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Grieve . . . You never forget your first love. I'd been six years old when we first met, but it was on a visit when I was seventeen that he took me in hand, laid me down, made love to me, and stole my heart. And I'd broken his.
Grieve . . . Was he still out there? My wolf told me he was. Was he waiting for me to find him again? Time would only tell. And did he know what happened to Heather? That . . . I could only hope.
There was only one way to find out the answers to my questions. I headed downstairs.
Leo Bryne was in the living room. I wasn't sure what I'd expected a day runner to look like, but whatever my expectations were, Leo didn't meet them. He was in his late twenties, tall with tawny hair and a crooked but sweet smile. Lean and a little gangly, the Windbreaker he wore made him look younger. Rhiannon introduced us.
"What's your specialty? Were? Magic-born?"
He grinned. "Witch. Herbs and healing." Then, sobering, he added, "Your aunt is training me in advanced studies. I can't believe she just upped and walked away without telling anybody."
"That's because she didn't. You know it. Rhiannon knows it. I know it. The only people deluding themselves are the cops. So, tell me, what does a day runner do?"
He blushed. "I run errands for Geoffrey and his wife that they can't do during the day. Pick up dry cleaning, personal shopping, mail off stuff at the post office, things like that."
"They pay well?" I knew I was being nosy but it didn't hurt to find out my options. Marta might have left me her business, but I doubted it brought much in the way of money.
"Eh--not bad. I get benefits, which helps." He caught Rhiannon around the waist with one arm and she rested her head on his shoulder. It was obvious they'd been going out for a while--they seemed so comfortable together. "And benefits will be important over the next few years."
Blushing, she swatted him off. "I haven't set the date yet, and until we find my mother, I can't even think about it. So shoo, pest."
Staring at the pair, I noticed then that Rhiannon was wearing a thin silver band on the right fourth finger of her hand. It had a diamond in it--minuscule, but a diamond nonetheless.
"You two are getting married?"
She smiled softly. "We're engaged to be engaged. But yeah, Leo is the one. We've been dating for three years now. Cicely, can we go look for Heather? It's getting colder out there and if she's caught somewhere . . ."
"Yeah. She could die of hypothermia. Bring a blanket, just in case we find her." Blankets were bulky but better safe than sorry.
I slipped out onto the back porch. Down the steps, a narrow stone path led into the backyard where the kitchen garden and herb gardens sprawled. There was no lack for privacy, that was for sure.
I was about to call out Heather's name, but then realized that it was ridiculous to hope she'd answer. I started walking the perimeter of the land toward the forest, leaving a trail of footprints in the fresh snow. I motioned for Leo and Rhiannon to head the other way.
Maybe my aunt had fallen and hurt herself. Maybe she'd hit her head on a rock and had knocked herself out. Maybe . . . a flash of snow lightning--a phenomenon that happened around the Pacific Northwest now and then--illuminated the sky, directly over the wood. I stared at the flickering light as the thunder hit, slamming through the air like a sledgehammer.
If Heather's around, please, blow me in her direction, I thought.
A gust sprang up, chilling me through, pushing me toward the northeast. Right toward the forest. Shit. Four members of the Society were dead. Five members were missing.
I headed toward the wood, first reluctantly, then my fear broke through and I set off, jogging across the lawn. As I neared the tree line I heard shouts behind me and looked over my shoulder to see Rhiannon and Leo following. I skidded to a halt and turned, waiting for them.
"You think she's in there?" Rhiannon said.
"The wind led me here." I glanced over my shoulder at the dark path that beckoned. At that moment, a figure came racing out, dark and spindly on two legs, with a bloated belly and long, jointed arms.
"What the fuck?"
The creature went straight for my throat and I stumbled back, clawing at it as it wrapped unnaturally strong arms around my neck. I smashed the palm of my hand into its nose, but it tightened its grip and everything began to go fuzzy. The next thing I knew, an owl swept out of the trees, savaging my attacker with its talons. As the bird spiraled up to get a better vantage, Leo jumped in, beating the creature off of me while Rhiannon tugged me away by one arm.
I scrambled to my feet, rubbing my throat as the thing let out a screech and backed off, hissing before it turned to disappear in the foliage.
"Crap and double crap. What the hell was that?" As I stared at the departing silhouette, I thought, Shadow, it reminds me of a thin, nasty shadow. And the owl--where had the owl come from? Owls were nocturnal, but this one had been on full alert. The owls banding my arms stirred. Startled, I stared down at my sleeves, but the sensation stopped.
Ulean, what's going on?
I don't know. But that creature was out for your blood. Be cautious, Cicely--this woodland is not what it once was.
"I don't know," Leo said. "I've never seen anything like it."
