“Anita, this is insane. You brought Onyx and Cole here to help us.” Martha's voice sounded reasonable, but Anita was having none of it.
“I didn't bring them anywhere. Kipp did.” She flung a furious finger in Kipp's direction.
Kipp threw up his hands. “This isn't helping, Anita. Let's get back to the shooting. Was it just to cover up the delivery of the scarf? Are the two things even related? Are we sure the scarf wasn't there earlier?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa slow down, buddy.” Oscar stood up. “The only question we need to ask is where’s Molly?”
Onyx thought finding who was responsible for flinging bullets at them was pretty damn important too. Immediately, guilt washed through her. She was fine and unhurt. No one knew Molly's whereabouts.
Cole had been silent up until this point. “Everyone needs to calm down. Oscar's right. Finding Molly is the only thing that matters right now. We'll deal with the shooting when we get her back. Most likely, the two things are related. Was there a note with the scarf?”
“Yes. It said to turn ourselves in to Rock Arms Point at midnight.” Anita stopped and aimed a deadly stare at them. “What a coincidence that it's right outside Catcall Falls.” Rock Arms Point was about an hour southwest of their current location. Anita was right. It was maybe only another thirty minutes to the tiny town Onyx had called home her whole life.
She has a point, Cole. What if someone from my clowder took her?
They could be trying to lure you out, but how could they possibly know where you are, and who you're with?
Onyx shifted her gaze to Anita. I can think of a way.
Cole subtly inclined his head in agreement. Onyx found their telepathic exchange exhausting. She wasn't used to communicating this way while in her human form. Keeping her face neutral so no one would pick up on the telepathic bond developing between them wasn't easy.
“They were the ones outside. Neither of them were seriously injured.” Anita had continued her tirade while Cole and Onyx were communicating.
“Are you accusing me of working with the Elders or hurting Molly? For God's sake, a bullet missed my face by a fucking millimeter.” Onyx was furious! She couldn't believe the nerve of Anita. All of them knew what she had gone through. Over the last few days, she thought they had bonded over their individual struggles to break free from their packs, but now they were at one another's throats.
“Why not? It makes as much sense as anything else.”
“Can I see the note?” Cole asked, stretching one hand out toward Anita.
In an odd move, Anita backed away even though Cole wasn't near touching her. “It frightened me, so I burned it.”
“What?” Deacon's voice echoed the disbelief they were all feeling.
“Anita, why would you do that?” Kipp sounded hurt.
“I panicked, okay? I didn't know if it was poisoned or something.”
What a weak pack of bullshit. However, things were too delicate for her to call Anita out, so she kept her mouth shut. Cole seemed to be on the same page.
Our problem is, there are at least three clowders on the hunt for everyone in this house.
Cole nodded just a bit to indicate he heard her. There is also some sort of hierarchy at work that may have taken over the search for you guys.
Kipp waved his hand at Onyx and Cole. Apparently he'd been trying to get their attention for a while. Onyx moved away from Cole ever so slightly so she wouldn't be tempted to keep communicating with him telepathically.
“Cole, Onyx told me you magically tracked her when she was kidnapped. Can you do that for Molly?”
All eyes were on Cole now. He bowed his head. Heat bloomed across Onyx's cheeks. She knew what he was going to say next, and she was mortified.
Finally, he shook his head and looked at the group. “I can't. It can only be someone close to me.”
“Well, you've spent time with Molly these last few days, can't you at least try?” Oscar sounded close to begging.
Cole shut his eyes. “I can only track someone that I have been...that I have an intimate relationship with. I'm sorry,” he said softly.
No one spoke. Onyx looked down at her hands. Another idea occurred to her, but she wanted to wait until she thought about it more, and they were alone.
“We need to think up a plan for tonight,” Kipp said, breaking the tension.
“Are you nuts? We can't turn ourselves in!” Anita all but shrieked.
“We can't let them hurt Molly!” Martha's normal calm vanished as she was on her feet shouting now.
“Molly is probably dead. We will be too if we do this.” The grim smile on Anita's face was out of place in this conversation.
The suggestion of Molly's demise was too much for Martha. She dissolved into tears and sunk back onto the couch into Deacon's waiting arms.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Deacon hissed.
Kipp went over to Martha and put a friendly hand on her shoulder. “I'm sure she's okay. We'll bring her back.” Kipp turned and glared at Anita. For her part, Anita gave a negligent shrug and sat down.
“You guys don't want to listen to me, fine. The Elders have probably sought help outside each clowder by now. They've most likely called in enforcers to find us. You don't understand what they are capable of. They're not just domestics. They'll bring bigger cats.”
Onyx was shocked. She opened her mouth a few times before she could speak. “But...Ivan seemed to think other shifters pretty much ignored the domestics.”
“I'm talking about rogues for hire. Unofficial.”
Deacon nodded. “I've met them before. Well two, a weretiger and werepanther. Scary as fuck.”
And the shocks just kept coming. “Why didn't you ever mention it before?” Onyx asked.
“None of us had gone missing. I didn't think we were important enough to send enforcers after.”
“Lions, tigers, bears, oh my,” Martha whispered.
“Don't get me started on the bears, and lion-shifters are almost nonexistent,” Deacon added.
Onyx shook her head. That was just too much information to take in at once. Besides, she had another thought. One she hated to bring up, but still very important. Talk of rogues for hire had gotten her thinking. “Why don't we see if Ivan will go with us? He seemed to like Molly. Maybe if he knows what's going on, he'll help us.”
Oscar's jaw clenched so tight she feared it might break, but then he nodded. “Yeah, an enforcer of our own and a sorcerer. That would sure even the odds up for us.”
Cole squeezed her hand. Good thinking.
After surveying the group, Cole stood up. “We need a plan if we're going in there.”
Martha sat up and wiped her eyes. “Of course, we're going.”
“Damn right,” Oscar added.
Deacon gripped Martha's hand firmly and nodded.
Kipp turned to face them. “I'm all ears, Cole.”
Chapter Fourteen
“This is a mistake,” Onyx hissed at Cole.
“I know. Something's not right. I doubt Molly's anywhere near here.”
They were hunkered down in the thick brush surrounding the park, waiting for someone to show. Ivan only had to hear that Molly was missing, and he wanted in on their little mission. Right this minute, he patrolled the area in Lynx form. He would be their back up if things got nasty.
Deacon, Martha, and Kipp were stationed behind a small clump of boulders waiting for a signal. They'd been waiting for hours, hoping to arrive before anyone else came and set a trap for them. Cole had spent the first hour walking the perimeter, placing wards to alert them to any threatening presence. Nothing had happened. They were now an hour past the designated time, and no one had been spotted so far.
The plan was once Cole got the tip-off someone had arrived, he would magically zap the bad guys. The others would grab Molly, and get out of there as fast as possible. Cole could heal her on the way. They left Anita waiting in a nearby car. Onyx wasn't entirely sure Anita wasn't going
to use the opportunity to run one of them over.
I don't trust Anita.
Cole snorted. “What an understatement. She's a real piece of work.”
Onyx looked down at her feet. The night was hot, but she was still stuffed into a pair of work boots and long pants. No way would you go out unprotected in the woods in the summer. Snakes. She shivered at the thought of them.
“There are no snakes, Onyx,” he whispered.
Onyx turned and stared at Cole. Even in her human form she had excellent night vision. They weren't touching. His ability to read her mind was growing. Cole reached out and took her hand. His warmth soothed her. We’ll find Molly.
God, she hoped so. She'd only known Molly a short time, but she liked the little werecat an awful lot. Plus, she knew what her people were capable of, and she had the suspicion the leaders of Molly's clowder were just as vicious when they didn't get their way. What looked like tiny fireflies lit up in the area to their left. Cole squeezed her hand. The wards were working.
Stay put, I am going to circle around, and see who just joined us. He jerked his head in the direction of the parking lot. Cole let go of her hand and rubbed her back in slow, reassuring circles. I'll be right back. He straightened up and crept away from their hiding spot.
Cole melted into the night and Onyx was left alone. She shook her head.
Cole! He must have moved out of range. He wasn't answering. Onyx crouched down into the grass, praying her black clothing blended into the dark as well as she thought it did. The loud thumping in her chest must be audible to every shifter within a two mile radius.
“I'm telling you they're not here.”
Onyx's mind screamed. She knew that voice! Wilson Edmunds! Dammit. Where had he come from?
“That silly Holiday girl said she'd be here.”
Onyx knew that voice, as well. Marie. She hissed. Damn Anita! She'd sold her out to the Edmunds. What a bitch.
“I'm going to be the one to slit her fucking throat when we find her.” That was Wilson again. Onyx shivered all over. He was definitely talking about her. Were the others in on it too, she wondered? Kipp?
“We need to bring her in alive,” Marie hissed.
“Fine, well that fucking wizard is getting gutted. Damn, fucking magic-makers aren't supposed to be messing with our kind. We could have nabbed her a hell of a lot sooner if he hadn't been shielding her. Who knows what unholy shitstorm they will unleash?”
“You can thank Jade for filling her daughter's head with nonsense her whole life.”
“Glad we took care of her. Max never shoulda married someone outside the clan.”
Onyx's blood boiled at the casual mention of her parents' deaths. Even though she had known they were responsible, somehow hearing it made it so much worse. She crouched lower trying to sense where the Edmunds were.
Wilson was still prattling on. “Fucking panthers...million excuses...can't get in the house because it's magically protected. Can't get off a good shot. God damn, I gotta do everything myself. They're useless! You wait until I get a hold of that no good son of—”
“Shh! I think someone's coming,” Marie snapped.
She bit her bottom lip. Where was Cole? He might be powerful, but he was still in danger. Anita had been right after all. The shooting had been Onyx's fault. It was her people trying to eliminate Cole so they could grab her. Guilt slammed into her chest, stealing her breath. Molly's abduction was probably her fault too. Well, and that bitch Anita for ratting her out. The Edmunds' footsteps were moving away from her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Staying in this spot left her feeling much too vulnerable, and her legs were starting to cramp, but she was too scared to move. Besides, what if Cole came back, and she wasn't here? She willed herself to stay as motionless as possible. Where was Cole?
This whole thing stank. Cole wasn't sure if it was just Anita or if the whole group was in on it. They could be on a fool's errand. Molly might not be in danger at all. Molly might be dead. He circled around to where the others were waiting. Martha jumped when he approached.
“Someone just arrived. Have you seen anything yet?” he whispered.
She trembled all over. “No,” she mouthed back at him. Clearly, Martha was not in on it. She was terrified.
Deacon just looked angry. “I swear to God if they hurt Molly, they're going to die.” He hissed.
Kipp's face was tight. His lips clamped down in a fine line. Cole heard a car door slam, and he ducked down. He needed to get back to Onyx. Who knew how many people were going to show up. She'd be safe if she stayed put, but he knew better than anyone how much she enjoyed waiting around. He couldn't see Ivan out there in the shadows, but he sensed the bigger cat lurking.
“Can you tell who it is?” Martha whispered.
“No, I can't even see the car,” Kipp answered.
Cole didn't like this one bit. Satisfied these guys were on their side, he gestured with his hands that he was going back to Onyx. They nodded.
Cole worked his way back to their hideout with silent, measured steps. He stopped and cursed when he spotted an older man creeping around. Onyx was indeed still in their hiding spot. He could just barely make out the outline of her body. The man also spotted her and was sneaking up behind her.
Oh, hell no!
Cole didn't need magic for this. With perfect stealth, he caught up to the man who he now realized was Wilson Edmunds. Just as he reached out to grab Onyx's hair and yank her off her feet, she gasped and spun around. An overpowering flash of rage exploded through Cole with a high level of intensity he hadn't felt in years. His hands connected with the older man, and he wrapped his arm around Wilson's neck. One sharp, deadly twist resulted in a satisfying crunch. Cole pushed him to the ground and reached for Onyx.
He came face-to-face with her horrified expression, and he hesitated for a moment. Then she dove into his arms, wrapping herself tight around him. Rage and grief swirled through Cole. He hated she had to see someone she had known her whole life dead at her feet. Killed by his hands, but he also gloried in the fact that a major threat to her safety had finally been eliminated.
“Cole, watch out!”
Onyx shrieked and ducked out of Cole's embrace. Marie screamed and came at them with an athame.
“What have you done?” Marie focused her rage on Cole. Even as Cole shouted at her not to, Onyx stepped between them. On pure instinct, she raised her arms. She only meant to protect what was hers. She felt a stirring deep in her core. A prickling power unlike any she had ever experienced flowed through her body. All the sounds around her became muffled until her breathing was the only thing roaring in her ears.
Any color in the dark night faded until Marie was all she saw. A wave of heat erupted in her belly, twisting upwards. Her arms shot up in front of her face hands outstretched. Without warning, waves of colorless energy exploded from her fingertips. Marie was sent flying backward. Her body slammed into a tree at the edge of the clearing and slid to the ground.
Stunned, Onyx stared down at her hands. “What the hell?”
Cole grabbed her hands and looked her over. “Are you okay?”
“I-I'm fine,” she stuttered. Onyx lifted her head, searching the dark, grassy grounds for Marie. What had she done? More importantly, how had she done it?
With tentative steps, she approached Marie's crumpled form.
“Nyx,” just the one syllable choked from Marie.
Onyx kicked the knife away from Marie and knelt down beside her.
“Why? Why did you kill my parents?”
A low, garbled moan escaped Marie's lips. One curled hand reached out to Onyx.
“Loved you like a daughter,” she croaked out.
Hot, quick tears rolled down Onyx's cheeks. She hated this woman for what she had done to her parents, her friends, even herself, but until last year Marie had been like a second mother to her. She had loved her. Now she was dying, and Onyx was somehow responsible. No matter how complicated her feelings were, it was
one more loss to grieve.
“I loved him. Did what he asked. Tell Denny I'm sorry.” After a few more wheezing breaths, Marie's hand dropped to the ground, and her eyes closed. Onyx buried her head in her hands and bawled. She'd lost so much in the past year. Her home, her parents, life as she knew it, but she'd also gained invaluable things. Strength. The knowledge that she was a survivor. She'd found friends, other shifters who understood what she was going through and could help her. After what had just happened, it was apparent she had also harnessed powerful magic.
She sensed Cole's presence at her back. Cole was her rock, her lover...her everything. One strong, warm hand dropped to her shoulder. Soothing coolness snaked its way through her body, chasing the remnants of energy away. She turned, and he helped her to her feet. Onyx buried her face in Cole's chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. The soft, cozy wool of his sweater was comforting against her cheek. He was safe. It didn't matter if some freaky power had invaded her body. He would protect her. Whatever it was, they would figure it out together. She pushed away from Cole and looked at her hands, turning them over. Her skin glowed pale in the weak moonlight. She wiggled her fingers. Nothing.
She raised her eyes to Cole's face. “What happened?”
Cole opened his mouth to speak then shook his head. He knew something, but he wasn't comfortable saying it here, that was clear. He took her hands in his and squeezed. That simple gesture let her know everything would be okay. Little by little, the sounds of the night entered her consciousness. They weren't out of danger yet. They were quite vulnerable alone out in the woods like this. Even if the threat of the Edmunds had been eliminated, it didn't mean an even greater threat wasn’t skulking around.
Another thought made her sick to her stomach. “My God, what am I going to tell Denny? I killed his mother.”
Cole hugged her tighter
The crackling of dry grass caught her attention, and Onyx whipped her head around, pulling free of Cole's embrace. They stood side-by-side, their bodies touching, but their hands free.