Wolfs bane, p.6
Wolf's Bane, page 6
"What the hell? You're a shifter?" Kylie's words came out in a jagged breath, winded from chasing the fox.
Even after leading Kylie on a wild chase, Scarlet wasn't breathless in the least. A glint of mischief reflected in her eyes. "Why do you act so surprised? Unity Falls is a haven for magical creatures. You've only seen a tiny portion of what surrounds you every day. I've spent decades watching you, waiting for you to open your eyes and your senses."
"Why?"
"Because that's my job. I've been sent to keep an eye on you." Scarlet flipped one end of her scarf around her shoulders. She had a long, elegant neck and the body of a ballerina. Her movements were graceful, as if she'd practiced the art of walking until she could almost glide over the ground, never stumbling, never faltering. Scarlet was perfection personified.
"Why did you never reach out to me until now? I spent my entire childhood being told you were an imaginary friend I'd made up out of grief from losing my parents. Hell. Maybe I'm imagining all of this right now. Maybe you don't exist. What if my inner wolf created you to protect me from an overload of emotions?" Kylie reached a hesitant hand toward Scarlet.
"Go ahead. Touch me." Scarlet took Kylie's hand in hers. "I'm flesh and bone. I bleed when I'm cut. My heart aches just as much as yours when I suffer a loss."
Kylie pulled from Scarlet's grasp. Her thoughts drifted to Sandra. "Okay. You're real. So, what? You've watched me struggle all my life with becoming a true shifter and never thought to lend me a hand? What kind of screwed-up job description is that? Watch but don't interfere. Now the one person who attempted to help me is dead. I hope your boss doesn't pay you much 'cuz that's a pretty lame job if you ask me."
Scarlet glanced up at the sky. "I'm trying. Don't you see this?" She sighed and returned her gaze to Kylie. "I'm not supposed to interfere or disrupt the balance. However, it would seem the balance has already shifted, so I have no remorse for what I'm about to do."
Kylie squinted upward. "Who are you talking to?" The frustration she felt was fast turning into skepticism. Scarlet might not be as together in the mental department as Kylie had thought. She took a few steps back, preparing to leave this crazy lady in red.
Scarlet pulled the scarf tighter around her neck. "My boss doesn't always talk to me, but I know your type. You're one of those who has to see to believe. Fine."
The scarf fluttered wildly around Scarlet's neck and shoulders. Less than a minute later, Scarlet sprouted two brilliant white wings that arched into a graceful curve and extended almost to the ground.
Kylie dropped back even more. "Whoa. What just happened?"
Scarlet beat her wings several times, stirring up everything around her. "You're a non-believer. You have little faith in your fellow creatures. I'm here to restore that faith. I'm an angel."
Kylie put up her hands to stop Scarlet from demonstrating anything else she might think Kylie needed proof of. "An angel. You're a shifter, but you're also an angel?" She struggled with the entire idea of a shape-shifting angel.
Scarlet folded her wings against her body and slowly retracted them. "I see that got your attention." She casually readjusted her scarf and tugged her clothes back into place, smoothing the fabric with long, slender fingers.
"Yeah. You did."
"Good," Scarlet said. "Now we can get down to business."
But she didn't get out another word. At that moment, a great rustling sounded nearby, followed by a gush of wind.
Kylie spun in the direction of the onslaught of air, preparing to fight if attacked.
Scarlet, on the other hand, let out a significant sigh of exasperation. "What are you doing here?"
A huge black bear came lumbering from around a maple tree and headed toward them.
"Holy shit!" Kylie backed away slowly until she reached Scarlet's side. "We need to scare this beast off. When I say so, raise your arms and look as tall as you can. Got it?"
Scarlet snorted with laughter. "I'd love to see that." She spoke between gasps of laughter and rubbed the tears rolling down her cheeks. "By the gods, I haven't laughed this much in centuries!"
Kylie was put out by the unexpected response. The bear fell to the ground and began rolling back and forth on the grass. It bellowed and rolled until the bear shifted into a man, who continued to roll, roaring with laughter.
"Great," Kylie said. It didn't take long for her to grasp what was happening and understand they were having a good old time at her expense. "That's it. You're both lunatics!" She turned on her heel and strode off.
Scarlet sobered and glared at the man. "Now look what you did, you big buffoon! She's leaving."
"I'm not a buffoon. I'm a bear, and you best remember that little fox. I could eat you for a snack in one bite."
Scarlet huffed. "Oh, please. Don't tempt me. I would love to teach you some manners, but now's not the time."
Kylie glanced back at the arguing pair. The man had shifted from a bear to a man fully dressed, just as Scarlet had shifted completely clothed. That wasn't how normal shifters changed. Scarlet and the man were peculiar.
"Kylie, don't let Aziel bother you," Scarlet said. "Come back. We have a lot to discuss."
Being the brunt of a joke pissed Kylie off to no end, yet she wasn't stupid enough to throw away a possible lead in Sandra's murder. She ground her teeth and swallowed her pride. She tapped her foot as she took a moment to calm down. Scarlet and Aziel stood next to one another, waiting for Kylie to make up her mind.
"Shit. Why is my gut telling me I'm going to regret this?" She marched back to them. "Okay. I'm listening."
Chapter 10
Angels
Scarlet and Aziel exchanged looks in an apparent silent showdown.
Scarlet abruptly raised her hands in defeat. "Alright. I'll tell her. Honestly, I don't even know why you came. Totally worthless."
Aziel's eyes darkened.
"Stow it," Scarlet said.
Aziel clenched his fists. "People have died for less, Lettie. Do not antagonize me."
"Then leave."
He didn't budge.
"That's what I thought," Scarlet said, returning her attention to Kylie. "Sorry. We don't interact with humans much, and our manners are rusty. Please accept our apologies. I'll fill you in as best as I can, but understand this isn't our standard visitation, and I won't be able to divulge certain aspects of what it is we do."
Kylie crossed her arms and said nothing.
Aziel stood with his hands on his hips. He was of average height, lean but firm, and had black hair that fell to his shoulders. "If you're going to tell her, then tell her!" His voice boomed a deep baritone that shook the tree branches nearby.
Scarlet glared at Aziel before facing Kylie. "As I was saying, I'll give you the basic overview. We are angels." She pointed to Aziel and then herself. "Yes. I know. We don't fit the expectations of an angel. That's because we aren't your typical high-and-mighty angels. We're what you would call protector angels, not guardian angels. That's a distinction that must be made right up front. We fight to keep a balance between good and evil influences among humans."
Kylie assumed the guardian type of angel was the stuff you see in fairy tales. Neither Scarlet nor Aziel fit that scenario. There was nothing holy or cherubic about them. "How is it that you can shift? I mean, you're angels, so aren't you dead?"
Scarlet gave Aziel a sidelong glance, as if choosing her words carefully. "Our type of angels are born into our roles. We are immortals. That also allows us to shift into our kindred spirit creatures and roam where others cannot. Who would look at a fox and think it worth noting? That's to our advantage."
"I have news for you two. If a bear came strolling my way, I'd notice. And I wouldn't be sticking around to chat." Unfortunately, Kylie had already proven that with Aziel.
He smirked. "We each have our strengths. Mine is more about being a protector or a destroyer, depending on your perspective."
There was a hint of danger in his words that sent prickles over Kylie's skin. "Why are you both here? Why bother me?"
"Bother?" Scarlet raised her chin. Her voice became clipped. "We do not bother people. We are here to save your sweet ass, young lady. You should be grateful."
"Okay, that sounded too much like a freaking lecture from my grandfather. I'm hardly young and not very ladylike. If you want gratitude, you came to the wrong town. While it's all great to tell me you're angels out to help me, I have yet to hear why I need your protection." Kylie waved a hand in Scarlet's direction. "You come along and tell me Death is coming to avenge my mother, and then Sandra's murdered. Sandra didn't kill my parents. That doesn't sound like help. So, maybe you're not really here for what you claim. Sorry, your story smells a bit fishy to me."
Aziel chose that moment to sprout his wings. They were huge and as black as his hair. He was no longer average-looking. If Scarlet personified poise and perfection, Aziel personified danger and destruction.
Kylie was impressed, but no longer afraid. He took a step closer. His wing tip touched her shoulder and sent a quiver of pain down her arm. She didn't flinch. She met his gaze and gripped one feather, clenching it tightly between her fingers. "You want pain, Angel? I can give you pain."
He lifted his wing from her shoulder. She released his feather.
"My, my, my," Scarlet said. "This is interesting. Kylie, the no-shifter, has stood her ground against Death. Your mother would be proud of you, Kylie."
"Yes," Aziel said. "My sister would be pleased to see how her daughter has grown. In time, this one could equal her mother's talent. The potential is there."
Kylie snapped to attention. "What do you mean your sister? Who the hell are you?"
Scarlet sighed. "He has zero tact. But since he blurted it out, he's your uncle, otherwise known as Death. He's spent decades waiting to find your mother's killer."
The world tilted, spinning around Kylie, making her feel sick to her stomach. She dropped to her knees and dry-heaved in the grass.
"That went well." Scarlet patted Kylie's back. "Take a deep breath and exhale. I suppose it's rather a lot to take in at one time. You find out Death is an angel who happens to be your uncle. So what's that make you? Good question. We'd all like to know the answer to that one."
Scarlet rambled on while rubbing her hand in a circle on Kylie's back. "If you're having trouble putting it all together, let me assist you. Your mother, Jenny, was born to an angel family. Jenny was Aziel's sister. And Aziel isn't the type to let his sister's murder go unpunished, despite being told by upper management to let it go."
She raised a brow at Aziel. "But here we are. Aziel insists you're the key to bringing down whoever killed Jenny." She stopped her rubbing and pulled the purple strands of hair away from Kylie's face. "Better?"
Kylie gulped air and sat back in a low squat. She wasn't sure she could manage to stand. Her gut stung as if being punched over and over. She wiped snot dripping from her nose. The knees of her jeans were soaked from the damp earth. It took a few more breaths for her to gather her senses and stand on wobbly legs. "So, was my mother a shifter angel, too?" Her voice was rough from heaving.
"Yes," Aziel said. "But she met your father, and once Simon stole her heart, Jenny gave up her immortality to be with him. Which in itself is not a simple thing to do. Some might argue it's impossible. Once an immortal, always an immortal. Perhaps Jenny wished it so much that she made it come true, even if only in her mind. Regardless, not long after they were married, you came along. Then the idyllic family life came to a sudden halt when your parents got in the way of something big going down in Unity Falls."
"We have snippets of information, but nothing concrete," Scarlet said. "I've been checking in on you on the off-chance you might recall something from that day that would point us in the right direction."
"Why me? I was just a kid."
Scarlet exchanged another look with Aziel before answering. "Because you were there when your parents died. Someone with knowledge of what can harm an immortal had to be involved. We do have our weaknesses, and wolf's bane is one of them. It can make us sick, and an overdose of exposure can kill us. Wolf's bane poisoned all of you, killing Jenny and Simon, but you survived."
Kylie now understood the burning sensation during her session with Sandra. "It hurt. My insides were on fire. I was the fire." She stared at Aziel, scrunching her brows at the recollection. "I was rolling in pain on the ground, and then a bear stood over me. You." She pointed to her uncle. "It was you, wasn't it?"
Aziel nodded. "Yes. I was forbidden to interfere, but no one said I couldn't watch over you while you struggled to live. I took you deep into the woods, obliterating our trail so no one could follow. You needed time to fight and to heal. We didn't know who the perpetrator was and had to keep you safe."
"But my grandfather found me three days later."
Scarlet smiled. "Yes, but he did have a little guidance from an adorable and very smart fox."
"Modesty becomes you, Lettie," Aziel said.
"Hah. You're hilarious. But it was me who led Chester to Kylie. If you'd tried, your bear would have gotten a load of buckshot in its arse. You could say I saved your ass!" Scarlet chuckled at her joke.
Aziel didn't respond to Scarlet. He was busy watching Kylie. It unnerved her to have his gaze bore into her.
His wings expanded as his eyes grew stormier. "Do you remember anything else? Even the smallest thing could be more significant than you realize."
Kylie shook her head. "No. That's why I was returning to Sandra's to see if she could open the lock keeping my memories hidden beyond my reach."
Aziel and Scarlet sighed in unison, then stared at each other.
Scarlet's face grew grave. "Aziel and I must leave you to give our report and hopefully gain some backing from the other shifter angels. Evil is rearing its head in Unity Falls. Both of us feel it. We can't protect an entire town, Kylie. You have to remember, or you won't need to worry about the edict—because there won't be shifters in Unity Falls."
Chapter 11
Family
The angels shifted into their animal forms and went deeper into the woods. Kylie had no idea where they were going. She was headed to the salvage yard to pull out the ledger and see if Pete could help her figure it out. He should be there by now to man the front counter.
Her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket to see a text from Rylan.
I'm on my way back to Unity. This is a complete disaster here. I'll explain when I see you.
She tapped her keys to respond.
That sucks. Going to work. Text when you get here.
The ride back was uneventful until she pulled into the salvage yard lot and saw Rylan's father's SUV parked out front. She groaned. The man might be the pack leader, but he ruled with an iron fist that periodically brought criticism down on him from some of the younger wolves not set in the ways of the past.
She went inside, where he was having a discussion with Pete. As soon as she entered, he turned his head to stare at her as if she was some sort of vermin to be eradicated.
"Don't look so happy to see me, Ray, or I might not be able to handle all the love."
She traipsed to the back of the counter where Pete stood. His body relaxed some when she settled on a bar stool next to him. Whatever the two men had been discussing had unnerved Pete.
"You can call me Mr. Archer. That's the problem with your generation. No respect for your elders," Ray said. His thin lips grew even thinner. He positioned his closed fists on the countertop, leaning forward as if to demonstrate he could jump over the barrier any time he wanted. "We were just talking about your edict and how you have no hope of meeting it."
Pete straightened his aged body to its full height. "Don't sell her short, Ray. She may surprise us all yet."
God bless that man. She could have kissed him. She didn't, though. It would have taken away from his stance against Ray Archer, the domineering asshole of Unity Falls.
Ray bared his teeth and let out a deep growl. Kylie held her ground just as she had with her uncle Aziel. Her grandfather had taught her never to let them see you flinch. She'd be damned if she'd let anyone treat her less than she deserved, including her pack leader.
"Time is running out. If Kylie has any surprises, then she better tell us, or she's gone." Ray glared at them and stormed off.
"Good riddance," Pete said, slumping into his normal bent posture.
"Double that." She gave him a hug now. "I love you, Pete!"
He chuckled and tapped the tip of her nose. "Just be careful who you go up against, cupcake, or you may get that pretty little nose of yours broken. Or worse."
She sighed. "Yeah. I have a problem with my mouth sometimes. That's why I keep to myself. Then I only have me to worry about, and that's enough."
Pete howled with laughter. "Ain't that the truth!"
She gave him another quick hug and went to find the ledger. She took down the box and pushed aside the receipts covering it. She carried it out front to where Pete sat.
"This is what I messaged you about. I found it stuffed in a box with a bunch of old salvage yard receipts. Is it yours?"
He frowned. "Nope. Not one of mine. Where'd you say you found it?"
"In a box of receipts dated twenty-eight years ago. The box was all the way at the back of one of the shelves. It had more dust and grime on it than our driveway. You obviously don't clean much around here."
He shrugged. "What's a little dirt here and there?"
She shook her head. "Fine. Anyway, if it's not yours, why's it here?"
"Don't ask me. Maybe Chester would know."
"I asked him, and he said my dad had one like this in his possession that some city guy claimed belonged to him. They argued about it, but Dad didn't give it to him. That's all Grandpa remembered. He said he was away on an errand for the salvage yard when the guy showed up. Oh, and that he got the impression my mom knew the guy."
