Winter Wolf

by RJ Blain

  “Maybe you could use your wizardry and do what he did.”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice.

  “And you have no idea how to find him?”

  “None at all.”

  “We’re right where we started, then. We’ve no idea how to stop the plague and running out of time.” Amber made a frustrated sound. “The Inquisition doesn’t know anything either. They have doctors, Nicole. I asked. They know about the plague, and they’ve been trying to find a cure. Nothing works. It’s as insidious a virus as Ebola, but it’s even worse. There’s no cure, no treatment, no hope. Even rabies can be treated if you catch it early enough.”

  “You asked the Inquisition?”

  “When you were sleeping the first night. I like Richard and Alex, Nicole. We’ve worked together for years. They’re as close to friends as I get with Fenerec. I don’t want them to die.”

  The pain in her voice convinced me she spoke the truth. I closed my eyes and nodded. “I understand.” I didn’t want them to die, either.

  ~Ours,~ the book agreed, and its voice—my voice—was sad.

  “So what’s our plan?” Amber asked.

  “Why are you asking me?” I wrinkled my nose, then shrugged. “I think we deal with the serial killer first. Then I keep my word, and we head back to Los Angeles. My agent is probably flipping his top. Once I have my business settled there, we hunt the Winter Wolf. To do that, I’ll need to speak to Mr. Desmond.”

  “As good of a plan as any. As for our friendly killer, we need bait.” Amber chuckled, picking up the debit card Richard had left on the coffee table. “You’re far, far prettier than me. Why don’t we make Richard’s money work for us? A wealthy woman playing high stakes games is just what the serial killer ordered. Except you and I will be armed and very, very dangerous.”

  “Me?” I narrowed my eyes, watching Amber swish the card in the air. “Richard is going to kill you if he finds out. And we have no idea how much he’s letting us use.”

  “Knowing him? It’ll be enough. After we eliminate the killer, the Inquisition will compensate Richard for the investment. They don’t mind spending money when innocents are being killed. Anyway, you’ll be safe enough. You’ll be armed. You know how to handle a gun in close quarters. If our target tries anything, shoot him. We—I mean the Inquisition—will clean up the mess. I don’t intend to let you out of my sight, but if he gets you alone, you can protect yourself until I can get you out. I don’t look like a rich girl. I can’t pull it off. You talk like a rich girl when you want to. I can’t act worth shit. My other option is to watch him lure some poor woman in, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to get her out before he kills her.”

  “So, what do I need?”

  “Clothes, jewelry, a thigh holster, and accessories. Do you know how to gamble?”

  “Not really,” I admitted.

  “Then you’ll need to act like you know what you’re doing at the tables. I’ll teach you the basics of Blackjack, Hold ‘em, Pai Gow, and Roulette. Craps is pretty complicated, though it’s popular.”

  “Teach me craps too, then.”

  Amber made a thoughtful noise. “Okay, put your gun back on and we’ll hit some shops and the casinos. This guy hunts the rich and famous, so we’ll head to Casino Royale to practice. It doesn’t attract the wealthy types.”

  “The casino from the Bond movies?”

  “That casino is in Montenegro,” Amber replied, laughing. “But yes, the Casino Royale here is based on the one from there. Of course, the one in Montenegro is far, far more spectacular. The one here isn’t nearly so regal. If you like cheap food and even cheaper beer, though, you’ll like the place.”

  “I take it you like James Bond.” While I had seen one or two of the movies, that’d been enough for me.

  “We live the life.” I thought I heard a bit of sadness in Amber’s tone. “You don’t have to help me, Nicole.”

  “I want to,” I replied, checking my gun over before reloading and holstering it. “Let’s live to die another day.”

  “Did you just pun me?” Amber asked incredulously.

  “Me?”

  ~~*~~

  My new-found courage abandoned me in the thick crowds swarming along Las Vegas Boulevard. I stuck close to Amber and jumped at the shadows cast by palm trees swaying in the hot wind. If she noticed, she didn’t make any mention, guiding me through the sea of people. Instead of taking me to the Venetian’s Canal Shoppes, we crossed the street to Caesar’s Palace.

  “Forum Shoppes first, then we’ll hit the Bellagio. The Bellagio is better for the designer stuff, but this is on the way,” Amber explained, pulling me through the columned entry leading into the hotel’s shopping center. “And there’s better food here. I hate shopping on an empty stomach.”

  “I hate shopping,” I muttered.

  The entry of the Forum Shoppes opened to a dazzling pool made of mosaic tiles, guarded by pillars carved into Greek-themed statues. The statues towered to the third story, supporting walkways lining the shops above the fountain. An escalator circled a statue of a winged lion.

  “You’ll like this,” Amber promised, dragging me to the second story, where she led me into one of the many stores.

  Thirty minutes later, with Amber wielding Richard’s debit card like a weapon, we emerged with a purse, wallet, and a pair of high heels. I tried not to think about how much our spoils of war cost and kept a firm grip on the plastic bag in fear of losing it.

  “Relax,” Amber said, patting me on the shoulder. “We’re just getting started.”

  “But how do you know I need black shoes? Black shoes with diamonds, Amber. Diamonds,” I spluttered.

  “They’re just tiny ones,” she replied, ignoring my protests and dragging me down the escalator to the first floor. “If it makes you feel better, I texted Richard and asked for the balance on the card, saying I wanted to dress you up for a night on the town. He said we were welcome to spend however much we wanted, but on one condition.”

  I didn’t like her playful tone, so I asked warily, “What condition?”

  “He wants me to text him a picture of you in it.”

  My face burned. “You’re joking!”

  “Not at all. He said if I got a pretty dress I had to send a picture of me too. Fair’s fair and the poor man’s single.”

  “I don’t think he meant you could spend thousands of dollars on shoes,” I replied, appalled.

  “I don’t think he cares, Nicole. He wouldn’t have given us the card unless he meant for us to use it. He doesn’t have anyone else to spend his money on. Let the man pamper us if he wants to. And we get to use it to stop a monster, which makes it even better.” Amber rubbed her knuckles against my temple.

  I ducked my head and sighed. “This is insane.”

  “Let’s go find dresses,” Amber announced, loud enough anyone around us could hear. She linked her arm with mine and pulled me down the hall. In a lower voice, she hissed at me. “I see him.”

  With wide eyes, I followed Amber’s lead. A girl shopping for dresses would laugh and have fun, so I forced that mask, giggling with excitement to cover the surge of fear at the thought of being so close to our murderous target. It wasn’t until we turned a corner leading deeper into the Forum Shoppes that I saw him. He was a tall and pleasantly handsome with the dark skin of someone who spent too much time in the sun. He watched us, and when I was about to lose sight of him, he pushed away from the column he leaned against to follow us.

  “I saw him,” I whispered back.

  “He’s hunting.”

  “Us?” I squeaked.

  “We’re spending money in designer stores. Fits his profile. I didn’t expect him to be here, though.” Amber made a show of staring in the window at another store featuring shoes and handbags. Before I could protest, she dragged me inside. “I still need shoes,” she announced.

  I followed her around, pointing at the shoes I happened to like, and pretending not to notice the well-dressed m
an loitering in the hall.

  Unlike me, who was horrified at the thought of buying a single pair of shoes, Amber bought two pairs and a handbag. Hers, to my disgust, didn’t have any gemstones embedded in them. If it weren’t for the price tags, I would’ve thought they were normal heels.

  “Why do I get the diamonds?” I hissed at her as she paid for her purchases with Richard’s card.

  “Because you’re pretty enough to pull them off. I’m not.”

  “You’re plenty pretty,” I protested, shaking my head. “And you don’t sound like you have a bad cold all of the time, either.”

  “I don’t think our friend will be at all interested in your voice.”

  I shuddered, but couldn’t argue with her. Our prey pursued us through the Forum Shoppes, and I wondered if he suspected we were hunting him.

  “Let’s eat,” Amber suggested, dragging me to a popular restaurant. It was busy, and we waited in line for a seat. Our target made a show of taking photographs of the statues dominating the center of the walkway. “Oh, those are the moving statues. It’s a show.”

  I tried to imagine the pegasus and warriors moving, but couldn’t. “Really? They look like statues to me.”

  “That’s the point,” Amber replied, giggling a bit. We were seated at a table barely big enough for two, which let Amber duck her head close to mine so we could talk in whispers. “I can’t tell which one of us he’s interested in.”

  “Does it matter?” I replied, staring at the menu. The prices reminded me of L.A. “If it’s me, you’ll get me out. If it’s you, I’ll get you out. That’s how it works.”

  “You don’t have the training,” she hissed.

  “Amber, I don’t need the training.” I glanced around to make certain no one seemed to be listening to me. “I’ll blast a hole through a wall if I need to. And I can take out any cameras with no issues. He hurts you, and he’ll be an ash smear when I’m done with him.”

  I think the viciousness in my tone surprised her as much as it did me.

  “You can’t do that. They’ll know, then.”

  “No, they won’t,” I replied with a dainty sniff at Amber’s lack of faith.

  “And how will you stop them from finding out?”

  “Fire witch,” I said, pointing at her. “Ash is from fire.”

  “You mean officially, I’ll have done it?” Amber’s brows furrowed. “Frying people isn’t how I operate.”

  “We all make mistakes when we panic.”

  “I don’t normally panic.”

  “Shit happens.” I took a sip of water, pretending to concentrate on the menu while keeping an eye on our target. “Looks like he’s settling down to wait.”

  “He’ll probably find some way to approach us and ask one—or both—of us out for an evening of fun,” Amber replied, setting her menu down. “Are you sure about this?”

  “He’s dangerous,” I replied.

  “That’s why I’m asking if you’re sure about this.”

  “Already bought the shoes and purse,” I pointed out. When the waiter came, we ordered. Amber nodded her acceptance, and we talked about harmless things, like her car and my work, while I studied our target.

  ~Prey,~ the book whispered. I nudged my messenger bag with my toe. ~Kill the monster.~

  The book and I agreed on that much, at least: monsters needed to be hunted. If I had to buy a frilly dress to kill the man stalking and raping women, I decided it was worth the price—even if Richard’s bank account paid for it.

  Even if it meant I had to become a monster myself in the process.

  ~You’re not like that thing,~ the book informed me. ~You protect your pack. Alpha. It hunts prey, not to protect, but to devour.~

  But I wasn’t a Fenerec and I didn’t have a pack. It didn’t change the fact if I had a chance at him, I’d take it. While I watched him under the guise of fiddling with the dessert menu, he spent his time observing the women nearby, his eyes those of a predator. I clenched my teeth, my anger rising. He wouldn’t hurt anyone else, not me, and definitely not Amber.

  There wouldn’t be any more victims.

  Just like that, I understood the Inquisition. They hunted those who preyed on those who couldn’t defend themselves. In some cases, like mine, they went further than normal, equipping me to defend myself. But unlike the other women he preyed on, I had power. If I wanted to, with all of the electricity around me, I could kill the killer. My power waited for me to unleash it on the monster seated near the statues. I could end our hunt within moments, but I didn’t.

  If I did, the Inquisition would hunt me as I hunted him, and its lethal gaze would turn on Amber.

  So I waited.

  ~~*~~

  Our prey stalked us from Caesar’s Palace to the Bellagio, where we both bought dresses for a night on the town. I picked mine to cover my scars. Amber picked hers to show off her lithe figure.

  Both of them had slits up the sides so we could strap guns to our legs. I couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of posing for pictures in the dress, showing off my legs and my Beretta at the same time.

  If Richard wanted a photograph in exchange for the dress, I would oblige.

  “You’re in a good mood,” Amber said as we waited in line to catch a cab back to the Venetian. “What’s up?”

  “Does your phone have a timer for the pictures?”

  “What?” She glanced at me, baffled.

  “Action poses.”

  She was still laughing when it was our turn to get a cab. “The Venetian,” I told the employee organizing the line for the taxis. He blew his whistle and when the next cab pulled up, he opened the door for us while the driver popped his trunk for our things.

  Like everything else, we paid with Richard’s card. When we arrived, we hurried to the elevator, making sure our stalker didn’t follow us into the hotel. I grinned at Amber as the door shut, leaving us alone. “Evasion successful.”

  “Except he knows which hotel we’re staying at now,” Amber grumbled.

  “I thought that was a good thing. He might show up tonight.” I pressed the button for our floor, whistling a little tune to myself. We went up silence, dragging our bags to the room.

  “He might, but I don’t like hunting him so close to home base,” Amber grumbled.

  “I like it, gives me time to set up.” Without knowing what tricks the serial killer had in his arsenal, I wanted time to prepare for him. If we lured him to the penthouse suite, I suspected I could have a few surprises waiting for him.

  ~I can help,~ the book said cheerfully.

  “I was counting on it,” I mumbled to the book as I dropped my messenger bag on the table.

  “Did you say something?” Amber looked up from sorting through our shopping bags.

  “Do you think the Inquisition wants this guy alive?” I asked.

  Amber shook her head. “No. If they wanted him alive, they would have sent a team to retrieve him. And anyway, it’d be cruel not to kill him. The Inquisition would torture him to find out what he was up to and why.”

  “So he doesn’t even get a trial?”

  “No trial, not jury, just a judge and executioner—in this case, me. It bothers me. I don’t even know what he is and I won’t find out.”

  “There’s nothing normal about what he’s done. I mean, take a look at women’s faces,” I replied with a shrug. “There’s nothing normal about that.”

  Amber grimaced, shaking her head. “There’s has to be something more to it than that. Too simple. Who kills so many women without a reason? He had to have a reason for it. Could he be a Normal and we’re just assuming he’s not?”

  I pulled the book out of my bag, as well as my stones and debens, setting them aside before unloading my Beretta. “One or two I could believe, but eight or nine of them? All with that same expression? I don’t think so. Did the files mention anything about drugs? Drugs could do that, I guess.”

  “They were clean,” Amber replied.

  I consid
ered using the book to do as I had done for Scott, but shuddered at the thought of experiencing another death. Maybe I could learn what the killer had done to the women, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually do it. It was one thing to speculate and another to experience.

  I didn’t want to remember what it felt like to die again.

  “He knows this is our hotel. We play the high stakes here tonight, and we lure him here. Then we deal with him, if he proves to be our killer.”

  “He is,” Amber said, her voice full of conviction.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’m a fire witch, Nicole. Some of us deal with heat and flame. Others see souls.” She shuddered, hugging herself.

  “What did you see?”

  “Darkness and lots of it. Evil. That’s all I can think of. He was pure evil.”

  “A monster, then. Does it matter if he’s a Normal or supernatural?” I picked up my rhodonite, rolling it between my hands. The gypsy believed it would bring luck, but in my hands, it would bring nothing but death. Would my calculated murder of a murderer make me a monster, too?

  ~No. You’re protecting the weak.~

  I ignored the book’s opinion, continuing to roll the stone from hand to hand. The moonstone and citrine were pretty, but there was something warm and soothing about the rhodonite. Did I favor it or did it favor me?

  Setting aside the mottled sphere, I picked up the moonstone. It chilled in my hands, as if it reached the conclusion it didn’t like me. I couldn’t blame it. Soon enough, I would have blood on my hands, even if I wasn’t the one to pull the trigger. I didn’t know or care what the moonstone represented, but I got the feeling death wasn’t its domain.

  ~A healing stone,~ the book agreed. ~Put it on my cover. I’ll talk to it.~

  Startled, I obeyed the book, setting the sphere on its stand and placing it on the blue leather.

  Healing was what I needed; a cure, a hope for the Fenerec, something to make up for my inability to save Scott, and something to atone for the sin I would commit when I murdered the serial killer at Amber’s side.