Night Myst (14 page)

I didn’t for the moment believe it, but just in case—and to get them off their butts—I decided to push that possibility.

“We’ve put out a call to all our men. We’ve checked the gas station and everywhere else Peyton might have stopped at. Ms. Moon Runner gave us her daughter’s license plate number and car description. But ladies, that’s all I can do for now. I’m sorry.”

He stood and, together with his partner, sauntered out of the apartment. Anadey watched them go, then slammed the door, furious. “That is the attitude all the cops have had since . . . since all this started happening. I’m surprised Geoffrey’s putting up with it. The vamps run the town, you know—they always have. Now it seems there’s a new queen calling the shots and that can’t be going over well.” She leaned against the counter, her lips pressed tightly together.

I joined her, awkwardly patting her back. “Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe she did stop somewhere.”

You know that’s not true,
Ulean whispered.

“Was she supposed to stop for anything before she drove to the gym? If so, we can follow her progress.”

Anadey’s head snapped up. “Yes, actually, she was. She mentioned she needed to stop for gas before she met you, which is why she left early. She drives a Kia—a small red compact. We always go to the station on Twelfth Avenue—they have the lowest prices and we have an account there.”

“I’m on it,” I said. “You have a picture of Peyton I can take with me? I think you should stay here in case she calls and needs help.”

“Here, take this one.” Anadey pulled open a small ornate silver frame and withdrew the picture, handing it to me. “Thank you, Cicely. Thank you for looking for my baby. I know she’s a grown woman but . . .”

“But she’s your child.” I paused. “And Heather’s my aunt. We can’t just act as if nothing happened and go on as usual. Listen, while I’m out looking for her, can you do me a favor and write up a good, strong protection spell? We have to ward the house. I’ll tell you why later.”

Anadey nodded. “Of course. Go now, please. Find my daughter for me.”

I leapt into Favonis and gunned the motor. Time to make tracks.

I stopped at the gas station on Twelfth and filled up Favonis. As I headed inside to pay for my purchases, I pulled out Peyton’s picture. Nobody else besides the clerk was in the store and so I tossed a ten on the counter for my gas, then held out the photo.

“Can you tell me if Peyton Moon Runner was in this morning to fill up her car? I need to get in touch with her and she said she’d be coming here. Wanted to see if she showed yet.”

The guy pushed the picture back to me. “I know Peyton. And yeah, she dropped by to fill up her tank. She in trouble?”

“I hope not,” I muttered. Then louder, said, “Not from me. I’m just trying to track her down. Listen, did the cops come by to check whether she’d been in?”

He blinked. “Cops? No. I’ve been here all morning and you’re the second customer I’ve had since she was in. Why do you ask?”

“No reason . . . apparently,” I said, adding a candy bar to my purchase, then headed back to the car. So the cops hadn’t even bothered to see if she’d been at the station. Which she had. Which meant that she’d vanished after she’d gassed up.

I stood beside Favonis, closing my eyes as I tried to listen to the wind for any whispers that might give me a clue.
Any clue.

First layer down . . . human contact . . . emotionally charged discussions . . .

And then, I lowered myself a little further, tuning into the astral, the world of the unseen, the world of the elements themselves.

And then . . . into the level of magic itself.

The energy buzzed, and I caught hold of the tail. I opened my eyes, now able to visibly see the strands surrounding the area. It was like watching electrical impulses running through a body, only what I was seeing was residue from those who walked along the streets, who flew through the air, from magic-born and those not born to the human world alike.

At the pump next to mine, I saw a trail of purple sparkles, and they led out of the lot and down the street. Something called to me and I sensed . . . Peyton. I’d picked up her energy signature.

I jumped back into Favonis, and cautiously eased out onto the street. It was hard to see through the strands of energy lining the sidewalks and road, but I did my best to keep my focus carefully divided so I didn’t get in an accident or lose track of the tracers I knew had come from Peyton. And then, they turned into a driveway ahead. I eased Favonis down to speed and followed.

As the car jostled over a speed bump, I glanced at the signs posted on either side of the drive. SUNSET PARK. Great. A four-hundred-acre park complete with jogging trails through the woods and a bicycle path. Wild wood. Perfect place for Fae to hang out.
Or the Indigo Court.

I parked in the lot and slowly stepped out of my car, scanning for anything that might tell me . . .
Hello?
A red Kia, compact, sitting on the far side of the lot. Dreading what I’d find, I broke into a run and sprinted across the lot, skidding to a halt just behind the car. A glance around and a listen on the wind told me nobody was near here—but the energy trails led right to the car and then abruptly cut off, as if they’d been dampened.

The driver’s door was unlocked and so I opened it, peeking inside. Peyton’s purse was on the passenger seat, but the keys were nowhere to be seen. I glanced around, but found nothing unusual. Her gym bag was in the back so she’d definitely been on her way to meet me. A receipt for the gas poked out of the cup holder.

Stepping back away from the car, I glanced around. A trail led off to the left, into the woods. A faint wisp of energy tapped me on the shoulder.

I shaded my eyes from the silvery overcast glare and looked around. There was no way I was going in those woods alone. Too dangerous. I could feel it creeping around me like tendrils from a vine. Just then, a glint of shine caught my eye and I squinted. Something was in the snow near the trailhead.

Cautiously, I jogged over to it.

I leaned over, still carefully keeping my eye on the woods—Ulean was right most of the time but I wasn’t going to let down my guard—and snatched up a set of keys. With a sinking heart, I saw the symbol for
Kia
printed on the car key. Heading back to the lot, I tried it in the lock. Sure enough, these were Peyton’s keys. The thought that I should call the police crossed my mind but I dismissed it. Not a good idea, considering how nonchalant they’d been with us.

Instead, I punched in Anadey’s number. She answered immediately.

“Yes? Peyton?”

“Sorry, no. It’s Cicely. Listen, I found Peyton’s car, and I found her purse and keys. Her energy heads directly into the woods and then vanishes. Does she often visit Sunset Park?”

Anadey let out a strangled cough. “Yes, she goes there to run sometimes, though she used to go a lot more, before the shadow came over the town. Cicely, do you think . . .
they
have her?”

I didn’t want to say yes but the words spilled out before I could stop them. “I think we can assume so.” I glanced around, wondering what had drawn her here. “You want me to lock up her car and bring her purse and keys back so you can come get it?”

“Would you?” Her voice had fallen, and with it her hope. I could hear the fear hiding behind her words; it had hold of me, too. I scooped up Peyton’s purse and locked the Kia, then slid back into Favonis. With one last look at the trailhead, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to Anadey’s.

I spent an hour at Anadey’s, trying to reassure her and collecting another load of supplies from Marta’s stash. I hadn’t a clue how to go about setting up the business, but I’d figure it out. It was noon by the time I drove back to the Veil House and unloaded everything.

The house seemed terribly quiet. Rhiannon was at work, and Leo was still asleep. He slept through the mornings, waking up in the early afternoon to run errands for Geoffrey and the vamps and then prepare for whatever they wanted him to do at night.

I stood out on the front porch for a while, staring at the forest, wondering if Grieve was near, but my wolf was silent. It occurred to me that the Indigo Court seemed able to exist in the light, so there was another difference between them and their vampire ancestors.

Finally, not knowing what to do next, I headed back inside. I’d no sooner locked the door behind me when Bart came rushing over to me and rubbed against my leg. I leaned down and gathered the powder puff of a cat—he was huge and heavy—into my arms and snuggled my face in his fur.

“You be careful, okay? You tell my cousin’s cats to be careful, too. There are beasties out there that eat little ones like you.” As I set the now-squirming Maine Coon down, the doorbell rang. Cautiously, I pulled back the curtains.

The FedEx truck was out front and I opened the door, feeling myself relax just a hair. The driver handed me a flat envelope and held out the register for me to sign. Afterward, he tipped his hat and headed back to the truck without a word. Wondering if he was always that silent, I glanced at the packet.

It was addressed to me. I ripped it open while speed-dialing Rhia at work. “Package came for me. I’m opening it right now.”

The shuffle of papers told me Rhiannon was at her desk. “Did you ever find Peyton?”

“No. No, and they have her. The fucking Indigo Court has taken her.”

The sound of silence, and then, “Hell. Does Anadey know?”

“I told her right before I came home. Hmm, I think there’s an invitation in the package. Ivory paper, red rose wax seal on the back. Should I open it?”

“How else are you going to find out what it is?”

I slit the envelope with my switchblade and drew out a heavy parchment-style folded card. The front read
You’re Invited
. . . and on the inside: