Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1)

by Noelle Alladania Meade

  * * * *

  We luxuriated in Grammy’s marble bathroom. Her shower—correction, our shower—could have comfortably fit four people without anyone rubbing elbows. Tenderly, we bathed each other as if it were the very first time. She was so beautiful. I’d never loved anyone the way I loved my Kat. I knelt and took her hand, water cascading down my back. “Kat, dear Kat…You’ve been my very best friend for so many years. I don’t think I can live without you, and I never want to find out.” I kissed her hands. “Katarina Summers, I love you more than the moon and sun. Love as your heart leads you, but promise me you’ll always come home.”

  Her eyes got wide, and she looked stunned, and then she dropped to her knees, hugging me close. “Oh, yes! I love you so much, Olivia. I can’t imagine life without you. You, also, love as your heart leads you, as long as you always come home.”

  We knelt there, kissing and holding each other, in the gentle artificial rain.

  The room filled with the heady fragrance of scattered rose petals. There, in the beautiful old four-poster bed, we pledged our love as all lovers have, since the beginning of time.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Our Turn to Hunt

  It was still dark when Kat woke me with a kiss. “Mikah wants to know if I’m going to work today. I can stay home if you need me.”

  “When did you start working for Mikah?”

  “While you were gone. He needed extra help, even with Tessa, and I needed a paycheck.”

  “You go help Mikah help those kids, Miss Kitty. I’ll be fine.”

  She kissed me again. “Call if you need anything and I’ll come home. Be safe. I love you.”

  I kissed her back. “I love you, too.”

  When I woke up again, it was to someone knocking on the door. “Wake up, sis. We have planning to do. You’ve slept long enough. See you downstairs.”

  I found Leo, Frank, and the rest of the Troll contingent in the dining room, just finishing their lunch. At least Leo was nice enough to set aside a plate for me.

  Motorcycle saddlebags were draped over one of the chairs. John kind of cleared his throat. “I feel like a rat for leaving you all at a time like this, but Stacy is pregnant. We’re going to stay with my parents in Arizona. I want to help, but I have to take care of Stacy. We’re heading out after we eat.”

  The other Trolls looked a little sad, but none of them looked surprised. “You stay in touch,” said Razaini, “And let us know when you get there safely, okay?”

  “We promise,” said Stacy. “We’re going to miss you.”

  They finished eating, and there were hugs all around. We heard the motorcycles roar to life outside and drive away.

  Leo grabbed another sandwich—just to be companionable, I’m sure—but as soon as the last sounds of their engines faded away, he was back to business. “I couldn’t really sleep last night, so I did some recon on the Botanic Gardens. I think that mission is a no go.” He picked up Mikah’s clipboard and continued. “I didn’t see any way not blocked by those hell birds. Sure, we could get past them with a suitable application of high explosives, or one well-placed firecracker, but that defeats all chance of stealth. We’re more likely to blow ourselves up than get a usable sample of monkshood. Cordie did some research, and while we found some information, it was a bit sketchy since werewolves were supposed to be mythical creatures.”

  “You’ve been busy, bro. You sure you don’t need some sleep?”

  His face got tight and his eyes went cold. “I’m not sleeping until that bastard is dead. End of discussion.”

  When he got like that, it was useless to argue. I refrained for now from pointing out that we had no idea where to find Colby.

  “My plan is that we focus on the silver aspect of his weaknesses.” He handed me my holy symbol. “I got this out of your room and cleaned it up.” I put it on while he continued.

  He pulled out a slip of paper and a sealed envelope. “Mikah said to go see this guy. He used to do custom silver work for his Grammy. He said if the guy balks at what we need, hand him the envelope and stay until he reads the contents. If that doesn’t do the trick, we’re to call Mikah on his cell.”

  “It sounds like we have a plan. I have some ideas on the magical side of things. I’ll try them when we get back.”

  Leo was already waiting in the car when I got back downstairs. I guess I’d forgotten how focused he got when he was on a mission.

  “Mikah gave me directions. I’m driving,” said Leo

  “I’m not arguing. You see better in full sun anyway.”

  * * * *

  We arrived at a very posh-looking shop in Cherry Creek, nothing like a place you’d find silver weapons or bullets. Leo checked the address again and shook his head. “Maybe it’s a new owner. There’s only one way to find out.”

  The old guy in the shop kind of looked like Santa, if Santa wore an expensively-tailored grey suit with tasseled loafers and embroidered suspenders. He scanned us up and down, and his look said, You are so in the wrong place.

  “Mister Kravitz?”

  That got his attention. “Who would be looking for Mister Kravitz?”

  “We are. I’m Sergeant Leonardo Mitchell, and this is my sister, Olivia Mitchell. Mikah Carstairs-Morales gave us your name. I believe you used to do work for his grandmother, Adelaide Carstairs?”

  His eyes got very wide, and he looked less jolly by the minute. “How do I know you are who you say?”

  “This letter is from Mikah. You can see it’s still sealed.”

  His hand shook as he took the letter. When he saw the handwriting, he nearly dropped it. “What are you playing at? This is Adelaide’s handwriting.”

  “Please, just read it. We’re in a situation here, and Mikah said to come and see you.”

  Halfway through the page his eyes were glistening, and he had to remove his fogged-over glasses. When he finished, he clutched it to his chest. “Tell me how I can help.”

  Leo pulled out a bullet and sat it on the counter. “I need at least thirty of these. Pure silver jacket and a silver core.” He brought out a shotgun cartridge next. “I need at least twenty-five of these. Pure silver double-ought buckshot.”

  “Do you have any silver daggers?” I asked. “We could use those, too.”

  “Should I ask what you’re hunting?”

  “A werewolf. A real live sadistic murdering werewolf,” said Leo, “and we need the bullets by tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow is impossible,” Kravitz replied. “And no, I’m not dragging my heels. Such things take preparation.”

  “We need them before the full moon, or we may not need them at all.”

  Mr. Kravitz looked at the crumpled note again. He smoothed it gently, and folded it into his pocket. “I can have them for you on Wednesday. If I do nothing else from now to then, you can have them the day after tomorrow.”

  Leo looked like he was going to argue.

  “He said he’s going his best, bro. We’ll still have them before dark, right?”

  “You can pick them up early afternoon. I can’t do it faster, even for friends of my dearest Adelaide.”

  “What about any other silver weapons?” I wanted to know.

  “There may be something. Wait here.”

  He disappeared into the back, and returned carrying a dusty leather-bound case. He opened it almost lovingly. The dagger inside was amazing. The handle was bone. The blade was curved, with a wavy look to the metal. “This is a sixteen-and-a-half-inch blade. It is Damascene steel, layered with silver. Nineteenth-century Persia, by way of a British ceremonial magician.” In contrast, the sheath was plain black leather, designed not to draw attention.

  “May I?”

  He nodded, and carefully handed me the blade, hilt first.

  “Crom!” My knees nearly buckled with the power coursing through that blade. As I gripped the handle, the silver glowed a soft blue—the same light as my holy symbol and the magical hammer last night.

  “How much
?” asked Leo.

  “The bullets you cannot afford,” he told us. “The blade…this blade is priceless. I gift them to you, friends of Mikah, grandson of my Adelaide. Perhaps now the debt will finally be paid.”

  He didn’t seem to notice the tears on his cheeks. “Come back in two days. All will be ready. Take the dagger now. May it keep you safe.”

  He handed the case to Leo, and hustled us out the door. The lock clicked shut behind us and a closed sign appeared in the window.

  * * * *

  “Hey, Leo.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Let’s swing by the hospital on the way home. I want to see how Sharon is doing.”

  Leo spared me a tight smile. “Dad would expect us to look out for her. Her boss isn’t telling us anything. I think we should go in expecting that they’ll refuse to talk. If we can get up to the floor, the easiest option is to look for guards. If it looks like flirting with the nurses will help, I’m up. If it looks like being tearfully afraid for your friend would do better, you’re up. Follow my lead.”

  “Sure thing, Leo.”

  I thought we’d come up with a pretty good plan. What we didn’t count on was running into Lieutenant Clark in the lobby. My new look being what it was, he immediately saw us.

  “Ms. Mitchell. Sergeant Mitchell. What brings you here, as if I didn’t know?”

  “We want to see Sharon.”

  “I already told you, visitors are limited to immediate family only.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” I told him, “and I don’t remember her talking much about her family. She spent a lot of time at our house, when my dad was alive. So does she have family that’s visiting her or not?”

  “I’m not going to discuss the personal affairs of Officer Curtis with you. Go on home.”

  Maybe a month ago I would have given up, but I was done with being told what to do. “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen. We are family to Sharon, and we are going to see her. I’m betting all these nice folks here to visit their relatives would really freak out if they knew a suspected werewolf was on the premises.”

  “You wouldn’t dare, Ms. Mitchell.”

  “Try me. You let us see Sharon or I will scream werewolf until it rings from the rafters. After that, I’ll call every news station in town and tell them how a wounded officer is being held prisoner in the hospital. Do you really want to go there?”

  His eyes went cold. “Do you really want to threaten the police to get what you want? It seems to me the Mitchell family has needed a lot of assistance lately—and we’ve always been there in a timely fashion.”

  “Are you implying that’s going to change?” asked Leo, “because if you are, please speak clearly into my phone. I wouldn’t want you to be misunderstood. I’ve recorded this conversation.”

  “You’ve crossed the line. Both of you. Don’t forget you started this.”

  “No,” I said, “You started this when you locked up Sharon and wouldn’t let us see her. I’d like her room number, and I want a note for the guards, if you’ve posted guards.”

  We were starting to draw more than a little attention at this point. A hushed but heated exchange between a uniformed officer, a strapping blond Leo, and a Dark Elf wasn’t exactly subtle.

  Clark got a piece of paper from the front desk and scrawled out a note. The room number was written at the top. He thrust it into my hand and left without another word. Oh well. I didn’t care if he was pissed if it got us in to see Sharon.

  The guards upstairs weren’t particularly trusting. Even with the note, they made a quick phone call before they’d let us in. I expected them to look angry, but they actually smiled a little. I wonder if the decision to keep Sharon on ice wasn’t very popular with her brothers in blue.

  She was alone, which I’d pretty much expected. She was still bandaged from the fight, but was sitting up in bed, flipping through channels on the TV. Her bruises had bloomed over the last two days. Actually, it was hard to believe it had only been two days. I felt like we’d been living under siege much longer than that.

  “No, I don’t want anything,” she said, without looking over.

  “That’s good, because we didn’t bring anything.”

  “Get out!”

  That was not what I expected. “Um, pardon?”

  “Get out. I may be infected. I’m not going to risk the two of you.”

  “About that… I think I may have a way to find out if you’re infected. And anyway, we’re not leaving yet. I just pissed off your boss to get in here in the first place.”

  “How are you going to tell if I’m going to turn? The doctors have no idea. They say we’ll find out in a few days the hard way.”

  “Werewolves react strongly to silver. We found that out when Colby—he’s the werewolf, by the way—broke into our house and attacked us. I hurt him really bad with silver and magic, but he still got away.”

  She looked hopeful, at least for a second. “What kind of reaction to silver?”

  “I hit Colby in the face with a magic silver hammer. He caught on fire and it boiled his eyeball. I’m suggesting you try holding my silver necklace, while a nurse is in here, just in case.”

  “No nurse. If I’m going to turn into some kind of murdering beast, I’d rather know now. I’m not going to live as a murderer.”

  “I don’t think turning into a werewolf made Colby a murderer. Leo found plenty of evidence that he was a rapist bastard before he ever turned.”

  “Let’s do this. If I see one more daytime soap opera, I’m going to shoot myself.”

  I took off my silver necklace and dropped it into her outstretched hand. Nothing. No smoke. No pain. No flames. “It looks like you’re good. Want to go home?”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Thank God!”

  We rang for the nurse to get things rolling. I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. She wasn’t technically under arrest or anything, but it seems Lieutenant Clark had left orders that he was to be called if she tried to leave. Given how fast he showed up, I don’t think he’d ever left the hospital. Sharon had us wait outside while they spoke privately. I was starting to look for a chair when the door flew open and Lieutenant Clark stalked out.

  “You’re relieved,” he told the two guards. “Officer Curtis is checking out on her own recognizance.” He turned to me and Leo. “You two had better know what you’re doing. You get her, or any other innocent people hurt, and you will pay.” He pointed to Leo. “Put that in your phone and smoke it. You two are meddling, and it’s going to get someone killed.”

  One of the officers mouthed, “Thank you,” and they both left, following the lieutenant to the elevator.

  It still took a long time to extract ourselves from the medical professionals. It was after dinner before we got back to the car. “If you don’t mind, Sharon, I’d like you to come by the house. Let us feed you and at least put you up for the night.”

  She didn’t seem all that eager to be alone. “Thanks, Olivia. I’d like that.”

  * * * *

  There was a motorcycle parked in my spot on the driveway when we got home. Maybe I was wrong, but it didn’t look like one of the bikes that belonged to the Trolls.

  Everyone had gotten home before us, including Gracie. She was sitting next to Kat, and they both looked a little tense.

  I worked on holding onto my smile. “Hey, everybody, we got Sharon sprung,” I said.

  There were relieved smiles all around. Cordie came around and gave her a big hug. “Sharon, it’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too, and it’s great to be out of the hospital,” said Sharon.

  Mikah handed Berto a bill of some denomination. “I told you they’d get Sharon loose without anyone getting arrested,” Berto said smugly.

  I put my box from Mr. Kravitz on the sideboard, and saw that Kat had kept me a place next to her. “Evening, Gracie,” I said, and gave Kat a big hug and kiss. “I missed you.”

 
; “I missed you too.”

  Before I sat down, I went over to Berto. “Could we talk privately—just for a sec?”

  “Of course,” Berto said.

  I led him into the library and pulled the door closed. “First, I cannot believe you’re placing bets on whether I’m going to get arrested or not. Really?”

  “Hey!” he said, all mock offended, “I’m the one that bet on you making it home. Mikah thought we’d be posting bail by morning.”

  “Hmmmph. And anyway, could you check Sharon after dinner, and make sure Colby didn’t infect her? She could hold my holy symbol with no problem, but I don’t actually know if a werewolf is vulnerable to silver in their Human form. She wouldn’t leave the hospital if she thought she was going to turn. Please tell me I didn’t lie to her.”

  He shook his head. “It’s never simple with you, is it, Olivia? I swear you get more devious by the day. Of course I’ll have a look at her. I would have in any case. We can’t leave her with a giant bite taken out of her shoulder.”

  Leo was filling in the others on our visit with Mister Kravitz when Berto and I got back to the dining room.

  Berto beckoned to Sharon. “Sharon, I have a small gift of healing. If you will allow it, I would like to offer healing for your injuries. Now or after dinner, whichever you’d prefer.”

  Sharon looked over at me. “What does that mean?”

  “He’s healed me plenty of times. If he can keep me patched up, he can fix anyone.”

  “That would be wonderful.” She smiled at Berto. “How about after dinner? I’m starving. All I’ve had is hospital food.”

  While Berto grabbed a plate for Sharon, Henry cleared his throat. “Frank and I got a job offer today. We stopped in at the grocery store and this big guy covered with tattoos kept staring at us. We thought maybe he had something against Trolls, and I was pretty sure there was going to be trouble. Then he came up to us and said he had a proposition. He owns this bar downtown and he’s had more trouble than usual with people drinking too much and getting out of hand. He thought we’d make awesome bouncers. We don’t even have to do anything. He just wants us to stand around and look tough. His regular bouncers will handle things if any actual fighting breaks out. Since we’re not doing the dig, it sounded like a way to spend some time getting paid. Frank and I will be alternating with one of their regular guys. I start tonight. I’m heading out after dinner.”