Page 32 of Eat. Prey. Love. (Apex Academy Capers #5)

“Glorious gargoyle, this forest is very foreboding,” Banjo says as we enter the dense treeline. “Are you certain we should be exploring it?”

Holliday rapidly signs his agreement and I give them an encouraging smile. “It’s daylight, so we should be perfectly safe. I wouldn’t endanger either of you—Raina would skin me for a floor rug.”

That makes the quokka titter with amusement. “I cannot imagine such a thing, but Raina is quite fierce about her gaze. She would definitely make you regret it.”

“Holliday, are you comfortable with my explanation?” The armadillo is a skilled lip reader, but I try to offer both options so I don’t accidentally exclude him.

He nods, patting the scabbard on his right hip and then touching the fucking sniper rifle slung over his other shoulder. I’m not sure where they have smaller sized weaponry made, but working in the armory everywhere he goes must be part of it.

“Holliday could hit a gnat from miles away, Monsiuer Renard. He will help with long distance protection. Do not worry about him.”

I chuckle as Banjo adjusts the bandolier of bullets across his chest, shaking my head. “I fear those weapons may not be as useful as you’d think. The predators I believe live in these woods won’t be affected by them.”

“They are when they’ve been painted with garlic and holy water,” Holliday signs. “The Captain is quite thorough with his planning.”

Shit. I didn’t think he was paying attention when I was grumbling about the bloodsuckers.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what’s fact and fiction, I’m afraid. It has been a very, very long time since these supernaturals have been encountered. Their kind have stayed as hidden as the magic users, so all I have to go on is a sketchy childhood memory and what has been written in various texts.”

Banjo points to a tree, tilting his head. “That tree is marked by prey staff. It must be storage. Squirrels, I’d say.”

“Huh. They didn’t do that at Cappie or Apex. Is it because perhaps the preds here are less… threatening than at the American schools?” I’m genuinely curious, so I peek at the tree he pointed out, then continue on the path deeper into the woods.

Holliday answers again, his hands moving quickly as we walk, “The predators here seem very unconcerned with the staff. They are not kinder, but they are aloof and indifferent. Their permanent prey workers do not act terrified as they did at our previous jobs.”

Interesting. Perhaps it’s self-involved rich kid syndrome or maybe they have specific orders not to bother them.

We trudge deeper into the trees, and something pricks my senses. I stop, half shifting to enhance my predatory instincts. This scent is very familiar and it is not vampires. The two pirates watch me silently as I explore the area around us, trying to find the source of the memory-inducing smell. It takes a moment, but I find a very small faerie ring with offerings under some brush. It’s been too long to remember which kind of ring this is, so I snap a picture with my phone for later.

“The magicals have been here. This was left for them,” I murmur to them. “I don’t know if it’s the ones from the Cappie attack or others, but this doesn’t seem elaborate enough to draw the truly powerful.”

“It's very small, glorious one,” Banjo says. “Fae who appeared on Yule were very large and intimidating, according to the staff in the event.”

I nod, bending to look at the ring thoughtfully. “Indeed, but something this small creating a net of portals over the campus might explain how they got through all the security we placed at the entrances. I don’t know enough about whether entries to the Veil can be daisy-chained like that.”

Holliday frowns, then points across the forest floor with narrowed eyes. His kind has a keen sense of smell because they don’t see well—and in his case, he can’t hear—so I trust his nose. Rising, I walk to the area he indicated, rifling through the underbrush until I find yet another one of the rings. My brows furrow and I walk to the thickest tree nearby, digging my shifted claws into it as I climb upward to get a better vantage point. Looking down at the spots where I found the rings, I grin triumphantly.

If there are three more of them, it would form a star—bingo.

“I think they are getting in by connecting the small doorways to form a big one,” I call down to Banjo. He relays that information to Holliday, who immediately starts sniffing out the other points. “I can’t decide if we should damage one of them, all of them, or leave it as a trap.”

“Perhaps we radio the others to see what they suggest?” The quokka looks up at me then his gaze-mate. “I think your clutch would be most helpful in this decision.”

“You’re right, Banjo.” I grin ruefully as I leap down from the tree, shaking the ground as I land. Pushing the button on the earwig, I wait for it to activate before I speak. “Ahoy. Pirate Team with a report.”

There’s a scuffling sound and I hear our girl respond, “Team Crazypants is still searching. What do you have, Rennie?”

“Fairy rings and a theory about how they’re getting onto the campuses.”

“Team…Alphahole is surprisingly efficient this time,” Felix says wryly. “But we haven’t found any entrances in the mountain area yet. What’s your theory, gargoyle?”

“Holliday is hunting down the other three, but I believe they are using the small rings where the pixies and smaller Fae receive offerings in a daisy-chain format to create a large portal spot in the middle. It would go unnoticed if no one was looking closely.”

“The great one sensed a presence, so if no one had that ability, they would miss these tiny things!” Banjo adds and I hear my mate laughing quietly.

“Well, Team Grumpy finds the great one’s theory credible enough,” the dragon drawls. “Though his credentials are suspect.”

“Oooh, smart guy burn,” Fitz says. “Point to the Sizzling Serpent. ”

A heavy sigh comes on the line and I grin to myself. Chess has to endure quite a bit of our playful sniping while we are cooking, so I don’t blame him. “Team Cinnamon Roll hasn’t seen anything like that but to be honest, we have not been looking for things so small. Kirby and the Captain are fanning out now to help me search.”

“Rennie, maybe you should tag the places you find these things… and anyone else, too. Then we can all figure out whether we want to use them as, like, traps or squash it for safety,” Dolly says.

Always thinking ahead… she amazes me at times, but I’m sure it comes from trying to outwit her abusive parents.

“That’s why I contacted everyone, ma petite . I wanted to make sure we are in agreement before we do anything to these miniature menaces.”

“Princess is right, Ren. You and the crew mark the spots somehow, and we’ll all do the same if we find anything suspicious. I’d prefer no one to run into a cave or whatever in such small groups, anyway. Feels like courting trouble.”

“Aye, aye, Raj,” I reply drily. “But your point is taken. Over and out.”

I roll my eyes when I click the button on my ear and Banjo grins at me. “I find it hard not to remind them how much longer Aubrey and I have survived this world at times, eh?”

Holliday makes a snorting sound, then signs, “It’s similar to when people speak slowly and make weird faces to try to ‘assist’ me with understanding them. Very annoying, but also amusing, that they believe being deaf makes me profoundly stupid.”

“He’s quite good at convincing people not to pay attention to him because of it,” the quokka says. “Holliday is like a ninja because of dumb assumptions.”

Laughing softly, I nod. “Yes, my stone form is useful that way as well. We are well matched, mes amis . Let’s get these spots taken care of, then we will continue looking for the creature I sought to begin with.”

Hopefully, I was right that they are not currently in their nests; I’d like to sneak around.

By the time we reach the graveyard on the back edge of the school, we’ve found three other star-shaped patterns. Four in this wood alone is concerning, but not nearly as concerning as the huge structure outside of the ancient burial grounds with buttoned-down windows. It looks as though it was created to house a groundskeeper, perhaps, but is now abandoned. However, the fact that its upkeep is pristine, and the wilderness around it is pruned back rather than taking over tells me there’s life in this building.

Or something passing for it.

“This place is trying very hard to appear deserted,” Holliday signs as he sniffs the air. “But it is not.”

“You are correct, mon ami .” I stand at the edge of the cemetery, looking at the structure analytically. “I think it is more than one level. Perhaps it has subterranean levels where the younger coven members live until they can join the elders.”

Banjo frowns, which looks odd on the perpetually happy-looking quokka. “It is very dark. They’ve blocked every possible place for light to get in, Monsieur. How will we find out without entering? The Raj was very adamant.”

I chuckle, winking at him. “What the puffed up tiger cub doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

My companions get sneaky looks on their faces and the spirit that got them to join up with a rogue like the Captain shines through. Banjo pulls his rifle, tucking it under his arm as he salutes me. “ I’m ready, Glorious One. Would you prefer Holliday to stay back for the long range cover?”

I nod at the armadillo, and he salutes, then scurries off to find a vantage point. “You know that will only help us if we get back outside, right?”

Banjo shakes his head. “Oh, no, Monsieur Renard. He has infrared scopes. He will have our backs above ground. We must be cautious below, though.”

Damn these dudes are like having Sibbie SEALS along for the ride.

“The Captain takes shit more seriously than I knew,” I mutter and Banjo chuckles. “Alright, let’s head for the east side of the building since it’s getting late in the afternoon. The sun will be brightest on the west side.”

We slink out of the forest, keeping low as we move along the fence of the old graveyard toward the large cabin. Banjo follows without a word, obviously used to shit like this. It makes me wonder what the hell the Captain has them doing on the regular, but that’s a conversation for later. Right now, we need to keep away from the sightline of the house. The windows are covered, but we have no idea if those coverings can be moved.

Hell, we don’t even know for sure what powers these assholes might have.

“If anyone shows their face, Banjo, shoot first and haul ass, oui ? I do not have enough information on what they are capable of to allow compassion.”

“Aye, aye, Glorious One. No mercy.”

When we reach the porch, I peek over the edge, noting it’s immaculately clean. “Okay, we’re going in.”

Banjo and I move around the stairs, then up to the door. I pause to listen, gesturing for him to be ready when I open it. He stands with the gun in hand, looking like a caricature from a shifter war movie. Grabbing the knob, I turn it and swing the heavy wood out to reveal a dark, empty room.

“There’s no one here, Monsieur.”

Sighing, I nod as I walk inside with the quokka following behind me. The furniture is surprisingly modern and comfortable looking rather than Gothic and stereotypical. In fact, the entire room looks… annoyingly normal.

This place has to be hiding something; I just know it.