Page 53 of Fennick’s Fortune (Sentinels of Apollo #2)

“I’m sorry, Granddad, but I had to. You know it’s more than just juvenile delinquents out causing trouble.

They’re coming after us, shifters. Who knows when we’ll be next?

The tipline was established to inform the Sentinels of things like this, Daideo , Granddad.

” The boy was a mix of slightly defiant and beseeching.

“ Buachaill , Boy, that’s for serious matters. Not suspicions that we can’t substantiate or that we can handle ourselves. Do you think the Guardians have time to run off for every little thing? I apologize for my grandson. He’s young and hasn’t learned how not to overreact.”

“ An as an sean-tír thú? éire? Are you from the old country? Ireland?” Keir asked excitedly.

Up until then, he’d been walking restlessly around the room. He had a puzzled look on his face, and he kept sniffing. Inhaling, I scented another presence had been in the house, though it wasn’t here now. The person was related to these two and was female.

“ Sea, is mise. Tusa? Yes, I am. You?” Galen asked.

That had Keir rattling off to him in Gaelic, leaving the rest of us in the dark. It wasn’t until our puzzlement registered that Keir stopped.

“Sorry, guys, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to speak Gaelic. Mr. Katz was telling me where he was from. This is his great-grandson, Galen the Third.” Keir explained.

“Sorry for the harsh welcome. Come in. At the very least, we can let you rest and provide you with something to eat and drink. And please call me Old Galen or Galen. My grandson is called Gal or Young Galen. If I’d known you were coming, we’d have prepared something,” Old Galen stated, casting a disappointed look at his grandson.

“There’s no need to go to any trouble. We don’t want to impose. However, we want to discuss what concerned Young Galen enough to reach out. Before we do that, I think we should introduce ourselves,” Banner interjected as we entered a kitchen on the smaller side.

“I insist on being hospitable. If I didn’t, my mamaí , mama would rise out of her grave and beat me with a switch.

Gal, get those cookies made yesterday out, fill glasses with ice, and put them on the table.

Gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable. While we get this together, please let us know your names.

I can tell you’re all shifters, though a few I haven’t smelled in centuries.

” He eyed Royal, Gunnar, and Banner in astonishment.

“I’m Abraxas, but most people call me Brax. I’m a wolf.”

“I’m Nico, and as you probably guessed, I’m a vampire.” This remark had Young Galen eyeing him closely. Even among our own, vampires often made others uneasy.

“I’m Royal. I’m one of the ones you probably haven’t had contact with in ages. Honestly, I don’t know if any others of my kind are left. I’m a dragon.” He added it for Gal’s benefit. It was unlikely he knew all the various scents at his age, especially some of ours.

“I fall into that unlikely category, too. I’m Gunnar, and I’m a gryphon.”

“I’m Fennick and I’m a bear.”

“I’m Keir, and like you, I’m from Ireland and I’m a leopard. It’s good to see more of us are out there.”

“Well, not to brag, but as a phoenix, I’m more interesting than all these guys. I’m Banner.” Our friend grinned as he made his introduction, earning him eye rolls from the rest of us.

By the time the introductions were over, glasses of ice, a large plate of amazing-looking cookies, napkins, and a pitcher of ice water, along with one of lemonade and another of tea, were put before us.

“Please, don’t be shy, help yourself. I can attest that the cookies are worth it,” Old Galen said, chuckling.

We were thirsty and could always eat, so we did as he said.

When everyone was served, I took a bite of the cookie I had snagged.

I didn’t hold back the moan that it caused.

It was one of the best cookies I’d ever tasted.

My friends took bites and exclaimed over theirs. Both Galens smiled with pride.

“Damn, these are fantastic. Even if this is a false alarm, these cookies almost make up for the drive,” Gunnar said.

“Where did you come from?” Old Galen asked.

“We all live in California. And I doubt whatever alarmed your grandson enough to contact us isn’t worth our time.

If nothing else, we can either confirm your fear is warranted or that you’re fine.

Did you read the message about banding together with other shifters to form protective alliances?

As much as we want to help, we’re only so many to combat and protect the masses,” Brax explained.

“We did. And while we’d like to do that, it’s hard to find them to do so, especially now,” Galen said.

“Why, especially now? And I’d think that this being the Phoenix area, there would be several shifters in and around the city,” Banner stated.

“There likely are several, but they’re not open to being found, not even by their own.

And there’s been talk for months that a group is operating across the southern states of Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, terrorizing shifters.

I didn’t give it any credence. Gal came to me and told me about the chatter he was hearing online.

I told him to ignore it. You can’t believe most of what you read on there. It kept cropping up, more often.”

When Old Galen paused, his grandson took over. “Then I heard that they were in the Phoenix area, and people in an online forum for our kind were warning us to beware. They’re getting closer, and there have been incidents reported by those whom I’ve become friends with on there. They aren’t lying.”

“What kind of things are happening?” Royal asked. I studied Gal as he spoke. He was scared and angry, but no deceit was detected.

“They’re terrorizing our people. Some of it involves petty things, such as vandalism, breaking in, stealing their belongings, or tearing their homes apart.

It escalates to the point where some end up beaten.

The worst are those who end up killed or disappear.

Whoever it is wants shifters and supernaturals to leave their towns and states,” Gal added.

“Has there been actual communication with these people, or is it guesswork about why they’re doing this, if they are?” Banner asked. This remark earned him a frown from Gal.

“Hey, I’m a lawyer, and he’s a cop. We have to assume innocence until proven otherwise,” Banner said.

It appeared that the news of them being a cop and a lawyer relieved both guys. A bit of tension eased within them. Their bodies were less tense.

“It was a rumor only until a week ago. Then we got proof that it wasn’t hearsay,” Old Galen admitted. He sounded weary.

“And how do you know that?” I asked.

“Because we received a letter left on our doorstep warning us. And giving us a deadline to be out or we’d pay the price,” he muttered.

The news that they had received a direct threat stiffened us all. Brax asked our next question first. “Do you still have it?”

“I do. I was trying to see how to prevent my family from being hurt. We can’t run to the police and tell them what we are. Give me a minute to get it,” he said before rising and walking out of the room. When he did, Gal shook his head.

“He hoped like mad it wasn’t real. However, this letter outlines what’ll happen if we don’t leave.

I contacted you because I thought you would be able to do something about them.

You’re our world’s police force. If something happens to me or my sister, it’ll kill him.

And the same is true for me if either of them is hurt.

We’ve only got each other.” The boy admitted.

Before we were able to reassure him, Old Galen returned with the paper. We let Royal take it from him. He read it aloud to the rest of us.

“Take this as your only warning, old man. We know what you are. And we won’t tolerate your kind taking our jobs, living near our women and children, stealing our women, or infecting our neighborhoods anymore.

You think no one knows what you are? You’re wrong.

You and your family have three weeks to leave Phoenix and Arizona.

If you don’t, what will come will be on your head.

The things you’ve heard are real. There’s nothing we won’t do to cleanse you from our lives.

Be thankful you’ve been given a chance to leave.

We could’ve just exterminated you and been done with it.

Wouldn’t it be awful to see what we’ll do to your grandson and granddaughter?

The clock is ticking. Go!!! Signed, X. ” Royal finished reading.

“When we knocked, you thought we might be part of these degenerates, yet you answered. Why risk it?” Brax asked.

“Because we don’t cower behind our doors.

Don’t get me wrong. I want my family to be safe.

And at my age and after what I’ve endured, I won’t rule out leaving if it keeps my grandchildren safe.

But even if we wished to go, where could we go?

We don’t have friends or family elsewhere.

And what if we land in a spot with these same people controlling it? ” We heard his worry loud and clear.

“Why didn’t you want Young Galen to contact us?” Nico asked.

“I didn’t want you to take your focus off what you should be working on. Pytho and his Knights are a worse threat than whoever this bunch is,” he confessed.

“There’s no doubt Pytho and the Knights are a priority, but it doesn’t mean we’re not here to help with other things. And who is to say this group isn’t part of the Knights or someone of a similar mindset? We’re glad Young Galen reached out. Why did you cut off communicating, though?” Keir asked.

A blush stained Gal’s cheeks before he answered. “I was grounded for a week with no internet. I went out with friends and was supposed to stay in contact with Daideo and be home by eleven. I didn’t do it, so I got grounded.”

“Ah, and let me guess. Among these friends was a pretty girl you liked,” Nico guessed.