Wolf Quest (19 page)

“I can shield your presence,” Marco said softly as they began to move through the woods. “But only up to the edge of the eye. Where the sun shines, my power is moot.”

“I understand.” Frankly, it was more than Jesse could have hoped for. They’d be able to get very close to the objective clean. With two novices at stealth along for the ride, that was worth quite a bit.

“They tried to seed the woods with their evil magic, but the trees wouldn’t stand for it. Many years ago, I spread oak and rowan saplings through this forest, and they’ve done their job well. No evil will grow where the oak stands guard and the rowan brings its blessing. Anything the trees missed, I took care of. I patrol this woodland every few weeks as part of my territory. I have known of the magic users who make their home here for some time and I have watched them and their ancestors for more than a century.”

“Why?” Maria whispered as they moved as quickly as they could through the dense trees.

“The founder of their magical line was scum. He served Elspeth and I killed him for it long ago. But his children were born innocent. They turned evil later, though they never had the ability to do much of anything until this generation. I watched, knowing sooner or later, one of them would try something.”

That sounded ominous to Jesse, and he began to suspect the vampire knew how to hold a grudge for centuries if need be. Definitely not a man you wanted to piss off. Good thing he was on their side.

“I am thankful you are here now to aid us in freeing Zach’s parents,” Jesse said solemnly as they moved steadily forward under the vampire’s protective shield.

Marco looked sharply at Zach. “I realized you were a bear, of course, but I didn’t make the connection. The sun sets soon. If you three can hold off the storm maker long enough, I will do all in my power to assist your parents.”

Zach seemed to weigh the vampire’s words for a moment and then nodded. “Thank you. Our Clan will accept whatever assistance you can lend this night and we will not forget, Marco of the bloodletters.”

Hmm. Now wasn’t that interesting? Jesse marveled silently as Zach spoke formal words acknowledging a potential debt to the vamp for services rendered. The kid was smarter than Jesse had given him credit for being. Vampires loved formality. Most of the older ones had been born and raised in times much more formal than these and still held to those mores. Zach had done exactly the right thing, and Jesse silently applauded the teenager’s intelligence.

Marco seemed impressed as well. “Thank you,” he answered with a formal bow of his head as they moved along. “I will do what I can out here under cover of the storm until the sun sets. I can guide your backup to you when they arrive, including Rocky and the others I was told would be right behind you.”

“My men will be on Rocky’s heels,” Jesse confirmed. “They’re coming in from the west. Rocky comes from the north. They are mostly wolves, but there are a few cats and Others mixed in. They’ll hit the ground ready to roll.”

“Ah, yes, the infamous Wraiths. I am glad to finally meet their leader. When this is all over, I may have work for you and your men.”

Jesse was surprised by the bloodletter’s knowledge but didn’t let it show. They were nearing the eye of the storm. Jesse could see a light ahead through the dense woods.

“How far?” he asked, motioning toward the light.

“Not far now,” Marco answered. “I leave you at the edge of the woods. You will see the pavilion in the clearing. It is a huge structure. May the Lady bless your path from the trees to the building. I know not what awaits you there. I came in from above when the storm was still in its infancy and hiding the sun.” He slowed his steps as the trees thinned and the light grew brighter. “Be wary now, dryad’s daughter,” he addressed Maria, making her jump at the strange title. “I am going to drop the shield from around you all when I go. It could be jarring.”

“Thanks for the warning. And for the escort,” Maria replied, remembering her manners.

“Brace yourself now,” Marco warned. “I will drop the shield around you, lady, by small degrees, since you are unused to your magic.”

Again, she thanked the vamp for his thoughtfulness. Jesse didn’t like the small delay or the way the bloodsucker was eyeing his mate, but he also didn’t want Maria to suffer from the sounds only she could hear from the forest. He watched her carefully as the vamp dropped his protection, noting the way her eyes scrunched and her hands made an abortive move toward her ears.

“Control it, lady,” Marco advised. “Turn down the volume to a more manageable level. Imagine a control knob in your mind and turn it,” he coached.

Jesse was glad to see relief cross her features as she followed the bloodletter’s instructions.

The vampire left without another word, disappearing as silently as he’d come. Even Jesse was impressed with the man’s stealth.

“This is awful,” Jesse heard Maria mutter. She had one hand on her forehead, pressing hard as her eyes scrunched up in concentration. The winds were more subdued this deep in the forest and closer to the eye of the storm.

“What’s going on?” Jesse asked.

“I’m seeing things. Getting impressions from the forest, I guess, of what’s been happening in the pavilion. It can see the grounds around and it knows where the traps are.” Her eyes popped open. “It’s warning us. It knows why we’re here and it will help as best it can.”

“That’s good, Maria. Really good,” he touched her cheek, wanting to take some of the strain he read in her eyes away but not knowing how. “What are the trees telling you?”

“First, that they’re really, really mad. But under the anger there’s information. Older, calmer consciousnesses. They’re showing me a path from the edge of the woods to a small maze of shrubs. There are predators in the shrubs. Four legs. Two legs. I think the trees are saying they’re shifters.”

“Cats or dogs?” Jesse asked, hoping the information the jackal had given him was correct.

“A canine leads the group, but he’s not a wolf. Wolf-like. The others are a mix. Several big cats. A few mixed canines.” Her eyes closed again as she concentrated.

“How many?” Jessed prompted.

“Eight. No more. The maze is the only way in that can’t be seen clearly from the pavilion. They guard it,” she reported.

“All right then.” Jesse straightened and moved forward. “We make for the maze.”

“What?” Both Maria and Zach asked at the same time. Both faces mirrored their astonishment, but Jesse knew something neither of them knew.

“Remember the message from my old friend? He’s in the maze. If he was on the level, he and his men will let us through. They’re mercs, not fanatics.”

“Are you sure?” Maria’s soft hand landed on his forearm.

“About ninety percent, but I’m going first. If there’s trouble, I can take the jackal, and between Zach and I, the rest of them shouldn’t be hard to handle. Right, Zach?” Jesse deliberately tried to boost the kid’s confidence.

If this went south, it would be a lot harder to subdue eight full-grown shifters with only a teenaged grizzly and a human-trained woman at his side, no matter that she had a black belt in aikido. The only thing that gave him solace was the fact that his men and Rocky weren’t far behind. The
Venifucus
fanatics would probably rather add Maria and Zach’s magic to their storm. Even if Jesse were killed, they wouldn’t have all that much time to harm his charges before the cavalry arrived.

They made their way around the perimeter of the woods to the spot where the ornamental maze was closest to the edge of the trees. They could see only the sloped roof of the pavilion above the tall, manicured shrubs and statuary. The sun was still shining through the massive eye of the storm, though low in the sky. The air was unnaturally still the closer they got to the pavilion and not a single bird chirped or insect buzzed. It was dead calm.

“The jackal waits just behind that small opening in the bushes,” Maria said softly near his ear. When he shot her a surprised look, she explained. “The trees see from above. I know where most of the men are and I can see the grid of the maze. It’s not very hard, and there are multiple entry and exit points. It’s not a tricky maze, more for show than for getting lost in. And some of the statues are…I don’t know exactly, but the trees don’t like them.”

“Bespelled,” Zach added quietly from behind. “I can sniff them out if we get close enough to a trap.”

“All right. This is how we’re going to play it. Maria, you give me your best intel on the layout as we go. Zach, you keep an eye out for magical traps. Maria, you might be able to help with that too. I’m going first and I’m interfacing with the mercs.” His tone brooked no argument, even if he was whispering so low that the shifters behind the bushes couldn’t hear him.

Maria and Zach nodded, though Zach looked as if he wanted to argue. Still, he followed the acknowledged Alpha like a good cub and Jesse figured he’d be okay until he saw his parents. At that point, Jesse wouldn’t be able to hold the kid back if he really wanted to follow his impulses. And Jesse wouldn’t blame him. Not one little bit.

Jesse surveyed the area before stepping out into the small open space between the forest and the shrubs. He’d left Maria and the boy behind a large oak, out of sight. He’d give them a signal after he talked to the jackal.

Sure enough, the shifter was waiting for him behind the opening in the hedges, a smile on his face.

“You got my message,” he said.

“I did,” Jesse agreed, cradling his weapon casually against his chest. “I wish I could say it was good to see you, Seth.”

“Same here, Jesse.”

They were wasting precious time, but Jesse had to gauge Seth’s stance before he committed any further.

“How’d you get mixed up with
Venifucus
?” Jesse asked point blank.

Seth’s expression almost betrayed him, his eyes narrowing and growing cold before he could stop it. That said more than his words to Jesse. Seth still didn’t like the
Venifucus
. He hadn’t changed all that much from the man Jesse had known in the Middle East.

“It was a commission. Didn’t know until we were well into it exactly who had hired us. We’re not happy about it. Especially in recent days. We don’t kill women and children.” Seth spat to the side, marking his words and his territory.

“In that case, will you give us safe passage?”

“Us, who?” Seth looked around in an obvious manner.

“A woman. A boy. Me,” Jesse said casually. “My men are on my heels, but we can’t wait. The storm is already too intense, and that tells me the bears don’t have much time.”

“Three then. Safe passage through the maze and a guard at your back in here until your team arrives. When the Wraiths show up, we disappear.”

“Agreed.” Jesse stuck out his hand and Seth shook it. They had a deal.

“You know,” Jesse felt the need to say one thing more. “If you ever get tired of mercing around on your own, you can find me and my men through the Wyoming wolf Pack. For what you’ll do this day, you will be welcome among us.”

Seth seemed to swallow hard before he could reply, and Jesse was glad he’d offered the olive branch. “Thank you, Alpha. I’ll keep the offer in mind.”

Jesse gave the signal to Zach and Maria, glad to see Zach take the lead in getting Maria across the ten yards or so of open ground between the woods and the maze. She reached him, relief written plainly in her expression as she slid into the cover of the shrub-enclosed path.

The jackal had slipped away, but Jesse knew he was still around somewhere.

The maze was ornamental in nature, so it wasn’t hard to navigate. Many paths led to the center and just as many led out. The path wasn’t the hard part. The magical traps were.

They hadn’t gone twenty yards yet when Zach’s hand gripped Jesse’s shoulder. He froze immediately. Maria was a bit behind, but she understood quickly enough and stopped in place next to Jesse. Zach eased around, using hand signals most shifters learned as children playing in the woods. He was able to get his point across. Danger ahead. Magic. Zach was going to recon.

Jesse wanted to argue, but he didn’t even feel a tingle. Whatever it was, you had to be more magical than an Alpha wolf to feel it. He turned to Maria.

“Sense anything?” His voice was the barest whisper that wouldn’t carry beyond the two of them.

Maria closed her eyes. After a moment, she reached out her fingers to brush the leaves of the nearest hedge. It was some kind of boxwood. The smell of it invaded his nose, but that was normal for this variety of shrub. Even humans could smell boxwoods. The only thing abnormal about these bushes that Jesse could see was their size. They were very old, very tall and clipped back at regular intervals to train them into the shape of the path the gardeners wanted to keep.

“Disturbances. Subtle. Bad feeling. Foul,” she whispered, her eyes still shut. “Evil stone. Manmade. Not natural. Blasphemy.”

Jesse’s eyebrows rose at her words. It sounded like she was channeling the bushes or something, and he wondered if she realized what she was doing. She blinked, coming back to herself and looked at him.

“There appear to be concrete statues placed at intervals along the maze. They are magic. Somehow blood and…other things, were mixed in the concrete, then poured into gargoyle shapes. I think they can animate.”