by Nash, Layla
My stomach unbalanced in a tilt-a-whirl kind of way as Ronan straightened his shoulders and pulled away from Lincoln’s grip. He moved his hands and it seemed like power accrued around him in a gray fog, completely different from any magic I’d ever seen, and a wind began to whistle through the porch, dumping the rest of the dishes off the table.
Before I could decide what to do, though, Nona’s growl escalated and she dodged around the table. I’d hardly blinked and Luke said, “Wait—” but Nona skidded through the tangle of legs and chairs and launched herself at Ronan.
The elderly coyote still had some moves and sank her teeth into Ronan’s right arm, right on the bicep, and snarled as the gray fog condensed. Ronan yelled and staggered back, tripping and falling over the pile of raincoats and umbrellas that Olivia had left near the door, and Nona went for his throat.
Lincoln grumbled at Luke to do something and moved to keep Nona from killing Ronan. Luke hurdled several of the chairs and spoke quickly to Nona in their language, but the coyote wouldn’t let go of the chunk of Ronan’s shoulder. As they tried to keep Ronan from getting what he deserved, Mason muttered under his breath, then cursed. “Boss, we’ve got a problem.”
“A different one than this one?” Lincoln growled, shoving his arm between Nona’s teeth and Ronan’s throat. She yipped and dodged around him, biting Ronan’s other shoulder and gnawing her way to his neck.
“Heathrow,” Hazel said, also turning. She caught Olivia by the shoulders and shoved her toward the door. “Go inside. Luckett, you too. This won’t be good.”
I looked at the yard where two dark SUVs rolled to a stop next to Lincoln’s team’s, and Heathrow and all of his team got out and walked through the rain toward the porch.
We definitely didn’t have enough chairs for all of them.
Chapter 53
I handed Liv the trays and dishes and with Hazel’s help shoved her toward the door. “I’m sorry, Liv, it’s better if you stay inside. Tell Lucia what’s going on. Hang back just in case we need the element of surprise.”
“You mean magical or the shotgun?”
“Both,” I said, just as Hazel said, “Neither.”
Liv looked at me. “Right. We’ll be ready.” Then she disappeared inside, kicking Ronan’s legs as she went. I set my heels as Hazel tried to shove me after her, and I gave the witch a warning look. “This is my house. I’m not going inside.”
Heathrow stepped onto the porch stairs, frowning with indifference as he watched Luke finally detach the coyote from where Nona bit Ronan. The federal agent didn’t blink. “Looks like a dangerous animal. We can put it down for you.”
“There’s no need for that,” Lincoln said. “She’s a shifter and Ronan provoked her. We’ve got it under control.”
“Do you?” Heathrow ignored the rain falling all around, remaining strangely dry even as I watched the drops hit his face and disappear as if they’d never been. “It doesn’t look like it, O’Connell. If you can provide her registration papers, we’ll be happy to verify she’s had all her shots.”
Lincoln’s eyes flashed with a hint of silver as he straightened, his boot pinning Ronan’s wrist to the porch so the druid couldn’t do anything else stupid, and he ignored the way Nona’s attention shifted to the other federal office. “What do you want, Heathrow?”
“To let you know I’ll be reporting you to your supervisor,” Heathrow said. His gaze drifted to me and stayed, and a cruel smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Your impartiality has been compromised. One of my team saw you leave the hotel last night and observed you driving to this witch’s house, where you stayed overnight. How are you going to explain that, O’Connell?”
“I was interviewing a suspect,” Lincoln said. His face settled into the cold mask of a man I didn’t even recognize. “Which required a great deal of whiskey. I borrowed some of yours. At the end of it, when I had the information I needed, I could not drive. So I stayed here to manage the girl’s emotional attachment. Whitehouse is well aware of my strategy; it was his suggestion. Feel free to update him.”
My heart stuttered against my ribs and I tried to tell myself it was all a lie to convince Heathrow to walk away again. But there was enough doubt that I took a step back and hardened my heart against him. Just in case. Hazel didn’t look at me, keeping her attention on the rest of Heathrow’s team as they spread out and tried to encircle the porch. The witch on his side glared at us, and Mason and Nelson started to growl very quietly on their way to their own defensive positions.
Nona snarled and Luke eased her back to the porch, though he stood between her and Ronan. The druid pushed himself into a seated position, leaning against the wall of the house, and examined the bites on his arm as his blood dribbled on the worn porch’s boards. “I should no doubt have the arm amputated, after such a mangy beast dared sink its teeth into me.”
“I can help with that,” I said, taking a step in his direction, but Nelson caught my arm and held me back even though he looked like he would have done the work for me.
Ronan shoved to his feet, more blood dripping down his arm and soaking into the sweatpants he still wore. His lip curled as he looked at me, something like hate in his eyes, and I wondered how Temperance could have tolerated having him around. And how she’d ever been as strong as she needed to be to stand up to him. Maybe Ronan hadn’t always been so terrible. Magic could corrupt, as the Lucketts knew better than anyone, and maybe it started with him.
Heathrow’s attention shifted to the druid, and panic began to bubble up in my chest. This wasn’t good, although I couldn’t say why, exactly. Maybe having two awful men working together increased their awfulness exponentially. They could feed off each other in an echo chamber of douche-baggery.
The fed watched Ronan long enough that Lincoln stretched his shoulders and took up a lot more space as he tried to edge in front of Ronan and hide him from the other team leader. But Lincoln didn’t say anything, didn’t try to redirect everyone to something less catastrophic. Ronan lurched forward and picked up some napkins from the table, clamping them against the wound in his arm, and pointed a shaking finger at Luke. “I’ll have you strung up for letting that beast attack me.”
“You could try,” Luke said, his arms folded over his chest and his stance too casual to be actually casual. “But I don’t think you would be successful.”
Ronan’s face turned red, on the verge of purple, and he glared at me instead. “I forbid you from seeing this savage ever again.”
I laughed, forcing it out my throat since there was nothing funny about any of it, and kept my hands clenched at my sides so I didn’t hex him. “You don’t have any sort of influence on me, Ronan. Get the fuck out of here. You’re no longer welcome in this house.”
The druid drew himself up and squared his shoulders, apparently not concerned about my anger. “This is no longer your property, it is mine. I am the head of the household. All of this is mine—including you. You will do as you are told and go inside. Find suitable clothes. Tell those other hoydens to do the same. Then await my instructions while I get rid of this... rabble. There is much to change around here.”
Nelson caught sight of my expression and eased closer so he could jump in front of me if I tried to kill the druid in front of Heathrow. The shifter murmured under his breath, “Just breathe, Luckett. He’s trying to get you to make a mistake, to show yourself. You do not want to draw Heathrow’s attention.”
“Too late,” Mason said. He never took his eyes off the shifters on Heathrow’s team as they waited in the rain.
Luke ignored them all and picked up his walking stick from where it rested against the wall, heading for the other end of the porch and the stairs there. Nona followed, pausing only to lean against my leg, and trotted into the rain without a backward glance. Heathrow’s shifters started in their direction but Lincoln snapped, “They’re not your concern.”
The feds looked at him just long enough for Luke and Nona to fold the air and dis
appear. Heathrow straightened up when he turned back and realized that the Native American and coyote had both vanished, and growled, “What kind of mischief are you putting up with, O’Connell? Skin-walkers biting druids unimpeded and unquestioned, sleeping with witches, allowing your team to become friendly with suspects... I’ll have your badge for this. You’re done.”
“They’re not skin-walkers. Know the difference.” Hazel leaned forward, gripping the railing, and her breath hissed in her teeth. “Do not threaten us. You have no idea what you’re talking about—”
“Silence, witch,” Heathrow spat, just as dismissive as Ronan.
I stepped forward to help her as Hazel started to glow, but Nelson held me back, shoving me behind him and backing us toward the door to the house. I tried to look around him to see what was happening, tripping and almost falling, and shoved at Nelson’s massive shoulders. “I’m not going to—”
“Come with me, druid,” Heathrow said, and I froze. Did he mean Lincoln? “I can provide you far better clothes and appropriate accommodations for someone of your stature and power. These witches do not know how to show the proper respect, but you and I could accomplish much.”
Ronan sniffed and surveyed the whole porch, finally looking at me where I peered around Nelson. “It will be a relief to be among men of class and substance. I am the last scion of the Luckett line. There is much I must do to consolidate my control of this land and the... descendants of my fallen sister.”
“I have heard much about the ley lines in the Crossroads,” Heathrow said. I heaved against Nelson and stared in horror as the federal agent escorted Ronan off the porch. He couldn’t leave. Lincoln didn’t even try to stop him, just stood there and watched as my ancestor walked into the rain.
Ronan couldn’t go with Heathrow, not when he knew everything. He was the only way we could figure out where the werewolves were coming from and how to deal with them. But Heathrow gestured at his team and they all bowed in Ronan’s direction as the druid sauntered toward one of the SUVs, feeding his ego and playing into the insanity. The fed remained obsequious as he escorted Ronan to the front seat. “We will learn much from you, Ronan Luckett. I look forward to the instruction.”
Ronan looked right as me as he clapped Heathrow on the shoulder, and his words carried through the rain. “I will take you to the Crossroads and show you why these... women should bow before me. I will have immeasurable power once we have unleashed the power of the ley lines and my brilliance. I no longer need the servitude of the female Lucketts.”
My throat closed and my mouth went dry. He couldn’t just…he couldn’t—
But Ronan ducked into the SUV, the rest of the team got in the back, and then Heathrow drove away with the only chance we had of keeping the town safe from the werewolves and dire wolves. I finally stepped around Nelson and rushed to the porch railing, staring at where the SUVs disappeared around the corner and turned onto the main road. Damn it.
Chapter 54
My legs went wobbly and then I was down on my knees, leaning against the posts of the railing. “No. No no no no no. This can’t…he can’t take them to...”
My whole chest constricted as I imagined Heathrow and his goons storming into the cave and tearing apart the greatest secrets of my ancestors. Maybe disturbing their bones and banishing the ghosts and maybe... maybe he would somehow hurt his sister more. Humiliate her further. I couldn’t let that happen. He’d already hurt Temperance enough, if what Ronan said was true. He could show Heathrow enough to destroy all of the Crossroads, all of the Lucketts, and even Luke’s tribe. He would destroy Rattler’s Run.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t feel my legs or my face or my magic. The words slipped out, desperate and small. “He’s going to ruin everything.”
“We’ll fix it,” Lincoln said, and then strong arms picked me up. He half-carried me inside, past where Lucia and Olivia hovered in the hall with shotguns and a spell book at the ready. The rest of his team followed us inside, and then took up far too much space in the living room. Lincoln put me down on the couch but didn’t join me, instead pacing along the long wall of the room near the fireplace. “I’ll call Whitehouse and start explaining. Then we’ll have to figure out what the hell Heathrow thinks he’s doing with Ronan.”
Lucia propped the shotgun up in the corner and prowled over to the big chair next to the fireplace. “What the fuck happened, Sass?”
“Ronan went with Heathrow,” I said. It still didn’t seem possible. Even saying it out loud didn’t help it feel real. “He’s going to…take them to the Crossroads. To the cave, maybe. He’s doing to take control of everything, destroy everything.” I gripped my hair as I dragged it back from my face, unable to look at either of my sisters. “We’ll never figure out how to stop the werewolves or even where they’re coming from. He said we took one curse off him but there was something else underneath. It’s only a matter of time until werewolves overrun the town and they blame us for it and we’ll all be killed and—”
“Take a deep breath.” Lincoln crouched in front of me, squeezing my knees. “Come on, Sass. Breathe. We’ll figure out what to do. Heathrow won’t be able to take Ronan’s ego for long. I’d put odds on Heathrow beating him senseless within a matter of hours.”
“We can’t count on that,” Lucia said. She covered her face with her hands and leaned back in the chair. “What if we don’t have hours? Damn it, Sass. I told you not killing that werewolf would end in disaster.”
I couldn’t even look at Lincoln, still fearing he’d meant some of what he’d said about using a personal relationship to find information for his investigation, and covered my eyes. “We have to go to the cave and save as much as we can before he brings them there. Maybe the ghosts can tell us how to stop him now, since he’s putting us all in danger. He could ruin everything. What if there are more werewolves out there, and he’s somehow controlling them?”
“We don’t even know if cursed werewolves can control the ones they bite,” Hazel said. “Chances are if there are any werewolves out there, they’re just wild and hunting based on instinct instead of orders.”
As if that were something to celebrate. I needed to call Luke and beg his forgiveness, then figure out a way to protect Nona and Luke and the rest of their people from Heathrow’s attention. The Crossroads belonged to them and we’d been terrible stewards of it; we couldn’t allow Heathrow and Ronan to violate the sacred place, not without a hell of a fight. At least the federal agents had no authority on the reservation, so long as the tribal police didn’t accept their jurisdiction. Knowing Nona, the tribal police were probably so far in her debt that they’d never even consider helping Heathrow, and Luke would hopefully go to them right off to warn them about Heathrow and the others.
Olivia perched on the arm of the loveseat that Ma bought a few years before she died, running her fingers over the soft fabric over and over just like she’d done since the very first day we had it. “If Ronan tells Heathrow what we are and what we did—he’ll arrest us, won’t he?”
“Yes,” I said, just as Lincoln turned to look at her and said, “No.”
“You can’t stop him,” I said, exhaustion competing with resignation until I wanted to curl up under the blankets and not come out again until a year or so passed. “Not if your supervisor fires you.”
His expression darkened. “He won’t. I’ll talk to Whitehouse. We’ll have Heathrow recalled, and then we can arrest Ronan for all the shit he’s done. He’s said enough to incriminate himself for any number of crimes, including cursing his sister and violating the laws of the druids.”
“That’s just great, as long as there’s not a statute of limitations on this kind of thing,” Lucia said. She didn’t look convinced, though. “But that doesn’t solve any of our current problems—because that asshole is going to take the other asshole out to the Crossroads and do the Bell only knows what with the werewolves who gather there. What’s to stop Ronan from cursing one of them
into a werewolf, then figuring out how to control them?”
I sucked in a breath at the thought of Heathrow or the witch turned into a werewolf under Ronan’s direction, or with the sentience to go after whomever they wanted. They could come back to the house and bite us, or go to the reservation and turn Luke’s people, or just head into town to attack civilians and bring the full attention and power of their bureau down on Rattler’s Run. The feds would isolate the town and maybe destroy it, at least quarantine us until they could eradicate the problem. And that would be the end of Rattler’s Run. The end of the Lucketts. We’d be arrested and shoved into some kind of witch jail for the rest of our lives, or the town would hang us. They’d pin all the mysterious deaths of the past few decades on us as a family of serial killers, and the Crossroads would be overrun with dire wolves and demons and tourists and the Bell only knew what. And it would be all our fault. It was all my fault. My fault.
I must have done something terrible to have that kind of destruction visited on us.
“That’s not how the curse works,” Hazel said. “He can’t curse them and then—”
“How do you know?” Lucia didn’t even wait for the witch to finish. “You haven’t seen Ronan’s book. He changed the curse. He did something to it to help himself. There’s no telling how he twisted it.”
“Then let me see it,” Hazel said. She held her hand out, waiting, and everyone’s attention landed on me.
And still I hesitated. Hazel’s eyebrow rose.
Lucia glared at me, her arms folded over her chest. “Come on, Sass. Just give her the book.”