Two Weeks Later
Daylight was fading from the sky, and the full moon was already shining brightly when I walked inside the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and into chaos.
An officer stood next to a white board writing names and bets.
“I’ve got twenty on a pack of werewolves getting drunk and passing out in yards.”
“Fifteen on us busting up an over exuberant satyr party.”
“Thirty on a giant spider.”
“You take that back!”
“Forty on exploding pumpkins.”
“Fifty says both the wolf bet and satyr bet happen.”
A few officers booed. “Killjoy!”
I edged around the crowd, leaving the main office for Rodriguez’s lab. The door was shut, and I rapped on it before letting myself in and setting down my gear. “Hey, Rodriguez, we’ll be in your car, right?”
“Yup.” He cleared his throat.
I looked up to see Rodriguez, who I’d expected, leaning against the counter to my left. A tall woman with her auburn hair in a tidy bun and wearing a police uniform grinned from her spot on the far wall. “Oops,” I said. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
She shook her head. “Not at all. He was filling me in on the plan tonight.”
“Michelle Oaks,” Rodriguez said, “Meet Officer Autumn Merriweather, the new hedge-witch for Gilmer County.”
“Nice to…”
What he said sank in, and I was back there again, watching Gilmer’s last hedge-practitioner die. I hadn’t been able to save Patrick. I hadn’t been able to save a lot of people that day.
I shivered and forced my mind back to the here and now. “Sorry. Officer Autumn Merriweather?”
“My parents were overly fond of clever names.” She offered her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things.”
I shook her hand. “Thanks. It’s nice to meet you too.”
What else could I say? I hadn’t realized Gilmer had hired a replacement for Patrick. And even if I had, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to meet them. Not when there was a chance they would blame me for their predecessor’s death.
In a way, it had been my fault. If I’d been a little faster, a little better, I could’ve saved a lot of lives.
Rodriguez glanced between the two of us. “Autumn is here for some training hours.”
“I finished regular training last week, but they think I need more magical training, so here I am,” Officer Merriweather said. “Our two departments only agreed to the training, what, an hour ago?”
“Something like that.” Rodriguez shrugged. “Michelle, you know how the bureaucracy can be.”
“That I do.” The easy conversation did its job and smoothed over the surprise. If Officer Merriweather blamed me for anything, it didn’t show. That was as much as I could ask.
Rodriguez nodded. “Are they still making bets out there?”
“They were when I came in.” Given how well my Friday the Thirteenth had gone, I wasn’t going to give the universe any fun ideas.
He checked his watch. “They should clear out in the next ten minutes. Then we can go someplace with more chairs until we get a call. Lord willing, tonight will be boring.”
“Now we’re in for it.” Officer Meriweather grinned.
Rodriguez had the grace to blush.
Officer Meriweather laughed and turned to me. “Michelle, can I call you Michelle? You can call me Autumn. Meriweather is such a mouthful. What are your top tips for dealing with magical mishaps?”
“Autumn and Michelle it is.” I couldn’t help but smile. “One, have good luck. Two, if you have bad luck, plan for it…”
Two hours later, we were in Rodriguez’s car, not the patrol car he’d used to drive me and Elron home, but his actual car. Autumn, sitting in the back seat, benefited the most since it was a normal back seat, complete with cup holders. Each of us had our caffeine potion of choice, mine a nice earl grey.
A fire had broken out. It was contained, but they were worried about the spells inside the building destabilizing it. The building housed the town’s decorations. Over the past few years, they’d spent up and now had things like a spell for a magical star to hang over their nativity.
Pretty during the holiday season, extra fuel for the fire now.
Magic and fire interacted strangely, which made it a great learning experience for Autumn. Even if we didn’t fix it, she’d get to see what it looked like and go over the ways to combat it.
We pulled up down the road from a mass of police vehicles. Beyond them, towering flames shot out of a warehouse. For a moment, they twinkled with spots of blue and green.
“Did I just see…?” Autumn asked.
“Yup,” Rodriguez and I answered together.
“Oh.” She watched the flames for a moment. “I thought the videos were edited.”
Lots of people did, which was why so many people didn’t take the proper precautions with spell storage. “Nope. The spells really can manifest inside the flames and add to the strength of the fire.”
Rodriguez phone rang. He waved us forward as he answered.
A star made of twisting flames rose above the building.
So much for their nativity this year.
“How do you manage the spells again?” Autumn asked.
The spell flickered out.
I went through a few different options, which were theoretical tonight. The firefighters had this well under control without using magical assistance. Regrettably, the decorations were a total loss.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Rodriguez joined us. “We’re getting redirected. Sorry, Autumn, it isn’t magical. The mayor’s mother lives in the historic downtown Ball Ground area. A party of satyrs has gotten out of hand. They mentioned werewolves, but I’m not clear on that part. Other officers are on scene, but we’re being sent so the mayor’s mom feels safe.”
“I’m unclear on how I’m supposed to break up a party. As I understand my contracts, I can’t do much unless it’s a magical problem.” One of those pesky, but important rules having to do with subject matter experts. Nothing about this party sounded magical.
“If there’s magic fueling this, that’s your job.” He glanced at the rearview mirror. “Autumn, this will be a good refresher of your training. If we find magic, we’ll let you at it.”
“We wouldn’t want the mayor’s mother afraid,” Autumn said.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the party really was out of control. Growing up, a few of the older ladies considered quietly entering your own house after ten to be scandalous.
Rodriguez turned off the highway. “Two minutes.”
Growing up, we’d driven through here often enough for me to know the area. The old historic area used to be all but abandoned. Someone had bought all the shops and used them to store stone. In the past few years, those buildings had gone up for sale, and life was coming back. The city had redone the road and sidewalks and even transformed an empty lot into a small park. There were a few restaurants, shops, and a bank. The adjoining streets were heavily residential, mostly little bungalows and brick ranches.
A wolf darted into the road, and Rodriguez slammed on the brakes.
I braced myself against the dash as we skidded to a stop, only a foot from the wolf.
The werewolf growled at the car and darted into the darkness.
Rodriguez huffed out a breath and turned into the Post Office to park. “We’ll walk from here.”
“That wolf wasn’t local,” I said.
Autumn leaned forward. “How could you tell?”
“I know the pack alpha for this area,” I answered. “Liam has them wear reflective collars if they’re shifted and running around. That wolf didn’t have a collar.” I got out of the car.
Rodriguez shut his door. “If we find it, I’m going to remind it of road etiquette.”
I lifted a brow. “Good luck.”
“Do you hear that?” Autumn asked.
Now that I stopped to listen, I could hear a guitar riff and drums. “Maybe the mayor’s mother was right.”
“This way,” Rodriguez motioned down the road. “We’ll find out soon.”
I summoned my wand and followed him. With the full moon and occasional streetlight, I could see well enough to keep my feet on the sidewalk. Ahead of us, two werewolves darted across the street right under a light. Neither of them was wearing a collar.
We kept going, passing two residential houses. With each step, the music got louder. I had to admit, the mayor’s mom hadn’t been wrong about the loud music.
Another block ahead of us, our road crossed what had once been the main street. It wasn’t called “Main Street,” and it certainly wasn’t the main anything these days.
Rodriguez hesitated. “Dispatch said officers were working from the north and south ends of the road. I thought we’d see someone here.”
A satyr trotted across the intersection.
“I think we’re the team in the middle of the road,” Autumn said.
“Clearly,” I said.
Rodriguez shrugged. “As long as we can quiet things down, the mayor should be happy. We’ll start with the music, and remember, we’re here to defuse this, not arrest everyone.”
I nodded, not that he had intended his directions for me. I didn’t have the power to arrest anyone, and I didn’t want it. I could hold people until the police arrived, and that was good enough.
We headed down the block, the music getting louder with every step. Between the moon and the streetlights, I got a good view of our problem before were closed the distance.
It was a street party. Werewolves, dark elves, satyrs, and an assortment of other races were milling around, generally having a good time. The shops were closed, and so far, the windows were intact. If the party stayed at this level, we would be able to send everyone back to their respective beds without any handcuff worthy incidents.
The shops had gone all out for the season, and glowing pumpkins, bubbling cauldrons, and orange lights decorated every window, giving the gathering a Halloween theme. Even the streetlights had decorative webs dangling under them, casting shadows onto the ground. A banner stretched across the road, reminding everyone of this year’s pumpkin carving contest.
Now that I had an unobstructed view of the entire street, it was clear there weren’t hordes of people here. It was hard to be sure, but it looked to be about a hundred people, a good thirty of them werewolves. Each end of the street had a small crowd and flashing blue lights. That explained where the other officers were.
I leaned over to Rodriguez. “Maybe if we shut off the music, everyone will go home.”
“Worth a try.” Rodriguez approached a dark elf who had his head tipped back, body swaying to the beat. “Do you know where the music is playing?”
The dark elf spun around, lost his balance, and took three steps to the side before resuming his dance. “Beautiful music!”
He stumbled again.
Rodriguez grabbed the dark elf’s elbow to steady him.
The dark elf grinned, took Rodriguez’s hand, and started dancing with him. “Has anyone told you how good you look in the moonlight?” The words slurred together.
For as drunk as the dark elf sounded, he wasn’t carrying a beverage, and I couldn’t smell any alcohol either. I gently tugged Rodriguez away. “I’m sorry, we can’t dance now.”
The elf shrugged and went back to dancing alone.
“Thanks,” Rodriguez said.
“No problem.”
A werewolf wobbled down the sidewalk before laying down and closing its eyes. Across the road, a satyr tripped, got back on its feet, and tripped again before continuing its wobbly walk.
“They all look drunk.” Which was odd, not only because full moons didn’t usually turn into drunken parties, but because I didn’t see any bottles. No one was carrying a drink.
“But how?” Autumn motioned to the road. “And where did they all come from?”
“Music first.” Rod pointed across the intersection. “I think it gets louder that way.”
We avoided two more revelers as we crossed the street. Neither of them was steady on their feet.
This block was short, with only a couple of shops and some green space, and then it turned residential. The first house had a big sign that said BED & BREAKFAST in curly letters. Three werewolves dashed back and forth in some game. The front door was wide open, with light and extension cords spilling out. Several speakers took up a chunk of the porch.
That was the source of the music and potentially the rest of the revelry. The music kept getting louder, so much so that normal volume conversation wasn’t possible. I almost spelled it, but it would be a poor use of magic, and the night was young.
Rodriguez jogged past the werewolves, me and Autumn right behind him, and yanked the speaker plugs out of the extension cords.
A guy in a white t-shirt, gym shorts, socks, and sandals wobbled into the doorway. “What ya doin’?”
“There was a noise complaint.” I blocked his view of Rodriguez. “I’m Michelle, a consultant with the police. What’s your name?”
“What?” He swayed.
He was close enough I should be able to smell alcohol, but again, nothing. Something had made this man drunk, but I didn’t have a clue what. Until I could figure that out, it was best to keep it simple. “Your name.”
“Washa.” He leaned to the side and peered around me. “Could’a asked.”
“I’m sorry about that.” Not even a little, but he didn’t need to know that right now. “Have you been drinking?”
Washa shook his head, took two steps to the side, and leaned into the wall. “Had to stay sober in cause the pack needs me.”
Rodriguez came up beside me. “The pack?”
“Yup. We all came down for the week. Nice pack-bonding time.” He grinned. “Alpha is a good man.”
“Can you point him out to me?” Rodriguez asked.
Washa lurched to the side, squinted, and pointed into the yard. “That one.”
One of the wolves had flopped down on its side. The other two tussled for a moment before breaking apart. Tongues out, they panted and then both of them sprawled out on the grass. Out of the three, I wasn’t sure which one Washa thought was the alpha. It didn’t really matter, none of the three were in shape to recall the pack.
“Which one?” Rodriguez said.
Washa’s nostrils flared. He tipped his head back and inhaled. “Meat.” He took off running.
Well, it started as a run. He tripped going doing the stairs, got back to his feet, stripped off his shirt, and shifted. The gym shorts flew up in the air, followed by the socks. The dark-gray body blended nicely with the night, but the white paws stood out.
“Narzel blast it.” I took off after him. Drunk or whatever, I trusted his senses. If he said there was meat, there was meat.
Rodriguez swore. “We need to call Liam.”
“As soon as he gets where he’s going.” So far, Washa had been easy enough to follow, going in a straight line from the house to the road.
Autumn kept pace with us. “Who’s Liam?”
Washa dared across the street, holding true to his line.
I checked both ways before following. The wolf might be too drunk to think about such practicalities, but I didn’t want to end up as a hood ornament.
Across the street, Washa trampled a foam headstone and lunged for a hand that had been positioned atop an adjacent grave. Next to him, another werewolf chewed on a leg.
I slowed to a walk. If they were going after Halloween decorations, they were drunker than I thought. Dismissing my wand, I got my phone out of my pocket and dialed Liam. Hopefully, he hadn’t shifted with the rest of his pack, and he could come give us a hand.
The wolf chewing on the leg ripped a strip off and swallowed it.
Not a decoration.
Not a decoration at all.
That was a real leg.
I pointed at it, my phone still in my hand. “Sowil.” A shield popped into place around the leg.
The wolf turned and grabbed one of the fingers of the hand Washa was munching on.
“Narzel.” I should’ve put the wolf in the bubble, not the leg.
“Hello?” A voice came from my phone.
“Hold on!” I swapped the phone to my left hand, summoned my wand, and tried again.
Washa dropped the hand to growl.
“Sowil.”
One wolf down.
“What was that?” The voice asked.
Rodriguez yanked the phone out of my grip.
The other wolf dropped the finger to go for the dismembered hand Washa had relinquished.
“Sowil.” A shield bubble encapsulated the wolf, along with the one finger from the hand, but that was the least of my worries. With the two of them separated from the real, real-dead body parts, I could move onto the bigger problem.
I pulled more magic into my wand and focused on the entire yard. “Sowil.”
The shield came up just in front of us and covered all of the front yard, or at least everything on grass mowed to the same level. Hopefully, that was enough. If not, well, as soon as the next werewolf found a body part, I’d make adjustments.
Behind me, I heard Autumn puking.
Wasn’t tonight just lovely?
Rodriguez handed the phone back to me. “I didn’t get Liam but one of the pack. They’re going to get him and have him call us before he comes over.”
“He can’t get here soon enough.” Full moon, dismembered body, and drunk wolves. What could possibly go wrong?