Written in Red

You’re not sure the human customers will come back, Monty thought. He had wondered the same thing. Just like he’d wondered if the Others would open any of these stores to humans again. The Lakeside Courtyard was the most progressive Courtyard in the whole of Thaisia, with its human employees and human customers. Granted, humans still had limited access, but it was a positive start that could ripple through the continent and ease a little of the ever-present tension between humans and Others in cities and towns across Thaisia. But the Lakeside mayor and Northeast Region governor aiding and abetting someone the terra indigene considered an enemy could also ripple through the continent, and the storm in Lakeside and the slaughter in Jerzy were grim reminders of how the Others took care of difficulties caused by humans.

And yet there had been a bright note, and that’s what had brought him to HGR as soon as the store reopened.

“I’d like a word with Mr. Wolfgard if he’s in,” Monty said.

“I’ll see if he’s available.” Heather picked up the phone and dialed an extension. “Mr. Wolfgard? Lieutenant Montgomery would like to speak with you.” A pause. “Okay, I’ll tell him.” She smiled at Monty. “He says to go back to the stockroom.”

“Thanks.” As he walked to the back of the store, he realized this meeting would also have significant ripples, and the next few minutes would determine if those ripples would be good or bad.

“Lieutenant.” Simon glanced at him, then checked a list and pulled more books off the stockroom shelves.

“Mr. Wolfgard. No watch Wolf today?”

“They come and go. That was always true, although Ferus and Nathan were the ones who spent the most time on guard at HGR. Ferus is in the Ash Grove now, and Nathan thinks our Liaison is more entertaining than the customers.”

“Ms. Corbyn has returned to work?” He’d seen the lights on in the Liaison’s Office when he and Kowalski had driven past, and that, too, had been a good sign.

Simon nodded. “She should stay in the den until next week, but she snarled at me when I suggested it.”

Monty wasn’t sure if the Wolf was offended or pleased, so he didn’t reply. But he thought, Good for you, Meg.

“Something on your mind, Lieutenant?” Simon asked.

Many things, but he’d start with the one least likely to offend. “I understand you’ve set aside one of the efficiency apartments for my officers’ use. Thank you.”

Simon looked uncomfortable. Then he shrugged. “We had the space. We set two of the apartments aside for our human employees so they don’t have to go out in a storm. And Henry still has the one he prefers when he wants to stay close to his studio. Letting your officers use the last apartment was sensible.”

And it would add another layer of defense to the Courtyard.

“I heard you removed the water tax on the Chestnut Street Police Station and the hospital that took care of Meg.”

“So?” Simon disappeared for a minute, then returned with an armload of books that he put on the cart.

“It’s appreciated.” Now they’d come to the next layer of discussion. “And to show his own appreciation, Dr. Lorenzo would like to set up a small office here and provide medical treatment for your human employees.”

No reason to mention that part of Lorenzo’s interest was the cassandra sangue living among the Others. Having the opportunity to gain some understanding of Meg Corbyn’s race was not something the good doctor would pass up.

“We don’t have room for . . .” Simon stopped.

Monty held his breath.

“Maybe,” Simon said. “But allowing this doesn’t change the fact that most of you are still just meat.”

No, it doesn’t change that, Monty thought. But most of us is a long step from all of us, and if you can learn to trust some of us, all of us have a better chance of surviving.

“I’ll discuss this with the Business Association,” Simon said. “Maybe Dr. Lorenzo can come and talk to us about an office—and check on Meg while he’s here.”

“I’ll tell him to call Howling Good Reads and set up a time with you.”

He could read body language well enough to recognize Simon was feeling closed in by all this talk about more humans in the Courtyard, even if he was the one allowing them access. So this conversation wasn’t going to last much longer.

“I have work to do,” Simon said, a growl of warning under the words.

“Then I’ll be brief,” Monty replied. “Your anger at the hospital was excessive even under the circumstances. I think you know that. Do you have any idea what caused that enhanced aggression?”

“No.”

Flat. Cold. The voice of a leader who will allow no challenge.

And a lie.

“All right,” Monty said, taking a step back. “I’m willing to help. Please remember that.”

Red flickered in the Wolf’s amber eyes.

The sound of a door closing. A moment later, Jester approached them.

Giving the Coyote a nod, Monty walked out of the stockroom. He stayed in the store a minute longer, scanning the display of mysteries and making a selection.

Humans have courage and resilience and they endure, Monty thought as he paid for the book and left Howling Good Reads. Roads would be opened, buildings repaired, and life would go on.

And the humans who had contact with the Courtyard would do their best to help everyone survive.

Simon stared at the Coyote while Montgomery’s words circled around him, closing in.

“Your anger at the hospital was excessive even under the circumstances.”

“How much did you hear?” Simon asked.

“I like it here,” Jester said. “I want to stay.”

Montgomery’s words seemed to echo in the room.

“Do you have any idea what caused that enhanced aggression?”

“How much did you hear?” Simon snarled.

“I won’t tell,” Jester said. “I’ll never tell.”

Quick-thinking Coyote who sometimes saw too much, heard too much. But unlike many of his kind, Jester wouldn’t break his word.

“You can stay.” Of course, what wasn’t said was if he couldn’t trust Jester to stay, he also couldn’t allow the Coyote to leave. But he figured Jester knew that already.

“Thanks, Simon.” Jester backed away. “I’ll go check with Meg and see if she wants the ponies to come up today.”

Then he was gone, and a moment later, Simon heard HGR’s back door closing.

“Do you have any idea what caused that enhanced aggression?”

Oh yes. He’d had plenty of time to think about it while they’d waited to take Meg home, and he had a very good idea what had caused that strange anger. Even the Sanguinati wouldn’t drink the sweet blood of the cassandra sangue, and he’d licked up plenty of it from the gash in Meg’s chin.

Winter and Air hadn’t paid attention to him on the race to the hospital, but Jester had been with him. And Blair and Vlad had been with him at the creek when they pulled Meg out of the water. Give either of them enough bits of information, and they would figure it out too.

He would keep his suspicions to himself for a few more days. Then he would talk to Henry before deciding who else needed to know what he suspected: that the blood of cassandra sangues was the source of the sickness that was touching humans and Others in the West.

But that was for another day, and Henry already carried the weight of another secret.

Simon had been at the hospital guarding Meg when Asia Crane was found. He hadn’t seen her, but Henry had. And all Henry said to him was, “I know what Tess is. We will never speak of this.”

Dangerous to be the only one who looked at a body and understood a truth about the predator who did the