Chapter 23
TIPPY
When I leave Vixenville I ride my scooter straight to the sheriff’s house.
Otis will be monitoring screens for feedback from Jax, and I desperately need to know what’s happening. Even if there’s no news yet, just being close to the action will soothe my nerves.
My heart is in my mouth as I knock at the door.
Sally Cane answers. A smile lights up her face, her tusks gleaming white either side of her mouth.
“Tippy! How lovely to see you.” She gives me a big hug.
I haven’t seen Sally for months. I visited her a few times in the care home, but she was so sad and monosyllabic, I was at a loss to know how to help.
But now she’s back to being the old Sally, the one who used to cook up a feast for every visitor to the sheriff’s house.
I came here often as a kid myself, playing with all the other multi-species younglings and being fed cookies and warm milk.
“Hi Sally, it’s so lovely to see you. Is Otis here?”
“Of course, my dear, he’s in his office. Go in and I’ll bring you some fresh gingerbread. It’s the only thing Clem feels like eating right now.”
“Oh.” I frown. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.” Sally smirks. “Just her appetite’s a bit off. And she’s taking a rest.”
I nod. I guess Clem is as worried about her brother as I am.
“I’ll bring you both a cup of tea shortly.”
I smile my thanks, then knock on the office door and when Otis rumbles, “Come in,” I enter.
“Hey, Tippy.” Otis swings around from the computer monitors and takes off his headphones.
“Any news?”
“Yeah. He’s placed devices in Devine Tower and he’s gotten into Marsha’s office.”
“Are you getting any feedback yet from the devices?”
“Not yet.” His face tightens slightly. “I’m having a little trouble getting the signals to read accurately on my system, but that’s fixable.
We’ll have the sound up and running in the next couple hours.
I’m getting the cape’s location from the rune readings.
According to Silas, the books are very active.
They’re communicating with the cape with no glitches at all. ”
“That’s a relief.” I manage a watery smile. “Where’s the next place Jax has to go?”
“DV Medical and Biotech on the other side of Sparkle.”
“Cool,” I say. I’m so not cool. I’m sweating with anxiety, and it seems to be getting worse as time goes on. “So is that Jax’s last stop?”
“Yes, if everything goes according to plan.” He glances at me and says quickly, “Which it will.”
“I just wish it was over.”
“Of course you do.” Otis glances at the screen again. There are graphs with lights that move up and down on them, but it means nothing to me.
There’s a sharp rap at the door.
“Come in,” Otis says.
I’m expecting to see Sally with a plate of newly baked gingerbreads, but instead in sashays my aunt, all jangling bangles and golden ear hoops. She’s followed closely by a big wolfman. Traggar.
I stifle a smile.
This is very interesting. Especially after my conversation with Mom earlier, and learning that my aunt has long had a connection to Traggar.
“Hey there.” Otis rises, hugs my aunt and claps Traggar on the back.
“We’re here for an update.” My aunt comes and strokes my shoulder lightly with a long, elegant claw. “How is your mom, darling?”
“She’s well. We talked about Jax. It went… okay.”
“Excellent.”
“And I think I’ve healed her knee.”
“Ah, that arthritis has really been plaguing her. Well done.”
“Hello Tippy,” Traggar says, smiling warmly. He pulls a chair up for my aunt and she sinks gracefully into it, rearranging her silk skirt. Traggar moves to look at the screens, hands on hips.
“What’s all this?”
“This graph is mapping what’s going on in Sparkle,” Otis explains.
Auntie leans forward, squinting at the lit-up screen. “It makes no sense to me. What’s it telling you?”
“So far, it’s all going to plan,” Otis says.
“I know where the cape is. There’s a small transmission problem somewhere along the wiring that’s affecting sound.
It’ll take me an hour or so to work through it, then we’ll be able to hear every conversation those bastards have, and we’ll know what they’re up to. ”
“When I read my tea leaves this morning it was clear that a seismic change is about to take place,” Aunt Felicia says.
Otis looks at her dubiously. He is definitely not a tea leaf-reading kind of guy, but he’s too polite to say so.
My aunt looks at Traggar, as if for support. “Traggar, you’ve picked it up too?”
“Yes, I’ve sensed for weeks that the white magic is gathering pace. That it’s almost time for it to break free of the shackles that have bound it.” There’s confidence in his tone, and I want so badly to believe him when he says, “Who knows, that time could even be today.”