Chapter 9
NINE
I’d set a few records over the last forty hours.
First, I’d somehow survived what should have been a fatal wound.
Second, someone had found me and patched me up, rather well based on the ingredients of the poultice I’d later dissected and the puckered healing skin under the bandages.
And third, I’d made it through the most awkward Uber ride of my life.
The poor guy had received a hefty tip and an apology.
In response, he gave me a wobbly smile and asked me to rate him five stars.
His eyes had looked a little dead inside, so maybe he’d seen worse than a barefoot girl screaming at him, “GO GO GO!” as she flew into the vehicle, grass flying over the car’s upholstery from her dirty feet.
One of the bloody towels had fallen out of my purse in the chaos, and while I’d hurriedly shoved it back inside, I’d noticed his eyes widen just a hair.
I would not be surprised if I had a visit from the police later. If I didn’t, I was hiring Hakeem for every single Uber ride I ever had to take. The poor guy deserved the work after that disaster.
Edmund had locked down the house the second I’d stepped inside, using security features I hadn’t even realized the house possessed. The windows had gone dark, reinforced steel slamming down on the other side of the glass, and all the lights had shut off.
Once I got Edmund to calm down, he’d turned the lights back on, but the steel stayed.
I sat in the kitchen inhaling a double-decker ham and cheese sandwich and a protein shake. Last night’s dumplings had long gone toward keeping me alive.
“From the top,” Edmund said. “Tell me everything one more time.”
I groaned. “I have no other details. Beckett must have followed me to the restaurant and decided to make his move when he caught me alone. Running into those other two supes was pure bad luck.”
I’d told him everything, leaving out the identifying details until I could get to the computer.
I kept off the Wi-Fi because Edmund was a master snoop, and I didn’t want him to know the identities of the mysterious vampire and shifter until I confirmed them myself.
My gut told me Alric and Silas were important.
A quick internet search should yield some info.
But first, I needed a shower and a new poultice.
Every muscle in my body ached from the mad dash down the road, and my feet were torn up from the hard ground and pavement.
I might be a green witch who liked being outside, but that didn’t mean I was used to running for my life, much less in bare feet.
“You need to report Beckett to the SCC. He shouldn’t be allowed around the general population.”
I rolled my eyes. The SCC stood for the Supernatural Care Commission and was, for all intents and purposes, a joke organization.
They were a figurehead organization controlled by the main supernatural species—vamps, shifters, and witches.
Everyone knew it, but everyone turned a blind eye because of the SCC’s deep pockets and ability to make people who became a nuisance disappear.
“I’d rather report him directly to the Prime. It’d be the fastest way to get him out of my hair.”
Edmund went silent. “Perhaps, but again, you don’t want to come to the attention of a powerful vampire, Alex. Beckett is bad enough. What if the Prime starts asking questions and sniffing around here? Staying under the radar is always the best course.”
I shrugged. “Right now, I’m more concerned with shaking Beckett loose so I can go back to work. I can hide my apothecary for a little while if need be. I’ve taken the proper measures in case of a contingency.”
“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
I chugged down the rest of my protein shake and stood up. “You little worrywart. I’ll send an anonymous complaint if that makes you feel better.”
“Some,” Edmund grumbled.
“Good. I’m going to shower and rest. Thanks for calling me a ride today. You were a lifesaver.”
“Yes, well.” Edmund sniffed. “I need someone here to get the Wi-Fi upgrade done.”
I laughed. “I’m sure that’s all it was.”
“Go clean yourself. You smell like a horse.”
I wiggled my fingers at him and hurried to the back.
Taking a shower was interesting considering half my body was covered in bandages.
I made do, washing the good half inside the shower and the injured half with a soapy washcloth.
Once I was in fresh clothing, I dried my hair, twisted it into a messy bun, and padded back into my bedroom, grabbing my laptop from the dresser on the way to bed.
What I really wanted to do was sleep for twenty-four hours and forget the last eighteen, but curiosity burned within me. Why were those two men fighting in the alley and why had they seemed so familiar with each other?
I plugged in my laptop to charge and pulled up the supe’s main internet browser—the Howler, as it was called.
The search engine was owned by the shifters, so I never searched anything concerning the apothecary unless I was using a VPN.
This search was bound to be so common it wouldn’t cause any red flags.
Hedgewitches had to keep their minds clean in order to do their work.
I chose not to partake in the news cycle, so I didn’t have to constantly do aura cleanses.
Working among the public was bad enough, but I was subjected to each person for such a short period of time that a quick sage smoke wash took care of the worst of the energies I soaked up during a normal working day.
Since I was more vulnerable to energy, I took care when it came to media I consumed and people I associated with.
I did, however, know the hierarchies of each group of supernaturals off by heart. Mom had made me learn about the structure of the three powerful families.
Witches had their Queen Mother, a powerful female witch who led all the witches in the entire country. Ours kept out of the public eye and few people had ever seen her in person.
Mom spoke of her fondly and said one day, if I was a very good girl, maybe I would get to meet her. Hurt burned within me at the memory. All those promises gone like a snap of the fingers. I grew up with hope and happiness, only for everything to turn to ash in a heartbeat.
I sighed and got up to make myself a cup of coffee. Maybe I’d add a little something extra to take the edge off.
When I made my way back to the room, a steaming cup of spiked coffee in my hand, I pulled my laptop closer and did a quick search for the Queen Mother. I’d seen a picture of her a long time ago, but I was an adult now and childhood memories often warped over the years.
I sucked in a breath at the image that popped up on my screen. The queen was stunning.
Geez. No wonder she didn’t often go out in public.
The latest picture of her was taken at a ball several years ago.
She wore a sparkling, strapless gown. Curly dark hair tumbled down her pale, bare shoulders.
Large green eyes almost glowed, highlighting the sharp angles of her heart-shaped face.
No smile tipped her lips, though everyone else had one on their faces.
She gazed at the camera almost somberly, as if her physical body was there but her mind was a thousand miles away.
Empathy rose unbidden inside me. What must it be like to have so much power you can rule unchallenged for as long as you wanted? Had she wanted this or was she forced into rule?
A few more taps of the keys revealed nothing. Stories about her were as elusive as the queen herself.
Uncomfortable for reasons I couldn’t explain, I clicked away from her picture and back onto the main search engine.
My focus today wasn’t on the Queen Mother. I needed to find out the identities of the shifter and vampire in the alley.
Shifters had a King who was always male and functioned similarly to the Queen Mother.
Vampires elected state Primes, and where the witches and shifters went for a variety of traits when electing their leaders, such as power, charisma, looks, and influence, vampires were more straightforward.
Each elected Prime was the most powerful vampire in their respective territories.
Their politics didn’t concern me and had never affected me, so I’d tuned everything out. Being oblivious wasn’t half bad, and when you cut out all the noise, life got better.
I typed in the names Alric and Silas along with the search term peace conference and hit enter.
A second later, my blood ran cold.
The first result was an article published yesterday and read: Alric Methinas, Vampire Prime, and Silas Ward, Shifter King, Meet Publicly for First Time at Blackclaw Hollow Peace Conference.
“Shit,” I whispered. “Shit. Shit.” A low moan escaped me. I’d literally run into both of them last night.
Right into their claws, in fact. If they knew I was alive and a witness to their meeting…
I stared at the screen blankly, nausea burning in my gut. I scrambled off my bed and barely made it to the toilet in time to empty my stomach.
“Oh gods,” I whispered. What was I going to do?
They’d left me to die. Silas seemed more concerned about me than Alric, but he’d still gotten up and left me bleeding out in the alley.
Fury quickly overwhelmed my fear. Those bastards left me to die in a dirty, cold alley! My fists clenched at my sides. I had something huge on them, and that made me dangerous.
If I ever ran into them, they would know who I was… well, maybe.
Hmm. The wolf had stabbed me first, then the vampire. I swallowed hard as memories assailed me. Blood everywhere, the pain I’d felt, their claws sinking into my skin. I shivered and tried to shove away that feeling of certain death. How had I survived?
And was surviving a good thing if those two realized I was still alive?
Witches were still wary of each other, even after the reunification efforts of their Queen Mother, but if they got wind that a Prime and the Shifter King had left one of their own to certain death, it might unite the witches in a way no one had seen in centuries.