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"Are you sure? Maybe he doesn't want to be found, considering you turned him down."
"Maybe," I said. "But I have to try."
Rhiannon yawned, looking more exhausted than I felt. "I'm so tired. I haven't slept a wink since night before last. When I realized Heather was gone and not just out on an errand somewhere . . ." Her voice softened and she looked near tears. Rhiannon called her mother by her first name, as did I. It seemed to run in the family.
"I didn't sleep so well myself. I had a little adventure out near the diner. Not one I care to repeat." As we headed into the kitchen and she poured me a cup of tea, I told her about my experience at the motel.
We settled in at the big oak table and Rhiannon let out a long sigh. "I think the men who followed you might have been from the Lupa Clan. Remember, lycanthropes have a strong dislike and distrust of the magic-born and they've been on edge lately. The whole town has. And whatever that thing in the shadows was . . . I don't know. All I know is that nobody hangs out after dark anymore except the vamps."
"What the hell is happening, Rhia?"
"It's all over town. The kids at the school feel it. I can tell--I watch them. They hurry to their classes, as if they don't want to be outside too long."
Rhiannon worked at the New Forest Conservatory, one of several academies across the country for the gifted. And by gifted, I mean advanced students with supernatural talents, who aren't entirely human. Mostly the magic-born. Some vampires, a few Fae. The Weres usually kept to themselves.
I stared at my cup. "This is a nice friendly street, with nice friendly neighbors. Everything looked so normal as I drove across town today."
Rhiannon bit her lip as if she was trying to decide how much to say. "Be cautious, Cicely. You actually use your powers, unlike me. I think whatever this thing is, it eats magic, like food. People have gone missing, people have died. I don't know if Heather told you on the phone, but a number of members of the Thirteen Moons Society have vanished or turned up dead."
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. The faint taste of leather and sweat and passion. And something behind it. Magic rode the currents. Shadow magic, spider magic, blood magic. The taste of sweet poison and wine. The energy swept over me like a web, muting my ability to sense my touchstone. Whatever this force was, it was strong. Powerful. Old.
Dizzy, I glanced at her. "Did Marta say anything about what's going on? And by the way, I'll need to talk to her lawyer, if Heather was right and I inherited her business."
"Oh, you are her beneficiary, all right. I'll give you his name and you can talk to him tomorrow." Rhiannon shrugged. "The past six months, Marta closed down. She kept to herself a lot, and now she's dead. In the past three months, five members of the Society vanished without a trace, and three others are dead."
"Fucking A. That leaves . . ."
"Four. There are only four left of the local group. Rupert and Tyne. LeAnn, and Heather. And now Heather's gone. And it's not just the magic-born, but townsfolk. Marta mentioned a few weeks ago that she was getting a lot of business for protection charms and amulets. People are afraid."
She was whispering, but that wouldn't stop prying ears. There were always creatures listening. The wind carried secrets. I could hear them.
"Whatever attacked me, whatever's behind the shift in this town, it's hiding in the ravine out there. And the woods beyond." I frowned, thinking. "When was the last time you went into the forest? Or Heather, that you know of?"
She thought for a moment, then said, "At least a couple of years for me. As far as my mother . . . I don't know. She does a lot of wildcrafting in the forest. I doubt if it's been more than a few months. The energy was slow to show itself at first, like a storm gathering offshore. Nobody thought it would stick around. I guess we didn't take it seriously. And then, one day a few months ago, we woke up and the town was engulfed in a shadow. Shortly after that, the Society started to fall apart. People began to vanish."
"Heather said Marta's throat had been ripped apart, she'd been drained of blood. But your mother also said she didn't think it was the vamps that did it. What about you? What do you think? I know the bloodsuckers aren't to blame for everything, but when trouble comes home to roost in a supernatural way, nine times out of ten vampires are involved.">As Anadey packaged my food and handed it to me, Snarly Dude came back from the bathroom, his full lips curling in a derisive, leering manner. I returned his gaze, keeping my expression neutral. Tossing a ten and a couple bucks for a tip on the counter, I headed toward the door, my senses on high alert.
Watch my back.
As always, Cicely . . . as always, came Ulean's calming thoughts.
Once I was in the parking lot, a shift in the current alerted me. I paused, listening.
They're following you . . .
I know, I whispered gently. I can feel them.
Not just them. Another. Older, more dangerous. I don't recognize the energy though.
I slowly exhaled, relaxing into my body. Tension could ruin a good punch, could turn a good fight into a bad one. I gave the parking lot a look-see. Five cars to my left. Another three to my right. Gauging how long it would take me to dash across the street, across the snow and ice, I headed for the sidewalk. The street was mostly empty; there were few cars on the road at this time of night, although two long, dark limos with tinted windows passed by, gliding silently, the sound of their engines muffled by the falling snow.
Vampires hunting. Ulean's thoughts were filled with distaste.
I gave an imperceptible nod and set a foot into the road. Immediately I sensed the men behind me speed up. I was two yards across the street before I broke into a run. The sound of footsteps told me they had done the same.
Crap. I still didn't know who they were or what they wanted, but it was obvious they didn't like me and I wasn't going to stick around to find out why.
I made a break for it, Ulean whipping along behind me, pushing me forward. With a shout, my followers picked up the pace as their boots drummed a tattoo of running steps. On the other side of the road, I assessed my best option.
