Chapter Seventeen
“Don’t even say it,” Allison said as Celine stepped in the room.
She held up her hands in defense, as if she wasn’t going to grill Allison about her walk of shame yesterday and showing up with Quintus this morning.
“What?” Celine said. “I’m just wondering if I should start monogramming his-and-hers towel sets for you.” She snickered. “Or picking out a bridesmaid’s dress.”
Allison rolled her eyes. This wouldn’t be the last time she heard about this. In fact, she had a feeling just about everyone in town would have an opinion once word got out.
“He’s…” she began.
How exactly was Allison supposed to explain Quintus to Celine? It wasn’t exactly like she could say that she was his Vestal.
In fact, there wasn’t much she could say at all without risking the safety of all the hybrids and the citizens of Eagle Ridge, alike. There were so many things she’d have to keep secret from the people around her, mostly for their own good.
“Fate,” she said.
Allison said the first word that came to her mind and might have regretted it if it didn’t sound so right to her still.
Celine blinked several times. “You? Fate?”
She stared at Allison as if she’d grown a third head. It wasn’t all that surprising considering how much shit she’d given her about her mysterious feelings and hunches.
Allison nodded and busied herself with things on the desk. The office was still in shambles, but at least she’d found what she needed for her most current projects.
“Maybe you could elaborate on how fate happened to you,” Celine taunted her.
Allison opened her mouth to respond but stopped when the telephone on her desk rang loudly.
Saved by the bell.
“This is the mayor,” she said into the line.
“Ah, Mayor. I’m glad I caught you.”
Allison cringed at the voice on the other end of the line.
“Ms. Anderson,” she said, and glanced over to Celine. “I hope you’re feeling better since the last time we spoke.”
The woman gave a low, throaty laugh. “Much,” she said. “But you know how stressful this sort of situation can be.”
Allison rolled her eyes. She doubted it was stress getting to the woman and more that she was used to having her own way.
“How can I help you?”
A low sort of rattle came over the line, and she glanced at the phone before talking into it again.
“I think we may have a bad connection.” The strange woman gave another small laugh. “I have a small favor to ask,” she purred over the line. “I finished filling out the forms, but unfortunately I sprained my ankle. I was hoping you might be able to stop by and pick up the papers at the mill.”
Allison suppressed the sigh that she wanted to let out. It might be better if she picked up the papers and called it a day. They weren’t likely to get much work done with the office as it was, and there weren’t currently any pressing matters that needed to be attended to.
“Okay, I’ll be there in twenty,” Allison said.
She hung up the phone and sighed loudly.
“What does that crazy hag want now?” Celine said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“She’s hurt her ankle and wants me to pick up paperwork.”
Celine frowned and crossed her arms. “She can drop off her own paperwork.”
Allison shook her head. The faster she got the paperwork filed, the quicker she could get the woman out of her hair.
“I’ll just pick it up and then head over to see Quintus,” she said as she grabbed her purse from the hook by the door. “Just close up and head home for the night.”
Allison gave a wave to Celine and headed out the door. The faster she got this over with, the faster she could see Quintus.
* * *
They leaned over the map on the table labeling all the spots where known attacks from the Glycons had occurred. Knowing they weren’t random was key to figuring out just where the hell they were hiding.
Now that they knew Agatha was behind them, they knew there had to be some sort of pattern. It wasn’t mindless attacks anymore. It was a cruel, but calculating woman out there with a grudge against hybrids.
“The only thing that doesn’t make sense is the car attack on Allison and the break-in to her office,” Nero said as he pointed to the two events on the map.
Quintus stared at the map and nodded. Nero was right. Both times were well outside the areas where the others had been clustered. Even when they added in all the missing animal locations, it still didn’t make sense.
“Could she be caught up in all this?” Vitus asked. “A tool of the Group?”
Quintus frowned. “No. I’d know if she were lying to me.”
Vitus raised a brow. “Maybe she doesn’t even know.”
Nero slapped his hand on the table. “The day at her office,” he said quickly. “I thought I sensed something, but it passed so quickly I couldn’t be sure. I thought I was just imagining things, but maybe it was Agatha.”
Quintus’s heart slammed in his chest. If Agatha had been to the office, then that meant she had access to Allison. A way to hurt her.
He didn’t even bother listening to the rest of what Nero had to say. He needed to get ahold of her right away. He yanked out his phone and dialed. After several rings, it went to voice mail.
Quintus dialed her office number. Her phone rang for a moment before being answered.
“Mayor’s phone,” Celine said over the line.
“This is Quintus,” he said quickly. “I need to speak to Allison now.”
She gave a little chuckle on the other end. “The mayor left her phone in the office by accident, but she’s on the way to the mill to pick up the papers and then off to see you, Romeo. Cool your jets.”
Shit.
“What’s at the mill?”
Celine sighed on the other end. “Ms. Anderson wants her to come pick up some papers there,” she said. She sighed. “She’s a total nutbag.”
“Ms. Anderson? Who is that?”
Magnus, Nero, and Rem all stilled their movements.
“Oh, she’s new in town. Ms. Agatha Anderson.”