A frown creased Icewind’s forehead at Genevieve’s answer, but she didn’t comment. Horan continued his line of questioning but Genevieve did her best to pay attention to his partner’s reactions. There was something off between them, almost like Icewind was surprised by what he was asking. That was…interesting. And possibly useful.
“I don’t appreciate the implication that my client lied in her original statement, Agent Horan. Anyone who has gone through a traumatic event will struggle to remember details, which is why eye witnesses often disagree on things as simple as the color of a van at a crime scene. If you brought my client here just to throw out wild accusations, then we’re going to have to end this interview now,” Susan said, staring Horan down.
“I’m not making accusations, I’m just asking questions––”
“With all due respect, Agent, I’ve been in this business for a long time and I know an accusation when I see one. You’re asking leading questions and attempting to trap my client needlessly. If this was, as you stated at the beginning, a casual chat, then your tone is out of line.”
Icewind pushed off the wall and walked around to the side of the desk. “One last question, then we can call it a day.”
A wave of anger passed over Horan’s face at her interruption, but he leaned back in his chair and said nothing.
Susan nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Do you have any knowledge concerning the whereabouts of the demon that was spotted in the area during these attacks?”
Genevieve looked her straight in the eye and told the truth. “No.”
“Thank you, you’re free to go. Have a good day.”
She didn’t hesitate to get up and follow Susan out of the office, though she motioned for her to walk a little slower once they got a few feet away.
“Have you seen my keychain? The one with the flower in it?” Icewind asked, a tension to her voice that seemed like it was leftover from the interrogation.
“No, did it fall off somewhere or something?” Horan asked dismissively.
“I don’t know. Must have.”
The conversation continued with nothing of importance mentioned. They must know how good werewolf hearing was and were expecting her to try to listen in.
She climbed onto the elevator after Susan but felt no relief when the doors slid shut. This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. They were just getting started.
Chapter 38
Tommy
Tommy stared at Woggy and the new pixie. Woggy wouldn’t meet his eyes, just kept signing for dinner, then pointing at his ‘friend’. He was pretty sure this meant Woggy had a girlfriend –– who was probably getting in through the cat door they’d installed for Captain Jack and Woggy, which, in hindsight, was inevitably going to end up with the whole pixie swarm in the house.
With a sigh, Tommy grabbed two cans of tuna. There was no way he’d be the one to break up this romance.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Amber asked, following Ceri into the kitchen.
“I’m annoyed but otherwise fine,” Ceri said, adjusting her bun on the top of her head. “I’m more worried about Deward.”
Tommy had an irrational urge to shift and run into the city and just tear it apart until he found his friend. He sighed. That wouldn’t help anything though.
“You’re sure he killed someone?” he asked as he threw away the tuna can wrapper.
Ceri’s expression softened. “No. I saw blood on his hands, but there could be another explanation. Scrying isn’t an exact magic, it shows impressions and emotions more than exactly what is happening in the moment.”
Genevieve’s car turned into the driveway.
“Finally, she worked so late today,” Tommy said, hurrying to meet her at the front door. They’d been waiting for her to compare notes for the day. Even Derek was already back.
“Wait, why are there two pixies?” Amber asked.
Ceri laughed at her.
Tommy pulled the door open just before Genevieve reached for the handle. “Come on, dinner is on the table. We’ve been waiting on you.”
“Sorry,” she said tiredly. “I have to catch up on all the work I missed while I was at that stupid interrogation.”
“I take it that went well?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Be glad I went first.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her toward the dining room. “Pizza will make it all better. We got one with all meat, just for you.”
“You know the way to a girl’s heart,” Genevieve said, dumping her bags on the floor and rushing ahead of him.
Derek jogged downstairs, his hair wet from his shower. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope, Gen just got back.”
Once the pack was finally corralled into the same room, stuffing their faces with pizza, Amber took her place at the head of the table.
“Ceri, can you catch Gen up on what you found out with the trolls today?”
Ceri swallowed her bite of food and nodded. “In order to see if I could work with the trolls to break that curse on the tunnels, we decided to practice casting a spell together. We scryed Deward. What I saw wasn’t very clear, but I believe Deward was fighting someone alongside that elf. It looked like there was blood on his hands. The elf said something about lies and tricks, and that something was hidden. I think they may be looking for this thing together.”
“Any clue what that thing is?” Gen asked.
“Nope.” Ceri sighed. “The other bit of bad news was that the elf noticed me scrying and managed to overpower me. Doing that alone, while I was channeling the spell with the trolls, means she’s way more powerful than any elf I’ve ever met. Kind of like a sorcerer is more powerful than a solitary witch.”
“Illya did say the magic she used to kill Laurel was corrupt. Maybe she’s some kind of elf sorcerer,” Tommy suggested.
“It’s looking like that might be accurate,” Ceri agreed.
Amber picked a black olive off her piece of pizza with a scowl. “How’d the meeting with the MIB agents go, Gen?”
Genevieve grabbed a third piece of pizza. “Horan is bad news. He spent the whole time trying to unsettle me. He even shoved a picture of Siobhan in my face with…” she waved her hand in front of her eyes, “just to upset me I think.”
Ceri shoved her plate away, looking like she’d lost her appetite. Derek put his hand on her thigh under the table and she leaned against his arm.
“However, his partner doesn’t seem to be on the same page with him. They might be playing us but I think the tension I sensed there is real. And I think we can use it.”
Amber nodded. “Horan is definitely up to no good. Tommy and I searched the murder scene today––”
“You did what?” Genevieve demanded, her voice cracking in outrage.
“We were careful. And I’m glad we did, because while we were there Horan showed up and planted some evidence. You still have it Tommy?”
He nodded and pulled out the flower. “It’s broken off something else. No clue what. I thought he’d be planting something to frame Amber. This has got to be for someone else though.”
Genevieve got up and walked over, taking it from his hand. “A keychain. With a flower.”
“What?” he asked, completely confused.
“As we were walking away I heard Agent Icewind asking Horan if he’d seen her keychain. One with a flower in it. She’d apparently lost it.”
“Wait, he’s framing his partner for the murder?” This was completely unexpected.
“That’s what he meant by ‘his problem’ when he was talking on the phone,” Amber said, dropping her pizza on her plate. “Remember? When he was on the phone he said ‘I’m dealing with my problem, you deal with yours’. Maybe Icewind is getting in the way of whatever agreement he has with Carter.”
“We have to warn her somehow,” Ceri said quietly, still looking pale.
“I agree, but since we’ve thwarted Horan’s plan to frame her, I think we
need to wait and see how he reacts before we tell her,” Genevieve said, looking over at Amber. “We need a way to get Icewind on our side and get her help. I think we’ll need a way to prove Horan is out to get her before she’ll fully trust us.”
Tommy sighed. “If Deward is connected to the person that murdered Laurel like we think, we also need to find him before the MIB solves the murder. If they ever do with the way Kadrithan tracked blood everywhere.”
“I need to confirm that with him, just in case there is someone else involved we don’t know about,” Amber said, picking at the crust of her pizza absently.
They’d learned a lot today but were left with more questions than answers. As usual.
His mind went to the book he’d found in Thallan’s tower. Part of him didn’t want to admit he’d been in there snooping around, but he knew he had to tell the others. Too much was at stake to be keeping secrets.
“There’s something else I need to show you guys. I’ll be right back.” He hurried up to his room and grabbed the book. It still stunk of sulfur and black magic.
Ceri stiffened immediately when he walked back into the dining room. “Where did you get that?”
“You’re not allowed to get bent out of shape about where I got it,” Tommy said firmly. “We need to know more about the history between angels and demons so we can figure out what’s going on.”
Ceri sighed. “You stole it from Thallan’s house, didn’t you?”
No one had seen him. He was sure of it. Ceri would have dragged him away from Thallan’s house by his ear if she’d suspected anything. “How’d you know?”
“You don’t have a car. It had to be from somewhere pretty close.”
He shrugged and nodded. “It was up in that tower thrown in a corner, so he probably won’t even notice it’s missing.”
“What’s in it?” Amber asked.
“Tons of old black magic spells.” He flipped it open to the back and handed it to Ceri. “And instructions on how to summon a demon. I’m guessing this is how he summoned Kadrithan and got the mark.”
Ceri frowned at the old book as she read the spell. “I’ll copy down this spell, but then I’m burning this.”
“That bad?” Derek asked with a chuckle.
“It’s disgusting and dangerous in the wrong hands. So yes, that bad.”
“The important part is one of the warnings with the summoning spell.” He walked around to Ceri’s side and pointed out the paragraph. “It basically says anyone with a demon mark should be more worried about the ‘Great Deceivers’ than the demons.”
“There’s someone worse than the demons out there?” Amber asked skeptically.
He shrugged. “Bad enough some black magic witches left a warning about them.”
Ceri drummed her fingers against the page. “This is really old. They could have been referring to any number of things, even another coven. Witches can be a little…dramatic sometimes.”
“Or they could be talking about the angels,” he suggested quietly.
“That’s a stretch, Tommy,” Ceri said tiredly. “I know you think the angels are up to no good, and honestly I’m starting to agree, but this doesn’t prove anything.”
“I’ll keep looking. Maybe Deward’s family will know something. Kadrithan did suggest the trolls were more reliable historians.”
Ceri nodded. “I’m visiting them again tomorrow. I can ask.”
“I want to come with you.”
“It’ll have to be after your meeting with the MIB agents,” Genevieve interrupted.
He covered his face with a groan. He’d forgotten about that. “Are you sure I can’t skip it?”
Genevieve snorted. “That wouldn’t look suspicious at all.”
He stared at the leftover pizza sullenly, his skin crawling with irritation. “I’m going to go for a run.”
“I’ll go with you,” Genevieve volunteered, surprising him. She hesitated at his expression. “If that’s okay?”
“Yeah, company would be nice.” Normally, he’d want to just be alone, but the wolf craved the comfort of pack. Genevieve was also the least likely to pry. She understood the need to just run and forget about the real world for a little bit.
Chapter 39
Amber
They needed dirt on Carter, and Amber had an idea how they might be able to find some on short notice. However, this was one trip she was making alone. There was no way she ever letting any of the pack near Bram if she could help it.
Visiting the old bat wasn’t exactly her idea of a good time, but sacrifices had to be made. In this case, her blood. And her mental well-being.
She’d let Genevieve know where she was going and why she needed to see Bram alone. Her beta hadn’t been happy about it but had agreed it was the best way to approach the vampire.
Turning down the narrow road, she spotted the old, brick building the vampire lived in. The same guard was standing near the chain link fence. Hopefully he remembered her, or this might be a very short visit.
She rolled down her window as she came to a stop and leaned her head out with a smile. “Hello again.”
The vampire pushed back his hood as he approached, returning her smile. His yellow eyes reflected back the light of her headlights for a moment until he passed the hood of her truck. “Shane’s friend, welcome back. What brings you here today?”
“I’d like to talk to Bram, if he’s available.”
The vampire looked over his shoulder and she heard someone say something, but couldn’t make out what over the rumble of the diesel engine.
“You’re in luck, he is. Go ahead.”
The gate slid open and she drove through, parking in the same open spot as last time. There was a different guard at the door this time but they let her through without comment, seeming completely uninterested in who she was or what she was doing here.
As she walked in, the sickening smell of blood hit her just as hard as it had the last time. She ground her teeth together and forced herself to keep walking. Shane wasn’t here to distract her, something she was already beginning to regret. He would have come if she had asked. This whole going-it-alone thing might backfire horribly.
The only light inside the old building came from the TV. A couple of people were sprawled out on one of the couches scattered throughout the room watching it or snoring.
She paused at the top of the stairs that led to the basement. Bram was willing to see her but that didn’t mean he’d actually help her. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the stairs.
The door at the bottom opened immediately and Bram smiled up at her, shirtless, just like last time. His pale eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. “Welcome back, Amber.”
“Thank you for seeing me,” she said politely.
He grinned at her, his sharp incisors making it look more menacing than friendly. “Of course, any friend of Shane’s is always welcome here. Please, come in.” He stepped back and waved her inside.
She nodded and jogged down the last couple of steps. The room was just as she remembered. Those creepy paintings covered the walls. The ones that wouldn’t fit were stacked in corners or still propped up on blood-spattered easels.
“What brings you here today? Or are you here simply to have your portrait done again?” he asked hopefully.
“I figured a portrait was part of the deal,” she said carefully.
“It does foster a sense of…generosity in me,” he said, waving his hands with a dramatic flourish.
“Before we start, I did have one question. Just something I’ve been curious about, if you don’t mind answering.”
He nodded as he grabbed a fresh canvas, setting it on an easel. “Go ahead, you’ve peaked my interest.”
“Did you know Selena Blackwood was helping the sorcerer?”
“I suspected many things and had proof of none.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
He paused, meeting her eyes. “I gave you what you came to me for. Nothing more,
nothing less.”
She shoved her hands in her pockets with a sigh. “Right.”
“Would you like to draw the blood yourself again?” he asked, gesturing to the draw kit already laid out on the table.
“Definitely.” She sat down and opened up the supplies she needed. She wasn’t nearly as nervous last time. The shock of what Bram did had worn off. It was definitely weird, but so was turning into a wolf. She could handle weird.
Amber slid the needle in, relieved she got it on the first try. It had been a while since she’d drawn blood. Other than her last visit, it was longer than she wanted to think about.
“What brings you to my lair today?” Bram asked, pupils dilating at the first squirt of blood into the tube.
“Alpha Jason Carter.” She readied the next tube. It was filling quickly because of her rapid heartbeat. Maybe she wasn’t as calm as she thought. “Someone is paying him to give false evidence to the MIB in an attempt to prove my pack was involved with the sorcerer that created the no-magic zones around here.”
“That isn’t very nice,” Bram said, sounding amused.
She switched the tubes out. He picked up the first one and held it up to the light, rolling it back and forth to watch the blood cling to the sides.
“No, it isn’t. Anyhow, I need to discredit him. Or find something on him that I can use to get him to stop.” She resisted to urge to snatch the tube back before he started making out with it or something equally disturbing. “I know he’s done something he shouldn’t have. A guy with an ego that big will have screwed up, probably in a big way. I don’t have a lot of time to find out how. Can you help me?”
Bram swayed in rhythm with her heartbeat. “I could.”
She ground her teeth together, willing herself to stay calm, but her increased heartbeat gave away her irritation. “Why do I feel a but coming?”
“I doubt I could find what you need in time to help you.” He collected the tubes and rose from the chair opposite her. “And to be frank, which I do think you prefer, you can’t afford me. The blood gets you a meeting but it does not pay for what you’re asking. The risk is too great.”
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