Wicked Hungry

“They’re the nasty faeries, right?” I say.

“Not necessarily nasty,” Blaine says. “Definitely dangerous, though.”

I sniff the wind once, twice, and Enrique does the same. “Morgaine is here,” he says. “I think she’s in the house.”

Blaine sniffs too, and nods. “You have a good nose,” he says. “For a cat.”

The air is full of all kinds of strange, spicy odors and the cold clean smell of Morgaine. But where are Meredith and Carolina? Their scent trail is cold. They were here, I can smell that, but they’re long gone. Where are they now? My mind and senses go back to when Meredith kissed me just yesterday morning. Her scent fills my mind.

I sniff the wind again.

“She’s not here,” I say.

“Who?” asks Blaine, his eyes on the riders.

“Meredith. Or Carolina,” I say.

He nods. “Their trail grows cold.”

There is a low growl behind us. Enrique turns with a snarl and I growl out a challenge, but Blaine puts a hand on my shoulder.

“He’s of my clan,” Blaine says. “What’s the word, Rowan?”

Rowan is big and tall and very hairy. He shakes his head. “Carolina is gone. Taken, and the human girl with her.”

“The human girl?” I ask, my throat dry. Meredith.

“A girl around your age,” says Rowan.

“Who has taken them?”

“They were attacked by a group of zombies. And ‘rescued’ by a group of Seelie knights,” Rowan says. “There was no struggle, but I fear the worst. We were about to give chase when a demon came upon us, bounding up like some oversized dog.”

“Any losses?”

Rowan shakes his head. “It will take all night for Gavin and Arne to heal, but the demon really didn’t want to fight — it was headed for the gateway.”

“And the Seelie knights?” I ask.

“Their trail was cold by the time we were free of the demon.”

“Are your noses that weak?” asks Blaine.

Rowan shakes his head, sadly. “The demon and ghouls fouled everything. We have been searching, but cannot find the lost trail. It is befouled, or has gone cold.”

“And the Unseelie who surround my house?”

“They wish to talk to you, my lord. I do not fully understand their intentions.”

“Is the enemy of our enemy our friend?” Blaine asks.

“What are you guys talking about?” I ask, unable to shut up and listen any more. Meredith is out there, somewhere, even if I can’t smell her anymore. People don’t just vanish into thin air. I should have gone and found her hours ago. If anything happens to her, it will be all my fault.

“Dude,” Jonathan says. “Meredith is Stanley’s girlfriend. We can’t just sit around and talk. What can we do?”

“And Carolina is my daughter,” Blaine says. “But the Unseelie knights may know something about what has happened to them both.”

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” I ask.