by Zoe Arden
“Ava! For once, will you just do as I say and get the car?
I ran back to Colt’s car and slid inside, shifted the gears, and peeled toward the spot of grass where Colt was struggling to keep the sheriff upright. Colt laid the sheriff gently across the back seat and shut the door. I handed him back his supercharged wand, sorry to let it go.
“Hurry, get him to the hospital. You don’t have much time.”
“Where are you going?” I demanded. I’d thought he was going with me.
“I need to wake Slater up. If Sheriff Knoxx has a chance of surviving, I need to know what that knife was dipped in. I’ll radio ahead when I have my answer. You just get him to the hospital.”
“But—”
“Ava! Don’t argue. Just go!”
I shifted into gear and took off.
* * *
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
.
.
.
* * *
* * *
.
I arrived at Sweetland Hospital to find that Colt had called ahead. Dr. Dunne was waiting for me at the curb with several nurses. They got Sheriff Knoxx onto a gurney and wheeled him inside. He was starting to look like a gremlin.
“Don’t worry,” Dr. Dunne told me as they pushed him into the emergency room. “Detective Hudson told me what the knife that cut him was laced with.”
“He did?”
I’d been worried it would take Colt hours to get the information out of Slater. How had he done it so fast?
“Yes, I’ve already been on the phone with Amanda Hollyberry. She’s advised me what to do and is on her way down here right now.”
The doors to the emergency room closed and a nurse stopped me from following them through.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but you’ll have to wait here.”
I was getting tired of being told that I had to wait somewhere, but I didn’t think that now was the time to moan about it. I took a seat in the waiting area. Twenty minutes later, Eleanor, Trixie, and my father joined me.
“How is he?” Eleanor asked. She’d been crying. Her face was pale and ragged.
“I don’t know. Okay, I think. Before they wheeled him back, Dr. Dunne told me that he could fix him up. No problem.” Dr. Dunne hadn’t said that exactly, but I wanted to make her feel better.
“Where’s Detective Hudson?” my father asked.
“I don’t know. He had Slater and was taking him—”
“What?!” my dad yelled, jumping out of his seat and pulling Trixie with him. Eleanor’s eyes widened so much I was afraid they might fall right out of their sockets.
“They got Slater?”
“You mean, you haven’t heard?” I asked. “I assumed that if you knew about Sheriff Knoxx, you must know about Slater.”
“No,” Eleanor said. “When Detective Hudson called to inform me about Zane, he didn’t say anything about Slater.”
“Well, they caught him,” I said proudly. “Sheriff Knoxx and Colt. Actually, Colt’s the one who saved me when Slater attacked me. Sheriff Knoxx chased Polly into the forest. She’s the one who stabbed him.”
Eleanor began to sob all over again.
A deep voice boomed from the nurse’s station, “The sheriff will be okay.”
We all turned to see Colt strolling into the waiting area.
“How do you know that?” Eleanor asked. “Have you spoken to the doctor?”
“No, but I saw the way your sheriff handled himself against Polly and her dark magic. If it had been me, she’d probably have killed me. He defended himself like a pro. If he hadn’t gotten his foot stuck in a snake hole, he’d have had her.”
Eleanor beamed proudly. “Zane is very good at his job.”
“Sheriff Knoxx is a fighter, that’s for sure. He’ll be just fine. You mark my words.” Colt looked in my direction and tilted his head toward the soda machines.
“Anyone want a drink?” I asked. “I’m buying.”
“Grape soda,” Eleanor said.
“Orange for me,” said Trixie.
“Dad? You want anything?”
He shook his head. “I’m glad you’re okay, honey,” he said and hugged me so hard I almost stopped breathing. When he finally let me go, Colt was already standing by the soda machines waiting for me.
“How did you get that information out of Slater so fast?” I asked him.
“He wasn’t really unconscious. At least, not when I got back to the car. I opened the door and he jumped to life. Almost kicked me in the—well, let’s just say he was very much awake.”
“So, he just volunteered the information?”
“Not at first.”
I gave him a quizzical look.
“I might have implied that if he didn’t give me the information I wanted, I’d turn him into a dust mite. That did the trick.”
“Would you have really done that?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
I let that sink in a minute before continuing. “Where’s Slater?”
“Otis has him.”
I blinked.
“Otis? Otis Winken?”
“You sound a little like him when you say that, you know.”
“You don’t understand. I love Otis. Most people do. He’s sweet and kind and... shouldn’t be left alone with someone as dangerous as Slater.”
“I know that, but there were other officers there. Not just Otis.”
“Who has the key to the jail cell?”
Colt hesitated before answering. “Otis.” He crinkled his nose. “You’re right. We should go.”
I said a quick goodbye to everyone. They didn’t like my leaving but understood when I told them we had to interrogate Slater. We hurried to the station. Otis was eating a large bag of potato chips when we arrived.
“Hey, Otis,” I said when we got there. I hoped I sounded casual. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Hi, Ava. Hello, Detective Hudson.” Otis reached into the bag and produced a large chip, which he proceeded to suck down in one chomp. “Would you like one? Me and Tadpole don’t mind sharing.”
“Tadpole?” I asked, looking around. The skunk was nowhere to be seen.
“Sure, come on out little friend.”
At Otis’s coaxing, Tadpole poked his head out of the bag. Potato chips pieces were stuck to his fur. He waved at us then turned and dug back in.
“Tadpole likes potato chips. Turns out they’re his favorite thing.”
“Er, that’s great, Otis,” I said, trying not to be disgusted. “Listen, can we see Slater?”
“I need to interrogate him on Polly’s whereabouts,” Colt added.
“Sure,” Otis said amiably. He tossed Colt the keys to the cell and reached in for another chip.
“Thanks,” Colt said.
We went down the hall to the main cell. It was used mostly for drunks and petty theft criminals. Most of which were tourists. Slater was the only one in the cell right now. He looked like he was in agony.
“Don’t send me back there,” he begged when we approached him.
“You mean Swords and Bones?” Colt asked. “They’re already on the way.”
“Please, you don’t understand. They’ll put me in solitary. I can’t do that again. It wasn’t my fault.”
“What wasn’t your fault?” Colt asked.
“The escape. I swear, I had no idea Polly was gonna do that. She just showed up out of nowhere. So, please, just let me stay here. I’ll be quiet.”
He seemed on the verge of hysterics. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. It made me wonder just what, precisely, they did to inmates at Swords and Bones. I knew it was a maximum-security prison, but beyond that, I hadn’t a clue.
“Come on, man,” Slater said, reaching through the bars for Colt’s collar. He was trying to pull him closer. Colt stepped back, and Slater got nothing but a handful of air.
“Maybe I can help keep you out of solitary,” Colt said. “If
you help me.”
“Sure, what do you want to know?”
“Where’s Polly Peacock?”
Slater groaned. “I don’t know.”
Colt raised one unbelieving eyebrow. “Really? You don’t know?”
“She’s been sleeping in the forest or at the beach. I don’t know. She wanders around at night looking for stuff.”
“Think, where would she be right now?”
Slater’s face was so tight and red it almost looked comical. “I just don’t know,” he said. “Oh, but someone’s been helping her. I know that.”
“Who?” Colt asked.
“I don’t know. I never met them, and Polly wouldn’t mention them by name. I think she was scared of them.”
“Interesting,” Colt murmured.
I thought so, too. Who would Polly be scared of? She was more ruthless than anyone I knew.
“How did they plan the killings? Or her escape?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t even know that Polly was killing anyone. She’s gone crazy or something.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “I thought you were in favor of killing witches.”
“Yeah, sure, but Polly wants to get her powers back. Do you know that?” he asked desperately, thinking maybe he’d struck on something he could use as a bargaining chip.
“We know,” Colt assured him.
“I told her I liked her better without her powers. Tried to convince her to stay the way she was.”
“Really? How did she take that?”
Slater lifted his shirt. Five giant red slash marks ran across his chest at an angle. “She did that with her nails. Not even a wand. I think she meant to kill me. I’m telling you, she’s crazy.”
A loud noise sounded from Colt’s pocket. He slipped his hand in and shut it off. “Come on,” he said to me.
I followed him back into the hall.
“What was that noise?” I asked.
“A portable deception detector,” he said, pulling out a small silver triangle. It was spinning wildly in the air as Colt held it up for me to see.
“I thought all deception detectors were potions.”
“It’s something new the Council’s trying it out.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means Slater’s telling the truth. About everything. He doesn’t know where Polly is, and he doesn’t know anything about the murders. In other words...”
“In other words, we’re right back where we started.”
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY
.
.
.
* * *
* * *
.
“T he good news is he’s going to be fine,” Eleanor said as we set the dinner plates into the sink. “The hospital wouldn’t let me spend the night, but first thing in the morning, I’m going back over there.”
“Eleanor,” my father said gently, “they’re releasing him in the morning. You don’t need to go back there. He’s okay.”
“I know that,” Eleanor said. “I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly for Zane.” She dried off a dish and looked at the ring on her finger. It seemed to be extra sparkly tonight.
“Really?” I asked my dad. “They’re releasing him in the morning?”
“Like I keep trying to tell your aunt, Sheriff Knoxx is fine.”
I watched Eleanor study her hand. It was obvious how much she loved Sheriff Knoxx. Despite their differences, they had found a way to make their relationship work. I turned my head and saw Colt staring at me, much like the way Eleanor was staring at her ring finger. The blush crept into my cheeks. I pretended to drop my fork so I could bend over and hide my face.
Talk about difficult relationships. What would dating Colt be like? A self-absorbed COMHA agent? Except that I knew him better than that now. He wasn’t self-absorbed, just absorbed with his job. Was that really so bad?
“I’m going to bed,” I told them all. “Good night.”
The next morning was January seventh. I looked out the window as the sun came up. Would it be the last sunrise I ever saw?
Damon was still alive. Polly couldn’t kill me until she killed him. After coming so close to catching Polly then letting her slip away, the Council on Magic and Human Affairs had sent an extra couple of agents down here to keep a watch over things. One of them was camped outside of Damon’s apartment. The other was walking around town, trying to blend in with the tourists.
“I’m going to see Damon this morning,” I told Colt after breakfast. Eleanor, Trixie, and my father had already left for the bakery.
“Sure. Do you want to take my car or would you rather walk?”
“I’m walking.”
“Okay, just let me know when you’re ready to go.”
I shook my head. “You’re not getting it. I’m walking. Me. Myself. Alone.”
Colt laughed. His eyes widened in surprise when he realized I wasn’t joking.
“You can’t be serious. Ava, are you nuts? Today is the seventh! The Wolf Moon starts tonight.”
“I know. That’s why I want to talk to Damon. In case I don’t get another chance.”
Colt stared at me a moment before throwing his napkin down. “There is absolutely no way I’m letting you out of my sight for a second.”
“Oh, yeah? What if I get Snowball to help me?”
Snowball came running at the sound of her name.
“Snowball is here. More tuna?”
“Snowy, can you do me a favor?” I asked, making a snap decision. Colt’s keys and wallet were sitting on the counter. “Take detective man’s keys and hide them somewhere.” Snowball sat there staring at me.
I grabbed Colt’s keys off the counter and tossed them to Snowy, thinking she’d catch them somehow and run off. She was really good at catching things. It was like she had an invisible baseball glove. But she just sat there. The keys clinked on the ground. Snowball stared at them, then looked at me.
“Hurry,” I said.
“Snowball thinks Mama is acting funny. Snowball likes detective man. He gives Snowball tuna.”
My jaw dropped open. “You mean, you won’t hide his keys for me?”
“Snowball is here to help Mama. Hiding detective man’s keys does not help Mama.”
Colt laughed, walked over to Snowball, and gave her head a light scratch as he picked his keys off the floor.
“Did you teach her that?” I demanded. “That is so not funny. But I know something that is.” I grabbed the orange juice he’d been drinking, threw it on his clothes, and bolted for the door. Maybe I just had to do things the old-fashioned way—run really fast.
I cut through yards and alleys and when I looked behind me, I didn’t see Colt anywhere. I allowed myself to slow down and tried to catch my breath.
When I finally made it to Damon’s, I was no longer panting, though my heart was fluttering like a butterfly’s wings. I looked around the parking lot to see if Colt had beaten me here. I knew how much he prided himself on his appearance and didn’t think he would have left the house without changing first. That meant I had at least a five-minute head start, and Damon’s place was less than ten minutes from my home.
I saw the extra COMHA agent they’d sent to keep an eye on Damon. He looked bored. He was playing with his phone, not even paying attention. I craned my neck and caught a glimpse of a space trooper shooting aliens on his LED screen. Great, they sent a video gamer to keep an eye on Damon when his life was in danger.
Anyone could have spotted this guy as a COMHA agent a mile away. Colt was an exception when it came to COMHA agents. He dressed impeccably and always looked put together. This man was wearing a bad suit with a yellow necktie and sunglasses. Typical COMHA agent. I strolled right past him and went up to Damon’s apartment. He didn’t even bat an eye.
When Damon answered, there was a brief second where his eyes flashed anger, but it disappeared fast.
“Can I come in?” My heart s
tuttered waiting for his response. I didn’t hear his mom anywhere in the background.
“I don’t know.”
“Please,” I said. “We never did have that talk. And today might be my last day to... to tell you how I feel. If Polly gets ahold of me, that is.”
“You don’t have any new leads?”
“No. Someone phoned in a tip the other day. They got Slater, but Polly got away.”
“Yeah, I heard something about that.” We stood in awkward silence.
“So? Can I come in?”
“I suppose so.”
He opened the door, and I stepped aside. I scanned the room for Renee as he shut the door behind me.
“She went out. Said she needed to clear her head.”
“Oh.” I set aside the wisecrack that was springing to my lips and reminded myself why I was here.
“I care about you,” I said, deciding to be direct. “I think you know that.”
Damon nodded. I took a deep breath and asked the question foremost on my mind.
“Do you still care about me? Because lately it seems like you don’t.”
Damon looked at the floor.
Oh, crud. That’s not a good sign.
“I still care about you,” he said. “I just...” He lifted his eyes back to mine. “There are so many things I like about you, Ava. I just don’t know if it’s enough to make up for our differences.”
“Eleanor and Sheriff Knoxx found a way to make it work. So can we.”
“Are you sure you want to?” he asked. “Seems like you’ve been spending an awful lot of time with Detective Hudson lately.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. Colt is just doing his job.”
“Colt, huh?”
I blushed. “I mean Detective Hudson.”
Damon nodded. I felt like an idiot. “Look... maybe... maybe if things were different, Colt—Detective Hudson and I—could have a different kind of relationship. But they’re not different. That’s not what I want.”
“What do you want?”
“You. Only... I want you to look at me and not just see a witch. I want you to look at me like I’m a woman who loves you. Not some sort of monster you need to run from.”