Chapter 97

Chapter 97


The next morning, I woke up still in my jeans and sweatshirt I had worn all day yesterday. While moving and then my time in the woods. Ew. I peeled the clothes off and tossed them into the closet. As I walked naked to the shower, I really hoped VD had told the truth about all the cameras being gone.  Otherwise, I might be giving someone quite the free show. I hurried to the bathroom.

I stood under the steaming hot water for a while. Just letting the hot water beat onto my sore muscles. Yesterday had been a hard day. Physically and emotionally. I let the water cleanse and soothe me. Eventually, I washed my hair. Sometime later when the ginormous water heater finally started to run cool, I climbed out of the shower.

In front of the mirror, I decided to again fore go warpaint. The movers were supposed to be here today. I should get a stall in the barn ready for my stuff. No need to get gussied up for that. Then I could go through it at my leisure. Decide what to keep and what to donate or toss. I don’t even remember what was in the boxes in the garage.

Wrapped in a towel, I went to my room. The demon in feline form was waiting in my room. She was snuggled in the warm spot where I had been lying. Sticking my tongue out at her, I went into the closet. Mentally crossing my fingers that clothes would magically have appeared in there.

For once my prayers were answered. My luggage that had been in Betty’s back seat was now in my closet. I assumed VD had put them there yesterday after I stormed off. He and I still need to have a conversation about everything that happened yesterday.

Happily, I pulled on clean clothes that fit. I took a few minutes to hang them up on all the empty hangers that had been left in there. I put my unmentionables in the dresser. As I was slipping on my house shoes the demon decided I had taken too long. She started circling me and fussing.

“Fine. Let’s go!” I pointed at the door. The beast ran out. Dude, did she understand me? I don’t recall seeing that in the handbook. Shrugging, I went down the servant stairs to the kitchen. The demon had beaten me there and was crying at the fridge.

Oh. That’s what she wanted. Rolling my eyes, I opened the fridge to get the container that held her venison. It was almost gone. I’d have to find out where to get more or she might start nibbling on me. Cat now dealt with; I popped in a coffee pod. Then moved to the freezer to find a breakfast sandwich.

The back door clicked as the lock turned. Closing the freezer, I opened the fridge to get out some creamer. VD sauntered in carrying bags of food. Why couldn’t cops have been this useful all my life?

“What’d ya bring me?” I asked as I moved to the coffee pot.

“Doughnuts from the fuel up.” I rolled my eyes. The bags were giving off the distinct smell of sausage so I didn’t believe him for a second. Besides, they bore the logo from Norma’s Diner on them. Chuckling, he pulled out containers of biscuits and gravy with sausage.

Smiling sleepily, I handed him the coffee cup with the undoctored coffee in it. He thanked me as he took it from me.  I popped in another pod for me.  

“Do you have an ETA for the movers yet?” I asked as I watched the coffee pour into my cup.

“They will be here by noon.” I nodded to indicate that I heard him. “Do you know what you are going to do with all your stuff yet?”

“I’m thinking there are lots of empty stalls in the barn.” I poured creamer into my cup. He nodded.

We sat down to eat breakfast and drink our coffee. As the caffeine started to work its way through my system, my brain started to kick in. I remembered a few questions I still had for him.

“What kind of elemental can throw lightning bolts?” I asked while I used a biscuit to wipe up the gravy that had overflowed it. He took an uncomfortable breath.

“Technically, water or air can conjure it.” He wasn’t looking at me. Why wasn’t he looking at me? Could it be because he just told me I can conjure lightning bolts?

“Are you telling me, I can play Zeus?” Oh, I was excited. What better way to defend myself! So much better than watering the yard!

“No. You didn’t get that ability. You are a water sprite. You can manipulate water in all forms. To make lightning, you would need water with a touch of air. Your pure water.” He shook his head.

“So only a combo can do lightning?” He nodded at my analogy. “Do you know who in town can make it?”

He gave me a knowing look out of the corner of his eye. “You’re trying to figure out who attacked you in the park.”

I nodded. ‘If we can get them to confess, maybe we can take down Markus before this gets ugly.”

“Andretti, they came at you with lightning. It’s already ugly.” He shook his head while sipping his coffee. “The few that I know that could do it, wouldn’t have. They don’t match the description you gave or video of the people who broke Betty’s window.”

That got my attention. He’d seen the video from the park. I started throwing out questions. He patiently answered me. No, he didn’t recognize them. Only the parking lot and gazebo were covered. They didn’t get in view of the gazebo camera. There was footage of them breaking Betty’s window and placing the trackers.

It showed them coming from the park, breaking her window. Then place the trackers and go back into the park. They didn’t come out of the park via the parking lot. Indicating they had a vehicle stashed somewhere outside the park and had probably gone that way after they realized they couldn’t catch me. We had to assume they intended to either kill me in the park or drag me off to where they had a getaway car waiting.

“Is there any other species that could throw lightening?” I was having a thought. I didn’t like it. VD nodded.

“Warlocks can. Some other kinds of fae.”

“Warlocks?” VD nodded. “As in like Fenton?”

His head swiveled to me. “Something you need to tell me, Andretti?”