Chapter 6

Iunloaded my kayak from the back of the truck and grabbed my paddle. Leaves and twigs crunched under my feet. A damp smell lingered in the air from a smattering of overnight rain. The air was colder than I'd like, but it had been months since I was last able to paddle, and I needed the time to think. Under the present circumstances, the river seemed a safer place to commune with nature than a hike through the woods.

I noticed three crows flying overhead and wondered whether they were spies for Kane's friend Birdie or the Fates—or possibly an unknown third party. Of course, there was always the possibility they were ordinary birds, but in Fairhaven, I had my doubts.

I let the sound of the rushing water wash over me. Nothing hit the spot like the noises of nature. Birdsong. Ocean waves crashing against the surf. Leaves rustling in the breeze. A gentle rainfall. Even a thunderstorm. I loved a good crack of lightning that convinced you the earth was about to split open and spill all its secrets.

I sat in the kayak and maneuvered it into the water. I credited Pops with my love of paddling. He and I kayaked regularly in the creeks and rivers near our house. It was part leisure activity, part survival skill. Even our fun had been tainted by potential danger.

My fingers tightened around the shaft at the thought of Pops. Had he known my parents had been murdered? The question gnawed at me. He'd always been so forthright about my identity and the burden of my powers. If he knew, why not tell me? My grandmother I could understand; she'd lacked her husband's hard edges, but Pops never shrank from inconvenient truths. Not that I knew of, anyway.

I listened to the birdsong overhead. They were noisier than I'd expect on a cold winter's day. I wondered whether they sensed the impending appearance of the Wild Hunt. If animals could sense earthquakes and other natural disasters before they struck, why not a devastating arrival from another realm?

Whatever happened next, we could handle it. Despite the guild's decision to opt out, I wasn't alone in my desire to protect Fairhaven.

I wasn't alone.

It was a difficult sentence to accept. I'd been on my own for so long, the idea that I now had support and backup felt unnatural to me, like adjusting to a third arm.

The fact that Kane was committed to pursuing a relationship with me was equally unnerving. Granted, Addison's arrival had thrown a spanner in the romantic works, but her stay was only temporary.

My time with Kane had the potential to be permanent.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I hooked the paddle under my arm so I could answer it. There were too many irons in the fire right now to justify silencing the phone.

Kane's name stared back at me. Speak of the demon… "Hey, you."

"Good afternoon. Where are you?"

"Kayaking."

"Ah, that explains the noises. How's your houseguest?"

"Not with me."

He chuckled. "Is that wise?"

"Ray and Nana Pratt are keeping an eye on her. I needed space."

"From everyone or just her?"

"Definitely her."

"In that case, are you interested in stopping by for a coffee when you're finished?"

A warm sensation flooded my body at the thought of seeing Kane again, especially after my parade of pornographic dreams. "It would need to be quick. I've already been gone an hour." I hesitated. "You really mean coffee, don't you? It isn't a euphemism?"

"We're taking things slowly, remember?"

"I did say we could pick up the pace."

"I know, but I have no interest in being quick in that arena. I'd rather take our time."

"Good. Me, too."

"How long until you're here?"

I sighed. "As much as I want to say yes, I think I should go straight home."

"I see. Addison is quite the speed bump, isn't she?"

I wasn't ready to tell him about Mathis. He'd only worry. "She gets bored easily. If I'm gone too long, she's likely to stir up trouble in town. She can't help herself."

"I can send Josephine over to babysit. That should keep her in line."

I pictured the two strong women snarling and glaring at each other in my house. No thanks. I couldn't afford any breakages.

"I appreciate the offer, but Addison is my responsibility."

"You do realize that isn't true. Only Addison is responsible for Addison."

I knew he was right, and yet I still felt a sense of obligation to help the wayward goddess. If I'd been left to my own devices, there was every chance I would've turned out far worse than the goddess of mischief and ruin. I'd been fortunate to have Pops—lies or no lies.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise." I hung up before he could respond. If he said anything remotely suggestive, I wasn't sure I could resist kayaking straight to the Devil's Playground.

I put away the phone and reversed course to return to the spot where I'd started. I stuck to the shallows, which made it easy to paddle upstream. Still thinking about Kane, I felt a thump as my paddle made contact with a hard object. I assumed it was a rock until it spoke.

"Ouch. You should apologize, at the very least."

I jerked to the side and nearly capsized in the process. A large frog-like creature the size of a pit bull stared at me with round, angry eyes as he rubbed his injured head with a webbed hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"No kidding. I've seen more focus from a dance fly during a mating swarm."

"That's very specific."

"You don't seem too freaked out by a giant talking frog."

"Because you're not a frog. You're a vodyanoy." A Slavic water spirit.

His round eyes seemed to grow another size. "A lady who knows her stuff. Mad respect. The name's Goran."

"You're a long way from home, Goran."

"This is Wild Acres. We're all a long way from home. It's the supernatural version of Florida. Nobody's originally from here."

"I thought Florida was heaven's waiting room."

He snorted. "Heck no, that's Phoenix."

"What brings you to Wild Acres?"

"I like to travel, see the world. It's easy when nobody notices you."

"I noticed you."

"Only after you whacked me upside the head." He rubbed the injured spot again for good measure. "Would you believe I was once a handsome prince? I pissed off the wrong giver and she turned me into this monstrosity."

"The wrong giver?"

His bulbous eye fixed on me. "You're supposed to object and tell me I'm not a monstrosity but whatever. The givers of life, fate, and destiny. I upset Sudenitsy, the giver of fate."

A memory crystallized. Sudenitsy was one of the Slavic Fates. Similar to the Moirai but different pantheon. Rozhanitsy was the giver of life and Narechnitsy was the giver of destiny.

"What did you do to her?"

"I picked a rose from their garden. She acted like I murdered one of her children. You should've heard the language coming from a so-called lady." He gave a disapproving shake of his head. "Next thing I knew, I looked like a frog straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

His tongue lashed out to grab a fly. "It's okay. I was a self-righteous prick who deserved what he got." He paused. "And to be perfectly frank, I wasn't even that handsome. It was my title that made me seem more appealing."

"I'm sure you were a catch."

"Thank you. I appreciate your support. I've been in Wild Acres for a few years now. I mainly keep to the creeks and rivers. The lake's a no-go zone."

"Bone Lake?"

"That's the one."

"It's safe now, if you're interested."

He balked. "Safe? You sure?"

"One hundred percent. Threat removed."

"Thanks for the tip."

The image of the rose garden bloomed in my mind. "The Slavic Fates… Are they associated with the rose?" I didn't recall that particular detail.

"Isn't everybody? The rose is to the ancients what the peace symbol was to the Sixties."

I wondered whether the Givers were responsible for the invisible rose on my forehead. Food for thought.

"Word to the wise," I said. "You might want to lay low for the next few days. The Wild Hunt is coming. You might seem like a worthy prey."

His popping eyes were almost comical. "Why come here? Is it because of the white hart?"

"You saw the stag?"

"He was nosing around the riverbank yesterday. We locked eyes, and it was…" The vodyanoy shuddered. "Let's just say we shared a moment. I dipped underwater before things got weird."

"He wasn't afraid of you?"

"Of little ol' me? Hells to the no. It was obvious I had no ability to capture him." He produced a webbed hand. "Too bad. That stag was packing magical juju. Maybe if I'd caught him, he could've turned me back into a prince."

In the distance, I spotted a familiar figure at the river's edge. He must've seen my truck. "I need to go, Goran, but it was a pleasure meeting you."

"Likewise." His large head submerged, and I avoided using my paddle on the right until I'd cleared the area.

I hugged the riverbank until I reached my starting point. "Hey, West." Instead of his usual tight jeans, the Arrowhead alpha wore black sweatpants and a black hoodie.

"Saw your truck. Need a hand?"

"Sure."

Leaning over, he hauled the kayak to shore, and I climbed out.

"Thanks. How's your house?" Members of West's former pack had burned down his trailer in an attempt to smoke him out. They'd only succeeded in making West temporarily homeless.

"As a matter of fact, I moved back in yesterday."

"That's impressive."

"That's teamwork for you. The pack worked hard."

"No doubt." The pack would do anything for their alpha. They were loyal to a fault.

He lifted my kayak and carried it to the bed of the truck.

"Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

"It's no trouble."

I motioned to his clothing. "What's with the ninja apparel?"

"I've been surveying the woods for any sign of your Wild Hunt. So far, I haven't seen anything unusual."

"It isn't my Wild Hunt."

"Right. Sorry. I didn't mean to imply… I don't blame you for them."

Unlikely. I got the impression that if West had his way, he'd blame me for skyrocketing real estate prices and the high cost of organic blueberries, too.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

He dragged a hand through his enviable thick hair. "Listen. Do you think we could we start over?"

"Let me guess. Sage gave you a good talking-to." His not-so-secret girlfriend was a faerie with a fierce attitude.

"She definitely made it clear that I've been a complete asshole when it comes to you, and that you didn't deserve it."

"I wouldn't say a complete asshole."

He stuck out a hand. "Hi, I'm Weston Davies, alpha of the Arrowhead pack."

I quickly fortified my mind before shaking his hand. "Lorelei Clay."

"Nice to meet you, Clay. Heard you bought that big, abandoned property on the hill."

I smiled. "Aren't you going to call it the Ruins?"

He returned the smile. "Bluebeard's Castle, isn't it?"

"That's the one."

"How do like it so far?"

"Settling in slowly but surely."

"Glad to hear it. Let me know if you need any help." He hesitated. "Friends?"

"We don't have to be friends, you know. It's perfectly acceptable to be neighbors or acquaintances."

He tugged his ear. "Do neighbors or acquaintances get to play Scrabble at your house and enjoy Nana Pratt's baked goods?"

"Friends, it is." I didn't need West, and I'd be fine in Fairhaven without him, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't value a relationship with him. The community would benefit from a united front, rather than a divided one. Plus, I wouldn't have to duck behind the fruit stall when I saw him in the grocery store, which I may have done once or twice.

"You'll text me if you hear anything more about the Wild Hunt?"

"About that…" I drew a deep breath and explained the situation with the white stag, as well as the guild's refusal to cooperate.

West blew air through his nostrils. "Why would you ask those selfish bastards? Because of Sullivan?"

"And Gun and Cam, who offered to help anyway."

"Your concerns are valid," he said. "Once our primal instincts get triggered, they're tough to control."

"That being said, you were helpful in chasing down Addison's menagerie. The pig, wasn't it?"

"Yep. The god of gluttony. But I stayed in human form for that. I didn't want to be mistaken for the wolf, remember?"

Hard to forget that debacle. People died. And now even more might die, all because I chose to settle in Fairhaven on a whim. The guild was right—my existence was a threat. This town deserved better.

"What about joining the hunt in your human forms? I'm sure we can round up a few horses."

"Werewolves and horses don't mix well, but I can tell everyone on patrol to report back immediately with any sightings of a white stag."

"There's also a wild boar."

"Could it be the same boar from the menagerie? The god of wrath?"

"No, Pakhet is long gone."

"Do you think this boar could be out of the ordinary?" he asked.

"I haven't seen any evidence to suggest it."

He assessed me. "Then why do you care whether it's here for the hunt?"

"Because it deserves a better fate."

"You eat meat, don't you?"

"This is different. The Wild Hunt isn't coming to hunt for food." I didn't have the stomach to describe the mutilated carcasses from the photos. "What about Sage? Do you think she'd be any good at tracking and herding?"

He offered a lopsided grin. "Sage is good at everything, but don't tell her I said that."

"Ask if she'd be up for joining Matilda's merry band of non-hunters."

His smile faded. "I'd prefer to keep her out of this, if possible."

I cocked my head. "Is the pack giving you a hard time about your relationship?" As the alpha of the pack, West was expected to choose another werewolf as his mate. Instead, he recently made the pack aware of his romantic relationship with Sage, a local fae.

West shrugged. "These things take time. Let me know if you learn anything else."

"Deal."

I drove home, singing along to Bonnie Tyler on the radio. There was nothing like an Eighties power ballad. It felt good to belt out a song again; it had been ages since I'd allowed myself that indulgence. I made it through the whole song without triggering any powers or strong emotions. By the time I parked outside the Castle gates, I felt ready to deal with my messy life again.

I strode into the kitchen, still humming.

Addison glanced up from a book at the table. "Where were you?"

"Kayaking."

Her eyebrows crept up. "A leisure activity now? Shouldn't you be gathering the forces of darkness, or whatever it is you need to do?"

"I needed to think." And it was becoming increasingly difficult to conduct any type of activity that required peace and quiet in my house.

"What's for dinner?"

"We haven't eaten lunch yet."

"Sorry. I mistook you for a planner."

I bristled. "I plan."

"Cool. Then what are you planning for dinner?"

A knuckle sandwich sprang to mind, but I bit my tongue. Instead, I directed my attention to her book. "What are you reading?"

"Psychology. One of your ghost pals brought it to me. I think they feel sorry for me, being stuck in your house all day under the threat of death."

"Have you learned anything?"

"Emotions are actually energy in motion. That's where the word comes from. Did you know that?"

"I did not."

"And my childhood was more traumatic than I realized."

I grunted. "Welcome to the club."

"The human brain is a marvel. The strategy we create to keep ourselves safe as children is often what causes us pain later." She closed the book. "I've had enough of that for now. It's a lot to digest."

"Do you think of yourself as human or not?"

She examined her arms. "I'm in a human body, so I guess I have no choice."

"But sometimes you talk about humans as though you're a separate entity."

She shrugged. "Old habits."

"What if you made the decision to leave her?"

"I'd exist in the ether unless I found a new hostess."

"Would that be so bad? You're Aite. You've lived so many lives. Why not let this woman reclaim hers?"

"What she had wasn't much of a life. Why do you think she agreed to join the avatar program? She drank that soma like it was the antidote to a poison she ingested." She pushed the book aside. "What about you then? Why not give Lorelei a chance to live life on her own terms?"

"I am Lorelei."

Addison winked. "Sure you are, snookums."

Ray and Nana Pratt huddled in the kitchen doorway. "You're back," Ray said. "How do you feel?"

"Much better, thank you. Your suggestion was exactly what I needed. Plus, I got an idea."

"About what?"

"I'd like to try to contact Rozhanitsy…"

"Gesundheit," Addison said.

"Sudenitsy and Narechnitsy."

"Who?" Ray asked.

"Their collective name is the Givers. They're the Slavic Fates. Would you mind doing a little research for me to see what our best option is to reach them?"

Ray lit up like a Christmas tree. "On it."

Nana Pratt's face fell. "What about me?"

"Oh, I have an extremely important job for you."

The elderly ghost rubbed her hands together. "Lay it on me."

"I'm in dire need of a grounds inspection."

Her arms fell to her sides. "What?"

"Spring is on the way. I need someone to look over the property with a fine-tooth comb and see what needs to be done for the gardens, the water in the moat, the cemetery—the works."

You would've thought I'd offered her the keys to the pearly gates of Heaven itself. "You would trust me with all that?"

"Trust you? There isn't anyone I'd trust more. Consider yourself the Castle's property manager."

She shot Ray a look of triumph.

"Congratulations, Ingrid," he said. "Well deserved."

"And you are the Castle's head librarian," I told him.

"You don't have a library," he pointed out.

I waved a dismissive hand. "Details."

Nana Pratt looked down at her clothes. "I'd better change and get to work. This is going to be a lengthy project. I would've liked a bit more lead time. The frost will be gone in another couple weeks and you'll need to order mulch."

"Just tell me everything I need to do, and I'll do it."

She beamed with pride. "My husband only ever let me handle the flower selection. He thought they were a woman's job because they were pretty, but that all the other property tasks were his domain."

"Well, your husband isn't the owner of the Castle."

Nana Pratt surveyed the interior, as though viewing it with fresh eyes. "No. For starters, he wouldn't have let that red sofa past the front door."

Right. Opinions were split on the recent acquisition. Too bad for them mine was the only one that mattered.