Chapter 9
WE WAITED OUT the storm at Sandy’s. The wind clipped along at a good forty miles an hour sustained, and the gusts had to be sixty to seventy, as predicted. Alex brought us all warm blankets to curl up in, and we went into the parlor—to the other side of the fireplace—and snuggled up on the sofas. Jenna came out, looking ragged, and Alex found a sleeping bag and she curled up in front of the fireplace and soon fell back into a deep sleep.
“Trauma wears a body out,” I said, staring at her slumbering form. “She’s certainly had to deal with more than her share.”
“Where’s Max?” Aegis asked.
“He was due home tonight. I hope to hell he isn’t on the ferry.” Sandy pulled out her phone, biting her lip. “I don’t want to seem clingy.”
I could tell she wanted permission to text him. Sandy had no desire to play the clinging vine, but sometimes that worked to her detriment. “Call him already. See if he’s holed up in Bellingham or Seattle.”
She sucked in a quick breath. “All right.” As she put in the call, Aegis and I shifted position. The ottomans fit squarely against the sofa, creating a queen-sized bed, and Alex had brought us an egg crate mattress to put over the top. We were comfortably stretched out, and I felt my eyes threatening to shut. The day had been too long, too full, and there was too much still ahead of us.
After a moment, Sandy was talking to Max. “I was worried. Are you still in Bellingham?” She paused, listening. “Shut down? Good, I think it would be a horrible mistake for them to run tonight.” She paused again. “I love you too. I’ve got a lot to tell you, but that will keep for later.”
She tucked her phone away. “He’s in Bellingham, at the Golden Door. He said that the ferries have all shut down for the next few hours, so he’ll catch the first one out as soon as he can.”
“Given what the water must be like, that’s a wise move.” I yawned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. Do you mind if I zonk out?”
“Go ahead. I’m beat, too.” Sandy flipped her recliner so that it was almost straight. “If you need anything, just wake me up.”
“Or ask me,” Alex said, settling down in an overstuffed armchair. “That’s what I’m here for.”
With Aegis watching over us, we drifted off to the crackle of the flames, which seemed to barely hold back the dread howl of the wind.
I WOKE AROUND four in the morning to find the storm had died down to a steady patter of October rain. The wind was silent, and my vertigo seemed to have magically lifted overnight. Everybody else was awake and gathered in the kitchen. The power had come back on around three o’clock, so Alex was making a pre-dawn breakfast of bacon and waffles, with Jenna helping him. We gathered around the table for breakfast.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Jenna.
She shrugged. “Tired. I’m not used to getting up this early, but I was hungry so Alex said he’d cook breakfast. I’m better than last night, but I feel…kind of numb.”
“Don’t sweat it, Jenna. Feel exactly how you need to feel.” I paused, feeling like I sounded like every other adult who talked to children. “Just be wherever you need to be right now.”
“Thanks, Aunt Maddy.” She gave me a pale gleam of a smile, but it vanished again, as she contemplated her waffle.
Without warning, the door swung open and Max came dragging in. He tossed his coat over the back of a chair as Sandy rushed into his arms. Max was about five-ten, burly and strong, with wheat-colored hair and deep brown eyes. He had a scar that traced down the left side of his face from his temple to his chin, but it only gave him a roguish look.
“The ferries working again?” Sandy reached up, stroking his hair out of his eyes.
“Yeah, and I had set my app to sound an alarm for when they came back into service. I caught the first one I could.”
“You must be exhausted,” Sandy said, steering him toward the table.
“Me? You all look pretty wiped out, too.” After greeting Sandy, he tapped Jenna on the shoulder. “Do I rate a hug?”
“Yeah, Uncle Max.” She slid out of her chair and he gave her a sound hug.
“How’s the smartest girl at Neverfall doing?”
She blushed and ducked her head. “Not so hot, I guess.”
Max glanced at Sandy, who shook her head and mouthed, “Later.”
“Well, then, we’ll have to do what we can to fix that.” He glanced at the table. “Do I smell waffles? And bacon?” His eyes gleamed.
Alex laughed, peeking out the pass-through window. “I’ll put some on for you, too.”
“Thanks. I didn’t bother with food at the hotel, since I figured I’d be heading out early. I didn’t realize it would be the middle of the night, but hey.” Max waved at us. “I see you all had a slumber party. Bummer I missed it. I’m going to go wash up. I’ll be back down in a few.”
As he headed toward the bedroom, it struck me how comfortable the three of them seemed around each other. Jenna, Sandy, and Max fit in a way that was undeniable.
I finished my second waffle and motioned to Aegis, who was on his third. “We should get home to see if there was any damage. And you have to get into your lair before sunrise.”
He nodded, pushing back his chair. “I hate to eat and run, but Maddy’s right.”
Sandy flashed me a grateful smile. She had to tell Max about Jenna and the snake, and that wasn’t going to be an easy concept to explain to someone who didn’t use much magic. Weretigers weren’t as gun-shy of it as werewolves, but they still didn’t tend to mess around with the arcane rites much.
I stood, testing my balance. “I think somehow last night wrung the last drop of vertigo out of me. Thank the gods, because I was getting damned tired of having to be helped everywhere.”
Aegis gave me a stern look. “Feeling better or not, I’m still going to make certain you reach the car in one piece, and no driving today, either. Tomorrow, if you don’t have any more vertigo, all right, but with me in the car. Or Kelson, I guess, given if I tried to help out in the daylight I’d be one hell of a crispy critter.”
We made our farewells and were halfway to the car by the time Max opened the window to yell a quick good-bye to us.
AS WE DROVE home in the darkness, Aegis cautiously skirted downed boughs and trees that lay strewn across the roadways. More than once, we had to turn onto a side road to avoid a tree that was blocking the way. The island looked like it had come through a hurricane. We passed two houses where tall firs had been uprooted, crashing through the roofs. Tall timber had shallow root systems, and in the Pacific Northwest, it was by no means unusual for trees to topple like dominos after a major storm, where the ground had become so saturated with water that it couldn’t hold the tree anymore.
“Come first light, this is going to be one heck of a sight.” Aegis focused on the road. “You must be tired. I was awake, of course, but you and Sandy were out like the dead. Alex twitched a lot in his sleep, and poor Jenna, she was having some sort of nightmare. I wanted to wake her up, but then thought the better of it. She knows who I am, but being woken up by a man you’re not used to being around doesn’t inspire feelings of safety.”
“Watch out!”
Aegis stepped on the brakes and we came to a screeching halt, two yards away from a confused-looking cougar standing in the road. As the car idled, the cougar gave us another look, then bounded back into the ravine next to us, disappearing into the undergrowth.
“I guess the storm disrupted everybody.” Aegis hesitated. “You think it’s an animal or a shifter?”
I watched the big cat bound out of sight. It stopped once to look at us over its shoulder, its eyes gleaming in the night. “I’m not sure.”
We were almost home when I saw flashing lights down a side road. Something spurred me to ask Aegis to turn so we could find out what was going on. I wasn’t usually one to put myself in the middle of matters better left to the police, but a little voice inside urged that we needed to be there.
As we pulled up, I saw Delia’s new Expedition. She had bought the SUV about three weeks ago, and her customized license plate—sheriff—proudly announced her presence.
She glanced up as we eased onto the shoulder. We were next to Brackenwood Park—a small hiking park that offered one or two parking slots, but was used mostly by horseback riders, hikers, and biking enthusiasts. She headed over to the car as I rolled down my window.
“We were headed home from Sandy’s. What’s going on?” I glanced at the scene. There were at least two other squad cars present, as well as the medical examiner. That boded ill. He didn’t come out unless somebody died.
She leaned against the door, looking worn out. “I was called out about an hour ago. A couple of teenagers who pulled in here to make out during the storm happened to find a dead body. Man around fifty, sprawled in the middle of the parking lot. Or what there is of it.”
I held my breath, waiting.
“Another vampire kill, Maddy. We’ve got a serious problem on our hands.” Delia pressed her lips together, looking like she wished she was anywhere but here.
THERE WASN’T MUCH I could do but promise to call Essie again, so we headed for home. On the way, I pulled out my cell, surprised to find a strong signal. Flipping to my contacts, I tapped Essie’s name. Three rings later and Shar-Shar answered.
“Sharlene, please tell Essie that Maddy Gallowglass is calling and that it’s urgent. Don’t give me any BS about her being out, either. In this storm, I’d doubt it if you told me Thor himself was out and about.” I used my no-nonsense tone of voice. Surprisingly, Shar-Shar reacted quickly.
“One moment, Maudlin.” She put me on hold, and then, less than a minute later, Essie picked up.
“Maddy, why am I not surprised to hear from you again? What happened?”
I was as uninterested in small talk as she was. “Two things. One, another vampire kill tonight. Second, Ralph Greyhoof’s brother has been drained by a vampire. We’re not sure he’ll make it. We think he’s in thrall.”
“Shit.” Essie seldom swore, but the fact that shit was the first word out of her mouth told me she wasn’t blowing this off. “You’re sure?”
“Does a fish swim?”
“I’m going to send out my spies. There isn’t much time till morning, but we’ll do whatever we can to track down whoever it is and take care of him. Her. Whoever. One kill can be a slip. Two? A habit.” She paused, then added, “I’ll call Delia right now.”
“She’s at the scene of the latest kill. You should be able to get hold of her.”
“All right. I’d say thank you, but—and don’t take this wrong—I’m not particularly thrilled by the news.” She hung up before I could say anything else.
“I did my duty. I called Essie. She’s sending out her spies. I really don’t think she’s behind any of this.” There wasn’t much more I could say. We were facing a potential crisis and it wasn’t something that could be easily dealt with behind the scenes. I thought about my silver dagger and stake back home, and decided I should probably start wearing them again. Aegis wouldn’t necessarily like it, but we were facing a storm of a different kind now, it seemed.
As we pulled into our driveway, Aegis turned off the engine and then, before opening his door, turned to me. “Maddy, you do what you have to. I know what you’re thinking, and I know that we can’t let this get out of hand. If you have to dust off your old skills, I’m not going to complain or feel threatened.”
I nodded, letting out a long breath. “Thanks. Because I fear it may come to that.” And then, with him holding me by the elbow, we headed into the house, back to what felt like safety.
AEGIS AND I attempted to make love when we got home, but to my chagrin, the room started to spin in a not-so-good way, and he insisted on stopping. After tucking me in with an admonition to “Sleep in and don’t drive,” he headed downstairs. I was thoroughly surprised when I immediately fell back asleep and slept like the dead until ten.
I managed to make it downstairs on my own, to the kitchen where Kelson had my latte ready. She had made it a strong one.
“By the time I got home last night, you and Aegis were gone. Was everything all right?”
I couldn’t even remember if I had left her a note. “There was an emergency over at Sandy’s, but luckily Aegis had just woken up and was able to drive me over there. The storm got so bad that we just stayed until early morning. We got back around four-thirty or five. How is George doing? Was Jordan able to give him a transfusion?”
“I stayed until he was out of danger, so I could bring Ralph home. George is still in the hospital, and Jordan still has some concerns about him. He’d been low on blood for a while, and that affects the internal organs. Or something like that. Anyway, for now he’s out of immediate danger, though it’s still touch and go. I brought Ralph home at around nine-thirty last night. Mr. Mosswood had done the dishes and made sure everybody had snacks. He told me that you and Aegis left abruptly after a phone call, and he also told me that you fainted standing at the sink doing dishes.”
“I didn’t faint, exactly. I just got dizzy. But the vertigo was almost gone this morning, and I was able to make it downstairs on my own, you’ll notice.”
“I did notice,” she said. “Do you think you can drive?”
“I think so, but I promised Aegis I wouldn’t until tomorrow. I suppose I could just take the car out and not tell him, but that’s not the kind of relationship we have.” I poked my nose in the fridge. “I feel like eggs and toast. I had waffles and bacon at around four a.m., but I’m hungry again.” I handed her a carton of eggs and a loaf of bread, and then decided to sit down. I was still a little weak in the knees and I didn’t want to push myself too hard. “When is Jordan going to pick up his car?” He had parked out front instead of in our driveway and I assumed his car was still there.
“He already did, early. He took a cab over and drove off at around eight o’clock.”
“I suppose I should go check on Ralph today. That’s what a good neighbor would do.”
“You don’t seem very enthusiastic about the idea.” She popped a couple slices of bread into the toaster and cracked three eggs into the frying pan. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else with this?”
“Do we have any fruit?” I asked. “I could go for some melon or a berry cup.”
“I can pull you together one of those.” She flashed me a grin.
“I should buy a home gym. It would be so much easier to work out if I didn’t have to go all the way down to the gym every time and then Wilson wouldn’t yell at me for missing as many workouts as I do.” My trainer was hard to please, that was for sure.
“Um hm,” Kelson said, sliding my toast and eggs in front of me. “Fruit’s coming right up.”
“No, really.” I waved my fork at her. “Aegis could train me here. And then I could meet with Wilson once a week. There’s plenty of room in the basement. We’re partway through sorting out all the stuff that was left down there. We could put an air cleaner down there, and paint, and turn it into a workout–hangout space.”
“I think it’s a great idea, actually.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and joined me at the table. “Several of the clients who’ve stayed here have asked if you had a good recommendation for a gym. If you had the space in the house for them to work out, it might spur on reservations. You’d have to ask them to sign a waiver of liability, of course.”
“That’s a good point.” I thought about it for a moment. “Let’s do it. That means we need to get our asses in gear and clear up the remaining crap down there. It will only take a week or so if we make a concerted effort on it.”
“There’s one other issue I wanted to talk to you about.” Kelson looked around, as if to see if we were alone.
“Franny do something?” I kept my voice low. It was always hard to tell when she was hanging around, listening to the conversation.
Kelson shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I caught sight of her and Mr. Mosswood in the hall, having what seemed like an intimate discussion. After that, and lunch yesterday, I think there might be something going on between them, though I’m not sure how that would work.”
I leaned back with a groan. “I wondered about that. I’ve noticed some odd familiarity between them. How the hell, though…I mean, they’re both adults—but he’s alive and she’s a spirit.” I couldn’t very well forbid her from seeing him. On the other hand, was that the reason he was hanging around? Had he fallen in love with Franny? If so, the only way he could see her was to stay here, since she was trapped in the house. “This all makes my head hurt.”
“Mine too, but I thought you should know.”
“I don’t want to know.” I let out a long sigh. “I guess I don’t mean that, either. I’ll have a talk with him. Or her. Or both. So, back to the home gym idea. What’s your day like?”
“Well, Ralph’s twins left to go see him this morning. I think they’re hoping for a play date, if you know what I mean. Henry went out to do some research. So while everybody is out, I’m going to take the opportunity to clean up their bathrooms and put fresh sheets on the beds. We aren’t expecting any new guests for a week, so other than that, it’s general cleaning. I should be done by two. What would you like me to do?”
“I suppose we can get a start on the basement this afternoon.” I paused, staring outside. Near the patio, an owl was perched on one of the low bushes. I recognized the bird. Not only had it come flying around me when Sandy had been hurt, so much that I wondered if it was an actual owl or a shifter instead, but I had seen it in the trees out back a number of times. Now, something urged me to go outside to greet it.
I cautiously walked to the slider, but there was no dizziness that I could sense. The eggs and toast had settled my stomach. I quietly slid open the door, making sure Bubba and Luna weren’t around to follow me out. Closing the screen door behind me, I turned to the rhododendron the owl was perched in, and slowly advanced on it.
“Hi there. I recognize you. What are you doing here, especially in the daytime?” I spoke in an even voice, keeping my movements as smooth as I tried to keep my voice. I didn’t want to spook the bird.
The owl looked at me, its unblinking eyes focused on my face. It was about sixteen inches tall, and it was a barred owl with mottled brown—almost gray—markings. The bars of color extended down its wings, and it remained calm, waiting for me as I drew closer.
“You’ve been following me for some time. What do you want?” I cautiously sat down at the patio table in one of the chairs that had managed to avoid being blown across the lawn. The grass was littered with boughs from the storm, and from here, I could see one of the trees along the side of the lot had lost a large branch, which had splintered off onto the ground.
The owl ruffled its feathers briefly, then took wing and flew over, landing on my shoulder. I sat very still. I wasn’t afraid—the owl obviously had something to say to me—but I wasn’t sure exactly what to do next.
I let out a long breath and closed my eyes, reaching out to see if I could touch the aura of the bird. A moment later, a flash surrounded us both and I could feel the energy loud and clear. The bird was magical. It wasn’t a shifter, but it was definitely a familiar and it wasn’t bound to anybody. It touched my thoughts and I sensed a question hanging between us. Almost an anticipation.
“You want to be my familiar? Is that it?”
A moment later, a warm glow surrounded me. The owl nestled itself into my energy and there was an odd moment that I had never experienced before. It was as though our auras entwined, and we became part of the same core, the same energy. At that moment, I could sense the thoughts of the owl, although not in a language I was used to. It was more of an impression whose meaning was crystal clear.
My name is Lanyear. I’ve been waiting for you.
I floated in the sensation for a moment before focusing my thoughts. It was more about focusing on emotion, or a concept rather than thinking at the bird. I focused on acceptance, on welcoming, because the overwhelming sensation that I felt was one of good fortune, of luck and of companionship.
I’m Maddy. How long have you been around?
I’ve been waiting since you first arrived. I’m here to work with you.
Bubba flashed through my mind. He wasn’t my familiar—he was an entirely separate being. But I wondered how he would take to another creature joining the household. He had brought Luna in, but Luna was his girlfriend. This was not only a different species, but a bird. And the cat part of Bubba might not be too happy about Lanyear.
Do not worry, we’ll make this work.
And with that, Lanyear settled himself on my shoulder, and—still rather overwhelmed—I headed back inside.
KELSON TOOK LANYEAR’S appearance in stride. I called to Bubba and he came running in, followed by his ever-present shadow. Luna adored Bubba, and Bubba adored Luna, and they were almost always together.
“Bubba, I want you to meet somebody. Kelson, you too. This is Lanyear, and he’s apparently my familiar. I think Arianrhod sent him, because when I first met him, I was asking her for a sign. That was a few months back.”
Bubba gave me a long look. “Mrrf?”
“Really. You need to tell Luna not to mess with Lanyear. He won’t hurt you as long as you don’t try to hurt him.” I glanced up at Kelson, who rolled her eyes and suppressed a snicker.
Bubba gazed at Lanyear, who let out a low hoot, and then turned, swishing his tail back and forth, and marched off out of the room. Luna gave Lanyear an inquisitive gaze, but followed Bubba.
“Well, that didn’t go over very well, did it?”
Kelson laughed. “Did you really expect it to? At least neither of them made a jump for him.” She glanced around the kitchen. “May I suggest we put up some tall perches—high toward the ceiling, away from any of the shelves Bubba and Luna can climb?”
“I think that’s a good idea. Meanwhile, I’ll ask him to stay right outside until we get those installed. No use asking for trouble.”
I carried him back to the door and held out my arm. He flapped his way from my shoulder to my wrist. Once again, I closed my eyes and felt for that connection.
Lanyear, until we make it safe for you—and safer for Bubba and Luna—you need to stay outside in the yard. Will you be all right?
Again, the whisper-soft flutter of wings on my thoughts. I will. Call when you need me.
I opened the door and he flew off my wrist, out to a tall tree near the house. As he took up a perch there, I thought how odd this year was turning out to be. But even as I was contemplating Lanyear and what the future would bring with him, a low rumble of thunder echoed as the sky darkened. I stepped out and watched as a huge thundercloud raced in. Lanyear flew lower in the tree, hiding beneath a branch thick with needles. There was something unnatural about the storm, something almost terrifying.
“Maddy! Maddy!” Sandy burst out of the kitchen and raced to my side. In the coming thunder, I hadn’t even heard her drive up. “I drove like a maniac on the way over here. I had the terrible feeling that something is wrong. What’s going on?”
I shivered, folding my arms across my chest. “I’m not certain, but I imagine it has to do with that.” I nodded toward the cloud.
Sandy shaded her eyes, gazing up at the towering plume that rolled in on an updraft of wind. “The storm’s alive.”
“That storm’s hiding something,” I said softly, a prickling at the back of my neck. “Or someone.”
Sandy caught my arm, leaning close, as the clouds overtook the sky. Dark and frothing, forks of lightning rippled through them as the clouds lay siege to the island. An army in gray, they marched to the rumble of low thunder. My stomach twisted, but I couldn’t turn away. I wrapped my arm through Sandy’s as we waited for the storm to break. Kelson darted out the kitchen door to gaze up at the gathering tempest.
“What is that?” she whispered.
“I think…”
I paused as lightning streaked across the sky, forking out in all directions. Thunder ripped through the air and in that moment, the world seemed to freeze. A stillness fell over the area, as if the world had stopped. I huddled closer to Sandy. One beat…two…three…four beats passed and then, the clouds swirled into vortex, touching down in the woods behind my house. The trees churned as the funnel cloud spewed out moisture, and the clouds opened up to drench us with icy rain. The lightning crashed again, skipping from cloud to cloud.
The funnel cloud vanished, whipping back into the air as a figure emerged from the glade. Clad in a long black dress and billowing cape, her hair was flame red, as though it had been set afire, and even from this distance, I could see the glittering blue of her eyes.
“She’s back,” Sandy whispered.
I could only nod as Fata Morgana came striding toward us, returned from the ocean after two hundred years.