by M. J. Caan
“I’m sorry, Shawn, I don’t know what to say.”
He turned to face her, tears again burning streaks down his face. “Why are you apologizing for him? You always did that; and he always let you.”
Had she? That was a trait she was unaware of, but once Shawn pointed it out, she knew it was true. Now it was her turn to look away.
Shawn reached out and took his mother’s hand. “Look, anyone who would do what he has done…well, you’re better off without him. But I don’t really want to talk about him right now. I came because I wanted to be with you. I heard that you found Gram…is that true?”
Oh God…her mother. It all came rushing back to her, powering through the numbness the Ativan had brought on. Thank goodness Freya always had her travel-sized pharmacy with her.
The memories were bright and painful now. Her mother, face down in a pool of blood.
And she wasn’t the only victim either. The body of the veterinarian, Ellie, was found outside in the woods adjacent to her mother’s house. She had long gashes opened in her legs and torso. Later, the medical examiners would find long slivers of wood under her nails where she had clawed at tree trunks in a desperate attempt to escape whatever had dragged her into the forest.
Torie was sickened by what had happened to Ellie, but part of her was thankful her mother had been spared such a horrendous fate. Whatever killed her had not left a visible mark. At least not on the outside. But the fact that she had lost so much blood, from her mouth, her eyes and her ears, meant something had assaulted her from the inside.
The police had come and cordoned off the house. Fionna had called Glen, and together they had taken Torie back to their house. She was clearly in shock and managed to give them Freya’s number when they kept insisting that she needed to see a doctor. Her friend had arrived within minutes. Or maybe it was days. Torie sat on the couch in her friends’ living room with no connection to how much time may have passed. She was staring straight ahead, her gaze fixed and unwavering, until she noticed a hand moving up and down in front of her face.
She blinked, looking to one side and saw Freya’s face come into focus. That was when she cried; great, devastating sobs that came from the depths of her soul and wrecked her body. This was a pain she never thought she could feel. Loss and sorrow collided in her, twisting her until she felt like someone had removed her heart and showed it to her just before they crushed it.
Freya held her, letting her cry as hard and as long as she needed. There came a point when Torie couldn’t cry anymore; tears refused to come, but that didn’t mean the pain stopped. This had to be what it would feel like to lose one’s child, she thought. No, that wasn’t true. If anything ever happened to Shawn, she would not be able to go on. That was a pain there would be no coming back from.
She let her friend rock her softly, whispering in her ear to get it out. Her head ached, her chest felt like it was on fire, and when she finally pulled back from Freya, her eyes were so dry that her vision blurred. She looked over at Fionna and Glen and saw that they too had been crying along with her.
That was when Freya had suggested something to help her sleep for a while and she gladly accepted.
That had been hours ago. Now she was face to face with her son and the memory that her mother was dead.
“Do they know what happened?” Torie asked.
Shawn shook his head. “It’s going to be awhile before they get the autopsy report. They sent Gram’s body to some hospital south of here to perform the autopsy.”
She nodded. “Um, my friends, Fionna and Glen. Are they around?”
“We’re right here,” came Fionna’s voice from just outside the guest room where Torie had been sleeping. She stepped slowly into the room. “Are you okay, Torie?” She seemed to catch herself and answer her own question. “Of course you’re not okay…what kind of stupid question was that to ask?”
Her self-berating was almost enough to make Torie smile. She reached out and grasped her friend’s hand, pulling her closer to the bed.
“Thank you,” Torie said, “for bringing my son to me. I feel foolish, lying here like this.”
“Nonsense,” said Fionna. “I’ve already spoken to Glen; you’re staying here for as long as you need. So no talk about being foolish.”
“I…don’t know what to say,” Torie said. Part of her thought she should return to New York; but where would she stay? She couldn’t afford an apartment, and while there was Freya…she knew that couldn’t be a long-term solution. Besides, the thought of leaving Singing Falls threatened to make her heart break for a second time. She just nodded, swallowing back tears and patted Fionna’s hand.
“Of course, you are welcome too, Shawn,” she added, turning to the young man. “Your mother can probably use all the support she can get right now.”
Torie frowned, looking from one to the other. How would she explain everything she had learned about this town to her son?
And did she even want to?
There was a killer on the loose here; one that was capable of killing supernaturals and witches. The last place she wanted her only child was Singing Falls.
“No, Shawn, that won’t be necessary. I want you back at school—” she almost let the word ‘safe’ slip in but caught herself just in time. She glanced at Fionna, silently pleading with her friend.
“I mean, at least until the funeral is over,” added Fionna. “After that, we’ll see how you’re doing.”
Shawn smiled and stood up, stretching. “Well, I only have a couple more exams to take before I’m done with the semester. After that I’m coming back.”
“But your trip—” started Torie.
“Is not as important as you are. Do you plan to go back to New York?”
“No. There is nothing there for me. I like it here. And I need to find out what happened to your Gram.”
“Okay. Then I will definitely be returning after finals. I don’t like you being alone up here in these mountains.”
“She’s not,” came a voice from behind them. Glen walked in and sat on the side of the bed, smiling at Torie. “She will have more caregivers than you can imagine.”
“Shawn, can you check on Freya for me?” Torie asked. “Let her know I’m feeling a little better.”
“Sure,” he answered, making his way out of the bedroom.
Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she whispered to her friends, “I don’t want him up here. Please, I can’t be sure he is safe; and how do I explain this town to him?”
Fionna nodded. “You’re right. We will keep an eye on him until the funeral and then see him off. He deserves to say goodbye to his grandmother.”
“Of course he does,” said Torie. He was so different from his father. Ward could be charming, but disingenuous. But Shawn wore his feelings on his sleeve. He was sensitive and had always been in touch with his feelings. He was his mother’s child, and the fact that she was hurting made him hurt. It wouldn’t be easy getting him to leave.
“So, do either of you know what happened?” Torie asked. She watched the two of them exchange quick glances, their faces masks of worry. “It’s okay, I promise. I can take whatever you need to tell me. Oh…I just thought of something; what about Eddie?”
“He wasn’t there,” said Glen. “We don’t know what happened to him. I did ask around at the hospital…they sent your mom’s body down to Trinity. From a preliminary standpoint, they are pretty sure it’s poison, but they can’t identify what or how it was administered.”
“What about Ellie?” Torie asked.
“She was killed by…” Glen paused, collecting herself. “She was killed by blunt force trauma and exsanguination. She bled out, basically.”
“It’s so weird,” said Fionna, “I was the one who found her body. I could smell blood that didn’t belong to your mother and followed the scent outside.”
Torie nodded; she remembered Fionna telling her to stay there and not move before she ran out the back door, across the pa
tio and up into the line of trees that formed just beyond the property marker of her mother’s house.
“I found Ellie lying there, sliced nearly to ribbons. But the strange thing was, there was no other supernatural scent around her.”
“Wolves,” said Glen, her face growing hard. “I mean it had to be.”
“But I would have smelled them,” said Fionna.
“Not necessarily,” said Glen. “I’ve been researching the wolves that came up from Trinity. Unlike other shifters, they can take on hybrid forms…half wolf, half man.”
“What?” said Torie, “you mean like werewolves?”
“Exactly. They are capable of hiding their true nature, even to other supernaturals.”
“Christ. All the more reason I don’t want Shawn staying here,” Torie replied.
“If they are the ones responsible for this, what motive do they have?” Fionna asked.
Glen looked at her in consternation. “Why do they need a motive? You know, maybe it’s hunger, pure and simple. They are predators, and they stumble upon a community of peace-loving shifters that are no match for them physically. Maybe they think they stumbled on an all you can eat buffet. And that,” she took her lover’s face in her hands, “is why I don’t want you wandering around alone until this is all over.”
Torie choked back tears. Their love was so pure, and the depth of it made her realize it was something she and Ward had never shared; no matter how she had tried to convince herself otherwise.
“But why my mother?” she asked.
Both were silent at that. Finally, Glen spoke up, her voice cracking.
“No idea. Your mother was beloved by everyone in the community. No one had a harsh word to say about her. She was kind and giving…she would literally give you the food off her plate if you asked for it.”
Tears streamed down the woman’s face as Fionna wrapped an arm around her, comforting her. “Maybe it was her vision.”
“What vision?” asked Torie.
“Well, witches have different gifts, aside from their ability to work magics. They have the skills they are born with; the ones that manifest naturally as part of their being. One of your mother’s was the gift of sight. She could foresee things. Maybe the killer knew that and was afraid he couldn’t hide from that.”
Glen nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that. It’s possible. Like they were eliminating a threat before it presented.”
“You mean my mother could see the future?”
“Yes,” said Fionna. “But she would never speak about what she saw.”
Torie began to fret. “Do you think…do you think she foresaw this?”
Glen’s eyes grew misty and she looked away, unable to hold Torie’s gaze.
“I think, this explains why she was so insistent on you going out the morning it happened.”
Torie felt her heart leap into her throat. Her mother had given her life to protect her. There was no way in hell she was letting this go unavenged.
“Where do we start?” Torie said.
Fionna nodded. “I say we have a heart to heart with a couple of wolves who have been prowling around town. And I know just where to find them.”
10
“We can’t just go waltzing up to a wolf and interrogate him,” said Jasmin.
Fionna and Glen had called her to come over for a strategy session. As soon as she arrived, she threw her arms around Torie.
“Your mother was a great woman,” she said into her ear. “She will not be forgotten. And we are going to get the bastard doing this.”
Torie broke her grip and thanked her for the sentiment. She took a moment to walk into the living room, checking on Shawn. He was immersed in a texting conversation with friends from school and didn’t notice when she increased the volume on the television slightly before easing back into the kitchen.
“So why can’t we just ask them what they’ve been up to? For that matter, why don’t we ask them once and for all what they are doing here in town?”
“Because they are wolves,” said Jasmin. “They are all instinct and action. No reflection at all. If they sense they are being accused of something, or backed into a corner, they might come out swinging.”
“Then what would you suggest?” said Torie.
“This will be hard,” said Jasmin, “but I’ve called Taylor and asked her to meet us at your mother’s house. I’m going to cast a spell to see if I can uncover any trace of the supernatural in the vicinity where she was killed. And I want Taylor to go over every inch of the woods. As sensitive as Fionna’s nose might be, Taylor is a fox shifter. There is nothing she can’t track. Between us, if it’s there, we will find it.”
“And if it is a wolf?” said Fionna. “What do we do next?”
“We call the authorities and have them arrested, right?” said Torie.
They all looked at her, bewildered.
“There is no jail for supernaturals,” said Glen. “Supernaturals deal with their own.” The finality of her words told Torie what exactly she meant by that.
“And that leads to another question,” said Fionna. “Let’s say we do prove that this is the work of wolves. How do we bring them to justice? I mean, I don’t think there are any shifters in town strong enough to take one down; let alone two of them.”
Silence permeated the kitchen as they all considered what to do.
“We could try to find a hunter,” said Glen.
“What’s a hunter?” asked Torie.
“There are certain humans, born with the ability to fight and hunt supernaturals. It’s the universe’s way of keeping balance. There are many names for them; hunters, chosen ones, night stalkers…you name it. I think there is someone in Trinity that knows someone who could find us one.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes. “I hate the thought of bringing one of them here. All that attitude, the tight leather pants, strutting around like they are God’s gift. They are children with more brawn than brains.”
“They do get the job done, however,” said Taylor.
“The problem with hunters is that where they go, chaos follows,” said Jasmin. “It’s like they feed on it or something. And they will wear you out with all the moaning and complaining and ‘woe is me’ nonsense. I feel like just shaking one. I mean, they have it all; they’re young, strong, usually gifted with magic for no reason, and spend a lot of time pouting over some random guy who usually turns out to be an ass but for some reason, is obsessed with the one hunter…don’t get me started.”
The other’s looked at her in silence before bursting out laughing. “Well, as long as you don’t get started on them,” said Glen through her laughter.
“You know, I knew one once,” said Fionna. “She was just like that. And really, I don’t know how she survived in the summer. All that leather everywhere. And those hideous boots she would wear!”
“Ugh, don’t get me started on those,” said Jasmin, “and let me guess; she carried a ridiculous knife?”
“Knives everywhere! Plus a sword and all kinds of throwy things.”
“They do like blades,” said Jasmin. “I often wonder what would happen to one of them if she tripped and fell down a hill. Would she be stabbed repeatedly about her entire body from all the weapons hidden in her clothes?”
Even Torie had to laugh at that. “It kind of makes me want to meet one.”
“Well, even if we could find one, who knows how long it would take to get here. We don’t have that long. Whoever is doing this has struck and killed twice in two days,” said Jasmin.
“You’re assuming that Eddie is…” started Fionna.
“Possibly. The fact that he is missing now is not a good sign.”
“Torie,” said Jasmin, “are you sure you’re up to this? Going back to your mother’s house I mean.”
She nodded. At some point she had to walk back through that door again. At least this way she would feel like it wasn’t just to mourn.
“Is it okay if Shawn stays here?” she as
ked Fionna and Glen.
“Of course,” was the reply. “There is plenty of junk food in the pantry. Hopefully we won’t be out too long.”
They paraded through the living room where Torie told her son she was running out with her friends. Freya eyed them suspiciously, and Torie promised her she would explain later, but for right now could she just keep an eye on Shawn.
Torie knew her oldest friend was sensing something was amiss…Torie had never kept her out of the loop like this before, but she agreed. She was there to support her friend in whatever way was needed.
They piled into two cars and made the drive back to Alva’s house. As one, they made their way to the front porch and stood there, giving Torie as much time as she needed.
Taking a deep breath, Torie pushed the door open and stepped across the threshold.
“Shouldn’t there be…I don’t know, detectives or police crawling all over the place?” she asked.
Fionna shook her head. “No. The sheriff handling this is actually a dwarf. He’s one of us and is working with us on this. Things are handled very differently here.”
Torie was starting to see just how different the town was as she made her way into the house. There was a rustling noise that came from the back, through the kitchen and near the workroom. Torie and her friends all jumped and huddled together, clinging onto one another for dear life.
That was when Taylor stepped into view, walking out of the kitchen with a bag of chips in one hand. “Hello, ladies, what’s up? Why do you all look like that; like you’ve seen a ghost?” She turned and looked behind her.
“You scared us half to death,” said Jasmin, shaking herself free of the others. “And why y’all up on me like this?”
“Well, I thought you, being the witch, would be the one to protect us. You know, throw a fireball or something,” said Torie.
“A fireball?” said Jasmin, incredulously. “Who throws fireballs? What kind of shit have you been reading? Because whatever it is, I am not that kind of witch.” She straightened her dress and they continued into the kitchen.