Crowbones

CHAPTER 80

Aiden

Moonsday, Novembros 5

Aiden watched the remaining human who was staying in the Mill Creek Cabins. More truthfully, he watched the cabin and the little flicks of the curtains as the survivor tried to see what might be out there, too afraid now to even venture out on his porch to look around.

Definitely too afraid to get into one of the metal boxes and go out foraging for food.

Then again, those metal boxes were no protection against Fire.

An odd beat of silence pulled his attention away from the cabins and had him focusing on the surrounding trees. Nothing close to him.

He almost returned his attention to the cabins when that odd beat of silence came again. Closer now. Very close.

If he had been any other form of terra indigene—except an Elder—he would have been alarmed by the sudden appearance of a column of smoke. The Sanguinati he had observed had stealth, but this one was a predator of predators.

Aiden waited, curious what the being would do. His own human form wasn’t a shape that could be harmed. He was Fire—and even the Sanguinati could burn.

The smoke took a human shape.

“You are not part of the shadow at Silence Lodge,” Aiden said.

“I am not,” the Sanguinati replied. “I am a problem solver who was sent to deal with the trouble here.”

A wisp of smoke drifted away from the bark of the tree Aiden leaned against. He stepped away before the wisp became more and damaged the tree. Then he focused on this intruder. “The Reader . . .”

“Is not a problem,” the Sanguinati said smoothly. “But she is the reason I am here, talking to you.”

Aiden’s focus sharpened. Humans were too alien for him—for any Elemental—to befriend, but that didn’t mean the Elementals who resided around Lake Silence didn’t feel friendly toward Vicki DeVine. His kind might not need The Jumble to be a thriving terra indigene settlement, but they could see how it mattered to the shifters.

Besides, spending time around The Jumble often included assisting the police, and that was quite entertaining.

Fire found nothing entertaining about this problem solver.

“Victoria has gone to Sproing,” the Sanguinati said. “When she returns, she needs to talk to you.”

“Why were you in The Jumble?” Aiden asked.

“Hunting.” The Sanguinati smiled, showing a hint of fang.

The look in those dark eyes made Aiden wonder if he was as invulnerable in this form as he believed.

“A young deer,” the Sanguinati added. “I took enough for sustenance but not enough to kill.” A pause. “And I am searching for another Sanguinati. A damaged one. I think he is spending time in The Jumble.” Another pause. “Have you seen him?”

Oh, he’d seen the damaged one. They had all seen him. “Leave him be.”

The words startled the Sanguinati. “We only want to help him.”

The words sounded truthful, which was the only reason Aiden decided to give a warning. “For now, leave him be.”

They studied each other. Then the Sanguinati nodded.

“If you see him, tell him Stavros is here to help him—and to help the Reader.”

He didn’t promise to tell anyone anything.

A human form changed to a column of black smoke that moved low to the ground with a speed that no prey animal could outrun—not even prey trying to escape in one of those metal boxes.

Aiden stared at the cabins for a few more minutes, thinking about why a predator of predators would be sent to Lake Silence.

Then he headed for The Jumble to see Vicki.

Fire,” the first voice sang.

“Fiiiirrre,” the second voice sang.

“Is something going to burn?” the third and fourth voices sang.

Aiden wasn’t surprised by the appearance of the Five. He’d already had Crows and a Coyote come to this spot to see what he was doing and report back to the rest of the terra indigene who lived in The Jumble. Seeing Earth, Air, or Water was a reason for mild curiosity since the appearance of an Elemental could mean that something interesting was happening. But Fire on wooded land? The Others didn’t come because they were curious; they came to find out if their homes would burn. Not that they said that, exactly. No one asked him why he was standing to one side of the access road.

Until now.

“I am waiting for Vicki,” Aiden said. “She asked to see me.”

Nothing. Not even the rustle of a leaf. Then one of the Five stepped up to the road and stood almost within reach.

“She is our friend too,” the fifth one said.

Hearing the warning, he nodded. “Vicki has many friends. She also has enemies.”

“Humans.” She made the word sound like something cursed.

Aiden nodded. “Humans, yes. But there might be enemies among the terra indigene too. It would be good if Vicki’s many friends remain close enough to hear a call for help.”

She stepped away from the road, gone.

He wondered how long it would take the Five to tell the rest of the Elders that there were humans, and possibly some terra indigene, who posed a risk to the Reader. He wasn’t sure what the Elders would do to any terra indigene involved in this trouble, but he didn’t wonder what would happen to any human in The Jumble whose actions weren’t easily understood. Not when the Five were among the Elders keeping watch.

When he heard the car, he stepped into the road far enough for Vicki to see him.

She stopped the car. He opened the passenger door and got in.

“I know we aren’t exactly friends, but we are friendly,” Vicki said.

“That is true,” Aiden agreed.

“It was suggested that I share some information with someone whose form could not be compromised by substances that might alter their behavior.”

“This is a trusting?”

Vicki nodded. She turned off the car, undid her seat belt, unbuttoned her coat, and then turned her body this way and that until she finally removed a piece of paper from her pocket. She handed him the paper and looked . . . flustered . . . and he wasn’t sure why. She did not have the sinuous grace that was common in so many terra indigene forms, but she was human, so no one expected it.

Perhaps not expecting it was considered rude among her kind?

Aiden opened the paper and read the list of words and phrases. Some meant nothing. Others . . . “Where did you get this?”

“Meg from Lakeside called me. She spoke. I listened and wrote down the words.”

He studied this human female who thought she was ordinary and didn’t understand how many things she did weren’t ordinary at all.

“Someone came into my office when I was unwell and tried to find out what I’d written down,” Vicki said. “They didn’t find out, but the fact that someone tried means I can’t trust anyone staying in the house or the cabins. But someone else needed to know about this in case . . .”

“Julian Farrow?”

“Human body. He would help me, but he could be hurt. Or compromised.”

cops. fangs. betrayal.

Her hesitation to show this list to Chief Grimshaw or Ilya Sanguinati made sense now. He didn’t think Ilya would betray Vicki, but there was that predator of predators staying in the area, and that suggested a fight among the Sanguinati. And this warning had come from Broomstick Girl.

Aiden pointed to the line that read, problem solver. ally. “His name is Stavros. He will help you.”

“How do you know?”

“I met him. He said he was a problem solver and that he would help you.”

She nodded. “I’d better get these groceries up to the house before my guests start thinking nibbling on dead donkey is a good idea.”

Even for a human, she said the most peculiar things. That’s why he found her appealing.

Aiden returned the list and got out of the car. Vicki did her gyration to shove the paper back in her pocket before she put on the seat belt and started the car.

He watched her drive away.

There were things he could have explained about other parts of that prophecy, but he thought the outcome, good or bad, would depend on Vicki’s ability to understand Broomstick Girl’s message on her own.