Watch Fire

by Jade Wolfe

  Was the girl me? I had to assume it was, based on what Isadora had already said. The younger voice didn't answer for a moment, and then when she did she changed the subject. "I miss Peter."

  My ears perked up at that. I wondered if Miranda's ex was the key to understanding what was really going on around here.

  The light coming from the opening flared a little.

  "Stop that," the older voice said. "It hurts my eyes."

  "It's too dreary in here. I want to go home."

  "You'll live. You haven't seen dreary until you've spent a hundred years underneath Paris, living in the catacombs."

  "I think I'd rather die. I need sunshine."

  I heard a snort. "Crybaby."

  "I am not a crybaby. I just don't particularly like this place. Did you see that werewolf?"

  "Mm. She was a beauty. Golden eyes, though. Too bad." The old lady was talking about Myla, or one of her pack. That meant they had been out in the park at least once, probably during the trip here. It bothered me that I'd let them walk right in without noticing.

  It also bothered me that I'd been wrong about their motives. I had assumed they were here because of Miranda, either to take something or to get revenge of some sort. But Isadora, and now this lady, were saying that it all had to do with me.

  But I was a nobody, especially in the witch world. Only a year into my practice and still figuring out...well, everything. I didn't know any other witches besides Pearl, Lucy, and Miranda. I'd never met Raul, either, the witch in charge of these parks and the witches who guarded them.

  I frowned. Lucy had told me I was powerful. After I'd made my first fire ball and accidentally blown up part of the forest, Pearl had told me that I was "practically a nuclear weapon". I didn't even know what that meant.

  I also knew that I had some abilities that the other witches didn't have, like my way of calling the elements and the fact that they responded so readily for me. Lucy had been impressed, telling me that if she needed elemental help she - and the others - had to go through some fairly complicated rituals. I didn't.

  I supposed that was a valuable talent, but I didn't see how it made me more powerful. I was just different. I also didn't see how Isadora thought she was going to just take possession of that talent, especially if she killed me. No, there had to be something else. I was missing something.

  "Just tell the truth." The older voice spoke again, interrupting my thoughts and making me jump. "You want me to die, don't you? Then Isadora can take over and you get to be the princess for a while."

  Huh? Princess? What did that even mean?

  "That's ridiculous, Mama. We both love you and we both want you to be well. Stop yammering."

  Hmm. I wondered if Isadora was this woman's daughter, too. The way they were talking, I bet she was, and now the woman was dying? That would explain a little bit, but what did I have to do with it? I remembered Isadora's words about only needing my heart, and shivered. Did she think she was going to do a heart transplant or something? That was ridiculous.

  Wasn't it?

  Whatever was going on, this older lady seemed to have a lot to do with it. But I needed more information.

  It took another fifteen minutes before I got the chance to do something, which was actually a relief. I could have sat in that tunnel for hours, but luckily it didn't take the younger woman that long to step outside. Just like I hoped, she turned the other way, too.

  I waited until she moved across the hall, into the other room, before I made my move.

  She was tall and willowy and a long skirt swished around her ankles as she walked. She didn't look right or left, but simply stared at the floor, like she couldn't be bothered to pay attention. I watched her disappear into the opposite opening, waited to make sure the other witch wasn't going to follow, then slipped inside after her.

  It didn't take much to get her. She really wasn't paying attention. I put my knife back in my belt - I didn't really think I'd need it. Of course, sneaking up on a witch was always risky. She could have any number of powers to block me from what I was about to do.

  I rushed in behind her and slid one arm around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides. At the same time, my hand clamped down over her mouth. She struggled a little bit, twisting side to side and trying to shake me off - but she wasn't all that strong.

  Then I heard her sniffling. She'd started to cry.

  I sighed.

  The thing was, I didn't believe she had anything to do with what was going on here. She was probably just her mother's caretaker or something, so I felt bad for mistreating her. But she would have information, and her disappearance might even throw a bit of a wrench in whatever works Isadora had dreamed up.

  I deepened my voice and rumbled in her ear. "Let's go. You've got some questions to answer."

  She tried half-heartedly to get away again, then just sort of gave up. She nodded.

  Maybe I could get us back to Lucy's in one piece, after all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I had no idea how long I'd been in that cave, but it was too long. Bright sunlight made my eyes water when I stepped outside, and the poor witch I was dragging along with me sneezed six times before she caught her breath. Once we got out of the cave, I took my hand off her mouth.

  "Who are you?" she asked.

  "Indigo. Who you are is the better question."

  She didn't answer that, and she didn't answer any of the other questions I asked between the cave and the creek in our back yard. The going was slow, mostly because I was getting tired. I was anxious to see Lucy, though, and get some answers from our guest here. I was happy to feel the familiar jolt of our barrier when we stepped across, though. Pearl had gotten it fixed.

  My traveling companion felt it, too. She shuddered and said, "Ow - what was that?"

  I didn't bother answering. Now that Lucy's house was in sight, exhaustion swept over me and all I wanted to do was hand over my captive and go fall asleep somewhere. But when we crossed the creek and came around to the front of Lucy's house, I was afraid that wasn't going to happen just yet.

  There were three giant black SUVs sitting in the driveway, all of them with tinted glass and all of them very menacing. All three were empty, too. Now what?

  I led my new friend directly to Miranda's house and blew out my breath in relief when she opened the door. Then I sucked it back in again when I saw six men standing behind her, taking up practically all the space in her living room. They stood with arms crossed and looked incredibly tense.

  Miranda didn't look tense at all, though. In fact, she squealed and hugged me when she saw me.

  Then she stepped back and frowned at the younger woman beside me. "Carla."

  My eyebrows went up. "You know her?"

  "Yes." Miranda wasn't taking her eyes off Carla. "I know her. We were friends, once upon a time. She was the little sister I always wanted, but that ended with Isadora."

  Carla shrank back a little and put her head down. She looked embarrassed.

  "Oh." I didn't know what else to say about that, so I pushed Carla inside gently and followed, closing the door behind me. "Did Lucy and Sheriff Michaels make it back?"

  "They did. He's gone, but Lucy is in bed. She took some nasty hits but she's going to be fine."

  I nodded toward the men, who still hadn't said anything. "Who are they?"

  A deep male voice with an accent came from somewhere in the room. "They belong to me."

  The man who stood up was slim and elegant, with slicked back black hair and perfectly manicured hands. His suit was perfectly tailored, and he had the kind of presence that made him seem important.

  "Hello," I said slowly.

  He walked over, a smile playing on his thin lips. "Hello, Indigo. It's good to finally meet you. I'm Raul."

  My mouth dropped open. I probably looked like an idiot, but I couldn't help it. This was Raul, the legend of Red Rock and the main dude when it came to the witches who guarded it. I had even once suspected that Lu
cy was in love with him, before she smacked me for it and told me to quit being ridiculous. And now he was here, in the flesh.

  I glanced at the men, who all shifted when he stood. Were they bodyguards or something?

  Raul took my hand and kissed it, which was kind of creepy. I pulled away gently, which made his little mustache twitch. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm surprised to see you, though."

  His mouth curled into more of a smile. I swear, he looked almost like a cartoon villain. Or maybe the Joker in his skinny years. "I couldn't stay away when my friends needed help. Besides, I wanted to come visit anyway. It's been too long."

  "And you brought your friends?" I nodded toward the men clustered around the room.

  He glanced at them. "They are here to find Isadora and bring her home. She's becoming a problem."

  "You got that right," I muttered.

  Miranda cleared her throat. "Raul helped us round up the last of the creatures that escaped when the barrier was down."

  "Oh. Thank you." That was one thing off our plate, at least.

  "Yes, it's not a problem," Raul said. "A shame about the werewolves, though."

  "Yeah, well, they were a little out of control." I thought about the deaths in town. "And they were putting Red Rock in danger."

  "Oh, I understand. It's simply sad to see such magnificent animals be put down."

  My mouth tightened. "It's sad to see innocent humans put down like that, you mean."

  Miranda made a soft noise at my side. She took my arm. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said. "You're hurt."

  I let her lead me down the hall to a room at the rear of her house, where she kept healing supplies - jars of herbs, little tubs of paste, that sort of thing. The room always smelled wonderful.

  She sat me down in a chair that looked like it belonged in a doctor's waiting room. I was surprised when she didn't go get anything off her shelves. Instead, she leaned down and looked me in the eye.

  "You need to be nice to Raul," she said.

  "I was being nice."

  "No, you were being an ass. We need his help right now, to get Isadora away from here and back under his control."

  "How did she get loose in the first place?"

  Miranda shook her head and tucked her red hair behind one ear. "She killed Peter. He was in charge of her...situation."

  The sadness in her eyes and voice ripped at my heart. Of course she would be upset - she'd only just learned of her ex-husband's death. I reached out and gave her a quick hug. "I'm sorry. I'll try to do better."

  "Thank you. Raul will handle the rest of this. You need to go home and get some rest."

  "What about Lucy?"

  "She's sleeping fine in the other room, and I don't want to wake her right now. I'll keep an eye on her. Raul will get things back in order, and then he'll take Isadora away. Hopefully for good this time."

  "Miranda, why is she after me? I thought she was here for you, but she told me that she..." I waved a hand, "...needed my heart or something. I was too busy not dying to pay attention."

  She sighed. "I'll explain it all later, I promise. Now say goodbye to Raul and go on home."

  I kissed her on the cheek, then I went out and shook Raul's hand again, just to be polite. The witch I'd brought with me was sitting on the sofa, surrounded by all those serious looking men, so she wouldn't be going anywhere. I told them where to find Isadora and warned them that there were more witches involved than just her. I was so tired that I was useless anyway, and I was happy this whole nightmare was over.

  Well, almost over. I wouldn't really relax until Isadora and her family were out of here. For good, like Miranda said.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Someone pounded on the door, pulling me out of a deep sleep. Whoever they were, I hated them instantly.

  The clock read four fifteen, and from the sun streaming in through the window that must have been afternoon. I'd only been home for a few hours, and when I stood up I felt the headachy, nauseous misery that came with way, way too little sleep. My eyeballs even hurt.

  But whoever it was wasn't going away, so I trudged to the front door.

  It was Sam Salinger, of all people. He looked fresh, happy, and wide awake.

  Yep. Hated him. That didn't stop me from running my hands through my ratty hair and pulling my robe tighter around me to hide the thin tank top and shorts I'd worn to bed.

  I opened the door. "What do you want?"

  "Good afternoon. It's nice to see you, too." He was dressed in well-worn, clean jeans and a Henley that showed off his chest nicely. To his credit, he didn't run away screaming when he saw me. "Did you find your friend?"

  "I did. Thanks. She's fine."

  "Can I come in?"

  I cleared my throat and opened the door wide. He followed me in through the living room to the kitchen. "Want some coffee?"

  "Nah. Don't drink the stuff."

  I cocked an eyebrow. "You're in the south now, Mr. Salinger. That's like blasphemy."

  "Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before." He plopped down on one of the bar stools and watched me measure out grounds and water. "You like it a little strong, don't you?"

  I shrugged, flipped the pot on, and came to stand on my side of the bar, facing him. "What can I do for you, Sam?"

  "Honestly, I was worried about you. There was a lot going on last night, and I can't even begin to understand most of it, but you were not OK the last time I saw you."

  "Well, as long as we're being honest, I'm still not OK. I'm tired, grumpy, and starving. Fair warning."

  His smile was the nicest thing I'd seen in days. OK, maybe I didn't hate him that much.

  He shifted in his seat. "How about, you and I go grab some dinner, and you tell me what the hell is going on around here."

  I started to say no, but he held up a hand. "Then, you can answer a very important question for me."

  "What kind of question?"

  He shrugged. "The harmless kind, but it might end up being somewhat lucrative."

  "Lucrative and harmless? Sign me up." The last thing I needed was more money, but he didn't know that and now I was curious. "Can you wait for me to shower?"

  "Sure."

  I walked around the bar. "Be right back. Make yourself at home."

  I had showered when I got home, but felt like I needed another one now that Sam was here with his still damp hair and perfectly clean clothes and nice aftershave. To be honest, after spending so long in that cave I might never feel clean again.

  When I was done I took some care with my wardrobe, too. Instead of my usual jeans and t-shirt, I went with slightly newer jeans, a soft blue sweater that made my eyes brighter, and some pretty leather boots I'd picked up at my favorite store - Pearl's house. She had more discarded clothes than every thrift store in a hundred mile radius put together.

  I could have bought all new clothes, but I really didn't like shopping for that sort of thing. When I went to spend money, I wanted to spend it on cars and electronics and other cool stuff, like the jet skis that I'd never actually used.

  I brushed my hair and wondered if Sam liked jet skis.

  Then I realized I was stalling and went to find him.

  "Ready?" he asked. "You look nice."

  "Thanks." I didn't get too excited - the only other times he'd seen me I'd been filthy and had blood on my skin. Anything better than that was a bonus. "I'm ready."

  He took me into the next town over, Patterson, and we ate at a steak house he swore was his favorite of all time. It was still early, so the place was all but deserted. After I tasted the buttery steak, I thought it might be my new favorite place, too. I also found out that he liked being in North Carolina and that he had a thing for growing his own vegetables. Oh, he also had a cat, a dog, and a collection of antique books that sounded almost as old as Lucy's.

  "So, what is this burning harmless question of yours?" I asked when I was finished eating.

  "Oh, no. Not so fast." He took a sip of his wine. Somethi
ng expensive and red. "You said you would tell me what was going on last night."

  "I did?" Maybe it was the nice night or the good company or my full belly, but suddenly I did want to tell him about last night. Would he believe me? Nope, but I still wanted to tell him.

  The problem was my oath. I hadn't explicitly promised that I would keep Red Rock's secrets, but it was implied, and I knew it. If I told Sam and by some miracle he did take me seriously, he could go blabbing that information to the world, and then we would have hell to pay. On the other hand, it would be really damned nice to have someone like him on my side when stuff hit the fan. He hadn't even flinched at flying dead bodies or weird creatures the night before, so I counted him as braver than most.

  I wondered if I could trust him.

  "You can trust me, you know."

  Oh, good, now he was reading my mind. "Are you sure about that? What if I told you that aliens landed in Red Rock once a year to have a barbeque?"

  "I'd ask if I could come."

  "What if I told you that I was part of a religious cult that slaughtered trees and drank their sap?"

  "Amen."

  His smile was too damned cute. "All right, all right. What if I told you that the moon goddess Parmesan sent down meteorites made of ricotta on the third night of every sixth week, just for me?"

  "Will she take a request for cheddar?"

  "Nope. Gouda - maybe."

  "Then sorry, I think we have nothing more to say to each other. Nice knowing you, Indigo."

  I laughed and let myself be charmed. I wasn't tired and grouchy anymore, I was having fun. With a guy. When was the last time I'd dated? It was a guy named Colby, right after I finished law school. He'd been a dead end, and I had temporarily given up in the romance department. Now...well, who knew?

  OK, I knew. The lies I'd have to tell to keep my secret would be big and very wrong. Sam didn't strike me as the kind of guy who put up with secretive, wishy-washy women, and that's what I'd have to be in order to keep him separate from my life at Red Rock.

  Or I could actually tell him the truth.

  The thought was sounding more and more appealing the longer I sat here. That might partly have been the wine, but I didn't think so - Sam was a genuinely nice guy. I liked him a lot. I was talking myself into this, and I knew it. I just didn't know how to stop it.