I had to agree. Nana’s knees had failed her before, so I wanted to spare her from my staircase as soon as possible.
Minutes later, a truck rolled by with a giant cake pan on the trailer. “Any guesses what that’s for?” I asked.
“Not a clue,” Maxine replied.
Donning my flannel, I headed for the door. The sentinel blocked my path.
“You can come with me, or you can piss me off trying to stop me. Which is it going to be?”
“Give me two minutes to re-secure the doors and windows so we’re certain your home and grandmother are safe in our absence.”
“Or Zhan could stay here while you escort me.”
“One against that many Beholders?”
“Heldridge’s men may not even be a threat. And if they are, they’ve been up and working eight hours already.”
“We are both going with you.”
I shrugged and conceded. With a dog treat for Ares in hand, I told Nana what we were doing. Maxine locked the front door, then we headed out to the garage, intending to exit via the man-door. On a whim, I halted our little parade to fill a gallon-sized bucket with dog food.
Maxine and Zhan waited for me, both with guns drawn. I appreciated that they took their duty here very seriously, but their bared weapons didn’t make me comfortable. “Is that absolutely necessary?”
“Better safe than sorry,” Maxine said and opened the man-door. She locked it behind us and we walked toward the construction.
After we located Mountain and waved to get his attention, he walked over to us.
Behind me, Zhan gasped as she took in the flock of birds, strolling like peacocks from the far end of the grove. Their flame-colored feather configurations were brilliant in the afternoon light. “Phoenix?” she asked, incredulous.
I nodded. The unicorns and griffons remained hidden within the grove. The dragons were near the edge, curled in big piles.
“They’re eager to get into their coop,” Mountain said. The metal roof on the aluminum shed was being attached as he spoke. “They must know it’s theirs. They keep meandering out to have a look at it.”
He gave me a brief update about pipes being laid in trenches below the frost line. Goddess help me, but Johnny’s dirty mind was rubbing off on me; nearly all of the report sounded like innuendos.
“What is that?” I pointed at the newest arriving truck, backing into position according to the commands of onlooking Beholders. Before Mountain could reply, the answer hit me. “A swimming pool?”
“For the dragons.”
“Dragons?” Zhan echoed.
“There. They’re sleeping.” Mountain pointed to where the dragons lay. They looked like coils of giant drainage tubing. “Once we get the pool installed and filled, they’ll be much happier.”
“Did they eat?”
“Ten cases of those little cans of tuna! I think I killed the hand-crank can opener. I’ve got someone trying to contact the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, to ask about their suppliers. Bulk frozen fish would be far less hassle.”
The animals were being taken care of, their shelters were coming along fast, and Mountain had it all under control. Speaking of eating … “You’ll have dinner with us, right?”
“There’s no need to go to any trouble on my account.”
“You don’t want me to go to any trouble? Look at all this.” My hand flapped at the scene around us, and I nearly dropped the bucket of dog food. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
Apparently, griffon hearing is good enough to detect the rattle of kibble amid a cacophony of construction. Thunderbird emerged from the edge of the grove. The griffon arched his neck in my direction.
Immediately I started toward him. The sentinels followed.
As we neared, I held out the bucket. “You want this?”
Thunderbird lurched forward eagerly and his lame paw caused him to stumble. It looked as if he was about to attack.
We all halted, but movement to my right caught my attention and I realized that Maxine had raised her gun.
The griffon recovered his balance and stopped.
“Lower it,” I whispered. “Get back.” On my left, Zhan backed up several paces. The griffon considered Maxine with a steadiness that had an undeniable cognizance behind it.
She lowered her gun and stepped back.
“C’mon, Thunderbird.” I shook the dog food again. “This is all yours.”
His one golden eye assessed me in an altogether human manner, not at all like a bird. He came to me, dipped his head into the bucket, came up crunching.
I couldn’t resist stroking those black feathers gently.
He jerked away, but did not retreat.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
In one swift movement, his beak darted in, wrested the bucket’s handle from me, and swung it away from me. He limped deeper into the grove, tail twitching irritably.
Mountain returned to the worksite. Maxine and Zhan followed me across the field.
I’d hiked only a dozen yards when my back pocket erupted with the guitar riff and chorus of AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” I took another step before I realized: The protrepticus is ringing!
CHAPTER NINE
Stopping in my tracks, I jerked the phone out of my pocket and flipped it open so hurriedly I nearly dropped it. Samson D. Kline’s voice hailed me. “Heads up, little girl; Xerxadrea’s body has been identified.”
The phone issued a burp of static and the screen went black. I shook it, closed it, and opened it again. No light at all and no chance to ask him how the protrepticus could still work.
“My lady?” Maxine prompted.
“Nothing.” I pushed the phone back into my pocket and hurried on.
As we crossed the yard, a dozen witches swooped down from the sky. My sentinels raised their guns once more and, again, I insisted they put them away. This time my most authoritative facial expression accompanied the words, “Holster them, now.” The sentinels obeyed.
The witches hovered above my grass. That they did not dismount their brooms meant they weren’t staying. That they wore their formal black robes and charm-bedecked pointy hats meant they were on their way to or from official business. Thanks to my phone call, I could guess what.
Foremost was Vilna-Daluca. Ruya, the raven that once sat on the shoulder of the Eldrenne Xerxadrea, now sat on Vilna’s shoulder. The rest of them were high priestesses, members of the lucusi that I’d had the honor of being a member of … for about twelve hours. They had given me my own flying broom, amped up my house wards, and promptly severed their ties to me as Xerxadrea had instructed them when they learned I’d become Menessos’s Erus Veneficus. Ranking witches didn’t allow status, titles, or respect to witches who used their power in service to vampires.
Only Menessos and I knew that my becoming EV had been Xerxadrea’s idea and she had intended that severing to be temporary. She knew my role as EV had many purposes, and that Menessos’s “benefit” was the least of them. She’d assured me of this as she lay dying, having taken a bolt of fairy fire to save me.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, ladies?”
Vilna-Daluca dismounted her broom and advanced, steps soft and certain. She stopped before me, expression blank. Her long hair was loose, straight, smooth, and so white against her black robes. I was searching for a clue, scrutinizing the set of her mouth, the hazel of her—
She slapped me. Ruya screeched.
Before the bird could resettle its feathers, Maxine had her gun to Vilna’s temple. She cocked it for emphasis.
I recovered. “Max, put it away.”
“But—”
Without shifting my focus from Vilna, I said, “Either you do as your Erus Veneficus commands, or you suffer the consequences.”
I hadn’t pulled rank to threaten Maxine before. She obeyed.
Citing my rank, however, didn’t please the Elder before me. Blame hardened Vilna’s features. She whispered hotly, “We protected you!”