Around him, the forest slumbered in darkness. Lawke stumbled far less than he expected on this early morning excursion. It was as if the roots and shrubs moved out of his way. A crazy thought last week, but now somewhat plausible after meeting a shapeshifter and ancient Aztec.

He circled around his target, seeking a hidden spot to observe the backyard and driveway of the Woodward brother’s home. Mist hovered above the ground in a ghostly shroud. He knelt in a hollow surrounded by bushes and waited.

He’d slept fitfully throughout last night. First a nightmare of Zoe having her heart cut from her chest roused him. Next, he’d dreamed of the Lovers card, except he and Evelyn had been the couple kissing. Awake in the pre-dawn hours, he’d searched the online public property taxes and located the brothers’ address. Unable to remain inside, he wrote Evelyn a note and escaped into the forest.

Slowly, the sky lightened toward dawn and a lone bird chirped a hopeful song. A chorus of wolf howls shattered the quiet. Movement drew his eye toward the woods edging the Woodward’s backyard. He raised his binoculars. A tall, dark-haired man exited the house onto a deck, walked down the stairs, and into the open yard. Two wolves joined him.

They waited. Time crept forward until the body of one of the wolves and the man shook and things moved beneath their skin. They changed, but nothing like the smooth, silver sparkling transformation Evelyn went through.

The process took at least five minutes. It looked painful. Finally, a man very similar in appearance to the first stood where the wolf had been. And a barred owl shook its feathers into place where the first man stood.

Lawke looked at his watch. It was six o’clock in the morning.

The owl launched into the sky. The second man sunk his hands into the wolf’s fur and accepted a lick before the wolf disappeared back into the woods. The man entered the house.

Almost two hours later, the revving of a motorcycle engine disturbed the tranquil neighborhood. One of the brothers drove away and Lawke decided to return to the cabin.

He walked in on Evelyn putting on boots to go with a pretty lilac dress over gold leggings.

“What happened?”

“Who says anything unusual happened?” He needed to understand these new shifters before she confronted them.

Although, he wasn’t sure where to find any information. Old myths, stories, and movies were fiction, and while people said there was fact within the tales, he didn’t have time to figure out which was which.

“You’re looking a little pale, and you’re hesitant to answer my question.”

“The Woodward brothers shapeshifted, but it wasn’t the same process as your transformation.”

She tilted her head. “How so?”

“For one thing, it hurt them to transform. For another, they changed at the same time.”

“It’s a curse.” She stated matter-of-factly, yet her eyes widened dread dimmed their glow.

He frowned. “A curse? Really. Magic, sacrifices, and curses.” He closed his eyes. Tried to gather his thoughts into something coherent. Things like this didn’t exist in the world. Except, his daughter was gone, and he’d seen Evelyn transform.

If the power to shapeshift existed, obviously, everything else was a possibility as well. At one time, the path of the sun was a chariot ride…a myth to explain a natural phenomenon.

He refocused on her. “How does a curse work?”

“Depends on who casts it.”

This was why magic was nonsense. “That’s helpful.”

She shrugged. “If a witch cast the spell, then it would involve natural elements. A demon would exploit a sin. Black mages uses blood. There isn’t a single curse to fit all situations. Just as the English language has nuances, so does magic. What are the animals?”

“An owl and a wolf.”

She frowned. “That makes no sense. Two beings tied together should be similar in nature. In will. Particularly if they are related by blood.”

“Does it matter for what we have to do? Don’t get lost in the complexities. We need to learn their schedule, break in, get the photo, and leave.” Before Stanford, Lawke’s older brother, discovered them.

“I guess not. It’s just strange.”

“Let’s stroll around town, be touristy. We’ll need to surveil them at least three days and make sure we don’t attract any undue attention. Especially of the police.”

He didn’t need a lecture from his brother about right from wrong. The only thing that mattered was getting Zoe back.

* * *

Willows Haven appeared to be a typical small town. There were residential streets intermixed with strip malls and a large shopping area near the highway. Even the downtown section had been revitalized with eateries, businesses, and professional offices. Like the local newspaper.

Several willow trees grew along the edge of a deep lake on the north side of town. They must have been the inspiration for the town name. Although that didn’t explain the businesses use of nature-themed titles. Someone must have an earthly sense of humor.

Lawke escorted Evelyn into the Cherries and Berries Diner. It occupied a large storefront on Main Street. They stood between the checkout counter and a large refrigerated pie case while waiting to be seated. A modest décor consisted of dark wood booths along the street-side windows and near the kitchen a beige countertop was lined with bright silver cushioned stools. The walls held paintings of different types of fruit trees.

“You can sit anywhere. I’ll be with you in a minute,” an older redheaded woman in a mint green uniform told them as she walked by carrying a tray filled with steak, eggs, and waffles.

He slid into the end booth where he could keep an eye on the door and anyone walking around the side, near the restrooms. Evelyn sat across from him and slid him a menu. They offered an eclectic selection of sandwiches, dinner platters, and breakfast entrees. Desserts, mostly pies and cobblers, covered the entire back page.

“What can I get you, sweetie?” the waitress asked, tapping a pen on her pad.

“I’ll try the strawberry French toast.”

Lawke shook his head at Evelyn’s sweet tooth. “I’ll have an omelet with mushrooms, onions, ham, and cheese with a side of fried potatoes.”

“Any coffee?”

Evelyn flipped through the menu. “I’d like a glass of apple juice.”

“I’ll just have sweet tea.”

The waitress nodded. “Be back with your drinks shortly.” She walked away.

Lawke glanced out the window at the empty street. Even for a Sunday, downtown appeared eerily deserted. Except for the bike parked in the lot next to the brick building across the street. Which happened to contain the offices for When the Tree Falls, the local newspaper.

“Why three days?”

He didn’t want to think about having to break the law, but he couldn’t pretend he didn’t understand her question, either. “It’s long enough to observe any patterns in the brothers’ lives while still being short enough that the priest shouldn’t kill Zoe.”

On the counter, a portable TV showed the projected path for the tropical depression. At least the storm was weakening, although they’d still have the potential for flooding.

Her hands twisted her napkin. “Your daughter should not have been threatened. I’ll give you all the help I can.”

Faith and trust rang in her statement. Yet he wasn’t sure he had the same confidence in her. He knew little about her life. “Tell me about your family.”

They waited while the waitress delivered a basket of biscuits and their drinks. After she retreated, Evelyn’s eyes became unfocused.

“I was born in February of 1887. Both my parents were Cooper’s hawks but my older brother was a Gryfalcon. We lived along the coast in Washington with a small colony of other raptors.”

Their food arrived and Evelyn remained quiet a few minutes to enjoy breakfast.

“We lived relatively normal lives. The farthest I traveled was into California. Until World War I. My parents believed in supporting their country, so they went to Europe and never returned.” Her voice cracked.

“So shapeshifters can be killed by something other than silver?” He was only half teasing.

“Our normal lifespan is about two hundred and fifty years. While our bodies will repair many injuries, too much poison, any type of bullets to the heart or head, and bombs will kill us.”

Their waitress returned. “How’s everything taste? Need any refills?”

“Everything’s great. I think we just need the check.” The meal had been good, but it wasn’t what had his attention.

“Great. Stay as long as you like.” She slapped the check on the table and left to greet another couple who had walked in.

Evelyn trailed a piece of French toast through the syrup on her plate. She’d lost her parents nearly one hundred years ago. It had been hard when he and Stanford lost their parents five years ago. He couldn’t imagine missing them for so long.

“So you’re not immortal.”

Her laugh had a hard edge. “No. We’re not. After my parents didn’t come back, my brother married and had a family. I started traveling, seeing the world. I came back every few years until it became decades between visits. My brother’s family and half the colony died in a poisoning incident in the seventies. I returned to help safeguard the young. The colony grew, and I left again.”

Her recitation was dry, clipped, yet contained years of loneliness. He gripped her left hand, made a connection.

“When I returned this last time and sensed danger, I had no reason to stay. They would be safer without me, and it was no longer my home. I gave my aerie to a newlywed couple and decided to try my luck on the East Coast.”

“How’s that working out for you?” His words had a bit of a bite.

A sparkle returned to her eyes. “It’s been full of unexpected surprises, and one or two less-than-ideal incidents.”

“We do try to treat our visitors right here in North Carolina.”

She chuckled and grabbed the check. “Let’s go.”

He bit his tongue to keep from causing a scene. Gentlemen in the South didn’t let their ladies pay. But she clung to her independence like a shield and would fight for the right to pay. Some things weren’t worth the fight.

Unlike Zoe. He would do more than steal to get her back. No matter what magic they faced, he’d get his daughter back.