by A. D. McLain
Meg thought over Nicole’s words, trying to get everything straight in her head. She didn’t know what to say about how quickly Nicole’s wrists had healed. Instead, she grasped at the other things Nicole said before she took off the bandages. She’d talked about the black wolf saving her, but who was he, if he was some kind of shape shifter like Nicole said? Why had he been hanging around her? “So, was that wolf supposed to be a member of your family, or something?”
Nicole grinned. “Not exactly. He’s more like a friend of the family.”
“Wait, so there’s other people who can do this?”
“Yeah. Meg, this is something big. It’s not only my family.”
If Meg believed this, it could change the way she thought about everything. It could change her whole perception of reality. She might have been around people like that for years, without even knowing it. She could have passed them on the street or seen them in the stores. “What about you? Can you do it?”
Nicole stirred in a spoonful of sugar and handed one cup to Meg. “Apparently. That’s how I escaped the fire.” She watched Meg’s face closely. She couldn’t tell if Meg believed her or not. “Please, please let her believe me,” she prayed silently.
Meg took a sip of her tea and let everything Nicole had said sink in. It sounded crazy, but Nicole had made some good points. After all, she never went anywhere without her glasses, and she didn’t have contacts. She’d been through a lot lately, and it hardly showed. There was the miraculous healing of her wrists. Even her throat seemed better, and she’d hardly been able to talk a few minutes ago. All these things added credence to Nicole’s story. Something was going on here and Meg couldn’t dismiss what she was hearing outright without thinking it over a little more. “If he’s your uncle, why did he try to kill you?” It was the one point she could think of that didn’t directly involve all this werewolf, shape shifting stuff.
It was a good question. Artemis could have just disappeared, denied the truth. Nicole still didn’t know exactly what the truth was. “I’m not sure on the details, but I think it has something to do with some kind of jealousy he held for my father.”
Meg nearly snorted. “Figures. Families are such a waste of time, they never get along. There’s always some jealousy or another, or something hidden under the surface, or else they just don’t care about one another. If you’re lucky, everyone pretends to like everyone else a couple of times a year for the holidays.”
“Meg,” Nicole pleaded. Why did she always have to be so down on families? Then again, considering her history, maybe she was entitled.
Meg ignored the plea and continued. “Just look at you. In your adoptive family, Billy had so many problems with your parents, he left as soon as he could and didn’t even come back for the funeral. Your adoptive parents always made you feel as if you couldn’t believe in anything which wasn’t based in science. You always doubted yourself because of them. Then, in your real family, your uncle tried to kill you because of some jealousy he had over you father. It’s ridiculous.” And Meg wasn’t even bringing up her own family troubles. That would be enough evidence to close the case for good.
“Does that mean everyone should just give up on families?” It had been so long since either one of them brought up this topic, Nicole had forgotten how cynical Meg could be on the issue.
“Why not? At least then you don’t feel some senseless guilty obligation to people you can’t stand. Why should you have to think good things about someone, just because you’re related to them? That doesn’t make them a good person. That’s all families are good for, guilt. Everyone would be better off without them.”
Nicole ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. “Look, I don’t feel like getting into this tonight. Maybe later, but not tonight. I’ve had a rough day, in case you hadn’t noticed. Hell, I’ve had a rough month. All I want to do is take a long hot shower, get something to eat, and go to sleep, not necessarily in that order.”
Meg snapped back to the present. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get carried away like that.” Even if she only believed half of what happened to Nicole, her friend had still been through more than enough to constitute a long break from everything. “Here, let me take care of these.” Meg took their cups and started washing them.
“Thanks,” Nicole said, sounding relieved.
“No problem.” Meg set the glasses and spoons in the dish drainer and took Nicole’s hands, trying not to think about how they’d healed so quickly. “Come one. Let’s go back into the living room with the others.”
“Okay. Um… Meg?”
“Yeah?”
Nicole looked anxious. “Do you believe any of what I’ve told you?”
“I don’t know. I think I do, but I’m not quite sure yet.” It was the most honest response she could give right now.
“I guess that’s fair enough.” At least Meg hadn’t said she disbelieved her.
“Could you answer me one more question?”
“Sure.”
“Do David and Mark know about this?”
“I’ll put it to you this way.” Nicole leaned in close, a grin lifting the corner of her lips. “David’s the black wolf who saved my life.” She laughed at Meghan’s stunned expression before she headed back into the other room.
26
Mara studied the figure tied to the chair. She walked around to the front of the chair and stared silently at his face.
Artemis lifted his head and looked at her in surprise, but he didn’t say a word. He looked a lot different to the last time she’d seen him. He seemed older somehow, even though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. There were none of the normal signs of aging. He didn’t have wrinkles, or gray hair. To the regular eye, he appeared to be a normal twenty or thirty-year-old. But for some reason, he seemed old. She concentrated on seeing his aura, noticing many dark spots. His aura was corrupted, in horrible shape, and she could sense the dark presence that permeated the air around him more than ever It wasn’t as strong as what she’d been sensing, but it had some connection to it. It seemed to be a weaker version of the same thing. Somehow, he was connected to the dark presence. She’d thought that was the case, but now she was certain of it. It was probably what was corrupting Artemis’ aura so badly. It would kill him in time. He obviously had no idea what he’d gotten himself into this time. “He will kill you, you know? One way or another, whoever this person you have allied yourself with is, he will be the end of you.”
The hairs on the back of Artemis’ neck stood on end. Advice from Mara should never be taken lightly. He’d known her for some time, and he’d never known her to be wrong. Still, she could be bluffing this time.
“Oh, I don’t bluff.” She smiled and walked back through to the other room without another word.
“It was the strangest thing. I had to kick and run at that door a dozen times before it finally gave in.” David glanced over Mark’s shoulder and watched Mara as she reentered the room.
Mara nodded. “It makes sense. What I’ve been sensing, the powerful presence I’ve felt – he would be able to prevent you from breaking down the door.” She pushed out with her senses and found the dark presence, even stronger than before. It was nearby. She pulled back just before it’s darkness could hit her again.
“You talk as if this power is something completely different from Artemis. Does that have anything to do with what you said, about his powers somehow being false?”
“Yes,” Mara said, thinking carefully. “This is an extremely perplexing situation. I’m afraid I can’t give you the answers you seek at this time.” She cocked her head to the side. “They’re here.”
Her words were followed by the ringing of the doorbell. “I’ll get it,” Mark said, getting to his feet. He exchanged a pointed glance with David and walked to the door. Neither one of them had heard anyone coming to the door, yet Mara had known they were there.
He passed Nicole and Meghan in the doorway, his gaze resting briefly on Meg before he
continued. Meg caught herself watching him and quickly turned back to the others. David and the woman from the store were still in the living room, but the woman seemed slightly distracted. Studying her, Meg suspected she was almost enough to convince Meg that everything Nicole had said was true. The woman’s eyes shifted to Meg, catching her before she could pretend she hadn’t been staring. Meg quickly turned her attention to Nicole and David.
Nicole looked up at David with a question in her eyes. “Who’s here?”
Mara answered the question. “They’re couriers, go-betweens for the Council. They are going to take Artemis to face judgment.”
Mark led two solemn-faced men wearing long dark cloaks into the room. Without saying a word, they continued through the room, heading for the study where Artemis was tied up. Meghan watched the two men disappear into the other room. “Wow, I bet those two are loads of fun at a party.”
Nicole laughed. She’d been thinking something similar but leave it to Meg to vocalize the thought. She noticed Mark bark out a short laugh before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat and regained his composure, pretending he hadn’t reacted to what Meg said.
Tension settled over the room and Nicole turned. Artemis was there, standing between the two men on the other side of the room. They weren’t touching him, but they had a presence about them. The air around the three men seemed charged with energy. As they passed silently through the room, Nicole shivered. “Wait!” She stared at Artemis. This could be the last time she ever saw her uncle. He was her last tie to family, her last connection to what happened that night, and she still wasn’t sure what happened to them. Where had he put the bodies? Maybe she could find their graves. If she let him leave now, without asking, she might never know. “What did you do with the bodies?” she asked him silently.
Artemis stared at her quizzically, then a smirk replaced the confusion. “What bodies?” he replied. He started walking again, obviously pleased with the reaction he’d caused.
Her widened eyes met his when he passed. “What?” she asked, but he didn’t say another word. The three men kept walking until they were out of sight. Nicole listened to the soft click of the front door closing and stood there for a minute longer before releasing a deep breath and focusing back on the others in the room. “I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I’m starved.” She smiled. “Who wants pizza?”
“You know, you’re making a mistake taking me to the Council like this. I haven’t done anything wrong.” Artemis glanced back and forth between the two men, but neither of them said a word or acknowledged he’d said anything. He tried again to move, but the psychic hold they had on him was too powerful. The only thing he could move was his legs, and even then, he could only move them enough to walk.
They walked through the shadows, heading deeper into the woods. Soon, the moon had become their only source of light. Artemis suffered a stinging sensation when a branch scraped against his hand. He studied his hand, his excellent night vision revealing more to him than most would be able to see. The skin was broken in a rough line, slightly deeper at one end than the other. A drop of blood trickled down over his fingers, falling soundlessly to the ground. He angled his wrist to get a better look.
Shock almost made him stumble, but he managed to avoid making any sudden movements. He’d moved his hand! He’d moved his head to study his hand! He tested his other muscles cautiously, careful to avoid any large movements that might be noticed by the two Council couriers. Painstakingly, he reassured himself that control of his movements was back. Somehow, he was no longer imprisoned by the psychic hold. He rolled his eyes from the left to the right, surreptitiously glancing at the two men, but they hadn’t seemed to notice anything.
The bushes to the right of the path started to rustle, and a biting chill ran across the back of Artemis’ neck.
The two Council couriers stopped, motioning for Artemis to do the same. They listened carefully for a minute, eyes searching in every direction, but the night remained eerily silent. No animals moved through the undergrowth. Even the wind was still.
Another rustling sound erupted in the bushes to their left. The two men twisted in that direction, training every sense on whatever was out there, but once again, silence dropped over the woods.
A moment later, a rush of cold air flashed past Artemis on his right-hand side. It was followed by a heavy thud and a grunt of pain. Forgetting his need to hide his movement, Artemis turned his head and his eyes widened. The man who’d been on his right was on the ground, trying, with great effort, to stand. There was no one else around and no sign of what had caused him to fall.
The man managed to get up onto his hands and knees before he tumbled back onto the ground, landing on his back. His head rolled to the side, revealing his lifeless face to them both. Artemis stared in horror at the man’s throat. It had literally been ripped open. He was covered in his own blood, and his eyes stared at them blankly.
Artemis twisted his head around to look at the second man. He was staring at his companion in shock, unadulterated terror visible in his eyes.
Without a word, the man abruptly turned and ran into the woods. Artemis heard his frantic footsteps, the sounds he made as he pushed past the trees and bushes. Another rustling sound to Artemis’ right began to travel in the direction the man had taken. In the distance, he heard an abrupt scream followed by silence.
Artemis remained standing there for a moment or two, unable to believe what had just happened. Shaking his head, he pulled his wits about him and turned to run in the opposite direction. Before he’d gone too far, he was brought up short by a large form blocking his path.
Backing up, he saw a dark figure, dressed all in black, wearing a hat pulled low, which covered all but an unnaturally red mouth. The mouth was curved into a menacing smile, revealing a couple of sharp, vicious-looking teeth. “And just where do you think you’re going?” an ominous voice asked.
“I was— I was going to come and find you.” The wind blew the scent of blood to Artemis’ nose and he could have sworn the smell was coming from the covered figure.
“He will be the end of you.” Mara’s voice whispered in his head. Artemis swallowed against a large lump in his throat.
“Good. Let’s go, shall we?” The figure turned and walked off the path, becoming one with the shadows, a misty shape without form.
Artemis’ skin erupted in goosebumps. If this was the creature responsible for what happened to the two Council couriers, he was far more dangerous than Artemis had ever realized. Those men had been well trained by the Council, and they died as if they were completely helpless. They’d never known what was coming. Artemis glanced back at the dead man on the ground, before he followed the shadowy figure into the darkness.
Nicole swallowed the last bite of pizza and wiped her hands on a napkin. David walked back into the room with Mark and smiled at her. She suddenly realized how incredibly comforting that simple smile could be. “Will Mara be okay going home by herself so late?” she asked. “She seemed so preoccupied before she left.”
“Yeah, uh…” David settled beside her on the couch and eyed the single slice of pizza left in the open pizza box. He’d already eaten a lot of pizza, but his stomach was still growling a little. “You want this?” He motioned to the slice of pizza.
“No, that’s okay. You can have it.” She and David had gone through those pizzas fast. She must have eaten eight or nine slices already, but admittedly, it had been a while since either of them had eaten. She stifled a yawn and slumped back against the couch. Now that her stomach was full, sleepiness was beginning to settle over her.
“Thanks.” He took a large bite of the pizza slice and sat back. “Mara will be fine. She can take care of herself.”
Nicole nodded in response and turned her attention to Meg. She was passed out on the other couch, covered by Mark’s jacket. Nicole grinned. Meg looked so adorable with only her face and hands poking out from underneath the jacket.
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nbsp; Nicole leaned in to David’s side and sighed, and David put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. “It’s a good thing we ordered three pizzas.”
“Yeah, especially since you and I practically ate two of them.” They smiled at each other and enjoyed being able to sit together in silence.
Mark watched the two of them and suffered a twinge of loneliness. David and Nicole looked so happy together. And it was great that David was finally opening up to someone.
Meghan shifted on the couch and a small sound erupted from her lips, bringing a smile to his face. He was starting to understand why Nicole liked her so much. Meg was funny, strong spirited, and from what he’d seen, she had a fascinating personality.
All things considered, Meghan hadn’t had an easy day either, yet she seemed to be in remarkably good shape. She’d only let it get to her that once when she’d first met up with Nicole outside the burning building.
Mark frowned. He had to wonder what Meg had been through in the past, something that she believed out shadowed this. It must have been bad. “I should get Meghan back to her apartment and let you get some rest… or whatever.” He smiled knowingly at David.
David returned the smile and rubbed his cheek against Nicole’s. She giggled softly and hugged him tighter. “Okay. Thanks for coming out tonight,” David said, returning his attention to Mark.