Wolfs bane, p.11
Wolf's Bane, page 11
Kylie and Pete couldn't hear Selia's side of the conversation but didn't have to. Rylan's posture and his tone said it all.
Kylie glanced at Pete. "Bosses. Such drama."
Pete peered over the rim of his glasses. "You do know I'm your boss, right?"
She hugged him. "Nah. You're family."
"Darn tooting." He squeezed her tight.
Rylan got off his phone and stood over Vance. "I'd like to kick his ass myself!" He hauled Vance over to the office and propped him against the outside wall. He did the same for Paul, who whimpered at the movement.
"What did Selia say?" Kylie didn't dare go near Vance for fear the urge to give him a swift kick might overcome her.
"Since I have to move my ass and get to the pack meeting, you get the fun job of hanging onto these two clowns until reinforcements arrive. Selia is sending my partner, Chris, to pick them up and take them back to the city for questioning. I asked if we should take them to the hospital but was told definitively no. They will care for them at a Manhattan hospital. She also got a warrant to open Vance's safety deposit box. She's on her way now to the bank."
"I'm not babysitting." Kylie spun on her heels and went to stand in the doorway. She'd rather an avalanche of dust come tumbling on her from the storage boxes than sit and watch Vance. Nope. She'd go back to cleaning shortly. She also wanted to take another look at the ledger, which now didn't appear to be Vance's, even though his name had shown up repeatedly on the various pages.
Pete pulled his lawn chair next to Paul. "I guess that leaves me. I think I can handle the job. You deal with the pack. Maybe you can put a seed of doubt into some folks about kicking Kylie out."
"You got it." Rylan glanced toward Kylie. "I won't be long."
"We'll just be working. Good luck diverting a war." She left the men standing there, picked up a nearby rag, and started toward the storage room. She made it no more than a few feet inside the office when Scarlet stormed into view, her red scarf whipping behind her as if a giant invisible fan was blowing on it, even though no air circulated within the office space. Scarlet removed her scarf and shook it out. Blades of grass fell to the floor.
Kylie stood, dumbfounded. "How did you manage to get inside?"
"I used the back door."
"It was locked. You got past a deadbolt lock?"
Scarlet stared at Kylie as if the question was too ridiculous to warrant an answer. She brushed her clothes free of debris. "Someday you'll understand that manmade locks are nothing to us."
"I understand it now, thanks."
"Where is that uncle of yours?" Scarlet's eyes blazed white. "I've been a step behind him since he absconded with the two humans. It's infuriating!" Her voice rose, causing a box of bolts and screws to rattle.
The noise had Rylan and Pete racing to Kylie's rescue. They came to a halt at the sight of Scarlet.
Kylie glared at Scarlet, her annoyance palpable in the tense set of her jaw. It seemed the angel was nonchalantly allowing everyone and their brother to catch a glimpse of her today, breaking what Kylie had thought was an unspoken rule of their clandestine world. Kylie turned to face the two men and waved a hand towards Scarlet. "Rylan. Pete. This is Scarlet. She's an angel."
Pete's mouth dropped open. He was frozen to the spot with obvious admiration for her beauty. His eyes, wide and unblinking, drank in every detail of Scarlet's ethereal presence, from the subtle glow of her skin to the grace with which she held herself. He was utterly captivated, lost in an admiration so profound that it bordered on reverence, a silent acknowledgment of the divine and the extraordinary that had unexpectedly crossed his path.
Kylie shook her head. "Seriously, Pete."
He closed his mouth but continued to stare.
Scarlet gave Pete a sweet smile, soaking in Pete's adulation.
Rylan furrowed his brows. "Two angels in less than an hour. It must be my lucky day."
Scarlet's laughter filled the room with a sweet melody. She shifted her gaze to Rylan. "Kylie. This guy's a keeper."
"I think so," Kylie said. "As for Aziel, he left after dumping Vance and Paul in our laps. Does he usually leave messes for others to clean up?"
"Sometimes," Scarlet said. "Where are the men?"
Pete found his voice. "They're outside."
Scarlet moved past them to the front of the building and viewed the unconscious pair leaning against each other in a heap of limbs. "Hmm. I suppose it could have been worse." She faced Kylie, who had followed right behind her. "What did Aziel tell you?"
Rylan and Pete came to stand by Kylie.
"That he didn't get much out of them. Then he left," Kylie said. She kicked Vance's foot. She couldn't resist it and didn't feel bad about it, either.
After giving Kylie a sidelong glance at the kick she'd given Vance, Rylan addressed Scarlet. "We know from our own investigation that this one is running some type of illegal betting business and is probably involved with money laundering. "
"Unfortunately, Aziel said Vance was an unwitting accomplice in my parents' deaths," Kylie said.
"I'd hoped to get a confession out of Vance, but look at him," Rylan said. "Aziel did a number on the guy, so any lawyer worth their salary will be able to invalidate the confession by saying it was coercion."
"I see," Scarlet said. "There's nothing to be done for it now. I must think on the matter." She unfurled her wings to fly off.
Kylie grabbed Scarlet's arm. "Wait. I have some questions, and you might be just the person with the answers."
Scarlet retracted her wings. "I'm listening."
"I have a ledger that we thought was Vance's, but now it doesn't seem to be his. I'd like you to take a look at it."
"I don't know if it's a good idea to show everyone what you've found. What do we truly know about these angels? No offense," Rylan said, glancing over at Scarlet.
"You can hardly accuse me of being untrustworthy and still not offend me. That's illogical. But show me the ledger. If I can shed some light on your problem, I will."
They followed Kylie to the storage room. She moved several boxes, dislodging dust balls that floated around them. "Since there's a good chance I won't be around after the next couple of days, I wanted to get the place in shape for Pete."
Pete interjected. "I keep telling you that if you go, then I go."
Scarlet patted his arm. "That's very sweet."
Pete was flustered by the contact with Scarlet and blushed. "Family sticks together, that's all."
Rylan stepped over to help Kylie move the boxes, stacking them in front of her. "That's the last one on the shelf."
Kylie frowned. "No. I remember putting the box with the ledger all the way at the back. There must be another one up there."
"Nope. I brought them all down. See for yourself." Rylan moved aside for her to get to the shelf.
Kylie stood on tiptoe to get a better view. The box was in the far back corner. "It's right there. Give me a step stool so I can reach it."
"Are you sure? I could swear there were no more left." He went to the shelf to look again. "Kylie, there's nothing there. You must be seeing a shadow and mistaking it for a box."
She shoved him aside. "Yes, there is. Right there in the back."
"Wait," Scarlet said, moving closer. "Who has touched this box?"
"Just me," Kylie said. "I've been the one to do the cleaning. I took the ledger from the box to show Rylan and then to show Pete, but I put it back for safekeeping."
Scarlet's tone darkened. "Only you will be able to bring us the box. It's under a concealment charm. Your mother must have added it for your protection. She was a wise woman."
Rylan found a stool for Kylie to climb onto. She stepped up and reached for the box, pulling it off the shelf. "Now do you see it?"
Rylan's jaw dropped. "Damn."
He took the box from her and placed it on the floor.
"Go ahead and open it," Scarlet said.
The space was tight, with all of them gathered around the box.
Kylie dug into the box and pulled out the ledger. "None of us recognizes this. My grandfather is too far gone to give me much information aside from recalling an argument between my dad and an unknown guy from out of town. You've been watching me since I was little and may have noticed something the rest of us haven't. Have you ever seen this?" Kylie held it out to Scarlet.
"Oh, dear Lord," Scarlet said. She glanced between the ledger and Kylie. "This is bad."
"How bad?" Rylan said.
Scarlet looked at each of them and then put a tentative hand on the embossed image on the front cover. Her eyes rolled back, and she shuddered violently.
Kylie grabbed her to keep her steady. "Are you okay?"
Scarlet recovered but still had a slight tremor as she took the ledger. "Sorry. That happens sometimes when I touch something evil. This belongs to a demon. The embossed image is his sigil. Give me a pencil and paper." She traced over the design, revealing an image of three serpents forming a circle by biting the tail of the one in front of it.
As the design came together, Kylie had a flash of recognition. "It's the tattoo! Vance gave my parents the wolf's bane, but they were careful with it. They didn't touch it. Someone else had to have been there. The man with the tattoo poisoned my parents!"
"Are you sure?" Rylan said. "What else can you recall?"
She rubbed her eyes with her hand. "It's blurry. Give me a minute."
She took several deep breaths and let them out the way Sandra had taught her during the hypnotherapy. It was surprising how easily she was able to block out her environment and slip into the depths of her memories. She pulled up the imaginary screen in her mind and replayed the day her parents died. She kept her eyes closed as she narrated the scene playing out in her head. "Vance handed my father the potted plant but didn't stay. My father put the plant down, never allowing it to make contact with his skin. Someone else arrived. A tall man wearing a dark coat or maybe a cloak. I couldn't tell. He argued with them about something that was his. My mother said he'd never find it. He was mad. He took the plant and crushed it in his hands, but he had black gloves on or maybe his hands were black. It's hard to see the details of his body. He blew the flowery substance in their faces. I ran up to him and pulled on his sleeve. He had a serpent tattoo. He shoved me aside, and some of the crushed petals dropped on me. My parents got sick and fell down. I crawled to my mother. My insides were on fire. I. Can't. Breathe!"
Rylan grabbed her and pulled her to his chest. "You're okay. I'm here. Nothing is going to hurt you." He stroked her hair repeatedly until she could breathe again.
Kylie jerked out of the hypnotic state and sobbed into Rylan's shoulder. She opened her eyes and clung to him. All the horrors of her past bore down on her. "Don't leave me."
"Never." Rylan held her and met Scarlet's worried gaze. "He's coming for her, isn't he?"
Scarlet nodded. "Yes, he will come. She's the only person who can identify him. Her memories of him cause a sort of ripple in the energy around Unity Falls that will alert him of potential danger. He's had her watched the same as we have watched her, waiting and hoping someday she would lead him to what he wants. He will sense the ledger's presence now that it's been found but won't be able to get to it without Kylie. Otherwise, he would have killed her long ago. He'll stay hidden, but he won't be alone. His followers will scour your homes in search of this ledger. It's a record of who he owns, and with it, he can claim their souls. Unity Falls must prepare for an invasion like nothing they've ever seen before. Gather your people and prepare to fight."
Chapter 19
Parley
Scarlet took off to report to her superiors and see if a special dispensation could be made that would allow the angels to assist the shifters of Unity Falls. Kylie didn't hold much hope for their help and wanted to leave Unity Falls with the ledger.
"No," Rylan said. "The demon's followers will track you, and what if you're in a town without shifters? Too many innocents will die."
"Then evacuate Unity Falls. Get folks out of here." She didn't want their blood on her conscience. "Go to your father and get him to listen to you!"
Rylan hesitated. "I'm sure the parley has been going on for a while, but I'll see if I can get them to let me speak."
"Where's the meeting being held?" Pete said.
"It's by the old hickory tree in the preservation area." He kissed Kylie. "It's going to be okay."
She could see the worry in his eyes, so she smiled and pretended she was fine. "Pete and I will keep an eye on dumb and dumber over here until Chris arrives to take them off our hands."
Once Rylan left, she turned to Pete. "We're toast."
He nodded. "Most likely." He plopped down in his lawn chair. "How about you get my tired bones a coffee while I make sure these two don't run away?"
She gave him a sidelong glance. "They're unconscious."
"They could come to any moment. And, if I'm going to meet my maker, I'd like to do it after I've had a good cup of coffee."
She chuckled. "I'll get a cup for us both. First, I'm going to stash the ledger back in its box and put it back on the shelf."
They sat outside sipping the strongest brew she'd ever made. Pete was in his lawn chair and leaning back to let the sunshine warm his face. Kylie made a seat from an old crate and surveyed the salvage yard that had been part of her life for as long as she could remember. Unity Falls was home. It was where Avery lay in a hospital bed, recovering from the accident. It was where her grandfather spent his days living inside his memories. All of it could be destroyed because she found a demon's ledger.
"You know that ledger has Vance's name all over the place," she said, "and Vance's journal has Ray listed. I'm guessing that means Vance sold his soul to the demon. But Ray is indebted to Vance and not the demon. I'd like to think Ray could be saved if for nothing other than the fact that he's Rylan's dad."
"I know what you mean, cupcake. They made some poor choices, and what becomes of them is out of our hands."
"Yeah. I suppose so." She started to get concerned about Chris's late arrival. "Did Rylan give you any idea of when his partner would get here?"
"Nope. He just said to keep my eye on you."
"Okay. That does it. I'm going to the Parley. Rylan just wants me out of the fray, doesn't he?" She chugged the rest of her coffee.
"That sounds like something Rylan would do. Nice mug," Pete said, changing the topic. "Pretty darn appropriate, if you ask me."
She handed the empty mug to him. "It's all yours."
It was a favorite of hers and had the quote that matched one of her emotional support pillows. Life sucks and then you die.
Pete got up from his chair and stretched. "You know, I've been thinking how much fun I had fighting Vance and wouldn't want to miss out on any battles coming our way, so how about you help me drag these two sorry asses inside, and I'll go with you?"
Her phone rang with a number she didn't recognize. She put it on speaker for Pete to hear.
"Hello?" she said.
"This is Chris, Rylan's partner. Is this Kylie Quinn?"
"Yes."
She glanced over at Pete. He raised his brows.
"Rylan messaged to say you have the suspects. I'm about another hour out. And I have some good news that will make Rylan happy. Selia worked fast and got into the safety deposit box. We have what we need to arrest Vance Montgomery, so don't let him out of your sight."
She glanced at Vance and Paul. "They're not going anywhere."
"Great. See you soon."
"Sure."
After the call ended, she glanced at Pete. Kylie had no intention of waiting for Chris. Pete shook his head in unspoken agreement. They hauled the two men inside. She wrote a note for Chris and tacked it to the front door. He could find Vance and Paul in the office. She flipped the sign to Closed, left the door unlocked for him, and then she and Pete took off in her truck for the preservation area.
It wasn't hard to find the tree Rylan mentioned. The meadow was filled to capacity but in an interesting configuration. The crowd had divided in half, creating a clear delineation between the Unity Falls pack and the New York City pack. She stayed at the rear of her group to avoid detection.
The Unity Falls shifters had assembled a platform with several chairs for the attendees to see them better and used a portable microphone so their voices could be heard all the way to where she and Pete stood watching. Connor grabbed the microphone. He was riled up, demanding an insane amount of money and a position on the state pack council. It seemed this event had attracted the council's attention, and Connor was actively challenging the rules to gain a council seat. A fair number of shifters took up his cause and began murmuring among themselves.
"He doesn't strike me as grieving much," Kylie whispered to Pete.
"That's what I thought," Pete said. "He seems more interested in what he can get from her death."
Kylie pulled Pete with her as she moved closer to the front. "I smell a rat."
"Are you saying Connor killed Sandra?" Pete's voice rose enough to attract the attention of several nearby shifters. He smiled at them and mouthed his apology.
Kylie kept her voice low and leaned in to speak to Pete. "That's what I think. Proving it is a different story, and I'd bet anything he has an alibi. In this case, I might be willing to take a page out of my uncle's book because Sandra sure didn't deserve what she got."
Pete nodded in agreement and then pointed at the stage area. "Look. Rylan is getting ready to talk."
Rylan held the mic and walked along the front of the platform, talking directly to a number of people in the crowd. "You heard me a few minutes ago commenting on putting aside our differences. We're a community of wolf shifters. We all want what is best for our loved ones, whether they're shifters or not. Sandra was a kind-hearted human reaching out to help Kylie deal with the pressures that this pack so unjustly burdened her with. While it saddens us all to see Sandra's untimely death, she wouldn't want us fighting among ourselves." He glared at Connor. "Using her death to promote our personal agendas isn't what she would have wanted, either. There are other ways to make our point and still follow the council's guidelines. What's more important is how we plan to deal with our true enemies. I can't prove to you that a demon's army is approaching. But waiting to form a united front will cost us lives. Is that what you want? Is that how you want to honor Sandra's memory?"
