Wicked Appetite (Lizzy and Diesel 1)

“That’s it?”

“Eventually, I’ll require more from you,” Wulf said. “When I possess all of the SALIGIA, I’ll need to take your gift away. Unless, of course, my much too normal cousin loses control and risks his power before I have the pleasure of your company.”

“Aren’t you afraid of the risk?”

“If I have the SALIGIA, there will be no risk.”

“You’re assuming I would cooperate in this.”

“I’ll have no trouble persuading you to cooperate.”

That was a chilling thought.

“How many charms do you have?” he asked me.

“I don’t have any. Diesel has one from Shirley More. And you have the charm from Mark More.”

“And Lenny’s charm?”

“Lenny’s charm got exploded.”

“Yes, but not destroyed,” Wulf said. “The empowered object can shift forms, but it can’t be destroyed.”

“It doesn’t seem to me that Lenny’s charm matters. We’re at a deadlock. The hunt for the SALIGIA is done. You and Diesel each possess a charm, so the charms will never be combined.”

Wulf’s eyes dilated totally black. “One way or another, the charms will be combined, and the first of the SALIGIA Stones will be found.”

Yipes. For a nano-second I thought I saw tiny flames flicker deep in Wulf’s eyes. Probably, it was a reflection from the candles on the sideboard. The other explanation was that he was the devil. Either way, he was wigging me out with the SALIGIA stuff.

“Four members of the More family were given identical boxes when the estate was settled,” Wulf said. “Sadly, the estate executor died shortly after the will was read and property was distributed. So I can’t encourage him to share his information. The

re’s no record of the four recipients, but we’ve managed to find three of them. I don’t suppose you know who the fourth is?”

“I thought there were only three.”

“Three were at the reading of the will. The fourth didn’t attend and was privately given the box. Neither Mark nor Lenny knows the identity of the fourth More. And you’ve effectively silenced Shirley.”

“Why are you sharing this with me?”

“There are far too many Mores in the Salem area, and searching for the correct one will be tedious. I’m going to let you find the last More for me.”

“I’m working with Diesel.”

“In the end, it will come down to a deal and a roll of the dice. It doesn’t matter who finds the last charm. Possession of the Stone is all that matters.”

“Why do you want the Stone?”

Wulf thought about it for a moment, his eyes still intense and fixed on me, his energy prickling against my skin. “I suppose I enjoy the hunt,” he said. “And the power of the SALIGIA fascinates me.”

“Diesel will turn the SALIGIA over to the BUM for safekeeping, so it won’t be used for evil purposes.”

“Admirable,” Wulf said. “And predictably boring.”

“Would you use it for evil purposes?” I asked him.

“Evil is relative.”

“That’s a convenient attitude taken by people who do bad things.”