Chapter 7
Violet insisted on following the Augusts to find out what she could.
She also insisted on going alone; it wasn’t the time or place for Kade to accompany her, and he agreed.
He jumped into his BMW and headed over to the Murphys.
Violet was also right about keeping those boundaries solid.
He needed to recognize the illusion for what it was, because his body still vibrated from the chemistry of their kiss.
He had been with beautiful, sensual women before, been entirely attracted to them, then said good-bye, it’s been nice, and gone on with little more than a fond memory.
Violet had him upside down in a way he’d never experienced, and that was dangerous for many reasons.
He shifted the car into high gear as he tore down the two-lane road and called Mia.
“Hey, do me a favor. Pull up Dan Murphy’s records and see if his family has reported his death yet.”
“Sure, hold on.” A minute passed before she returned. “Nope.”
Damn, that would make it harder if he couldn’t visit under the guise of following up on the report. “All right, thanks.”
He drove past a huge field of flowering shrubs, all in neat rows, ready to be dug up, potted, and sold to nurseries.
He had to hand it to the Fringers; at least a handful of people in any given family worked hard to keep their businesses afloat.
The troublemakers gave them all a bad rap.
Unfortunately, there were a bunch of them.
Kade hadn’t had reason to come to the Fringe in years. The Murphys weren’t a family he had any direct history with, though they still wouldn’t welcome him.
As soon as he pulled up to the two-story main house, three people stepped out onto the front porch. Suspicion dripped from their expressions. Kade got out of the car and raised his arm, showing them the V symbol on his dagger. Their suspicion didn’t lessen but their fighting stance did.
“My name’s Kade Kavanaugh. I’ve got a couple of questions, and then I’ll be on my way.”
That softened their expressions a bit…the part about leaving shortly, anyway.
The older man approached after gesturing for what was probably his offspring to remain on the porch. “I’m Bob Murphy, head of this clan. What do you want to know?”
“There’s been a lot of dying going on in the Fringe. I’m not here to accuse you,” Kade added as the man’s face shuttered. “The Guard keeps an eye on irregular activity, and six murders in ten days is damned irregular. I understand you lost one of yours.”
Bob glanced away, stroking his long, trimmed beard. “My son, Danny. Sons of bitches came right onto our property and killed him, sucked away his power. Ain’t right.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Kade said, the trite and mostly meaningless phrase they were taught to say in these circumstances.
Well, he was already tossing out the rules.
“That ain’t right at all,” he said, pulling in the accent.
“Trespassing, killing without cause. I’ll bet you didn’t put up with that for one second, did you? I sure as hell wouldn’t have.”
The man furrowed his brow in surprise.
Kade shook his head. “I know, I’m supposed to say how killing another Crescent is wrong, even out of revenge, but I get it, things work differently here.
Frankly, I don’t care about the revenge part.
The Castanega bastard got what he deserved, you ask me.
If he was the one who did it. And no, I’m not trying to get you to confess.
” He lifted his shirt to show he wasn’t wired.
“Someone’s causing trouble down here. That’s the person or family I want.
I’d appreciate you sharing what evidence you found so I know who to go after. ”
The man considered Kade’s request, then nodded.
“The Castanegas are the ones you want. I found one of their alligator foot key rings they sell at their tourist trap. I know it came from their shop ‘cause it has a little metal disk on the bottom with a C on it. Whoever done it left it right there, a few feet from Danny’s body. Like he was showing off. Or taunting us.”
Kade leaned against the car, effecting a casual pose, but he kept an eye on the man’s sons. They appeared to be about to cause some trouble of their own…in his direction.
Bob followed Kade’s gaze, and whatever look he gave them stopped their advance. To Kade he said, “They’ve been downright itchy to fight lately.”
“You think it’s the solar storm?”
“Could be, I suppose. My wife’s been taking two naps a day, and that ain’t like her. Seems to tire some out, and fire some up.”
Kade nodded toward the key ring. “How do you know a Castanega left it? Anyone could have bought one.”
“Fringers don’t buy that kind of crap. And a tourist sure as hell isn’t going to come onto my property. You saw all the signs warning people off.”
Indeed he had. Only a foolhardy Mundane would continue down that road. “What about someone leaving it there as a setup?”
The old man shook his head. “That’s not how it works ‘round here. Usually it’s a fight that grows into something bigger. I heard Jessup at Ernie’s, oh, ‘bout a month ago, saying how things are boring in the Fringe nowadays. That idjit is always spoiling for a fight.”
Kade nodded. “Jessup’s a pistol.” He’d never had reason to arrest him, but Jessup was always eager to jump in and defend Arlo. “Would he be that arrogant, that desperate for action, to start a feud?”
“Maybe. And I expect he’ll be coming for a visit now that Arlo’s dead.” He cracked his knuckles, and his eyes flared. “And we’ll be ready.”
Yeah, they were all spoiling for action. And now, blood.
“What about Violet?”
“She used to be as feisty as the rest of ‘em, but I haven’t seen her much in recent years. She don’t hang out at Ernie’s, don’t get into trouble.
Hell, the last time I saw her in a skirmish was at the Swamp Festival, what, sixteen years ago.
The Garza girl—Pilar—let out one of those ear-piercing whistles right in the middle of Violet’s bout with a ten-foot gator, distracting her enough that the gator turned and nearly tore her arm off.
Pilar done it on purpose ‘cause she wanted the title and Violet had won four years running. Violet had control, I give her that. She went after Pilar, bloody arm and all, but she didn’t Catalyze in front of the tourists who come for the festival.
Pilar was banned from the competition forever. ”
That version of Violet was closer to the one who’d attacked him years ago, though he wouldn’t have blamed her for going beastie on the Garza bitch.
“Violet’s a good woman,” Bob said. “Too bad she’s a Castanega.”
Violet was right about the prejudice she faced, even in the Fringe. He felt bad for her. “Why are they so bad?”
“They’re troublemakers. Raucous.”
“Sounds like everyone in the Fringe. What makes them worse?”
He gave an exaggerated shrug. “I think what makes them so reprehensible is they’re the richest clan besides the Stramaglias.”
Ah, now he was getting somewhere. Only it wasn’t the place he needed to be. “During the violent times in the history of the Fringe, was it normal for someone to creep onto another family’s land and kill the first person they come upon? And leave a calling card?”
The man scratched his beard. “Not really.”
Kade pushed away from the car and held out a hand. The man eyed it for a moment before taking it. “Thank you,” Kade said. “I meant what I said about being sorry. No one should have to die that way. I’m going to find out what the devil is going on around here and stop it.”
Kade headed back to Ernie’s, but there were people hanging out in the parking lot. He recognized a man he had arrested not too long ago, which meant the guy might recognize Kade too. He returned to Castanega land, hid his car, and trekked back to Violet’s house.
She hadn’t returned yet. Not wanting to be out in the open, he went into her workshop.
She kept everything clean and organized, bins of gems neatly labeled and stacked on shelves.
Several pieces sat on the worktable, mid-completion.
Amethysts and topazes adorned a necklace that reminded him of a collar, big and bold.
It sat next to a sketch she’d drawn up with lots of flourishes.
Another piece was delicate, a spray of opal flower petals and emerald leaves.
Off to the side, a whole stack of sketches awaited their turn to be made into jewelry.
There was too much…Violet in here. Her dreams and passions, and even her dog, who got to his feet and ambled over with a wagging tail.
Kade scratched the mutt’s head, remembering how Violet had buried her face in the folds of fur.
Cats detested Dragons, something about their energy being feline and yet not.
It seemed to throw them off. Other animals didn’t mind, obviously.
“You’re a good friend,” he whispered, then checked the window before stepping out into the muggy air.
The presence of another being prickled through him.
He froze, searching. A Fire Elemental sat high in one of the cypress trees like a dark red monkey.
It watched with its big eyes, making no move to alert anyone.
The Fires often hung around Dragons, and though they weren’t pets, they sometimes had a loyalty to their Crescents.
Something hit him, sending him crashing to the ground.
He spun quickly, dislodging his assailant and leaping in the opposite direction.
His dagger filled his hand as he rolled into the motion and landed on his feet, facing a Sapphire Dragon.
It unleashed a blue ice-cold plume. Kade deflected the cloud with his magick and felt only the frigid outer edge.
The blue Dragon’s black facial markings stretched along his temples and to the back of his smooth, sleek head.
Male, by its energy, the only way to tell a Dragon’s gender in most cases.
Kade held out his dagger in a way that showed his Guard designation. “Stand down.”