Panther Prowling

by Yasmine Galenorn

  We hiked it up to the fifth floor, passing one person who was on the way down from the third floor. He seemed groggy, though, and was carrying a beer, and as we passed, he let out a low “Shit, man,” and continued on his way.

  Fifth floor. Camille, who was first, eased open the door to glance down the hallway. She glanced back. “I don’t see anybody in the hallway. Come on. Daniel’s apartment is at the other end, near the elevators.”

  We headed down the hall, but as we drew near, we slowed. Morio, next to Camille, reached out to stop her. He glanced back and mouthed, “Door open,” then crept forward. Another moment, and he motioned us forward.

  In the beam of our flashlights, we could see that Daniel’s apartment was a mishmash of clutter. A fight had taken place, that much was obvious, and I thought I saw a couple bullet holes in the wall. Considering Daniel used a silencer, it wasn’t surprising the neighbors hadn’t reported gunshots—if they had, the police would have been here. But why hadn’t they reported a scuffle? The chrome and glass tables were a mess of shattered glass now, their frames bent. I mentioned my concern.

  Camille shook her head. “Listen.”

  The wind rattled the windows, howling outside. Even from here, the steady thunk of branches hitting the street could be heard. The sounds of a fight would barely register over the noise of the windstorm. We checked through the entire apartment, though, and finally verified there was no sign of Daniel or his assailant.

  Morio righted a pedestal that had held a very pricey vase. The vase was no longer in any condition to be placed back atop it. “We have to find Jay Miles and Aslo.”

  I picked up a broken figurine of a water nymph. “The Merlin said he can trace the sword through Leif. We’re going to just have to go get Leif, beg him to go with us, and take him out to Talamh Lonrach Oll.”

  “The Merlin also explicitly refused to do so before the storm is over. You know how he is—there’s not a chance in hell he’ll help us tonight.” Camille looked around, her shoulders sagging. “We can’t do anything until morning. Or whenever this fucking storm decides to buy it.”

  A crash shattered our conversation as well as the balcony window, and a huge branch came whirling through. Daniel had double pane windows, so the gust that sent the limb into the air must have been hellacious.

  “Crap. He’s going to just love that.” I headed into the kitchen, looking for a broom. At least he had hardwood floors and not carpet. Finding a whisk broom and dustpan, I headed over to clean up the mess.

  “What are you doing?” Vanzir joined me. “Housecleaning?”

  “I have to do something. If we can’t make it out to Talamh Lonrach Oll now, then I need to keep myself busy.”

  “I think you need to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll track down your cousin. Fretting all night isn’t going to do anybody any good.” He quietly took the broom and pan from me and set them aside. “Only one of the sliders was busted. Smoky and I can move an armoire in front of the broken panel, and we’ll lock the door on the way out. That way, it won’t be easy for any thieves to make it inside.”

  I relented. Vanzir was right. My head hurt like hell, we were all tired, and the storm was showing no signs of slowing down. I glanced at my phone. It was nearing midnight.

  “Fine, let’s go home. We’ll get some sleep, and when we wake up, the storm will have moved through and we can focus on finding Daniel.” With a grunt, I moved past Camille, who hugged me as I did. She waited till everyone was out, then locked the door behind us. We headed back to the stairs, and out past the doorman. We couldn’t tell him Daniel was missing—he’d want to call the cops and there wasn’t a damned thing they could do about it. So we just said good night, and returned to the SUV.

  By now, the wind felt like it had been howling forever. I was tired of the sound, and when we got in the car, I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew, we were home again and Smoky was gently shaking me awake. He helped me out of the car and we all trooped inside to find Menolly waiting there. She jumped up.

  “You’re safe. I was going to call you but decided to save my bars. The street is flooding in front of the Wayfarer, but it’s only edging over the sidewalk and I’m hoping the sandbags will hold most of it at bay. Where were you?”

  We told her everything, including our theory for why they wanted Daniel. Menolly groaned, dropping back into her chair.

  “That sounds so horrible you have to be right. With our luck, he’s being invested with Einar’s soul right now and we’re going to be walking through a remake of The Exorcist.”

  “Except Daniel isn’t as cute as Linda Blair was.” I rubbed my head and she noticed the marks.

  “What the fuck happened to your head, Kitten?”

  “Got attacked by a rogue branch. I wonder if we’ve lost any trees on the property yet.” Suddenly infected by worry, I turned to Shade, who was just entering the room. “Have you checked on Iris and Bruce? Are they okay? And has Chase or Nerissa pinged us lately?”

  “Iris and Bruce are snuggled up tight. I went down there about half an hour ago and they’re fine. They’re up, with the babies—they don’t want to stay on their second floor right now, but the kids are sleeping and they had everything in hand when I dropped by. As far as Chase is concerned, I haven’t heard a word from him or Nerissa for a while.” Shade stoked the fire, adding another log. The flames flickered up, licking the edge of the new wood and crackling hold of it.

  But Menolly set me at ease on that score. “Nerissa called me about twenty minutes ago. They’re okay, but it’s a good thing she stayed. They’ve had several fires to deal with—Supes who are now homeless. She has been having to track down shelter for them, and arrange for transportation.”

  “Then, I guess we just try to get some rest. Where do we want to sleep?”

  Camille offered up her study to Shade and me. “If a tree does come through the roof, it will be through the roof to your rooms. So stay on the second floor and you should be fine. Menolly, can you keep watch through the night? Call us if anything happens.”

  Menolly nodded. “Not a problem. Hanna isn’t sleeping well—storms make her nervous, so I’ll keep her and Maggie company. Maggie’s up in arms because of the noise.”

  As we trailed up the stairs, the pain returned full force, and before I went to bed, Camille ran back downstairs and found the pain salve that Iris made. She rubbed some into the knot that had formed, then handed us blankets and pillows. The sofa in her study pulled out into a bed, and before long, Shade and I were in our PJs and snuggled beneath the covers.

  “How are you doing, love?” I turned to him, slipping into his arms. We curled together, snuggling beneath the blanket. A battery-operated candle sat on the table next to us, providing a safe light source.

  He sighed. “With so much going on, I think it’s going to take me a long time to process all of this. But whatever happens, as long as we’re together, I’ll be all right.”

  I wanted to take away the worry in his voice, but love—as strong as it was—couldn’t cure all ills. So I just kissed him silently and moved back over on my side of the bed. I liked my space when I slept, and thankfully, Shade was not a clingy person.

  Taking one last glance at my phone, I saw that it was 1:00 A.M. I flicked the switch on the candle, and even though I didn’t think I’d manage to fall asleep amid the constant roaring of wind and branches whipping against the house, within minutes I managed to drift off.

  * * *

  Camille woke us up by tapping on the door. She peeked around the edge. “It’s eight o’clock. The storm’s over and we should get a move on finding Daniel.”

  I yawned. My head throbbed but not as badly as the night before. As I slipped out from beneath the covers, I realized it was cold. “Jeez, turn up the heat, maybe?”

  “Right. And I’ll bring you Shadow
Wing’s head on a stick while I’m at it.” Camille laughed as she entered the room. She was dressed in her spidersilk skirt and tunic from back in Otherworld, and wearing a leather corset over the top. She was also wearing knee-high soft leather boots with flat heels, which told me something was up.

  “Heat? What heat? The power’s out everywhere. We’re going to have to light up the fireplaces for real. Smoky’s outside, firing up the grill so we can heat water for coffee. The power company predicts it will be days before we’re up and running in the outlying areas. They haven’t even begun to assess the damage.”

  “Can’t we just get some coffee when we head out?” I shivered. My flannel alley-cat kitty PJs weren’t warm enough to stave off the chill. As I glanced at the window, I noticed it was still raining. “I thought you said the storm was over.”

  “The windstorm is. It’s still raining. Morio got up early this morning and took our cell phones out to charge them in the car. He said the WeatherApp calls for drenching rain through the rest of the week. Going to be more trees falling from oversaturated root systems and wind damage.”

  “Any chance for a hot shower? Maybe?” I was hopeful, but Camille shook her head again.

  “The well’s out. Electric pump. Roz will look into buying a generator for it today but we kind of suspect they’ll be sold out. So use wet wipes for your face and your hoo-haw, and come down to the kitchen. Hanna’s also using the grill to heat up breakfast for us.” She turned to go, but then glanced back. “Oh, minor damage to the roof but we lucked out. Vanzir scouted around the land—a number of downed trees but nothing that hit either our home or Iris’s. The studio got clipped but it won’t be a huge fix. The men will cut up the trees for firewood. We’ll be set for a couple of years.”

  Shade watched her go, then slid out from beneath the covers. He was fully at attention and looked at me hungrily. “Do we have time before breakfast?”

  I glanced at the clock. “Not much, but if you don’t mind down and dirty and quick . . .” Then, I stopped. Truth was, my head still hurt. And I was cold. And hungry. “On second thought, do you mind if we just wait? I’m not in the best of shape and my head is throbbing.”

  He laughed, free and easy and with an understanding smile. “Not now, honey, you have a headache?” But he was teasing.

  I grinned. “Yeah, I do. One hell of a headache.”

  “Let me see that bump of yours.” He took a long look at it. “That tree really did a number on you. Okay, let’s get dressed and get you downstairs for breakfast.”

  We headed up to our room, where we changed quickly because, even though heat rises, when there’s no heat to begin with, there’s nothing to rise to the top levels of the house. When we were sufficiently clothed, we clattered down the stairs. A rush of white darted by and I laughed—Camille’s spirit kitty, Misty, was extremely playful. I usually wasn’t very good at actually spotting more of her than a vaporous blur, but she stood out clear as crystal this morning.

  “She has to go somewhere fast.”

  “Ghostly activity rises during power outages. Didn’t you know that?” Shade cocked his head expectantly, but I just gave him a blank stare. “It’s true. When the power is out, there’s less electromagnetic interference and the spirits can run free easier.”

  As I thought over what he said, it suddenly occurred to me why I’d been so worried about the storm’s effects on Einar. “That means, if the power outage is widespread and takes several days to repair, that Jay and Aslo will have a better chance of freeing Einar from the sword. The ghosts will be more active and easier to summon!”

  A dark look washed over Shade’s face. “Crap. You’re right. Let’s get down there now. We have to move on this.”

  As we were entering the kitchen, there was a knock on the door and I turned back to answer it. I opened the door to find myself staring at the Merlin.

  “Um . . . come in?” I stepped back. “What . . . why . . . well . . . what can we do for you?” What did you say to the High Priest of the Hunter God when he arrived on your doorstep in full regalia, carrying a staff with antlers attached to it?

  As he entered the foyer, he ignored my question. “I need to talk to Camille. We have a serious situation out at Talamh Lonrach Oll . . . and we need her out there immediately.”

  Chapter 17

  Oh crap. Just what we needed. I led the Merlin into the kitchen. Camille was setting out paper plates and—on the back porch—Trillian had the grill fired up, and a teakettle was over the flames. He had a huge pan heating and a big bowl of eggs ready to scramble. Smoky had kept the contents of the refrigerator cold with his ice magic, and so we hadn’t lost any food so far.

  The house felt eerily quiet with the lack of electricity, almost like an underlying irritation had been eliminated. However, it made it chilly and I was annoyed that I couldn’t use my laptop. The battery hadn’t fully recharged on it and I didn’t want to waste what was there.

  Camille stopped short when she saw the Merlin. “Well, that solves our problem in coming out to you. We need to find Leif and have you help us—”

  Myrddin held up his hand. “Yes, definitely bring him to me. But I need you out at Talamh Lonrach Oll. There has been . . . an incident. Aeval has summoned you and she asked me to make certain you understand—this takes priority over everything else.”

  Camille slowly set down the plates, a look of trepidation washing over her face. “Yes, of course. What about Leif?”

  “Have one of the others bring him out. You are to come with me now.” He paused, then glanced over at me. “You might as well come with her; this involves all three of you girls to an extent. Menolly cannot, of course, given the daylight hours.” He crossed his arms, waiting.

  Nodding, Camille glanced around the kitchen. “Hanna, be a dear. Can you fix a bag of rolls and cheese for us to take? We need food, and I need coffee, so fill a thermos. I’m going to grab my purse.”

  “I’m on it.” Hanna bustled over to the counter and began quickly preparing a to-go breakfast for us.

  “Should we take my car?” Camille asked Myrddin.

  He grunted. “That works. But make haste.”

  She passed by me, tapping me on the arm. “Let’s get our coats and purses.” As we left the kitchen, she added to Morio, “Please go find Leif, tell him who you are, why we need him, and then drive him out to Talamh Lonrach Oll. Get him out there if you have to kidnap him. In fact, leave someone here to watch the house, but the rest of you come out.”

  Morio gave her a quick nod. “Of course.”

  I followed her into the living room, where we gathered our purses. “What do you think this is about?”

  “I haven’t the faintest idea, but Aeval wouldn’t make me come out there with the roads like this unless it was important.” She paused, closing her eyes. “Something huge is about to shift, Delilah. I can feel it. I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to be . . .” Another stop, then she shook her head, looking frustrated. “I can’t quite pick it up, but something happened during the storm last night.”

  Slowly, I nodded. I was feeling the same thing—my body felt like it was vibrating from the energy, and I never felt this way except when I was in my Death Maiden aspect. “That storm brought in more than wind and rain. I’m afraid it’s going to increase Einar’s ability to jump from the sword to Daniel, and every minute that goes by without us finding him is another step closer to losing him and gaining a bloodthirsty spirit for a cousin.” I told her what Shade had told me.

  It sounded funny, but truth was, I had started to grow fond of Daniel and I didn’t want to see him hurt. He’d been through so many harrowing situations and I had no doubt that he’d faced down a barrage of weaponry, but then enter one rusty old iron sword possessed by a decrepit Viking chieftain and he was down for the count.

  Camille didn’t laugh, though. She took my hand and squeezed it, kissi
ng it gently. “I know, I’m worried about him, too. Okay, let’s get this show on the road. The sooner we find out what Aeval wants with me—with us—the sooner we can go hunting for Daniel.”

  We called for Myrddin and headed into the yard. The lawns and gardens were covered with debris—branches, branches everywhere. I saw at least one tree down near the driveway but it wasn’t fully blocking it and we were able to ease out past it.

  Camille drove cautiously. The roads were covered. The area looked like a hurricane had come through, and here and there, we saw downed lines but they ran along the edge rather than over it. But as we drove past the side roads, I noticed wires and trees everywhere blocking the narrow lanes. As we passed the nearest strip mall, I realized that nobody had power—not even the stores. There were no lights inside, but several stores had handwritten signs sitting outside their doors, indicating they were open for business.

  An ambulance came roaring by, sirens blaring, followed by an equally loud fire engine. Camille pulled to the edge of the road until they had passed, and I wondered where they were going and who was hurt. Given the number of broken power lines, and given the number of candles and fireplaces going full force out there today, common sense predicted some nasty fires.

  “So what do you think of the world today?” I decided to break the silence, which was becoming deafening.

  But apparently, the Merlin wasn’t in a chatty mood.

  “As barbaric as ever,” was his abrupt answer. I glanced back, but he was staring out the window. Every time we met, I liked him less, though he had promised his help against Shadow Wing. I had the feeling, though, he was used to being treated like the center of attention and now, in the modern world, he wasn’t. But then, when I really thought about it, given the representations of him—from the comedic wizard in Disney’s Sword in the Stone, to the power-hungry machinations of Merlin the Conqueror, he had been given a pretty rough reputation.