by D. R. Perry
A rustle of fabric and an icy breeze told me someone had come through the front entrance. The lights came on again along with the sound of one footstep and a puzzlingly familiar dragging sound. Nox and I broke it up, both turning toward the flag covering the doorway.
“Oh—” Maddie sounded like someone who’d just seen an injured animal. Her footsteps joined the visitor’s. Moments later, the flag parted to reveal who’d interrupted our practice.
“Beth!” I rushed forward to help my sister as she hobbled forward on her remaining leg and a rickety wooden crutch.
“Josh.” She sighed like the last autumn leaf dropping to the ground. Her knee buckled. “Never thought I’d find you. ‘Specially not here.”
“How did you get away?” I let her lean on me, led her back through the curtain to settle her on a chair next to Maddie.
“I didn’t. They let me go.” She tried to prop the crutch against the wall, but it slid sideways. Beth looked like she was near tears until Nox caught and righted it. “Thanks.”
“Wait. Without your prosthetic?” I knelt on the floor in front of my formerly reclusive sister. “Who do I have to kill?”
“Uncle Jake.” She leaned her elbows on her thighs, resting her head on her hands. That’s how she used to sit in the tree fort back when we were kids. My heart nearly split open with rage.
“Son of a bitch.” I made a fist, about to ventilate the wall with it. Nox stopped it with a palm. Something crunched, pain flashing in my knuckles, but it’d heal in a minute. “I should have known.” Jake was Mom’s brother. He’d always been pissed that she hadn’t given him her pack once she married Dad.
“Yes, you should have.” Beth peered up at me through damp eyelashes, a muscle in her jaw twitching. My sister always got teary when she was angry. But why’d she direct it at me?
“So this is somehow my fault?” I paced toward the desk, then back again.
“Not completely.” Beth shook her head. “But it’s your responsibility. You’re the heir.”
“Funny how that goes, isn’t it?” I ran a hand through my hair.
“I didn’t want this either, you know.” She glanced at the spot where her right knee should be.
“Yeah, I know.” The accident hadn’t been her fault, or Ren’s. Drunk drivers suck. Missing older brothers suck, too.
“It’s weird being here.” Beth shook her head at the wall behind the counter. “Seeing him again.”
I followed her gaze. I’d been so focused on meeting Nox, I hadn’t checked the name on all the credentials, or the small photo far to the right and at the bottom of the display space. Ichiro. Ren’s father hadn’t shut down the dojo. He’d just renamed and moved it. I looked up at the trophies on the other wall. The three biggest had the name Phillips on them. No wonder I hadn’t been able to beat Nox. Small world.
“Yeah, weird.” I sighed, trying to focus. “So they let you go. Why?” Since that damned accident, talking to my sister was like pulling teeth sometimes.
“Got a message to give you.” Beth reached into her jacket, rummaging in the interior pocket. “Here. I’m not sure what it says.”
I broke the seal, trying not to look surprised that it was formally addressed and composed like a letter to the Alpha of a rival pack. Nox read it over my shoulder. I couldn’t figure out why Uncle Jake would bother with this level of formality. I hadn’t inherited my place at the head of either of my parents’ packs yet. I leaned back, feeling the weight of my half of the alliance medallion tap me on the breastbone.
“Oh.” My right hand flew to my chest, clutching the metallic object along with the fabric covering it. “They wanted me, not you guys. Tinfoil Hat’s more important than I thought.”
“You’re so dense sometimes.” Beth shook her head. “I mean, really? You think they didn’t want you as bad as they wanted our folks after you went and made a vampire your Beta?”
“Yeah, well, they didn’t get me on the New Moon.” I turned the letter around so she could see it. “Sucks to be them.”
“That alliance makes you a real Alpha.” Nox slapped me on the shoulder. “Good for you. Not so good for me.”
“We’ll figure something out.” I blinked, not daring to even look at Nox. I tried not to notice Beth staring at me like I’d suddenly turned green or something. “My Uncle can try to negotiate a prisoner exchange, but since I’m a real Alpha, I can fight him instead.”
“But it’s not Uncle Jake and company who want her.” Beth pointed to some fine print below the second signature line. “He must owe something big. Do you see who witnessed this?”
“Oh, no.” Maddie gulped.
“Yeah, well.” Nox snorted. “You piss off the Sidhe Queen enough, she gets involved. When’s this happening?”
“Half-moon.” Beth looked at Nox, then at me. She sighed. “That’s Monday.”
“And things will just get more dangerous for me after that. She’s more powerful when the moon’s on the wax.” Nox crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I should just agree to stand trial.”
“Do you get a lawyer in Faerie trials?” Maddie stood up, stepping next to her friend. She didn’t touch Nox, though.
“Yeah, but only for sentencing. Guilt’s determined by magic. I definitely did it, nothing will say otherwise. No Faerie will touch this. Probably not any other Extrahuman lawyer, either.”
“We’ll think of something.” Maddie tapped her chin with one finger. “Maybe Olivia…hmm. But she’s just a student, not even interning until summer.” She scratched her head.
“You need to think of nothing as far as legal issues go.” I jumped up at the unexpected voice. Beth covered her mouth. Maddie turned. Nox’s shoulders straightened. “I will represent you.”
“Ichiro-San.” She bowed at the waist. “Thank you.”
“Thank me when your trial is complete.” The middle-aged man who’d walked through a hidden door behind the counter peered at each of us in turn. “I’m more than qualified to plead your case. And as you know, I’ve got an extra advantage. Luck will be on your side.” He winked at Nox, and she smiled nearly as widely as she had the night she’d found me wandering the streets in my pajamas.
“What’s he mean?” Maddie blinked, then squinted at Mr. Ichiro. I already knew, of course. So did Beth. I kept my mouth shut to let Nox tell her friend the awesome news.
“Ichiro-san isn’t just the owner of Cherry Blossom School or a lawyer. He’s a Tanuki.”
Chapter Six
Nox
Grandpa’s happiness at Ichiro-san’s offer had me so pumped up I barely noticed Beth put her head in her hands. A keening so high pitched it was almost inaudible came from between her palms. I tried to batter down the solid wall of gloating that came from him and the rest of my ancestors but barely made a dent.
Ichiro-san went straight to Beth just as I finally realized why Josh’s last name had seemed so familiar when we’d met. It had been in the obituary my last year of High School. Ren Ichiro, survived by his father, sister, and fiancée Beth Dennison. I glanced away from the stump of her leg, thankful my grandfather had seen worse and didn’t want to stare. She’d lost her mate and her leg. No wonder Josh had to be Alpha. Losing Ren was probably worse for her than losing the limb. Wolf shifters got unstable and volatile without a mate, sometimes needing to be locked up by their packs. Beth might be able to find another fellow. Coincidence wasn’t so cruel as to only have one potential mate in the world for each person. But she didn’t seem like she wanted to look even after three years.
Josh was by the counter, checking out the hidden door. I knew about it but had never actually seen it. His fists clenched, posture stiffening. I watched the back of his neck redden as I approached him. Grandpa wouldn’t be happy if I did anything to comfort him physically, so I just walked near enough to brush his shoulder with mine.
“Did you know he could see us that whole time, Nox?” Josh jerked his chin at a bank of glass inside the narrow room. One-way mirror, of course.
/>
“No. Is the fact that he did going to be a problem?” I felt my cheeks heat up as I realized my late sensei’s dad had seen me shirtless and using a sparring match as a crude form of flirtation.
“Luna’s Light.” He let out his remaining breath slowly. “I shouldn’t let it be. Yeah, that’d be for the best. Not a problem.”
“I’m glad.” I took a step away, but Josh caught me by the arm. “But I didn’t mean—”
“Listen.” His whisper carried a hint of a growl. “I don’t know what your deal is, but I’m letting the fact that he saw you beat me slide for my sister. You will tell me what this is all about later. Understand?”
“Perfectly.” I turned my head, not having to tilt it down to look him in the eye. His usually honey-brown eyes brightened to a yellow-amber color. I put one hand over my stomach, gasping as I pulled my pelt free. “I’ll explain. I couldn’t with this thing on and now is definitely not the time.”
“When, then?” Josh’s eyebrows slanted frown-ward as his eyes narrowed. “Seems like there’ll be none with classes and trials.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged, my fist tightening on the slippery pelt. “If it’s important to you, then make time.”
“Swan Point. Memorial Grove.” The reason for his choice stung my eyes with threatening tears. Ren Ichiro’s body had never been found, and Josh’s brother was also presumed dead. The Grove was a place to mourn those who’d never come home. Like my father.
“The Megalith?” I wanted to shut my eyes, but couldn’t. The giant stone had been brought over from South County back before the Big Reveal. I'd been there every year since Dad died, but he still hadn't moved on.
“Yeah. Midnight work for you?” Josh’s eyebrows went back to their usual level.
“I’ll make it.” I nodded. This time, when I pulled away, he let me go. It’d take a covert effort to get over there, but our entire situation had gotten loads more complicated. Refusing to talk about what might be between us would be the height of idiocy.
I heard Ichiro-San call a cab for Beth. I sighed, worried I’d be on my own on the way back to campus. The old Tanuki would want to get Beth somewhere safe immediately. His ability to choose the luckiest route wouldn’t be available to me, and Maddie would need to bring Josh back to Fred’s. But she surprised me by linking her arm through mine.
“Mr. Ichiro will bring Josh with him. It’s okay. They can’t nab him now that it’s not the New Moon, anyway.” She glanced at Beth, who nodded.
“Yeah, they said he’s off-limits. Made it abundantly clear they think that’s only temporary.” She looked so tired, I wanted to give her a hug. Almost. Beth’s inability to get over losing Ren only made things more difficult for Josh. I softened. It wasn’t right to judge her about losing her mate when I didn’t even know what it was like to have one .
I took a deep breath, watching Mr. Ichiro help Beth from her seat to the door, Josh following closely. Maddie had already drawn her shadows around us, so we followed them out. As my head cleared, I wondered why Josh’s troubles were such a big deal to me, anyway.
“You’re super protective of him suddenly, huh?” Maddie glanced at me as we walked arm-in-arm up the street.
“Um.” My teeth squeaked as I clenched my jaw. “Him who?”
“Oh, come on, Nox.” Maddie shook her head, making her curls bounce. I couldn’t get mad at her. She was just being a friend.
“Yeah, Maddie. Fine.” I rolled my eyes. “Josh is driving me batty. I can’t make any sense of how he acts around me, mostly because I can barely think straight around him. I don’t know if I want to kick him or kiss him half the time.”
“Well, I think he likes you.” She grinned. “Maybe you two should give things a shot.”
“At least you getting together with Henry didn’t start a war.” I sighed. Maddie’s dad was a vampire, and her mom had had a license to get turned. They were happy for her as long as she finished school before applying for a license of her own.
“You really think that’s where this is headed?” She patted my arm with one brown hand. “War between who?”
“If the trial was just his uncle trying to take over, then maybe not.” We walked another half a block up the hill before I spoke again. “But it looks like Josh and I screwed something up when we helped you guys over winter break. His uncle might just be trying to fix things. The way Beth talked about the Queen getting involved almost seems like she had a hand in their pack politics. Or maybe someone else did.”
“But why?” Maddie’s curls bounced as she shook her head. “If the Queen has a problem with you, why would she involve the Dennisons?”
“Maybe she wants to work through someone else at this time of year. And maybe she didn’t, like I said. She might just have seen the pack problem and decide to use it to her advantage.” I listened to her boots and my sneakers tap and squeak against the damp pavement. “If she lets Unseelies get away with stuff like what I did, the Seelies will lose power. She can’t afford that.”
“Sounds like a big mess.” Maddie stopped, tugging on my arm. We’d gotten to Thayer Street. “Want me to have the Tinfoil Hat brainiac society look at it?”
“They can try.” I tugged back, urging her to keep on walking with me. “There’s not going to be much for them to go on until we know what she’s aiming to sentence me with.”
“Make me a list of possibilities. I’ll get Lynn and Blaine in on it with me.” She chuckled. “Lynn says they read at warp factor nine.”
I actually laughed but remembered to keep it quiet enough not to break out of the shadow magic she’d hidden us with. We turned down toward the Thayer Trolley Tunnel, where I did the special knock to open the secret door. Maddie said goodbye at the bottom of the stairs to go finish her homework. Once through the doorway, I was on campus and safe. The Nocturnal Lounge was emptier than usual. Checking a flier on the wall by the coffee and snack station told me why. Night Creatures were playing down at The Living Room. The usual crowd here would all be over there supporting them. I sighed, sinking into one of the new-to-PPC cushy chairs, relishing some alone time. Maybe I could even take a short snooze.
The clunk and tap of worn boot-heels told me I wasn’t completely alone. I sat up, turning most of the way around in my seat to find Bianca the Psychic Medium smiling at me. She grabbed a cup of tea as she came , the bag tag fluttering in the breeze of her passage like a tiny moth around a flame. Except that when she sat down and set the cup on the end table next to her, the tag just kept on flapping.
“You look atypically mournful tonight.” Bianca didn’t usually notice the living too much unless the place was empty like now, or they seemed down in the dumps. She twirled some of her pink-tipped blonde hair between her fingers absently.
“Yeah. Got a lot to think about.” I rubbed my eyes. “Not enough time as I’d like, either.”
Most people would have taken my words as a strong hint to just get lost already, but not Bianca. She didn’t have much people sense unless the people in question weren’t exactly in this world anymore. It had to be odd, seeing an entire city full of ghosts when no one else could. Weird enough to make her weird, too. Then again, maybe it took an already out-of-touch person to make the kind of contact Mediums could with the Other Side. I decided to let my overtired mind drop the whole idea like the chicken and egg argument it seemed to be. Regardless, Mediums kept ghosts from freaking out. Most people appreciated them, but usually from afar to avoid the flakiness that went with talking to invisible dead people.
“Well, I’d leave you to it, but if I did, he wouldn’t leave me alone.” Bianca glanced at the fluttering tea tag. “Horace, that is. Usually, he’s a great ghost to have around.” Her usually vacantly kind face took on an expression that would have looked more at home on Headmistress Thurston. “Tonight, he’s being an absolute pest because there’s something you need to know about your ancestors.”
“So what’s Horace on about then?” I figured handling this situation with G
randpa’s ornery abruptness might be for the best.
“Well, he says your father’s been bothering him. Keeps going on about how your grandpa makes you deny everything, whatever that means.”
“Wait, what?” I blinked, leaning forward. “No way Dad’s here.”
“Oh, of course, he’s not. He’s contracted down at the Reservoir like he’s supposed to be. But part of Horace’s job is to go around and check on ghostly workers all over the state.” Bianca rolled her eyes in the direction of her tea. “And that’s how your father gave him an earful. He’s so agitated, it’s causing problems with the piping at the water treatment plant.”
“So, Horace.” I set my gaze vaguely at the spot Bianca had looked at. “What’s my dad’s problem, anyway?”
Bianca smiled. She nodded at the empty space as though listening to something.
“Horace says thanks for talking to him instead of me. He also says your dad’s worried you’re ruining your chances of finding your mate. Something about listening to your heart instead of your grandfather, whatever that means.”
“And how would he know, anyway?” I slapped a hand over my mouth. “Ugh. That was supposed to be my inside voice.”
“Why not have a nice cup of peppermint or chamomile tea and then relax?” Bianca’s eyebrows made light-brown arcs. “You seem like you’re on edge. No wonder your dad’s worried about you.”
“Bianca, I know you and Horace mean well, but you have no idea.” I shook my head. “The last thing I need right now was a scolding from the hereafter that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Sorry if that message is unclear.” Bianca turned, glancing at where the tea bag tag fluttered against the side of the cup even more rapidly. “What’s that, Horace?” She made her listening face again, this time with extra forehead crinkle. “Huh.”