Zee slammed the car door shoot and stormed up the road.
“Hun, please calm down,” Marcus called after him.
“No. I am done waiting for him to come to his senses.”
Marcus grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.
“Zee, think about what you’re doing.”
He spun, and for a moment Zikabar was glaring at his husband. The calm reflected at him unsettled his anger a little, and his tone was calmer when he spoke. “I am thinking, love. Someone attacked the Bureau for that briefcase. What will they do to him if he ends up with it?”
Marcus took hold of his shoulders. “Then he will come and ask for our help.”
Zikabar shook his head. Marcus hadn’t been there, he hadn’t seen what had happened. “And what if he doesn’t get the chance? What if the people after the briefcase can…” He couldn’t say what he wanted. He didn’t want to love of his life to look at him like he was crazy. “You wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if we weren’t there for him.”
Marcus’ lips quirked in a smile, which didn’t last. “Zee,
Denton may not take well to your intrusion in his life.”
“He’ll understand.” He had to. He had answers. Zee was certain of it. He had to know about that indestructible briefcase he was chasing. Milton had told Zee how they had tried to burn it, cut it, force the locks open and they hadn’t made a mark on it. If Denton could explain that, he would be able to explain the rest. “He’s my best friend, he knows I’ll do any to keep him safe.”
Marcus sighed. “Even when he made it clear he wanted you to keep away. Just remember you’re intruding. He doesn’t owe you any explanation, even if you feel he does.”
Zee hardened his gaze. Denton certainly did owe him an explanation, and he was going to get it.
“Are you really willing to destroy your friendship over whatever is bothering you?” Marcus’ accused. Was he? “Damn it, I need to know.”
“Know what?”
“You’d think I’m crazy.”
“Hun, you married me. I’ve known you were crazy for years.”
Zee tried to keep his face stern, but he remembered how scared Marcus had been when Zee first approached him, and told him in no uncertain terms they would be dating. How Marcus had insisted he wasn’t good enough for the mule deer. It took Zikabar a full year to convince the red deer they were perfect for each other, and in the end Zikabar got what he wanted.
The smile trembled on Zee lips and he buried his face on his husband’s chest. The arms around him were a comfort against his own doubt. He couldn’t walk away, as much as he wanted. He had to know that what he saw was real, otherwise it meant he couldn’t trust what he saw, what he experienced.
“Let me asks Denton for an explanation first,” Zee said, pulling away. “If he can clarify things, I’ll be better able to tell you.”
Marcus nodded. “Are you sure he’s here?”
Zee looked at the horrible house. “Yes, he’s here.”
They walked up to the door, Zee went to the one on the right this time, and knocked.
The armadillo opened the door. Behind him, Zee saw Denton,
Martin Cormoran, two lions he’d seen at the crime scene, a familiar looking badger and a bovine, who after a moment realized was Denton’s sister. The body language was tense, except for the badger.
“Mister Rowling, I need to talk with Denton.”
The armadillo looked over his shoulder, but it was Denton who spoke.
“Come in Zee.” The cheetah’s expression was pensive now, and after a moment he smiled. Martin wasn’t pleased.
The mule deer side stepped the armadillo.
“How did you know I was here?” Denton asked.
“I tracked your phone.”
“No, you can’t. My phone’s GPS is caged.”
“You still need to use transmission towers. I used that to find the area you were in. When I saw your were in this area, it was obvious you’d be here.” He nodded to the cougar. “Mister
Cormoran.”
“Mister Malhotra,” he replied tightly.
“This is my husband, Special agent Marcus Bodenman
Malhotra.”
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet all of you,” Marcus said.
“I’m actually happy you showed up,” Denton said, before anyone else.
Zee kept himself from showing his surprise. He’d expected him to be unhappy, considering the tension he could still feel in the room.
“I need your help.”
“You know we’re always there for you,” Zee replied.
“Yeah, you might not say that by the time it’s all over, but I can promise you answers.”
“No,” the cougar said.
“There is one catch.”
“Denton, you can not.”
The cheetah ignored him. “You have to promise me that you’ll never talk about what you’ll learn with anyone not in this room. That goes for you too Tom.”
The badger smiled. “My lips are sealed.”
Zee knew the badger from somewhere. “You have my word.”
“And mine,” Marcus added.
“Good.” Denton turned to face the cougar.
Martin Cormoran’s expression was one of disbelief. “You can’t tell them.”
“I can. I need people to help me. You have your friends around the city, I need my own people.”
“You have us,” one of the lion said.
“For how long?” The lion looked away. “We’re allies right now, but if there’s one thing these last few days have taught me, is that those shift.”
Zee wanted to ask what Denton was talking about, but his husband squeezed his arm and shook his head when Zee looked at him.
“We’d never work against you,” the other lion said.
“You already were.”
“We didn’t know it was yours.”
“You knew once you saw it.” Denton said, his tone neutral. “You told me that. Were you going to tell Santiago you weren’t opening it for him? Were you going to disobey your father, your elder, for me?”
Both lions looked at the floor.
“I’m not angry, I get that you have to do what he says. You’re my friends, but I have to be a realist here. I hope we can stay friend forever, but but it’s possible that’s we’ll be on opposite sides at some point. There’s a Society guy dead, killed by another one of us. I knew there were feuds, but I didn’t think murder was something we did. I need people I can depend on without having to worry about what their families will tell them to do.”
The room fell silent.
Martin didn’t look like the powerful man he had on his previous visit. Now he looked like the young man he was, uncertain and sad.
“Are you sure you can trust them?”
“I am.”
“Do you understand what can happen if one of them starts talking? You’re going to be held accountable. MY friends in the city, like you called them, they barely known anything about us.”
“But a few of them do know, don’t they? They can’t all be ignorant, the guys who found Shirley, they know about us, otherwise they’d be wondering why you had them searching.” The cougar nodded.
“Martin, how long is it going to be until someone decides that me being the last Stenton isn’t enough to keep them from unleashing their anger over everything my family’s done? What are you going to do if they convince your elder to their side?”
“Dad would never do that.”
“Are you going to be the elder after him?”
“No, I’m too young, it’s probably going to be one of my older cousins.”
“And how does he feel about me? He doesn’t know me. All he’s going to know is that I’m a Stenton, one of those who’s always nosing about other people’s businesses, digging for secrets, and doing God knows what with them.”
“He’s right,” the armadillo said, causing most to look at him. “Allegiances change.”
“Martin, I’m not doing this because I don’t trust you. I do. I owe you and your father a lot—”
“But you need to look after your family,” The cougar said.
“You’re the Stenton elder.”
“I wish I wasn’t.”
“We don’t control life.” Martin straightened. “Just tell me you do trust them, Denton.”
“With my life.”
And Zee remembered who he was. “I don’t think you should trust him.” He stared at the badger. “His name is William Small, he’s an enforcer for the Mulrony Family.”
The badger’s eyes went wide. “I think you have me confused with someone else. My name’s Tom Marrows.”
Zee frowned, that name was familiar.
“It doesn’t matter who he is, Zee.”
“Denton, that man is wanted for questioning in relation to half a dozen murders. I have to take him in.”
“No, Zee. You can’t talk about any of this to anyone.”
“He’s a criminal, Denton. You can’t expect me to simply let him be.”
“If it helps,” the badger said, “I have no problem with him taking me in.” His smile was far to self satisfied for Zikabar’s liking.
“No, Tom,” Denton stated. “Zee, you agreed to my terms. I can’t let you wriggle around to get your way, not this time. I need him in my corner. I need all of you, but I need to trust that you’ll follow my orders.”
Marcus leaned in and whispered to Zee, “Dissension among the ranks.”
Zee glanced to the cougar, who was studying them. Zee wasn’t in charge here, Denton was. He’d have to follow his lead, not be in the lead. Could he do that to get his answers? He didn’t think he could. But if he walked away, he’d leave his friend without his protection. That he found he couldn’t do.
Zikabar did something he wasn’t accustomed to doing. He swallowed his pride. “Alright.” When they were alone, he and Denton would talk.
Denton nodded.
Zee was surprise the cougar looked pleased.
“Okay,” Denton said. “Zee, Marcus, Tom, the first thing you guys need to know is that magic is real. It comes in different forms, and except for you three we all practice it.”
“Does that mean I can learn it?” Tom asked.
Zee went over what Denton said. Then found he had to sit down. “What form does it take?” he asked.
“We don’t have the time to go over all of that.”
“Can it be someone who’s in multiple places at once? Or can push you away without touching you?”
“I haven’t heard about the first one, but yes on the second.”
Zee found he breathed easier. He hadn’t imagined it. It had been real.
“Once this is over, you are going to prove what you’re saying, correct?” Marcus asked.
“You’re going to get proof before we’re done tonight. Are you two going to be okay?” “Yes,” Zee answered.
Marcus took a moment before acquiescing.
“Okay. We’re after a follower of the Green One. She kidnapped Luis Santiago, and she’s going to skin him tonight.” “You’re talking about the Skinner?” Marcus asked.
“Yes.”
“How do you know it’s a woman?”
Denton turned to his sister.
She didn’t look comfortable. “I’m not suppose to talk about this with any of you.”
“Denton’s men are already pledged to secrecy,” Martin said. “And I give you my word that none of us will breathe words of what you’ll say.”
“Magdee, We have to save Luis. If what you told me is right, we’re going to need everyone.”
She sighed. “Alright. I don’t know who she is, but I know she’s a woman because of the way she drew the ritual circle. Her affinity is with flora, and in that she’s very strong. I’ve had to deal with two of her straw men, and the way they were moving
I’m guessing she could make more.”
“What else can she do?” Zee asked, focusing on gaining pertinent information rather than on the questions running in his mind. What were straw men? What ritual was she talking about? Affinity with flora?
“I don’t know what her limits are. My guess is that if she’s in a forest she can do anything she wants with the plants there.”
“Do you know why she’s skinning her victims?” Marcus asked.
“No. I don’t know the ritual she’s using. I’ve recognized some of the symbols left after your people trampled over them, but I’ve never seen anything close to how they were placed. I think that she has to wait until the middle of the night.” “So we have until midnight to find her,” Martin said.
“No,” Colby said.
“Not quite,” Magdalene continued. “Tonight the middle of the night is going to be a little before midnight, but that’s if I’m right. I could be wrong and she might be killing him right now.”
“So time is of the essence,” Denton said.
“Do you know where he… she is?” Zee asked. “We’ve never been able to figure out how she goes about deciding where she’ll kill, other than in a large wooded area. We have many large parks she could be in any of them.”
“We don’t need to guess where she’s going.” Denton said.
“We’re going to be following Luis.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” Zee asked. As far as he knew they had no more idea with the victim was than the killer.
Denton smiled. “With magic.”
