CHAPTER 20

Luanne sat in the kitchen sipping hot tea. There was a pile of shortbread cookies in the middle of the center island. There was no sign of Keir.

“Someone’s on a shit list,” Lu said.

“From who?” I went to the fridge and grabbed a diet soda.

She gave me the “you know who” stare.

“Keir?”

“Oh, don’t look so grumpy, goose. You won’t stay on the list for long,” she assured me. “I frequently make the top five shits, and he still loves me.”

“You’re family,” I said. “He has to love you.”

She took a cookie and dipped it in her tea. “That’s not been my experience.” She frowned, looking a bit crestfallen. “Damn, half the biscuit fell into the cup.” She shrugged and gobbled the end still in her hands, then grabbed another. “Keir will get over it.”

I didn’t like being on Keir’s shit list. He and I were soul-bonded, and I had gotten used to him supporting all my hair-brained schemes no matter how dangerous they proved to be. On top of that, I didn’t want him mad at me. “I can’t believe he left just because I kept him out of my conversation with Thomas.”

Lu snorted, then gagged on her tea and cookie. “Damn it, Iris. Don’t make me laugh when I’m eating. I almost choked to death.”

“Drama queen.”

She chuckled. “Keir didn’t leave because of a tantrum. That’s not in his wheelhouse either. He went up to his house to see if he could salvage a few of his things, books and such, before the rain hits.”

“Is it supposed to rain?”

“There was a thunderstorm warning.”

“And Zev?”

“He’s babysitting the pixies at Keir’s request.”

“I’m surprised he’s sticking around,” I told her. “But I’m thankful. I could use all the help I can get right now.”

“I’m not sure helping is his only reason for sticking around.”

I arched my brow. “Oh yeah?”

“I think Zev is drawn to a certain free spirit by the name of Marigold. He’s asked me a dozen questions about her.”

“So he does like her.” I shook my head. “Men. Why doesn’t he just say so? She’s completely into him.”

“He’s an ifrit,” Luanne said. “He can’t date a human. He can’t date most supernaturals either.”

“How come?”

“Let’s just say, when he brings the heat, he brings the heat. Ifrits are fire creatures, and they burn when they have sex.”

“Yikes.” This was a conversation with Marigold I wasn’t looking forward to having. But later, much later. I had too many other things to worry about than her love life right now.

My phone made a loud warning sound. I took it off the counter where it was charging. There was a storm alert starting at seven tonight until eleven in the morning. Automatically, I checked to see if there were any messages from Michael.

There were none.

I opened my favorites and called him. The call went straight to voicemail. “Hey, call me when you get this,” I said after the beep.

“Everything okay?” Lu asked.

“I’ve tried to reach Michael several times today, and he’s not picking up his phone or returning my texts.”

“I heard he has a new girlfriend,” Luanne said. When I gave her a sharp look, she added, “Rose and I talk.”

Rose and Luanne had developed a tight friendship over the past couple of months.

“He was going to hang out with his friend Doug yesterday and stay the night, I hope. Still, he should’ve gotten back to me.” I didn’t want to be an alarmist, but with everything going on with the pixies and the wraith, I was worried. I texted Doug. He didn’t text me back either. I scrolled through my contacts until I found Lauren Reynolds’ information and tapped her name.

Lauren picked up on the second ring. “Hey, Iris,” she answered.

“Hey.” I tried not to sound as panicked as I felt. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of Michael, and he’s not answering his phone.”

“Boys.” I could almost hear her headshake. “They’re at Coach Jordan’s house with the football team. Coach wanted to go over Friday night’s film with them. You know, go over the good, the bad, and the ugly.” She chuckled. “Coach is going to feed them too. Fine by me. One less thing I have to do tonight.”

It wasn’t unusual for the football team to congregate at the coach’s place for team bonding. When Adam had been the coach, he’d hosted team nights a handful of times during the season. The difference was that Adam was human, while Jordan was a demi-god. And the fact that Michael wasn’t answering his phone while hanging out with the guy made me feel as if my skin would crawl from my body. Of course, I only had his say-so he was a demi-god. He might not be a sorcerer, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a liar.

“Uh, okay,” I said to Lauren. “Do you have the coach’s address?”

“I don’t have his address, but he lives out on Crookshank Road. Once you pass the old mill, take the first drive on the right. He’s got a lovely place nestled back in the woods.”

Well, that didn’t sound creepy at all. “Thanks. Sorry to bother you.”

“No worries. I’m sure Michael is just having a good time and hasn’t been paying attention to his phone. You know how teenagers are.”

“You’re probably right. Talk later.” I dropped the call before she could say bye.

“Iris, you’re white as a sheet,” Lu said. She pushed the plate of cookies away from her. “Is something wrong?”

I grabbed my purse. “Michael might be in trouble.”

“Iris, wait.” She grabbed my arm.

I yanked away. “I have to go find Michael.”

She flicked her gaze to my arm and hand. “You better cover up first.”

I stared at my hands. The swirling beneath the waxy surface moved faster than earlier. “Damn it.” My eyes were hot with tears. “He’s at Jordan Sonnavilsa’s place.”

Lu stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. “I’m going with you.”

“The pixies….”

“Zev can handle it. I’ll get the gear packed.”

“No guns,” I told her. I didn’t want to chance a showdown with the entire football team caught in the crossfire.

“Noted,” she said. “I won’t need one. Go get camouflaged. I’ll meet you in the car.”

In less than fifteen minutes, we were on the road.

“Where does this jackhole live?” Lu’s grip on the steering wheel shifted from one hand to two, her knuckles going to white.

“Take a left on Main Street, and we’ll follow it all the way out of town.”

Lu nodded, then punched the gas. “I swear to the goddess, if he’s even looked cross-eyed at Michael, I’m going to stab him through the ear and scramble his brains.”

“There won’t be any brains to scramble after I explode his head,” I told her.

“Brutal,” Lu said. “Much respect.”

“Tell me what you all know about Jordan,” I said, needing more information so my own head wouldn’t explode. “I know he’s on your watch list because he was with a tru-craft witch when she died but is there any other reason?”

Luanne shook her head. “Honestly, no. After I found out he’d changed his name, I did a thorough check for Oldsen and Sonnavilsa. I couldn’t find anything. Either he’s keeping his nose clean or—”

“Or he’s really good at hiding all his nefarious activities.”

She frowned. “Too right.” It didn’t take long for us to leave town. The mountain had gorgeous views when there weren’t a lot of houses to obstruct it. When I was a kid, I used to wish I had one of the big houses overlooking the world below. I pointed when I saw Crookshank Road. “There it is,” I said. “Take a left.”

Luanne turned onto the gravel, kicking up dust behind us as she gained speed. Up ahead, there was a covered bridge over a stream. Nearby, there was a tall, narrow brick building with a high-pitched roof. On the side was a giant water wheel revolving as the water flowed. I pointed at it.

“There’s the old mill. Jordan’s place should be the first road on the right after the bridge.”

Lu, with laser focus, drove toward the bridge with butt-puckering speed. I knew the mill was at least a hundred years old. I prayed the bridge had been given some updates since then.

We survived. I only knew this because when I opened my eyes, we were turning right onto a shortleaf pine-lined road. When we got to the end of the drive, there was a large white house with a wraparound deck at the end. A dozen cars and trucks littered the side of the road and the driveway. I began to rub my hands together nervously as we pulled in and parked.

“Stop that,” Lu said. “You’re rubbing the makeup off.”

“Shoot.” I put my hands at my sides.

Teenage boys were running around the side of the house, playing some kind of game of tag. There was an above-ground pool with an attached deck. I recognized all the boys. Monty Croner, David Smith, Craig Donaldson, Allen, George, Dave, Jake, Josh, and more. Mostly juniors and seniors. They were having a good time. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. Nothing scary or violent here. However, I didn’t see Michael. I wouldn’t feel better until I saw my son.

Luanne was strapping up several knives.

“Let’s take it easy, okay? There are too many kids here,” I said, “for a lethal confrontation. Let’s just assess the situation first.”

“Okay, mamma bear,” she told me, putting the weapons back in her console. She kept one knife out and slid it into her boot. “But just in case….”

“I can live with that.” A single knife wouldn’t cause any collateral damage if she had to use it.

We exited the car. Craig Donaldson waved. “Hey, Mrs. Callahan,” he said.

I winced at hearing my married name, but let it go. “Hey, Craig. Have you seen Michael?”

“He’s in the house,” he said cheerfully.

Monty Croner jumped him from behind.

“Asshole!” Craig yelled. He flushed, then looked at me. “Sorry, Mrs. Callahan.”

I raised my hands. “Not the language police. Where in the house?”

The boy looked chagrined as he shrugged off his friend. “He’s in the basement with Coach.”

My gut clenched, and my non-magicked palm began to sweat. I rubbed it on my jeans as I half-jogged to the front door with Luanne on my heels.

“How are we playing this?” Lu asked. “It’s going to be hard to cover up killing him with all these witnesses.”

“If he’s harmed my son in any way, I’m not sure I care.”

Lu widened her eyes and gave a shrug. “We’ll play it by ear then.”

The house was a split level, so it made finding the basement easy. Lu stopped me at the stoop and put a finger to her lips. “We have the element of surprise,” she said. “Let’s keep it.”

I nodded, resisting the urge to run down the stairs and break down the door. Gingerly, we went step by step, listening for noises. I heard a familiar groan and a sound of pain.

Fuck surprise.

I ran the rest of the steps and burst through the basement door, which was luckily unlocked. The basement was set up as a gym, complete with several weight training areas, bench presses, a treadmill, an elliptical, a rowing machine, and a vertical climbing machine. I didn’t see Michael or the coach. I heard the groan again, then a hissed, “Son of a bitch.”

It had come from an open door on the other side of the treadmill. Lu was ahead of me, and she stopped as soon as she was inside the frame. Before I could barrel in, she put an arm out to hold me back.

“Lu?” Michael asked. “Mom? What are you guys doing here?”

Michael was on a padded table. He was holding an ice pack to his jaw. Coach Phil, the defensive coordinator, wrapped his ankle.

“What happened to you?” My voice hitched up an octave. “Who hurt you? Where’s Jordan?”

To my son’s credit, my son only looked mildly embarrassed. “I zigged when I should’ve zagged.”

I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. “Don’t get sassy. Tell me what happened.”

Now he looked embarrassed. I’d feel bad about it later. “I’m okay, Mom. Sheesh. I was goofing off with the guys, jumped away from Dave to avoid getting tagged, and I hit my jaw on the pool deck then twisted my ankle.”

“Hi, Iris,” Phil said. “He’s going to be fine. His ankle isn’t swelling. I only wrapped it as a precaution after we iced it.”

I saw the bucket of ice water next to the table.

“That really sucked,” Michael said. “Ice hurts.”

I nodded. “Let me see your face.”

Michael took the ice pack from his jaw. It had a red line on the left side, but nothing horrible.

“And your ankle?”

“It feels better already.” My son gave me a strange look. “What’s this all about?”

“You didn’t tell me you were going to coach’s today.”

“I did,” Michael said. “I told you last week that we were reviewing films and doing the team-building stuff at his place on Sunday.”

Had he? Cripes. Had I been so wrapped up with everything going on in my life that I was dropping the ball when it came to parenting?

Yep. Pretty much. Michael was seventeen, and with that came the perks of not having to mother him as much, but had I stopped mothering altogether. “I’m…I’m sorry, Michael.”

“It’s fine.” His words were clipped. “What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t answering your phone.”

Phil said, “That’s my fault. I had them all drop their phones in a basket when they got here. Trying to get them to focus on each other and the team, not their screens.”

I felt like a big dumbass. “I’m sorry for barging in.”

Lu’s posture was relaxed now that she was no longer preparing to murder someone. “Hey,” she asked Phil. “Where’s the coach?”

“Jordan’s out back grilling a hundred hamburgers.” He smiled, suddenly aware of Luanne. “Forty boys are a lot to feed. The basement is a walkout,” he added. “If you go around the corner, you’ll see the patio doors. That’s where the grill is.”

Maybe Jordan was here because it was a job. A fresh start. Still, I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I talked to him. “I’ll go have a word with him before I go,” I said.

“Mom….” Michael gave me a pleading look.

“Don’t worry,” I told him. “I’ll behave.”

The kid sighed. “Are you…okay?”

I cast a glance at Phil and then back to Michael. “Fine,” I lied. “It’s all good. I’ll find you in a few minutes after I talk to Coach.” Damn it. Had I distanced myself from Michael’s life as well? I mean, I was going through the motions of parenting, but I hadn’t known about the girlfriend or the team night, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else I was missing.