by Vella Day
“I’m good.”
She laughed. “You forgot a shirt.”
“Sorry. I sometimes forget where I am.”
Zane ducked into the bedroom. This would be his first official outing with Missy. While he’d met a few of her friends, he was anxious to interact with more of them. Back on Cargonia, he’d had an active social life, and he was looking forward to building a new network of friends with Missy.
When he returned to the living room, she had a picnic basket in hand. “Can you carry this?”
“Absolutely.” He lifted it, and it was heavier than before. She must have added a lot more food. “These boat races must be some affair.”
“It’s the town’s beginning of summer highlight. I think you’ll be impressed. The river isn’t very wide, but that is what makes the event exciting. The participants have to be careful not to run into each other.”
“I can’t wait.” While it galled him a bit that Missy had to drive, he understood his limitations. As soon as she headed toward town, he twisted toward her. “Can you tell me who we might run into?”
“I can’t name them all. I know most everyone in Silver Lake. I heal some shifters and Wendayans, but I also work at the store that caters to humans. Because I’ve been called on to heal some of the locals, there’s no telling who we might see.”
“I had no idea you knew so many people, so even if you tell me their names, I might not remember them all.”
She smiled. “There won’t be that many who come by. If they do, I’ll introduce you. You’ll do fine.”
“I just don’t want to embarrass you.”
When she reached out and rubbed his leg, his bear went wild. Just a little bit longer, he told his eager animal.
Zane cleared his throat. “A while back, you mentioned something about Changeling creatures. They sound a lot like our demons, except yours are easier to kill than our nasty beasts. Will they be there?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know. I can’t tell one shifter from another. In fact, only shifters can sense another shifter, so I’ll have to rely on you to tell me when one is near. Most likely, you won’t be able to tell the good from the bad though.”
He liked that he had a talent she didn’t. “If that’s the case, how do you protect yourselves against them?” At least with his amulet, he had some advance warning when a demon came near since the center would turn black.
“We don’t. It’s partially why I make sure to stay out of trouble. I wouldn’t be surprised though if I’ve healed a few, thinking they were good people.”
He didn’t like that Missy was so vulnerable.
When they arrived at the event, the area close to the water was so full of cars that Missy had to park a good distance away. It was a partly cloudy day, and the air was dry, making it perfect to sit and watch the festivities. The chirping birds and swaying trees reminded him of his hometown, and a wave of sadness assaulted him.
I live here now, he reminded himself. While he did miss his family and friends, he had Missy, and that was good enough for him.
Zane looked around. “Just to be clear, no one shifts at these things do they?”
Her face paled. “No! Humans can’t learn about your kind—I mean shifters.”
“Got it.”
It would be difficult to get used to refraining from shifting at will or even talking about shifters, but he’d try.
Missy seemed to know where to go, so he followed her. She stepped around a lot of people who’d staked out their areas for watching the festivities.
“Hey, there’s Jillian and Brian. Let’s sit with them,” she said with excitement in her voice.
Zane had no idea who these people were, but they seemed to bring her joy. If he’d met them before, he’d forgotten. He touched her arm and leaned close. “Are they witches like you?”
“Yes. Jillian is a Wendayan and a white tiger shifter. She’s a local lawyer in town. Brian is her mate, and he’s a bear shifter, but he has a bit of Wendayan in him now too. He’s an amazing artist. If you need anything made from wood, Brian is your man.”
“Nice.” His ego stung a bit. While Zane mostly worked with iron, he was quite good with wood too. Perhaps he needed to make something for Missy and show her what he was capable of.
All along the banks of the river, people were laughing and chatting, as if this was their one chance to relax with their friends. Out of habit, Zane studied the area. In Cargonia, predators lurked everywhere, and he always had to be on his guard.
While the river bent about four hundred feet from where they were sitting, obscuring the water from view, he felt comfortable with her choice of location. He also sensed quite a few shifters, making him more at ease.
“Hey, guys,” Missy said to her friends. She placed the blanket on the ground next to them, and they both sat down. “Jillian and Brian, this is Zane.”
“Hi, Zane,” they said in unison.
“Nice to meet you.”
He expected them to ask the usual questions about where he was from, but when they didn’t ask him anything, he had to assume Missy had already briefed them. It was just as well. Lying wasn’t in his nature.
“Oh, look,” Jillian said. “The first race is about to begin.”
“We got here just in time then,” Missy said.
Zane sat up straighter. “Those boats look just like the ones we have back in—North Carolina.” Damn. He’d almost said Cargonia. He had to be more careful.
Missy’s eyes widened, clearly worried he’d slip again. “I think they’re all over the country.”
“I bet you’re right.”
A signal sounded, and six boats took off. The crowd cheered, though he was pretty sure no one on the water could hear any particular shout. “Is there an entrance fee for the race?” he asked, trying to figure out the motivation for organizing such a massive endeavor. Things related to business always fascinated him.
“Yes. The proceeds are for the animal shelter in town. It’s what helps support them.”
“That’s wonderful.”
While the Cargonians were generous people, animals were well taken care of in his realm, which meant there was no need for shelters. Medical help for the shifters in general was limited because they could usually heal themselves. Only shifter orphans needed a lot of care. Too often fires or an animal attack killed their parents. His heart ached remembering a house fire that took the lives of his two good friends, leaving their three-year old daughter alone.
Missy nudged him. “See the orange and red boat?” she asked, pointing to the one with the brightly colored intricately carved bow. “Blair’s racing in that one.”
“Who’s Blair?”
“That’s Jackson’s sister.”
Ah yes, the man who helped convince Missy that Cargonia existed. All these names had his brain scrambled. He should have brought a pen and paper to keep track of her friends.
Putting aside who was who, Zane studied the participants’ strokes and how well the teammates worked together, all the while attempting to pick out the winner. All six boats disappeared out of view for a few minutes before returning. When they rounded the corner the first time, they were neck and neck. When they returned, they were not.
“Excuse me,” someone said next to him.
As much as he wanted to watch, this woman was probably a friend of Missy’s, and he didn’t want to be rude. The tall blonde haired woman with black-rimmed glasses squeezed her blanket between where they were seated and another couple a few feet away. Because a two-foot space existed between them and Missy’s friends, he tapped her on the shoulder. “Can we move a few feet closer to Jillian and Brian?” He nodded at the blonde.
Missy dragged her gaze from the boats to the woman, but there wasn’t any recognition. “Oh, sure.”
With a bit of work, they managed to scoot over. Once the newcomer settled next to them, the woman held out her hand to Zane. “Thanks. I’m Vanessa.”
“Zane. Nice to
meet you.” The cheers grew louder as the teams sped toward the finish line, and he returned his attention to the race.
One of the three boats that had been in contention fell back. With a last minute effort, the team wearing the pink shirts pulled ahead and won, and the applause nearly deafened him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Blair’s boat, nor was it the one he’d chosen.
When the noise calmed down, Missy glanced over at the woman who was sitting there all by herself. “Are you new around here?” Missy asked.
“Yes. I’m here visiting my folks in the next town over. I’m Vanessa.”
Missy held out her hand. “Missy.”
Since there was a break in the action, Zane decided to see what food Missy had packed and opened the basket. No sooner had he pulled out the sandwiches than his chest began to hurt. He must have grunted because Missy glanced at him.
Her eyes widened, and she nodded to his amulet, which had turned black in the middle. His gut churned. “I’ll be right back,” he said.
This was bad. Very bad indeed. If Raymolt were actually here, then Zane’s new life as he had come to know it could end. This time there wouldn’t be a witch to merely put a spell on him. If he fought Raymolt, he’d surely die.
*
Vinea, who had said her name was Vanessa, was pissed. She finally had the perfect opportunity to insinuate herself into Zane’s and Missy’s lives and what happened? He leaves! From the way his body had stiffened, there could be only one explanation. She too had felt a demon presence. From what little Androf knew of Zane’s history, some demon had a spell put on Zane that was supposed to last forever. Now that the werebear had roused, she bet this demon wanted to make sure he didn’t have long to enjoy this world.
To think she’d gone to all the trouble of changing her hair color and wearing these disgusting glasses, only to have her plan fall apart. Sure, all she’d had to do was swipe her hand over her head and change the color and length of her hair back again, but it hadn’t been fun dressing like a geeky girl. She fancied low cut, sexy outfits—not oversized tops and baggy pants.
Vinea shifted her thoughts to the one person she was trying to hide from—Devon McKinnon—hoping he wasn’t here. She could still see his face the first time he’d spotted her in that bar up north. Vinea had gone there in search of eliciting help in taking down Sam Pompley. If it hadn’t been for her stupid sister foiling her attempt to steal his powers, Vinea would be a lot more formidable today.
If Devon were here, she had no doubt he’d frown at her, though in all likelihood, he wouldn’t even recognize her. The whole purpose of the disguise was to walk about town without being discovered. It would be an understatement to say she wasn’t Silver Lake’s favorite goddess.
Vinea searched for Zane, wondering what was taking him so long. Had there been some colossal altercation? In truth, if the demon did kill Zane, her job would be over, and she could return to the dark realm victorious.
The problem was that if she left now to find the two of them, Vinea wasn’t sure she could explain her sudden departure—especially if she headed in the same direction that Zane went. She didn’t need Missy to question her about why she’d insisted on sitting next to complete strangers and then went after one.
Even if she managed to give Missy a good excuse and then ran into Devon, she wasn’t sure she could avoid interacting with him. Sure, she’d lied to him about her identity, but she’d had no choice. Stealing Sam Pompley’s powers had been her goal.
Devon was a nice guy, but she didn’t dig nice guys. Why would she? She wasn’t a dark realm goddess for nothing! And therein lay her dilemma. In the hundreds of years of her existence, he was the first and only person to get her motor running. It didn’t matter she hadn’t even slept with him. If he hadn’t been so angry with her, she bet he would have.
Right now, she couldn’t let Devon distract her thoughts. She was here to do a job. Forcing her body to cool off, she focused on this demon. Normally, a demon couldn’t travel through portals unless he either had special permission or had help. Hopefully, the demon had the ability to return to Cargonia and take Zanedar with him.
As much as she detested the lowly vile demons, she’d do anything necessary to succeed. Failing wasn’t an option. Besides, she had to get out of Silver Lake before the white moon appeared. Running into her sister could be deadly, especially if Naliana had the chance to blast her with more light. Then she’d be left in limbo with no place to live.
If she hadn’t been immortal, she might have considered taking her own life.
Chapter Eighteen
‡
“Where did Zane go?” Brian asked. “He looked like he’d seen a ghost.”
Missy could hardly say that the center of his amulet had turned black, and it was possible a demon from another realm had come after him. While she trusted both of them completely, she needed to ask Zane first if he minded if these two knew about his history.
“I’m not sure. I wouldn’t worry though. He probably saw someone he knew.” That was lame, though hopefully they would buy it since Zane worked at the fire station.
Missy picked up one of the sandwiches, and as she took a bite, she noticed the blonde woman looking at her, probably listening to the entire conversation. Missy went over the dialogue in her head, but she hadn’t mentioned shifters or demons.
Other than her blanket and water bottle, Vanessa hadn’t brought any food whereas Missy had a ton. Wanting to be friendly, she pointed to the picnic basket. “Would you like a sandwich?”
The pretty blonde held up a hand. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
“No, I brought way too much. You’d be doing us a favor.”
Vanessa smiled. “In that case, thanks.”
Missy handed her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The first time Zane had tasted one, he’d been hooked. “Have you been in town long?” Missy asked.
There was something about her that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Vanessa finished chewing. “Only a few days.” She nodded to where Zane had gone. “Is Zane your husband?”
“No, we recently met.” But in case Vanessa had any idea about putting the moves on him, Missy would have to speak to her about keeping her distance.
Missy sensed Zane before she saw him and glanced up. “Oh, here he is now, just in time for the next race.” She forced her voice to hold a lot of cheer.
As the large man strode toward her with his teeth clenched, Missy’s heart pounded. That wasn’t good. When she checked out Vanessa’s reaction, the newcomer was busy finishing her food, not paying attention to Zane. Perhaps she was merely hungry and not after her man.
“So?” Missy asked when he slipped down next to her.
“It might have been a false alarm,” he whispered.
Now wasn’t the time to discuss it. “The next race is about to begin.”
“Good.” For the next few minutes, they watched paddleboard races. When two of the contestants fell off their boards, the crowd cheered. While that wasn’t a nice reaction, at least the entrants seemed to enjoy the dip on the warm day.
Zane seemed interested in who might win, but every now and then she’d catch him looking around. When the last race finished, he hurriedly packed up. She wanted to ask him what he planned to do and whether he had spotted the demon, but she’d wait until they were alone. She knew he better not consider approaching him on his own. Zane would be killed.
She should suggest he elicit help from Sam Pompley since he might be able to do a little mind control on the creature. Lexi said Sam could make people believe that something was right in front of them when it wasn’t. Wouldn’t that be great if this demon returned to Cargonia believing Zane was still in hibernation!
“Hey, do you guys want to come over to our place?” Jillian asked, interrupting her thoughts. “We just finished the remodel, and I’d love to show it off.”
“That would be great,” Missy said before Zane had the chance to say he�
�d rather go home. While she couldn’t be certain, she doubted the demon would try anything with so many people around.
Zane closed the lid on the picnic basket and stood. Hoping to distract him, she jumped up, stood on her toes, and kissed him. Not only did his eyes turn that beautiful shade of amber she liked, the center of his stone pulsed red. As if he’d forgotten they were in the middle of half the town, he parted her lips and delved into her mouth. For a moment, even Missy forgot where she was.
“Ah, guys,” Jillian said with way too much cheer in her voice.
Missy leaned back and licked her lips, wanting to taste all of him. She remained close, sliding her hand up his chest, secretly collecting the amulet on her way and tucking it inside his shirt so no one would notice the pulsing color. Zane grinned but looked away, probably because hair had sprouted on his face. She faced Vanessa, to take her mind off what she and Zane had almost done.
“Nice to meet you, Vanessa,” Missy said.
The woman smiled and then stilled, her gaze shooting over Zane’s shoulder. “You too. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Before Missy could respond, the blonde picked up her blanket and hustled off.
“She’s a strange one,” Brian said, his gaze following her.
“Perhaps she remembered an appointment.” That was lame, but Missy wasn’t in the mood to talk about the tall, beautiful woman.
“I guess we’ll see you at the house in a few minutes,” Jillian said.
“You bet.” Because they had parked in different spots, they headed off in opposite directions. As soon as she and Zane climbed into the car, Missy faced him. “Tell me what happened.”
“It’s nothing you need to be concerned with.”
That attitude pissed her off. While people always said Missy was one of the most easygoing people in Silver Lake, if someone was threatening the man she was falling in love with, she wanted to know about it.
Whoa! Had she just admitted that she might love Zane? How was that possible when she’d known him all of a few weeks? She forced her mind back to the problem at hand, refusing to get in an argument with herself about whether it was even possible. Focus.