Heartsong (Green Creek 3)

Find the prisoner. Do you hear me? Find him.

I was moving even before I realized.

Santos wasn’t on guard duty. It was a younger wolf I vaguely recognized. He looked miserable standing out of the rain on the old porch. He brightened as I approached. “Robbie. Hey! What brings you out in this weather?”

I climbed up the porch, that old familiar magic washing over me. It vibrated against my skin, and it felt like home. It took me a moment to remember the wolf’s name. “Daniel. I just… was out,” I finished lamely.

He didn’t notice. “Oh man, why? I hate the rain if I’m not shifted. But I can’t shift here when I’m working. Sucks, right?”

“Tell you what,” I said, thinking quickly. “Why don’t you get out of here? I’ll take over for you. What time were you supposed to be relieved?”

He looked wary. “Not until three. But why would you want to do that? You’re the second. You shouldn’t have to be here.”

I shook my head. “Nah, it’s all right. Ezra and Alpha Hughes are out checking the wards. I need something to do. Besides, me being a second doesn’t mean I shouldn’t share in the responsibilities. I’ll cover for you. I promise. If anyone asks, I’ll make sure they know it was my idea.”

“Wow,” he said. “Dude, that’s awesome. Thank you.” His gaze darted away. “There’s this girl, and I’m courting her, but she’s being… well. You know.”

“Nikki, right?”

His smile was wide. “Yeah. Nikki. Oh man, she is the best. When she acknowledges my existence, at least. Do you think she’d like to run in the refuge with me? In the rain? That’s romantic, right?”

“Very,” I assured him. “Why don’t you go ask her and find out?”

“Yeah, you know what? I think I will. Thanks, Robbie. This is fucking awesome.” He gripped my shoulder and squeezed as he grinned at me. He stepped off the porch.

“Hey, Daniel?”

He glanced back at me. “Yeah?”

“Just to be safe, what’s the code to get inside?”

His smile faded. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I know,” I said. “But it’s okay. It’s best that I know. Since Alpha Hughes and Ezra are out, I need to make sure that if I need to get in, I can.”

He bit his bottom lip. “Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, if they’re gone, you’re pretty much in charge, right? Being the second.”

I grinned at him, although I’d never felt less like smiling. “Exactly. You got it. And I really don’t want to go inside. Trust me on that. But you gotta be prepared, you know? Just in case.”

“Just in case,” he echoed. He turned, but not before looking over his shoulder through the rain toward the other houses. There was no one else there.

He went to the door of the house. His nose wrinkled as the scent of magic intensified. A red circle appeared on the door, glowing dully. The circle was filled with lines, sectioning off the interior. And inside each of the boxes the lines created was a symbol. It was simple, a combination of shapes: squares, smaller circles, and triangles. He didn’t touch them, just pointed at a combination. “Circle. Rectangle. Octagon. Heptagon. Circle again. Easy, right?” He took a step back and the bigger circle faded. He looked uneasy. “Just don’t go in, okay? Not without the Alpha here. Or Ezra. The prisoner was already fed before they left. No one is scheduled to go back inside until tonight.”

“Got it,” I said easily. “Hey, say hi to Nikki for me, all right? And I heard she gets impressed the bigger the deer you bring her.”

Daniel laughed, shaking his head. “Women, right? Always wanting a bigger deer.” He stepped off the porch into rain. “Thanks again, Robbie. I don’t care what anybody says. You’re a good guy.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly as he walked toward the lake.

I forced myself to wait until he disappeared around the front of another house, passing out of sight. I strained my ears, listening as hard as I could. Through the sounds of the rain, I could make out the faint voices of other wolves, but they were all coming from indoors. If Michelle and Ezra were actually checking the wards, I had time, but I had to move fast, just in case.

I turned back toward the door. I felt the familiar pull of Ezra’s magic as the circle flared to life.

What had the inscription inside the book said?

Never forget.

Easier said than done, apparently.