“How did I—”
Seeing the blind fury on her face, I shut up. She wasn’t listening and there was no point in arguing. I didn’t think she knew what she was saying anyway. She looked half-crazed. I really believed the loss of her cap and being stuck in her Merrow form, away from water, had driven her crazy. She needed someone to blame, and I was an easy target.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Costas,” I said, standing. “I’ll see what I can do for you.”
I turned my back with the intention of swallowing down my reluctance and checking Sean’s body, in case he had the cap on him.
“You think you’re sorry now…” she hissed.
I ignored her and moved on, but as I did a new song burst from her. It was glorious and terrible all at once, exquisite and terrifying in its haunting strains and fervent, almost wild scales. I kept walking, chills racing up and down my spine, head down, intent on my mission.
Something huge stepped in my path, blocking me.
No, please. Not again.
I’d already faced down death more than once tonight. I saw it again in the eyes of Alan, the terracotta warrior. He stared at me, his flat gaze as cold as the clay that created him. Mrs. Costas’s terrible song had locked him in her grip.
I gasped, tried to dodge and run, but he nabbed me. Fighting the strength of the clay warrior was impossible, but I twisted, babbling Carter’s name, begging, praying he would hear me. He didn’t. The Talos could have challenged the clay automaton, and would have, but he was stalking about the field, also still under the Merrow’s spell, looking for more victims. He had no idea what was going on.
Under the Merrow’s power, the terracotta warrior swept me up and lifted me high in the air above his head. I was screaming at him to stop. The Merrow’s strange song grew louder, drowning out my voice. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for pain…
Something massive and fur-covered slammed into the clay warrior, knocking him off his feet. His knees buckled and he went down, taking me with him. I cried out as I tumbled, only to feel myself caught up in a pair of impossibly long, hairy arms and whisked from his grasp just before he landed on me and crushed me.
Then a shot rang out.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The reverberations of the gunshot lit up the night. Afterward, silence. Detective Ewing slowly lowered her weapon. A mix of feelings swarmed her as she stared at the prone body in front of her. As death took hold, the fins, tail, and scales vanished. A ripple passed over the body and she was no longer a mermaid creature, but a woman again. Candace didn’t feel guilty, exactly. Regretful, that it had come to this. Relief that it was finally over.
Or was it?
Even as she lowered her weapon, she swung about to check on Ellie. With the headshot, the Merrow’s song had died. As Candace had surmised, the spell over the Talos, across the field wreaking havoc among both shifter gangs, instantly dissipated. Candace saw him shake his head, trying to come back to himself.
A few feet away, Ellie was gasping for breath, whimpering. If Candace didn’t know any better, she’d have sworn some animal that looked an awful lot like Bigfoot had rushed the terracotta warrior, bowling it over before it could throw Ellie, kill her. That same animal now unfolded its long limbs and got to its feet, keeping Ellie within the circle of one arm while it faced down the terracotta warrior.
The death of the enchantress had changed everything. In a flash, the clay warrior was gone and an ordinary looking Chinese man stood there. He held up his hands in a non-threatening manner.
“Blake. We’re cool, right? I have nothing against you.”
In a trice, Bigfoot was gone and some lean, tall, scraggly middle-aged man stood there, holding onto Ellie with one hand, his other resting on the machete strapped to his leg.
“Get out of here, then, before I decide to find something against you.”
His leader was dead. The former terracotta warrior had no reason to stay. He nodded warily, retreated several steps, and vanished into the darkness.
Candace felt air leaving her lungs in a rush. Relief swarmed her as Ellie, bringing herself under control, stepped away from the strange man and faced him, disbelief on her features.
“Joab Blake? What—why? You came back? You—you saved me? Why? Why?”
This was interesting. Clearly, Candace had missed a story.
“Ah.” The grizzled man screwed up his face, abashed. “Wasn’t fair what Nosizwe did to you, girl. That’s not what I signed up for. Carter’s one thing—he can take care of himself. But you? I heard what happened down in the Pit. Heard about them kidnapping you at that fancy party and using you as bait to trap Carter. Thought to myself, whatever the hell was going on down here in Texas sure beat hiding out in the woods in Washington. Decided to hop a plane yesterday and come see for myself. After that, just a matter of tracking everyone down. I’ve been here awhile, watching, trying to decide if I wanted to get involved. Wasn’t really figuring on it until I saw Alan grab you.”
Ellie narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. “I don’t understand you,” she said. “Are you a good guy or a bad guy?”
The Bigfoot-shifter smirked. “Do any of us even know anymore?” He nodded towards the left. “Looks like things are quiet now, and your man’s coming. I’m gonna leave before he decides to pay me back for that strike in his hotel room. See you around, Ellie. Take care of yourself. Take care of Carter. You never know when I might show up again someday.”
He grinned and winked. Ellie didn’t return it, but she did pivot to watch the newcomer step away, fade into the night. However, her attention was quickly diverted by Ballis coming into view, almost running. He didn’t hesitate, catching his wife up against his chest, hugging her fiercely. Even as he held Ellie, he glanced over at Candace, meeting her gaze. He nodded his thanks, and she could see the honest gratitude in his eyes, even from across the distance.
Candace nodded back and looked down at Mrs. Costas. That was why she’d done it. She had no particular fondness for Carter Ballis, him being what he was, but she also wasn’t going to let him keep killing his own people while under the mermaid’s spell and having absolutely no idea what he was doing.
“You did the right thing.”
Candace flinched at the voice, but only because she was so wrapped up in the kill, the night’s drama, that she hadn’t been expecting him to still be here.
“Thanks. I think.” She turned around. Adeola, the cat shifter, stood there. “I thought she was your boss, though.”
“Not hardly. I was introduced to Nosizwe through my younger cousin, who did work for her. Died for her, actually.”
“Died?”
“Killed in the line of duty, last fall. Went up against Ballis, I heard. That didn’t end well.”
Lightning bolts fizzled in Candace’s brain. “Was your cousin named Ethan, by any chance?”
Adeola tilted his head. “He was. How did you know that?”
Candace flashed a grim smile. “We caught the case, my partner and I. When I first met you at the country club, I thought you looked familiar. Couldn’t figure out why. This explains a lot.”
The shifter nodded soberly. “We had a strong family resemblance. I followed Nosizwe because I hoped she had a new, better path for our people to walk. I thought she would bring us into an age of compromise with humanity. But all she brought was what we’ve always had. Death.” He shook his head sadly as he surveyed the scene. “My cousin died. My people died. My animals died.” He paused, met her glance then looked away as if embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Detective. I didn’t mean to attack you.”
Candace nodded sharply. “I figured.”
He dared to glance back up. “You did?”
She shrugged. “Well, after you saved me earlier, I didn’t think you’d turn around and try to kill me this time for no reason. I figured Mrs. Costas was controlling you and that’s why it happened.”
He still seemed chagrined. “I don’t have anything against you. In fact, I enjoyed meeting y
ou the other night. When I saw you in danger, I just…acted. I didn’t want to see you get hurt. You don’t have a part in this mess.”
Candace hadn’t blushed in years. She hadn’t come close to it. She’d forgotten the feelings that could spring up at an instant when a handsome man admitted being attracted to you. How awkward and exciting it felt, all at the same time.
“Yes, I …um…I enjoyed talking to you the other night too. I didn’t enjoy getting attacked by you tonight so much, but the other night was good.” She tried to laugh lightly. It sounded like a teenage girl’s giggle in her ears, making her feel clumsy and awkward.
“You held your own,” Adeola complimented. “You’re tough.”
She had held her own. She’d survived. Ellie had survived. Now here she was, a strange man complimenting her. Flirting with her. She thought.
It’s been way too long, Candace. You’ve been out of the game so long you can’t even tell for sure.
This was ridiculous. She decided to be frank.
“Are you flirting with me?” she asked.
Adeola’s eyebrows raised, but he didn’t shy away or run off scared. “Do you want me to be?”
Candace shrugged. “I’m a cop. A homicide detective. I won’t date somebody that flaunts the law, and I don’t have the time or energy for beating around the bush. I’m not very good at relationships, but I’m willing to meet for a drink and see how things go.”
He pursed his lips and tilted his head. Damn. Why did he have to be so attractive? She’d loathed the idea of shapeshifters since she first knew of their existence, and here she was offering to meet one for a drink. What was wrong with her?
“A drink…” he said. “My place? Tomorrow? 7:30?”
“Why your place?”
“You said a drink, and I am a bartender.”
“Oh. Right.”
She paused. “I don’t know. That seems like a lot of pressure for a first date. Your place and all. I was thinking something less…less…” She noticed he was grinning and stopped. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, really. What?”
Now he chuckled. “You already know I’m a shapeshifter. You know about my ability. You know things about me nobody outside my family knows. And you’re hesitating to meet me for a drink at my place because it’s too intimate for a first talk, right? I get it. It’s just…ironic.”
Candace caught the good-natured humor and quirked a smile. “I hear you. But I’d still prefer a more public setting. After all, you’re a shapeshifter and I’m a cop. I don’t know exactly what side of the law you’re on.”
“The side of law and order, always.” He said it stiffly, saluting like a soldier. Candace rolled her eyes.
“I’m police, not military.”
“Right.”
His attention drifted toward the others, picking themselves up, picking up the pieces now that the war was finally over.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” he said, “now that Sean Costas and Nosizwe are both gone. Somebody will step up to lead, I’m sure. I do know that I’m out on any future divides along party lines. If I have to keep to myself, that’s fine. I’d rather live a quiet, normal life anyway. As quiet and normal as I can. All of this division and killing…” He shook his head. Fell silent.
Candace breathed a sigh. “I have a feeling I know who might step up. And I think he’ll do his best to keep the peace. Even if he wouldn’t, she’ll make sure that he does.”
Adeola seemed puzzled. “Who are you talking about?”
She jerked her chin towards Ballis, still holding his wife. “The guy left standing who can apparently travel between worlds, has magic blood, a magic sword, and all that crazy stuff.”
“Hmmm.” Adeola nodded thoughtfully. “You may be right. He is married to a human woman, too. Maybe that will help us in the long run with bridging the gap.”
“Maybe.” She switched subjects. “So, 7:30 tomorrow? At Finnegan’s? You know the place?”
He flashed a smile, his teeth bright against the darkness of his skin and the night surrounding them. “I can find it. I’ll be there.”
Candace didn’t know whether to end the exchange with a handshake or a hug. Either seemed awkward. Instead, she backed away.
“Great. Now I’m going to find my partner, who’s due for a good butt-chewing. Then I’ll have to figure out how to clean up this mess.”
Damn. More bodies to hide. After tonight, she was through helping these shifters cover their tracks, and she’d tell Ballis that.
Candace looked over at him. He still stood there, arms around his wife, simply holding her. Ellie had calmed and was leaning into his chest, clutching him close, offering him comfort in return. There was pain and regret on Ballis’ face, but matters appeared to have settled, at least temporarily. Beyond him, though, stood the Stones of Fire and the two visitors who’d stepped through the portal with him.
He has enough to deal with right now, she decided, turning away. I’ll speak my piece later.
Later, after she caught Gary and gave him what for. Later, after the dust had settled and she had a drink with Adeola, figured out if seeing him was worth her time and energy. Later was fine, but he’d definitely hear about it. If she was going to be the cop-in-the-know, she was through crossing the line for shifters and letting them cross her lines. Ballis needed to know it, and he would.
But later.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Carter held Ellie until the shakes subsided. His, as well as hers. Coming out of the trance, realizing what he’d been doing, had been one of the most gut-wrenching moments of his life. He avoided looking at Ciara’s body. It filled him with rage. If she wasn’t already dead, he could’ve happily broken her neck. But she was, and he tried to let the anger go at being used against his own people.
Finally, everything had quieted. Carter raised his face from where he’d been bent over Ellie to study his surroundings. People were still moving around, but almost in a daze, like they couldn’t believe the fighting was over and what had transpired. With the deaths of Sean, Ciara, and Nosizwe, the two gangs of shifters were leaderless. He had the impression nobody knew what to do next. Oddly, they were sort of grouping up, many looking his way. It took him a minute to figure out why. In fact, it was Ellie who said, in a soft voice that strengthened as she spoke,
“I think they’re waiting for you to talk to them.”
Surprised, he pulled back so he could see down into her face.
“What’s that?”
“I said I think they’re waiting for you to talk to them.” The remark took a moment to compute. She went on. “Everybody’s—everybody’s gone that they looked up to. Just you left.”
He snorted a laugh. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
“It already is.” She’d recovered her backbone and eased away. “You’re all that’s left. Plus, you’re the Repairer of the Breach. And you have that cool magic sword and you can open portals to other worlds and all that fancy stuff.”
Carter wanted to argue, but it was hard to dispute, especially with the Stones there and the two shifters who’d come through with him, Vehuel and Seriel, waiting patiently beside them. Still, he’d never considered himself any kind of leader, beyond his status as Sean’s head of security. He’d never expected to be thrust into a role that required this level of leadership, and certainly not of both Sean’s people and Nosizwe’s. What the hell was he supposed to say to them?
While glancing around, trying to gather his wits, his eyes fell on something in the trampled grass. Something he’d tossed aside when the cop’s shot had broken the Merrow’s spell. The sword. Carter stepped away to retrieve it, put it in his waistband. The action bought him a few moments, and as luck—or possibly fate—would have it, he didn’t have to figure out what to say before he felt a presence at his elbow. Seriel had stepped up next to him.
“It is time to lay aside hatred, envy, strife, and warfare amongst ourselve
s,” she said solemnly. “Any of you who wish to return to our realm, to a place of safety where humans can no longer harm us, are welcome to do so. We will take you with us. Those who wish to remain and live the lives they've built here may do that, as well. But the time of conflict is over. Why would we fear humans and what they might do to us if we do worse to ourselves? This is not as it should be. This ends tonight.”
Carter saw heads nodding thoughtfully. Seriel had a point. All his life he’d held humans at arm’s length, afraid of revealing himself to them, thinking he was doing the right thing by following Sean and his ideals, only to engage in a running war of shifters killing each other. Ellie had tried to point that out to him since the beginning. At the time, it had made him furious. Now, he understood what she’d immediately seen from an outsider’s perspective.
Seriel went on.
“I said before that the doorway between realms will remain open for a brief amount of time. During the Repairer’s lifetime, it will be open and can be used, so that any of our people who wish to establish their families and their lives in our world can do so. The Talos holds the key, and the key is the sword and his blood. The sword will not work for anyone else. No one else has his blood. When he dies, the portals close permanently, and the Stones will be useless. It is your duty to spread the word amongst yourselves that this one lifetime has been given for our people to return to Atlantis, the home of their nativity. After it, you will have to make the best of what you can here on Earth.”
Vehuel, took over, saying soberly, “Perhaps future generations will be able to dwell in harmony with humans. Perhaps humans will accept us; perhaps they will not. I would admonish any who wish to bring such a thing to pass to act with great prudence. Great prudence.”
He seemed to single out Nosizwe’s former followers with his nod, his piercing look. A few people shuffled their feet uncomfortably, looking chagrined. Most still seemed so shell-shocked that they didn’t know how to react.
In summation, Seriel announced, “Any of you who would go with us tonight to a new home are welcome.”
Repairer of the Breach (Stones of Fire Book 4) Page 24