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Fabulous. Leave it to me to make hell my neighbor, because a cemetery wasn’t enough.
“The crossroads are marked by these symbols. Once you know where they are, they’re easy to find.” He tapped the trunk of the oak tree on the left.
I peered at the design and immediately recognized the Nordic symbol for Yggdrasil, the tree of life. To the human eye, the design simply looked like the artistic carving of a tree on another tree. To those in the know, however, Yggdrasil represented much more—a tree connected to the realms of the universe. According to Norse legends, there were nine realms. It seemed that the Norse had vastly underestimated.
“How often do you travel home?” I asked.
“This is my home now,” he replied in a clipped tone.
“And why is that? What’s so great about Fairhaven that you’d give up your homeland?”
“I like the seasons. There’s only one in hell. It becomes draining after too long.”
“Is this likeDeath Takes a Holiday? Are you summering in the mortal world the way robber barons summered in Newport?”
Kane looked down his nose at me. “You have a strange mind, Lorelei Clay.”
Too much time with ghosts had that effect on a person. “Why are you involved with the Assassins Guild?”
Closing his eyes, he sighed. “This again?”
“It seems like a strange activity. Why not coach the soccer team or run the PTA?”
“Do I strike you as someone who would do either one of those things?”
“Not in that outfit, maybe, but in the right clothes…”
He looked down at his outfit. “What’s wrong with my attire? It’s suitably casual.”
“It’s distracting,” I blurted. “I mean, for the humans. All that black.”
Kane gave a rueful shake of his head. “I’m starting to understand why you prefer to keep to yourself.”
“Right back at you.”
“I don’t keep to myself. In fact, I’m very social. Ask anyone at my club.”
“But it’s an act,” I shot back. “Tell the truth. I don’t care how many hot vampires you surround yourself with. You would much rather be alone.”
He flinched. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying attractive company. You should try it sometime.”
“I have all the company I need,” I said, thinking of Nana Pratt and Ray. My house was already more crowded than I intended it to be. I’d left London to live in solitude, and I’d already managed to pick up two strays. I should’ve forced them to cross over with the rest of the spirits. Then I’d be in my living room right now with my headphones on, a paint roller in one hand, and a beer in the other.
“I can post guards here to see whether any monsters pass in or out,” Kane offered. “I should’ve done it before now. I didn’t realize how dire the situation would become. The supernatural factions have fared well over the years. I thought there was no need to fix what isn’t broken, as the saying goes.”
I thought of poor Arthur. “I’m not sure the Arrowhead pack would agree.” An uneasy thought occurred to me. “You mentioned yesterday that Ashley might’ve inadvertently passed through here to escape the gwiber. What if you’re right? What if she wandered into a realm like yours?”
His expression turned grim. “Then I’m afraid she won’t be coming back.”
CHAPTER17
Anya Swanson was easy in more ways than one. She was a known fang banger among supernaturals in town. If someone wanted to pin the animal attacks and the missing girl on vampires, Anya’s death was an obvious choice. But if that were true, then it meant we were dealing with more than a gwiber. Was someone controlling the monster and, if so, for what purpose? Maybe the gwiber returned to its master without fangs, and Anya was a message to the rest of us to back off. Not a very clear message. And I still had no idea how to find Ashley.
“You’re very expressive when you’re deep in thought,” Kane said. He’d escorted me to my truck for no apparent reason, and I’d been too preoccupied to shake him off.
“I’m going to Ashley’s house.” There was one more trick I hadn’t tried, mainly because it required me to use my power, the kind of power that could draw unwanted attention if it were noticed.
“How may I be of service?” When I shot him a sharp look, he shrugged. “What? I told you missing young women are bad for business. I’d like to assist you however I can.”
