Cold Moon Rising (11 page)

But Lucas’s whispered conversation? No problem at all.

“Were you with the men who harmed the child on the farm, Mustaf? If you were, it’s a death sentence offense.”

The man’s facial features stilled and instead of trying to fight against Lucas’s power—always a futile effort, he froze. “You know my name. Nobody in this country knows my true name.”

Josh had one of those smiles that was filled with even white teeth that spoke of years of expensive orthodontic treatments. But Lucas’s eyes didn’t match the smile. The eyes were filled with anger and deadly intent. He crouched down next to the snake and let his eyes glow bright. “Wolven knows everything, and we’re everywhere. Remember that. The men you’re with are wanted by the human authorities. If you stay with them, and are put behind bars for crimes they committed, I don’t believe Ahmad will see fit to send a lawyer. He will visit you himself and you will never see a fair trial. Now, I will ask again. Were you with them?”

Mustaf let out a slow breath and then shook his head once, firmly. “No. They went to the house alone.” I believed him, because there was no scent of black peppers, which I’ve learned means a person is lying.

“I remained behind to watch for the three-day wolf they said was to come. That’s my only purpose here. I was paid to help find the man they seek to bring him back for crimes he committed. They don’t even know how I find other Sazi. I have broken no council laws to become a bounty hunter. But if I cannot get the taste of that wretched fruit from my tongue, I will do no good for them, so I might as well leave.”

Lucas released his magical hold on Mustaf and once he’d relaxed onto the dirt, got out of his crouch and offered him a hand to his feet. His words were firm, even though the smile was still on his face. “Wolven is not so depleted that we require vigilante assistance. Tell those you work with, and for, that to capture another Sazi for delivery to anyone other than the council will have punishment meted. The Sazi these men seek is a Wolven agent now. Any crimes have been commuted by the chief justice. We will allow him to defend himself as any other Wolven agent can. Is that understood?”

The ultimatum didn’t go over well. He let out a low hiss and his fists clenched. “You have no right to make this rule, Wolven! I do no harm. I do not plan injuries to others. I do not kill or participate in torture or risk creating a new snake. I merely point out criminals others seek. This is my livelihood, to feed my many children. Only the council can make such a law, and they must be aware that it will injure myself and others. I demand to have my say before them, to defend my business.”

It was pretty obvious Lucas didn’t like it from the low growl he let out and the scent of burning coffee that filled the parking lot. But he dipped his head once. “You will have your say at the next council meeting, two months hence. Ahmad will notify you of the location. But until then, my word is law. The charter of Wolven, enacted by the council, gives me that right. You will leave this place, and turn away any jobs until then. Am I understood?”

Mustaf leaned back his shoulders fluidly until there was a definite bowing of his spine. I’ve learned the snake-shifters do that when they’re about to strike. I stepped forward carefully and started to plan how to reach the derringer in the holster at my ankle in case I needed to dive for cover and shoot. Since he was a cobra, he might only spit. But even that’s deadly. Lucas didn’t budge. He stared him down, not even bothering to freeze him with magic, until the snake’s shoulders relaxed, fraction by fraction. But the cobra’s words were still poisoned darts and I’d bet if he could have found a way to make them cut flesh, he would have. “You . . . are . . . understood.”

Lucas turned and walked away, not even bothering to come my way, or look back at the pissed-off snake. All I could do was shake my head as I got in the truck, which was already running by the time I got there. “Gee. That went well.” I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, because actually it did sort of go well.

“The problem is that he’s right. Wolven is depleted to the point where we need extra help. But we can’t let the average Sazi know that, because they’ll take advantage. All I can do is puff up my chest and pretend at this point and hope the council is going to agree with my position.”

The way he was gripping the steering wheel as he backed out made me wonder whether he was going to snap it in two by the time the ride was over.

“Need me to take over driving? You seem a little . . . stressed. I’d like to make it wherever we’re going in one piece.”

His own growl, low pitched and vicious, caught him unaware and he had to slam his mouth shut and blink a couple of times. I fingered the door latch in case I needed to dive out. No way was I a match for him if he was pissed and we both knew it.

He sighed and tried to get his emotions under control. I only knew that because there was so much scent overload in the car that I started a sneezing fit. And there wasn’t a single tissue in the truck. “Lots of things going on right now. I’m overextended and it’s starting to show. Wolven’s a mess, Boulder’s a mess, the new turn is about to leave town with an unwitting human right at the full moon, and we have a councilwoman down from unknown causes. There’s still something big happening out there and the harder I try to figure it out, the faster it slips through my fingers.”

There wasn’t a thing I could do about any of it, other than the matter at hand, so I focused on that. “I presume it’s the new turn about to leave town that’s our crisis of the moment? Or are we heading to the Sanderson farm to check out whether there are going to be any new snakes in the region?”

He shook his head. “No, I believe Mustaf. Good job on outing him, by the way. I’ve actually heard of him, but had never seen him before. Wherever you got the information is fine with me. But if you’re connecting to Ahmad’s head without him knowing, we’re going to have to find some way to stop it. He’s privy to secrets that you don’t get to have access to.”

I couldn’t help a small smile. “Afraid I’ll sell you out?”

Lucas kept a straight face, and I was pretty sure he wasn’t kidding. “It’s not beneath you. I don’t have any illusions about you, Tony. I’d love to think I could trust you, but there’s a divide between our worlds that I doubt if you’ll ever cross.” I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about, but I let him continue anyway. “You have morals, of a sort, which is why I’m giving you a chance with Wolven. But your morals are your own, which is pretty typical of a sociopath. Sometimes they coincide with what the rest of society considers normal, sometimes they’re even stricter. But more often they’re looser, and that’s where we have a problem.”

“And it’s why you keep partnering me with agents stronger than me, magically.” The huff of air I let out wasn’t really humor. Just irony. I looked out the window at the neat houses with green lawns. I’d had a nice house with a lawn once, on a quiet cul-de-sac where I had friends and people who respected me. But then came the Sazi and everything changed. Now I was in a dumpy apartment in a strange town where I was part of a pack I didn’t really belong to. I was the lowest of the low of my kind, living with a woman that I was married to on paper, but had never actually agreed to share my life with before a man of the cloth. And I might lose her any day and could lose my life on any given assignment at the whim of my partner. I spent each day trying not to think about a whole bunch of things that it was best not to dwell on. “No doubt with orders of shoot to kill if I become too much of a pain.” I raised my brows as he glanced at me without responding. “It’s not like I hadn’t already figured it out.”

“I don’t doubt it, but it’s not like it was a secret. You have plenty of detractors among Wolven and the council, and only a few supporters. That you’re still alive says your benefits outweigh your . . . issues. I keep hoping that’ll continue.”

“Hope springs eternal.” This time I did smile and he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

Chapter Six

“YOU WERE RIGHT to call us in, Paul.” Lucas and I were sitting on a comfortable couch across from a man who shouldn’t be out of bed. He was pale, gaunt, and it was obvious moving was a chore. “She’s one of us, all right.”

Liz Sutton-Kendall had just left the room to check up on her guest, who was missing in action in the bathroom. We hadn’t really talked to her about the Sazi yet, but we would. The size of the pearlescent pink aura around the petite brunette told me she would probably wind up an alpha, and she smelled distinctly of warm fur, rich soil, and something sweet and candy-like that I couldn’t completely place.

“She’s not going to be able to travel by the end of the day. Tonight’s the first night of the moon. Anything could happen and from what Lucas has said, her kind isn’t to be taken lightly.”

Kendall sighed, and I would have thought it was from sorrow, but there was also the lighter fragrance of relief that drifted my way on the cool air from floor vents. The small smile that eased his face took a few years, or a few levels of pain, away from him. “She’s always been different . . . like her mother, and it’s sort of nice there’s a reason. I used to worry about her, getting in fights with the neighbor kids over nothing, spending all her time alone, digging holes in the yard. Why, the girl didn’t own an outfit that wasn’t caked with ground-in mud and red clay.” Now he chuckled and his scent filled with the warm cookie overtones of parental love. “She was my fishing buddy until she got too grown-up. I’d send her out to find worms for me. She always knew where they were. That’s something Margaret talked about having too—how she could find bugs and worms. She could hear them moving underground. It got worse on the moon and she used to have to put on headphones and listen to music to stop hearing them bumping around under the house. But she never did turn.”

Lucas nodded and leaned forward until his elbows were on his knees. “That happens sometimes with family members. They get some of the symptoms, but never turn. It used to be that people like them got locked up in asylums. Now we watch the hospitals for near-turns, help them cope. Sometimes we can even heal the damage to their systems so they can live normal lives.”

Paul tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair and it was like watching bones wiggle in a Halloween display. “I’m concerned about sending her to her grandpa for training, though. Margaret made it really clear that he wouldn’t welcome anyone from this branch of the family. Isn’t there anyone else who can teach Elizabeth the ways . . . any other option except to send her away?”

“Send me away where? What are you guys talking about out here so seriously? You heard me turn down the job with these guys, Dad. I’m going to accept the one back East I was offered last week. Heather and I are leaving tomorrow morning, just like we planned.”

It seemed a quick and easy way to get the girl to come with us—offer a job to a fresh college grad. We’d hoped that by offering more money than her other offer, she’d leap on it. No such luck. Lucas shook his head. “I’m afraid we can’t let you do that.”

I finally got a look at Elizabeth’s friend Heather, who was now hovering in the doorway trying to stay as far out of the room as possible. She was taller and thinner than the Kendall girl, and while she didn’t have an aura, there was a way she held her body—very catlike and ready to spring away, that made me wonder. I twitched a finger until she came fully into the room. “You’re a family member, aren’t you, Heather? What species? Cougar? Jaguar? You’re too tall and lithe for a bobcat.”

She went even paler than she already was, until the dark freckles on her nose stood out in sharp relief.

“Not for generations. Please tell me I’m not going to turn! God, I wouldn’t know what to do.” Heather turned to her friend with tears in her eyes. “I know it’s not your fault. Truly. But I’m scared for you, Liz. You don’t know what these people are like. I didn’t want to tell you when I heard your dad talking to Wolven yesterday. I just wanted to run away and hide. But I couldn’t leave you. Not like this.”

Liz’s face was a study in amazement—probably very similar to my own when Bobby first talked to me about stuff I couldn’t grasp. “What are you talking about, Heather? What is Wolven? And who in the world brought in Chinese food just now? I didn’t even know we had a takeout restaurant in town.”

Chinese? I took a sniff and suddenly understood. She related to emotions the same way as me . . . by comparing them to things I could understand. To me, fear smells like hot-and-sour soup. I wished there was an easier way to break this to her. She seemed like a nice kid. “You’re starting to be able to smell emotions, Liz. That particular one is fear. It smells good, doesn’t it? Hard to keep from trying to find the source. Makes your stomach growl.”

She turned to stare at me and her eyes got wide as her stomach did, indeed, growl at that moment. Lucas figured out what I was doing and joined in. “You’re swallowing a lot now, aren’t you? And your nose is trying to follow, which is why your head keeps trying to turn. Like walking past a bakery with fresh bread filling the air. Your kind doesn’t normally find such large game compelling, but you’re not precisely . . . normal anymore. And frankly, I don’t know exactly what you will need to eat.” He paused meaningfully. “Tonight. When the moon is full, and you shape-shift into a very large and possibly feral badger. The same as you did last month—during the tornado. That’s why we’re here, Liz. It wasn’t the storm that destroyed the water tower. It was you. What did you eat last month at this time? Can you even remember?”

She was backing away from us now, shaking her head, panic and confusion plain on her face. But there was nowhere to go. Lucas was easing off on the shield he had over me and himself, letting magic fill the air. It wasn’t helping the fear level of the others any. Paul didn’t move quickly, possibly understanding how that would be seen. But he was so ill right now that his scent wasn’t particularly appealing.

Heather, however . . . she started to twitch and make abrupt small movements that said she was about to bolt. Liz couldn’t seem to take her eyes from her friend, her muscles spasming with each twitch.

“You’re all insane.” The moment her mouth opened, though, the drool that slipped down her chin gave her away. Heather saw it and shrieked. When she did that, the scent of fear doubled and a low, hungry growl came from my throat, even though I was stuffed full of steak. A flick of her eyes my way didn’t help calm Heather. She dove from the room.

I didn’t want to follow. I swear. I don’t hunt humans. But that sudden movement, combined with the fear, was just too much without Lucas’s shield. Blood filled my vision and a snarl erupted from deep in my chest. What I found weird was that Lucas didn’t try to stop me. What was his plan?

Then it didn’t matter anymore because I was across the room, pushing Liz out of the way to get through the doorway where the cat had gone. The new turn didn’t push so easily, though. A flare of light, the color of a rainsoaked sunrise, flashed out and then she was on me, pushing me to the ground. We shattered the coffee table in the process and magazines scattered into the air. A shard of glass six inches or more across slashed into my back. I was pretty impressed with Paul, because all he did was lift his legs out of the way, as though we were two unruly toddlers tussling underfoot. The girl’s brute force was amazing. It was like having a brick wall fall on me, and the sound that erupted from her was vicious and keening, a counterpoint to my deep snarls.

Seconds later, our hands were raised with simultaneous intent to harm the other when time froze . . . and so did we. I’d had it happen more times than I’d care to count, so I just relaxed and waited. Liz, on the other hand, freaked . . . out. All she could move were her eyes and they were twitching and straining against whatever invisible force held her. Her aura roiled and spiked, seeking escape from the bubble. Then, to prove his point, I guess, Lucas released his hold on me. Just me. I was able to crawl painfully out from underneath her, my breath coming out in small gasps. I hoped the glass hadn’t hit a lung. I’d had worse before, but breathing is something I’ve learned to enjoy.

Soon she was perched in midair, one leg fully off the floor, along with the opposite hand. It was still curled into a claw with powder-pink nails pointed right at where my face had been. Her face was twisted into a snarl, teeth bared, and her neck and shoulders were bent forward like either a vulture on a fence, or a gargoyle on a building ledge. I let Lucas slowly pull out the shard and managed to keep the wincing to a minimum. But man that stings! Then I moved over to stand on the tiled entry, where I wouldn’t add any more blood to the carpet. She continued to battle against something she’d never defeat all the while.

The Wolven chief wiped my blood off his hands then leaned over and sopped up the excess dripping down my shirt with some tissues he grabbed from a box on the end table. He eased back into the couch cushions and continued to hold the lasso of blue-white magic tightly around her while he watched her struggle. When she’d finally settled down, a minute or more later, he spoke, his voice calm, almost soothing. “Do you understand now, Ms. Kendall? You are Sazi . . . as much animal as human now. Magically born and tied forever to the phases of the moon. Can you see why it’s vital that you be trained to handle these new abilities and emotions?” Liz’s eyeballs rolled up and to the side until mostly white was showing, to be able to see him. She blinked once, with effort. He acknowledged that small movement with a tiny smile. “Now, I’m hoping that attacking my associate was because you felt protective of your friend. Defending a human while under stress would go a long way toward the council’s approval of you having some limited independence after your training. Just don’t lie about your motives. You won’t be looked at harshly for your motives at this stage. But lying changes your body chemistry. Other Sazi can smell it, and you could be punished. So before you’re asked later, think carefully and be honest with yourself. Sort out your exact thoughts while you were charging him. Was he an enemy, attempting to harm your friend? Or . . . and this is something you’re going to have to consider long and hard . . . was he a potential meal?”

Paul sighed and turned in his chair to face his daughter. “I know all this seems impossible, Lizzie, but you needed to understand why I called these men to meet you. You’re nothing if not like me—hardheaded. You have to see something to believe it. You probably don’t remember, but even though your mama never turned, she . . . felt all the same things you are right now, each and every full moon. And your grandfather in London does turn. Now, I truly believe you don’t have a dangerous thought in your head, sweetheart. But you see just how fast that all happened? It was seconds. There was no time for thought. It was pure instinct, just like during the storm last month. Can’t you see the blood where Mr. Davis was lying? You would have killed a regular human if there’d been nobody to stop you like Alpha Santiago just did.

She stilled completely then, taking her father’s words to heart. Her eyes dropped to the carpet. The blood was starting to dry at the edges, adding a rust color to the vivid red on the pale tan pattern. Heather peeked out from the doorway, apparently noticing it had gotten quieter. She flinched a little at her friend’s position and the blood on the floor, but she handled it pretty well, considering.

Heather bent down sideways from the waist until she caught Liz’s eyes. She smiled brightly, her scent filled with oranges and cookie spice. “Wow, Liz! You are amazing. Thank you so much for trying to stop him. That goes way above and beyond the call for a roomie. You’re the best.” Then she stood back in the corner again, probably staying as far away from me as possible.

Rather than just dropping her abruptly like he’s done to me more than once, Lucas released Liz slowly. She was able to get her arm and leg under her before she did a face-plant onto the floor. But even after she was free to move, she wasn’t precisely . . . free to move. He kept a thin tether on her, the lightest touch, just so she’d know he was there. She did, and it made her rub her arms like they were cold every time she glanced at him.

She turned to me after staring at the bloodstain for a few long moments, and was close to tears. “I’m really, really sorry, Mr. Davis. That wasn’t like me. I swear. But when you—” She paused and flicked her eyes toward Heather before returning to me. “I’ve always had a temper, but this was—” She just shook her head, unable to continue. Her eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around herself, withdrawing inward to let it sink in until she could deal with it. Her remorse was obvious from the thick, misty scent of fog in the air and lasted until her father put a comforting hand on her leg. It apparently helped a little, because she was able to stop shaking and look up again. “And here you are, standing bleeding like a stuck pig when we should be getting you to the hospital for stitches.”

I held up one hand. “It’s okay. No stitches required, and no apologies necessary. My fault entirely and don’t worry, I’ll heal. That’s one really good thing about this whole magical, shape-shifter crap. We heal really fast. By nightfall, you’ll never know I was hurt. For the record, I don’t think I would have hurt your friend and I know Lucas wouldn’t have let me. I normally have pretty good control over myself, so I’m a little surprised I went into chase mode. I don’t eat people.” I locked eyes with her and then raised my brows. “I don’t think you do either.”

She went a little green, with eyes moving toward the stain of red and then back to me. “The thought of meat right now makes me nauseous, frankly. At least the blood blends in with your dark hair enough that it’s not noticeable, but you need different clothes before you leave here. People will definitely talk in this town if you walk out with blood on you.”

All four of us looked at her oddly, but for entirely different reasons. Heather was the first to voice it.

“Um, he has blond hair, Liz. And the red shows up really well.”

Liz blinked once, looked at me again, and then looked to her father for confirmation. He nodded. “Pale as your brother’s when he was little . . . a regular towhead.”

Heather started to speak again when Lucas held up a hand. “Describe the two of us, Liz. Tell me what you see. Nobody coach her.”

She seemed uncertain now, her fingernails tapping a staccato on her jeans. “Well . . . Mr. Davis must have an Italian mother, because he’s medium height, with dark hair and a sort of broad nose. Early thirties, I think. Oh, and sort of blue-grayish eyes. It’s hard to tell from here. And lots of muscles. You must work out a lot.” I nodded as Heather stared at me again before rubbing her eyes in disbelief. In fact, the soured milk smell of disbelief was pretty thick in the room about then. I was thinking that everybody in the room was bleeding it out their pores.

Then she turned to Lucas, and even I was surprised at what she said. “You’re Native American, but I can’t really tell from which tribe. Probably in your late twenties. Dark hair, dark eyes, bronze skin—the whole package. Might even be a little Mayan in your heritage. There was one guy in school my junior year who was Mayan, from way up in the Andes, and you sort of have his nose.”

The seconds ticked by and Lucas remained silent. He didn’t confirm or dispute the claim, which sort of answered it as far as I was concerned. The girl could see through illusions. I’d heard of that from Bobby, but it was one of those really, really rare gifts . . . like my hindsight. In fact, I didn’t think anyone alive had it right now. That made her extremely dangerous, because illusion magic is the stock and trade of the Sazi. Especially Wolven and the council. Unless they drafted her straight into Wolven . . . but a lot of that depended on temperament. She might not be suited. I know more than one Alpha who isn’t lawenforcement material. It only works with me because I came out of being an enforcer for Carmine, and the rules of the Sazi aren’t all that different from the mob. They hate it when I say that, but it’s true.

At last the big guy spoke, his voice flat and firm. I wasn’t surprised at what he said, but it obviously wasn’t what Liz wanted to hear. “You’ll be flying back to Boulder with us today. We’ll get you on your way to England to train as soon as the full moon is over. I’d suggest starting to pack if you want to take your own things.”

Her hands went to her hips and the hazel eyes were flashing pink-gold fire. It was sort of cute for the few seconds the fit of temper was going to last before Lucas choked it off. “Uh, hello? I don’t think so. I’m leaving tomorrow for the coast. I have interviews for an apartment. Fine, I won’t travel at night. I’ll find some cave or something to hide in for a few days a month. But I’m not going to Boulder, or to freakin’ England! I don’t do flying, and I don’t even own a passport.”

It made me smile, because it sounded a lot like me when I’d first found out about the shifting stuff. But eventually I was going to have to watch that bright spark of enthusiasm and . . . spunk get crushed into cracker crumbs.

Well, heck! What better time than now? I held up a pair of digits. “Two problems with that scenario, kiddo.” I lowered my middle finger when she turned to face me. “First, you can say you’ll lock yourself up and not go out at night, but it won’t work that way. Let me regale you with the tale of shredded doors, broken windows, and hunting ducks at the petting zoo someday . . . with a bonus interview of what duck bones and feathers feel like coming out the other side. I can’t imagine that typical badger food of mice or prairie dogs will feel any better.”

She and Heather both made a face. “Eww—”

I lowered my index finger until I had a nice tight fist before I dropped it on top of the other arm crossed over my chest. “Second, you remember that nifty trick Santiago did, holding you motionless? Guess what? He can make you walk even better. Been there, done that. He’s just offering you the courtesy of going under your own power. But trust me, if he says you’re going, you are. And there’s not a person in this town who won’t believe that you got in our truck completely willingly—with a smile on your face.”