by Nova Nelson
Right. There was that. With Malavic, you always had to read between the lines. Sometimes his lies were malicious, but more often they were committed purely to break up his eternal boredom.
“Leonardo, if you didn’t murder your uncle, I don’t want you to go down for it. I’ll help you, but I need to know everything. I’ve gone into dangerous situations with just half of the information before, and it’s only through sheer luck that I haven’t been killed. I don’t want to do that again.”
His gaze flitted to his fiancée, then he quickly said, “I’ve told you all I know.”
“Right, then.” I finished my coffee, grabbed the rest of my croissant, and made to leave.
“Nora?” His voice was softer now.
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell Donovan about the money. Please.”
Serena reached over and rubbed his back as she gazed down at his pleading face.
“I won’t.”
Oh boy. I didn’t feel great about keeping a crucial bit of information from Donovan, but what was I supposed to do? This poor guy didn’t want to bring about family shame, and I could hardly blame him. And, admittedly, Donovan was more likely to see Leonardo’s financial situation as ammunition against his brother than a reason for them to come together.
“I’d better get out of your hair,” I said. Really, though, I was just eager to get to Sheehan’s and continue the investigation… with a cold beer.
Leonardo nodded but stayed where he was while Serena jumped up to walk me to the door. “Before you go, Jasmine and I are planning on a ladies’ spa day before I leave town, and we’d love if you could join us.”
I nodded politely, pretending she hadn’t just invited me to my nightmare. “Sure. Just let me know when.”
“Tomorrow,” she said.
“Oh.” The plan had sounded more like the kind people talked about in a vague way but never followed through with. At least that’s what I’d been hoping for. “Well, I have to work in the mornings.”
Her smooth face wilted into a frown. “Oh. I understand. Maybe we could move it to the evening.”
Fangs and claws… I couldn’t believe what I was about to say. “No, it’s fine. I can take the day off. I’ll just have someone cover for me.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah, no big deal.” It was a big deal. When was the last time I’d just taken a day off? People at work would think I was sick and dying.
She made a little squeaky sound and threw her arms around me. With her mouth right next to my ear, she added, “It means so much to me to get to know Leonardo’s family.”
“Well, I’m not actually family, but—”
She pulled back, but her hands remained on my shoulders. “Not yet.” Then she winked.
“Eh, okay.” I gave her a little nod and then slipped out the door.
A little nudge with the toe of my boot and Grim woke with a snort and lumbered to his feet.
My eyes struggled to adjust to the relative dimness of the hallway, and I kept a hand out to my right to make sure I didn’t walk into the wall while I made for the staircase.
“Find out anything good?”
“Leonardo is a bad liar, Serena is an even worse one, and now I get to have a conversation with Count Malavic.” I reached in my pocket and pulled out the last half of the croissant that I’d shoved in there. “For your trouble.”
Grim put it down in one bite. No chewing. And I remembered why I never fed him bread. “That’s gonna plug you up like a wine cork.”
“No idea what you’re talking about. Hellhounds easily digest anything.”
We’d see about that later.
It was full twilight when I stepped outside. The moon was already up, and the magic street lamps glowed down the lane. But in this part of town, they were few and far between.
I hardly made it three steps before the wave of paranoia hit me. It was like my Insight punching me in the gut.
Something was watching me.
I snuck a glance at Grim, and his hackles were up, too.
“You feel that?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Play it cool.”
I stuck my fists into my coat pockets, feeling instinctively for my wand, and tried to act casual. After all, it could be nothing. Eastwind was a small, often boring town. Sometimes there was nothing to do besides watching people from your window or porch. Maybe it was just something like that I was sensing.
But the streets seemed deserted as I surveyed covertly as possible. A few more paces, and I heard it off to my right. Foot steps. I yanked my head around, half expecting something to be running straight at me, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
What I did see wasn’t exactly comforting, though.
Grim growled low and deep.
In the shadows between the inn and the building next to it, where I could have sworn I’d seen a hellhound the day before, stood a tall figure. All I could make out was the silhouette, and it was impossible to tell if the bulk was on the person or loose clothing. There was something about it that chilled me to my core. Some energy that seemed especially deadly, but also… empty. I don’t know how to explain it. The shadow struck me as some sort of evil black hole. And I had no desire to get sucked into it.
But it appeared to be watching us.
“Can I help you?” I said, hoping my anxiety didn’t show in my voice.
There was no reply, and the shadow didn’t move.
“Do you smell anything?” I asked.
“No. We’re upwind of it.”
“But you saw that, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
The fact that Grim seemed alarmed was both comforting and disturbing. On the one hand, at least it wasn’t just me who felt like this thing was extra bad news, but on the other… Grim usually loved danger. And yet this was too extreme for him. We’d gone into the Deadwoods together. Twice! He grew up there and returned every chance he could!
The thing moved, and I nearly took off in the other direction. Conveniently, though, my feet didn’t want to move. The shadow turned and stomped off down the alley and behind the inn.
“Should we follow it?” I asked.
“Be my guest.”
I considered it. “I think I’d rather pretend I didn’t see anything.”
“I can get on board with that.”
“No one ever finds out about this,” I said. “I can’t have them thinking I’m a coward.”
“I’ll take it to the grave if you do.”
So it was settled then. We both hurried up the road and away from the Ram’s Head.
It was the strangest thing, though. While I didn’t know what that thing was (and part of me was more than ready to pretend both Grim and I had let our imagination run away with us in the exact same way), I wasn’t completely in the dark. Because I had a strange suspicion that the figure was there to keep an eye on me. And what was more, I almost had the impression that it was a ghost.
Chapter Twelve
As usual, Grim refused to set foot on the unidentifiably sticky floor of Sheehan’s and decided to wait outside, despite the freezing weather and occasional flurries. His fur was plenty to keep him warm, and I wasn’t exactly sad that he wouldn’t be tracking any of the pub’s muck into Ruby’s house and, more specifically, my bedroom.
Malavic seemed to be having a grand old time when I entered. He hovered on one end of the scufflepuck table next to Landon Hawker and across from Grace Merryweather and Ted on the other side. Grace and Ted took turns sliding the exploding pucks down the long runway. She must have made a good shot, because Landon cheered and Malavic nodded and arched a brow in vague approval. Ted’s hood slumped.
“Nora!” said Grace when she spotted me.
“Hey, Grace. Landon. Ted.”
“What am I, invisible?” said Malavic.
“I was getting to you. In fact, I came to have a word.”
He looked at the others and said, “Uh-oh, looks like I’m in trouble.”
>
“You’re not,” I said flatly.
He smirked. “Ah. Then you must be in need of a little male attention. What, that Stringfellow boy not cutting it anymore? Need someone less broody?”
“If you think you’re less broody than anyone in this town,” I said, “then you clearly don’t know what the word means.” I nodded toward a small open table for two on the other side of the room. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”
He chuckled. “You can’t afford what I’m drinking. Besides, I’ve already bought the whole bottle.”
“Sorry to steal him from you, folks,” I said, addressing the others. “I promise you’ll get to enjoy his wonderful company in just a few short minutes.”
“Is something going on?” Landon asked, stepping closer. “Is this about Giovanni’s murder?” His eyes lit up, and I guessed he was already imagining how he would organize his mind map on the chalkboard at his office.
“Sort of,” I said. When that didn’t pacify him, I added, “I think it will be pretty simple, but I’ll fill you in after, and if it gets complicated, I’ll come see you immediately.”
That was good enough for him, and he grinned and nodded before stepping back. Of course, it was already complicated, wasn’t it? I could definitely use his brain on it—because what a brain it was—but it didn’t seem right. I knew firsthand how much this sort of obsession could take time away from everything else in life, and so long as he had a pregnant girlfriend and a full-time job in the Catacombs, I might as well save him from himself by keeping him off the case. That’s what friends did for each other, and it was really a shame I didn’t have anyone to do that for me.
Once Malavic had refreshed his wine and brought me over a glass, even though I’d asked for beer, he sat across from me at the rickety table and waited patiently, silently studying my face like it was a particularly clever joke.
I took a little sip of the wine and instantly regretted it.
Holy hellhound, it was good stuff. Ugh. Why did the one person in town who could have qualified as a sommelier have to be the one person who was the most impossible to be around? If only Malavic wasn’t such a jerk and wasn’t a vampire and didn’t seem to have a connection to everything in town that went horribly wrong…
I opened my mouth to speak, and he said, “It’s good, right?”
“It’s fine,” I snapped. “I don’t want to keep you, so let’s get straight to why I’m here.”
“You found out that I am Leonardo’s alibi and you have zero faith in Manchester’s ability to do a thorough job, so you’ve come to interview me yourself.” He grinned. “Am I close?”
Ooh… if I knew how to do any useful magic, he would’ve been so hexed. “Something like that.”
“I suspect that because of your bumbling romance with Donovan, you feel obligated to defend his family. But the deputy is under different obligations. His only job is to find a killer, whether that’s the elder Stringfellow boy or not. And in that, I suspect the two of you part ways on this particular case.”
“Oh, you’re so insightful,” I said bitterly.
“And what exactly did Leonardo claim he and I talked about?”
“I would rather you tell me what you two talked about first.”
He inhaled deeply through his nose, leaning back and staring at the air above my head as if struggling to remember something that had happened just the day before. “I can’t fully recall.”
“Is that what you told Stu?”
“I can’t recall that, either.”
I gripped my wine tight before remembering I was in the presence of a vampire, and drawing blood on shattered glass wouldn’t help things along. “Why are you being difficult?”
He chuckled and swilled his red. “Because it’s so much fun! I wish you could see your face. You’re a beautiful woman, Nora, but you’re even more beautiful when you’re flushed with anger. A rare trait, and a precious one. Nothing to spice up a dull situation like an irate woman. The unpredictability of it is really what gets my blood pumping… so to speak.”
If he enjoying seeing me worked up, then I would just have to calm down.
I don’t want to strangle him… I don’t want to strangle him…
Nope, not convincing myself. So instead, I tilted back the rest of my drink. Of course, adding alcohol to the situation was always a crap shoot. I could either become more relaxed or more combatant. It was anyone’s guess. And maybe that’s what made it fun.
“Fine, you don’t have to tell me. And I won’t tell you about the person watching me from the shadows earlier.”
I saw it, that small glimmer of intrigue pass over his pale face. “Are you telling me, Nora, that there’s someone threatening my second favorite Fifth Wind?”
“Second favorite?”
“Of course. Ruby and I go way back.” He winked.
“I don’t want to know.”
“Don’t worry. We were only ever friends.”
“I said I don’t want—”
“With benefits.”
I cringed. “Goes to show even the smartest women can have a complete breakdown of good judgment. And for the record, I’m not entirely convinced you didn’t hypnotize her.”
“Oh please, you can’t deny I have a certain irresistible app—”
“Hold. On.” I pointed a finger at him, narrowing my eyes as the realization hit me. “You just said ‘friends with benefits.’ You shouldn’t know that term. That’s a term from my world. And a relatively new one. I’m absolutely sure I haven’t used it since I’ve come here because I hate it. And I definitely haven’t said it to you.”
He looked at me like the wine might have shot straight to my brain. “First of all, how do you know that phrase didn’t originate here a long time ago and then spread to your world? Secondly, how do you know I didn’t hear it from Eva? She and your boy toy were, after all, friends with benefits before they began dating officially.”
I blinked. “What? Really?”
“Oh yes. They thought they were very sneaky about it, but I saw when they left the bar together, one a minute or two ahead of the other to keep from drawing suspicion. I suspect she was less concerned about people knowing, but he clearly thought it would ruin his chances with you. Funny how life turns out.”
I didn’t see the humor. “You’re trying to steer this off course, and I’m not going to let you. What did you talk with Leonardo about when you saw him yesterday?”
At this, Malavic sighed heavily and gestured vaguely in the air as he answered. “What does anyone discuss with that man? He’s so tedious. He spent most of the conversation talking about life in Avalon like I gave two fangs about it. I’m pretty sure he was lying for most of it, especially the parts where he talked about being successful. His business isn’t the big hit he makes it out to be, you know.”
“I do.”
“Then you should be able to guess what the conversation was about.”
“I have an idea. Did he say why he needed money?”
The count hesitated just a moment longer than seemed natural, and I could practically smell the lies, diversions, and manipulations brewing. Unfortunately, at this point, I couldn’t tell if the corner of his thin lips actually ticked minutely upward or if the wine had my mind embellishing things.
“He’s got that fiancée, don’t you know?” Malavic rolled his eyes. “Wouldn’t shut up about her, either. He imagines they’ll live happily ever after. Ha! An elf and a witch.”
“What’s wrong with that? The Bouquets are an elf and a werewolf.”
“Yes, but can you imagine her position? He’ll grow old and die before her eyes, and she’ll still have hundreds of years to live on.”
“True, but—”
“At least you’re smart enough to only date witches.”
I didn’t appreciate what he was implying. “It’s not that I only date witches. It’s that the two men I’ve dated happen to be witches.”
The corner of his lip switched—there wa
s no mistaking it this time—and he sipped his wine to poorly hide the smile. “Sure,” he said. “You keep telling yourself that. But perhaps deep down you know how unwise it is for a short-lifer like you to fall for someone with real longevity or, worse, immortality. Very unpleasant to imagine them moving on once you’ve died. And imagine all the insecurity that goes along with growing old and frail while they remain spry and youthful. The odds of infidelity become astronomical.”
“You’re getting off topic again,” I said.
“Am I?”
“Yes. You are. Did you and Leonardo talk about anything else that might have been of interest?”
“I’ve already said everything that could be of real use.”
I grunted a little and hoped he didn’t hear. But I suspected he had. Malavic seemed to have extra sensitive hearing. He was rumored to be able to hear someone’s pulse across a crowded room. The thought made me shiver.
“Thanks… I guess.”
“I think it’s only fair that you answer one question for me now that I’ve been so incredibly helpful in your amateur investigation.”
I scoffed, but said, “Fine. Fire away.”
He leaned over the table, his eyes locking onto mine, and I felt truly entranced. I don’t think there was anything particularly magical to it, but I couldn’t be sure.
“If you knew that there was a way to be with your pretty boy Tanner again without causing any harm to Eastwind, would you do it?”
“Of course I would,” I hissed, feeling every drop of blood as it rushed to my face. And, of course, I regretted it the instant the words poured out of my mouth. Giving Malavic that sort of ammunition for the next time he wanted to sow discord between Donovan and me was beyond stupid. I tried to recover with, “But that’s impossible, so why even worry about it?”
“Possible or impossible is irrelevant to the question. You’re telling me you would drop that poor, pining Stringfellow to run back to your beloved West Wind if you had the chance?”
I paused. Would I? “It’s complicated.”
“You know I love complicated.”
“I wouldn’t just drop Donovan.”