Simon studied Burke. The police captain thought the Others would be more honest than his own kind? What did the Sanguinati think about the police in Toland?
“I’ll give Stavros a call and see what he or Tolya has heard,” Vlad said.
“I’d like to stay in the efficiency apartment with Lizzy one more night, if that’s all right with you,” Montgomery said.
“We set one apartment aside for the police, so you can stay,” Simon said. When the humans didn’t speak, he added, “Shall we find out what Tess wants to show us?”
He walked into A Little Bite. Vlad and the two policemen followed him.
Tess stood behind the glass display case, her hair now solid red coils. Angry again. But why?
He glanced at the food in the display case—the pastries, cookies, sandwiches, and other items that were delivered that morning. When he leaned down for a closer look, he understood, and shared, Tess’s anger.
Spoiled. All of it. Mold on the bread. Dried-out or moldy cheese in the sandwiches. Even with the lesser human sense of smell and the glass between him and the food, he could scent meat going bad.
“Is something wrong with your refrigeration system?” Burke asked.
“No,” Tess replied in a rough voice. “Something is wrong with the humans in this city.”
The bakery they had been dealing with had stopped making deliveries a few weeks ago. Trying to give the humans another chance before informing the mayor that the agreements between humans and terra indigene had been broken, Tess had contacted another bakery in Lakeside that provided the kinds of foods she sold in A Little Bite.
“This is what I was given this morning,” Tess said. “It was packaged in a way that I couldn’t see the rot, so I paid the invoice in cash, as required.” She came around to the front of the display case and jabbed a finger toward the food. “Would you eat that? Would you feed that to your child?”
“No,” Montgomery said.
“We’re not open to humans who aren’t connected to the Courtyard anymore,” Simon said.
“That’s not the point,” Tess snapped. “That was never the point. The agreements with the city are clear enough: we are entitled to anything available to humans. If they can buy it, so can we.”
“And if we can’t, neither can they,” Simon said.
“Are a few pastries and sandwiches that important?” Montgomery asked, sounding alarmed.
Simon looked around. “This coffee shop was modeled on the ones humans use. It provides the same beverages and foods. Most of those shops don’t bake their own products; they buy them from bakeries. So we did the same in order to understand why such a place would have any value. When the bakeries all close tomorrow because the agreements with the terra indigene were violated twice with regard to supplying food for the coffee shop, how important will the lack of those pastries and sandwiches be to the humans who go into those coffee shops?”
“I’m not sure the government will tell the bakeries to close or require the police to enforce those closings,” Burke said, sounding as wary as a coyote who’d just caught the scent of a grizzly.
“You won’t have to enforce anything,” Tess said. “The Elementals can take care of closing the bakeries. I’m sure Fire would oblige once I show her what the monkeys sent us as food for Meg and the other girls.”
Simon blinked. Ask one of the Elementals to burn all the bakeries in the city? That seemed . . . harsh. Better to burn down the troublesome ones, especially the one that sold Tess rotten food to give to Meg.
Burke and Montgomery looked shocked—and sufficiently afraid.
Vlad smiled. “Or, rather than burning down all the bakeries, we can redirect the food grown in terra indigene settlements and offer it only to human businesses that will honor the agreements they make with us. That would cut the food supply coming into this city.” He looked at Simon. “Perhaps we can build our own little bakery and hire someone to make what we need.”
“Steve Ferryman said the bakeries in Ferryman’s Landing would sell to us,” Simon said. “And we will need to adjust supply allotments for Ferryman’s Landing anyway to accommodate the Wolf cookies they’re already making. Redirecting the food is more practical than burning down buildings.” But he would give some thought to asking Fire to visit that one bakery.
“Would you be willing to try one more Lakeside bakery?” Montgomery asked. “There’s a place on Market Street that I frequent. I’ll talk to the owner and see if she would be interested in supplying items for your coffee shop.”
Simon hesitated. None of the Courtyard’s stores were going to be open to the general public anymore, but the coffee shop would still be a useful learning experience for the terra indigene who didn’t have access to such a place—or a chance to interact with humans like Meg’s pack.
“All right,” he said. “One more. If that doesn’t work, we’ll give our business to Ferryman’s Landing—and give them the extra supplies as well.”
“We’ll do that now,” Burke said. “The lieutenant needs to stop by his apartment and check his mail anyway.”
Tess said to Simon and Vlad.
“I’ll tell Jester that Meg and the Lizzy should come back now,” Simon told Montgomery. “You can wait for her at the medical office.”
“Do you mind if I take a quick look around the bookstore?” Burke asked.
“Go ahead.” He watched the men go through the archway before turning to Tess. “What?”
“Even if that food had been good, I wouldn’t have placed another order with that bakery,” Tess said.
“Why?” Vlad asked.
Black threads appeared in her hair. “Because Jake Crowgard noticed an HFL decal on the delivery van’s back window.”
CHAPTER 24
Watersday, Maius 12
“Why can’t I ride a pony?” Lizzy whined.
Such an annoying sound. If she ever whined like that, Meg hoped Simon bit her. Really hard.
But Wolves whined too. Why didn’t it bother her when they did it?
“Because the Courtyard’s ponies aren’t riding ponies,” Meg said for the third time. Her skin prickled every time Lizzy asked to ride a pony, making her feel odd, overwhelmed. She had to make Lizzy understand that, in the Courtyard, puppies were supposed to obey adults, and no meant no. But what more could she do? What more could she say?
When she’d first met the ponies, she hadn’t wanted to ride them, and it hadn’t occurred to her when she offered to take Lizzy to the Pony Barn that the girl would want to—or be so persistent about getting her own way.
And the ponies, who had been curious enough about the small human to allow Lizzy to pet their noses, now wore their grumpiest faces as they trotted away.
“We have to go back to the Market Square,” Meg said. Had anyone heard her? Had she spoken out loud?
Jester Coyotegard growled at Lizzy. “Meg said no, and being the one who looks after the ponies, I’m saying no. So that’s the end of it, pup.”
“That’s not fair!” Lizzy stamped her foot. “Grandma Borden would let me ride a pony!”
Lizzy’s voice changed the pins-and-needles feeling into a painful buzz. Meg dug her fingers into her side just above the waistband of her jeans, scratching at her skin through the T-shirt. Needed to think. Couldn’t think, not with Lizzy’s voice buzzing in her ears. Too much. Too much! Had to . . . what?
“Typical human,” a female voice said. “Grant them one thing and they always want more.”
Meg stared at the Elemental whose red hair was tipped with yellow and blue, at the female face that could never pass for human. But sometimes danger could hide quietly . . . and so easily.
“Meg?” Nathan’s voice.
Nathan. In danger?
The buzz turned into an agony she needed to tear out of her skin before it ate
her alive.
Have to stay in control, she thought. Have to . . .
She pulled the silver razor out of her pocket.
* * *
“Meg!” Nathan snarled, grabbing the hand that held the closed razor. “Meg, what’s wrong?” Should he have sensed something? Distracted by the Lizzy, had he missed a sign that Meg would cut?
“I want to ride a pony!” Lizzy shrieked.
He released Meg, whirled around and snapped at Lizzy, his teeth just missing her nose and shocking the girl into silence. Then he grabbed Meg again, trapping the hand with the razor and pulling her other hand away from her side.
“Has the little human hurt our Meg?” Fire asked, looking at Meg and then at the Lizzy.
Nathan called. More to the point, he needed help.
“Let me go!” Meg struggled to free herself. “Need to cut. Need to.”
“Meg?” Now the Lizzy sounded scared.
Jester said. The Coyote grabbed the girl, stuffed her into Meg’s BOW, and drove off.
“Too much,” Meg cried. “Too much danger! I have to cut. I have to cut now.”
“You cut a couple of days ago,” Nathan protested. “It’s too soon.”
“Have to,” she panted. “Lizzy. Have to.”
He wasn’t supposed to be around her when she was bleeding. None of the Wolves were supposed to be around her. Cassandra sangue blood was an almost irresistible temptation, as well as a drug humans called feel-good. Simon had learned that the hard way when he licked one of Meg’s cuts and suffered an overdose, becoming so passive he’d been helpless for hours.
“Meg,” Nathan growled. “Meg!” If he kept holding her, he would end up hurting her. If he let go, she would make the cut when she was acting crazy, and that might kill her.
Meg cried out as if she were in terrible pain. What if she was? What if not letting her cut was damaging her in some way he didn’t understand?
Howls from the Wolfgard Complex. Help was coming . . . but not in time.
Nathan looked at Fire. “The only way to protect her is to cut her. But I’ll have trouble once she starts bleeding.”
Fire stared at him. Then she nodded. “I will protect Meg. Even from you, Wolf.”
Nodding, Nathan pulled Meg into the barn. Grabbing a blanket, he tossed it over the straw in the first stall and pushed her down.
Crying. Begging. Was it always like this? He didn’t think so.
He pulled the razor out of her hand and opened it. Her hands, now freed, clawed at the skin just above the waistband of her jeans, trying to cut the skin with her fingernails.
Nathan pinned one of Meg’s hands under his knee. Fire grabbed her other hand.
How long? How deep? No time to wait for answers.
Sharp steel kissed the skin she’d been scratching. She shuddered, and her face was filled with such terrible pain, Nathan was sure he had killed her. Then her face changed, and he caught the strong scent of lust as Meg began to speak.
The delicious scent of fresh blood filled the air. Sweet blood. Hot. Rich. More potent than any other scent around him.
Nathan’s mouth watered and he craved a taste of that blood. Just one little taste.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. Had to listen. That was his job now, to listen.
“Happy mask,” Meg said. “Angry face. Ice chest. Heart. Rotting meat.”
She said the same words twice. Then she sighed . . . and relaxed.
Nathan leaned closer. He should lick the blood, clean the wound.
“Wolf.” A hot warning.
He looked up, startled. He’d been so drawn to the scent of Meg’s blood, he’d forgotten about Fire.
“Go outside,” a voice said.
Snarling, he sprang to his feet and spun to face the intruder, who held out a hand dotted with feathers.
Owl. Male. Bodywalker. Not a threat.
“Go outside,” the Owl said again.
Nathan bolted out of the Pony Barn.
* * *
The euphoria passed quickly, and with its passing, Meg became aware of her surroundings again. Her face was wet, someone was pressing on her side too hard for comfort, her jeans and T-shirt were soaked, and Nathan was howling—a sound so full of misery she wanted to cry in response.
Swiping a hand over her face, she opened her eyes and looked at the gray pony nose. A fine mist continued falling over her face.
“I’m awake now, Mist,” she said, blinking water out of her eyes.
“Which just proves you’ve got less sense than a chick still inside the egg.”
She turned her head and looked at a male she didn’t recognize.
“I’m Welby, the Owlgard bodywalker,” he said. “Jane Wolfgard is on her way, but I don’t know if she knows how to fix this either.”
“Fix . . . ?”
Meg lifted her head to look at the hand pressing a cloth against her side. As she brushed against Mist’s muzzle, he lipped her short hair before taking a step back.
Welby pushed her down, none too gently. “You and the little human caused enough trouble today without you hurting yourself even more.”
“I . . .” Lizzy. Where was Lizzy? “We caused trouble?”
“You hurt the Wolves and upset the Elementals and Sanguinati.” Welby’s hair changed to feathers, a sign that he, too, was distressed to the point where he couldn’t hold the human form.
She struggled to think of a safe question. “Why am I so wet?”
“Fire got upset and the hay started to smolder. Water came and soaked everything.”
Jane Wolfgard rushed into the barn. “Simon says the human bodywalker is at the Market Square office. Blair is outside with a BOW. He says he can stay human long enough to get Meg to the office.”
“Where is my razor?” Meg asked once they wrapped her waist to hold a folded cloth over the cut.
“Simon and Henry said all of this straw and the blanket need to be burned,” Jane said as she and Welby lifted Meg and took her to the BOW. “Anything with fresh blood on it needs to be burned.”
They wouldn’t speak to her directly as they settled her in the passenger seat. And Blair just snarled at her, making it clear he wouldn’t talk to her either.
Just as well, she thought as she pressed a hand over the cut. She was certain Simon would have plenty to say when she saw him.
Would he be able to tell her what happened?
* * *
Henry held out a hand. “Give it to me.”
Hateful thing, Simon thought, turning the silver razor over and over in hands that were furry and clawed.
“Simon,” the Grizzly rumbled.
He gave Henry the razor. “I thought Meg liked Nathan. Why would she do that to him? What am I supposed to say to her?”
He couldn’t bite the Lizzy, who had started the trouble, because it was Montgomery’s duty to discipline the pup. And he couldn’t bite Meg because she was Meg. But he was so scared and furious right now, he really wanted to bite someone.
“You will say nothing,” Henry said. “I am spirit guide for this Courtyard, so I will deal with Meg.”
Jester had pulled into the area behind HGR howling for Simon and Vlad and anyone and everyone. Since Burke and Montgomery were still there, they’d come running too.
Something about the Lizzy not being allowed to ride the ponies. Of course she couldn’t ride any of the Elementals’ steeds, no matter what form they were in! But the Lizzy’s whining had caused Meg to try to make a cut when she was out of control. If Nathan hadn’t been there . . .
If it was anyone but Meg, she’d get such a bite for upsetting a pack member like that!
“Yes,” he said, feeling his canines lengthen. “You deal with Meg. I’ll see wha
t I can do for Nathan.”
Nathan had run to HGR as soon as Jane Wolfgard ran into the Pony Barn. The moment he handed the folding razor to Simon, he stripped off his clothes and shifted to Wolf. At Tess’s insistence, he’d eaten part of a chamomile cookie, but even with that much of a calming effect he was still so upset he couldn’t stop shaking or whining.
After Dr. Lorenzo gave the Lizzy a quick check and assured Montgomery that the girl was fine, the lieutenant took the Lizzy back to the efficiency apartment. Now the doctor waited for Meg.
Blair said.
Simon replied. He hesitated before adding,
Simon looked at Henry. “Maybe it was a mistake to let humans into the Courtyard. If the Lizzy hadn’t gone to the Pony Barn with Meg, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Maybe,” Henry said. “But we all agreed to try something that hasn’t been done before. We are all learning, and that means there will be mistakes. This time, it is Meg who made the mistake, and she must understand what she has done. Go tend Nathan, and let’s hope today has not completely soured his willingness to work with humans.”
CHAPTER 25
Watersday, Maius 12
“She’ll be fine,” Ruth said, giving Monty a strained smile. “We’ll watch a movie or read a book until you get back.”
Monty studied her. “Karl told you?”
“Yes.” She glanced at Lizzy, who was sitting in the stuffed chair with her arms wrapped around her legs. “Does Lizzy know?”
Monty shook his head. So much had already happened this morning, there hadn’t been the right time to tell his little girl that her mother was dead. And he needed time to consider the questions she might ask. Could they both have gotten away if she hadn’t lost track of time in the bathroom, playing her silly game with Boo Bear? Would Elayne have died if Lizzy hadn’t answered the phone in the hotel room, confirming their location?