No one argued with him, the werecreatures moving with preternatural speed back to the parking lot by City Hall. Wade kept pace with Spencer and Fatima, claiming the front seat of the car when they arrived, much to Makai’s affronted disbelief.
“Unbelievable,” Makai muttered as Fatima happily curled up on Wade’s lap, prepared to be worshipped with attention on the drive home.
“Aww, she missed me,” Wade said, scratching behind Fatima’s ears.
Spencer dumped his ruined outerwear in the trunk before meeting up with Brooke one last time by the side of her truck. She, like most werecreatures, had spare clothes for herself and others stored in her vehicle. The thin shirt and leggings weren’t much good against the cold rain, but her lack of nudity would ensure no one looked twice at her on the drive home.
“Angie and Gabriel will be all right,” Spencer promised. “They just need to rest up some. I’ll call tomorrow to speak with them and get their statements, along with yours, but I need to head back to Seattle.”
“You can’t identify us,” she said.
“I won’t. I’ll get a proxy.”
Brooke let out a tired sigh before nodding at his floating mageglobe. “Is whatever you found what caused their possession?”
“Demons caused their possession, and they’re clear of that.”
Brooke arched an eyebrow but didn’t call him out on his verbal sidestep. “I’ll be sure to let the Tacoma god pack know about what happened tonight. They’ll spread the warning through the packs under their protection.”
Spencer nodded and waved goodbye before climbing into the driver’s seat of his borrowed car. He yanked the door shut, settled the mageglobe with its precious cargo on the center console, and started the engine, ready for a drive back and all the headaches that awaited him in Seattle.
Wade rifled through his backpack and came up with a couple of candy bars, ripping one open with his teeth. “Think we can stop for a drink on the way back? Soda cans don’t really travel well at high altitudes.”
Spencer sighed loudly and backed up out of the parking spot, headlights shining the way to the road out of town. “You’ll survive until we get back to Seattle.”
“I mean, yeah, but I’m thirsty. Flying is a lot of work.”
Spencer turned the radio on and wondered if his badge was enough to get him out of a speeding ticket.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Spencer droppedMakai off at the god pack’s home first once they reached Seattle. Mallory and Anil met them out front, an umbrella keeping the pouring rain off them as Makai got out of the car.
“So they were possessed,” Anil said grimly.
Spencer looked across Wade through the open passenger-side window and nodded. “Vampires from what I’m assuming was the Spokane Night Court were working with a sorceress who I unfortunately didn’t get to take into custody.”
Wade didn’t look at all guilty for his hand in that. “I took out a threat. You should be thanking me.”
Spencer ignored him. “I promised Brooke I would keep her and her people’s names out of my report. I’ll need to use Makai as proxy since he was there.”
“That’s fine,” Makai said after Mallory nodded her acceptance of that request.
Anil ducked down to better see them, his amber eyes reflecting light from the dashboard screen’s glow. “We’ve given Wade pass-through rights for the whole of our territory. Any aid he requests, we’ll freely give.”
It was telling that none was offered to the SOA, but Spencer was used to that kind of thing. “Is he staying with you?”
“He declined our offer.”
“Sage got me a room at the Four Seasons. I checked in already,” Wade said.
Spencer shook his head. “You’re checking back out and staying with me tonight. You can get a different hotel tomorrow.”
“Uh, no?”
Fatima nipped pointedly at Wade’s hand to get him to keep petting her.A poltergeist was there. It is not safe to stay.
Wade stared down at her. “Please tell me there’s no zombies involved.”
