells really stinky to you, but we don’t know yet how Meg will react to a bug bite, so I brought some with me.”
Charlie began singing. The prickle faded.
“I’m fine,” Meg whispered.
She held Simon’s hand and listened to music, marveling as Henry played some terra indigene music on his flute—music she’d heard on CDs he listened to when he worked on his sculptures and totems. She and Merri Lee cringed when Charlie sang “Teakettle Woman and Broomstick Girl.” And cringed even more when the Crows cawed, the Wolves howled, the Sanguinati clapped, and Karl and Michael laughed and whooped their approval.
Theral played a song on her fiddle. Then Shady went up and joined the musicians in a folk song originally from Brittania, singing the words in a fine tenor voice.
Everyone applauded. Meg rubbed her skin above the ankle and gently nudged Sam away from her legs. The pup obeyed, whining a soft protest as he moved to a spot right in front of her chair.
“Meg?” Simon said. Concern, warning, and demand all wrapped in one quiet word.
“Not pins and needles,” she whispered. “Just a little too warm.” She gave Sam an apologetic smile.
Just a little too warm. Merri Lee had described sunburn as a prickling heat that caused skin to peel. Which sounded disgusting—and possibly dangerous for a cassandra sangue, even though the skin wasn’t actually cut. Could she have been in the sun too long today? Did that little bit of skin really feel hotter than the rest of her leg, or was it warm because of Sam, or even from her own rubbing?
“We need a drummer,” Charlie said. “Anyone willing to try?”
No one moved. Then Captain Burke rose and made his way to the drum. “Let’s see if I remember anything from my misspent youth.”
He spent a minute tapping the drum and learning the different sounds it made. Then he nodded to Charlie.
“Give us a rhythm,” Henry said. “We’ll find something to fit it.” Then the Grizzly nodded to Simon, who looked at the Wolves.