Rogue Belador: Belador book 7 (11 page)

That meant he hadn’t been blowing smoke about Caron wiping out the city. Evalle tried to envision telling VIPER about this.

Yep. Not happening.

Rowan walked around, hands in pockets, sounding as if she was thinking out loud. “None of the homes of missing witches have been broken into, so that fits for Mattie’s to also be undisturbed. The fact that Deek teleported in means that Mattie’s wards were down, too. I’ve had council members trying to find the first three missing witches. Even I can’t pull up anything by scrying.” She sighed disgustedly.

“What do you have for me to start with?”

“Just a distinctive odor. We’ve found residue of Noirre majik at each kidnapping site, but it’s too—”

“What?”

“Obvious. I know that sounds ridiculous, but tell me—how many demons were you hunting prior to the Medb coven being allowed to enter the city?”

“One or two a year.

“Exactly,” Rowan agreed. “While not all demons can be verified as Medb creations, we both know they’ve created quite a few. They had to use Noirre majik to create the demons, yet any evidence, and the Noirre scent, has been hidden. Why go to that kind of trouble to cover their tracks so well with the demons, and yet leave clear evidence of Noirre in the homes of kidnapped witches?”

“Good point.” One that Evalle had to run past Storm and Quinn for their feedback.

Rowan continued, “Even if I convince VIPER to send a team to investigate, and they confirm the Noirre residue present at the kidnapping locations, I have no doubt the Medb will accuse us of planting that evidence. I don’t want to bring a Tribunal into this, but neither will I allow anyone to harm the witches under my protection and get away with it.”

“Of course not,” Evalle agreed. No one wanted the Medb run out of the human world more than she did, but in all honesty, this was the worst timing for Evalle to be caught in a conflict between the white witches and VIPER.

If someone was going to the trouble of planting leads at the crime scene, Rowan might not have a choice about this reaching a Tribunal decision.

Even worse? Everything Rowan said could end up clearing the Medb of any suspicion.

Any evidence would have to be presented to a Tribunal, which would involve Beladors investigating and Medb being put on trial. Fingers would point both ways. Accusations would fly. The Tribunal gods and goddesses would lose their tempers.

As bizarre as it seemed, the Tribunal would hold Evalle responsible for not keeping peace between the Beladors and the Medb.

I might as well be a tiny pebble trying to hold back a landslide.

Taking Rowan’s side would also put Evalle in a hot spot, but back in November, Rowan had waded into war side by side with Evalle and Adrianna, against that crazy witch, Veronika, to help prevent her from grasping the Witchlock power.

If Veronika had pulled off her grand plan, the preternatural world as they knew it would have never survived. Well, all except the Medb. Rowan believed that coven would have probably joined with Veronika to turn any surviving witches into slaves.

The human world would have been wiped out first.

Plus, Rowan was Evalle’s friend, and Evalle did not let her friends down.

You’re responsible to the gryphons, too, and they’re your friends as well.

Just what Evalle didn’t need right now, a mouthy conscience.

If this caused a delay on the vote about gryphon rights for another couple months, Evalle would also have to face Tristan and the rest of her gryphon pack on Treoir. She had enough guilt to drown her over living free when the others weren’t, without yet another delay happening.

All this drove home the point Rowan had made earlier. Where
was
Macha during all of this? Why couldn’t she leave Tzader to watch over Brina, and pop in long enough to give everyone a hand? When would she step in to back up her Beladors and speak up for the gryphons?

Okay, getting riled over that was still not helping.

Macha would never be a fairy godmother, so Evalle had to stop wishing for the impossible.

Rowan tapped her chin in a thoughtful look. “Once we find Mother Mattie, if the Medb are behind this, we’ll have the hard evidence required to force Sen and VIPER to accept that the Medb are attempting to take down the white witches.” She huffed out a long breath. “I shouldn’t have to deal with Sen at all. I’d like to know who picked that jackass.”

“You and me and about half of VIPER,” Evalle concurred. Sen was a six-and-a-half-foot-tall thorn in Evalle’s hide. The guy had changed his look recently, but his ’tude had stayed right where it had always been—on the putrid side of rotten.

In addition to his role as liaison between agents and the Tribunal, Sen doubled as the Tribunal enforcer when the deities ordered a decision carried out.

Everyone Evalle knew thought Sen functioned as liaison under duress—that someone had forced him into the position—but all they had was speculation.

He also claimed the top spot on the list of Evalle-haters. She’d never done anything to earn his disdain, but he’d showered her with it since the first day they’d met.

Rowan started typing quickly on her phone.

“Okay, what’s the plan now?” Evalle asked, wondering who she was texting.

“Do you think Storm can track Mother Mattie, or the person who used the Noirre if the residue is in her house?”

“He can track anything he detects at Mattie’s, and I know he’ll try.”

“Of course he will. He’d do anything for you.” The warmth returned to Rowan’s voice. She paused typing. “I’m glad you two found each other.”

Evalle smiled at the truth in that statement. “I am, too.”

“How’s your new home coming?”

“I’ve been over there helping for more than a month, but Storm asked me to stay away for the past ten days. He wants our area furnished and decorated so I see the finished product.” She didn’t care what it looked like, but Storm did and that was fine by her. “We should be moving in any day now, according to Storm. He left early this morning and asked me to meet him at the building when I head home. I’ll have a better idea then.”

Life had calmed down into a nice rhythm. Feenix still hadn’t warmed completely to Storm, but the arrangement they had was keeping the peace.

She took that as a positive.

Bullfrog croak-chirping erupted from the truck.

Oskar probably wanted out, and she had to get going. Did you walk a familiar? She asked Rowan, “What are you going to do with Oskar?”

Rowan took in the truck, then slid a weighted look at Evalle. “Oskar must stay hidden. No one can know that he’s around. Whoever grabbed Mother Mattie missed her familiar, or more likely, Mattie might have shielded Oskar when she realized she was in danger. That makes sense, because he wouldn’t have been out on his own without her. He was probably just hiding in the place you found him.”

“That would explain why he hadn’t attacked the dog thief, but there was a whole group of dogs corralled there. Finding Oskar there too strikes me as a little too coincidental. In fact, Lucien even suggested the tikbalang might have been using the dogs to try to bait Oskar. ”

Rowan paced as she thought about that. “My hunch is you’re right about the coincidence, but I don’t have any answers. The bottom line is that Mattie’s kidnapper might think Oskar could lead us to Mattie, and that means Oskar has to stay out of sight. We need him. I’m hoping that Mattie is still in the city and not somewhere like Tŵr Medb. In the meantime, Oskar is our best barometer that Mattie is still alive.”

Evalle was still waiting for Rowan to suggest who could hide Oskar, but that last comment sidetracked her. “Why is Oskar a barometer?”

“If Mother Mattie dies, Oskar will lie down wherever he is and follow her.”

“That’s a serious bond.”

“You have no idea.”

Hmm. Evalle suggested, “If we could get Quinn’s young cousin, Lanna, to touch Oskar, she might be able to locate Mattie.”

“She has
that
gift?”

“Yes. Lanna has no idea what all is in her mixed bag of tricks, but I’ve seen her at least attempt to find someone that way.”

“Where is she?”

“On Treoir Island, helping Tzader with Brina.” Evalle thought on that and saw a snag. “Shoot. If I ask to be teleported there to talk to her, I’ll have to explain to Quinn, then to Macha. Quinn won’t be a problem—”

“Yes, that
would
be a problem for him,” Rowan argued. “You’d put Quinn in conflict with VIPER now that he’s the Maistir here. I’m concerned as it is about Trey sticking
his
neck out, but there’s no talking him out of being in the middle of anything that affects Sasha, the baby, or me.”

Trey was as honorable as they came, and would put family first no matter what.

Evalle couldn’t argue with his thinking. He was rock-solid loyal, too. She, Tzader, and Quinn had come to his aid when he fought a Kujoo warrior determined to take Sasha. Trey made it clear that he would be there for the three of them anytime, anywhere.

She’d never had a family, not until Tzader and Quinn came into her life as surrogate big brothers.

Now Evalle had Feenix and Storm as well. She’d put the safety of those important to her before anyone and anything else, just as Quinn and Tzader would.

Rowan could be right about not involving Quinn. Evalle would make that decision if and when she decided it was necessary.

Pulling her back to their conversation, Rowan asked, “When do you think Storm can visit Mother Mattie’s house to determine if there is anything to follow?”

“I’ll know as soon as I go home and explain all this. In fact, let me get Oskar unloaded and I’m ready to go.” Evalle turned to do just that.

“Uh... Evalle, he likes you and you’re not a witch, so—”

Evalle spun around with her hands up. “Oh, no, no, no. I can’t take him home.”

“Why not?”

“I have Feenix. He barely tolerates Storm right now. I don’t need anyone else new in his territory.”

“Feenix can handle himself,” Rowan said.

“True, but what if he decides to turn Oskar into a charred chew toy?”

“Your gargoyle has never harmed any living thing before, right?”

Rowan should have been an attorney with her quick arguments.

“Yes, but—”

“They’ll be fine, Evalle. It’ll be a play date for Feenix.” The witch’s eyes shimmered with humor.

Evalle’s jaw dropped. “Are you mental?”

“No, and I really need to get dressed and get over to Mother Mattie’s to see what I can pick up on before Storm goes in. I’ll text you the address. Let me know if you need anything.” Rowan had backed all the way up the steps.

“Rowan.”

“What?”

“You are not leaving me with that, uh, Oskar.”

“I don’t have a choice, Evalle.
Nobody
touches Mother Mattie’s familiar.”

“What about me?” Evalle thumbed her chest. “
I’m
a nobody.”

That did not come out right.

“No
witches
. You’re not a witch.”

Evalle narrowed her eyes. “I want the truth. No one wants to deal with Oskar, do they? Why?”

Rowan frowned and glanced away. Busted. “He’s not that bad. I’ve really gotta go, Evalle. Let me know if Storm is coming over to Mattie’s, okay?” She slipped inside and closed the door softly.

Crap. Evalle ground out a few choice words and headed back to the truck.

Three guys hunched against the cold as they walked past on the opposite side of the street.

Evalle waited a moment before opening the passenger door so Oskar could jump out. He walked around in the dark as if he could see just fine, marked a tree and a bush, then jumped back into the truck.

The little guy curled up on the seat again and stared at her as if he’d understood every word she and Rowan had exchanged.

Maybe he had.

Now she felt guilty for trying to unload him. She explained, “It’s nothing personal, Oskar.”

He didn’t blink as his gaze piled on more guilt.

As if she had a choice at this point? “I really doubt this is going to suit you, but I’m out of ideas right now so I’ll take you home.”

A long forked tongue came out, swiped across his mouth, and went back in. He did that scary smiling thing again.

“Just kill me now,” Evalle muttered.

“Okay, but you ain’t gonna like it,” a gravelly voice replied close behind her.

Chapter 10

Evalle slammed the passenger door on Storm’s truck and whipped around, all in one motion, ending with her dagger in hand.

The wavering, semi-translucent form of Grady jumped back. Evergreen bushes in Rowan’s front yard ruffled with the movement. Grady grumbled, “Whoa. Watch where you slingin’ that thing.”

Evalle glanced at the empty front porch. Rowan’s white robe glowed in the window just left of the front door. She could probably see Grady.

Waving to let Rowan know she was fine, Evalle put her dagger away. She turned back to the old guy who was her best intelligence link for anything going on in Atlanta’s underworld of nonhumans.

To VIPER agents, ghouls like Grady—known as Nightstalkers—were useful resources, but Evalle called this one friend in spite of his being cantankerous at times.

And
in spite of his being dead. Details, details.

“What are you doing here, Grady?” The old coot usually hung close to Grady Hospital, his namesake.

“What I always do. Wander ’round ’til I find a VIPER agent wantin’ to shake hands.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You interested?”

Evalle glanced around, checking for humans. She doubted any of them could see an ethereal Grady, but his body was fading in and out of solid form at the moment. The three guys she’d seen a moment ago still walked away in the opposite direction.

Nothing to see here. Just a woman and a ghoul.

Even Rowan no longer stood at the window.

Evalle said, “I’m not looking for intel ...” She reconsidered. “Not unless you know anything about a creature stealing dogs.”

“Naw. I ain’t no dog catcher.”

“I asked about an odd creature. Ten-feet tall. Has a horse head, but a human-shaped body. Wears a shadow glamour.”

“Oh, nope. That’s not what I have.” He grinned.

Oh, great. He had something to share, but she’d have to shake or play twenty questions. She went in a new direction. “You know anything about missing witches?”

“Naw. You shakin’?” Grady prodded.

“Not if you haven’t got something I need.” As a VIPER agent, she had to adhere to the rule of only shaking hands with a Nightstalker who had information significant to a VIPER investigation. Once a ghoul shook with a powerful nonhuman for only a few seconds, the ghoul could take corporeal form for ten minutes. Since Nightstalkers were the homeless and forgotten who had died during natural disasters, some of them spent their ten minutes guzzling rotgut liquor.

Grady was no different in that, but in many other ways he was not like the rest of them.

For one, he sometimes allowed his keen intelligence to show through in spite of his street talk. Sometimes the street dialect disappeared entirely, and Grady sounded like an educated man.

She’d also broken the shaking rule one time and given him corporeal form for much longer than allowed, but it had been for a good reason. So sue her.

“I might have somethin’ you need to know,” Grady taunted her.

What was the easiest way to get him moving without hurting his feelings? Ghoul Psychology 101. “Nothing is going on that VIPER would approve for a handshake.”

“Like you care what VIPER thinks these days?”

He did know her.

She’d consider shaking with him if she could find out enough to justify the decision. “Do you have information on anything pertinent to my duties?”

He lifted his shoulders. “Depends.”

Talking to her knee-high gargoyle Feenix was easier some days, and Feenix’s vocabulary was only about twenty words. Half of those were numbers.

She didn’t have to play this game with Grady.

She could finally go home, where Storm would be waiting to have dinner with her after she’d convinced him her assignment was nothing more than boring investigative work.

The bloodstains would be hard to explain, but she’d find a way.

Rubbing her hands together to warm them, she said, “I’ll find you tomorrow, Grady, and we’ll talk, okay?”

She’d surprise Storm by showing up early tonight. He’d been slowly getting better about his overprotectiveness and not stressing over her hunting nonhumans without him.

Evalle took a step back to leave.

Grady warned, “Not sure my information is going to be much help tomorrow.”

Stopping, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, convince me I want this information, and I’ll shake.”

Grady grinned like a Cheshire cat. “You want it, but you may not be happy to get it. Just remember, I’m only the messenger.”

She didn’t like the confident slant of his grin. “What’s it about?”

“Did Macha and Queen Maeve sort out their fuss over the gryphons?”

“Not yet.” Hair danced along her neck at this specific topic being raised by Grady.

“So the gryphons are safe from Queen Maeve as long as they stay on Treoir, right? I mean, all but you since they let you stay here.”

Thanks for reminding me, because I don’t feel guilty enough as it is.
“Basically, yes, and Queen Maeve isn’t going to mess with me while she’s trying to gain the other gryphons.” Which Evalle would fight tooth and nail.

“But if those gryphons come here, they’re fair game?”

“Yes,” she said, turning further into an ice cube the longer she stood in one spot. “They all know that. I even had to deliver the message back in November that they could choose to come to the human world, but neither Macha nor VIPER would offer them protection. They chose to stay on Treoir, and she will not send them here, so what
is
your point?”

“What you think Macha or Queen Maeve would do if those gryphons just showed up in Atlanta?”

Macha would have apoplexy and that would probably result in an apocalypse. Queen Maeve would swoop in and scoop up as many as she could at one time.

“Why are we discussing this, Grady?”

He stuck out his stubborn chin. “You have to answer my question first.”

She scrubbed a hand over her face and said, “If the gryphons somehow left Treoir on their own, and Macha found out before Maeve captured them, Macha would make an example of any gryphon teleported here without her knowledge. I don’t think either of us can imagine just how hideous that backlash would be.” Not to mention what Macha would do to Evalle, since everyone had made the gryphons Evalle’s responsibility. “As for Queen Maeve, my guess is that she wants to imprison the gryphons and compel us to do her bidding, since that’s what her predecessor, Flaevynn, tried to do. I’m done playing what-ifs. What. Have. You. Got?”

“In that case...” Grady stuck his hand out. “You might want to know where I saw Tristan in the city right before I got here.”

Oh, shit!
What the hell was Tristan doing here?

Forget Macha punishing that gryphon. Evalle would kill Tristan herself.