Your Money's Worth: Seattle Elementals, Book 1

by Connie Suttle

  I should be happy with that. I was satisfied with other people who'd done the same. It wasn't so easy when it came to yourself and the realization that barely two months earlier, I'd never dreamed of doing anything like this.

  "Sit down; I'll find something to drink," Gina was back and leading me toward a chair in Cliff's media room. The television was on but muted; we were watching for any news updates on Blake Donovan's disappearance.

  If anybody found anything, it would be a human's way of explaining the impossible. Blake's ice had melted into the ground hours ago. The state Supreme Court would have to find another to replace him.

  I worried that it wouldn't be anyone who agreed with Blake's policies. He and two others were often the voices of reason for the cases heard at the state level.

  "They'll put a puppet in Blake's place on the court, won't they?" I asked as I sat on one of Cliff's recliners.

  "It's early to start worrying about that," Cliff hedged.

  I didn't need a truth demon to understand that he worried about the same thing.

  "Lights coming up the drive," Kent walked in and went straight to Gina to give her a kiss.

  "I hope it's Parke," I muttered.

  "That makes two of us," Cliff said and headed for the front door.

  * * *

  Parke

  Two werewolves met us at the front door.

  "Cliff Young," the taller of the two held out a hand. "Pack Alpha for the Tuscaloosa pack, or what's left of it."

  "I'm sorry for your loss," I said. "I'm Parke Worth, Chancellor. This is Daniel Frank, ice demon and my Chief Investigator; these two are rock demons, Lance and Lyle Thorne, Enforcers for the Chancellor."

  "Thank you for coming," Cliff said. "This is Kent James, detective for Birmingham PD," he introduced the other werewolf. "If you'll follow me, we were just about to have a drink. Cassie's not doing very well," he added quietly. "Killing twice in as many weeks is hitting her hard."

  "Lead the way," I said. It was time for me to act like a husband. It was time, too, to come clean about the investigation into Cassie's father. We needed all our cards on the table if we were to deal with what could be coming.

  * * *

  Cassie

  Rob waited until I'd drank the huge dollop of Scotch he'd poured into a short glass. He'd taken the glass from my hand the moment Parke strode into the room behind Cliff. I gripped the arms of Cliff's recliner to stand.

  I felt shaky. Wobbly. I hadn't slept since Friday night and it was now Sunday evening. I wasn't even standing when Parke pulled me up and into his arms. Baby, I've missed you, his mind invaded mine.

  Few demons had that talent. Parke had it in full force. I almost fell when he kissed me; if he hadn't held me up, I would have.

  "She hasn't slept," Rob, the traitor, announced.

  Parke kissed me again before lifting me in his arms. "Show me her bedroom. Now."

  * * *

  Parke

  It took nearly an hour and something herbal from the healer to get Cassie to sleep. The others waited patiently while this happened; if they hadn't, I intended to let them know just who had saved their asses the evening before.

  It was Cassie.

  She looked exhausted, pale and worried when I found her in Cliff's media room, and almost fell when I kissed her.

  Yes, I should have been listening to her when she'd called me about Shakkor Agdah. I resolved not to make that mistake again. "You need to see the bodies," Daniel said when I walked into the kitchen after leaving Cassie asleep on the bed.

  "You don't think somebody's playing at fooling us, do you?" I could see it easily in his face; Daniel was worried.

  "No, boss. Come see for yourself."

  "We'll be here, standing guard," Kent pointed to himself and Gina, the half-demon, half were-leopard. She hadn't spoken much, but her gaze followed me. Perhaps she wanted to let me have it for neglecting Cassie.

  She was right to feel that way.

  I followed Cliff, Rob and Daniel to Cliff's barn a hundred yards away; Lyle and Lance stayed in the house with Kent and Gina. Both had a cell phone; they'd warn us if anything unfriendly paid a visit.

  Both bodies lay beneath a tarp inside a horse stall; Cliff tossed the tarp aside so I could see for myself. Both heads had been severed—neatly, I might add. "Is that—normal?" I asked after studying the bodies for several moments.

  "For their kind, yes," Rob said. Both had pale skin, as if they abhorred the sun. Tattoos covered much of their faces and chests; black pants, boots and cloaks covered the rest of their bodies. Their exposed skin was covered in lumps, too, as if they'd been infected with boils.

  "It's poison," Rob informed me when I asked. "If anyone thinks to cut them with anything other than a spelled sword, they'll die shortly after."

  "What keeps them from dying from it? The poison they're carrying?" I shook my head at Rob's explanation.

  "Dark spells," Rob replied.

  "How do you know all this?" I turned toward him.

  "Because I fought them the last time they started a war."

  "Cassie will have to burn their bodies—we don't need any part of these where someone can get their human or humanoid hands on them," Cliff said. "Her fire is hot enough to destroy them quickly—and the poisons they carry."

  "Tomorrow, then," I nodded. "When she's rested."

  "Tomorrow she has classes," Rob pointed out. "It will have to be early, and it's hardly fair to ask her not to gag over this before going to school."

  "This just keeps getting worse," I said. "We need a meeting with everybody, Cassie included, to sort this out. I suggest finding another place to stay," I pointed my words at Cliff. "They know where this place is, and you've lost wolves because of it."

  "Virgil Haney knew where this place was," Cliff sounded angry. "He led them straight to us. Rob's spells and charms would have befuddled them without direct information."

  "I suggest keeping Cassie at home tomorrow, then," Daniel suggested. "We have to discuss this with everyone involved, and then find a new place for all of them to stay."

  "We may run out of excuses to keep her out of class," Cliff frowned. "She's already stayed home once, after she killed Ray Diablo and then went into shock."

  "Missing class isn't the best option, but we don't have another at this point," I said. "She'll stay here and dispose of these bodies; we'll talk this out and decide where to put everybody after that."

  * * *

  Cassie

  "Sweetheart, breakfast is ready." I jumped at the voice so close to my ear, waking from a troubled dream that had me searching for something I couldn't find.

  "Baby?" Parke's arms were around me as I struggled to breathe, I'd been so frightened.

  "Parke?" My eyes must have been as wild as my breathing as I gripped his shirt in both hands; concern shone in his eyes, which mirrored mine.

  "Hey, I didn't mean to scare you." His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a sitting position without letting me go. Fingers then stroked my hair while he spoke softly to calm my terror.

  "Daniel and Lance went to get clothes for you earlier. I called your landlord this morning to tell him you'd be gone for a while and they'd be by to pick up a few things. I just don't want anyone finding you so easily, or putting the landlord in danger because you're renting his apartment."

  "You think so?" I pulled away from him, although I still felt shaky.

  "It's nothing to worry about for now—just a precaution." Parke's dark eyes studied my face for a moment. He'd never say it, but he was worried.

  As he should be.

  I'm sure he'd seen the bodies of the two dark-cloaks Rob killed. That could mean another paranormal war had been dumped in his lap, when he wasn't expecting anything of the sort.

  "I can't stay here," I said, wanting more than anything to bury myself in his arms again and hope he could make things right for all of us. That would be delusional on my part. Parke would need help if there were more dark-cloaks coming.


  "We're going to discuss everything—right after breakfast," Parke pulled me against his chest again. "Some things may not be easy for you to hear, but we may have to pull everyone together for this. That means telling everything we know that could be connected."

  "Okay." I settled my forehead between his neck and shoulder. He'd showered and smelled like heaven. I probably didn't smell quite so fresh. "Do I have time for a shower before breakfast?"

  "I think so. Your suitcase is in the bathroom already. If you need something, let me know." He pulled away, taking his warmth with him.

  "I thought you abandoned me," I admitted while sliding off the bed.

  "I know. I'm an idiot. There's a reason, but it's not really a good one," he confessed. "You'll hear it in the meeting."

  * * *

  "Rob and I have the day off," Cliff explained when I sat at his kitchen table to eat. It was nearly ten; Parke allowed me to sleep in until he'd wakened me less than an hour earlier.

  "Several people took the day off—after hearing Virgil Haney died in an accident," Rob said. "The only difference is that they're upset. Cliff and I aren't, since the bastard tried to kill us."

  "Then I stand in solidarity with you and Cliff," I bit into a slice of bacon.

  "Good. It's part of your job description; you have to stand in solidarity with us. If you don't, we'll make you drink from a stained coffee cup for the rest of your internship."

  "That coffee cup makes me want to gag," I pointed a finger at Rob. "I've been trying to find a good time to toss it in the trash, but you keep walking by my desk every time I think about it."

  "I saw you brought your own last week," Rob grinned. "I can put a spell on it to make it look stained, too."

  "You wouldn't," I made a face at him.

  "No. But it's fun to think about."

  "Right." I stabbed scrambled eggs with my fork and chewed them more forcefully than necessary while still making a face at Rob. He laughed. I almost choked when I laughed, too.

  "Well, I lost that bet," Cliff handed twenty dollars to Rob.

  "I told him I could make you laugh," Rob grinned. "He said you were too upset."

  "Right," I turned to Cliff and made the same face. He chuckled. Rob handed me the twenty. I stuffed it in a pocket of my jeans and went back to eating.

  Chapter 8

  Cassie

  "I think we're dealing with two rogue ice demons, plus the rock demon. One of those ice demons is Cassie's father, Morton King," Parke looked guilty as he made that announcement. "We don't know who the others ice demon is, but somehow, they've all managed to stay a step ahead of Daniel and that's unusual. It's almost like they can predict his movements. They've split up at least twice that we know of, to commit similar murders and confuse us. We believe Morton is here, now, or somewhere close."

  "Cassie said she saw someone who reminded her of her father at Guppy's one night. He met with Ross Diablo's attorney, Claude Ullery."

  "Are you sure it wasn't your father?" Daniel asked me. He'd gone still the moment Rob mentioned Ross' attorney.

  Daniel knew Claude's name.

  "It wasn't him," I confirmed. "But it made me feel weird, like I should recognize him or something."

  "Paranormal?" Parke asked. "You have a good sense of these things, Cassie. Tell the truth."

  Oh, no. Parke was laying his truth demon on me. He didn't have to; it upset me, somehow, that he'd thought it necessary.

  "He could have been. I got so shaky when I saw him that I wasn't even thinking of that. His hands looked like Daddy's, and something about his face and expressions did, too. It wasn't Daddy, Parke. I'd know if it were."

  "Claude will know," Daniel said quietly.

  "And if we approach Claude, it could alert anybody who doesn't already know we're in town," Parke reminded him. "We'll table that, unless there's no other option."

  "What happened during this meeting?" Parke asked, turning back to me.

  "Not much. Claude was already there at a table when I walked in. He didn't see me; I saw him first and made sure to stay out of his sight. That's when the other man walked in. They only talked for a minute or two. Claude handed him a legal-size manila envelope. It had something thick in the middle, and odd-shaped, maybe. It wasn't just papers," I added.

  "I can work on getting security video," Daniel offered.

  "I think that's a good idea," Cliff said. "If you need local help, I may be able to do that for you."

  "Where is Guppy's?" Daniel asked, pulling out his cell phone. I gave him the location—it wasn't far from the courthouse, actually.

  "We have to assume that Ray Diablo may have been in this, too," Rob pointed out. "His appearance is too close to these other events to be anything besides suspicious. His death may have been a catalyst, too, for the murder of Blake Donovan and the attempt to kill Cliff."

  "Do you think the first judge's death was ordered to misdirect the authorities?" Daniel asked Cliff. "They're connecting Blake's disappearance to that murder and the attempt on the second judge's life."

  "It may be," Cliff said. "But if that's the case, the district judge was killed before Cassie killed Ray. I think Blake's death was planned all along; they just didn't want anybody picking up paranormal scent around any of it. If you link a human shooter to the first death and a second attempt, when a State Supreme Court Justice disappears afterward, everything points to foul play again—with the same perpetrator."

  "It's to our advantage that they're looking for a human," Rob said. "We don't need even the rumor of paranormal involvement. We don't need witch, vampire or werewolf hunts in this day and age—weapons are much more sophisticated than the last time those things happened."

  "They'll never find Blake's body, that's a given," Daniel shrugged. Daniel was an ice demon like Blake; he'd know that as well as anyone.

  "You said that somebody was predicting your movements," I pursed my lips as I frowned at Parke. I had no immediate plans to forgive him for bringing out the truth demon to question me. "Do you think somebody may have been watching—or listening—in Seattle? Whenever you made phone calls on your landline in the office or something?"

  Parke blinked at me for several seconds before his eyes widened.

  "Daniel, get somebody on the phone in Seattle," he barked. "Have my office swept for bugs." He cursed, then, and the name Pauline may have been mentioned.

  Daniel understood that somebody needed to hunt Pauline, too, to ask questions. If she knew what Parke was, she could screw him and Daniel with that information. If she were connected to my father in some way, I was just as screwed.

  She knew where my apartment was.

  She likely had my cell-phone number and several others that she shouldn't have. Parke and Cliff were right to believe Talbert and his wife could be in danger. My breathing went ragged then, and my hands shook. I'd never met Pauline; she'd come to work for Parke just before I left to return to Alabama.

  "Jeezus," I muttered and rubbed my forehead to stave off a tension headache. Daniel stalked out of the room, Lance right behind him. Lyle stayed to guard Parke. All of us needed to get the hell away from where we were; Pauline knew where my internship was; she could have the means to track all of us.

  "We need another place and fast," Parke snapped. His mind had likely traveled the same road mine had, and reached a similar conclusion. The war we'd only recently been made aware of was poised to take all of us down before we could begin to fight back.

  * * *

  "This will do for now." Parke looked around Aunt Shelbie's house. It held three bedrooms and was furnished in what Shelbie always called "old South," with things she'd inherited from her mother and grandmother.

  I remembered polishing the furniture when I was young to earn money to buy treats and Saturday movie tickets. When I was older, I carefully vacuumed the handmade rugs for additional money.

  When Destiny began to spend more time with Shelbie than with our father after Mom disappeared, it became our home
until I went to college. I hated Daddy for what he'd done to all of us; he and Ross were responsible for so much evil.

  "I hope they're not watching the place," I shivered as my gaze fell on Shelbie's antique piano. I'd never learned to play; Destiny was taking lessons when she and I ran away.

  Shelbie stayed behind to defend us as best she could. That brave act took her life. "Do you think she knew that they'd kill her?" I asked aloud. "When she arranged to get Destiny and me away?"

  "I can't say, sweetheart. I never met her," Parke replied. "This furniture must be worth quite a bit—it's old and in excellent shape."

  "It's not for sale," I sighed, staring down at the handmade Persian rug I'd cleaned so carefully for Shelbie.

  "No sign of anyone nearby," Daniel walked in, followed by Lance and Lyle, the rock demons. "The werewolf and sprite have a house two blocks over, in case they're needed. The sprite was digging his toes into the backyard when we left."

  "That's how he connects to everything around him," I said.

  "He said the same thing," Daniel held up a hand. "And then he lectured me about knowing what's coming through his perimeter spells."

  "Is it bad that we're separated?" I asked Parke. "I feel—insecure, with them being somewhere else."

  "We're looking for a larger place, but that could take time—we need a fortress and we're very short on those, right now."

  "Too bad I burned down Ross' mansion," I sighed and tossed up a hand in resignation. "He had an army camped there, most of the time."

  "The army we killed on Pilchuck," Daniel reminded me.

  "She's right, though," Parke looked thoughtful for a moment. "A house like that would be perfect, with some land around it."

  "Good luck finding one," Daniel pointed out.

  "Let me see if there are strings to pull," Parke countered.

  "What am I supposed to do about school?" I asked. A part of me wanted to go back to class. Another part realized I could be putting all my classmates in jeopardy by showing up.

  "Baby, I'm thinking about that now," Parke said, holding up a hand to keep me from saying more. I realized that as Chancellor, he likely had a multitude of problems and tasks whirling in his brain. I hoped he knew that law school was a low priority in all that. If the enemy found and killed us, it would be moot anyway.