I shook my head. “All right. Though my stomach has a lump the size of a baseball in it. Can he really help us?”
“If anybody’s got his finger on the seedy side of Starlight Hollow, it’s Josh. And that includes keeping track on scammers and other rogues passing through.” He arched an eyebrow. “If anybody can tell us anything, it will be him.”
“How the hell did you meet? I can’t imagine your father approving of the friendship.”
“You’d be surprised. A good leader knows that he has to keep his eye on his entire world, not just the side that’s all sunshine and roses. Unfortunately, my brother doesn’t share the same sentiment. I have some serious doubts about how he’ll do as the king, but that’s not my affair. I’m out of it and if you have any doubts, you can send them packing.” He took one of my hands, and Bran took the other.
We waited in silence. Bree seemed comfortable enough, she sat back against the sofa, closing her eyes. We were all tired, and I was a little worried about Faron’s new job. But it was a mere ten minutes before Josh returned.
“I have news,” he said before we could ask. “My sources tell me that the McFarland brothers are back in town.”
Faron shifted, letting go of my hand and straightening his shoulders. “The McFarland brothers? Wonderful.”
Even Bran seemed to recognize the name. “I thought they were run out of town twenty years ago. My father talked about them.”
I glanced over at Bree, but she looked as clueless as I felt. “Will someone tell me who they are?”
Bran glanced over at me. “The McFarland brothers used to run the underside of Starlight Hollow. They had more charges against them than a porcupine has quills. And they’re far more painful. They had racked up charges from jaywalking to kidnapping to assault when they were run out of town. I wonder if Daisy knows about them.”
“I doubt it,” Josh said. “Daisy Parker’s a good sort, but she wasn’t the sheriff back then, and the McFarland brothers are good at remaining incognito. However, I happen to have an address for them. In fact, my source was about to call me and tell me about them because he just saw them this morning. They must have just returned to town recently.”
“Do you have anything you need to get out of them?” Faron asked. “In other words, do they leave anything?”
Josh shook his head. “I extracted it last time they came through town, which was seven years ago. They’re all yours.”
“Where are they staying?” Bree asked.
“Down by the Glassworks. There’s an old abandoned warehouse down there, and my source said that’s where they’re holed up. But I’d hurry. They’ll be on the move quickly. Especially since they’ve kidnapped a dragonette. They aren’t going to want to stick around to face an angry witch.”
“What are they?” I asked. “Shifters? Human?”
“They’re human,” Josh said. “But they have powerful friends and I have no doubt they employ thugs who are far more powerful than human. At least physically.”
Faron thanked Josh, as did the rest of us. As we headed toward the door, Josh stopped us with one last warning.
“The McFarland brothers have no qualms about murder. If you don’t go in quickly and nullify them, they’ll kill their captives just to spite you. As I said, I’d move on this. Once they leave town, you’ll never find them again.”
I glanced at Faron, knowing in my heart that Josh was right. “We have no choice. We have to go in. Should we call Daisy?”
“We’ll talk in the car, once were on our way. Let’s go,” Faron said. When we jogged out into the night, taking care not to slip on the ice as we headed back to the car. We were racing against time now, and I had a bad feeling about our chances.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Faron drove. As we headed deeper into the Grimwold, I realized I hadn’t brought any weapons of any sort.
“What do we do for weapons?” I asked. “I don’t have any of my spell components.”
“I always carry a few spares in the trunk,” Faron said.
“So there are two McFarland brothers?” Bree asked. “And you said they probably have some hired help?”
Faron nodded. “Yeah, two brothers. Jag and Kimmell. They’re actually fraternal twins. One has blonde hair and one has black, at least they did the last time I saw them. Make no mistake: They care nothing for others. They don’t care if they skewer children, animals, or your aunt. Don’t hesitate if you have the chance to take one out, because they’re never going to regret a single thing they’ve done.”
“I’m surprised they got out of town alive,” I said.
“Trust me, there were a few vigilantes who hunted them, but none of them returned home alive. The only people they’re loyal to are each other. They were loyal to their family too, but that ended when someone wiped out their mother and father. The whole family was bad to the core, but Jag and Kimmell happen to be out of town when a bear shifter destroyed the rest of the family.”
“How did they do it? If the McFarland’s are so dangerous, how did someone manage to kill off the family?”
