by E. A. Copen
“I’ve already had all the training I’m going to get from BSI,” I said. “And I don’t trust them. As soon as they catch wind of Seamus, they’ll cut him a deal. They’ll play into his plans and put my back against the wall. If you want me to call BSI, you might as well ask me to cut my arms off.”
My phone chirped in my duffel bag, and I glowered at the sound of a text coming in. It was probably Hunter asking us to bring home pizza again, which was the last thing I wanted to do. Puberty had hit him hard over the last few months. For human boys, that means cracking voices, pimples and weird body hair. Werewolf puberty is ten times worse. Teenage moodiness was nothing new, but Hunter’s mood shifted with the moon, alternating between fits of intense apathy and dangerous anger. He could also eat his weight in pizza and not gain an ounce. Sal said it was something to do with high metabolism, high body temperature…something like that. It was expensive, that much I knew.
I fished the phone out of the bottom of the bag, put in the lock code, and frowned when I realized it wasn’t Hunter texting me. It was Sheriff Tindall.
Need you here ASAP. Possible arson. Suspect resisting arrest. Violently.
He sent a second text with longitude and latitude numbers. When I put them into my map app, it showed the middle of a field off State Route 765, roughly halfway between Eden and San Angelo.
I frowned at the end of his first text. He wouldn’t call me to come out to just any old arson where a suspect was resisting arrest. Tindall had to be dealing with something supernatural.
“Duty calls?” said Sal, looking over my shoulder.
“Sheriff needs a consult out near Eola.” I dropped the phone back into my bag along with my clean clothes and zipped it up. I’d planned on taking a shower in the locker room, but that wasn’t going to happen. Given the number of grammatical errors in Tindall’s text, he’d sent it in a hurry. I needed to get there yesterday.
I picked up my bag and tried to remain casual since I didn’t want Sal to worry. “I’ll meet you at the car.”
On Thursdays, Sal and I drive separately. The truck was too small to fit me, Mia’s car seat, and Hunter, and my car is a 1968 Firebird, a sleek and sexy black two-door coupe with no back seat. Well, it was sleek and sexy black in the seventies. Now, I’d had to replace so many parts that it was a Franken-car. The doors were red, the antenna bent, the interior a faded gray.
In the last few months, Valentino Garcia, my mechanic and Sal’s second in the pack, had replaced enough parts that I basically had a new car, save for the exterior. He’d offered me a paint job to cover the mismatched parts, but I declined. The sad truth was that the Firebird wasn’t a family car, and I was looking to sell her to buy something bigger. I loved my car, but hauling two kids around demanded something bigger—a family car. I say “car” because Hell will freeze over before I buy a minivan.
Sal refused to let me go around after dark alone. Between the Vanguards of Humanity, vampires, and faerie necromancers, I’d made enough enemies that he was worried. I’d told him repeatedly that I could look after myself, but Sal saw himself as my protector, and it was easier just to indulge his protective instincts than fight about it. I was sure that, even with him as back-up, I wouldn’t stand a chance against anyone that wanted to kill me. Still, it was nice to know back-up was always right there with me.
Sal came out of the gym and buckled Mia into her car seat while she babbled. Then, he leaned against the door while Mia babbled behind him. He’d parked right beside me.
“You shouldn’t come with me,” I said as I threw my bag behind my seat. “Tindall implied it’d be trouble, and it’s past Mia’s bedtime.”
“He wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t trouble,” Sal answered. “Besides, what bedtime?” He snorted. “You know as well as I do what Mia thinks of bedtime.” He pushed my door closed after I climbed into the drivers’ seat and leaned in the open window. “I’ll follow you out to Eola and let Tindall take over. Hopefully, she falls asleep on the drive home.”
“Put on one of Hunter’s CDs. She’ll go right to sleep.”
Sal wrinkled his nose. “No, thanks. I like my eardrums.” He kissed me on top of the head.
I turned over the engine and let it purr a minute, waiting for him to get into his truck before I revved it once, threw her into reverse, pushed the gas pedal to the floor, and left him in the dust.
Speeding is dangerous and stupid, and I don’t do it often except to get away from Sal’s escorts. I didn’t want them following me out to the crime scene, as that was no place for kids. Besides, half of the police force under Tindall already saw me as weak and incapable. If I showed up with my boyfriend as a chaperone, that would just re-enforce those whispers.
Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t kick their asses. It did mean I had to work extra hard at projecting an image of strength and professionalism. It’s stupid and wrong, but that was the way of the world, especially for women in law enforcement.
I pushed the car up to fifty in a thirty-five before sliding onto the exit ramp out of Eden toward San Angelo. There weren’t any headlights behind me, so I assumed Sal got the message and set my attention to driving through the desert in the dark.
The coordinates Tindall had sent me were way out in the middle of nowhere. The land between Paint Rock and San Angelo was mostly ranching land, and almost all of it was for sale. Has been ever since I moved out there. I didn’t have much occasion to drive out to Eola, which was an unincorporated community that had been dying in Eden’s urban chokehold over the last decade. What struck me most about the area was the absolute darkness. You don’t get that in cities. The glow of San Angelo lit up the sky in the distance, but between me and the city, there was nothing but utter darkness.
Except for the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and the hungry, orange light of a dilapidated ranch house in flames.
I saw it from the state route, even though it was down another side road and a long driveway. Not many trees in central Texas to obscure the view, especially out there. As I got closer, I counted two fire engines, three police cruisers, and two ambulances.
The problem was evident the minute I parked behind Tindall’s Cadillac and climbed out. The police cruisers had torn through the field to park in a semi-circle a hundred yards back from the fire, lights flashing. Cops squatted behind the safety of their bullet-resistant doors, guns pointed forward. A silhouette staggered back and forth in front of the fire, swinging what looked like a sword back and forth.
I pushed the door closed and jogged closer, pausing when a hair-raising howl pierced the night. A werewolf hunting howl. I broke into a run, closing on the line of police cruisers just in time to see a skinny, black werewolf leap through the air. The swordsman, whose face I still couldn’t make out because it was caked in ash and mud, caught the bite with a forearm and kicked the werewolf away.
“Black,” Tindall said and trotted around the back of the nearest cruiser to crouch next to me. “Thank God you’re here. This whole thing is nuts. These two were going at it when we pulled in. I didn’t know if he was one of yours or a stray, and nobody here has any clue who has what to do with the fire. I’d shoot the suspect down, but last time we tried, he sent a fireball at us. I figured we’d wait until we heard from you. Your jurisdiction, seeing as magick’s involved.”
I held up a hand. By one of mine, what Tindall really meant was one of Sal’s, but there wasn’t time to split hairs. Whoever the swordsman was, he knew his way around the single-handed blade well enough that the only thing keeping him from cleaving the werewolf in two was the werewolf’s superior speed. Not that the sword would have done much damage to a werewolf unless it was made of silver. Short of cutting off his head, the swordsman didn’t have much of a chance with that blade.
I stood clear of the cruiser door. “It’s Ed,” I said and then shook my head. Impossible. Of all the werewolves in Sal’s pack, Ed was the last one I would have expected to take on such a capable enemy.
&nb
sp; “Petersen?” Tindall questioned and stole another glance out at the fight.
Ed crouched and lunged at the swordsman again, but this time, the swordsman flung his free hand forward. Magick buzzed through the air, strong enough that it threatened to suck the air from my lungs. Liquid fire erupted from the swordsman’s fingers against a battle cry in Latin. That was all I needed to be sure of who it was Ed was fighting and to know that he was in way over his head.
I pushed around the cruiser door and rushed from safety and into the fray just as Ed barely avoided getting singed by rolling to the side. Tindall called after me, but his voice was muted and quickly forgotten as I closed the distance. I called to Ed and slid to a stop that would have made my middle school softball coach proud. My hand slid into a patch of fur just behind Ed’s ears and squeezed in a reassuring gesture. He lifted his head, pink tongue panting, and whined. A large section of the fur on his nose had burned away, replaced by red, raw skin and blisters. I couldn’t focus on how badly he was hurt. There was still an enemy on the field.
I turned my attention forward, clenching my jaw and staring down the swordsman. “Father Reed, what the hell is going on?”
The priest lowered his head, his eyes reflecting the raging fire beside him. For a minute, I thought maybe he’d put his sword down and talk to me, but I had misunderstood the look of intent.
“Succendo!” He flicked his wrist and sent a wall of flame five feet high straight at me.
Chapter Two
I put up one of my shields, this one even stronger than the last. Stronger meant smaller, though, and I was only able to protect an area three feet high and two feet wide. Instead of the normal five-foot concave area that covered my entire body, this shield would only cover me if I stayed low to the ground, and it would only save Ed from the blast if I pressed in tight against him. I only barely had enough time to get into position to ensure that neither of us got burned.
Reed’s fire spell hit with enough force to push me back. I ground a knee into the earth, trying to slow my backward slide and leaving upturned ground behind. Ed crawled back with me to stay behind the shield. The wall of fire broke over us, scorching the air so that it hurt to breathe. Grass on either side of us turned to ash. The shield flickered, and as soon as the blast of flame subsided, dissipated into nothingness. I was tapped already, but Reed was far from it.
Fire was the priest’s element. I’d seen him stand in an incinerator while it was on and redirect the flame to escape untouched. Back then, he’d been on my side. Until the moment he threw his latest ball of fire at me, I’d assumed the two of us were still at least on speaking terms. The enraged look on his face made it clear that he didn’t want to talk now.
Magick no longer being an option, at least as far as I was concerned, I needed to come up with a back-up plan, preferably one that didn’t end up with anyone dead. I hadn’t come with my gun, and Reed was an expert swordsman, so getting close and tackling wasn’t an option, not unless I could somehow do it before he cut off my head. The only way that would happen was if I had help. I glanced down at Ed and hoped he understood what I had. “Don’t kill him,” I whispered, knowing his werewolf ears would pick it up.
Reed raised his sword and moved to close the distance, his eyes still distant and angry. Ed staggered to stand on all fours and growled, showing sharp, white teeth.
But it wasn’t Ed that sprang out of the darkness aimed at Reed’s throat. A big, gray werewolf with chevrons of black fur on his neck and chest leapt away from the line of police cars, snarling. Sal. Reed spun just in time and swung his sword. It struck Sal just behind the shoulder and slid away red. The momentum of the strike sent Sal sideways, but he landed on his feet. Blood dripped from where the sword had caught him. Sal bared his teeth, crouched low for another go, and snarled again.
Ed zipped away from my side to snap at Reed’s ankle on the other side. Reed swung his sword, but Ed scampered out of reach. His left and right exits blocked, and his back to the burning barn, Reed considered the line of police cars in front of him. If he charged them, the officers would fire. The only reason they hadn’t yet was that they still thought we had it handled.
I glanced at the police and saw that one of them had made his way atop the squad car in the center, a sniper rifle perched on the flashing lights. He peered through the sight, finger on the trigger. With a word, he’d fire and put a well-placed bullet in the center of Reed’s head. Rampaging madman or not, I didn’t want this to end in any more blood.
My feet pounded across the scorched ground, and I did my best to place myself between Reed and the police sniper. “There’s nowhere to go, Reed.” I spread my arms wide to block their aim. “Why don’t you put the sword down and talk to us? There’s no need for this.”
Reed ground his teeth. “I…can’t. He won’t let me!”
Sal and Ed prowled closer, moving into attack position to take him down if he didn’t comply. I stayed where I was. If the sniper hadn’t fired yet, it was only because he didn’t have a clear shot. Moving an inch either way might change that. “At least tell me what happened here.”
Something changed in Reed’s face. The rage died away for a moment, and he blinked. His eyes wobbled and he scanned the area as if he were seeing it for the first time. Surprise rolled over his expression and then fear. It lasted just a moment before it was gone and the anger was back in control.
I risked a half step forward. “Tell me what I can do to help you, Reed.”
“Stay away from me, Judah. I don’t want to have to kill you.”
I flinched when Reed raised a hand and flicked a spell off to his side. It wasn’t fire he sent out, however. It was a swirling vortex of white flame that split open the night with a steaming hiss. He sprinted the short distance to where he’d placed his Way, stopped to give me one last serious look, and stepped into the ring of fire. Sal leapt after him, but the Way closed before he could follow Reed through.
Sal landed, swayed, and then stumbled slightly before Ed jumped forward to support him. I approached with caution. Werewolves could be funny about humans when they were hurt, but apparently, Sal didn’t mind me coming close enough to check it out. I knelt in the grass and ran my hand over some of the blood-matted fur. He flinched away and growled. I couldn’t tell how deep the cut was, but he wasn’t putting any weight on that leg and it wasn’t closed yet, which meant it had gone deep. “You stupid idiot,” I muttered, pressing my face into Sal’s side. “He could’ve killed you.”
Behind us, Tindall ordered the fire trucks forward and they roared to life, charging through the field around us. The firefighters hustled to pull down their hoses and douse the fire while Tindall and a few other officers closed on our position. Sal gave another growl, this one a low, warning tone. He’d tolerate the firemen being so close, mostly because they weren’t paying him any attention, but Tindall and the other officers were armed. That made them potential threats, and Sal did not want anything threatening to see him injured and bleeding.
I stood and gestured for them to stop before jogging to meet them a good five yards back. “What the hell was all that?” Tindall put his hands on his hips.
I stopped in front of them so that if any of the other officers decided to move forward, I could stop them. “I’m not sure yet. Was Reed like this when you got here? What happened?”
One of the officers, a heavy-set guy, shifted forward, straining his neck to get a better look at the pair of werewolves behind me. I cleared my throat and drew his gaze before shaking my head. He dropped his eyes to the ground.
Tindall shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Wait a second. Did you say ‘Reed?’ As in the priest, Gideon Reed?”
I nodded slowly. “That was definitely him, but he wasn’t himself.” I turned to look at the place where he’d stepped through the Way. “Something was wrong with him. If I could have gotten a look at his aura, I would have a better idea of what we’re dealing with. The way he acted, it didn’t seem li
ke he was in control of what was happening.”
“Like maybe he was possessed?” the heavy-set cop suggested.
It was possible, I supposed, but Reed would be the last person I would suspect of possession. The guy had Faith with a capital F and practically lived in his church. If there was a holy warrior anywhere in Concho County, it was him.
“Maybe,” I said, “but there’s no way I could know without getting a better look at him from a non-threatening angle. You said Ed was here when you got here?”
Tindall gestured behind me. “Yeah, the werewolf and the priest were going at it when we arrived. A passerby saw the flames from the highway and called it in. No idea what happened before we got here, though.”
“Who set fire to the barn?”
“Burning when we got here,” Tindall answered with a grunt. He tugged his cigarettes from his shirt pocket and smacked the pack against the meat of his palm a few times. “I’m going to assume that was Reed, too. Information is scarce right now unless you can get the werewolf to talk. How bad is the other one hurt?”
“The other one is Sal.” Sal would have been irritated that Tindall, who had lived in Paint Rock for going on nine years, couldn’t tell him apart from the lowest-ranking member of the pack. “And he’s a werewolf so he’ll heal, but he’ll be grumpy until he does so it’s best if your men keep their distance. Werewolves don’t like guns.”
Tindall stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, blowing the smoke away from me. “Do you think you could get Ed to shift back so we can talk to him?”
“Depends. It’s not really up to me. He might be of a mind to stay in wolf form to protect his alpha at this stage, but I can try.”
“Well, at the very least, you’ll want to get them out of the way while these guys fight the fire.”
“That I can probably do.” I nodded and uncrossed my arms. “You boys stay back and don’t approach until I’ve given the all-clear.”