“How about from the beginnin’?” Benji suggested. He flicked the wad of dip from his bottom lip with his index finger, and then reached into his back pocket for his can of Skol. “It’s always a good place to start.”
I watched him as he swapped one wad of dip for another.
“Wow. I figured you’d have somethin’ smart ass to say about me dippin’. Whatever it is you’re here for must be serious.” His brows furrowed.
“It is.”
He folded his arms over his chest. Dust coated the dark hairs of his arms, turning them a golden color. He’d been out here a long time. It was clear from the amount of hay he’d already cut, but for some reason the sight of his coated arm hair confirmed it for me.
Benji was a hard worker. He possessed a type of determination I knew would be reflected in his desire to help save Ridley. I chewed the inside of my cheek, debating if I should travel that road.
Benji’s eyes softened. “What is it?”
I exhaled a long breath.
“What I’m about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but I need you to believe everything I say. I need you to know that every bit is real, that it’s the truth.” I paused. If I wanted, I could play this off as a joke. I didn’t have to tell him. I didn’t have to continue.
“Okay,” he said. “I will. Just tell me what’s goin’ on. Everyone okay?”
I couldn’t lie. I didn’t want to. Not to him.
“I’ll get to that, but first let me just say everything everyone has said about those of us who live in the trailer park is true. We’re werewolves. A pack of them. And the Midnight Reaper—well, it’s a group of vampires. Ones who happen to have Ridley. The things people have said about her family being witches is all true too. That’s why the vampires took her. She can see the other side. She’s known as an anchor.” I hadn’t expected to word vomit everything like that, but it had felt freeing to do so. There was a release I was surprised to feel taking part in my chest.
I glanced at Benji. His arms were still folded over his chest as he stared at me. He looked as though he wasn’t breathing. I tried to read his expression but couldn’t. There was no way for me to tell if he believed me.
“You’re sayin’ werewolves and vampires are real. My girlfriend is a witch, and apparently she’s been abducted by vampires who’ve been on a killin’ spree across the U.S.” He tipped his head to the side and spit, but his eyes never wavered from me. “Definitely not what I expected you to say when you said you needed to talk about somethin’.”
“I’m sure,” I said. I fumbled with my ring. “But do you believe me?”
“I don’t see why you’d come out here and tell me a lie like that.” He scratched his head. “Besides, I always sorta believed all the stories around town anyway. Ridley hinted things were true here and there too, so that helps.”
All the air rushed from my lungs. My eyes closed for a brief moment as I sent a silent thank you to the moon goddess.
“Now, tell me what I can do to help get Ridley back. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To ask for my help?” Benji asked. There was something in his gaze that had me thinking he was hoping his words were true.
“We need something of hers. A material object,” I said. “It’s going to be used in a locator spell.”
“You said her family are witches like everyone says,” he said. “Why would you need me to give you somethin’ of Ridley’s when everything she owns is at her aunt’s house?”
“Rowena doesn’t know Ridley has been taken.” I cringed as I said the words. It sounded wrong to keep this from her.
“Why would you keep her in the dark?”
It was clear he didn’t agree. I chewed my bottom lip. “There’s more I should probably tell you. It might explain things better. Ridley was with me when she was abducted. We were riding back from the library. She’d been across the street at the college, filling out paperwork that through some sort of a glitch in the computer system never got turned in. Eli and Dorian from my pack, as well as the Montevallos, were with me. We knew the Midnight Reaper vampires might be looking for Ridley, so everyone scoped out the campus while I met her at the library to ask for her help in all of this mess.”
“What mess?” Benji asked, making me realize I hadn’t told him the entire story. In fact, I was going about things backward.
I tried to think of how to sum everything up quickly and then explained as best I could.
When I was finished, Benji stared at me with wide eyes. “Woo wee. Now that’s some deep shit. I can’t believe all this is happenin’ right under everyone’s nose in town.”
“I know. You okay?” I asked. It was a lot to take in.
“I’m good. Just worried about Ridley. You said the Midnight Reaper vampires have her?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think they’ll hurt her.” At least I hoped they wouldn’t. “They need her. Or at least Lilith does. There’s someone she wants to contact on the other side, and she thinks Ridley can help her with it.”
He stroked his jaw. “That’s good. You said you needed somethin’ of Ridley’s from me.”
“Yeah. Arturo is going to perform a locator spell. Do you have anything?”
“I still can’t believe y’all are keepin’ this from Rowena. You do know how pissed she’s gonna be when she finds out, right?”
“I know.”
Again, the temptation to swing by her place and spill my guts festered inside of me, but my wolf howled, telling me to focus on getting something of Ridley’s first. Time was of the essence. “I’ve got somethin’ in my truck, I’m sure. Not sure it will help, but it might.”
“Great. We just need something, anything of hers.”
Benji started toward his truck. “Follow me.”
My shoes crunched across the dry, brittle ground as I followed him. I hoped whatever he had was useable to Arturo. I pulled out my cell and sent him a text, having saved his number from his business card previously. Now, I was glad I’d thought it might be useful to have.
I’m getting something of Ridley’s now. Do what you need to in order to prepare for the spell. I’ll meet you wherever you are. Just give me directions. — Mina.
Benji popped open the passenger door of his truck and rooted around inside.
“I have a couple of things, actually. Take your pick. There’s a sweater she forgot on our last date and a hair tie. Oh, and there’s this water bottle if you need like DNA or somethin’.”
I wasn’t sure what Arturo would need, or which item would work best for his spell. This had me deciding to take them all.
“This is great. Thanks.” I reached for all three items.
“Are you going to meet this Arturo guy now?” Benji asked. I had a feeling he was about to ask if he could come along, but I didn’t know if it was a good idea. Who knew how Arturo would react to me bringing a human along.
Although, technically Benji did belong to Ridley—at least his heart did anyway.
“As soon as he texts where he wants to meet.”
“Let me grab the keys to my tractor real quick. I’m comin’ with you.” He broke into a jog before I could tell him no.
A text came through on my cell.
I’m staying at Snow Inn. Do you know where that is?
Of course I knew. It was on the opposite side of town as the Caraway Inn. Also, it was the only competition by way of inns in Mirror Lake.
Yeah, I know where it’s at. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. — Mina
“Okay.” Benji huffed as he jogged back with his tractor keys in hand. Sweat glistened on his forehead. “You’re drivin’. My truck’s low on gas. Where we goin’, she-wolf?”
I arched a brow. “She-wolf?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. Black flecks of dip clung to his bottom teeth. “I figured it sounded better than woman wolf or girl wolf.”
I rolled my eyes. He was always a comedian.
“We’re going to Snow Inn. Arturo said he’s staying there.” I headed to my c
ar, not fighting him on taking my vehicle. I preferred to drive us anyway. It gave me a sense of control; I needed it right now.
When we reached my car, I opened the back door and secured the hair tie over the bottle of water. I set it and Ridley’s sweater in the backseat.
“I sure hope this vampire you’re dealin’ with knows what the hell he’s doin’. He better be able to find Ridley before the option is taken away,” Benji said as he climbed into the passenger seat. “How long ago was she taken, anyway?”
“A few hours.” I didn’t look at him when I answered. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stomach what I saw reflected in his features.
Hours.
I hated the word as much as I was sure he did. It signified too much time had passed. Who knew what Ridley had already endured. Who knew if Lilith had thought to put a spell or a rune up to hide Ridley from us too.
We were grasping at straws it seemed.
“She’ll be okay,” I said for both our benefit. “We’ll get to her in time.”
“We will,” Benji agreed.
His words lingered in the air between us, infused with determination and emotion. They gave me hope.
We’d find Ridley.
She would be okay. And then, we’d put an end to this whole Midnight Reaper crap. Life would go back to normal. Peace would settle over Mirror Lake. And Ridley would be the one to decide if she wanted Benji to remember all of this or not. Relief slithered through me at the thought.
18
Snow Inn stood on top of a hill. The white two-story house overlooked a valley. It was eerily similar to the Caraway’s Inn but seemed less warm and inviting. In fact, it felt deserted. Forgotten even.
Maybe because it practically was.
There was a chance that had something to do with the Caraway’s magic. They could have spelled their own inn to make sure they had steady business.
I parked in the gravel area to the right of the inn. There were two other vehicles there besides my own. One of them had to belong to Arturo, and the other presumably to the inn owner. I tried to think back to who owned the place but couldn’t remember. All I could remember was it had been an antique store before it became an inn. When it sold a few years ago, the new owners transformed it into an inn.
“I can honestly say I’ve never been here before,” Benji said. He slammed the passenger door shut and glanced up at the place. “Not even back when it was an antique store.”
My gaze drifted to the inn. An uneasy feeling pooled in the pit of my stomach, but I didn’t know where it was coming from. The place didn’t look sinister, but it felt it.
“I came with my Gran once back when it was an antique store. She didn’t buy anything. Everything was too expensive.”
“What are we supposed to do now? Go inside like we own the place?” Benji asked as he paused at the front steps to the large porch.
My wolf snapped at me. She got the same vibe from the place as I did. Was it because Arturo was staying here? Or was it something else?
“I’m not sure. I can send a text to Arturo, letting him know we’re here, or we could go to the front door and knock,” I offered.
The front door opened before Benji could say a word.
“Hello,” an old woman with white hair said. “Come on in.” She flashed a friendly smile.
I started up the wooden steps of the porch. “Hi. Thank you.”
“Are the two of you here for a room? I must say, you seem awfully young to be rooming together.” Her eyes skimmed over us in a disapproving way.
“No, ma’am. We’re supposed to meet with one of your guests,” Benji said. He closed the door behind him as we stepped into the foyer.
“Arturo Albus,” I said.
“Oh, that’s right!” The woman clapped her hands together. “Mr. Albus did tell me he was expecting visitors. If you’ll stay here for a moment please, I’ll let him know you’re here.”
“Thank you,” Benji said. He leaned against the podium as I gazed around, soaking in our new surroundings.
My wolf had calmed down, but until we got out of this place I knew she wouldn’t rest fully. She didn’t like Arturo, and I wasn’t sure I liked this place much.
“Is it me, or is this place creepy as hell?” Benji asked once the old woman was out of earshot.
“It’s not you. It gives me the creeps too.”
“I don’t know why, but I feel like we should get out of here. I can’t shake the feelin’ of not wantin’ to be anywhere near here.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that vibe too.” I glanced at the stairs, hoping the old woman would come back with Arturo soon. “We can’t leave though.”
I tightened my grip on Ridley’s sweater. We’d come here for a reason, one I intended to see through.
“Thank you for waiting. He’ll be down in a moment,” the woman said as she descended the stairs. “Can I get you to anything to drink? A snack perhaps?”
“I’m good.” Benji shook his head. “But thank you, ma’am.”
“I’m fine as well,” I said.
“Okay, well then. I’ll leave you two and finish watering my plants.” She reached for a green watering pitcher from behind the podium. “Yell if you need anything,” she said before disappearing into the next room.
“Mina, why don’t you and your friend come on up,” Arturo called from the top of the stairs.
My gaze snapped to him. He was dressed in slacks and a casual sweater. His eerie eyes were focused on me in a way that made me think I should have warned him I was bringing a guest with me.
I started up the stairs.
“That’s Arturo Albus?” Benji whispered as he followed close behind me. “He’s the one who can help us find Ridley?”
“Yes and yes,” I whispered back, knowing full well Arturo could hear us. He was a vampire, after all.
“I don’t think I like the looks of him,” Benji insisted. The smirk stretched onto Arturo’s face said he found Benji’s unease amusing. “Maybe he’s where the creepy vibe is comin’ from.”
“Very perceptive of you,” Arturo insisted. His eyes were locked on Benji now. “The sensation you’re feeling, the one that’s telling you to run from this place, is because of me. I’ve spelled the inn with a rune to keep away other guests.”
“Why?” I asked as I reached the top of the stairs.
“Because I don’t need distractions. Not while I’m this close to finding Lilith,” Arturo insisted. He started down the hall to our left. I had no idea where he was taking us but assumed it would be to his private room.
“What sort of distractions?” Benji asked.
“Of the human variety as well as the supernatural,” Arturo insisted. “I do not need drama from the supernatural types, and I do not need distractions from the human variety hindering what I’m here for either. There are certain blood types that tempt me more than others, and I would prefer to not have to deal with them, but to instead find Lilith and go home.”
That was what I wanted as well. For him to go home with Lilith in hand. Mirror Lake would be safer then. I imagined it would be exceptionally safe once Roman Montevallo was captured and dealt with however Julian and his sisters felt necessary as well.
After that, I hoped things calmed down. They needed to.
“Step into my room, please,” Arturo insisted as he opened a solid door at the end of the long hall and motioned for us to step inside.
Benji cleared his throat. I knew it was because he didn’t want to close himself in a room with a vampire. He did though. What choice did he have? He’d already come too far.
“Did you bring what I asked for?” Arturo asked once the door was closed.
“I brought a couple of things because I didn’t know what might perform best in your spell.” I held out the sweater and the water bottle.
Arturo glanced at the three items. In the end, he decided to use the one I thought had the least value—the hair tie. I watched as he plucked it from the water bottle and moved to a dres
ser along the far wall. For the first time since stepping into his room, I took in my surroundings. The furnishings of the Snow Inn were typical—a bed, a couple of nightstands, and a dresser. Everything was made of light maple and had a country feel. Doilies and wicker baskets decorated every surface except the dresser. Arturo seemed to have cleared it, turning it into a workstation for his spell.
“This isn’t going to hurt Ridley, is it?” Benji asked. He crammed his hands into the front pockets of his dirty jeans and stepped closer to Arturo.
“Rest assured, nothing about this spell will hurt her,” Arturo said as he ground herbs into powder in a ceramic bowl.
I moved closer, watching as Arturo worked. He sprinkled the finely ground concoction from the bowl into a circle on the surface of the dresser, and then placed Ridley’s hair tie in the center. He then reached for what looked like a stick of charcoal and drew a symbol I’d never seen before above the hair tie as well as below it. Afterward, he opened the top drawer of the dresser and pulled out a map of Mirror Lake. I watched as he sprinkled powder from the bowl onto the map next, creating a tiny pile.
It moved on its own seconds later, swirling along the surface of the map.
“In a few moments we will know if Lilith has placed a rune on Ridley that would keep me from finding her,” Arturo said, his eyes fixed on the map. “If not, then we will know her location.”
I watched the pile of dark powder move across the map. It didn’t seem to follow any streets, and it didn’t appear to have any sense of direction. Instead, it bounced from one side of the map to the other and back again. When it stopped on a chunk of property I recognized, all the breath left my lungs.
“I take it you know where this place is?” Arturo asked. His eyes had pulled away from the map to take in my reaction.
I stared at the pile of powder, willing it to move someplace else. It didn’t.
“I do. That’s the Pendergrass farm.”
Lilly Pendergrass’s parents’ farm to be exact.
Lilly wasn’t my favorite person. Back when I was dating Alec she would always flirt with him. She had a thing for him, and it was clear she didn’t like me. I was never sure if her dislike of me ran deeper because I was with Alec and she wanted to be, or if she suspected what I was.
Moon Revealed (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 6) Page 11