Insidious Winds (4 page)

I wasn’t startled when a cold, slimy, and clawed hand
grabbed my arm, since I knew creatures were reaching out and I knew to stay
quiet. However, I wasn’t expecting the bright burst of light, followed by a
harsh hissing.

Henry shoved me back. I could sense something moving
very fast right in front of us. Claws dug into my right shoulder and shoved me
forward, into Henry. We both fell… onto a solid and carpeted floor. Light
returned, revealing my apartment.

“Where is Hunt?”

“I couldn’t see him.”

“I thought your vision was perfect in the dark.”

“That was not normal by any circumstance. We should
not worry; Alpha Flagstone will know if he is in trouble and be able to help
him.”

“You’re probably right, but I’m going to call Maseré
tomorrow and make sure Hunt got back to the school all right.” I had no idea
how the wolf shifter who couldn’t use magic was able to contact the headmaster
who couldn’t use a cellphone.

“Are you okay? Is your heart okay?”

I nodded. Henry sat down on the couch and I started
to head for the kitchen for some coffee when there was a knock on the door. I
restrained myself from groaning as I expected trouble, but it was Clara
standing there. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

She frowned. “No snarky remark about me being a
vampire?”

“I guess you being the daughter of the vampire king
isn’t the first thing I think of when I see you anymore.” Before I started at
Quintessence, I would have shot first and asked questions later. Of course,
then Stephen would have hunted me down and torn out my entrails. I would have
made a terrible, terrible mistake. Since I did know her and expected the
sensation of her vampire aura, I was more focused on her short, wild, emerald
green hair with bright blue streaks.

“Actually, now that I think of it, you do look a lot
like Astrid,” Henry told her, as if that were the only reason I wouldn’t shoot
Clara on sight. “Well, aside from your hair.”

“Speaking of Astrid, my father sent me for two
reasons. The first is because Astrid is missing.”

“You just realized that?”

“No. We’ve been looking for four months. My father
wanted to ask you as soon as she disappeared, but Headmaster Hunt told him to
leave you alone. We figured you had something to do with her disappearance.
You’re not exactly subtle about wanting her dead.”

“I don’t want her dead,” I said.

“You shot her.”

“That is their way of flirting,” Henry said.

“Astrid is missing, but I will find her.”
Unfortunately, despite knowing where she was, getting to her was proving to be
difficult. The only person who could open the door to Dothra was Langril, and
he wouldn’t open the door unless I made a deal with his daughter, which I
couldn’t do because she suddenly stopped appearing in my dreams.

I also stopped having dreams of Astrid, but I hoped
that meant she was safe and not that she was unable to contact me. Astrid was
strong and a survivor; if she needed me, she would find a way to contact me.

“The second reason my father sent me was that he
wants to hire you to spy on the wizard council and get information from them.
If we do it, it’s apparently a breach of the peace treaty, and we can’t trust
other covens to do it.”

“And your peace treaty means what to you?”

“The treaty just means my coven won’t kill except in
self-defense and their wizards can’t hunt us. It doesn’t mean we trust them. We
know the council is about to entomb itself in a world of trouble and we want to
know what they plan for vampires before it’s too late.”

“I’m not taking any more cases for the winter.”

“You can go to the university and still spy on the council.
I know your uncle is a member of the council.”

Henry looked at me, obviously waiting for my lead.
“Your information is wrong.” My uncle actually retired from the council when
they arrested Professor Nightshade and planned to kill her just for being a
dragon, so Clara was technically wrong.

“So you’re just going to let the council tear apart
the peace between the paranormals that took decades to build?”

“Devon is not responsible for the council,” Henry
said, glaring at her. It was an expression of warning, though, not anger.

“Every wizard is responsible for the council.”

“I will do some investigating into the council while
still studying at the school. When I know for sure what to do about them, I’ll
do it.”

“I’m surprised. I thought you would---”

“Carmilla, do shut up,” Darwin said. We all turned to
see him standing behind Clara, wearing a black hoodie with
Love Comes With
Four Paws
printed across the front in white and pink letters.

“You know,
Charles
, if you want to nickname
everyone, you should at least use modern references,” the vampire responded.

“Is there a bisexual teenaged vampire on modern
television?”

“I’m older than you. And I’m heading back,” she said,
turning to me. “If you won’t let my father hire you to investigate the council,
at least promise you’ll warn us before they decide to send out a mandatory hunt
on my coven.”

“If I find out about any move against the vampires,
I’ll warn you.”

“Thank you.” She left.

“I don’t dig the green and blue,” Darwin said,
closing the door. “So I take it Stephen wanted you to investigate the council?”

“Yes.”

“And you refused? Good, ‘cause Dad sent me to ask you
to stay out of the council business. He says they’re gonna fall flat on their
faces and he’s afraid of you getting more enemies if you do.”

“Why does your father care what happens to me?”

“He’s my dad and you’re my friend.”

“It must be a wolf thing,” Henry said.

“It’s a pack shifter thing, bro,” Darwin corrected.
“I take it you’re here to make sure Devon doesn’t blow out his heart?”

“Actually, I came to work for him.”

“Killed your parents then, did you?”

“Not yet.”

“Not until you find your kid? I can help.”

I went into the kitchen to start something for dinner
while Henry argued that it was too dangerous with the council trying to take
over and Krechea after us. I pointed out then that Krechea wasn’t after
us
.
Once I got the key or even got close to it, he would be after
me
, but
they didn’t have to be a part of it.

“We’re in this together,” Darwin argued. “Speaking
of…” He pulled something out of his and handed it to Henry. “Maybe this’ll help
you.”

Henry scowled, holding out the mood ring. “Is this a
joke?”

“Nope.”

“Then thank you.”

I studied the single green apple, bottle of mustard,
and Tabasco sauce that made up the contents of my fridge, then shut the door
and turned to my friends. “I think we’re going out for dinner. Before we do…” I
pulled out the envelope from the interior pocket of my jacket. I knew exactly
what it was. How Marcus knew I would visit Cindy was a mystery, but that was
just him. “This is the results of a paternity test.”

“Astrid is pregnant?” Darwin asked.

“Shut up. I think Vincent might be my father. There
was a thing with my mother and Vincent that I didn’t tell you guys about.
Basically, she was married to him first.”

“Oh,” Darwin said. “That’s sucks. I take it John used
his power to take her?”

“Yes. I got a sample of Vincent’s DNA and ordered a
test under a fake name.”

“Well, don’t leave us in suspense.”

Instead of answering or opening the letter, I stared
at it awkwardly. “I don’t know if I really want to know. Vincent is so certain
he isn’t my father that I can’t help but wonder if it’s wishful thinking.”

“Vincent cares a lot about you,” Henry said. “When
you were recovering from the fight with Gale, he never left your side until you
woke.”

“But if he isn’t, then that means John is.”

“That doesn’t make you a monster,” Darwin said. “You
have the same power as him whether he was your father or Vincent was. Besides,
from what I’ve seen of Vincent, he isn’t that much better than his brother.”

“He is, though. Sure, his assistance is spotty at
best and I have no doubt he’s killed people, but I saw into his and John’s
head. They’re nothing alike.”

“Well, do you want to be like John?”

“Of course not.”

“Then don’t be. What’s the problem? Vincent already
teaches you and cares about you.”

“I’m thirty-one; I’m not looking for a father. It
wouldn’t change anything between us. I do trust him more than I did before
seeing his past, but I’m fine enough having an uncle. I just don’t want John to
be my father. His power was like sewage, if that makes any sense, and every
time I use my magic, I’m using that same sewage.”

“It makes perfect sense,” Darwin said, looking
abnormally serious. “My dad, the kindest man I know, was forced to rape my
mother in order to save her life. I was conceived in an act of cruelty, which
was trapped in my blood. Because of that, I can’t touch anyone or I’ll suffer.
So, yes, I get it.”

“I’m still reeling with the knowledge that my parents
aren’t my real parents,” Henry said.

Darwin grabbed the envelope out of my hand. “In that
case…” He tore the envelope open roughly and sat down on the couch before
unfolding the note with exaggerated motions. After a few seconds, he raised an
eyebrow. “Larry Berry? Seriously?”

“Shut up and read it.” He took his dear sweet time,
so I started pacing.

After a moment, he looked up at me with a despondent
expression. “Are you sure it would be so bad if John was your father?”

“Damn it. Don’t tell me.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.” He folded the paper and
tossed it onto the coffee table. “By the way, have you asked your father— I
mean Vincent— what he thinks you should do about the council?”

My heart skipped a few beats, which was pretty
dangerous considering its condition. “It’s positive? Vincent is my father?”

“Well, according to this, Larry Berry is your
father.”

Henry smacked him in the back of the head.

*          *          *

We decided, since the full moon was on the
twenty-fourth, the day before school started, that we would go to the
university a few days early for Henry’s peace of mind. Darwin stayed with us
since his parents were going to the U.K. on business. In an effort to save my
apartment from being trashed, I put him to work finding and putting together a
new office computer that would hopefully have a chance of withstanding my
magic. He came up with a Japanese laptop called a Toughbook, which he tore
apart and stuffed with anti-static padding and other stuff. It had a handle
built into the computer and apparently, I could drive a Hummer over it.

But who the hell drives over their laptop?

Meanwhile, Henry and I organized the office for two
people, did our taxes, and attempted to cover up any tracks Marcus might have
left behind at his house. I hadn’t expected the state we found the house in
when we went there on Wednesday. I thought he meant “blown up” as in it was
locked down and gassed, which was his normal home defense for intruders.
Instead, we found the house in splinters with two metal shelters left standing.
Both of them were open and the electronics inside were destroyed. Obviously,
Marcus smashed his computers when he didn’t plan on coming back.

“Your friend is rather similar to Darwin, don’t you
think?” Henry asked, picking up what was left of a hard drive. “I detect a
familiar scent.”

“Is it a person or a substance?”

“A person, but I can’t place it.”

We spent several hours at Marcus’s house and found
nothing that could point us in the right direction or clue us in on how to help
him. I tried calling him back at the number he used, but it was disconnected.

“What do you want to do?”

“Wait for him to call, I guess. If we try to track
him down, we might lead someone right to him.” That didn’t mean I was giving up
completely. If someone wired the place, it was best to pretend that we were
giving up.

We returned to the office to find it destroyed. My
desk, the old computer, and the windows were all smashed. Two police officers
were inside. Instinctively, I reached out for Darwin’s mind. “
Where are you
?”
I asked.

“
The internet was too slow, so I’m at the library
.”

“He’s okay,” I whispered to Henry.

Once I explained to the police that it was my office,
I was asked all the basic questions. When they asked me what I did and I told
them I was a private investigator, they glanced at each other. Henry didn’t
make it easier by looking to me every time they tried to ask him a simple
question about his employment. I knew he was worried that the cops would find
out about his past thieving. Although he could easily incapacitate them, he was
trying to get away from that long.

Realizing that this was a real issue for him, I tried
to hurry them up. “I’m not going to hunt this guy down or anything. You can
investigate and I won’t get in your way, or don’t and just let the insurance
take care of things.”

“So you have no rivals in town or any angry clients?”
one of them asked, ignoring my dismissal.

I figured the perpetrator was either Regina, who I
hadn’t heard from all winter, or the same person who was after Marcus.
Fortunately, my client files were all untouched in the secret storage room
behind the bathroom. Darwin had taken my new laptop to the library with him and
my desktop computer hadn’t worked in months, so nobody got anything from them.
Whoever did this just came to destroy crap.

“No clue. It was probably some kids who got a few
rocks, saw some big, shiny windows, and decided to get into trouble.” I was
much more interested in getting home to make sure my apartment wasn’t damaged.

“That’s a pretty laid-back way of thinking about it,
Mr. Sanders. Most people are angry or feel violated in this situation. Maybe
you should come down to the station for a---”

“No, thanks,” I interrupted. “My friends and I are
going on a trip in the morning.”

“A hunting trip?”

“No.” I knew the man was fishing, but I wasn’t
biting. If it came down to it, I was prepared to use my magic. Fortunately,
they left very soon after that and I didn’t have to resort to mind control.