Sebastian rounded the corner and tilted his head at the sheriff. “Hudson is at the pack house and Dave is out with Aunt Liz grocery shopping.”
How very domesticated. Aunt Sophia appeared, clutching her knitting bag in one hand and a plate in the other. “So you are left with me,” she said as she eyeballed Robert.
“Who are you?” he asked, running a hand over his clean-shaven head.
“You said this was urgent, we can do introductions on the way.”
***
Sebastian rode with Sophia in the back of the police car, while I sat in the passenger seat. I gripped my phone and knocked out a message to Hudson.
Cora:With the sheriff, something has gone down in the next town, Chatsham.
Hudson: Stay at the house, I will be back in thirty minutes.
Cora:Already left.
I swear I felt the phantom growl that I’m sure just left his throat. Nobody else seemed to react so I’m sure it was just my overactive imagination.
Hudson:Text me your exact location once you arrive.
Cora:Okay.
Hudson:Who is with you?
Cora:Sebastian and Aunt Sophia.
Hudson:If the vampire bleeds, make sure it doesn’t get in your mouth.
I rolled my eyes and stuffed my phone back in my pocket as we sailed through White Castle and out toward Chatsham. I’d visited it a few times. It was a quaint little town with an abundance of swanky overpriced cafés and little bistros. Certainly, it beat The Pit. The population consisted of the trendier thirty-something crowd who didn’t want to live in the cities, meaning the houses were well kept and the town center was always bustling with folks working remotely.
“Two hours ago, I received a call from one of my officers,” Robert started. “Reports of spontaneous fire, mini tornados that dropped to the ground out of nowhere, giant wolves stalking the streets, and a wave that washed through the main street, bringing with it a cascade of flopping fish.”
“That’s concerning,” I said carefully.
Robert’s head snapped to me, his eyes wild. “It’s not concerning, it’s a fucking catastrophe, Cora, and I’m betting you have an inkling of what is happening, because you don’t seem entirely surprised.”
“Nothing surprises me these days,” I grumbled.
“Because you are a Roberts woman,” Aunt Sophia declared. I glanced over my shoulder, finding her three-quarters of the way done with her new scarf. Sebastian had been tasked with making sure the wool kept coming and didn’t get snagged. “And we are always prepared for the unknown.”
“You’ve failed to explain who you are,” Robert said, glancing in the mirror at the short woman.
“She’s my Great-aunt Sophia, visiting from Kazakhstan.”
Robert’s jaw ticked as he absorbed this information. It was clear something was going down in the supernatural world, and he had now been pulled into the middle of it.
We rode the final few miles in silence. As we entered the town, the sidewalks were covered in dead fish and a crack had opened up in the earth, splitting the road into two. My wide eyes met Sebastian’s then my aunt’s as they took in the destruction. The windows in multiple buildings had been blown out, and a bistro’s front-facing wall had lost its battle with gravity, crumbling onto the sidewalk.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“We have the majority of the affected in the town hall, we are trying to keep them calm,” Robert answered as he pulled in front of a tall building with two pillars, the engraving in the center declaring it as the town hall.
We spilled out of the car, Aunt Sophia abandoning her crochet before we ascended the few steps and entered through a set of double wooden doors. A faint smell hit me, chemicals and herbs in a potent mix, making me wrinkle my nose. Rows of pop-up tables and plastic chairs had been placed over the large floor. We walked down the center. Women, men, children, and the elderly—nobody had been spared. Their eyes tracked us with unease. I shot Hudson a message with our location and pocketed my phone.
We got to the back of the hall where a harassed-looking officer who looked like he’d just graduated from the police academy stood with a clipboard. His white-blond hair fell across his forehead in limp waves. He nodded at Robert and eyeballed the three strangers in his midst with unease.
“Logan, these are the experts I told you about,” Robert said. “Cora, Sebastian, and Sophia.”
