Three Rings of Chaos: An Abigail Everlaine Mystery

by Candra Kylar

  “Most of these could be found on the internet. Why would Dimples buy an expensive book about monster hunting that she couldn’t use? Do you think she suspected one was in Crestwood that would be a threat to us?”

  Frankie ran her fingers over one of the pages, “I think Dimples hid a lot of things from us behind that smile of hers. I think her secrets go deeper than this book and whatever she wanted to find in it.”

  “But would they land her in hot water? Enough for her to get taken?”, I asked.

  “So you do suspect foul play.”

  “I don’t know what to think”, I shut the book, “and I’m sure this won’t give us any answers. At this point, we can definitely say that she’s a missing person. This is far outside of her routine. I’ll bring it up to Braeden tonight at our pack dinner.”

  “I forgot that you do those. How good of you to keep up a friendship with him, especially as he’s so grumpy lately.”

  I laughed, “Braeden is always grumpy. He was born in a bad mood and will keep that trend up to meet our expectations. I think it comes with being a healer and getting burned out on patients.”

  “He needs to let me do that oracle card reading on him one of these days”, she waved her finger, “Ferdinand told me that my readings could unlock some real potential in others. He always knows what to say to me.”

  Ferdinand was the latest installation in our social circle. My mother had filled me in with all of the details during one of our dreaded family lunches. Sitting across from Amaris, my sister who wanted next to nothing to do with me, we would force conversation and let our mother ramble on to fill the silence. Neither of us wanted to be there so we always provided leads for our mother to follow. Lately, it had been about Frankie’s long distance romance with the mysterious Ferdinand.

  She had met him in a senior’s chat app on her computer and shared intimate details about her life with him. He was elusive about what he did for work, commented once that he had been divorced with no children, and lived on the other side of Iverli. Ferdinand had red flags and I planned to enlist Dimples in spying for me. If he meant to use my friend for what little money she had, then I would be there to stop him.

  “Have you thought about meeting Ferdinand? Maybe having him come here to Crestwood to see some of your friends? We could go to Azuris”, I offered.

  Frankie rolled her eyes, “You and your mother are so suspicious of him. You know, everyone in my life is magical in some way but me. I’m just the human with a fortune telling gig who sells books to pay the bills. I can’t summon up anything or weave spells. Ferdniand is in the same boat. He makes me feel...special.”

  “But you’ve never seen a picture of him and he refrains from telling you details.”

  “You worry about Dimples for now and we can talk about my love life later”, she patted my arm gently, “you Everlaines are relentless when you put your mind to something.”

  “Yes we are”, my mother agreed from the doorway.

  Here she was, try as I might to avoid her, Holly Everlaine in the flesh. I was thankful that my newfound sister wasn’t in tow as was typically the case. Amaris and I didn’t make a habit out of calling each other and she hadn’t been too keen on answering any of my questions. Imagine what it was like, standing in a city which my father had slowly taken control of, learning that I had a sister who had survived death. She had been right in front of me the whole time and knew.

  We had a lot to talk about but she refused to budge, as if those details were sealed, as if we couldn’t possibly bond over the past abuse our father had unleashed upon us. I didn’t doubt that she had the worst of it but I still wanted to know. I wanted to find out who the real Amaris was and ask if she ever thought about me. When she didn’t provide answers, my temper flared and an argument erupted. My mother still kept stirring the pot to bring us together.

  “Let me guess”, she put her purse down and crossed her arms, “you’re talking about Frankie’s stalker Ferdinand.”

  “He’s not a stalker and we are actually worried about Dimples. She still hasn’t appeared and she’s not the type for a vacation. I’m filing a report today with the police and your daughter is on the case”, Frankie said.

  Holly nodded, “Good idea getting her in on it. I hope your online boyfriend didn’t stalk you to Crestwood and kidnap her. Leave it to us, we’ll figure it out.”

  “Us?”, I asked her with doubt, “Since when did you come with me on an investigation?”

  “Why darling, I thought we could make this a family affair”, she clapped, “and I could really see your process up close. Maybe your sister could come along and understand how important your job is here.”

  “You are not bringing Amaris to my office. Her negativity already taints everything around her. She has a lair, mother, an actual lair straight out of a scary story”, I lectured.

  “Her aesthetic isn’t yours. She walks her own path and it is my job as her mother to understand that with compassion. Gods know how much I failed you both as a mother because of that wretched man I married”, she shivered.

  Frankie was by her side with some hot tea, “Regrets belong in the past. I’d appreciate any help with Dimples. She’s almost like a daughter to me in some ways and I hate to think of her being alone and afraid.”

  I hated to think of that too. With a quick goodbye, I headed straight for the downtown police precinct to talk to my only contact in the field. Months earlier, when following Livia’s trail, I had come to a building complex that housed vampires outside of a sanctioned court. Lysander had followed his word and made improvements to the quality of living there but he still didn’t open up the invitation into his own precious Court of Amethyst. I could understand why Livia would be frustrated with his rigid structure and inability to adapt to the current times.

  My officer friend, a young vampire named Trent with a very good talent for tracking, had been my guy on the force I could rely on. We had met when I planned to break into Livia’s apartment and he had become a reliable lookout. I promised to reward him for all of his help and the two of us had become friends. It always helped to make alliances on the force. Trent had successfully traded in a low paying job at a gas station to tracking down criminals on the night beat. Some said he was even heading toward a promotion in Azuris if he kept impressing the higher ups. He was good with his word and helped me get intel on files I would normally not have access to. I knew he would help me when it came to Dimples.

  His office had heavy metal shutters that came down over the windows in case of an insurgence that could jeopardize his well being. A misplaced ray of light could cause this fanged police officer some really painful skin damage. He had to be careful enough taking night beats and clocking himself out an hour before dawn hit. Paperwork had to be rationed and a lot of the force came together to help him with the process. Humans helping vampires with the stray werewolf thrown in to the mix for that diversity quota. It was sad that things had to be so bureaucratic and tokenized. Trent deserved his position but the local force received good press for hiring him. Judging by the way he meticulously chewed gum in annoyance as he sat at his desk, I could tell that got to him.

  “No strange appearances in town and no reported fights in the past week”, he reported with a sniff, “and I’d know if there was. There’s a reason I climb up the ranks here and that’s because I run a tight shift on night duty.”

  “Could you put out a report with a photo of Dimples just in case one of the other officers spot her? Maybe as far as Azuris if you have pull there.”

  He picked up a pen and jotted something down quick, “If we make a deal. I know you were there last night during the fire and a source told me you cornered a drug dealer. I’m pretty sure it’s foul play and would love to bust a drug ring in a small town. Especially as one of the culprit’s used to be my neighbor. Think you could help?”

  Everyone had a price. I had helped get him this job and improve his life in the off court apartments but he still had a counte
r offer. I could kill two dragons with one stone. I reached out and took the paper that had several names on it. One of them, Talan’s, I recognized. He was the teen dream vampire that held all the gothic stereotypes that the ladies drooled over. I’d love to bring him in and take him down a peg. I nodded and provided my confidant on the force with a picture of Dimples. He looked it over casually and got back to work. So much for having friends in high places. Trent was in full cop mode. I left with the same suspicion which brought me in. Foul play had to be involved and I would use every resource I could to track this down. This case was personal and my fingers itched for some justice.

  I went home and tried to contact Ian to no avail. He had started spending too much time with Amaris and generally didn’t answer my summons. I told myself not to be offended. On his best day, Ian could really get on my nerves. On his worst, he made me want to lock myself into isolation and never communicate again. I doubted the spirit world would really offer me any insight into this case so decided that he would come if danger found me. He always knew when the going got too rough. I didn’t understand how he could spend so much time with Amaris but, then again, people had a way of surprising me. My mother actually enjoyed small town life, Cecilia had kept her head low without being obnoxious, and Braeden managed to be my friend. My real friend without any strings. Those awkward and painful feelings had went away.

  I changed into something respectable, a heel size that wouldn’t make me tower over any of the male wolves and their egos, then checked my makeup. This was pack business and I was technically an outsider who would visit. The Stedwells had included me in their own family when the elders made Braeden announce his status as a pack leader. It was the only way he could get Ethan to live with them on the territory and put the young human under his protection. I was so proud of Braeden for standing his ground and forging a way ahead for my young client when he needed it most. Despite being in his twenties, Braeden had adopted the role of an overprotective father figure. This was always evident when I went over for our weekly pack dinners. Cyrus used to cook until Liam’s mother Gina started. Then the food got better and the conversation lightened.

  Liam’s siblings were there now, running around in the front yard, being wild little werewolves as their oldest brother looked on from the stairway. Ethan sat next to him, head on his shoulder, content to be here on the territory. I got out of the car with a pie I had purchased from a bakery. The boys would believe that I made it myself but, when it came to Gina, she would see right through that masquerade. No professionally baked pies could come from a witch that barely knew how to use a pressure cooker. I burned everything that I made and relied on eating out far too much. Cooking was a skill left on the back burner. Gina, mother to some unruly wolves and raising a family on her own, mastered all of those domestic skills. She came out on the porch when I arrived to greet me.

  “The roast is in the oven and I made that infused water you love with the cucumbers and mint”, she practically cooed as she took the pie, “Braeden just got back from the clinic and had a rough day. I’m hoping it stays peaceful.”

  Liam looked up from his vantage point sitting on the stairs, “No day is a perfect day for it, mom. I’m still doing it.”

  “Doing what?”, Ethan asked.

  The red headed mechanic mumbled, “We should help set the table.”

  Ethan jumped up to hug me before following his mate inside. They had come together when a vicious vampire threatened to wage war in our town over some ink, a strange time to form a mating bond, and were inseparable ever since. Braeden had given up on admonishing Liam for sneaking out of the house in the morning after a night with Ethan. It just came to be second nature now and Liam used the front door when he spent the night. I was glad to see Ethan so happy after everything he had been through. His own father had been killed by his ex and they hadn’t truly mended things. I wanted a brighter future for Ethan as he started school in Crestwood and was glad he found that in a binding.

  I walked inside of the house that had become another home for me. Braeden brought me in for a brief hug and offered me a drink of something stronger which I refused. Neither of us said anything about what had been between us or where we were going. If he had anyone romantically in his life, he certainly didn’t share it with me. As for the topic of Elizar, I knew it would only get him angry. There was an inherent jealousy there and a competitive nature that I couldn’t dissipate for the life of me. Elizar and Braeden would likely never be friends and I was the only one to blame for that. I moved deeper into the dining room and said a friendly hello to Cyril who had become a true mentor to me. He was my sire, after all, as I had laid dying that night of my birthday when his wife attacked me. He had brought me into this world and a parental bond did exist now because of it.

  “I need to talk to you both about Dimples”, I said quietly so no one else could hear, “we suspect she may have been taken or left against her will.”

  “Fuck, did you pick up any scents by her place?”, Braeden growled.

  “I couldn’t get anything that stood out. No ordinary human could have taken her against her will and I would have noticed a spell being cast”, I looked at each of them, “did she say anything strange to you two the last time she came to visit?”

  Cyril looked grim, “Dimples had a lot of questions about her past. She had been researching some strange lore and wanted to know if any of the elders had ever acknowledged certain nature spirits as being benevolent.”

  “Nature spirits?”

  “We did technically come from Elder Fae magic”, Braeden reminded me, “and there were more than just werewolves created. Whole zoo of us when it comes to shapeshifting.”

  “So Dimples thought that she could be a shape shifter”, I said with a hollow tinge to my voice, “that isn’t something she ever shared with me. Why couldn’t she transform back if that was the case?”

  Cyril shook his head, “Because we don’t know what form of enchantment was put on her. It isn’t the same as the work you do, Abbie, it can’t be dispelled in a straight forward manner. Elder Fae magic was twisted in essence and worked as the darker side of earth’s elements. I’m no scholar but I know that each shape shifter has their own rules.”

  “It doesn’t matter what she is. Either way, we find who took her and break every bone in their body”, Braeden declared.

  “Agreed”, I replied, “but I don’t have any leads. No scent is coming up, my friend at the precinct hasn’t heard of any foul play, and she doesn’t have any enemies. There’s a small chance that Dimples could have followed of her own free will.”

  “Why would she do that when we are her family here? No one would dare mock Dimples in our territory or else my grandson would rip them to shreds. You’ve taken care of any casters who have something to say”, Cyril went on sadly, “and she knew that we would always help if she asked. The thing is, I think she worried about the type of shape shifter she could be.”

  “Dimples ordered a book from Frankie and it was filled with all sorts of monsters. Ones I’ve never heard of before that were all hunted to extinction if they ever existed in the first place”, I pulled up some images on my phone, “and none of them seemed like shape shifters. She’s searching in a bunch of different directions for her past.”

  “Then our plan is to find her, cast a wide net, and help her figure things out. We’ll put her identity crisis right on the operating table and will make it our priority”, Braeden said with the air of a true alpha.

  “I just hope we get to that point”, I said softly.

  Braeden looked down at me and we exchanged a glance that said everything. I wanted to hug him, to let him comfort me, but that was beyond us now. I didn’t trust where it would take us or what emotions it could surface. Braeden was technically my alpha now, even though my status in the pack was reluctant at best, and I didn’t need the alpha wolf in me to come out defensively if he sensed a vulnerability. I turned away and he let the subject drop. Thankfully, Gina
had finished dinner and we all piled in to eat. I forced the food down, worried about Dimples, scared that it might be a case I couldn’t solve. How could I be expected to find her when there were no leads?

  Liam looked uncomfortable as he sat next to Ethan, something that had never happened before, his mind occupied. He was worried about something and Braeden kept looking in his direction. Liam was the pack beta and was one of the only people who could truly get under Braeden’s skin. The two had a kinship that relied on instinct, a brotherhood of sorts even though Liam was still a kid in Braeden’s eyes. Gina took notice as well, bringing up polite conversation and trying to deflect her son from whatever he had planned. She knew something and wasn’t telling anyone. With all of Liam’s siblings eating and talking, it made smaller conversations harder to hear. Ethan exchanged some words with his mate and the two excused themselves to the living room. I got up to follow but Gina shook her head. Moments later, Ethan burst back into the dining room with a glow of happiness on his face.

  “Liam proposed and I said yes!”, he jumped up and down, waving a silver band on his ring finger as if it were the greatest treasure in the world, “we’re getting married at the end of senior year!”

  Liam came in and draped an arm over Ethan, kissing him, “I was nervous as hell to ask even though I knew we were bound. Turns out, Ethan’s been wanting it just as badly as I did. We could even get married before senior prom!”

  “THE HELL YOU WILL!”, Braeden roared out, silencing everyone.

  I felt shock come over the room and looked down to my plate. This wasn’t going to be good. Ethan narrowed his eyes and Liam looked casually over to his pack alpha as if the roar didn’t phase him. It most likely didn’t. After all, anyone who worked at the clinic with Braeden knew that the resident mender had a terrible way with tact. He would yell out orders and didn’t care if they were an elder or a valued patient. Everyone fell in line when Braeden got that decibel to his voice. Even I sat up straight, my inner wolf wanting to growl right back at him. This wasn’t the reaction the young couple had wanted and I could only guess at how disdainfully my ex-boyfriend felt about committed relationships. He believed the whole world should burn on his worst days.