“Laser tag,” I said doubtfully.
A shadow of a smile graced his face. “It used to be a far more violent version of the game. Even now, our version of laser tag is far more complex than the one you may know.”
Me? Know laser tag? Laser tag cost money, so that was a big, fat no.
His blue gaze bore into mine. “In our game, teams win points for hitting the other side with their laser fire. They also win points for trapping members of the opposing team. Most often, the traps involve nets or rope, but some traps have been built into the playing field over the years. We’re usually very careful about ensuring other members of town aren’t caught in the crossfire. I imagine you were granted access to the grounds because you look a lot like one of our players, Rhona.”
Tell me about it. “Yeah, I possibly didn’t correct anyone on that front.”
Turned out the terror and fury I’d felt in the last hour had a simple explanation. Awkward. I must have looked like a freakin’ idiot.
Laughter trembled on my lips.
“The gate guard will be spoken with, I assure you. This can’t be allowed to happen. Those in town know well enough to stay away on a Wednesday night, but your ordeal must have been terrifying. I apologise sincerely on behalf of both sides for what you went through.”
Most of me was glad Flannel Guy wasn’t a raging serial killer who trapped young women in holes and then begged to free them for twisted reasons. But seriously, he whispered creepy words in my ear. What was I meant to think?
“That kind of thing only happens on a Wednesday night?” I asked.
He spread his hands wide. “Deception Valley is the safest town this side of Bluff City.”
It certainly felt that way when I drove into town.
I studied Hercules, heart squeezing at his resemblance to my mother. “Why do you keep playing the game? Are the two families still fighting? Don’t people get hurt?”
I was lucky not to have a sprained ankle or worse after dropping into that pit.
Smiling slightly, he lifted a shoulder. “It’s a lot different when you know what’s going on. There’s nothing more exhilarating. Perhaps we don’t need the game now, but it’s part of our culture at this point. Deception Valley thrives because of the game. I’d even go as far as to say that the area depends on it.”
Strange answer, but I wasn’t from a small community. Queen’s Way didn’t have any traditions—aside from an annual craft market that no one under fifty-five attended.
“If you like,” he said, “I’m happy to find out the name of the man who trapped you.”
The memory of the huge Flannel Man sent a shiver down my spine.
Too easy, little bird.
Actually though, such a serial killer thing to say.
“No need,” I rushed to say. “Tonight was a series of extremely unlucky events. In a different context, I can see how it would all be normal-ish.”
Oops, didn’t mean to add the ish.
Hercules scanned my face. “If you change your mind, please let me know. We’d hate for the valley to get a bad reputation in neighbouring areas.”
I checked my watch, nodding. 10:30 p.m.
“I’ll say goodnight,” I said. “It’s been a long day.”
Hercules straightened. “Can I offer you a place to stay while you’re in town?”
I longed to sleep in a real bed, and the thought of sleeping while this dirty was kind of horrible. I only got good vibes from this guy, but until I knew why Mum left, I’d keep my distance. “Thanks. I’ve got a place to stay.”
“Oh?”
“Yep, in town,” I lied, “Thanks for the offer though, Hercules.”
“Just Herc, please,” he answered. “I try to forget my real name as much as I can.”
He extended a hand, and I shook it, grinning.
“It’s out there, but Mum’s was too. What does your name mean?” I asked as we walked to the manor entrance. Mum’s name meant goddess or warrior—something like that. I’d heard of the hero, Hercules, but that was about it.
Mum’s brother pulled a face, shoving open a heavy wooden door. “It means Glory of Hera, but I was given the name because Hercules captured Cerberus.”
Specific.
The pine scent from the forest flooded my senses as I stepped outside. I took in the full orb in the sky, grateful again for the extra comfort after the night I’d had.
“Who was Cerberus again?” I really wasn’t down with mythology.
The moonlight brightened Herc’s face, lending his red hair a fiery glow. “Cerberus was the three-headed dog.”
4
Sleeping in cars was so much fun.
Really.
Not really.
I wrung my hair, shivering against the early morning chill. Dawn awoke me an hour ago, and I’d hurried to find a private spot on the riverside to wash so the locals didn’t get a wildlife sighting they never bargained for.
I picked my way over the pebbled shore to where my towel and clean clothes waited. Wrapping my hair, I donned fresh underwear, moaning as I slid into jeans and a jumper. Being clean was everything.
“Hygiene is sexy,” I told the trees. They didn’t seem convinced.
This place, the whole area, was seriously, seriously awe-inspiring. The forest was wild in a way I’d never seen. I could appreciate why Mum always respected nature so much. People dressed up like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy could have stood here having a damn picnic, trappers could have washed off the grime of a day’s work, and this forest had seen it all—silent observers.
These trees would witness my life and be here long after.
That boggled my mind.
The air was crisp and unpolluted. The water, clear and cool. Last night’s incident aside, I felt… in sync with this place. I’d never felt that with Queen’s.
Or ever.
Bagging my dirty clothes, I checked the time—just after 7:00 a.m. I had a few hours to kill.
Trekking back up the hill to Ella F, I dusted her driver’s seat off, apologising under my breath.
Back in town, I stopped at the petrol station, wincing at the cost of filling the Corolla. Crap. Unless I really wanted to screw myself back in Queen’s Way, I’d have to keep an eye on that.
It would take one-and-a-bit tanks to get back, and I couldn’t eat into much more of my savings.
Maybe I’d walk into town from here.
Just a block down, the shoulder-to-shoulder stone buildings rose in a steady row facing the river. Small iron signs swung above the doorways, and most here appeared to be family names—Wright, Rousseau, Paton, Irvin, Kay.
At the end of the block, a road branched up the incline and stone buildings lined either side of that street, too, until the gradient became too sheer for construction.
I set off up the street, soon puffing.
Yeah, Queen’s Way was flat.
Jesus. I gasped for air.
The signs here were for shops—Grey Beaver, Growling Bear Brewery, Valley Designs.
I forced myself to keep climbing, shoving my hands in my jacket pockets. On the next block, the business signs stopped entirely.
Was this one big building?
I reached the middle where a gigantic sign read The Dens. The massive lettering made the small door seem all the smaller.
How come these guys got such a huge sign?
The Dens.
Hmm, Walter Nash mentioned this place last night.
From a branding perspective, the name didn’t give much away—which my studies told me wasn’t always a bad thing. An air of mystery shrouded the name, like a person would enter an underground club and see impossible things they could never speak about. Clearly the branding worked if Walter Nash said people made special trips up to visit The Dens all the time.
No one was out and about yet.
I strode to the nearest window, cupping my hands around my eyes to peek in. A bar. Stools. Pendant lights. Dark décor. I pursed my lips. Pretty cool layout.<
br />
I moved to the next window, but a notice in the window obstructed my peeking.
Now HIRING!
Please enquire inside during work hours.
Or contact Hairy.
Below his name was a number. Maybe I shouldn’t assume Hairy was a male though…
I continued on, walking to the very last shop.
An older woman with curled white hair gasped at the sight of me.
“Sorry,” I grimaced, “Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
She blew out a breath. “You just caught me off guard. We don’t often see people outside this early.”
“It’s pretty chilly,” I replied. Hard to remember summer was nearly here. Winter must be freezing.
“Always is in the valley until the sun rises over the east ranges. Then we have sun all day long.”
The woman started setting out chairs and tables. “What brings you to the valley?”
Not an easy question to answer. “My mother was from here. I’m meeting with Hercules Thana to learn more about her. She was his sister.”
She paused, expression sobering at the clear past tense I used in reference to my mother. “If you want answers, Herc is the man to give them to you. Your mother was a Thana?” She squinted at me. “Oh, yes. Definitely. A hearty welcome to you!”
“Oh, uh, thanks. This is a lovely place. Everyone seems to know Mum’s family.”
Her voice muffled as she returned inside to bring out more chairs. “Everyone knows everyone here, as I’m sure you can imagine. The Thanas run the town though. The town is built on their tribal lands, and they maintain everything here with our council fees and do a beautiful job of it. My husband and I have lived here over twenty years now.”
Her response helped to relieve the last of the niggling uncertainty about last night. She was the second person who’d only had great things to say about the Thanas.
“Is this a café?” I asked. Food was the next item on my agenda.
“Sure is.” She gestured at the uniform stone building—which confirmed nothing.
My stomach rumbled. “How much is it for breakfast?”
A supermarket would be more cost effective on my budget, but I could swing five bucks.
The older woman winked. “You’re a Thana. First meal is on me.”
“Wow, Ella F,” I muttered. Driving to the manor during the day was so much less witch coven.
In the soft morning light, the gnarled trees had morphed to mature maples that glimmered deep purple. A low stone wall bordered the road, containing the lush and wild forest beyond.
A different guard was on duty today.
I wound down the window as she strode over.
“Andie is it?” the beanpole woman enquired. “Shoot, you do look like Herc’s daughter.”
“Rhona is his daughter?” I replied. Did he mention that?
The woman nodded. “She just got back from a course in Bluff City, which is why people were so confused last night. Sorry about that, by the way. We heard what happened and feel really bad you got caught up in things.”
That was nice. “Thanks, it was freaky, but I just feel embarrassed now.”
“Don’t be. It would be terrifying to stumble into that without knowing a damn thing.”
I smiled at the woman, and she winked, slapping the red button to open the gates.
“Might see you around,” she called.
“Might do,” I said quietly, driving on.
Damn, talking to someone my own age was really nice. Maybe the loss of my friends in Queen’s Way affected me more than I thought. Though, really, did I want friends who left as I struggled to care for my mother? Her cancer wasn’t their burden, but some support would have been everything.
I pulled into the same spot as yesterday, noting a few people working in the gardens. The Thanas were rich as shit.
Hopefully they didn’t think I was here for a chunk of gold.
The doors were open at the top of the wide stone stairs, and light streamed into the manor.
I stared down at a rug that could probably pay my rent for a year.
“Andie.”
I jerked. “Christ, Eleanor. Make a noise or something.”
She pursed her lips against a smile, shrugging a shoulder. “Toe walker. Can’t help it. Don’t want to help it.”
Fair enough. I’d focus my efforts to not having a heart attack then. “Listen. Thanks for taking me to Herc last night. I was pretty pissed off, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
“Don’t apologise. You took the whole thing well, considering. Between you and me, the guy from the other team got in shit for kicking the lid over the pit. That’s against the rules.”
Ice coated my insides. “It is?”
“He should have secured a net and put up a flag, so we knew you were in there.”
Frowning, I recalled the way he’d cursed and shut the top of the trap. “He did it when he heard you guys coming.”
Eleanor cut me a look. “I’m guessing he realised you weren’t part of the game and freaked out.”
That theory didn’t jive with Flannel Man’s behaviour. I recalled his hot breath in my ear, and the firmness of his body pressed against my back. His voice was entirely calm—aside from the moment he’d apparently changed his mind about shoving me in the pit. But the arrival of the group didn’t freak him out. Annoyance was a better word.
“Maybe,” I hedged. “Is Herc around?”
“In his office,” she answered. “Nice to see you, Andie.”
I knocked on the office door a moment later. “Morning.”
Herc looked up, and my heart panged for my mother all over again.
A warm smile spread across his face. “Andie. I thought we’d talk in the gardens, unless it’s too cold for you. I’m cooped up in this office too much and take any excuse to get outside.”
“Mum was the same.” Her daily request when she could no longer walk was to be wheeled into the gardens. She’d always refused to prune the plants and trees, and now I could see why. Allowing something to grow naturally was beautiful.
I walked beside him through the manor, trying to sneak covert glances at the grandeur when he wasn’t looking.
“My immediate family lives here,” he said, casting me an amused glance. “We also rent out the other rooms. Living in a mostly empty manor never appealed to me. I like the sound of people around the place.”
“It must help with running costs too.”
Or maybe this place came with an inheritance.
“It does. I also work from home. So it’s more the company that drives me to open my home to others.”
He gestured out a glass door that led to a conservatory. We continued through the other side into a wildflower garden I’d associate with a forest cottage. I trailed my fingers through the fireweed and purple harebells.
“Breathtaking,” I said before recalling I wasn’t alone.
“I see you feel the call of nature. That’s common in our family.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
He met my gaze. “This manor—actually, this entire valley and the land surrounding it are our family’s tribal lands. We have acted as guardians over them for centuries. And that’s just what we’ve found written proof of.”
Was that why I felt so in tune with Deception Valley?
A small table sat in the middle of an herb garden. I breathed in the basil and mint, listening to the pleasant chitter of birds.
“I admit,” Herc said, pulling out my seat, “I was nervous you wouldn’t return after your ordeal last night.”
No kidding. “It occurred to me. But only embarrassment would have kept me away. The Thanas are quite the celebrities in town. I got glowing reports of you from the only two people I met.”
He cleared his throat, rubbing an invisible spot on his cheek. “They can come on a bit strong.”
I grinned at the thought of Walter Nash’s gleaming excitement. “Perhaps. They clearly feel
valued.”
My mother’s brother smiled again, the curve fading as he sat and contemplated me. “I spent most of the night thinking of where to start. There’s so much to tell you.”
Reaching into his jacket, he extracted a wad of photographs. Some of the edges were rolled and torn.
He set the stack in front of me, and I eagerly reached for them as he dragged his chair closer.
“I’m four years older than Ragna,” he murmured as I brushed my thumb over a picture of a young boy next to a chubby baby.
My mother.
I had no pictures of Mum as a baby.
I set it aside with care, glancing at the next photo. Mum was older in this one and standing on a platform, hand in hand with a woman I knew to be my grandmother, Charise.
He murmured, “It’s fair to say our childhood wasn’t normal. Being Thanas, certain behaviours and duties were expected of us from a young age. Yet, I like to think Ragna and I were happy in our early years. The manor provided a playground most children can only dream of—’
The next photo was of Herc and Mum at a lake surrounded by other young teens. I smiled at their vintage swimsuits.
“—we had the lake and the rivers, hunting and fishing, and nature. The community we grew up in was tightknit because of the town’s isolation.”
What would it be like to grow up like that? I couldn’t even imagine it. Nothing could be further from my lonesome upbringing.
I traced the picture of my mother dressed for a dance. A giant corsage adorned her wrist. My slight smile disappeared at the sight of the man standing next to her.
“Dropkick,” I muttered.
“You know him?” Herc said.
I’d only seen one photo of him in my life. A few years back, I found one in Mum’s bedside table along with the photo of Grandmother that I’d seen many times prior.
“He’s my father. I think. I don’t have any memories of him.”
Except for one.
I still remembered him looking at me before walking out. I’d never told anyone for fear they’d tell me recalling anything from three years old was impossible. But I swear the memory wasn’t invented. We’d regarded each other so seriously.
Shifter Wars: Supernatural Battle (Werewolf Dens Book 1) Page 4