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Delilah glared at Shamas. "I'll be all right." But I heard her mutter something under her breath that suspiciously sounded like, "Fuck you, too."
"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Impatient, I floated toward the ceiling. I always felt better off the ground. "Delilah, find anything yet?"
Delilah nodded. "Okay, here it is. Sixty years ago, the Halcyon was a lumber warehouse. The barges came in from the peninsula where there was extensive logging going on. Thirty years ago, as the lumber industry took a hit, the warehouse was converted to a storage facility. Four years ago Exo Reed bought it, lock, stock, and barrel, and converted it into the Halcyon Hotel and Nightclub, serving primarily Earthside Supes and some OW visitors. No connection with the OIA that I can see. Hmm… considered a four-star joint."
"And Exo Reed?" Morio asked.
"Lycanthrope. Activist on several fronts—Supe rights, NRA…"
"Kids? Wife?" Chase asked.
"Yeah, he's married. Three kids. It also says here that Exo's president of the Seattle Hunters League."
"Great, just what we need. A good ol' boy who carries a rifle and turns into a werewolf on the full moon," Chase muttered.
I tried to stifle a laugh but it broke through. Camille and Delilah looked at me quizzically.
"Hey, the man has a point," I said. "Lycanthropes can get trigger happy come the full moon. Anyway, so being such an upstanding businessman and a family guy, Exo wouldn't be likely to give Dredge a room if he knew what kind of a sick monster he really is, ya think?"
"Especially since he and his family live in the hotel." Delilah glanced at one last Web site. "Okay, well, that's about all I can find right on the surface."
"I think we'd better pay the Halcyon Hotel and Nightclub a little visit." I jumped up and grabbed my keys. "Who's riding with who?"
Delilah slammed the lid of her laptop. "I'll ride with Chase."
"Camille and I'll go together," Morio said as she slid off his lap and straightened her dress.
"Can I come?" Shamas asked.
"No, you stay here with Iris. You aren't ready for the kind of fight we're looking at. Damn, I wish Trillian was back from—" A knock on the door interrupted me. "I'll get it."
As I opened the door, a swirl of snow blew in on a cold gust of wind, followed by Roz, who was holding a bloody towel to his neck.
"Crap, get in here!" I hustled him into the living room. "He's been hurt. Get some water and bandages while I…" Stopping suddenly, I backed away. His blood smelled like ambrosia and a wave of hunger rolled through me. I couldn't take my eyes off that bloody towel. "Camille—"
She heard the tremor in my voice and immediately ran to my side. "Go over in the corner and look out the window until you can steady yourself. Delilah, get Iris to help you—towels, water, and bandages. Now."
As Delilah hurried out of the room, I forced myself over to the window and stared out into the dark night, trying to ignore the fragrance that beckoned. After a moment, I was able to focus.
"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, careful not to turn around.
"Yeah," came the rough reply. "I found them. I don't think I found Dredge's hangout, but I found the newborns. And that veg-head creature you call Wisteria."
"Wisteria? You found her? Where the hell is she?" I whirled around. The sight and smell of his blood didn't matter now—not when I knew that the little bitch was within our grasp.
Roz glanced up at my face and did a double take. "What the hell happened to you? You look so different," he said. "Calmer, if I had to guess."
"Never mind that. Just take my word for it. I can fight Dredge now, and I have a chance of winning. Tell us everything."
Delilah returned then, followed by Iris, bringing with them a basin of warm water, several towels, and a first-aid kit.
"I decided to scout around up by the zoo, since the attacks were taking place near there. By the way, did you see the headlines—"
"Yes, yes. Go on."
As Camille began to dab the wound with a warm washcloth, he winced. "Fine, just thought I'd ask. As I said, I went scouting. I decided to prowl around down by this one thicket of trees in the park, so I used a camouflage spell. Sure enough, about two hours ago, I heard what sounded like a struggle. I followed the noise and I saw one of the newborns that got away from us the other night. She was hanging around with a floraed."
"Floraed!"
