by T. A. White
The place where the kelpie’s body had washed ashore was near the Alum Creek reservoir and was equally unhelpful as it wasn’t where the murder had taken place.
Brax remained quiet and uncommunicative as we visited each scene, not sharing his observations.
That was fine by me. It let me think, and the silence was welcome. It had been a long time since I’d interacted with other people this much. It was taking some getting used to. I’d never been a particularly social person, preferring most of my interactions in groups of three or less. I was what you’d classify as an introvert. It drove my sister, Jenna, nuts as she was an extreme extrovert.
Brax made a right off High Street into the Park of Roses. The park was a nice little oasis of nature in the middle of Clintonville, an up and coming neighborhood on the border of the city. The houses were charming but overpriced and every young twenty something couple in the city wanted to live there due to all of the trendy restaurants and shops. It was hip but had poor schools, which was why it was forever on the up and coming list. If you didn’t have kids, the neighborhood was great. Those with pint sized replicas who still craved houses with old world charm tended to gravitate to the more upscale neighborhoods of Upper Arlington and Grandview.
The park was right behind a branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and backed into the Olentangy River. Bike paths threaded through the woods and for those who wanted something a little tamer, they could take a walk in one of the largest rose gardens in the U.S. which featured nearly 400 varieties. Or so the description on the sign said.
It was a popular venue for senior photos and weddings. It was also home to a tribe of dryads, one of which was the victim of our murderer.
Brax drove slowly through the park, watching the trees carefully. There was a small building on the hill that served as a reception hall or meeting place for those who reserved the venue.
Tonight, we weren’t here for the roses. The tree of this particular dryad had been close to the large pond next to the park. The dryad’s tree was large and shaped like a mushroom. Even in the dark, I could see its bare branches, which should still be cloaked in vivid red leaves. Without the Dryad that was tied to it, the tree would continue to wither and eventually die.
Brax parked in the closest spot he could. He dropped his keys into the cup holder next to him.
“Aren’t you going to take them with you?”
“We’re just going right there.” He pointed at the tree. It wasn’t far, but I’d been raised with security always at the forefront of everything I did. Leaving your keys in the car was just asking for trouble.
“Still.”
“No one’s going to steal the car,” he said. “Right now there’s no one besides us in the park. I’ll hear anybody coming a mile away.”
He shouldered open the door and got out. I unclicked my belt and followed. It was his car. If he wanted to risk it, that was his business.
We crossed over the grass to the tree. I tucked my hands into the pockets of my borrowed jacket and tilted my head back.
The tree wasn’t very old, probably no more than fifty years. The normals were probably puzzled at the inexplicable slow decline.
“This was the third death we know of,” Brax said.
“Do you know where the Dryad was found?”
He gestured with his chin, “It would have been right next to the pond.”
That was a big area to search. Neither of us bothered with flashlights as we circled the area. We had superior night vision and didn’t need the additional light giving our movements away.
If I remembered correctly, the Dryad had died at the beginning of August. With October drawing to a close, I doubted we would find anything useful.
I paused at a stone marked with several late blooming flowers. They grew so they framed the stone perfectly. It was strange to find this so far from the rose garden. From my limited knowledge of flowers, these were probably wildflowers and looked untended by any gardener’s hand. Despite that, they thrived, growing in a riotous explosion of color despite the late season.
It reminded me of a memorial. Live flowers would be more the dryads’ style. They wouldn’t want to kill a plant but I could see them encouraging the growth of wildflowers.
I bent down and brushed the flowers away from the stone, uncovering a trio of multicolored pebbles, polished smooth by a river, stacked one on top of each other.
“Find anything?” Brax asked form behind me.
I straightened and gestured at what I found, “I think it’s a memorial by the dryad’s community. I’d be willing to bet this is where she was found.”
He came to stand beside me. “I think you’re correct.”
I stood and turned in a circle. We were only a few feet from the pond. The dryad’s tree was on the opposite side. From what I knew of that species, dryads didn’t venture far from the safety of their trees. What was she doing this far from hers?
“This can’t be right,” Brax said, echoing my thoughts. “What caused her to leave her tree?”
“Maybe someone promised something she wanted?”
Brax shook his head. “Dryad’s are relatively simple. They gain satisfaction from tending to their trees and need little else.”
“Maybe something scared her.”
“Enough to abandon her tree?” Brax raised an eyebrow skeptically. “I doubt it. She could have just merged with the wood to escape.”
“Unless it threatened the tree as well,” I said, thinking out loud. “Or maybe something lured her a little away from safety and then got between her and it. She might have run at that point.”
“That is an interesting theory,” a voice said from the shadows of the woods next to us.
Brax snarled and dropped into a defensive crouch. I dropped my hand to my belt and the knives hidden there. Even wearing someone else’s pants, I’d insisted on keeping my belt and none of the werewolves had argued with me.
A man stepped from the shadows, the faint light of the moon illuminating his sharp features. Liam’s eyes were intense as they observed the two of us. He seemed to be alone, which I was grateful for.
The vampire regarded my growling companion coolly. “Are you done yet or should we give you a few more minutes to get your beast back under control?”
Brax’s voice was guttural and barely human when he said, “I am always under control, bloodsucker.”
Seemed like the two weren’t fans of each other.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, hoping to forestall the coming fight.
Liam shot me a sharp glance. “I did not know I needed permission for a stroll in the park, infant.”
I narrowed my eyes. Cute.
“So it just happens to be coincidence that this is the scene for one of the murders and that you, who has expressed considerable interest in these occurrences, just happened to be out for a stroll,” I said.
Right. If that was true, I was a sparkly unicorn filled with rainbows and moonbeams.
“The murderer has a debt to pay,” Brax spat. “Don’t get in our way.”
“It’s not only werewolves he’s been killing, wolf. You had your chance to solve this after the first death. You failed or were just too self-absorbed to take care of business. He’s killed several of ours so now it’s our turn to clean up your mess.”
Brax laughed, a deep ugly sound. “As if your kind could stop squabbling between themselves long enough to solve anything.”
Liam’s lips lifted, displaying a set of impressive fangs. He hissed, sounding like a pissed off cat, only way larger and more dangerous.
I stepped back, not wanting to get caught between them by accident. It sounded like these two had unresolved issues from before this night.
This is one thing I think the myths had right. It seemed there was no love lost between vampires and werewolves. My treatment at the werewolves’ hands had been relatively civil, though that may have been because of my relative youth and lack of danger.
I
was tempted to let the two of them duke it out. It would free the way for me to go solo.
“Give me the child, wolf,” Liam demanded.
Child? What child? He didn’t mean me, did he? That term was familiar from the club so I was thinking, yes. I found myself suddenly wishing Brax would pound his face into the nearest hard surface.
“She is part of no Clan. Your claim on her isn’t valid,” Brax declared.
“She is well below her majority. That automatically makes her ours,” Liam said, coming closer.
That thinking right there is what I’d been afraid of this entire time.
“You can’t have her. She has a connection to this. Until I find out how, she’s staying with me. You can have her back once I find the killer.”
Son of a bitch. That back stabbing dog.
“I don’t think so,” I said outraged. “No one’s giving me to anybody. I decide my own fate, not either one of you.”
“Hush. I don’t agree with vampires about much but you need to be guided or you’re going to get someone killed. Probably someone close to you. Like your family.”
I didn’t like that he’d brought up my family, especially since we had an agreement that I’d help him and he wouldn’t mention their existence to any vampires. This right here was mentioning their existence.
“You’ve had contact with your family after your change?” Liam sounded unhappy about that news.
I threw my hands up, my sleeves falling down.
“What is that?” the vampire asked sharply.
“What is what?” I snapped.
“That on your arm.”
Crap. I’d forgotten about the sorcerer’s tattoo. Tugging the sleeve back down, I gave him my best dumb private look.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The werewolf grabbed the arm in question and raised the sleeve, tilting it so the vampire and he could see the lion wrapped in thorns.
“A sorcerer’s mark,” Brax said. He sounded grim, like he was telling someone they had cancer and only had a few months to live.
“How did you get that?” Liam said.
I tugged my arm free and lowered the sleeve. From the way they were acting, you’d think I had leprosy or something.
“It’s no big deal. Once I’ve completed the task he gave me, the mark will disappear.”
“What were the terms?” Liam asked, folding his arms over his muscular chest.
If they were unhappy about the presence of the mark, I doubted they would be any more thrilled to hear what I’d inadvertently promised.
“Answer him,” Brax ordered.
I was really getting sick of being treated like a recalcitrant child but refused to lower myself to acting like one.
“A hundred years of service.”
Yeah, those words didn’t sound any better than they had when the agreement had first been struck.
“What possessed you to make such a shitty deal?” the vampire asked in outrage.
I kept my mouth shut. I doubted the details would incline either one of them to view me in a positive light.
“You’re going to have difficulties getting her out of a bargain she struck of her own free will,” Brax said sounding sympathetic.
“Her sire is going to have a lot to answer for when I find him.” Liam shifted his attention back to the matter at hand. “This doesn’t change things. I am still taking possession of the girl and you and your wolves are going to stand back and let us work.”
Brax’s lip curled. “My stance hasn’t changed. You’ll get the girl when I get my murderer and it’s you arrogant bastards that will stand back.”
They traded insults as if they’d forgotten I was standing right here. Unbelievable. You would have thought we were in the dark ages or something, and I was just chattel.
Brax sprang forward, covering nearly the entire distance in a single leap. The vampire shifted, blurring in the air, his hand flashing out and tagging Brax in the arm. Blood flew, the droplets spattering the fall leaves.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
How did they go from talking this matter through to beating on each other in the space of a few sentences?
The fight continued, the two exchanging blows I could barely follow. I watched for a minute. This was ridiculous, and it was getting us no closer to finding our murderer. I dug the sorcerer’s charm out of my pocket. Perhaps it was time to go back to the guy who’d started all this.
The two seemed evenly matched, and I didn’t see the fight stopping anytime soon. I also didn’t want to wait around for them to remember my existence and decide between themselves how I should be handled. It was time to go solo. I’d work out how to get myself out from under the vampire’s threat as I went along.
I walked back to the car, dodging the two as they came barreling past me. The snarling from both men was enough to raise the hair on the back of my neck. I was glad not to be the target.
I slipped into the car and grabbed the keys from the cup holder. I’d told Brax not to leave them in here. His mistake was my gain.
I started the car and pulled away, flooring it as soon as I backed up. I had no idea how fast a werewolf or vampire could run and wanted to be as far away as quickly as possible. The wheels screeched as I shot forward and the distinct smell of burning rubber rose from the tires.
There was a brief thud against the back passenger door, and then the car shot forward. I glanced in the rearview mirror and grinned at the pair of irate males glaring after me. Guess not paying attention to the weak, baby vamp had its drawbacks.
The highway wasn’t far from here. I hopped on the outer belt and headed toward the Easton area. I would have to ditch the SUV eventually. Brax struck me as the type to fit his vehicle with an anti-theft GPS, but I could use it to get closer to my destination.
I thought briefly of heading back to Elements and picking up Jerry’s car but dismissed the idea. Brax had already tracked me there once. It would probably be one of the first places he’d check. I also didn’t want to chance something happening to Jerry’s car given how dangerous things had gotten. It’d be just my luck to extricate myself from this situation only to have Jerry knock my head off because I’d damaged his precious baby. No, thank you. I’d find another way.
A phone rang from the compartment next to me. I jumped and opened the console, fishing out the phone. It was mine. Finally, something that was going my way. I was a little surprised Brax hadn’t taken the time to move it since last night.
The screen said, “Jerry.”
Hm. Should I answer? I probably should. He no doubt had questions. Questions that would be difficult to answer and would potentially place my job with Hermes in jeopardy. He would want to know why I hadn’t returned from the run for the sorcerer. The news that the vampires had finally caught up to me and that the werewolves had a marked interest in me would probably signal the end of my career as a courier.
I clicked the ignore button and tucked the phone into my pocket. He could wait a little longer. I was thinking until after I’d solved all of my current problems.
Yeah, that sounded like a better plan.
I dumped the car in a parking garage attached to Easton Town Center, a mall built to resemble a small self-contained town, featuring both an indoor and outdoor shopping center. During Christmas the outdoor portion was lined with lights and a miniature train was set up near the fountain. I headed indoors, hoping to use the crowd and closed in area to hide my scent.
I had no idea if Brax and his people intended to track me down, but I wanted to take no chances. They’d know I ditched the car, but they would have to guess the mode of transportation I took from there.
I walked, stopping at the Graeter’s to pick up a scoop of their black raspberry ice cream and then dived back into the mob of shoppers. It wasn’t too bad this late at night with the shops closing in the next hour. I hoped there were enough scents to mask my own.
I stabbed my spoon down int
o the ice cream, trying to break a piece of the giant chocolate chip off as I followed a pair of women into one of the many women’s clothing stores. It was a chaotic mess inside the place, clothes everywhere, some on the ground and everything cheap. I knew from previous experience that washing some of these clothes once was enough to disintegrate them.
I admired the top the mannequin was wearing as I thought of my next step. Walking anywhere was out. The wolves would just track me. The bus might work if they were running this late at night. My best bet was one of the smart cars you could rent by the hour. I assumed you needed a credit card to use one, and I didn’t want to chance Brax’s hacker buddy being able to trace the purchase. I could try to steal a car, but I didn’t know the first thing about hot wiring anything.
One of the women I was following dug into her purse, knocking her wallet out at the same time. She kept moving forward, not noticing. I bent and picked it up, pausing as I started to call out to her. The wallet had several credit cards in it.
I had the answer to my conundrum. I turned on my heel, tossing my empty ice cream container in the first trashcan I came across on my way to the smart car lot.
The lot was on the other side of the shopping center. The street lights were out, shrouding the area in shadows. I slowed. Even if the mall had closed, the street lights would still be on. They stayed on all night regardless of whether the mall was open or not.
I peered into a darkness that was much denser than it should have been. I could barely make out the cars at the end of the lot.
This wasn’t right. I should have been able to see just fine even without the light. The last time this had happened had been during the sorcerer’s theatrics in his office.
I reached for my belt just as something bowled into me from the right. I crashed to the ground, the raging, spitting thing atop me. It clawed at my face and latched onto the arm I raised to protect me.