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Nelson’s face and his demeanor dropped and his nostrils flared as he stalked down the hall. “We’ve got a problem,” he said, bypassing the agents and officers waiting in the bullpen with a wave, too upset about this new and very serious complication to address them.
Nox chuckled as he followed. “It can’t be as big as Julian’s. He’s about to get hung out to dry,” he predicted and pushed open one of the double glass doors to the parking lot. “We might get more out of him after a few months of hard time without his god or his snakes.”
“You don’t get it.” Nelson went to the car and unlocked the passenger door, opening it for Nox before heading around to his side.
“Not yet. But give Julian a little time to come back to his senses and see the bigger picture.”
Fear gripped Nelson as he opened his door and stared over the hood at Nox. “Damn it!” Nelson slammed the door shut because he needed to slam something and he wasn’t ready to get in the car with Nox and calmly analyze whatever they may have gleaned from Julian. He needed to pace and swing his arms and probably swear a lot.
“Whoa!” Nox said, getting out of the car and bracing his hands on the hood. “Easy, buddy. Julian will come to his senses. Whoever this…puppet master is, he’s lost control and all the programming that made Julian believe this was a right and good thing to do will begin to crumble now that he’s free of influence. And Julian’s going to have bigger things—people—to worry about in prison. No one there is gonna care about his sick sun god.”
Nelson shook his head, stunned at Nox’s obliviousness. “I don’t care about Julian. Did you hear anything he said or were you too busy reading between the lines and looking for clues about this puppet master?” He asked, making Nox’s brow furrow.
“I thought that was the point… He’s the endgame because we agreed that someone more powerful and far more cunning had to be pulling Julian’s strings.” Nox widened his eyes at Nelson like he was the one who needed to catch up.
Nelson smothered a loud groan, scrubbing his face hard in frustration as his gut screamed. “He knows about you, Nox! We don’t know what he knows or how much, but he blames you for this!”
“Ah.” Nox held up his hands. “He can blame me all he wants. Even though he should blame you for the way you saw through Julian’s scheme and smoked Brian MacCrory. You’re kind of a badass, Nelson.”
“I’m…not joking,” Nelson said as his head swiveled forward in confusion. He wished the fake Dagda would forget about Nox and come after him. “This whole time, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that Elsa Hansen and that altar in the woods had something to do with you. Like it was made for you. And now, we find out that whoever he is, you’re his nemesis and he’s coming after you.”
“I think we should get in the car, Nelson,” Nox said, his voice thin and wavering as his eyes shimmered.
“Why…?” Nelson asked warily and looked around.
“Because I don’t think you want me to kiss you out here. Can we go, please?” All humor and sarcasm had faded and Nox looked shaken as he ducked into his seat and shut the door.
Nelson’s anger had been doused as well as he opened his door and lowered into the driver’s seat. He grunted in surprise when Nox grabbed his lapels and pulled him close for a firm, but tender, clinging kiss. Nelson cracked open an eye and checked to see if anyone was around and watching but the parking lot in front of the station was vacant aside from a few unoccupied vehicles.
“What if he comes after you?” Nelson asked.
He didn’t like the way Nox sighed and the laugh that huffed from him. “I would much rather he focused on me than start another kidnapping spree, honestly.”
The anger and fear were back. “Nox, you don’t—” He started, but Nox shushed and patted his chest.
“I have you and Merlin to protect me and it’s easier to guard one person from a deranged monster than predict who he’s going to target next,” he explained.
“Oh…” Nelson sat back, nodding slowly at the windshield as he started the car. “I see. You saw that altar and that barn out in New Castle and you got a good look at what he commanded Julian and Brian MacCrory to do to those girls and you want to be bait for that.”
“Yes,” Nox stated without any hesitation. “I would gladly stand in for the next girl and so would you. Especially if it puts me in the same room with him.”
Nelson’s horror dissipated as he imagined being there with Nox. He might be too late to stop the fake Dagda from making Nox his nemesis, but Nelson could stay close and protect him. And through proximity and luck, Nelson might just be able to get to the Dagda first.
“I see your point,” he conceded as he reversed out of the parking space, ready to head to Georgetown and get back to work.
They were comparing the few details they had gleaned about the mystery puppet master and were halfway home when Nox got a call from Merlin. “What’s up?” Nox asked, putting the phone on speaker so Nelson could listen in.
“Where are you?”
“We’re…” Nox glanced at the map on his phone. “Just outside of Harrisonburg. We should be home in about two hours,” he guessed and Nelson nodded in confirmation.
“Turn around! You have to get to New Castle right away,” Merlin said with unusual urgency, causing Nelson and Nox to exchange worried looks.
“Why? What’s going on in New Castle?” Nelson asked as he took the next exit.
“Someone changed the Witches For Literacy’s Facebook page this afternoon! Howard took it down immediately—as soon as he found out—but it had been turned into a very disturbing obituary for Elsa with a picture of her on the altar.”
“No!” Nox’s roar echoed in the cabin of the car as his fist hit the dashboard. “They’ve defiled her all over again! And with the whole fucking internet to bear witness. There was a reason we didn’t release any images of her to the press.”
