“Does she have a form yet?” Emery frowned. Clearly, she’d had the same thought Deane just had.
“She’s minúsculo, takes after her animal half—the butterfly bat.”
Emery tilted her head as she stared at the girl from across the room. “How’s her night vision?”
“Impressive, but you can’t contain her. She’s lived with a number of family members. When she isn’t happy, she leaves.” Georgina snapped her fingers. “Like that.”
Deane crammed the last of the sandwich into his mouth. He would have sat there clearing out the chips as well, but he knew everyone was waiting on him, so he went to set the plate on the marble bar and wiped his mouth. He took a moment to button up his shirt and tuck it in, making himself presentable. He wished he had his shoes, but he begrudgingly realized he’d have to go barefoot like everyone else around there.
“Ready?” Georgina asked and started for the back door.
“Aye.” Deane followed her out to the pool patio with Emery at his side.
Cruz was sitting under the same shaded table as yesterday with Beck, Rollin and a few other people Deane hadn’t met yet. The Miami lodge leader straightened up when he saw Deane coming and held out his hand. “How’d they treat you? Like a savage beast or a tame kitten?”
“Somewhere in between.” Deane shook the man’s hand and looked at the nameless faces. “Can we go somewhere private to discuss my findings?”
“Intriguing.” Cruz lifted a brow and got up, careful of the umbrella’s points. He nodded at Deane and Emery and waved for them to follow him to the building through a door they hadn’t used before. Inside was a modestly sized office, much smaller than Allaric’s. A laptop sat open on a glass desk, and wood shutters covered the numerous windows. Cruz sat down and motioned for them to do the same. “This better?”
“Aye, thank ye,” Deane said and tried to get comfortable on the modern metal chair. He touched his pockets, realizing he was missing his phone. He always seemed to misplace it. He looked to Emery and Cruz. “Can either of ye get Alaric on the line?”
“No problem.” Cruz pulled out a phone from the pocket of his linen pants and put it on speaker.
The sound of ringing filled the room until Alaric’s familiar voice answered, “This is Alaric.”
Cruz set his phone on the surface of the glass desk and leaned forward. “Hey, Alaric, Cruz here. I’ve got your enforcers with me. Deane’s just back from his recon mission to the veterinary practice and has some information to report.”
“Hey, Boss.” Deane rested his hand on his knee.
“How’d it go?” Alaric asked. “I hear you took tiger form going undercover? That couldn’t have been your first choice.”
He felt Emery’s gaze settle on him. She’d been his partner long enough to understand he was resistant to shifting into tiger form, that he didn’t like it, but she didn’t know why. Alaric, however, had known him much longer and knew some of the details from his past. Deane cleared his throat. “Aye, but it was worth it. Despite my concerns, the plan delivered.”
“Don’t leave us hanging.” Emery’s eyes widened, and her hands gripped her knees tight. “What happened?”
A wry grin spread across Deane’s lips. “I was delivered to the vet in the morning yesterday, tranquilized. I can’t be sure of the time I woke, but it was dark.”
“Did a blood-sucker jump out and use their venom on you?” Emery raised her brows in jest.
“Venom?” Cruz frowned.
Alaric’s voice answered, “We’ve discovered one of their special abilities is their venom. Our doctor has run tests on it. It appears to be a paralytic and amnesiac. Bottom line—you don’t want to get bit by a blood-sucker.”
“So, were you bit?” Cruz raised his brows at Deane.
“No.” Deane recalled waking up, feeling groggy, though he remembered exactly what she’d said to him because it had seemed so strange at the time. “Verity, the vet, was there waiting for me to wake up. Then her brother, Julian, came in to deliver dinner. Rabbit flesh for me and the animal’s blood for her.”
“Seriously?” Emery made a face and muttered, “Ew.”
“How can you be sure they weren’t feeding on human blood?” Alaric’s voice asked from Cruz’s phone.
Deane shook his head, despite the fact that Alaric couldn’t see him. “They were talking about how they feed their gators rabbit meat but keep the rabbit’s blood for themselves. She didn’t relish the idea of taking an animal’s life, which is why I think her brother handles that part.”
“Were there any others?” Alaric asked, “Did they reference a community of blood-suckers?”
Deane racked his brain. “They didn’t talk about anyone else. It sounds like it’s just the two of them here.”
“So there are two blood-suckers running a veterinary clinic and gator park?” Cruz seemed to be blown away with this revelation. He rubbed his five-o’clock-shadow. “Right here in Florida?”
Alaric responded to the Miami lodge leader, “Best not to talk about it with your community at large. Keep it to a need-to-know basis. I will supply the Grand Consul with this information. They will be meeting to discuss the best way to proceed.” The room went silent for a moment before Alaric spoke up. “Deane, thank you—great work.”
“Thanks,” Deane answered. “So, now we know Ramsay called others of his kind, but we still don’t know why or how he’s connected with them.”
“I have an idea.” Emery sat up a little straighter. “I saw a help wanted sign over at the gator park. I’ve always wanted to wrestle an alligator.”
Deane was quick to reply, “Not likely, rookie. Plus, ye’ve already shown yer mug. We don’t want them growing suspicious.”
Her lower lip slid into a pout, and she sat back in her chair. This was an opportunity Deane couldn’t pass up. They needed more information, and the best way of getting it was working closely with the blood-suckers.
He exhaled. “Sounds like we need a fresh face who’s got experience working with the circus.”
Cruz’s brown eyes rested on Deane inquisitively.
Emery crossed her arms. “But who’s got that kind of experience?”
Alaric’s voice answered from the phone’s speaker, “Good thinking. I expect a status report when there’s news. Oh, and how’s the boy doing? Aerilyn wanted me to check.”
“As miserable as ye might expect,” Deane grumbled.
“But who’s applying for the job?” Emery was clearly confused and not following.
Alaric ignored her question. “By the way, we haven’t noticed any suspicious activity around here, and we’ve been keeping a close eye on things.”
Deane nodded. “That’s good to hear.”
“I have some things to get back to here,” Alaric said. “But thanks for welcoming my enforcers and helping, Cruz. Anything you need, just let me know, and I’m happy to reciprocate.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. We’ll talk later.” Cruz picked up his phone from the desk and ended the call.
Emery was starting to get agitated, having not followed the subtlety of the conversation. Deane leaned toward her and muttered, “It’s me.”
“Are you kidding?” Her eyes widened. “When did you work at the circus?”
Deane got up from the uncomfortable chair and brushed off the front of his shirt. “Over a century ago.”
She raised her brows as she stared at him. “I hope I look as good as you when I get to be your age. Really. You look no older than thirty.”
“Thanks, Emery.”
His partner got up and adjusted her red bandana around her head. Her long black lashes batted his way. “I hope you aren’t planning on wearing threads like those when you go apply for the job. Not unless they’re looking for a bouncer, and I doubt that’s the position they’re filling.”
Cruz smiled and pushed his chair against his desk. “She’s got a point, my friend. You look sharp, but it’s not gator-friendly attire.”
Emery’s eyes flashed. “Yay! I’ve been wanting to take you shopping forever!”
Deane glanced down at his trousers and shirt and had a sinking feeling descend to his toes. There wasn’t anything he felt more comfortable in, excepting his owl feathers. He sensed his partner imagining him as a paper doll to dress. So long as she didn’t bring out a pair of scissors and start talking about changing his hair. How bad could a new set of clothes be? Then he looked at Emery biting the edge of her lip, deep in thought. There was nothing about her bright red lipstick or bandana and high heels that said she knew how to do subtle.
Emery wasn’t seeing a hardened Irish enforcer but was imagining a Dundee gator wrangler crossed with a friendly Irish leprechaun selling cereal. And he knew.
He knew just how bad it could be.
Four
Verity turned on the hose and sprayed the empty enclosure. She’d already thrown the blanket in the wash with a mixture of bleach and soap. The hose water streamed toward the drain at the center of the room. It had been the first large cat she’d been able to treat at the practice. She’d seen several rare species since she’d opened the clinic. It was one of the reasons she’d wanted to move to Florida—lots of opportunities to see a variety of animals. Everything had gone smoothly, and she hoped to see more business from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
She hadn’t slept very well overnight. She kept waking to check on Lucifurr and found him watching her in the dark. It might have unnerved some, but she found it kind of sweet.
After cleaning and sanitizing the enclosure, she went back inside to her office to prepare for her next appointment. She saw mostly cats, dogs and hamsters, despite her specialty in exotics. Most days, her brother didn’t finish up until the evening, when he closed TailGators. They shared the responsibility of caring for the rabbits. She made sure they were healthy and mating, and Julian kept up their enclosure so they didn’t get out, and he did the part she didn’t like thinking about. She knew he was right. The gators had to eat, and so did they, but taking the lives of those sweet little furry faces made her sad.
The last car left the parking lot at twilight, and no more than ten minutes had passed when Julian walked through the back door of the house into their pristine kitchen. She was cutting apple slices and offered him one.
“I don’t know why you eat the rabbit’s food,” he answered with a shake of his head.
Verity took a bite. Its juices traced down her throat, and she swallowed it down. “I know I don’t need it, and it tastes weird, but it makes me feel more human.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled and slipped off his work boots, leaving a smear of mud on the tile.
She pointed at the mess. “I hope you’re planning on cleaning that up.”
A thump came from the front of the house where Verity’s clinic was located. Julian looked at her. “You have an evening appointment tonight?”
She set down the remaining piece of apple. “No.”
Julian went ahead of her through the dining room to the area she used as a waiting room. From there, they could see the front door was hanging wide open. Verity went to turn on the light and craned her neck to look upstairs. Julian moved past her to enter her exam room and stopped in the doorway.
A familiar voice wafted into the entry. “Hello, dear siblings.”
A chill traced down Verity’s spine. Julian’s shoulders slumped, and he continued into the room so Verity could join them. She turned on the light, revealing Dolan standing beside her exam table. His ice-blue eyes stared at them both.
“How long’s it been?” he asked with a Scandinavian accent.
“Not long enough.” Julian crossed his arms and frowned at their eldest brother.
Dolan hadn’t changed at all. His long blond hair was fastened at the base of his neck, and his humorless personality was reflected in his expressionless face. He had on a pair of black jeans and a matching onyx button-up shirt.
Verity took a deep breath, unsure what their brother’s sudden appearance meant. “How did you find us?”
“Ramsay’s offspring knew enough to point me in the right direction.” Dolan looked around the room. His gaze rested on her certificates hanging on the wall. “Look how decorated you are.”
“You were never good at small talk, so you shouldn’t start trying now.” Julian’s jaw tightened, straining the muscles in his neck.
Dolan didn’t move. “I wasn’t talking to you, queer.”
“Don’t talk to him like that.” Verity clenched her teeth and hesitated to move forward. “Why did you come, Dolan? It wasn’t to congratulate me.”
Their brother shook his head and exhaled. “No, it wasn’t.”
They waited in silence as Dolan took his time to explain his visit. He wove his fingers together and rested them against his chest. “I am here to inform you our dear brother has passed from this earth.”
Verity thought of Ramsay’s phone call only a couple weeks ago and blurted, “When?”
She felt Julian’s eyes on her as Dolan continued, “It seems he was visiting Denver to look for another of his spawn when he made a very curious discovery. There appears to be a breed capable of changing their shape to that of animals. Their blood contains more energy than anything we’ve ever experienced. But they are very dangerous.”
So that had been what Ramsay referred to in his voicemail. The discovery he’d thought she’d be interested in. She exhaled. “He called and left a message a few weeks back. I didn’t understand why at the time.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Verity went to his side and took hold of his hands. She waited for him to focus on her before she spoke. “I didn’t want to upset you. I didn’t call him back. I figured it was best to ignore him.”
“Had you been involved in his life, you might have advised him on a better course of action. Quinn might have survived.” Dolan scratched his cheek in agitation. “There was quite a bit of carnage. Not only did I lose one of my sons, but so did Ramsay.”
While Verity was in her twenties, Quinn had been born. He wasn’t one of Dolan and Nissa’s more obedient children, but he’d been the most curious. She wasn’t surprised to hear that her nephew had taken up with Ramsay.
She looped her arm through Julian’s, waiting for the boom to drop. She sensed there was more.
Dolan, not having received any words of condolence for the death of his son, pushed ahead. “Lycos learned of these events from one of Ramsay’s offspring. She has told us of the dangers of these changelings. And she revealed what Ramsay was doing in Denver. Apparently, he’d tucked away another child—a son who refused to drink human blood. He was of interest to the changelings, it seems. Let’s just say that these new developments have made Lycos unsettled, and he has sent me out to call his kindred home.”
Julian met her gaze. Fear and anger reflected back at her. She squeezed his hand and cleared her throat. “But we’ve made a life here. We live in discretion. Even Lycos would be satisfied with our vigilance.”
“Yet,” Dolan said with an empty smile, “he isn’t. You are to tie up your loose ends and come home to him immediately. It is not safe for you to live on your own.”
Their brother walked around the metal table with his hands outstretched. He rested his cool fingers on Verity’s shoulders and touched his lips to each cheek. “Sister, we welcome you home.”
The sound of his whisper made her skin crawl. She didn’t like him so near and was relieved when he backed away. Dolan didn’t offer such a warm reception to Julian, whom he simply ignored. His footsteps echoed out of the room and into the entry. Verity closed her eyes and tried to steady her racing heart. Julian wrenched himself from her tight grasp, and moments later, she heard the front door shut and the deadlock click.
Julian’s shaky voice filled the room. “What will we do?”
Verity’s lids flipped open, and she stared at the animal posters on the wall. Her mind was struggling to process every
thing that had just happened. “I don’t know. What can we do?”
Her little brother went to stand where Dolan had been mere minutes earlier. A few strands of his brown hair fell into his dark eyes, which were creased with concern. He braced his hands on the metal exam table and blinked at its surface. “Do you think Father has forgiven you?”
She sniffed. “He isn’t the kind of person who forgives.”
“But did he really think it would work between you and Ramsay?” Julian said with scorn in his voice. “Ramsay was a deviant. He enjoyed watching his food suffer when he was young—didn’t you tell me that? How would someone like that have been a good match for you?”
Verity felt numb. She shrugged. “You don’t have to be a good match to make full-bred offspring. You just have to be obedient.”
“What if this is just a way to put us under his thumb again?” Julian asked the foreboding question that was penetrating Verity’s fears.
She went to the light switch and paused for her brother to follow. “I need a drink.”
“There’s an idea,” he muttered and breezed out of the room.
They locked up and went upstairs to their living quarters. Verity opened the windows in their lounge while Julian got out the vermouth and gin. She plopped on the cream settee and curled her legs beside her on the cushion. “Make me a stiff one.”
“That’s all I know how to do,” he answered with a smirk. Minutes later he hurried to her side with a filled cocktail glass.
She sipped the cool liquid and felt it burn all the way down. “Ah, just right.”
Food might be bland and unexciting, but she truly enjoyed the taste of a good cocktail. It left her feeling calm and relaxed if she drank enough. She would need quite a few to get rid of the anxiety that seized her body and mind.
She took another sip and sighed. “Father always said I was the only one who could persuade Ramsay into behaving. He was forever getting into mischief. I suppose that was why Father wanted me to pair with him so badly. After Dolan and Nissa, the perfect couple, he thought it might just work.”
Half-Blood Secrets: A Paranormal Series (Half-Bloods Book 2) Page 4