Thaddeus hissed at her. “Are you threatening me?”
“No,” she declared. She gave him a long moment to respond, then shrugged, turned, and started toward the door, gesturing for the others to leave.
“I don’t know where she is,” Thaddeus said in an exasperated rush.
Chris posed for me with her hands on her hips and wearing a victorious smile, then turned back to him.
“She advised me to leave because people would soon start looking for me.”
“Was she taken by force or did she leave willingly?” Chris asked.
“My mother is stronger than most people realize, but greedier than I care to ever admit or understand. I believe self-preservation is what drives her absence, and possibly a very good payoff.”
“If she is in any way responsible for the attacks on the vampires and were-animals, then you will get the gifts you’ve desired.”
Upon the death of a demon, as with witches, the eldest child inherited the parent’s gifts. Thaddeus repressed a smile. “Contrary to what you may believe, I would rather have my mother safe at home than her gifts.”
“If she isn’t willingly involved, then you will get that wish, but if she is, then you will get your true desires,” Chris stated, then turned toward me. I stepped aside as she emerged, with Josh and Sky in tow, then reached inside to grasp the door handle, giving Thaddeus a hard scowl before closing it.
Josh and Skylar walked a few feet behind us on the trail. With no need for stealth, we made good time toward the vehicles.
“This was pointless,” I said softly. “His issues with his mother have nothing to do with the pack.”
“She’s on the run,” Chris answered softly, confident. “If you trust the little wolf’s sense of smell, there is a connection between the Tre’ase and the creatures. And if a Tre’ase is involved, it will be Gloria. At the least, she knows something she wants to keep hidden.”
“Then you should’ve pressed your point with Thaddeus, instead of letting him off the hook.”
She sighed. “He doesn’t have his mother’s power to change, which means she’s alive. You saw how he looks. He’s not going anywhere. If he knows anything, he knows how to contact me.”
She hurried her step to get a few paces ahead of me. The rest of the walk was quiet. After a few minutes, the vehicles were in sight when I heard a sudden rustling in the bushes to my right. Chris stopped and turned, drawing her pistol as the tall, thick bushes began to shake and rattle. I crouched into a defensive stance, gesturing for Josh and Sky to get behind me as two misshapen humanoid creatures pushed through the thick foliage, groaning and hissing with the effort. They were similar to the creature that had attacked me at the gas station, with hooked claws at the end of thick, massive arms, but these had crooked fangs. Their features were twisted, incomplete as they seemed to slowly morph before our eyes.
Chris tossed me a knife from her thigh sheath as we backed away from the creatures that stumbled toward us, hooked claws raised. Without a word, we separated, drawing our creatures apart and away from the others. It had been a long time since we’d fought together, but all the right instincts came back to the surface. I dodged a clumsy swipe, slashing unsuccessfully at the creature’s arm on the counterattack. A shot rang out next to me. I risked a glance to find Chris backing away from her creature while seemingly staying just within reach of its claws, despite having her pistol drawn. A wild look came over her as she lowered the pistol from the creature’s chest to its stomach and fired once more. The creature continued to advance on her, barely registering the shock of the bullet, driving her toward a thick cluster of bushes. Did she see the danger? It swiped at her. She stepped back just enough to escape the creature’s claws—she was taunting it, with no idea she was backing into a trap.
“Move!” I shouted at her, barely dodging another rake of claws from the creature before me. I sliced its arms twice in quick succession, then sidestepped, pulling it even farther from the others, and giving me an easier vantage of Chris’s fight. Blood seeped from the wounds, but the creature didn’t seem to notice.
Behind it, I saw Chris back into the bushes and stop. She smiled mischievously as the creature raised its claws to strike, this time in easy range. She raised the pistol to aim at the creature’s face, then waited until the last possible moment before firing. The bullet struck the creature in the eye. Its head snapped back in a spray of blood as it stumbled back a step. Not a mortal wound, but it hesitated, its breathing ragged. Chris went for a knife.
I barely dodged an upward swing from my creature that would’ve slit my torso from pelvis to throat. A second blow followed. I ducked under the swipe to the creature’s flank and stabbed several times in quick succession, searching for something vital. As it turned to stop me, I slipped around the creature’s back and sliced the right Achilles tendon. The creature fell to one knee, collapsing with a groan. Grasping one of the horns, I yanked its head back, reached around with the knife to slice its neck, but the creature disappeared.
I turned to Chris to find her creature had disappeared as well.
“What was that?” she asked Josh. He appeared just as bewildered.
“That wasn’t a demon,” he answered. “They don’t have powers like that. Most of them look scarier than they actually are, possessing minimal magical skill, defensive tricks that aren’t strong enough to stop an inferior were-animal. And those gifted with the ability to change their appearance have mated so much with humans that their magic has been diluted to the point it is negligible. Whatever those were, they possess abilities greater than anything I have seen. When injured, most of us cannot travel.” He glanced about the grass, presumably looking for some trace of the creatures, but they were entirely gone. Not even their blood remained.
“We should leave,” I said.
Chris nodded, as did Sky.
“I need to go back to the house to do some research, Chris,” Josh said as he climbed into his Jeep Wrangler. “Should I contact you or Demetrius if we find anything?”
“Call me,” she answered, acknowledging a look from me. Demetrius coveted power. To him, Josh was just another witch, and I intended to keep it that way. The last thing I needed was for Demetrius to take a special interest in my brother’s abilities.
I stopped her from getting into the BMW. “What part of me telling you to stay back didn’t you understand?” I demanded.
“Just the telling part,” she answered coolly. “The rest I ignored.”
“Demetrius’s blood doesn’t make you invincible. What you did was reckless and amateurish. If you want to work with us, you won’t do anything like that again. Do you understand me? You let yourself get cornered. If your shot had failed, you’d be dead right now. Is that what you want? Because if you have some kind of death wish …” I trailed off as she rolled her eyes, sliding into the BMW and then starting the engine. My fists clenched as she put the car into gear, then forced me to jump out of the way as she drove off without giving me a second look.
Fuming, I climbed into the backseat of the Wrangler.
“Did you two lovers have a quarrel?” Josh chided me, ignoring my glower. “I can’t believe it. You two usually get along so well.”
“Just drive the damn car,” I growled.
He put the Jeep into gear, muttering, “Maybe this time you two will learn it can’t work and stay out of each other’s beds.”
CHAPTER 6
I spent the ride home fuming in the back of Josh’s Wrangler. I had enough to worry about without worrying about Chris. After Josh and Sky dropped me off, I poured myself a Scotch, sat at the kitchen counter, then called my private detective.
“Dennis McDuffy,” he answered optimistically.
“It’s Ethan.”
Silence, then he said begrudgingly, “Okay.”
“Time to earn your retainer. I hope you’re as good as you think you are.” I gave him Chris’s name, the description of her car, and a rough idea of where to start looking. “You
’re going to spend the next couple of days following her—from a discreet distance. Text me the address for everywhere she stops. She stops at a gas station, I want to know which one. She meets anyone, I want a description. Photos would be preferable.”
“What exactly am I getting into?”
“Your job. I should warn you, she’s not to be underestimated. If you do get caught, I suggest you give her my name before she beats it out of you.”
“Okay,” he said tightly, clearly wishing he’d never met me. Was he smart enough to plant a GPS device on her BMW and track her from a distance? Consider this a test.
I gave him my number, then hung up and called Dr. Baker. When he didn’t answer his cell, I called the line in the retreat clinic. He answered immediately, but I didn’t like the news. Joan, Winter, and Marko remained in danger, as did the dozens of other pack members who had been severely injured during the attack. The poison continued to inhibit their natural healing abilities. Dr. Baker had exhausted his sources, and still the poison remained a mystery.
I hung up and checked my messages. Still no answer from Artemis, which was unusual. Not much happened among the local supernaturals without her catching some wind of it, either beforehand or after the fact. Not everything she learned was reliable, but that never stopped her from selling every bit of information she had, which was why her sudden absence bothered me. Word was out about the attack on the pack and the Seethe. For Artemis, that should’ve been a bonanza. I should be hearing from her hourly, trying to sell me every rumor she could scrounge up. Did she know about the attack in advance? More than likely she could’ve sold such a warning twice—to me and to Demetrius. She knew I paid well and would protect her as my source. Had she gone into hiding, or was her scarcity merely a coincidence? I didn’t believe in coincidences.
I considered calling Josh and having him put out the word at the club, which she liked to frequent, but I would be betraying her confidence in doing so. If word got out that she was dealing with the Midwest Pack, some of her sources would clam up. I needed another way to find her.
Stacy, my paralegal at the law firm, answered her cell phone after a few rings. “Hey, I’m still researching the contract for the Quantis Corp account. I just need a few more—”
“I’ve got something else for you.”
“Oh,” she said, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Lay it on me.”
“Artemis Hendricks. She sometimes uses the name Valerie Stein.” And probably other names.
There was a long pause, both of us apparently waiting for the other.
“And?” she asked expectantly.
“What else do you need?”
“A birthdate would be amazing,” she declared.
“I don’t have that.”
She sighed. “You want me to work another miracle, don’t you? Well, if she’s on social media, I can probably hack a profile, get her personal information, then access her credit report and branch out from there. You have a number?” I gave it to her. “An e-mail address or two would be even more amazing.”
I gave her one. “Drop everything else. No breaks. If you need food, coffee, whatever, use my corporate card. Order in. If anyone hassles you, tell them to call me.”
“What is she?” she asked, lowering her voice even further. “Is she a vamp? A werewolf?” She gasped. “Are werewolves real?” Stacy had no idea what I was. She just knew I was tapped into the supernatural world, and I paid in cash.
I ended the call without answering, finished my Scotch, picked up the keys to my SUV, and left. By design, I knew little about Artemis’s personal life, but I had met her at Grant Park more than once, and she’d spoken of other parks and their gardens with an intimate knowledge. Most likely she plied her trade at nightspots, where people drank and lost track of their secrets, but night was hours away. The chances of happening on her in a park in the afternoon were slim, but until Stacy found me a lead, it was the only chance I had. After an afternoon of wandering Grant Park, Lincoln Park, and the other prominent parks of Chicago, I had nothing to show for my efforts but a fuming temper. Dinnertime came and went. I moved on from restaurants to bars, checking anyplace I even suspected was frequented by supernaturals. By nine, I was ready to start a fight in a biker bar, just to vent my frustrations, when Stacy finally called.
“Tell me,” I answered.
“Hiya, chief. So, you wanted a miracle. Boy, did I come through this time. Hint. Hint.”
“Stacy.”
“This chick knows how to get off the grid. That other name you gave me led to other names that led to other names, but none of them have addresses or social media profiles, so I went back to the start, to Artemis Hendricks. You want to know how I found her?”
“Give me the address.”
“She has a library account.”
I sighed. “She would’ve used a fake address.”
“Not if she wants to read the books she has delivered. Regularly. Apparently she has a thing for parks and gardens—coffee table shit.”
“Tell me.”
Fifteen minutes later I was in front of a small, rundown rambler in the suburbs. The drawn curtains appeared old and faded, and the interior was dark. I walked around the house, noting the disrepair. Siding was cracked and in some cases missing. The rain gutters were swollen with leaves. A kitchen curtain was partially drawn. Inside the kitchen seemed clean and orderly, but then I noticed a lack of countertop appliances. No dishes in the sink. No hand towels hanging from the stove or refrigerator doors. No magnets or taped notes on the refrigerator. Nothing at all to give the impression that somebody actually lived there. I walked back to the front and checked the mailbox. Empty. I scowled. Artemis used the house as a postal drop. Given enough time, I would find her here, but I didn’t have the luxury.
I walked off the porch to my SUV, my eyes sweeping the neighborhood. For all I know she’s right here on this block, and I’d never find her. At first, I didn’t even notice the wall of thick privacy shrubs across the street and three lots to my left. The shrubs, at least seven feet tall, seemed to visually blend into a dense copse of trees beyond the wall of greenery, providing a form of camouflage. A chimney rose directly behind the shrubs, indicating a house on the other side—a peculiar arrangement considering the rest of the open, well-manicured neighborhood. I crossed the street, glancing about once more to make sure I wasn’t being watched. The privacy hedge formed a square around the house. The only gate was at the back, and tightly fitted into the shrub that grew over the top of it. I opened the gate slowly, wary of a telltale creak, but it opened smoothly. On the other side of the shrubbery appeared to be an intricate, well-groomed garden with a sandstone path that led to the back door and wound around both sides of the house. From inside, I could hear cheerful pop music.
I followed the path to the front door. The light, patterned curtains were drawn, but I could see a figure walking about. I paused and took a breath to calm myself. She was in hiding, which meant she knew something dangerous. What and why, I was going to discover one way or another, but I didn’t think Artemis was likely to tell me the truth if she felt threatened. When I closed my eyes, I saw Marko and Winter and Joan slowly dying in the clinic at the retreat.
I knocked three times on the door with the bottom of my fist—solid, undeniable thumps. For a moment, nothing happened, then I heard footsteps crossing the front room and the music stopped. In the ensuing silence, I heard the rapid beat of a single, anxious heart. She’s alone. Good. The footsteps grew softer as she crept to the door, then I saw a shadow pass over the peephole.
“Why are you here?” Artemis asked, her soft voice shaking slightly. She knew why. She was just buying time, but for what? “No one knows where my home is. How did you find me?”
“Open the door,” I commanded gently. After a short silence, I added, “If you don’t, I will break it.”
A moment later, I heard the thump of a door bolt, followed by two more, then the door slowly opened to reveal
Artemis. I had only met her in person once before, when I’d first made contact. Since then, she’d preferred we kept our distance in order not to taint her reputation. She was younger than I remembered—early twenties, I thought—most likely because the wariness in her cognac eyes spoke to a lifetime of hustling. Though she kept her history a closely held secret, I suspected she had spent time on the street from a young age. Her hair was brighter than I remembered, copper with symmetrical layers of loose waves that framed her fair, heart-shaped face. She held the door cautiously, her body turned in case she needed to dash toward the back of the house. Her right arm was hidden behind the door. I could see by the stiffness in her shoulder that she was holding something there.
I sighed and held out my hand. “Give me the weapon.”
She scrutinized me, weighing the chances that I meant her harm. I didn’t. Reluctantly, she stepped back from the door and handed me a baseball bat with a dozen or so nails partially hammered into the business end. After examining the bat, I returned it to her, catching her somewhat off guard.
“May I come in?”
Uncertain at first, she leaned the bat against the wall and backed farther into the entryway. I scraped my boots on the porch before entering and gently closed the door behind me. The house was small and cozy, and full of bookshelves filled with eclectic personal treasures. Each curiosity told a story, I suspected.
“How did you find me?” she asked again, worried.
“No matter how hard a person tries to hide, they can never hide from their compulsions.” I pointed to a stack of library books on her coffee table. “I suggest you purchase your books from here on. In person. Rotate which stores you use, and times of day you shop.”
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