He pushed off the wall and started towards me as I opened the office door. “Benny, it’s Sin. You got a minute?” I called out, then let the door shut behind me – in Joey’s face.

  “Sinclair Boudreau, what brings you to this neck of the woods? You staying at your Grandpa’s place?” Benny was about six feet tall, and about five foot wide. Not fat, no. The guy was solid muscle. Made sense that he preferred a bear’s form when he shifted. Yes, I said preferred. Shifters could pick forms. There was usually one that was instinctive, the first one we turned into during puberty, but most of us had three or four we liked best.

  “Hey, Benny,” I shook his hand. “Yeah, Sid and I are at the cabin for a bit. I was just headed out to get some groceries but wanted to stop by and let you know we were here.”

  “Good man, Sin. Glad you’ve got your Grandpa’s manners,” Benny said, then turned and glared at Joey who stood staring through the office door window. “Unlike some of the others around here.” Benny led me towards the desk and a couple of chairs then sat down. “I heard something, and I haven’t asked around yet. I was going to call your Grandpa and talk to him first, but since you’re here, I’ll ask you,” Benny said. “I heard something happened at your house, to your folks.”

  “Yeah, something happened. They were taken,” I told him. “Lots of blood all around the house and a note stuck to the front door.”

  “And what’s the SPD doing about it?”

  I couldn’t hold back the snort of laughter. “Nothing. The SPD won’t take the case. We’re stuck with good old mundane BPD.”

  Benny growled and every hair on my arms stood up. “The SPD won’t take the case? That’s because of you kids, isn’t it?”

  “I’m guessing so, yeah. That, and they are still pissed my parents are together. Grandma Fortin used to call my father ‘that furball’ when she had a glass or two of wine. You’re one of the few that treats us like we’re worth the air we breathe.”

  “What else can you tell me?”

  I seriously considered telling Benny about us having to go to the park in about forty hours but I didn’t want a shifter versus witch war happening in the middle of town. I didn’t know if shifters or witches had taken my folks and if Benny was asking me, then it wasn’t shifters. “Not much. I’m hoping they’re still alive, but there was a lot of blood, Benny. Stumpy is on the case too.”

  “Well, he might have zero ability as a shifter, but null or not, he’s one of us. He’ll call us in if he needs our help.”

  “I’m hoping so,” I said, wondering if that was how Benny found out so much already.

  “Go ahead and get your shopping done, Sin. I’ll have a couple of my boys keep an eye on the place while you’re there – from a distance, of course. I’m just worried about you kids and we take care of our own.”

  “I appreciate it, Benny,” I said as I stood, and we gripped forearms before I turned to leave. I opened the door and Benny yelled out for Joey. I kept my ears tuned in and heard him start to rip into the dickhead before I got in my car. That put a smile on my face.

  I probably spent way too long in the grocery store, but I was hungry, and I could be sure Sid needed to eat tonight, too. We’d grabbed drive-thru on the way here, but it wasn’t enough. I loaded us up for a few days just in case and headed back to the cabin. I spotted a fox near the driveway and waved. Candace preferred the fox form and I recognized the stripe pattern on her tail. That meant her husband, Stefano, was around in wolf form somewhere. They liked to work together on details, and I could feel the tension ease in my shoulders, knowing those two were out here. Candace and Stefano were friends of our parents and only a few years younger. Game nights out here when we would come on vacation always included them and some of their kids.

  I pulled in and turned the car around so we could unload more easily. Knowing who was on guard duty meant we could use magic without worrying who saw us, so I just opened the trunk and grabbed a bag, then opened the back door. The rest of the groceries followed me up the steps, across the porch, and into the kitchen, floating about a foot above the ground. I had everything line up against the wall before I started putting stuff away.

  “Sid, I’m back,” I yelled, hearing her walking around upstairs. I heard her race down the stairs and skid down the hall.

  “Please tell me you got stuff we can eat tonight?” Sid said as she stopped in the doorway.

  “Go light the grill and I’ll do these steaks. Oven fries to go with them sound good?”

  “Oh gods, yes. I’ll help put stuff away once the grill is heated up,” Sid said as she headed out onto the porch. A nice gas grill sat under a cover and it wouldn’t take her long to get things going. I opened cabinets and the fridge and got stuff put away while the oven heated. My sis had done a great job of cleaning the place. Every surface gleamed and the faint hint of lemon barely tickled my nose. Yeah, we had to be careful what stuff we used. Shifter noses burned with some of the mundane favorite cleaning supplies.

  About an hour later we had plates of food and a beer each at the table on the porch. It was a little chilly, but the cleaning smell still needed more airing out. “Candace and Stefano are walking the perimeter tonight. Benny sent them. He heard about Mom and Dad and was worried for us.”

  “That’s sweet of him,” Sid said, half her steak already gone before she slowed down eating. “Thanks for doing the shopping.”

  “Thanks for doing the cleaning,” I told her. “So, tonight we eat, drink and sleep. Tomorrow morning, we plan our next steps and see what we can learn?”

  “Sounds good to me. My brain is numb, and I really needed food. I should know better than to burn up magic without enough fuel in me, but I did. Now I’m feeling it.”

  We had both learned early that using magic was no different than using muscle. It burned calories and needed fuel as well as focus.

  “Then eat up. I bought chocolate almond ice cream for dessert.”

  Sid leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Best brother ever.”

  * * *

  The next morning, I made a scramble of leftover fries, eggs, bacon, and cheese. We sat at the table in the kitchen and inhaled coffee until our brains were sufficiently lubricated. I refilled our mugs and leaned back. “Okay, so we’ve got until tomorrow at sunset. I’m sure it’s a trap, so we’ll need to figure out how we’re going to play it.”

  “We need to make sure Stumpy doesn’t show up. Maybe we can get a few of Benny’s people to be around? They wouldn’t stand out. Not like cops would, anyway,” Sid said.

  “What if it was shifters that took them?”

  “And what if it were witches? I’ve been thinking about this and the one piece that makes absolutely no sense is the absence of the SPD. What if it were someone in the SPD that took them and is trying to start a war?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time they tried this if you believe Grandpa Boudreau’s stories.”

  “Or what Grandma Fortin said about the witches, either.”

  “So, what are we? The cause or the curse?” I asked.

  “The cause of the curse, maybe?” Sid said.

  “Ha ha, not funny. But I think you might be right with that. I think we should call Grandpa B. See what intel he might have.”

  “You think he’d tell us anything he knows? You know how pissed he is that we went to a mundane college instead of the paranormal academy.”

  “Yeah, I know he was pissed, but he was pretty generous at Christmas. He told us to look him up after finals to talk about what we wanted to do after graduation. I think he was hoping we’d go to PPA after college.” I told her.

  “I’ll be honest, Sin. I thought about it. Even if I don’t ever serve in the SPD, I will at least understand what people are talking about at family gatherings, right?”

  I laughed a bit. “Sometimes it’s a challenge to translate what they’re talking about. Let’s see what Grandpa says and what happens tomorrow.”

  “Sure. You call him. He likes you better. You don’t have boobs,” Sid said and got to her feet, collecting our plates. “More coffee?”

  I snorted into my coffee, choking a bit at Sid’s comment. “I know, he has some misogynistic tendencies. Just take a deep breath and smile pretty?” I knew I deserved the swat with the dishtowel she gave me, but it was so worth it. “More coffee, please,” I asked, nicely, as I pulled my cell out of my pocket. “Want me to call him on speaker?”

  “Sure, don’t tell him I’m listening, though. I’ll just be quiet.”

  The phone rang three times and James Sinclair Boudreau, also known as Grandpa B, answered with a “Sin, mah boy, where the hell are ya? You and your sister somewhere safe?”

  “Yes, Grandpa, we’re safe. Up at your cabin, actually.”

  “Good. Benny called and told me you’d been by. I wasn’t sure if you were still there.”

  “Yeah, we’re both here. Our house is a crime scene,” I told him.

  He hesitated before a heavy sigh filled the space. “I heard about that, son. I’ve been doing some checking. Got a couple of my men going over the place and seeing what information they can get from BPD. Unofficially, of course, but I’m not going to let my son and daughter-in-law’s disappearance go unsolved.”

  “Did you hear about the note on the door?” I asked.

  Sid fidgeted, then left the room to get more coffee.

  “I heard. You’re not thinking of going, are you?”

  “Of course, Grandpa. But not alone. Could we get some of your friends to be in the park and not look like they were on a stakeout or something? I’m also going to ask Benny to send a couple of shifters to back us up.”

  “Make sure he sends the smart ones. Not that idiot, Joey.”

  Sid snorted laughter from the kitchen, then turned on the water to muffle the noise.

  “What was that noise, Sin?” Grandpa asked.

  “Just Sid in the kitchen. She’s washing up after breakfast,” I told him.

  “I’ll be there tomorrow,” Grandpa said.

  “Uh.no Gramps. That’s not a good idea. We have a theory…” I started.

  “You have a theory. You and that sister of yours?”

  “Hey, you don’t have to say it like that.” Sid yelled as she came into the dining room.

  “I knew she was listening,” Gramps said, chuckling.

  “Quit acting like we’re idiot toddlers, Grandpa B. You do realize we are both about to graduate summa cum laude, right?” Sid said.

  “Okay, okay, both of you, relax. We’re wondering if a shifter or a witch is behind this, trying to create another war. That’s why we’re asking you and we’re going to ask Grandma Fortin to send a few of her best so we’ve covered both angles,” I said.

  There was silence for a few moments, then Grandpa spoke. “That’s smart. Well, I’ll send mine and you get Alicia to send hers and hopefully, we’ll get your parents back safely tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Grandpa,” we both said, almost in unison.

  “I love you two. We’ll talk after this is all settled tomorrow, got me?”

  “Got it, Grandpa,” I said and disconnected the call.

  “Gods, he is such a prick, but I love him anyway,” Sid said as she got the pot of coffee and refilled our mugs.

  I drank some coffee while Sid cut up some fruit and set it on a plate for us.

  “Want me to talk to Benny?” Sid asked around a mouthful of grapes.

  “No, I’ll take Benny. You take Grandma Fortin.”

  “Ugh, thanks so much for that.”

  “Hey, I take the ones that like me, and you get the one that loves you best.”

  Sid lifted her mug and toasted me. “Plans are made. We’ll get Mom and Dad back. We’ll get our lives back. We’ll get to go home, and I’ll go to law school and you’ll go to med school and it’ll all be good.”

  Yeah, something had me thinking that a whole lot of that statement was wishful thinking.

  Chapter Three

  Sid

  We cleaned up the cabin, not even sure if we were going to be staying here tonight or just coming back to pack up the perishables and head home. I made sure all my clothes were back in the bag and checked that the gear we’d pulled out of the house was stored in the safe. Yes, this cabin had a safe. Grandpa had built a ten by ten foot trap door cellar room that was accessed through the floor in the linen closet. I wanted my silver dagger and it was in the bag of stuff I’d put down in the safe. I climbed down the ladder, headed over to the row of bags, and started digging through to find where I’d stuffed it in the rush to get out of the house. It was stuck inside one of my sneakers, so I pulled it out, then tucked it in the back of my jeans. As I zipped the bag shut, I saw the bag that Sin had pulled out of Dad’s car. I went to pull it closer and failed, so I just pulled it open and almost fell over.

  “Sinclair Boudreau, get your ass down here,” I yelled as I stared at a bag full of weapons. Guns, swords, daggers, and what looked like a taser or two.

  Sin slid down the ladder and grinned. “I see you found our backup backup.”

  “What the everlovin’ fuck? Dad had these in his car?”

  “Yeah, we used some of them out at the range last weekend. Didn’t think the cops needed to find them and I knew where Dad had stashed them in a hidden compartment under the back seat.”

  “But the cops searched Mom and Dad’s cars.”

  “The BPD searched. They did a quick look through and moved on. It was pretty clear our parents were the victims and the cars hadn’t been used in the commission of the crime. No need for a deep dive.”

  “Oh, right. The BPD searched. I forgot.” Sarcasm dripped from my words. “Anyway, why the armory? I thought the folks considered weapons the last gasp after everything else was tried?”

  “We don’t know what we’re dealing with. If it’s witches, shifters, both, neither…who can tell?”

  “So, a gun and a blade just in case?” I clarified.

  “Yeah, silver blade, silver bullets. They’ll work against both. Shifters with silver, of course, and blades and bullets hurt witches whether silver or steel.”

  “Okay. I’ve got my silver dagger already. I’ll take a Glock 9mm.” Sin handed me the gun, three clips and a box of ammo. He pulled out a 45, three clips, ammo, and a throwing ax. We both headed up the ladder and I left it to Sin to lock the door behind us while I sat on the couch and loaded up the clips. It had started to get to me. We didn’t know if our parents were alive or dead, or who had taken them and wanted us. We were loading up to go after our own kind and it, honestly, had me sick to my stomach.

  “Stumpy has left three voicemails on my phone. Has he called you?”

  Sin looked up from loading his clips. “Yeah, I talked to him about an hour ago. He said Benny had asked him about cleaning up the house before we went home. They sent a cleaning crew over this morning.”

  “That was nice of them. I wasn’t looking forward to cleaning that up.” I hadn’t thought of it much, to be blunt. It was way down the list of things on my mind. “Did they say anything about the case?”

  “No news, no leads, nothing,” Sin said.

  “Figures.” I could feel the anger rising. Not having the SPD on the case was an insult and meant the best paranormal officers were being kept away. “When I talked to Grandma Fortin, she said Aunt Cosette had taken some of her best students to the house to see what they could find. They found both shifter and witch traces, but couldn’t tell if they were from us, our folks, or some strangers. With all of the BPD traffic, it muddied any clues.”

  “So we still don’t know anything. I guess we just have to go to the park tonight and hope Mom and Dad are okay, and that our friends can help us take down whoever took them.” Sin snapped a clip into his gun, slid one into the chamber and flipped the safety on. “One way or another, we’ll get answers tonight.”

  I did the same with my gun and clipped the holster to my belt, snapping the extra clips into belt holders. Our jackets would cover the weapons and clips. The treated leather would help hide the smell of gunpowder and silver. “Does any of this make sense to you? The children of Belle Cove Academy’s two founding families – kidnapped – and the SPD refusing to do something about it?”

  Sin got to his feet and went to the window to stare out at the lake in the late spring sunshine. “No, none of it makes any sense. Why Mom and Dad? Sure, they were both cops for a while, then Dad went into teaching and Mom started her herbal business when we came along. They’re not outspoken members of the community – in fact, they do their best to stay under the radar. Don’t want to rub the whole ‘not supposed to be’ witch with a shifter thing in people’s faces. They’re not even the only shifter/witch couple out there.”

  “Just the only one to have living children,” I reminded him.

  “Right, I forgot that. Wasn’t there another couple up here in Syren Lake that had a baby?”

  “Yeah, and it died within a month. Most of the moms miscarry, but some come to term and die within the first couple of months.”

  “So, there’s something incompatible in the genetics?”

  “You’re the pre-med, not me. I have no clue. Makes me wonder why we survived. Maybe something to do with us being twins,” I told him.

  “Maybe. With two of us, the power could balance better? I’d love to do some genetic research on it. Someday,” Sin said. He got that lost in his thoughts look that usually ended up with ten notebooks full of ideas and three days of no contact.

  “Sin, you can worry about that tomorrow, okay? Right now, we have to focus on this mess.”

  A deep breath and a shake of his head had Sin refocused. “Right, you’re right. We should get going, so we can be at the park when the backup starts showing up.”

  We headed out to Sin’s car, the cabin locked up tight. Together, we cast a ward around the house to protect it and alert us if trespassed.

  The ride to the park was mostly quiet, with a stop for burgers and coffee that we’d eat when we got there. Within an hour, we were sitting on a bench near the pond in the center of the park. I tried to choke down my burger, knowing I’d need the fuel but not really wanting to eat. I tossed the last bits of the bun onto the grass for birds to enjoy, licked the ketchup off my fingers and wrapped them around my cup of coffee.

 

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