I jumped up and yanked off the sweats. “Thanks, Nathan! You’re a lifesaver and I am so proud of you.” I shifted and ran full speed toward my property, as direct a line as my bear knew. I had to get home.
EIGHTEEN
Emma
Caroland I sat down at a table in a corner of Deva's Delights. It was a slow time, so slow that we were the only table with people at it. When a waitress came over, we let her know we were just waiting for someone and that Deva didn't mind, then slipped her a tip. She thanked us and returned to the back, where we could hear the laughter of Deva's employees as they prepped for the lunchtime shift.
"So," I drew out the word, eyeing Carol, trying to decide where to begin.
She turned tired eyes onto me, and I froze. This was not the Carol I was used to. Today, she hadn't styled her shoulder-length brown hair. Instead, she'd pulled it back into my favorite mom-bun. And while normally I'd celebrate her causal look, I knew it was a sign she hadn't slept last night, nor was she in a good frame of mind. Not that I could blame her. Her skin was also paler than normal, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her normally cheery outfits, full of knitted sweaters, and outfits with fabric with bright colors or cartoon characters, had been replaced with a black shirt and pants.
I hadn't even known that Carol owned black clothes.
"So," I started again. "We have to tread carefully here. This whole thing is an opportunity to gain experience more about the vampires, and possibly find the person who took Bryan."
Her blue eyes held a sharp edge. "I'm not going to screw this up."
"I wasn't saying--"
"You don't want me to grab this lady and shake her until I get my answers, I got it."
I took a deep breath, wanting to reach for her hands, but sensing she wouldn't want to be touched right now. "Trista asked for our help. If she was hiding something, I don't think she would have. She might have asked us because she wants to learn more about us, or wants to help us with our investigation, but no matter what her motivation is, we need to remain polite and professional."
Carol leaned back her chair and rubbed her face, then her voice came out less sharp. "Sorry, I'm really not trying to take this out on you, I'm just losing my mind. It feels like a nightmare. Like I finally had Bryan back, and then someone ripped him away from me." Her hands dropped, and those big eyes of hers held mine. "He saved me. He let himself get caught to protect me. He's a good man, I swear he is."
My heart ached. "I'm sure he is."
"And if Trista wants us to investigate her stalker shifter, we'll do that, and try to find out anything that might help us at the same time. As upset as I am, I understand that. I understand this is an opportunity and that I need to keep my emotions in check."
There was my friend. "Right. So then..."
Trista was suddenly walking down the street, and I froze. She was wearing a white blouse and pink pants with white heels. Her long red hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail, and her was wearing lipstick in the same shade of pink as her pants. Her walk was all confidence, like she owned the sidewalk she was walking on. Even though she was a tiny woman who looked no more than twenty-one. This woman, she honestly intrigued me.
She opened the door to Deva's Delights and spotted us in an instant. Walking across the cafe, her heels clicking as she went, she stopped in front of our table and smiled. "Thank you so much, ladies, for meeting me today."
I did that thing again. The thing I didn't entirely understand. Where I reached out my senses and tried to read her. Only, I sensed nothing. Not one single thing.
Trista was still masking herself, which worried me. Why would she feel the need unless she had something to hide? I hadn’t met another vampire who did it. Actually, I hadn't metanyonewho did this. It was almost like seeing rushing water, but not hearing a single sound. You want to look around and see how that was possible, but nothing showed that it was. People all radiated something. I hadn't realized it until I came across Trista. It was like when I sensed happy people, or anxious people, or angry people, they were background noise. With Trista, she was a silent mystery I was determined to figure out.
Because the whole thing was just weird.
"Please, join us," I said.
She smiled again and seated herself in a gingerly way, like she was wearing a big ballgown instead of regular clothes. "It's delightful to meet you again, Emma." Then, her gaze swung to Carol. I assumed she'd looked confused. I'd only mentioned that I would meet her, but hearing what I was planning, Carol had insisted on joining us. Instead, Trista simply looked glad to meet my friend.
“This is my friend Carol,” I explained. “She’s a witch, and I thought she might be able to help us with your shifter problem.”
Trista took meeting my unexpected friend in stride, clasping Carol’s hand and smiling happily. “Thank you for your assistance. You will, of course, be well compensated.”
Carol shrugged one shoulder. “It’s no problem.” Okay, so she was less friendly than usual, but not bad.
"What are we talking about? What's going on?" Trista asked, leaning in like we're old girlfriends.
Carol's eyes filled with hurt, so I responded. "Just talking about... men. You know how it is."
Her face brightened. "Oh, men. They are justsomuch trouble sometimes. More trouble than they're worth." A giggle exploded from her lips. "But then, they're fun and they keep life interesting, soI guessthey're worth keeping around."
I forced a smile. "Yeah, I hear that. And how are things holding up with Clan Dusk without Quillan around?"
