Hidden Moon (Nightcreature 7)

"You think I don't know that?" Mal said, the words so anguished I took a step toward him.

The men glanced up. Mal's lips tightened, and he shot a glare at Hogarth, who returned that glare first at him, then at me, before stalking into the trees.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to interrupt. "

Mal crossed the short distance, stopping when our bodies were only a whisper apart. He reached out and captured a strand of my hair, rubbing it between his fingers. "Fire and ice," he said. "You're so damn beautiful. "

When he looked at me like that, I actually felt beautiful. In his eyes, maybe I was.

"Claire!"

I turned, and Mal let go of my hair, stepping back. As Grace approached, she flicked her hand in Mal's direction, as if casting a spell. Even though I knew what she'd been doing for the past several hours, I still started when something small and shiny flew toward Mal's face.

Mal snatched the bullet out of the air with a speed that blurred his fingers. Then he handed it back to Grace with a sardonic tilt of one brow. "Sorry to disappoint, Sheriff. "

She shrugged and accepted the offering. "Can't blame me. "

"I don't. " With a dip of his head that made his silver earring sway, he left.

"Grace," I began, but she held up her hand.

"Not a single person burned at the touch of silver. I was desperate. "

"You sound upset. "

"I'm back at square one. I can't exactly question everyone in town. " Her shoulders lifted and lowered on a sigh. "I'm tempted to cancel the festival. "

"You can't!"

Her eyes met mine. "Oh, I think I can. "

"But that'll kill Lake Bluff. "

"You think a ravening werewolf won't? We've got so many people here now, the place is like a freaking buffet. No wonder the beast showed up. "

"Listen to yourself. " I threw up my hands. "You're planning on canceling our main source of income because you think there's a werewolf. You tell the merchants and townspeople that and I can guarantee we'll both be out of a job come Election Day. "

"I don't give a rat's ass. Besides, I don't have to say 'werewolf; 'rabid wolf will do the trick just as well. "

"You can't force people to leave, Grace. "

"I know. " Her shoulders slumped. "I was just hoping to make things easier, but nothing ever is. We may as well go. "

I glanced toward what I assumed to be Mal's wagon, but he was gone.

"Are you staying for the show?" Grace asked.

I thought about it, then shook my head. I wanted to do more research on the rune, along with the whole Hitler werewolf army angle. Besides, I wasn't getting a very warm and fuzzy feeling from any of the Gypsies but Mal. I never had really, except for Sabina, and I hadn't seen her all day.

I followed Grace to where she'd parked her squad car next to my vehicle. Before coming here, I'd retrieved my car, checking the entire house for a trace of the missing rune. I didn't find it.

"I'm going to leave a few men here," she said. "Can't hurt. "

The Gypsies bustled about, getting ready for tonight's show. Customers began to trickle in.

"You going home?" I asked.

"Yeah. "