by Blythe Baker
“Tea would be lovely,” he said.
“Go ahead and take a seat wherever you want,” I said, nervously flitting around, nearly dropping one of the mugs I snatched from the drying rack beside the sink.
He sat on one of the two chairs at my small dining table. “Is that a bandage I see on your fox?” he asked as I set the tea kettle on the stove.
Anyone else would probably have commented on the presence of such an unlikely pet inside my cabin, rather than asking about the bandage. But it seemed typical of Lucan Valerio to accept the fox’s being here and zero in on her injury instead.
“Yeah…” I said. “We ran into some bear traps in the forest. Some paranoid old woman set them because someone broke into her home and stole some things. Turns out the thief was actually that hunter, Charlie Fields, that Oscar killed.”
“Really?” Lucan said. “My…the plot thickens.”
“Cream and sugar in your tea?” I asked.
“Just tea, thanks,” he said. “Black, if you have it.”
“All I have is sleepy tea, and raspberry,” I said with an embarrassed smile over my shoulder. “I’m not all that adventurous with my beverages.”
“More adventurous than I,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll have that sleepy tea. I could use something to calm my nerves after a day like today…”
I gently laid two tea bags into the mugs and set them aside until the water was ready. I turned around and leaned against the counter, very aware of his gaze on me. “So…what happened?”
Lucan folded his hands in his lap. “Well, we chased Oscar for some time. He shifted, knowing that we’d catch him if he remained on two legs. He tried to flee Faerywood Forrest, but there is a sort of boundary around these lands. The further you move from the heart of the forest, the weaker the magic becomes. It grows harder and harder to retain a shifted form, and eventually, he just started to run along the perimeter of that boundary. Well, we were able to corner him that way. After wrestling him into submission, I made him confess everything to me, too. Satisfied with the fact that there were quite a few of us present, we tied him up and I left some of my wolves there with him. The rest of us headed back toward town, and ran into Sheriff Garland on the outskirts of the forest.”
“I called him and told him that Oscar confessed to the murder and had taken off, but not much else,” I said.
“I heard,” Lucan said, arching a brow. “He seemed rather distressed that you didn’t tell him more, wondering if you even had the grounds to accuse Oscar. Well, not to worry, I put his mind at ease. I was able to concoct a story and false motive that seemed to satisfy the good Sheriff. I just left the police station before coming here, actually.”
“What did you tell him?” I asked. The tea kettle was starting to heat up behind me, the water beginning to bubble inside the metal.
“Well, I told him that two of Oscar’s friends had been injured by hunters in other parts of the country, and when he and some of our pack members – family, we called them – were out on a hike, a hunter took a shot at them. Oscar’s history came back when they confronted the hunter, who’d been drinking and was threatening them. Things escalated, and the two men got into a fight. I told the sheriff that the others tried to pull Oscar away, but he had knocked the hunter unconscious. Oscar’s companions had fled to try and get help, but by the time they got back, the hunter had been attacked by something and was dead.”
“And the sheriff believed that?” I asked.
Lucan shrugged. “It’s not all that far from the truth,” he said. “Oscar did attack the victim, but he ended up being the animal that killed him, too.”
I frowned as the tea kettle behind me began to whistle. I lifted it off the burner and filled our mugs with the scalding water.
I brought the mugs to the table and took a seat across from Lucan.
He smiled as I passed him his tea. “Thank you, Marianne,” he said.
“So, did you give Oscar over to the police?” I asked.
Lucan’s face hardened slightly. “Uh…no. We didn’t. We searched with his men, and I know they’ll continue to search in the coming days, but they’ll never find him.”
A chill ran down my spine. “What do you mean?”
Lucan didn’t look at me when he spoke again. “Lycanthropes in my pack cannot be allowed to kill the local ungifted populace…not even hunters who shoot at us unknowingly. Such acts must be discouraged in order to protect the townsfolk of Faerywood Falls.”
I swallowed hard, hearing the edge in his words. He was angry, and doing his best to keep himself under control. I tried not to let my mind wander too much, thinking about what could have possibly happened to Oscar. Lucan’s words seemed pretty final. The pack had taken care of Oscar somehow, and I knew I’d be a lot happier not knowing exactly what happened.
“So…there’s something I’ve been wondering today…” I said, swirling a spoon around inside the hot liquid, melting the sugar I shook into the mug. I also wanted a change of subject, shifting away from the morose. “How did you know where to find me? You managed to rescue me at the exact moment I needed you.”
“Alessa saw Oscar lead you off at gunpoint,” Lucan said, lifting the mug and blowing gently on the steaming tea. “She heard your car pull up and was wandering to the door to answer it. She saw what happened out the window.”
“Wow…” I said. “That was lucky.”
“Indeed,” Lucan said.
I didn’t want to dwell on the implications of what might have been if she hadn’t seen me.
Lucan’s brow furrowed. “When she came to tell me, I realized that Oscar must have been the one who’d killed that hunter you were questioning me about, and so I rounded up a few of my most trusted wolves in the pack and we hurried after you. We got there just in time to hear his admission. I didn’t want to leap out and scare him, for fear of him accidentally pulling the trigger and harming you, so I waited until he pushed you into the water…I hope you can forgive me, I did it for your own safety.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “A little scary, but I see why you did what you did…”
“As soon as you hit the water, we broke through the trees and charged toward him. Naturally, he ran, so I sent the other wolves after him while I came to rescue you. I shifted as I ran toward the lake and threw myself in, desperately hoping that you were alright,” he said. He lifted his eyes, and they locked me in place. “I was so grateful that you were.”
“Me, too…” I said. I swallowed nervously. “Thank you again…for saving me.”
“If I had it my way, I would ensure that nothing like this would ever happen to you again,” he said.
Silence fell between us for a few moments as we sipped at our tea.
I think he still likes you, Athena said to me.
I shot her a quelling look, but she twitched her tail in delight.
“I really feel I must apologize to you again,” Lucan said, raising his gaze to me once more. “I was angry with you when you came to me with questions about my pack.”
“I know, you already said all of this earlier today,” I said. “You don’t have to apologize, I completely understand. I wouldn’t have been happy if someone charged into my home and started to verbally attack me – ”
“You did no such thing,” Lucan said. “As much as my mind wished to believe you did. You came in a very civil manner and wished to discuss things like an adult. I had believed I was keeping a very tight leash on those in my pack. But in the last decade or so, our numbers have grown exponentially, and perhaps I’ve become a bit lax in my rules.”
I shook my head. “No. As horrible as Oscar’s actions were, they came out of a place of hurt, and to an extent, I can understand that. I’ve been hurt in a similar way.”
“How so?” Lucan asked.
I sighed. “There was a man I loved before I moved here to Faerywood Falls. He was…murdered. And all I wanted was revenge for him, I wanted someone to pay for what happened to him, somehow believin
g it would make me feel better or take the pain away.” I let out a hollow snort of laughter. “It didn’t. Well, not fully…but at least it helped my anger. It let me grieve in peace, knowing that the murderer had been found.”
“I’m sorry to hear that…” Lucan said in a low voice, his gold eyes gentle.
“I don’t condone what Oscar did, obviously,” I said. “I guess I just want to help all these people find closure for themselves like I finally did. Knowing someone they love was killed so heartlessly…I just don’t want anyone to have to feel that way.”
“That makes perfect sense…” Lucan said. “I now understand your drive to figure these mysteries out.”
“I should apologize, too,” I said. “For walking around your property, asking probing questions of your family.” I frowned. “I really feel like I need to apologize to your cousins, too. I upset Alessa, and I’m sure she told Gian what I said.”
“Well, I appreciate the concern, but right now may not be the best time…” Lucan said, running his fingers through his closely trimmed beard. “Alessa’s somewhat distraught because around the same time that all this started, she somehow lost her ability to shape shift. No one seems to understand how, but she is devastated. Won’t hardly speak to anyone…”
My cheeks burned. She hadn’t told him that it was me? Why?
“And she’s not my only problem right now, if I’m honest,” Lucan said with a heavy sigh. “My son has been suffering with these strange nightmares. He’s been keeping me up all hours, unable to sleep. It’s like he’s an infant again.”
Mention of his son made me sit back in my chair, putting some distance between him and me again. This was one mystery that I hadn’t solved yet, and didn’t feel comfortable asking about.
“Nightmares?” I asked. “About what?”
“Well, the forest, for one thing,” Lucan said. “That’s not that unusual for a new lycanthrope, especially when they learn to shift when they’re young in age. But he keeps seeing the same thing over and over. Something about a fox shifting into a human?”
I nearly dropped my mug. I clutched it tightly, the tea sloshing around inside. “That’s odd.”
“Indeed,” Lucan said. “I don’t know of many shifters in Faerywood Falls who are not wolves. A fox shifter is something I’ve never run into.” He shook his head. “Oh well. It’s probably nothing more than nightmares, and something that I hope will just go away with time. I’ve been trying to distract Niccolo with things, trying to read to him before bed, trying to wear him out with exercise…nothing’s worked yet, but these dreams can’t go on forever…”
He looked up at me and smiled easily.
“I’m sorry. I don’t need to burden you with my problems when you’ve had the day you’ve had.”
“I don’t mind,” I said, my eyes widening. “Really, I don’t.”
“I appreciate that,” he said. “Well, Miss Marianne, I must be off. I have to make sure everything is smooth on the home front. I’m going to have to tell the whole pack what happened today…and that will not be an easy task.”
“I don’t envy you…” I said, looking at him.
He smiled, but it was tight this time. He set down his empty mug and stood to his feet. “Thank you for your hospitality, Marianne. I hope to return the favor and make up for my atrocious behavior during your last visit.”
“I would like that,” I said with a smile.
I walked with him to the door, my hand briefly bumping against his. Why did that make my heart race when he’d literally carried me out of the water earlier that day?
The thought made me dizzy.
“Rest easy,” Lucan said. “You need to recover after everything you’ve gone through.”
“I will,” I said. “I’ve already taken some time off from work.”
“Good to hear,” he said with a smile. “Goodnight, Miss Marianne.”
“Goodnight Dr. – ” I said, then caught myself. “Lucan.”
He smiled brightly at me as he passed over the threshold and into the night.
I watched him walk down the road, and knew that he would shift as soon as the darkness shrouded him from my sight.
Athena joined me at the door, sitting down beside me and looking out over the world.
All is well? she asked me.
“All is well,” I said.
16
“Hey, Aunt Candace?” I hollered. “Where do you want me to put these tablecloths?”
“Just set them down on the bench out in the hall,” she called back to me. “I need to go through those.”
“She needs to go through everything,” Bliss said with a teasing roll of her eyes.
I passed her the bin of tablecloths, and she carried them out into the hall.
It was the next day, and I’d decided to visit Bliss and Aunt Candace instead of sitting at home and stewing on everything. Not only did I feel like they had to know everything that happened, but I knew talking about it would help me to process it better.
“So, what did Alessa say when she saw you this morning?” Bliss asked, returning to the storage room that Aunt Candace had asked us to go through. It had all started when she asked us to find her autumn wreaths to hang around the lodge for decoration, and it quickly turned into a sorting project.
I didn’t mind, though. It was keeping my mind from wandering too far.
“Oh, right,” I said, pulling another bin off the shelf and setting it down in front of me. “Yeah, I decided this morning that I really needed to give Alessa her shifting power back. Not only was she upset about it, but Lucan’s son seeing me shifting was giving him nightmares, and I wanted to remedy that, too.”
“How did you get her to listen to you?” Bliss asked, stepping over a precarious stack of boxes to move further into the storage room.
“It wasn’t easy,” I said, pulling the lid off the bin. It was full of paper plates and cups. “I was glad that Lucan was already at the bank, because I wanted to give Alessa the shifting gift back without an audience, you know?”
“Makes sense to me,” Bliss said from behind a shelf.
“Well, anyway, I told the guy who answered the door that I had come for Alessa. When she saw it was me, she tried to slam the door in my face, but I told her I wanted to give her gift back. That got her to listen. I’d been thinking about it a lot, and with Athena’s help, was able to kind of locate the power within the magic in me. I know, it’s really hard to explain, but it’s kind of like finding a clear crystal in a flowing river. It’s really hard to spot, but when you know where to look and what the crystal looks and feels like, you can pull it out without much effort. Does that make sense?” I asked.
“None at all,” Bliss said. “I just say words and magic happens.” She laughed. “I don’t have to look inside myself or whatever.”
“Well, I reached out and grabbed Alessa’s hand, and just like I did with Mrs. Bickford, I passed her gift back. It was a lot harder; the shifting power has multiple parts, like a jigsaw puzzle that wouldn’t make sense without all the pieces. But I felt the same tingle I did the last few times I’ve taken and given back a gift, so I think it worked. That, and when I tried to shift, nothing happened, so…I think it’s good,” I said.
“That must have been a relief to Alessa,” Bliss said.
“She was so thrilled she hugged me,” I said with a small chuckle as I hoisted that bin back onto the shelf. “Of course, I’m not sure she even realizes the significance of my ability to borrow and return gifts. All the same, she promised not to tell Lucan how it all happened. I didn’t ask her to promise, but maybe it’s better to avoid unwanted questions.”
“Like whether or not you’re a faery,” Bliss said, appearing around the corner of the shelf and winking at me.
“Exactly,” I said, smirking at her. “What does your mom want with these plant pots?”
“Oh, just put them in the donate pile,” Bliss said. “She keeps saying she wants to grow things, but they’ve been in here
for like five years.”
“Could I have them?” I asked. “I could do with some greenery inside this winter.”
“Sure, go for it,” Bliss said. “Well, I’m glad things went well with Alessa. I’m sure that felt good to get off your chest.”
“It did,” I said. “And because I was feeling so guilty about Niccolo’s nightmares, I decided to try and remedy them…since that was my fault, too.”
“How’d you do that?” Bliss asked.
I thought back to my meeting with the young boy back at the Valerio place. I’d asked Alessa to let me meet Lucan’s son, but I almost forgot what I had in mind when he stood in front of me. I had glimpsed the child once before in human form but had been in such a hurry to get away then that there’d been no time to study him.
It was strange to realize how much he resembled a miniature version of his father. But his eyes had been different, troubled and vulnerable, making me feel deepening guilt for the nightmares I had caused him.
My mind snapped back to the present and I realized Bliss was still waiting on an answer.
“Well, I’d found this adorable little fox charm for a necklace at the antique store a few weeks ago. I brought it home because it reminded me of Athena. I decided to give it to Niccolo,” I said.
“That was nice of you,” Bliss said.
“I told him it was a magic charm that will help him stop dreaming anymore about fox-shifters,” I said. “His eyes were all wide when I gave it to him, but his smile told me that he believed me. He won’t ever see me shift into a fox again, so those nightmares will hopefully just stop… I’m still not sure if he even recognized me as the fox shifter he saw that night in the forest. If he did, he obviously never told his dad so, maybe because he didn’t believe any of that was real. Just a nightmare.”
“A productive morning,” Bliss said, reappearing with plastic bags of scraps of fabric in each hand. “And then you come here and get roped into cleaning.”
“It’s fine,” I said with a big smile. “I really don’t mind it.”