by Vella Day
The prince moved back to his seat and dropped onto the chair—or rather what looked more like a throne. “Guard!” he shouted.
Footsteps sounded and the door burst open. “Yes, your Prince?”
“Unchain this man.”
Brother Richard sighed. “Thank you.”
The guard unlocked the cuffs on his wrists and around his ankles. Unsure of what came next, he waited for the prince to say something.
“Sit down. We have much to discuss.”
It had been close to two weeks since the death of Betty and Henry Tisdale, but Anderson said he was no closer to finding their killer. Knowing this Earthling was still in the realm and could strike at any time unsettled everyone. After what happened to Greer with the dark entity, she was chomping at the bit to find this guy and rid Tarradon of one more evil force that had invaded their realm. If Chelsea, a wolf and dragon shifter, hadn’t been five months pregnant, Greer would have suggested she help with the search. Finn was spending his free time looking for the guy but hadn’t had any success. Greer was convinced that Blake held the key.
She leaned back against the jewelry counter, wishing Tory worked today. The store had been lacking customers, and there was only so much cleaning and polishing one could do.
Her cell rang, jerking her attention back to the present. It was her brother Griffin. That was a surprise. “Hey. What’s up?”
“Anderson has something for us.”
Excitement raced through her veins. “Do you know what it is?”
“No, but he’s coming over to the conference room in an hour.”
That put the meeting during lunch. She had no problem closing the store for that time. “Thanks for letting me know. See you then.”
In case the meeting was about the man who had robbed her, she wanted Blake to be there. Now that Greer had more or less moved into Blake’s place, her love for him had blossomed. The sex was outrageous, further increasing her belief they’d be mated soon. Now was as good a time as any to include him in every aspect of her life.
With the store devoid of customers, she called him.
“Hey, sexy lady. What’s up?”
She chuckled. “Hello, yourself. By any chance do you have say, an hour to spare? Detective Caspian is coming over to SinCas, and I’d like you to be present to hear what he has to say.”
Blake said nothing for a few seconds. “What’s this about, Greer?” His tone had turned hard.
“I don’t know, but I’m suspecting it’s about the man who robbed me.”
“Then I’ll make sure to be there. What time?”
She wanted to discuss something with him first. “Forty minutes?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Thank you,” she said.
She kept herself busy, checking the inventory and making certain the countertop was clean for the hundredth time. When the front door buzzer sounded, she let Blake in. Instantly, her body heated up, and her scales flashed. The broad smile he gave her had her wanting to put the closed sign on the door immediately and drag him into the backroom. If an important meeting wasn’t about to occur in twenty minutes, she would have. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Given anyone on the street could see them helped her rein in her urges. When the kiss turned into roaming hands, they broke apart.
“I don’t think you asked me here just to make out, but if you did, I’m game,” Blake said. “I thought we had a meeting to go to, or was that a ruse?”
“No, not a ruse, but I want to talk to you first. Let’s sit on the sofas.” Because there were often bored spouses and children, there was a sitting area near the front.
“What’s this about, Greer. You look serious. Is something wrong?”
He couldn’t possibly think anything was wrong between them. “Not as far as I’m concerned, but I need to come clean about something.”
“You can tell me anything.”
Greer believed that. Once they sat next to each other, she inhaled. “I think it’s clear that we are meant for each other.”
“I totally agree.”
She didn’t like his pinched brows though. It was as if he was waiting for her to tell him they couldn’t be together or something, and that was the furthest from the truth. “Do you know about the Guardians?”
“Everyone knows about them, but no one knows who they are.” He clasped her hand. “Do you know?”
“Yes. I’m one of them.”
Blake chuckled but then quickly sobered. “You aren’t kidding, are you?”
“No.” She explained how the Caspians and the Sinclairs were the Guardians. “I needed to tell you because I might be called on to do something at any time.”
He tightened his hold. “I don’t like the idea of you putting yourself in danger like that.”
She figured he’d respond that way. “I’ve been training to do this since I was young. Don’t worry. I might look delicate—or so everyone tells me—but I’m a good fighter, though I’ll be the first to admit I’m better in the air than on the ground.”
“Maybe you’ll just have to show me.”
Greer couldn’t tell if he was challenging her, or if he was really worried she couldn’t handle herself. It didn’t matter. She had no problem demonstrating her skills. “I’d love to, but right now we have more pressing issues.”
“The visit from Detective Caspian?”
“Yes. We both should know what is going on with this guy. I don’t want to have any secrets between us. Besides, I’m thinking with your special skills, you might be able to help.”
“Help find this thief?” He shook his head. “I’m not sure how. I lost him once already.”
“He will resurface. We’re pretty sure he’s killed at least two people.”
Blake jerked as if she’d slapped him. “When? Tell me what you know.”
She gave him a brief rundown of Anderson’s theory—aided by Finn’s hypothesis—about some rabid werewolf from Earth who needed sardonyx to help keep his Clan alive. “He might be the one responsible for the deaths and the theft.”
“That’s scary.”
“I know, right?” She further explained about the possible portal breach, and how her brother Birk had truly believed he’d spoken with the real Henry Tisdale. “Finn said that these Changelings can touch someone and transform to look like them.”
“This is all so incredible, but I don’t see any proof that the man who robbed you of the sardonyx lamp is connected to these deaths, other than both involved the same stone.”
“Besides the two deaths, another miner was attacked. It’s possible the attacker thought he’d killed Gregory Malpan, but he didn’t. Mr. Malpan gave us a description of the man. It sounds like he was the same person who came into our jewelry store the day you were in there.”
“Was he wearing a hat and a brown suit?”
“No, but the age, height, and weight are the same.” The proof sounded weak. “Crap. We have nothing.” Greer blew out a breath.
“If it is the same man, I might be able to help.”
Greer sat up straighter. “How?”
“I saw the essence trail—for lack of a better phrase—of the man who robbed you. If I run into him again, I might be able to identify him.”
Excitement raced through her. “That’s fantastic.”
He held up a hand. “Trails run cold, and like a smell, it’s easy to forget. If I hadn’t been so taken with you that day in the store, I would have paid closer attention to the man asking about the sardonyx. All I remember is that I got this evil vibe off of him—one that had a gray tinge to it.”
Her pulse rose. “That really helps.” Her cell buzzed with a message stating the meeting was about to begin. She showed it to him. “Let’s see what Anderson has to say.”
“Tell me again why Detective Caspian would come here other than the fact that he is a relative?”
“The police force often needs help dealing with anything related to magic
. If the thief is the killer, humans wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Anderson often asks for the Guardians’ help when dealing with those kind of things.”
A small smile lifted his lips. “So that’s why your family was so involved when Mange took over my body.”
“Yes, and the fact I was attacked.”
“Sorry about that.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I know you weren’t personally responsible.”
“Thank you.” Blake leaned over in plain sight of those walking by and kissed her.
Lust swamped her, escalating her need. Fortunately, reason intruded before she let her libido take over. “We really need to go.” She put the sign on the door stating they were closed but would return shortly. She then escorted Blake to the hallway. “Let’s take the stairs.”
“You’re wearing high heels.”
He had no idea that her heels were part of her anatomy. “Not a problem. It’s only four flights.”
He stopped her. “Are you claustrophobic or something?”
“No.” She told him about Mange sabotaging the elevator. “I know it’s fixed, but I don’t want to take any chances, especially if we have a killer on the lose.”
Blake nodded, his eyes shining in appreciation. “I’m glad I’m about to mate with such a hot, sexy, and smart woman.”
“Thank you, but you aren’t so bad yourself.”
Chapter Thirteen
When she and Blake entered the room, Greer wasn’t surprised that everyone stopped talking and faced them. After all, Blake was the man who’d kidnapped her. Anderson was speaking with her uncle and dad, while the rest were milling around the coffee station, clearly waiting for them to arrive. Okay. Fine. She and Blake had spent a few extra minutes making out and were late. There was no crime in that. Besides, she was defenseless against Blake’s allure.
Tory was there, smiling, while most of the rest were not. “Hi, everyone,” Greer said in a rather professional tone. “Most of you know Blake Masters, but what I may not have shared with you yet is that Blake is my mate.”
As soon as she said that last word, everyone was all smiles. They rushed up to her, hugged and congratulated her, and then shook Blake’s hand and patted him on the back.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” her dad asked with obvious joy in his tone.
“Mom knew, but I swore her to secrecy.” Okay, Tory knew too, and she suspected Griffin had an idea, but why mention that? “I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you all.”
Her father smiled. “I’m so happy for you.” He turned to Blake. “Welcome to the family, son.”
Blake shook his hand. “Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Laird.”
Uncle Jamison tapped the table. “Congratulations you two, but Anderson is on a tight schedule. We need to get down to business.”
Everyone found a seat.
“I’m afraid my search for this elusive Changeling has not produced any viable results,” Anderson said. “I was about to put the search on the back burner when a few cases crossed my desk that seemed rather odd.”
“Odd?” Declan asked.
“Possibly connected.” Anderson nodded at Blake. “When someone broke into Greer’s house and stole a sardonyx salt lamp, Blake here was able to note the vehicle’s model and the first two digits of the license plate. It was a dark blue Camron. While Blake followed him into the forest, he was unable to pursue him deep into the woods. With that information though, we learned that a car matching that description had recently been stolen. Finding said car parked near a gas station in town two days ago was a surprise however.”
“Maybe he realized that Blake saw the type of car he was driving and decided he should steal another vehicle,” Greer said.
“That was my thought. That’s why I believe he was responsible for the theft of a second car, which was a white Branton.”
This guy had already proven that he was a thief, but so far, not that he was a murderer.
“How do you know it’s the same guy who stole both the first car and the second one?” Declan asked.
“I’m getting to that. Turns out Gary Hickman is the owner of this Branton. He said his car was stolen when he was getting gas the other night. Just when he’d finished pumping the gas, one of his neighbors arrived on foot.” Anderson checked his phone. “A Tom Arlington. For no reason, Tom grabbed Gary, punched him hard enough to flatten him, stole his keys, and then hopped in Gary’s car and drove off.”
Greer was confused. “What does this have to do with that Changeling person? Gary identified the thief as his neighbor, not some random fifty-year old.”
Anderson held up a hand. “That’s what I thought until one of my officers spoke with Tom Arlington. At the time of the incident, he was giving a speech to a room full of doctors. I’ve seen the tape. He couldn’t have stolen Gary’s car.”
“Was Gary confused then about who had decked him and stole his car?” Greer asked.
“He claims he wasn’t.”
“It was the Changeling, wasn’t it?” Blake asked, his lips pursed.
“Most likely, but because I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, I called Finn for more clarification about those werewolf mutants and what they are capable of. I needed to know if they could change other than during a red moon. Considering we don’t have red moons on Tarradon, I was hoping he couldn’t transform. Finn, please tell everyone what you told me.”
Finn nodded. “Mind you, I don’t know everything about the abilities of these freaks of nature, but from years of studying them, they could only change into another person roughly once a month. At least that is the case on Earth, but it doesn’t mean it’s the same on Tarradon.”
“Tell me about it,” Declan said. “I can personally vouch for the fact that things on Tarradon don’t always mirror events on Earth. Look at how going through the portal affected my mate’s hormones.” He smiled, and the rest of the group chuckled.
Greer had to admit her cousin brought up a good point. The portal had altered more than one woman’s chemistry. Chelsea hadn’t taken any extra safeguards after passing through it and became fertile almost immediately, despite her precautions on Earth.
Blake raised his hand. “You’re saying that this Changeling can turn into another person at will? That he might not need a red moon to do it?” That was really scary.
Finn leaned forward. “It appears that might be the case.”
“That really sucks,” Blake said.
Everyone nodded. “I’ve put out an alert for the car, but I can’t give them too many details,” Anderson said. “Many of my human officers wouldn’t understand if I told them the thief might be a fifty-year old man or someone looking totally different.”
“That makes our job of finding him almost impossible,” Uncle Jamison said.
Anderson flipped through his notes. “It seems so, but I’m sure he’ll slip up. In fact, late last night, a convenience store was robbed. I didn’t give it much thought since a homicide wasn’t involved, but the report I received this morning had the same facts as the car robbery.”
“Don’t tell me the person caught on camera was someplace else at the time of the theft,” Declan said.
Anderson pointed a finger at him. “Give the man a gold star. This Changeling isn’t being very smart about who he turns into though. This time, he touched a clergyman. The priest claimed to have been asleep all night, and I tend to believe him.”
Greer sucked in a breath. “You would think this Changeling dude would target some of our poor who might have a reason to steal.”
“You would think.”
“The Changelings are very arrogant,” Finn said. “He’ll believe he is above getting caught. If he does, all he’d have to do is touch a guard and demand he be released from prison. He could even turn into Anderson and fool us all.”
This was beyond scary. “Does this Changeling have the same memories as this person?” Greer asked.
Finn shook hi
s head. “Not that we’ve ever learned about.”
“Good. If we find there are two Andersons, we can ask him questions that only you could answer.”
Anderson nodded. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but if you suspect something is off, we could use a password, like…” He waved his tablet. “Tablet.”
The group mumbled. “We need to hope the Changeling isn’t one of your officers,” Greer said.
“Then there would be two of them,” Anderson shot back. “I’m sure I can ask about a case the officer was on. I’d be able to spot the Changeling immediately.”
That was assuming the Changeling didn’t kill the officer first, but Greer decided not to belabor the point.
Birk slapped the table and sighed. “That’s why when I questioned who I thought was Henry Tisdale, this imposter hemmed and hawed. He knew nothing about the real Henry’s life.”
The group spoke up at once, until Anderson held up his hand. “That is good news for us. It also means that because he may not have a real understanding of the portal system he could end up in Cargonia or some other realm. It’s not like the portals are labeled. It’s up to the Guardians to make sure the people end up in the right place. This Changeling might not be aware of that.”
A few people chuckled.
“Anything else, Anderson?” her uncle asked, obviously trying to keep the meeting moving forward.
“Yes. I forgot to mention there was a third robbery in the Bentwood district last night. The owners came home in the middle of the robbery and recognized the thief as their neighbor. Before you ask, that neighbor was able to provide proof that he wasn’t involved. Lucky for them, the Bentwood house had security cameras. Parked nearby was Gary Hickman’s Branton again. That leads me to believe the same person is doing all of this.”
“What would you like us to do?” Greer’s dad asked, finally chiming in.
“Keep your eyes and ears open.”
Blake looked around. “I might be able to help.”