Chapter 36 36
Thomas insisted we walk back to the house, citing town regulations. I took the opportunity to fill everyone in on what I’d learn from the chatty Cathy in the woods. By the time we traipse back to the house, the fun parts were over. Vera had regained consciousness and transported the magic Connor had subdued before chasing after me to a holding facility. The rock that had been used to render her unconscious had also been taken as evidence. Not getting to see them haul off the magic made me sad. I love a good perp walk. With no magic users left at the house, no ward had been raised. But judging by the number of werewolves I could see and smell, the house was quite secure.
I was blindsided by two invisible wolfs as soon as we walked into the family room. Both of my pant legs pulled away from me and were shaken around. Little growls were erupting from both sides of me. I looked over at Thomas. “I see the problem. Or should I say I don’t see it?”
“Ollie ollie oxen free!” Lisa sang out and a ripple of magic later, there were two white pups latched onto my leather pant legs. “Get two legged and go eat your lunch.” She ushered the twins and both Dancer kids back to the dining room.
While Lisa got the kids settled the rest of us had a pow wow in the foyer. Thomas had left a deputy in the woods to stand guard over the pile of ash while another deputy went to retrieve the equipment to document and clean up the scene. With Connor and myself back, he sent the four or five wolves that had been guarding the house in our absence back to patrolling the area. Jeremiah excused himself to go update the council personally on the situation. I put up a new ward that was hopefully loophole free. We didn’t have an ID on either the magic or the dead vamp yet. Thomas had taken a picture of the vamp before I dusted him and sent it for facial recognition. Vera would hopefully know the ID of the magic when she returned. For the moment we were going to leave the cloaking spell on the kids, just in case more trouble came along.
Satisfied we had shared all pertinent information, the wolves and Connor joined Lisa and the kids in the dining room for a late lunch. I ran upstairs to find my missing undergarment. Once I was jiggle free, I went back to the kitchen.
“I’m going to pop out and find some lunch. Connor, hold down the fort.” Shape shifting and sword battles had worked up such an appetite I was imagining the smell of fresh blood in the air.
“No need. Matthew called in an order for you.” Lisa handed me a super gulp of o neg from the oven where she had been keeping it warm. With a happy sigh I joined the living at the dining room table.
A chunk of hot dog flew thru the air and landed on the table in front of me. Well it looked like a hot dog but, it smelled like soy mixed with veggies and slightly of Annie. Those of us at the adults table turned to look at the kids.
“Yuck. That’s not a hot dog!” Annie exclaimed after she drank half her milk. Her brother wiped the milk off his face that he had snorted out his nose, with his sleeve. Sage and Magnolia giggled while they happily ate their vegan hot dog like things.
‘Annie! Where are your manners?” Thomas scolded.
“Says the boy who ate the entire top layer off a lasagna while it cooled on the stove.” Lisa was gracious enough to share. “and burned his mouth so bad he had to eat cold baby food for two days.”
“Mom!” Thomas tried to hide behind his hand. “This is not the time or place for stories about me. I work with these people.”
“He was fifteen at the time.” Matthew added with an evil grin.
“Would that be around the same time you were sneaking off to parties in Circle Clearing?”
“Thomas!” Lisa’s eyes held a wicked humor at my question. “What parties in Circle Clearing?”
Thomas turned to Connor. “Man, next time you need to dish out some payback on her, let me know. I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”
Connor and Thomas bumped fists and chuckled. Huh. That could cause me trouble later. Before they could start plotting against me, both of their phones went off.
Connor went out the back door before answering while Thomas darted up the stairs to the den. Those of us not important enough to get phone calls tried to listen in on Connor’s call, but, he was speaking softly in the far corner of the yard. I looked at the wolves around the table with a raised eyebrow. They all shook their heads. Guess we were going to have to wait for them to tell us what they had learned. What a novel idea.
Thomas was the first to return. His face was grim. He nodded at all of us as he passed the table on his way out the back door. Through the window we watched him walk to the corner Connor was pacing while on the phone. That wasn’t good. I’m the one who paces while they’re on the phone. Connor hung up and exchanged a few words with Thomas before they turned towards the house, where the six of us had our noses practically pressed up against the picture window watching them.
“What’s happened?” I asked as the duo came through the back door with their cop faces on. I couldn’t read their faces but, their body language screamed stress.