Quaid’s feet pound on the stairs as he rushes up to the kitchen. I want to follow him, to protect him if I can, but Shenka blocks me with magic, dark eyes snapping blue power.
“Let him deal with them,” she says. “He might be able to talk them down.”
I listen, tense, hand holding Sage’s as Shenka returns to rummage further through a cardboard box just out of the reach of the light. A soft blue glow casts her in eerie shadows as her hovering witchlight dances over her head. She joins us a moment later with a final pair of jeans and a t-shirt for Sage. He accepts them with a smile and slips the clothes on while Shenka turns away, blushing again.
Her reaction would be adorable if I weren’t so afraid.
Someone steps across the threshold of the kitchen, the Enforcer power having a hard time breaking through the wards. But I hear Pender’s voice and know Quaid will not be able to shield us much longer. My ears strain for actual words, but I hear only the muffled sound of a low argument. First Quaid, then Pender, back again. Sage jerks his t-shirt down over his flat stomach just as two more people cross the family magic and my hackles rise.
I don’t have to hear their voices to know they are werewolves. And from the tainted feeling of them, they belong to Caine’s pack. I’m not surprised then to make out the deep tone of Roman’s voice, nor that of his sister, Viveca. The North American Council must have agreed to include Caine’s beta and his sibling in the Enforcer’s search.
The next time I see Erica, I’m going to make sure she understands just how unhappy her choice has made me.
The already crowded kitchen above swells with two more bodies of power, witches. I make out Finlay’s gravel tone with a start of surprise. That means the second must be Gwendolyn. The pair always work together. Has Femke sent the witch pairing to support the werewolves, or to protect Sage and me? I have no way of knowing, though I hope it’s the latter.
I can’t kid myself about the European leader’s position. She must uphold the law, keep the peace, stay out of the conflicts of other races, even if that means turning us over when I know she doesn’t want to.
An argument breaks out above, so loud I wince and turn to Shenka. “We have to get out of here.” Footsteps approach the basement door, power pushing ahead of it. Shenka scowls, the family magic rising to lick at her legs in blue flames. I feel the family through her, their willingness to protect us, no matter what that might mean for the Hayle coven.
And though a wash of gratitude that stings my eyes with tears and tightens my throat almost consumes me at their loyalty, I can’t allow this to go on.
Pender’s voice answers Quaid’s angry tone, his words coming clearly through the door at the top of the stairs.
“I’m very sorry,” he says. “But there is a formal extradition order for the two werewolves hiding in your basement. And I must obey the law.”
Shenka spins on us, pushing against me physically with both hands. “Hide,” she hisses as the door opens.
I don’t know what she expects. There’s nowhere to go. But as Sage and I fade into the shadows, I feel the family embrace us fully, their power cloaking us in magic, and as I reach out to them with my own power, Sage’s answers. A bubble of energy swallows us whole, dimming the light in the room and I realize we’re being hidden by illusion or some magical means. I’m certain Pender will be able to see right through it, and my mind turns to defense and escape by any means as I try to work out a plan.
Pender descends, black robe flowing around him, Quaid close on his heels. The two werewolves follow after, Viveca sniffing the air, her beautiful face ugly in its hate. Roman’s shoulders hunch forward as he ducks to clear the low ceiling, hulking darkness making my skin crawl. Viveca hates me, I can only guess, because she’s jealous Caine wants me instead of her. Roman just hates.
I catch a glimpse of Gwen and Finlay as Shenka slams up a wall of power in front of Pender, her fury obvious on her pinched face. I’ve never seen her so angry before and am actually a little nervous she might take things further than she should.
“How dare you?” Her voice vibrates, not with emotion, but with power as the family answers her, the immensity of the Hayle coven’s magic flowing around her in a whirling tornado as they answer her call. “You break coven law, invading territory without cause, after segregating and imprisoning our coven in our own homes for days.” She doesn’t attack, simply stares with growing scorn at the leader of the Enforcers. “For shame, Pender Tremere.”
He shrugs, pushing back his hood. He looks even more tired than he did when I saw him in Arizona, when he almost captured Sage and me. I feel sorry for him, for the pressure he is under, and wonder how far Shenka can push him before he breaks. Because he is due to break. No one can endure the constant control he’s been under for so many years and not come to a point where they snap.
“Take it up with the Council Leader,” Pender says, not a trace of anger in his voice. “I’m sorry, Shenka, but I have my orders.”
“So, lawful or not, you’ll follow them?” She snorts in his face, closing the distance between them though keeping the wall up and vibrating with magic. “How typical.” She waves in the air between them as though he offends her. “Laws are laws until the Council decides it’s time to break them.”
He sighs, audible, as the two werewolves prod him from behind.
“They are here,” Roman growls.
Pender finally reacts, rage flashing over his face, though when he turns, I realize his heart isn’t in this hunt at all. “You touch me again,” he snarls in Roman’s face, “and I’ll tear your heart from your chest and make your sister eat it.”
No one speaks. I think we’re all too shocked by Pender’s sudden reaction. I expected him to crack, but this emotional reaction is unlike him. So, he’s on our side, after all. Maybe he can be convinced to stand down if approached the right way.
Gwendolyn clears her throat, her golden hair just catching the light of the bulb as Finlay hulks protectively behind her. “If you would allow,” she says. “A quick search will answer the question.”
Shenka shakes her head, arms crossing over her chest. “Illegal,” she says. “The two you seek aren’t even witches, and the pair of you are out of your jurisdiction.” Finlay scowls at her, though Gwendolyn nods and ducks her head. “This domain is ruled by coven law, not werewolf. Coven law states clearly,” she jabs Pender in the chest with one finger as he turns back to face her, a big risk in my opinion, though he doesn’t react to the tiny blow, “no Enforcer may search a coven territory without the permission of the coven leader.”
His shoulders sag slightly. “Unless the Enforcers have proof the coven leader has broken the law,” he says.
“A coven leader who happens to be absent and can’t defend herself.” Shenka’s anger flares a moment before she regains her composure. “Fine. Where’s your proof?” She glares at him, then at Gwen and Finlay, totally ignoring the two werewolves. “I’d like to see it.”
Pender doesn’t comment, leaving the room silent.
“I can smell them,” Viveca snarls.
Shenka raises one eyebrow at her, looking the werewoman up and down as though she offends the Hayle second with her very presence. “And I’m taking your word for it, why?”
Was that a tiny quirk at the corner of Pender’s tired mouth?
“We acted on their assurance,” he says, with more energy as he turns to them. “I was assured you had concrete proof the two fugitives were here.” He scowls, his own power crackling. Has Shenka given him a doorway he can squeeze out his sense of outrage through?
Sassafras’s sarcasm cuts like a knife where he perches at the top of the stairs, watching with glowing eyes. “Tell us you haven’t breached coven law on the strength of this creature’s sense of smell?”
Pender doesn’t comment. But I can tell from the set of his shoulders, the way he’s not resisting, but waiting for an answer, he is giving us a chance. Pender knows we are here, I’m certain of it. But he hates this chase as much as we do, is clearly upset by his orders. Why else would he react this way?
A tiny thread of hope weaves its way through me. We might escape this after all.
Viveca growls something under her breath while Roman shifts, turning and sniffing the air himself.
“We found a car outside town,” he says, gravel over stone, almost as deep as Finlay, though rougher.
“How interesting,” Shenka says as Sassafras trots down the stairs and joins her.
“Indeed,” he says. “Cars are so rare around here.”
Gwendolyn snorts a laugh, covers it with a cough while Viveca snaps her teeth at Shenka. The second reacts with magic, pushing the werewoman back and into one of the support posts.
“Don’t ever,” Shenka says. “Ever.”
I’m sure the two werewolves are going to attack, Roman’s fury clear all over his face. But Viveca, released from the family magic, simply links to her brother’s side. Even these two can smell the winds of change blowing against them.
Pender turns to Shenka and bows his head. “You understand,” he says, “if the two we seek are here, you must turn them over.”
Shenka’s shoulders lift, head high. “You are welcome to leave, now,” she says. “I advise you to do so before Syd gets home.” She glances casually at her wrist. “Any minute now.”
Pender bows his head. “We will return with evidence,” he says.
Shenka shrugs. “You do that.”
The Enforcer leader turns, points at the werewolves. “You two,” he says. “Out.”
They don’t argue, though they don’t look happy. Quaid escorts them up the stairs, turning to meet Shenka’s eyes before closing the basement door firmly behind him.
Shenka kicks at a box, winces and shakes her foot as Sage and I emerge from the shadows, the family’s magic releasing the protective field around us. “Damn it,” she says. “They wouldn’t have tried this if Syd was home.”
“They know she’s not?” I rub at my arms, goosebumps rising as the family magic dissipates.
“They arrived shortly after Syd left and surrounded Wilding Springs,” Sassafras says, leaping up onto the box to groom his front paw. “Whether by design or accident, I have no idea. But Pender knows if Syd was here, she would have been screaming bloody murder long before now.”
I nod. And wish she was here as I feel the last of the visitors leave through the family wards. Quaid’s magic reinforces the shielding at the kitchen door, the power rippling through the energy in the basement, before returning to join us. His grim expression makes me nervous all over again.
“They’ll be back,” he says. “Pender now has solid proof Syd’s not home.”
Shenka nods, sadness on her face. “I should be stronger,” she says.
Quaid shakes his head as I go to her and hug her.
“You,” I say, “are perfect.”
“You handled them better than I would,” Quaid says. “If those two werewolves had taken one more step into the basement, I would have killed the both of them and the law be damned.”
“We have to talk to Erica, and we can’t wait any longer.” Shenka offers her hand. When Sage tries to join us, Shenka waves him off. “You stay here with Quaid and Sass,” she says. “We don’t want to hand you over just yet, not until we know what kind of reception we get.”
I hate to leave him behind, but I know he’s in good hands. Sage hesitates before hugging me, tight and almost desperate. It’s nice to feel his human form again, to smell his human scent and feel the softness of his skin and hair as I kiss him gently.
“We’ll be back soon,” I say, waving to Quaid. “Thank you.”
Syd’s husband’s smile is dark, but that’s Quaid. “Be careful.”
Shenka’s body begins to glow with blue fire and I raise my eyebrows in curiosity.
“Quaid’s been teaching me a few things,” she says with a wink. “Got a little tired of Syd being the only one who could travel long distance. The Enforcer trick of riding the elemental fire comes in handy at times like this.”
I grasp her warm hand and smile. “Seems like the two of us need to have a chat,” I say. “Compare notes.”
Shenka’s dark eyes glitter with fierce joy. “You got it. When this is over.”
Blue flames lick at me, reminding me of Zoe Helios and I wonder if the fire she uses for her oracles follows the same rules. And then there is no time for my mind to wander or my wolf to speculate, because the family magic flares around us and we are engulfed.
***