by E. A. Copen
He pushed me further away and then hopped out the front door to splash in the water. He was smart, wearing shorts even though the water was a bit on the chilly side. At least he wouldn’t be walking around in wet clothes all day.
Lunch at Sal’s was the spaghetti squash he’d prepared earlier with marinara, parmesan and garlic along with a salad he’d tossed together while I was gone. There’s a reason Hunter prefers his cooking to mine. While I could barely manage pancakes out of a box, Sal could throw together a four-course meal from scratch like it was nothing. I’ve no idea where he learned to cook like that, but it meant we ate at his place about as often as we ate at home.
Sal and I exchanged a series of glances and quick gestures, silently deciding it’d be better to wait until after lunch to tell Hunter everything.
Hunter, however, had other ideas. He knew something was different as soon as he stepped inside Sal’s trailer. My son took one look at Sal, wrinkled his nose and said, “What happened to you?”
Sal hesitated after placing the bowl of salad on the table. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.” Hunter sniffed the air and squinted his eyes. After a long moment, he moved closer to Sal and walked a circle around him. “Something is different.”
Sal’s hand went to the leather bag that hung around his neck. “Chanter decided I should try on his responsibility for a day or two. So, I guess that temporarily makes me head of the pack.”
“Can he do that?” Hunter asked, his eyes growing wider.
“Already done.” Sal went back to setting the table, complete with napkins and a basket of sliced bread (which I also knew he homemade several times a week) and real butter.
“Does this have anything to do with the snake lady that was at our house last night?”
Sal pulled out Hunter’s chair and urged Hunter to sit down, but the kid resisted until Sal gave him a stern glare. “We’ll talk about it after lunch.”
Sal moved as if to pull my chair out for me, but I got there first and plopped down. He stopped, turned and went back to his own chair.
After everyone had scooped some of the stringy, yellow squash onto their plates, topped it with the marinara, and filled their salad bowls, Hunter went right back to it. “Someone else was here, too. Someone that smells like magick.”
Sal let out a loud huff and put his fork down. “You’ve got too much of your mom in you for your own good, Hunter. Fine, since you won’t let it go, I’ll tell you all about it.”
Sal relayed most of the story as we ate, telling Hunter the tale that Logan had passed to us. I filled in the missing parts with what Zara had told me and what I’d read out of the book last night. For the first time, we had a complete story.
When we got to the part where we had to explain what happened earlier in the day, I took over, figuring it’d be better for me to explain what I saw of Zara’s aura. After I’d finished, there was a long pause.
Hunter took another piece of bread and bit into it without bothering with the butter. “Okay,” he said after swallowing. “What’s any of this got to do with me? I can tell there’s more to this than you’re saying.”
Sal and I exchanged a long glance.
“Logan thinks he can make you look exactly like one of her lost children and that will get her to show herself,” Sal continued. “Once she does, Logan, your mother and I will work together to remove the scale that gives her power and stop her.”
“Stop her how?”
“What?”
“You said she doesn’t want to go back. This Logan guy wants to talk her into going back, somehow make her see what a danger she is and that she doesn’t belong in this world.” He pointed at me with his crust of bread. “If she was going to listen to reason, don’t you think she would’ve already done that? I just don’t see a speech working too well, is all.”
I put my fork down and frowned at my son. I guess we hadn’t thought everything through as much as we should have. Logan had said talking to her would do it, but it did seem he might have already tried that with her. Maybe he was counting on me saying the right thing. But what was I supposed to say to an ancient Native American snake shifter to make her want to go back to that living hell? Nobody would want to go there, least of all someone who’d been locked up there for centuries already. Zara had tasted freedom. She wasn’t going to give it up, not even if it meant sacrificing her powers. She would rather die than go back like Logan wanted her to.
Sal watched me fumble for an answer and came in with a save. “That’s not important right now. The point is, we think you can help. Your mom’s against the idea. She’s worried you’ll get hurt, and frankly that’s a real concern. This woman has killed people. She almost killed your mom and me earlier today. Any involvement with her is dangerous.”
Hunter popped the last of his bread into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. “But if you don’t get this scale, you can’t save Valentino, right?”
“I don’t want you to decide now,” Sal said. “We don’t know how Valentino’s doing. Maybe the doctors have figured something out that can help. I got a text from Doc Ramis a little while ago that we should go to the hospital. Nina’s already made it there. Went straight from the airport. I think we should go see him before we make any final decisions.”
Hunter pressed his lips together and wrinkled his forehead before turning to Sal. “I know Chanter’s technically not the alpha right now, but would you mind if we stopped to talk to him for a minute?”
“He’s not going to give you advice, Hunter,” Sal said. “That would defeat the whole purpose of giving me this.” Sal patted the bag he wore around his neck.
“I know. I just... I can’t explain it. I feel like I need to see him, even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
Sal was quiet for a moment and glanced at me. I nodded. The more Hunter thought about this decision, the better off he’d be. I didn’t want him just jumping into it, no matter how much he wanted to.
“We can see Chanter on the way out to the hospital. How about that?” Sal offered.
Chanter’s place was in the opposite direction from the hospital, but it wouldn’t be more than a small detour.
Hunter nodded and stood. “Maybe we’d better get going. We’ve only got until sundown, right?”
Sal stood and gathered the dishes and the remains of what he’d prepared for lunch. After quickly tossing the leftovers into plastic bowls for later and placing them in the fridge, he retrieved the keys to Chanter’s truck from the counter and spun them on his finger.
I gave Hunter a hug. Based on what he’d said, I already knew he’d made up his mind to help. He was a good kid, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
Hunter shrugged me away and smoothed his hands over his shirt. “Mom, seriously?”
I smiled. Then, we waded through the water to pile into the truck to go and visit Chanter.
Chapter Twelve
Chanter was outside when we pulled up, as if he’d expected our arrival. He stood near the side of the house, looking down the driveway with his arms crossed. He had a white bandana around his head, but had braided his hair over it. When Sal pulled up, the old man turned to grab a big piece of rolled-up canvas and hoisted it over his shoulder.
“Stubborn old man,” Sal growled. “What’s he doing lifting heavy things like that?” He jerked the gear shift into place and put on the parking break before tugging the keys out. Sal was out his door before I managed to get mine open.
The ground wasn’t wet out here, despite the threatening clouds hanging in the sky. Being so far from the river and on a small rise meant Chanter didn’t have to worry about flooding unless things got bad. Walking around the side of the house, I noted a few puddles in the low-lying areas around the house, but even they were vanishing. The desert was thirsty.
When I got around back, I stopped because Chanter’s backyard had been transformed. Normally, all that was back there was a little stoop before it turned into wild, untamed desert. The sto
op was still there, but some other things had sprung up to join it, namely a large, round structure several yards from the house. It was a squat little hut with a bunch of canvas and maybe leather thrown on top. Several large rocks sat around it in a circle as if marking a boundary. A little further away, there was a fire pit inside another circle of rocks. A fire burned there, but it was low and mostly coals.
I took another step and paused to look down when a small wave of magick pushed back. A third circle of smaller stones had been laid on the ground, this one wider and further reaching than the last.
Magick circles are common. It’s first-year stuff in the BSI academy, partly because many people with even a little talent use them without ever knowing. A basic circle created a barrier that trapped and amplified magickal energies inside, separating them from the flow of energy outside. The smaller the circle, the more powerful magick one could perform inside it.
The circle I’d just stepped into had already been powered and magick performed inside. Since I didn’t know the magick’s purpose, I took a step back and remained outside the circle. When Hunter moved to keep going, I put a hand out and stopped him. Whatever magick there was inside of it probably wasn’t dangerous, especially since Sal and Chanter had just walked right through, but I wasn’t going to take chances with my son.
Sal breezed on through, but had abandoned his shoes next to where I stood. He didn’t say anything, just went to help Chanter get that last bit of canvas over the opening to the tiny hut. Hunter and I stood, waiting and watching, for about five minutes while they struggled with it and secured it using rope. Then, the two of them walked back to where we stood, still not having exchanged any words.
Chanter walked by us as if we were there and went to retrieve a canteen placed on the ground near the corner of the house. “So,” he said after taking a drink, “have you found your snake yet?”
“More like she found us.” I was going to explain further, but Hunter nudged me with an elbow. “But we’re not here about that. At least, I don’t think we are.”
“Hunter wanted to see you,” Sal said.
Finally, Chanter turned away from the house, one eyebrow raised. “Did he? Is there something you wanted, child?”
Hunter squirmed next to me. “I... I don’t know.”
Chanter’s face lit up with a warm smile. “A wise man always seeks the counsel of his elders before making an important decision. Do you have a decision to make?”
Hunter chewed his bottom lip and looked at me before answering. “Yeah.”
Chanter gestured for Hunter to come with him. The two of them walked around the side of the house to the front, Chanter’s hand on Hunter’s shoulder.
I frowned. “If he’s so on the fence about it, maybe we should just call it off.”
Sal went to lean against the house. “I don’t think that’s it. There’s a part of the picture you’re probably not seeing.”
“Enlighten me.” The words came out gruff and I crossed my arms to send the message home. If anyone knew Hunter and what he was going through, it was me.
“We’re doing more than just asking him to be bait for a monster. I think he wants to help, even if Valentino and he don’t really get along. We’re asking him to re-live past trauma.”
Sal was right. It had only been a few months since Hunter had been captured and tortured by two wendigos. He’d been alone at the mercy of a monster once before and I hadn’t come in time to save him from everything.
“Add to that,” Sal continued, “the pack dynamic. Valentino is Chanter’s third. Hunter is currently not even ranking, but everyone in the pack knows that, if he gets in, that’s going to change. Once Hunter’s of age, it could shake everything up in the pack.”
“I don’t understand. He’d still be at the bottom, right? He’s a child.”
“Not necessarily.” Sal shook his head. “Technically, yes, but that alone is going to cause some tension. Hunter has...” He trailed off and put a finger to his chin, looking up at the sky. “How do I put this? He has what you might call an alpha personality. Once he’s old and strong enough, he has every chance of running his own pack. He might also decide he wants to run this one.” Sal mimicked my pose by crossing his arms. “Which is why there’s some resistance to bringing him in. Valentino sees that possibility. Hunter’s very introduction into the pack threatens his position, which is precarious already.”
“I thought these things were pretty set in stone?”
“Not really.” Sal shrugged and glanced around. “If Valentino wants my spot, he can issue a formal challenge. I can challenge Chanter. Valentino can challenge both of us and lead if he succeeds.”
“What’s stopping him from trying?”
Valentino seemed like the kind of guy who really liked to be in charge. It was obvious, even to a human like me, that he wanted to run the pack and thought he’d be a better second than Sal. Since Chanter was dying of cancer, it almost made sense for someone else to take over now instead of waiting until he was dead.
“Well, me for starters.” Sal crouched down and picked up Chanter’s canteen. As he spoke, he unscrewed the lid. “It would be a good fight, but I think we both know Valentino can’t win it. Second, we all respect Chanter as a leader. I acknowledge I’m not ready to lead and Valentino would have to beat me to get to Chanter so...” He took a drink. “Things stay as they are.”
“Until Hunter comes in,” I added.
“Well, even then, it won’t be right away.” Sal gestured toward the front of the house with the canteen. “He’s eleven. It’ll be five years or more before he’s got full control over his wolf. Some never get there. It’s more than just a fight that cements your spot, babe. If the rest of the pack doesn’t affirm that your advancement was fair and within reason, you can lose status. Another reason Valentino hasn’t challenged me. Shauna, Daphne, and Ed would never follow him.”
“But Valentino might follow Hunter?” Pack politics sounded complicated. I’d only been involved with werewolves for three months and I was knee-deep in it. It’d be at least as many years before I’d fully understand how it all worked.
“Maybe. Depends a lot on Hunter’s decisions. At the very least, he’s a contender in five or six years for a good second in the pack. In twenty, I see him running his own.”
The remark filled me with pride, but also fear. If he ran his own pack, it would mean he’d have to go public. My decision to hide him away from BSI to keep him from having to register would hurt him in the long run. I hoped my decision wouldn’t do irreparable damage.
Sal must’ve sensed what I was thinking, because he reached out to place a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, he’s got tough times ahead, but he’s got a tough lady for a mom and me and Chanter to watch out for him. Despite what he’d like everyone to think, Chanter’s not going anywhere just yet.” He turned to smile in the direction of the three circles.
I followed his gaze. “What is all that?”
“Chanter’s setting up a sweat. Cleanses the body of toxins and stuff. Also a good opportunity to reflect and think.”
Chanter had refused chemo for his cancer ever since we found out he had it. Only at Sal’s insistence did the old man even go in for regular testing to monitor the growths. Over the last few months, there hadn’t been much change. He had slowed down a little, but it was barely noticeable. Maybe, if he was pursuing other non-traditional treatment options, he could beat it. You hear those stories all the time, the guy who beat cancer by eating a rare South American nut or something. Such stories always sound ridiculous until someone you love is facing terminal cancer.
I was suddenly acutely aware of Sal’s eyes on me and glanced over at him. He looked away. I should have called him out on it, too. I was getting even more tired of the stolen glances and guarded responses. If he wanted to be more than friends, that wasn’t going to happen by avoiding it. At least if he asked, I could turn him down without it being awkward. Unless he made a move, though, I couldn’t even bring i
t up without making things weird.
It was a relief when Chanter and Hunter came back from the front of the house. I had no idea what Chanter had said to Hunter, but whatever it was it seemed to lift a weight from his shoulders. Hunter came to stand beside me while Chanter gave me an acknowledging nod.
“Saloso,” Chanter said, choosing to address Sal instead of me. “I understand you are on your way to the hospital to visit Valentino.”
“I am.” Sal bobbed his head. “If there has been no improvement in his condition, you should consider bringing him here where we can monitor him.”
Sal shot another long look back at the sweat lodge (at least that’s what I assume it was called, since he never named it). Then, he gave Chanter an incredulous glare. “You didn’t put all that together for yourself, did you?”
“Of course I did.” Chanter peeled off his shirt and put it aside. He might have been old and a little withered, but he was still more toned than you’d expect a man of his age to be. I sure as hell didn’t want to get into a fight with him. “I can do the sweat on my own, but if it can be helpful to him, we can do a quick healing ceremony. And I was only suggesting, as is my place. You are still wearing the mantle of alpha. The ultimate decision is yours, of course.”
I heard Sal make a huffing sound, but he didn’t dare argue with Chanter out loud. Sal might have been the acting alpha for a day, but he knew Chanter would hold it against him if he abused his power. Instead of arguing, Sal lifted his chin and said with authority, “I’ll call you and leave a message with my decision.” Then, Sal turned to Hunter. “Did you get what you came for?”
Hunter, who still stood beside me, nodded.
“Good. Then let’s go check up on Valentino, Leo and Nina. The sooner you can give Logan your answer, the better.”
After we’d piled back into the truck in silence, Hunter turned to me. “You’re not going to ask me what we talked about.”
I exchanged glances with Sal before I answered. “That’s between you and Chanter.”
My answer seemed to surprise him. Good. It surprised me too.