Chapter 7 #2
“I hope this threat doesn’t last forever. I want to be able to relax in my own home.”
That was Kizzy talking. He wondered where her real home was.
Dante had picked her up for the basketball game at a house in Brookline, someplace he described as a big brick house.
Perhaps she had an apartment in someone else’s home.
It struck him as odd that he didn’t know, but he’d have to let it go—for now.
He wanted answers about this threat first.
“And I hope I don’t have to stay more than a day or two. My dear fiancé can’t boil water. He’ll miss my cooking.”
Kizzy chuckled. “I’m sure Gordon would miss you for more than that.”
“Oh yeah. I’ll miss him for that too.”
They laughed.
The traffic finally moved again. They made their way through Kenmore Square, heading toward Brookline. He imagined that being the daughter of a doctor, she may have grown up in one of the pricey mansions on the elite side of town. A big brick mansion.
Finally, just over the Boston-Brookline town line, they headed down a tree-lined side street with beautiful old homes.
Some brick, some stone, all traditional.
None were palatial or on acres of property.
Pulling into the driveway of a modest brick colonial with pristine landscaping, they shut off the engine and got out.
It was a home—probably three or four bedrooms, in contrast with some of the huge mansions he’d seen farther from the city.
Instead of going to the front door, they walked down the driveway and entered a side door. There was some kind of panel beside the door, and Kizzy poked a few buttons. Probably an alarm or keyless entry—or both.
After checking the perimeter, Noah perched in a tree overlooking the back porch. He hoped they’d take advantage of the beautiful weather and sit outside so he could eavesdrop some more. He wanted more information about this threat.
Almost as helpful, the kitchen window was open about halfway, and they gathered there. A man joined them with a hearty greeting.
“How are my girls?”
Unless he was Charlie and they were Charlie’s Angels, he guessed the guy must be their father.
“Hi, Daddy,” Ruth said.
“Kizzy? Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Just a little preoccupied.”
“I hope you’re not still mooning over that firefighter. Did you break up with him like I told you to?”
A moment later, the sound of a car stopping out front drew his attention, but he wasn’t moving from his spot until he heard what she had to say.
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean, not exactly?”
“I told him I had a family situation and that I wouldn’t be available for a while.”
Sounding frustrated, Kizzy’s father said, “I told you a firefighter is not a good choice.” Then after blowing out a deep breath, he added, “At least you put him off. That way, you can let him down easy.”
“What if I don’t want to let him down?”
Silence followed, and Noah tried to picture what his old man’s face would look like when one of his brothers defied “orders.” Ugh. Not good.
“Speaking of the real threat here,” Ruth interjected, “they’re still in the area, but our wards and shields are holding them off.”
“Can you detect their presence when you’re inside the wards, Ruth?” their father asked.
“No, I can’t. The wards are strong enough to shield us from them, but they could be at the front door this minute and I wouldn’t know it.”
Noah flitted to the roof where he could still hear the people inside and peeked over the top of the house to see what was going on out front.
“I’m thankful for the wards doing their jobs, but I’m a little nervous about your being here, since they’re shielding your power,” the elder Dr. Samuels said.
“I’ve been thinking of your safety and the safety of the book while I’m at work, and I’m seriously considering hiring a bodyguard for both of you. ”
“A what? How in the world is that not going to attract attention?” Kizzy asked.
“I thought about that too, of course. You can each take a leave of absence. Ruth, since you’re more psychic and can sense danger approaching, you can go home, but you need to stay put. You’ll also know if someone is poking around, and maybe you can call and tell us where they are.”
Noah spied two men getting out of a white sedan. They were eyeing the home but not walking up to the door. What could they want?
“And me?” Kizzy asked.
“You’ll stay here. I need you to protect the book. I’ve heard of a shifter PI I’d like to hire to protect you, just in case.”
“A private investigator? I thought you said I needed a bodyguard?”
“Ah! Here’s the genius of my plan. The guy is a wolf shifter. Now hear me out. This is a bit unorthodox, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“A werewolf! How desperate are we?”
“You can fake temporary blindness, and if you have to go anywhere, he can be your seeing-eye dog.”
“Dad! Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m not. Kizzy, he comes highly recommended. He used to be a Boston PD cop. At the same time, if anything raises red flags, he can investigate. And, if absolutely necessary, he can rip the schnitzel out of an assailant.”
Noah had one eye on the guys out front, but they didn’t look very threatening.
What assailant would require a werewolf for protection?
He took a closer measure of the men strolling up and down the sidewalk, gazing at the house.
And did Dr. Samuels mention a shifter? That meant he knew of such things.
Ruth laughed. “A seeing-eye wolf. Who’d believe that?”
“He isn’t an arctic wolf with a thick coat. He could pass for some kind of German Shepherd mix. His name is Nick Wolfensen, and he’ll be over later to meet you.”
“So, I guess this is a done deal,” Kizzy said.
“Not yet. I’ll let you meet him first, but if you don’t want me to stick to your side like glue all day, you’ll give him a chance. Any questions?”
“Would it matter if I don’t want any part of this?”
“And do what? Just go on vacation and leave us here to fend for ourselves?”
Kizzy let out a long sigh. “No. Of course not.”
“Then I would ask you to keep an open mind.”
The conversation ended when Ruth decided to head home. When the side door opened, the two unidentified guys jogged back to their car and got in. They pulled away from the curb and headed down the street before Ruth backed out of the driveway.
* * *
Dante and Mallory walked hand in hand down Charles Street, admiring the old Beacon Hill neighborhood. They glanced up when they saw a teapot hanging from a sign. There was even steam coming out of it. That in itself seemed paranormal.
“We’re meeting the wizard here?”
“Yeah. Shhhh…” Dante glanced at the people up and down the sidewalk, but no one seemed to pay them any notice. He opened the door for her, and Mallory walked in hesitantly.
Once inside, she whispered, “I don’t see a big curtain hiding a bald guy and lots of levers. How will we know who he is?”
A guy with close-cropped black hair approached them.
“I think he’s finding us.”
The man stuck out his right hand and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Kurt. You’re the ones who called me.”
It wasn’t a question. He obviously knew who they were. How he knew was anyone’s guess. Hopefully he was just a very good wizard. That’s what she needed right now.
Dante shook his hand. “I’m Dante Fierro. Nice to meet you, Kurt. And this is my girlfriend, Mallory. She’s the one who needs your help.”
Kurt stepped back as soon as he looked at her eyes. “Oh shit,” he muttered.
Mallory hoped he was struck by her beauty and not some gross aura all over her, but she guessed it was the latter. Could he see her curse?
“What’s wrong?” Dante asked.
Kurt folded his arms. “I think we’d better go somewhere private to discuss this. The owner is a good friend of mine and said he’d let us use the unoccupied apartment upstairs. Follow me.”
He led them back outside to a separate entrance, unlocked it, and they traipsed up to a second-floor landing where he unlocked another door. He preceded them inside and held the door as they entered the sparsely furnished living room.
As soon as he locked the door behind them, Mallory asked, “What did you see?” She couldn’t wait until they sat down and got comfortable.
“I’m not sure yet. Something… Have a seat. I have a few supplies in the kitchen to get.”
She and Dante sat on the gray L-shaped couch. She took his hand.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be all right.” He squeezed her hand and smiled.
Of course he would try to reassure her, no matter what was wrong, but that wasn’t exactly what she needed right now. She needed the truth. She hoped the wizard would give her answers.
Kurt returned with a couple of glasses of water and set them on the coffee table on top of coasters. Wait a minute. Had those coasters been there a moment ago?
Crap. I’m having a Twilight Zone moment.
While Kurt returned to the kitchen, Dante put his arm around her shoulder and rubbed her upper arm soothingly. “Are you as nervous as you seem?”
“Probably. As long as I seem like I’m barely held together with Scotch tape.”
Dante gave her a side squeeze. “Don’t worry. We’ll turn that Scotch tape into duct tape. You’ll be okay.”
She couldn’t help chuckling. She might settle for the secure feeling of being duct-taped together right now.
Kurt returned with a bowl and a duffel bag. He set the bowl on the coffee table in front of himself. It appeared to contain plain water.
“What’s all the water for?” Dante asked.
Kurt looked up. “Well, this”—he pointed to the bowl—“is for scrying. The two glasses are for you to drink. I’d offer you a glass of wine or a soda, but there’s nothing in the fridge.”
Mallory wasn’t sure if she should drink the water. Could she trust the wizard?
Dante picked up his glass and took a sip. She waited a few beats and when he didn’t choke or keel over, she figured it was just regular old water. Okay, Mallory. Your imagination is running away with you.