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CHAPTER TWO

I remembered that I hadn’t let Killian know about dinner tonight, or about Walter.

He had gone over with me several times to visit Wren and Walter, and he had done what he could to fix things around the house.

The minute I arrived home, I gave him a call.

Luckily, he was between patients. My husband—a wolf shifter—was a veterinarian with a soft spot for cats.

“Hey, what’s up, love?”

I worried my lip. “Two things. I got a call this morning from Kerris Fellwater of Whisper Hollow. She needs my help with something. She and her husband Bryan are meeting us for dinner tonight—they drove over from the peninsula today.”

“Hmm, really? Well, dinner sounds fine. Do you know what she wants?”

“No, not really. We’ll find out tonight. They’re staying at a hotel. I didn’t feel comfortable inviting her to stay here unless we’ve actually met. But something else happened today,” I said.

“You sound like you’ve been crying,” Killian said. “Are you all right?”

“I have been, and no…well, yes, I’m all right. But at work today we got a call from Wren. Walter’s dead. He died this morning.” The words hurt coming out of my mouth. I hadn’t realized just how much I liked Wren and Walter.

Killian was silent for a few seconds, then he said, “Oh no. That sucks. I liked Walt. He was a good man.”

“He was. And the disease progressed so fast. I guess some forms of it do. Obviously, Wren’s devastated. Caitlin stayed with her today and will go back there tomorrow. Tad’s going to hire an assistant to help Wren through the first month or so.” I shook my head. “I feel so helpless.”

“Yeah, there’s not much you can do for her right now. You can help out, but nothing is going to take away the pain,” Killian said. “I’ll go over later and take a look around. Tarvish and I can fix up anything that needs repaired on the house, as long as it’s not plumbing or electrical.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, wishing he was home. I wanted to lean into his arms, to curl up with him against the harshness of the world. “You’re so good. I wish you were home right now.”

He sighed. “I wish I was too, but I’ve got two more appointments this afternoon, and they need me. It’s okay to cry,” he added.

“I know,” I said. “I think I’ll take a shower and chill with the cats until you get home. You’re sure you don’t mind dinner with Kerris and Bryan?”

“I don’t mind,” Killian said. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

As I set my phone down, it occurred to me how much other people affected our lives.

Walter, in his death, had touched us almost more than he had in life.

And that seemed sad. I resolved to spend more time with my friends from now on, and my loved ones.

Whenever my time came, I wanted people to remember what I’d brought into their lives.

* * *

Killian and I arrived at the restaurant first. We were meeting at the Moonshadow Steakhouse, an upscale eatery with reasonably priced good food. As the waitress showed us to the booth, I scooted in next to Killian and he slid his arm around my shoulder.

“We’re waiting for friends,” I told the waitress. “Can you bring me a mug of spiced apple cider, hot?”

“That sounds good. I’ll have the same,” Killian said.

We settled back, and for the first time that day I relaxed. “It’s been a long, rough day.”

“It has,” Killian said. “I lost a patient today. There was nothing anybody could do, and he was in pain, so I had to put him down.” He grimaced. It always hurt him when he had to let go of a patient.

“Who?” I asked. I knew the animals of this town better than most of the people, thanks to Killian.

“Friskabout,” he said.

I bit my lip. Friskabout had been the Gull Catcher’s dog. The two had come together only in the past year—a stray who had three legs, and a man who lived in a world all his own. The dog had given the Gull Catcher an anchor, and the Gull Catcher had given the dog a second chance at a happy life.

“So much sorrow,” I said. “The day feels so heavy.”

“It’s always hard to lose friends.” Killian straightened as the waitress returned, removing his arm so he could accept his drink.

“Your other party is here,” she said. “Should I show them back?”

“Yes, please,” I said, pulling out my compact for one last check. It was amazing my mascara hadn’t run during the various points through the afternoon, especially during the bouts of crying. But it was waterproof, and it worked great.

“Are you nervous?” Killian asked.

“Kind of. I’ve never met a spirit shaman before. They’re unique in the Otherkin world. They’re not witchblood, though they have magic when it comes to the dead. They’re few and far between—born only to nine families through the centuries.”

Killian frowned. “Yeah, and their guardians are a unique type of wolf shifter, set apart from the rest of us.”

The hostess appeared, a couple behind her.

The woman was around five-six, smaller than I was but not stick thin, and she had jet black hair and eyes that shimmered like honey.

But as I watched, their color flowed into chocolate.

The man was around Killian’s height, and their hair color almost matched—a wheaten color, though Killian’s had hints of gold and was shoulder length and curly, while Bryan’s was ashen, short, and wavy.

Where Killian was stocky and muscled, Bryan was muscled and trim.

I slipped out of the booth and so did Killian. We stood. “Kerris?” I asked. “I’m January Jaxson. And this is my husband, Killian O’Connell.”

Kerris gave me a hint of a smile, and she shook my hand. “I’m Kerris Fellwater, and this is my husband, Bryan Tierney. Thank you for seeing us.”

I slipped back in the booth and scooted toward the center—it was one of those rounded semi-circle booths—and Killian sat on the other side of me. Kerris sat to my right, and Bryan sat to Killian’s left.

The waitress waited for us to be seated, then asked, “Would you like drinks?”

Kerris nodded. “Hot cocoa, please.”

Bryan ordered a cup of coffee.

The waitress handed us menus and left to get their drinks.

“So…welcome to Moonshadow Bay. Have you ever been here before?”

Kerris leaned back against the booth. “No, I haven’t.

I lived in Seattle until Whisper Hollow called me back.

” She felt like death, to me. But death dancing, death singing, death smiling—not grim and unyielding.

It was an odd juxtaposition, and it threw me a little, but then I decided to accept it, rather than analyze it.

“I lived in Seattle too, until things went south with my ex,” I said. “My parents died, so I came home to Moonshadow Bay.”

“The shadow towns, they call us back when they need us,” Kerris said. “Peggin told me she met you, and about the Woodlings. She’s been able to connect with a few that we didn’t know were around Whisper Hollow.”

“Yes, and I have to tell you—I met the Crow Man a year ago. And he came to me in my dreams last night. I made a promise to him, and I think he’s calling it in with your visit.”

Kerris was about to say something when the waitress returned with the cocoa and coffee, and she prepared to take our orders.

I glanced over the menu. “I’d like a bowl of clam chowder, and for my entrée, I want the halibut and chips.” I folded my menu and handed it to the waitress.

Kerris ordered a filet mignon, steak fries, and salad. Bryan ordered the same, and Killian asked for the Chilean sea bass, rice pilaf, and a garden salad.

After the waitress left, Kerris let out a long sigh.

“The Crow Man gets around,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “I remember when he called me back to Whisper Hollow. But yes, I think this is his call to pay your debt. The gods and their messengers never forget favors. They’re almost worse than the Fae.”

“Well, he did us a good deed. In fact, he saved my boss’s life—and my boss is also a good friend.

So I’m willing to pay the price, as long as it doesn’t conflict with my oath to Druantia.

” I knew that some people wouldn’t see it that way, but without the Crow Man’s help, we wouldn’t have been able to locate Bigfoot.

At her look, I shrugged. “Long story. I’ll tell you sometime if you like. But please, you sounded so worried this morning. What’s going on? How can I help you?”

Kerris sighed, glancing at Bryan. “Okay, there’s a problem in Whisper Hollow and it connects to Moonshadow Bay. Have you heard of Penelope, the Gatekeeper?”

Puzzled, I shook my head. “Not that I know of.”

“This is also a long story, but I’ll make it as simple as I can.

In Whisper Hollow, the Hounds of Cú Chulainn work against the spirit shamans.

They’re enemies of the Morrígan, and the spirit shamans serve the Morrígan.

A woman—an old witch named Magda Volkov—works with the Hounds. Magda had two daughters.”

As Kerris wove the story, I found myself mesmerized.

“One of her daughters, Ellia, was the younger and she became a lament singer. She works with me, and she plays her violin for the dead to calm them. Ellia’s sister, who was much older, was named Penelope.

From the beginning, Penelope refused to follow Magda’s path and turned her back on the Hounds and Baba Volkov.

So Magda killed her. She… I can’t even begin to describe the horrendous spell she cast on her own daughter, but think of it as if a nail gun appeared inside you and shot hundreds of nails from the inside out.

I tell you this so you won’t be surprised when you see her. ”

“ See her ?” I snapped to attention. “How am I included in this?”

“I’ll explain, but you need to know the background first. Anyway, so Magda killed her older daughter.

What she didn’t expect is that the Morrígan decided to make Penelope a Gatekeeper in the Whisper Hollow cemetery.

She guards the Veil and watches over the dead, though the dead in Whisper Hollow don’t always heed her. ”