Nineteen

nineteen

Zhen

We met up for dinner with Joe and the rest, as promised, at the—you guessed it—gas station-slash-mercantile store-slash-only restaurant in town. Eating here, again, reminded me of why I chose to live in a big city. I needed more options than this, people.

I was oh so very irritated with the bond at this point. It had tied our hands so thoroughly that it’d made Kris upset and tied me down. We were both mad at it, and that wasn’t a great feeling to carry around with you all day. Our talk this morning had helped, but I’d downplayed a little how hard not working for a month at a time would be. In my working career, I had never gone more than two weeks without something hitting the fan. Realistically, I wasn’t sure how feasible our compromise would be, but it was the best idea I could offer at the time. Even now, I couldn’t come up with anything better.

Combined with that, I was still heartsick over how distressed she’d been last night. I’d known I’d pushed her out of her comfort zone, but I hadn’t realized I’d shoved her right off Comfort Planet. Plus, hearing that she’d been so scared watching me fight made me feel like an ass for not realizing. I had to do better about checking in with her.

So, here I sat in a restaurant with very limited menu options, with my wife—who was looking really nervous about how this conversation would go—irritated as fuck with the bond and myself.

I looked around the table and decided bluntness would rule this day. “Guys. We need backup and a hell of a better plan.”

Joe sighed. “That we do. That we do. The Smoke Wolf truly worries me. They don’t wander around solo like that. If it’s been so displaced it was looking for a new home, then that means the rest of the den likely is as well.”

“Joe,” I whined, listing sideways in my chair because the strength to stay upright temporarily left me. “Don’t tell me that.”

“Sorry. But it’s a reality we need to think about. Especially with you injured, Zhen. You’re not very mobile right now.”

“How dare you. I can fight with the best of them, ’tis but a flesh wound.”

Kris’s eyes cut to me. “I’ll ‘flesh wound’ you if you try to run or fight on that leg.”

Just throwing a guess out there, but I bet she was still mad. I gave her my best smile. “Love you, honey.”

“Uh-huh.” It was said so dryly deserts looked tropical in comparison.

Let’s not poke that particular wasp nest. Yeah. Let’s choose life today. I yanked that conversation right back around. “Joe, you know this area better than us, obviously. Anyone that you can pull in to help? I think we need more manpower—”

A hand I didn’t recognize landed on my shoulder, and I looked up and around to find Sheriff Parker standing right next to me.

“What’s this about manpower?” she asked, looking concerned.

“So. About that. We, uh, well, we found the Raven Mocker last night. Or it found us. Anyway, had a nice little skirmish, which was kinda foiled by a Smoke Wolf—”

Her concern just kept ramping up as I spoke. “What’s a Smoke Wolf?”

Joe fielded this question. “Just like a regular wolf in appearance, but triple the size, its eyes are red, and it can turn into smoke at will. Hard to kill, even harder to track down. We fought and killed one last night.”

She looked at him for a long second, expression closed off, then she abruptly pulled a chair out at the head of the table and plopped into it. “Really wish I wasn’t on duty right now because I sure as hell could use a drink. You fought and killed another legendary creature?”

“Yes, ma’am. Wish we hadn’t. That Wolf shouldn’t have been in this area, and seeing it here means the Raven Mockers are pushing other creatures out to make more territory. Now, normally, people don’t need to fear it, as it sticks to its own turf. But now that the Ravens are looking for new territory, we’re in trouble. They like to kill for fun.”

I raised an immediate objection. “Now, wait a damn minute, I thought you said it only attacks the sick and the near-death people.”

Joe looked sheepish for a second. “Well, it does, but if it’s nesting like this? Anyone’s prey.”

Kris blew out a very stressed-sounding breath. “Now that I do not like the sound of at all.”

“Me neither,” I said.

Jake didn’t look happy either, but he also had that look I knew well—the look that signified an idea was churning over there. I balled up a napkin and threw it at him. “Share with the class.”

He caught it and threw it back. “All right, so, here’s my thought. Two thoughts. First, Joe, any chance your mother can help out?”

“She’s already on her way here,” Joe informed us with a half laugh. “She’s mad as hell right now. Says too many things are stirring up and she’s worried about them going for her grandbabies.”

Ah, a grandmother’s instinct. It was not to be taken lightly.

Jake looked pleased by this. “Good. Second thought. Sheriff, can you round up more people to help?”

“I can probably borrow a few deputies from the neighboring counties.”

“That should help with the fighting force.” Joe seemed very satisfied with her answer. “We’re obviously outmatched when we get two monsters at once, so this evens the odds some. I can make up some more of the special eye drops tonight. Best way to make sure they can see what to aim at. I’ll also make everyone silver bullets, since we know silver is effective.”

He was correct—it was the best way—but it still wasn’t a plan. Right now, I hungered for a plan.

The door to the mercantile opened again, but this time Joe got up immediately to help usher in whoever had just arrived. I took the woman in from head to toe, looking her over. She seemed of the age to be Joe’s mother, her hair iron grey and in two very long plaits draped over her shoulders. She seemed about half of Joe’s height—a tiny little woman who stooped over as she walked. A very decorated walking cane helped her along. Something about the nose suggested these two were related, so I was going to hazard a guess and say this was likely Joe’s mom.

I scooted over so she could sit down, and she gave me a smile.

“A thoughtful young man. Thank you. You’re Zhen, aren’t you?”

“I am,” I replied with a returning smile.

“Joe told me a lot about all of you. I’m happy to meet you like this. I’m Ama.”

Kris leaned around me to give her a smile. “I’m Kris. That’s Jake. Have you met Sheriff Parker?”

“I have not. Hello, Sheriff.” She turned her head toward the sheriff. “How have you been?”

“Stressed and tired,” Sheriff Parker drawled. “So, I’m happy to see you. You are, apparently, the woman with the plan.”

Ama laughed, the sound rusty, like it was coming from an old stove pipe. “Experience, child. It’s just experience. Can’t blame Joe on this one. He’d never seen a Raven Mocker or a Smoke Wolf before this week, and book knowledge only gets you so far.”

Amen to that.

“Last time I saw a Smoke Wolf,” Ama mused, “I think it was right before I got married. I joined up with a group of other medicine men, and we drove them out of this area completely. That was not an easy fight, and it took several days to do. Everyone had chains in their yards for years afterward, just to make sure they stayed away.”

Part of that made no sense to me. “Chains?”

“Only way to ward off a Smoke Wolf,” she explained with a shrug. “Rattling chains. I guess it’s like nails on a chalkboard to them. They can’t stand the sound.”

“Huh. I feel this urge to buy chains before we leave.”

“Do that, and some strong poles.” Ama had this glint in her smile that spoke of confidence. “Now, you don’t have a plan yet on how to tackle all this, do you?”

“We were just fumbling around for one.”

“All right then. I have a plan. I know it works, too, as it’s what we did last time when a Raven Mocker was in this area.”

I immediately picked up her hand and batted my eyelashes. “Gracious lady, you are wise and beautiful.”

Ama laughed even harder and shooed me off. “You save that flattery for your pretty wife. You only want me for my plan, anyway.”

“And your knowledge.” I put my hand to my heart, mock offended, because I could tell she was very amused by the attention. “I’m not a shallow man, I’ll have you know.”

Kris snorted. “He is easy, though.”

I was secretly thrilled Kris had relaxed enough to tease me again, and I made whiny noises in the back of my throat. “Wife, how mean!”

Kris ignored me completely and kept leaning forward to meet Ama’s eyes. “What’s the plan?”

“Bait and stab,” Ama said plainly. Her wrinkled hands reached forward, and she grabbed up condiments and napkins, like a child creating a mock battle at the dinner table. “This napkin here, that’s me and you, Kris. We’re going to be bait. It’s actually the safest position—I’ll be able to ward against most attacks, and we’ll keep chains nearby so we can ward off the Smoke Wolves if they do decide to join the battle.”

Ooooh, now this part of the plan I liked.

“I’ll also have the right tobacco-smoke mixture so we can track the Raven as it comes to us. Now, I’m perfect bait for it—Raven Mockers prefer those who are sick or very old because we’re easier to prey upon. I think it’ll come right to us in order to get to me.”

Made sense to me. “Are you going to do something to make yourself extra delicious?”

“I am,” Ama confirmed, winking at me. “Trade secret.”

“Fair enough.”

Sheriff Parker pointed to the salt and pepper shakers, the ketchup, mustard, and sugar jars now ringing the napkins on all sides. “I take it that’s the rest of us?”

“You all can shift as the fight progresses, but it’s best we start with you facing out on all sides. No telling at first where the Raven Mocker will come in from.” Ama made a face. “We didn’t do that the first time. Please learn from my mistakes.”

My parents had sometimes accused me of needing to learn things the hard way, but it wasn’t like I was going for a PhD in the school of hard knocks. I could learn from other people’s mistakes.

“Okay by me.” I shrugged because I saw nothing wrong with this plan and, as a bonus, it meant Kris was protected while leaving me free to fight. “Will this work for two Raven Mockers?”

“Yes, it should.”

Kris made a sighing groan sound. I’d heard this sound before, usually when I was being difficult. But I hadn’t done anything yet?

“Ama, Zhen needs to be in there with us.”

I protested wordlessly again because that was mean!

“Zhen. Your ankle is not fine.”

“I can wrap it and take some painkillers, I’ll be fine—”

“Zhen. Your ankle is not fine . You will also make it worse if you’re trying to fight on it.” Kris gave me that look that said keep arguing if you dare . “You can sit in the circle with us and fire a gun just as well as being outside the circle.”

She had me there.

Ama looked me over with concern. “Did you get injured in the fight?”

“No,” Kris corrected, still giving me her exasperated look. “He recovered from a broken ankle right before we came here, and instead of taking it easy, he keeps doing stupid stunts. He reinjured it last night before we tried to track down the Mocker and then failed to tell any of us about it. So, of course, it’s bruised and swollen today.”

Ama joined Kris in the exasperation. “Zhen, you look like you have better sense than that.”

“Looks are absolutely deceiving.” I gave her my best smile.

“Kris?” Ama shook her head. “Good luck.”

“Yup, gonna need it, thanks.”

These two were not to become friends. It’d be detrimental to me. I clapped my hands together to distract them and change the subject. “Right then, moving on. Ama, this plan sounds simple enough, but I don’t know how much prep time you need. Can we do this tonight?”

“Hmm.” Ama rocked back and forth in her chair for a second before slowly nodding. “If Joe helps me gather the ingredients, yes. Should only take about two or three hours, I think. That includes setting up at the site.”

Sheriff Parker looked up from her phone. “I’ve already gotten two people confirmed to come in tonight if we need them.”

She must have been texting people as we talked. Gotta love a person who could multitask.

Jake lifted a finger. “Wait, where are we setting this up? I doubt going back to the homesteader’s cabin is going to work—”

“No, he’s offered it,” Sheriff Parker said. “He told me that before he left town. Said if we needed to use his property, we could.”

Kris leaned in again, this time using my shoulder as a prop so she could look between Ama and Joe. “Now, didn’t it say in your book that the Raven Mocker generally doesn’t give up on prey until they’re killed or the person dies? Would the Mocker come back to that property?”

“Absolutely,” Ama confirmed. She sounded mad as hell. “Generally speaking, we sit with those who are ill or dying for days because the Mocker doesn’t let go once it’s targeted someone. It’ll come back to the property as long as it sees signs of life. Once it sees me, it won’t leave until it’s too injured to keep fighting, or dead.”

She was too prime of a target, huh? Or so the Raven Mocker thought. I wouldn’t cross this woman even if someone paid me. Old people knew more tricks and were devious besides.

Jake seemed satisfied. “In that case, let’s finish our dinner. Looks like we have a lot to do and not much daylight to do it in. Ama, have you eaten?”

“I haven’t. I’ll join you here.”

I focused on my own food, which was cooling, and ate up. I’d definitely need a full stomach if we were going to be up all night again.

Although, must I sit in the safety circle? I felt like that part was negotiable.