Blood Trinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
"We didn't until we called in the death--"
"Who'd you call?" Snapping at him wasn't wise, but why did he and Adrianna have to find the body?
Storm paused long enough to take a breath that sounded burdened with patience on the exhale. "I called Trey, who contacted a Belador with Atlanta PD who investigated the anonymous phone tip on a dead body. When they got the remains to the morgue, the ME on duty recognized it."
Her shoulders slumped with relief. "Was the ME Beaulah?"
"That sounds like her name."
"I work with her. Did you tell Sen about the body?"
"Had to at that point."
Evalle tasted bitter disappointment in her next words. "Should I be watching out for Sen around the next corner?"
"I don't see why. We figured out the witch wasn't using the body for a blood sacrifice but hiding it in a deep freezer, because the minute Adrianna touched the remains the woman's ghost entered the room and told us how a Cresyl demon had killed her."
"You're kidding." Evalle couldn't believe something was working out in her favor for once. "That's great."
"No, I'm not kidding, and, yes, that is good news. I told Sen about the death and the Cresyl, so he has no reason to think an Alterant killed her."
Storm had come through for her again. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. But the trail stopped there, so we still aren't any closer to finding the rock."
Nicole had told her, "Trust will open the path to one who is born to the task." Wouldn't a Native American be "born to the task" of tracking? Wasn't that what Sen was using Storm for?
Storm moved through the unlit areas of Piedmont like he was on the hunt, every muscle flowing naturally.
"I did some work on my own today, too," she said, trying to figure out if he was the one who could find the rock if she extended some trust. "I was told that someone who was born to tracking could find the stone. I think that might be you."
"I don't think so. I came back earlier tonight to see if I could pick up a trail from where you found the girl with the rock and Vyan. The only energy I was able to sense was that of two powerful males." He paused, giving her a questioning look after referencing what had to be Vyan and Tristan's energy residue. When she didn't offer anything, he continued. "One trail just vanished and the other one ended in that same spot at Tenth Street next to the park where I lost it last night."
She didn't need to see his eyes to know he was waiting on her to tell him the truth about that encounter. "He shouldn't have disappeared so easily, but he did when he reached the street."
"Who and what is he?" Storm asked quietly, not demanding.
This whole trust thing felt like a severe case of food poisoning, but Nicole wouldn't have steered her wrong, and they were running out of time. "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else without asking me first."
He strode along silently, long legs eating up ground like a big animal on the prowl. "Okay, you got it."
She wiped her clammy hands on each other, then stopped when she realized she was wringing her hands. "His name is Tristan and he's an Alterant who escaped a spellbound cage."
Storm cursed under his breath. "You faced him and two demented ghouls? Alone? He could have killed you."
His concern over her safety made her feel better about that bout of jealousy a moment ago. "I held my own."
"Why didn't you tell Tzader and Quinn about this?"
She'd wanted to more than he'd ever know. "It's a little complicated. First of all, Tristan swears that Brina put him in a cage even though he had never shifted or hurt anyone. I confirmed that through another source that I don't want to bring into this just yet, but it makes me question my faith in Brina. Even so, the minute I tell Tzader or Quinn about Tristan they'll have to tell VIPER and Brina. She has the ability to find Tristan immediately--"
"Why not tell her and recapture Tristan?"
"That's the problem. He said that's exactly what the Medb and Kujoo want Brina to do. They've set some trap and want her to call in the Beladors, which she would have to do in order to stop the Kujoo. But I have a feeling Tristan is not lying and the Belador tribe would be slaughtered and that he's holding back more than that."
Storm reached over and pushed a branch up she hadn't been watching with her eyes on the ground. She smiled her thanks.
After covering another ten steps, Storm asked, "Does Tristan think the Beladors won't hunt him to the ends of the earth?"
"That's where this gets worse, the part I think Tristan is leaving out. He said the Medb and Kujoo will wipe the Beladors from the earth, even their ancestors, but he didn't say how they would accomplish that. I don't understand how they could kill every Belador, but I don't want to risk that the Medb could be successful."
"He could be bluffing."
"True, but I've had someone else tell me the lives of the Beladors depend on what I decide to do and that the Kujoo hold the future of the Belador tribe in their hands. That sounds like what Tristan is saying."
"I don't get why you aren't telling Tzader and Quinn. Thought you three were good friends."
She swallowed. "We are. The best, but I'm afraid if I tell Tzader and Quinn everything they'll believe me. When Tzader tries to prevent Brina from going after Tristan she'll think I've convinced him to protect Alterants. I don't want him facing a Tribunal as a result, especially if I'm wrong about any of this. On the other hand, if I tell the Beladors everything, I know they'll think they can defeat the Kujoo and go into battle. No matter what I do, there's no good choice."
"What else aren't you telling me?" Storm's low voice rumbled with exasperation. "You're keeping something to yourself."
She walked quietly for a moment. "I can save the Beladors if I don't tell them about Tristan. He gave me a way."
"I'm not liking the sound of that."
Me either, but I never seem to get a vote when it comes to my future no matter who I deal with. She muttered, "I didn't say I'd do it."
"What did he offer?"
If she told Storm, she was pretty sure he'd interfere. "I want to wait until we find the rock to say more, because my options narrow if we don't find the rock first. The sooner we find out what the Medb and Kujoo are up to, the sooner the Beladors will know what to do and I may not have to make any choice."
"Why would you believe Tristan?"
"I didn't until I went to see a gifted friend of mine today who confirmed what he was saying, but in a different way." Fear welled up in her throat at the possibility of making a mistake and costing lives. "She indicated I could find what I look for."
When they reached the concrete steps that descended to the wide-open lawn area in the park, Storm stopped, eyes scanning the area. A handful of people jogged along the paths or walked dogs. "Won't Brina be angry when she finds out you didn't tell her about Tristan escaping?"
"I'm hoping that once she realizes I did it to protect the tribe, she'll understand I put the Beladors first. Doesn't matter. I'm not willing to risk Tzader and Quinn or any other Belador just to protect myself." She wrapped her arms around herself and stared over the open space, wishing the right answer would come to her.
His fingers touched her shoulder, sliding forward until his hand cupped the curve at the top of her arm. A small connection that let her know he was there. She let his hand rest there, testing how it felt. He had a way of knowing how much she'd allow, kept nipping away at her resistance with deft touches.
He had no idea he was chipping at a mountain with a toy hammer.
When Storm spoke, his voice was matter-of-fact. "Then we better get busy finding Tristan."
"That's not who I think we're supposed to track."
"Who then?"
"The woman with the rock."
"Already told you I can't follow a teleport."
"I know." Evalle unwrapped her arms from her chest and chewed on the corner of her thumb. "I just know that's the answer to locating the rock. You up for giving it another try?"
"Sure."
She moved away, letting his hand fall free. When they reached the area where she'd faced off with Tristan the previous evening, they found a couple walking a pair of dogs. Their sneakers glowed against the black night with each step.
Evalle waited until a group of teens with muffled music playing from their iPods passed them before she spoke. "Well? How does tracking work?"
"If it's majik, I can sense it on my skin and just continue moving in the direction the energy feels the strongest, but there's nothing new here besides the two trails I told you about."
"Vyan would be the one whose trail disappeared after he teleported with her. Tristan's was the one that vanished at the street." Evalle sat down cross-legged on the ground. "If you aren't picking up any energy signature, I don't know who would."
He sat down next to her companionably. "Now what?"
She started to shrug but stilled at the sight of an elderly man walking a mutt on a leash. That reminded her of the woman's mutt from this morning. "The woman with the rock had a dog." Evalle turned to Storm. "Can you track the dog's scent?"
This time he hesitated to answer.
He couldn't hold back on her now. "Storm?"
"Yes. I can track it."
When he didn't move, she said, "Well? Let's try it."
"I can't do it in ... this form."
"What do you mean?"
He'd drawn his legs up and propped his arms on them, staring straight ahead. "I can't track as well in human form as I can in animal form."
It took her a minute to figure out what he was saying. "Are you lycanthrope?"
"No. I came from a line of shamans. One was a Spiritwalker and one was a Skinwalker. I can take the form of a jaguar."
She tapped her mouth with a finger. "Okay, that's going to be tough to pull off in Atlanta. A wolf would have been a lot easier to explain."
He dropped his head on his arms, laughing.
"What's so funny?"
Lifting his head, he faced her with disbelief. "I was worried about telling you that I can change into a jaguar and you're only concerned that it's the wrong species."
She'd just figured out how secretive he was being about this. "Why are you keeping this from the others? I'd think they'd be glad to know you had this capability. Does Sen know?"
"I've been keeping your secrets. You keep mine. I don't want any of them to know. It's a curse, not a gift. Where I come from, those who change into jaguars are considered demons. I haven't changed shape in a while, but I can track the tiniest bit of scent in animal form."
"Were you born that way?"
"I wasn't a Skinwalker until ... something happened." The timbre of his voice altered in a way that meant he wouldn't discuss it further. "I can handle the change if I have to."
That meant she was asking him to do something he didn't want to do any more than she'd want to shift into her beast form. "Never mind. I didn't mean to put you on the spot."
"No, I'll do it. Makes sense that we could find her dog's trail, since he's been in the park and would have marked his territory all the time. If I can pick it up in a neighborhood around here, we'll find her."
"How do we do this without someone getting a little distressed over a jaguar roaming around downtown Atlanta?"
"A witch could ward me so no one but you saw me. Guess we could ask Adrianna."
Evalle opened her mouth to object. Am I really going to say no to Adrianna's help? That seemed petty.
Screw it. She'd been called worse.
THIRTY-FOUR
"Not Adrianna." Evalle wanted to pull those words back into her mouth.
"Really?" Storm's relief was immediate and tangible.
"What? You don't want the poster witch for black majik laying her hands on you?" Interesting. She refused to tell Storm that she didn't want the Sterling witch's hands touching him either, since he might read too much into that. Sterling witches were tainted. That was all. "I know someone else who can ward you from sight, plus she won't say a word and isn't with VIPER."
He considered it a moment. "That'd work."
"How far is your sport utility from here?" She hadn't seen his truck on the way to Piedmont Park after leaving her bike. "We'll need it to transport you once you've shifted."
"It's right up Tenth Street." He stood up and gave her a hand up to her feet.
The warmth in his eyes stole her breath. He wanted to kiss her. She knew it with every beat of her heart, and somewhere deep inside among all her confused feelings she wanted him to kiss her, too. But nothing good could come from allowing her empathic side to scramble her emotions. She broke away from him and set a fast pace to his vehicle.
The trip to Nicole's was more comfortable than the drive home from VIPER headquarters the first day she'd met Storm. She enjoyed eyeing Storm's profile and that he allowed an easy quiet to fill the time. She called Nicole to alert her they were coming and that she needed to do this warding in the garage, which Nicole assured her they could do.
When Storm pulled into the parking deck for Nicole's building, Evalle gave him Nicole's instructions on where to park in a corner that would give them privacy. That's where they found Nicole sitting in her wheelchair with a tall, physically fit female standing behind her, not smiling.
But then Olivia would not be happy about meeting Evalle any time, especially at one in the morning. Olivia "Red" Redwine had chopped-at-the-ear strawberry blonde hair, not red, and an athlete's body covered in gray-and-white warm-ups.
Evalle jumped out of the truck when he parked and addressed Nicole's life partner. "Hi, Red."
"Evalle." After speaking, Olivia cast a suspicious look at Storm, who waited in dark shadows at the front bumper of the car.
He was obviously not comfortable with any of this either, but he was willing to shift in order to help her, so Evalle asked Nicole, "Ready?"
She nodded. "I can do this, but it will only hold for maybe three hours. I put something quick together. To do more than three hours would take a stronger spell than I can effect here, and I'm not sure this one will prevent animals from sensing him." She looked up at Storm. "Can you control your jaguar?"
That might not have seemed so strange a question if Storm hadn't answered, "I won't harm Evalle."
What had Nicole noticed that Evalle had missed?
"Three hours should be enough time," Storm said for everyone's benefit. "If not, daylight will be our next challenge at that point."
Red leaned down next to Nicole's ear, but Evalle could hear every word. "What happens if the people they're hunting find out you helped them and come after you?"
Nicole smiled up at her. "I'm in no danger, love."
Standing upright, Red released a put-upon sigh and accepted what Nicole told her even though she didn't like it one bit. The glare she sent Evalle was to remind her how much Red didn't like her.
This favor would put a nice touch on the relationship. Sort of like a turd in a gourmet meal.
"Go ahead and change, Storm," Nicole directed him.
He stepped back around the sport utility. A door on the other side opened for a moment, then closed.
Was he stripping? Evalle stuck her head past the rear of the truck to check that no one was in the area, when in truth she wanted to scout all the way around the vehicle out of curiosity.
But that would be an invasion of privacy she wouldn't appreciate in his place.
She'd never been around lycanthropes or Skinwalkers. How long did it take to change? Barely a minute had passed when a sleek black jungle cat stepped around the front fender.
Looked like Ashaninka Skinwalkers were the plug-and-play version.
His eyes glowed like embers and didn't look the least bit friendly. He snarled low, a vicious sound.
Evalle's nerves rippled, lifting hairs everywhere.
Red's fingers clutched the handles of Nicole's chair so hard that her knuckles were white.
Nicole spoke softly to Storm, as if she saw a jaguar that had to weigh over two hundred p
Me? But Evalle didn't want to look like some wimp in front of Red, so she took the amulet and turned to Storm, whose lips curled back from his teeth.
She bent down slowly to her knees and waited quietly. Didn't seem wise to say "Here kitty, kitty" to a ginormous jaguar.
Storm padded over until her face was close enough to smell the warm animal scent of his fur. He stared hard into her eyes, then lifted his head so she could reach his neck. As she tied the amulet, she realized he was exposing his most vulnerable spot to her.
But he'd said he wouldn't hurt her, so did this mean he trusted her not to hurt him?
She grabbed his head, bringing his eyes back level with hers, then kissed his nose. "You're the best."
He nuzzled her face, then turned to Nicole.
Evalle stood up and backed away as Nicole chanted softly in a voice that should be singing lullabies. When she finished, Nicole looked at Evalle. "No one except you will see him unless he chooses to reveal himself. Three hours isn't an exact time, so don't push it any longer than you have to. It's already one o'clock. You should go."
Evalle would have hugged Nicole if not for Red standing guard. Red was the jealous type to begin with. "Thanks, Nicole. I owe you one for sure."
"I'll hold you to that if it means you'll be here to pay up." She smiled, then patted Red's hand. "Let's go back up."
After loading Storm into the backseat, where he'd have more room, Evalle drove back to Tenth Street and parked along the curb in a neighborhood close to Piedmont Park. She held her breath when Storm jumped out of the truck and prowled along the sidewalk.
At the corner, two men jogged past Storm. One had a Labrador on a leash. Neither human noticed the jaguar who stepped out of their path and onto a front yard.
But the dog jerked around, sniffing, until his leash tightened.
Storm watched them pass, then looked up at her. This time, when he pulled his lips back, he exposed razor-sharp teeth in what she thought might be a smile.
"Let's beat feet and see what we can find at the park," she said, catching up to him.