“And you believe Sarah is the same?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“I guess we’ll see.” Ashburn gently removed Sarah from Kade’s arms, making a big show of flashing his badge as he tried to calm her. She cried so hard her chest hitched and her eyes were almost swollen shut from the nonstop tears. “It’s okay, honey. We called your mother. She’s on her way.”
“Mommy!” Sarah was a whimpering mess as she chewed her finger.
“She’s going to be here very soon,” Ashburn cooed, smoothing Sarah’s hair. “I need you to tell me what happened. Do you remember who took you?”
Sarah nodded as she clutched her hands together. “It was a monster,” she whispered.
“Was it a boy monster or a girl monster?”
“Boy.”
“Is the boy monster here?” He flicked his eyes pointedly in Kade’s direction. “Did these people take you?”
Sarah fervently shook her head. “They found me. They climbed in the hole and saved me. They fought the monster with magic.”
I pursed my lips, hoping my expression was neutral instead of troubled. “It’s sweet that you think we’re magic.”
“That must be the trauma,” Ashburn said, wrapping his arms around Sarah’s waist and lifting her. “We’ll question her further at the station. As for now … you’re free to go on with your day.”
I fought to remain strong and steady despite Ashburn’s dismissive tone. “I’m thrilled. Thanks.”
KADE WAS on me the moment Ashburn pulled out of the parking lot.
“What were you thinking, wandering into the woods alone like that?”
I took an involuntary step back and crossed my arms over my chest. “Don’t even think of yelling at me.”
“Oh, I’m beyond the thinking point,” Kade growled. “Are you crazy? What possessed you to do this?”
“Emily Danes,” I replied without hesitation. “She came into my tent right after I opened. She was a mess. She was desperate for me to tell her Sarah was alive. She couldn’t stop crying … and shaking … and begging.”
“And?”
“And I told her it was hard for me to glean details when the person in front of me was so worked up, but I managed to calm her a bit,” I replied. “When I got in her head I found Sarah there. She was afraid. I’m still not sure what happened.”
“I don’t know what to make of that,” Kade said after a moment. “Are you sure it was her? It could’ve been wishful thinking on your part.”
“It could’ve been,” I conceded. “It didn’t feel that way, though. I felt the urge to go after her. It was something I couldn’t ignore. It hurt too much when I tried to push it out of my mind. I couldn’t leave her out there.”
“I know that, baby,” Kade said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Why didn’t you come and get me?”
“Because someone had to be in charge here,” I replied. “With Max so unreliable, I needed someone dependable to serve in a supervisory position. I couldn’t leave any of the shifters in charge – including Luke – because things might’ve spiraled if the cops insisted on seeing the animal areas.”
“I get that,” Kade said. “We could’ve left Raven in charge, though.”
“Over your dead body.”
Despite the tense situation, Kade snorted. “Very cute, but I’m still angry. You put yourself in danger.”
“I took Naida and Nixie,” I argued. “I thought they might be able to help with a locator spell. Instead they forced me to tap into my own powers, and we found her relatively quickly. We headed to the cabin first and then branched out from there.”
“And what did you see when you found Sarah?” Kade asked. “She said it was a monster.”
“That’s a pretty good word for what we saw.” I rolled my neck to ease the tension, shifting my eyes to the edge of the parking lot where Nixie paced while waiting for Naida. “We’ll have to go back into the woods if Naida doesn’t show up within ten minutes. We can’t leave her out there.”
“We’ll do it.” Kade slipped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me close, rocking back and forth as I rested my cheek against this chest. “Tell me about the creature.”
“I’m not sure how to explain it.” I’d done nothing but think about the creature’s appearance and I remained as confused now as I was upon first glimpse. It was tall … like almost seven feet tall. It had really wide shoulders and was dark and rubbery. I mean it looked rubbery … maybe as if conjured from dirt. I obviously didn’t touch it to find out.
“Its skin was dark gray, almost brownish gray, and I think I saw yellow eyes, as if it was a gargoyle,” I continued. “It didn’t have wings, though. It had claws for fingers and it dropped to four legs when it rushed us.”
“How did you get away?”
“Naida used the river water to conjure a tempest,” I replied. “She was ready to fight. I had Sarah in my arms and Nixie at my side. I couldn’t stay behind to help Naida because I had Sarah, so I just left her there.” I choked out the last bit and buried my face in the hollow between Kade’s neck and shoulder.
“You did what you had to do,” Kade murmured into my hair. “Getting Sarah home was the most important thing. I’m sure Naida understood that.”
“She’s still not back yet.”
“She’ll come back,” Kade said, swaying. “She probably had to calm herself before interacting with others. You know how she is when she gets worked up. She causes tornadoes and thunderstorms … the occasional blizzard, although I haven’t been lucky enough to see that yet. I’ve heard stories, though, so I’m looking forward to it. Look!” He pointed to the woods. The terrible clouds were gone and the sky was sunny and clear again. “The fight is over. She’s probably on her way back.”
“What if she’s not? What if the creature killed her?”
“I think Nixie would know that,” Kade answered, stroking the back of my head as I turned my attention to the pacing pixie. “They’re tied to one another on a level most of us don’t understand. Even I recognize that.”
“But … what if I sacrificed Naida to save Sarah? How am I supposed to live with that?”
“You didn’t sacrifice anyone,” Kade argued. “You made a hard decision. Naida told you to run. She’s an adult. She can take care of herself.”
I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t shake the worry. “We need to put together a search party.”
Kade kissed my cheek and blew out a sigh. “Okay. I … .”
When he didn’t finish I lifted my eyes to find him smiling. “This is not funny.”
“No, but it’s a happy ending,” Kade countered, pointing toward the parking lot.
I jerked my head around, sighing in relief when I caught sight of Naida emerging from the trees. Nixie squealed when she saw her sister, and I gave them a moment of privacy to embrace before heading in their direction. When I got to them, I found Naida disheveled and dirty but otherwise unhurt.
“Did you kill it?” I asked.
Naida shook her head. “It got away in the storm,” she replied, stroking Nixie’s cheek as the pixie sobbed into her sister’s shoulder. “It’s strong. It’s definitely paranormal.”
“Do you know what it is?” Kade asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Naida replied. “We’re going to need help if we expect to take it down. It’ll take a concerted magical effort.”
“And we have only tonight and tomorrow night to do it,” I mused. “We can’t fight a monster in the middle of the day. We’ll never be able to explain that. The cops are already suspicious.”
“We’re definitely running out of time,” Naida agreed. “Whatever it is … it’s strong. It doesn’t think like a normal paranormal entity. I tried to infiltrate its brain while we were fighting because I thought I could control it. There’s a barrier there. I caught a glimpse of the other side and it was … shimmery, as if the creature’s brain was filled with someone else’s thoughts.”
; “Meaning what?” Kade asked.
“Meaning that someone else is already controlling it,” I answered, clenching my fists. “This can’t be good.”
“And that is the understatement of the year,” Naida said. “We need to conduct some research … and we need to do it fast.”
25
Twenty-Five
We left Naida and Nixie to shower in their trailers, giving them the option of returning to work or resting. They seemed excitable and happy despite the surreal nature of the afternoon’s events.
I couldn’t keep my shoulders from sagging with relief as Kade walked me back to my tent.
“Do you feel better?” Kade asked, pausing next to the flap. “Now that Naida is safe, I mean. Do you feel better?”
“The immediate threat is gone, and that definitely makes me feel better. There’s still something out there that we don’t understand. We need to perform some research.”
“We definitely need to perform some research,” Kade agreed, bobbing his head.
“You could start now,” I suggested. “I left Melissa in charge of my tent. Depending on how she’s doing, she can stay on the job. I haven’t been much of a hit since landing. I don’t think the fine people of Brigham City like me.”
Kade snorted. “I like you enough for everybody,” he said, dropping a kiss on my lips. “That should count for something.”
“It counts for everything.”
“Good to know.” Kade opened the tent flap and ushered me inside ahead of him, goosing my rear end and causing me to squeal when we were out of sight of potential onlookers.
Melissa fixed us with a curious look from the table when she registered our presence. “Is he here for me?”
It took me a moment to realize what she was asking. Then I remembered the second part of our deal and shot a sheepish look in Kade’s direction. “Oh, yeah, right. By the way, to get Melissa to take over my spot I had to promise you’d take off your shirt in front of her.”
Kade’s mouth dropped open. “Is that supposed to be a joke?”
“No.”
“But … why?”
“Because I’m guessing you look like one of those Abercrombie & Fitch models when you’re naked,” Melissa replied. “I’m dying to find out if that’s true. I want to see if my fantasies live up to reality.”
“To what end?” Kade challenged.
Melissa’s face went blank. “What do you mean?”
“I’m asking how you think this is going to turn out,” Kade prodded. “Do you think I’m going to take off my shirt and do something with you?” He was a handsome man but looked markedly uncomfortable being considered a sex symbol. I found it darling … and oddly titillating, because he had no problem stripping in front of me.
“I have no interest in doing anything with you,” Melissa replied, scandalized. “I merely want to see the goods. I don’t want to paw the merchandise … just window shop. I know very well that you’re all love in the afternoon with Poet. I’m not an idiot.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Kade said. “I’ll consider taking my shirt off once things are settled.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Melissa argued. “Poet promised me a shirtless showing. If you want to Magic Mike it, I could probably be persuaded to owe her a good ten favors if you want to bank them.”
“Magic Mike?” Kade was beyond confused, looking to me for explanation.
“It’s a movie about male strippers,” I supplied. “It was very popular with the female set a few years back … apparently with Melissa, too.”
“It totally got ripped off at the Oscars,” Melissa groused. “Channing Tatum was a revelation … and that guy who played the werewolf on True Blood was freaking hotter than anything we’ve got running around this place.”
I pursed my lips and pictured Luke’s face if he ever heard Melissa voice that opinion. “I wouldn’t share that with certain people if I were you.”
“Well, you’re not me,” Melissa said, focusing on Kade. “Now … strip.”
Kade gripped the sides of his shirt to make sure Melissa didn’t attempt to rip the fabric from his body and shook his head. “I am not a piece of meat. I don’t care what that movie told you about life … and I’m guessing it wasn’t even remotely realistic … but it’s not true.”
Melissa made a face. “Seriously? I can’t believe I’m being screwed out of my reward. I’ll never trust you again, Poet.”
“I’ll work on him some more,” I said dryly, shaking my head. “How did things go while I was gone?”
“Only two people came in. Both teenagers,” Melissa answered. “One wanted to know if he was going to win the class election. The other wanted to know if she would date more than one guy before marrying.”
That seemed an odd question. “What did you tell them?”
“That they need to get out more and embrace drinking in a field, because that’s what teenagers are supposed to do.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What did you really tell them?”
“I told them what you told me to tell them,” Melissa replied. “They’re both going to get what they want, and I made sure they were aware of it. Are you happy?”
“I’m not unhappy.” That was mostly true. “In case you’re wondering, we found Sarah.”
“Yeah, I know. Nellie made the rounds once you called the cops. He told everyone to be on their best behavior for the rest of our time here. He seemed a bit nervous, which is funny because he wears evening gowns with combat boots and isn’t afraid of the fashion police coming after him.”
“Is he including himself in that edict?”
Melissa bobbed her head. “He swears he won’t mix fabrics until we move on from Utah.”
I made a face and shook my head before focusing on Kade. “I don’t think this tent will be popular for the rest of the night. I think we can leave Melissa in charge and take our research to my trailer.”
“What about security?” Kade challenged. “I should probably walk the midway a few times to make sure everything remains kosher.”
“We haven’t had one problem with fighting visitors since we arrived,” I reminded him. “There’s no alcohol, so the guests are unlikely to get out of control. Plus, well, the cops are all over the place. Just because Ashburn left with Sarah doesn’t mean he’s pulling the rest of his officers out of rotation. If anything, I’m guessing he added to his patrols.”
“You have a point.” Kade rubbed his chin. “I still think we need someone in charge on the fairgrounds tonight.”
“And I think we need to conduct some research.”
“I’m not arguing with you,” Kade said. “It’s just … someone has to be put in a supervisory position to be on the safe side.”
“Oh, geez,” Melissa grumbled, rolling her eyes. “You do realize that she’s insinuating you do something else besides research, right? She’s inviting you to her trailer for the rest of the afternoon. I’m sure you will be Googling more than information.”
Kade’s eyes flashed. “Is that true?”
“Not entirely,” I hedged. “I thought we could multi-task.”
Kade tilted his head to the side, considering. “Sold.”
“Men are such easy creatures,” Melissa muttered. “One second they’re completely confused and digging their heels in on a nonexistent issue, and the next they see sex signs flashing in the back of their minds and forget what they were originally arguing about.”
“We still need to put someone in charge,” Kade said, rolling his eyes at Melissa’s take on the male brain. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Just one.”
“Who?”
I waited for him to come to the conclusion on his own.
“Max.” Kade blew out a sigh. “You have to ask him. I’m not ready to deal with it.”
“I’ll ask him,” I said. “Grab your computer from your trailer and I’ll meet you in mine in five minutes.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Kade
smacked a loud kiss against my lips. “You might want to grab food so we don’t have to leave for dinner.”
“I like the way your mind works.”
“Right back at you, baby.”
I TUGGED a tank top over my head an hour later as Kade munched on an elephant ear and booted up his computer. He slid into a pair of boxer shorts, but only because I demanded it. Multi-tasking meant that we tackled more than one thing, and so far all we’d managed to tackle was one another. If he remained naked I would most likely want a repeat performance of what we just did.
“Just for the record, I can totally see why Melissa is so desperate to see you shirtless.” I ran my hand down his chiseled abs before shaking myself out of my reverie. “Even though I promised her, I don’t want to share. I’m kind of glad you put your foot down.”
Kade snorted as he shoved the elephant ear in my direction. “Eat.”
“I will in a second … maybe.”
“Why maybe?”
“Did you notice Melissa was wearing my skirt?”
“I can’t say I pay attention to anyone’s fashion choices but yours,” Kade replied. “Why is Melissa wearing your skirt important?”
“It was too big on her. It makes me feel fat.”
Kade lifted his eyes and glared. “You’re not fat.”
“I didn’t say I was fat, I said I felt fat because she’s so thin,” I clarified. “It’s a girl thing. I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Is it a girl thing like the stripper movie?”
“That movie is a girl-and-Luke thing,” I corrected. “And since you’re giving me a look that makes me believe you think I’m crazy, you should know that I didn’t choose to see that movie. Luke selected it for movie night and I was forced – under duress, mind you – to watch those sweaty men gyrate on my screen for an hour.”
“And you didn’t enjoy it at all, right?”
“Absolutely.” I bit the inside of my cheek to hide my grin. “Just out of curiosity, though, do you have rhythm?”
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