Page 24 of A Skirl of Sorcery (The Cat Lady Chronicles #3)

Chapter

Nineteen

Thane and Tiddles weren’t where I’d left them so I returned to the alleyway where Thane had used the drainpipe to clamber down from the rooftops opposite the Barrow household.

I gazed upwards and sighed at the injustice of having to climb the side of a building twice in one day, then heaved myself up.

At least there were no acrobatic jumps involved this time.

I found Thane flat on his belly next to a narrow chimney stack, watching the buildings across the street with steel-eyed focus. Tiddles was lying next to him; she appeared to be the only one out of the three of us who was enjoying herself. I joined them and lay down so that I wouldn’t be spotted.

‘Your brother is quite the antagonistic little bastard,’ I said.

When he responded Thane’s voice was level but I could sense anger vibrating from him. ‘I saw what he did to you. Did he hurt you?’

‘Not really.’ That wasn’t the point.

He sighed. ‘I heard he used to be quite a sweet kid. I don’t know what’s happened to him or if what I heard was wrong.’ He continued to peer at the Barrow stronghold opposite, even though we could only see half of the courtyard and it was now empty.

I licked my lips. ‘I don’t think your mother is dead but I suspect she’s sick or seriously injured. She should have come out to speak to me, especially after Cayden kicked off. The fact she didn’t – and no other senior Barrow werewolves appeared either – makes me think she might be ill.’

‘I agree,’ he said. ‘Ashina wouldn’t have allowed Cayden to act that way under normal circumstances, especially on Barrow property.’ Thane clearly no longer wanted to call Ashina Mum and I didn’t blame him.

‘Cayden is fixated on you,’ I went on. ‘Whatever woes have befallen the Barrow werewolves, he seems to have decided they’re all your fault.’ I tried to soften the blow. ‘You’re an easy target – you’re not there and you can’t defend yourself.’

Thane only grunted. He shifted to the left and pressed against the chimney as he tried to see through the closed windows opposite. I frowned. One of the windows was boarded up and I wondered if it had only recently been broken. And if so, by whom.

‘Perhaps,’ I offered, ‘you’ll get a better view from the other side.’ I pulled myself into a crouch. ‘The angle will be clearer from the next roof.’

Thane didn’t move. ‘I tried that before,’ he said. ‘But there’s some dark gunk on that side that I didn’t like the look of.’

Tiddles raised her head and twitched her ears before giving me a long look.

I felt the blood drain from my face. With slow, deliberate movements, I crawled around the chimney to the other side of the roof. When I saw the dark ‘gunk’ that Thane had mentioned, my heart skipped a beat.

Shit. Oh, shit. No wonder Cayden and the other Barrow werewolves were dangling on a precipice of bloody violence. Suddenly I had a very good idea as to what had happened to Ashina Barrow and quite possibly several others.

Steeling myself for the unpleasantness to come, I drew closer to the misshapen patch of black and crouched down. Even before I smelled it, I knew it was the same magical residue that I’d discovered opposite the Shellycoat house. It wasn’t as strong but it was definitely the same stuff.

I rocked back on my heels, no longer worried that somebody from the Barrow household might see me. Suddenly, that was the least of my concerns.

I called out to Thane in a low voice, ‘Did you get close to this … gunk?’

‘Close enough to know that it’s incredibly nasty. It reeks to high heaven of bad magic but, whatever it is, it’s old. I figured something dark and magical died up here and rotted away leaving that crap behind. I wouldn’t get too close if I were you.’

He didn’t need to tell me twice. ‘It’s not death residue,’ I told him. ‘This is something else. I think I know what’s happened to the Barrow pack.’

I glanced again at the boarded-up window as another thought occurred to me.

Had the Barrows suffered a recent burglary as well as the Shellycoats?

Uneasiness swirled around my belly: if Bin the trow had been involved, I’d had the chance to put a stop to him but instead I’d chosen to take a different path.

If that were the case, I’d definitely chosen wrongly.

Thane and I sat together in the corner of a busy café. The noise of clinking crockery and the chatter around us was more than enough to mask the sound of our conversation; we were less likely to be overhead in a busy spot than somewhere with no customers.

It had taken some persuasion to get Thane to leave his stake-out, but for once Tiddles had been on my side and had nipped his fingers to encourage him to listen to me. Now she was curled up on his lap snoring.

‘You’re saying that you believe what happened to this ban sith has also happened to my mo—’ he swallowed and corrected himself ‘—to Ashina Barrow?’

I didn’t beat around the bush. ‘The signs are there. If somebody could rip out a ban sith’s voice, they could also rip out a werewolf’s lupine soul.

Ashina isn’t dead, but if she can no longer transform during the full moon she’ll be very sick, right?

Sick enough for her pack to believe she’s dying. ’

Thane’s skin was pale and his voice was distant. ‘The pack had to work hard to prove themselves in the years after I left. They didn’t want to appear weak, and that will still be a concern now.’

And that was the reason they’d not told anyone what had happened. I nodded.

‘And last time I checked,’ Thane continued, ‘there were nineteen Barrow werewolves. Last night there were seven. What if it’s not just Ashina who’s been affected but others, too? What if it’s not a coincidence that I only ran into seven of them last night?’

He met my eyes. ‘That’s why Cayden is so angry with me. All those years ago I weakened the Barrow pack and now he believes it’s my fault this is happening to them.’

‘It’s only a theory,’ I cautioned.

He sighed and rubbed a hand across his shorn, copper-coloured hair. ‘But it fits.’ Unfortunately it did.

‘How long do you think a werewolf can go without transforming?’ I asked.

‘We don’t have a choice, Kit. The full moon forces that transformation every month.’

I watched him. He knew what I was asking: if a werewolf was forced out of their wolf body and couldn’t return despite the demands of the full moon, how long would they survive?

Months at best because the shock to their system and the inability to accede to their natural cycle wouldn’t be healthy.

That could easily prove as lethal for a werewolf as Keres losing her ban sith wail.

And it was obvious from the residue I’d found that the Barrow werewolves had been targeted long before the ban sith, so their time had to be running out.

‘I’m not a Barrow wolf, Kit,’ Thane whispered. ‘They’re not my family. Not any more. But I have to—’ he choked.

I took his hands in mine. ‘I get it, Thane. We’ll help them.’

‘How?’

‘I’m already on Keres’ case and I have a few ideas.

You can’t talk to the Barrows but you know other werewolves.

Maybe ask around and see if anyone knows what has happened to them?

’ I gave him a warning look. ‘Don’t try and approach the Barrow pack yourself, will you?

They want someone to blame and right now, for whatever stupid reason they’ve concocted amongst themselves, they’re blaming you. ’

‘I’ll stay away.’ His voice was resigned.

‘You have to promise, Thane.’ I wanted my ginger werewolf to be safe; hell, I needed him to be safe.

He held my gaze. ‘You have my word.’ That was more than enough.

‘There are a few people I can speak to who might know what’s happening, and last night’s full moon could work in my favour because I’ll be more likely to catch them off-guard.

They might be more willing to talk.’ As long as Thane was in problem-solving mode, he wasn’t focused on the trauma of what was happening.

I checked my watch. ‘Let’s reconvene this evening before the sun goes down.’

‘Eight o’clock?’ he asked. ‘At your place?’

‘I’ll be there.’ I drained my cup of coffee, which wasn’t up to Black’s standards but had been reasonably bitter and tasty nonetheless, and stood up. ‘Take care of yourself,’ I told him. I meant it wholeheartedly. ‘Oh – and don’t go back to your flat. It’s not safe.’ I pulled a face. ‘Sorry.’

‘A mirrored ceiling is a silly idea anyway,’ he muttered.

I managed a small humourless smile then I left. I had business to attend to.

I found it hard to believe that I’d accidentally come across the only people in Coldstream who’d had their powers ripped away from them. The idea that Keres and the Barrow werewolves were the only ones affected was nonsensical: there had to be others.

There were two people I could go to in order to confirm that dark theory.

The Magical Enforcement Team headquarters was smack bang in the centre of Coldstream.

The last time I’d visited, the place had been in a considerable state of disarray having been attacked in the middle of the night.

Now it sported a shiny new front door complete with an elaborate magical ward in place.

In theory that was a good thing: the fast repairs meant that the MET appeared not only efficient but also prosperous.

In reality, it was a pain in the arse because I could no longer stroll inside and demand to speak to Captain Wilberforce Montgomery.

I had to wait on the step outside until I was deemed unthreatening enough to enter.

‘Take a seat, Ms McCafferty,’ stated the officious-looking druid who eventually allowed me into the building. ‘Captain Montgomery will be here shortly.’

The MET were woefully under-staffed and the one contact I could rely on was often out on the mean streets of Coldstream, dealing with the petty crimes that others hadn’t mopped up. That Montgomery was already in the building looked promising but, alas, he didn’t see it the same way.

His face dropped when he strode into the waiting room and saw me. ‘Oh, it’s you. I knew our paths would cross again at some point but I was hoping it would be later rather than sooner.’ Clearly, the druidic staff sergeant had neglected to mention my name.

I smiled pleasantly; I still had my amiable cat-lady persona to maintain, although Montgomery’s belief that I was nothing more than that was diminishing every time we met.

‘Good afternoon, Captain.’ My smile widened; I could be both deferential and polite when the situation called for it.

He gave me a long-suffering look that was filled with dread rather than pleasure. That was a shame. Maybe next time I’d drop by with some scones instead of problems – then again, given Dave’s reaction to my baking attempts, perhaps that wasn’t such a good idea.

‘I suppose you’d better come this way,’ he said. ‘We can talk in the interview room and you can tell me how you’re planning to ruin my day.’

‘Ruining your day would never be my intention, Captain.’

He snorted. ‘Yeah, yeah.’

I followed him into a small windowless space that appeared to have been renovated at the same time as the front door and the waiting area.

Whoever had been in charge ought to have tried harder; even with a fresh coat of paint and newly plastered walls, it was depressing.

I managed to stop myself from saying so and sat down.

Montgomery took the seat opposite. ‘Alright then, Ms McCafferty. What’s the problem today?’

‘Call me Kit.’

His look suggested that he didn’t ever want to be on first-name terms with me if he could possibly help it.

I got to the point. ‘I’m here as a concerned citizen.’

Montgomery sighed. ‘Go on.’

‘I’ve heard reports that there are people in Coldstream who’ve had their powers stolen. Their magic has been ripped from their bodies with some force. Is this true?’

‘You have nothing to worry about, Ms McCafferty. It’s happened to very few people and there’s probably a simple explanation. I expect they’ll recover their magic soon enough.’

Shit. I’d expected there would be others but it was still awful to hear Captain Montgomery confirm it. ‘How do you know that? Has anyone recovered their powers yet?’

‘Well, I doubt the three affected would tell me if they had. The harpy has lost her ability to fly, though that makes Coldstream safer, and I suspect the leprechaun having a run of bad luck is simply feeling sorry for himself. The druid is a frequent complainant who is prone to exaggeration.’

I looked at Montgomery and he looked at me. ‘Goddamnit,’ he muttered. ‘That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? You want information about who’s been affected. Is there something else going on? Should I be concerned?’

I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to have somebody else on the case.

‘I think,’ I said carefully, ‘that you ought to investigate further. If the druids have been affected, maybe you ought to check with the witches’ council to see if any of them have been having problems. The same goes for the vampires.

It wouldn’t hurt to tell the public to be on their guard. ’

‘Be on their guard for what exactly?’ His eyes narrowed.

I grimaced but answered truthfully. ‘I don’t know.

But I don’t think any of them will suddenly recover their magic any time soon.

And I recommend that they see a doctor, even if they’re not feeling unwell.

’ I took out the handkerchief I’d used to collect the sample of nasty dark gunk from the rooftop overlooking the Shellycoat house.

‘I’d also look for some of this residue. I suspect it might be connected.’

He gazed at the handkerchief. ‘What is that?’

‘I’m hoping you’ll find out.’

Montgomery ran a hand through his hair. ‘And what will you be doing while I’m running around the city asking questions?’

I blinked innocently. ‘Me? I’ve raised my concerns with the appropriate authorities, Captain. Now I’m simply going home to Danksville.’

‘Would you like any help with that?’

I’d started to suspect Wilberforce Montgomery was smarter than he let on. I hesitated then spoke aloud the thought that had been bothering me. ‘A list of all the properties where residents have recently reported burglaries would be useful.’

‘Why? Do you think there’s a connection?’

It was tenuous: a nervy trow, a stolen shellycoat and a broken Barrow wolf window were all I had so far. ‘Honestly? I’m not sure yet.’ But I soon would be.