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CHAPTER3
Riley slapped her hand to her chest. “Jesus Ferguson! You are going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”
Ferguson’s lip twitched. “Unlikely, but I apologize.”
Riley glanced toward the dust cloud Anaisa’s truck had left in its wake. “I thought you would escort her past cougar clan territory.”
Ferguson frowned. “I have made it known that if anyone touches her that they will deal with me. Besides, I did not wish to offend her further.”
Riley’s eyes widened. “You offended her? What did you say?”
“It was not intentional. That contraption she uses to traverse human roads is cumbersome and frightfully unattractive. The ride was incredibly uncomfortable.”
“It’s a four-wheel drive. Those kinds of vehicles are made to traverse rocky terrain, not for comfort. You do realize we are in the mountains. A luxury car wouldn’t make it up here.”
“There is a difference between this contraption and those that travel in the city?”
Riley frowned. “Seriously? When was the last time you drove a vehicle? How can you not know the answer to that?”
His eyes flickered with red. “I have never driven, as I transitioned before vehicles were invented. I’ve taken little interest in their evolution.”
Riley rubbed her forehead. “That makes sense. Did you come back to scare the shit out of me, or is there another reason?”
His lip twitched again. “Since you no longer possess human bodily functions, it is the latter.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“We have been monitoring human police channels. There have been a string of abductions.”
Riley’s shoulders sagged. “Women.”
“Yes. We assumed these attacks were random, but another one occurred in the same location. I believe it requires an investigation.”
Colton ran his hand through his hair. “Where is it?”
Ferguson’s eyes flicked to Colton’s. “A clinic two blocks from the homeless shelter.”
Riley nodded. “Graydon County Clinic. It’s privately funded and designated for low-income families who can’t afford the expenses of the medical system.”
Colton leaned on the porch railing, looking out at the forest. “What would a clinic have to do with demon abductions? I doubt they’re concerned about human healthcare.”
Ferguson moved closer to Colton. “The demons are looking for breeders. I doubt the locations make a difference, but several abductions have occurred near the shelter and this clinic. It could simply be a coincidence. Or that they are taking people less likely to be missed, but I doubt the latter is a concern.”
Riley descended the steps from the porch. A Monarch butterfly was landing on a blue flower that grew between the shrubs that lined the cabin. “They need descendants of the priestess. Have the Haitians reported any missing persons?”
Ferguson shook his head. “They have strengthened their wards around the village and encouraged its members to stay within the protected area. Anaisa has agreed to a shadow escort if she needs to leave their territory.”
Riley ran her hand over the blue flower after the butterfly lifted from its petals. “But you just let her leave our property unescorted.”
“She was not alone. Darwin traveled the pathways while she drove. If he encounters any trouble, most of the queen’s reapers will descend on the assailant,” Ferguson said.
“I hope you’re not suggesting you used her as bait?”
Ferguson shrugged. “It was her idea.”
“I should have seen that coming,” she said.
“The priestess is aware of the gravity of our situation. If the shadows fall, all of humanity will follow,” Ferguson said.
