“I will let you decide this one,” he said after a moment’s thought. “Only you can determine who deserves your trust.”
Suddenly I felt like I was about to take a big final. And I hadn’t studied. Plus my alarm hadn’t gone off, so I’d missed the first hour.
I twisted in my seat so I could fully face the werewolf who’d wormed his way past my defenses. And, that easy, I knew. This creature, who’d barely left boyhood, was someone I could lean my life on. “Honestly, it’s not that big a deal. We just need to borrow a guy’s dog for a while.” I cleared my throat. “Without his permission. But then we’re giving it back.”
Suddenly Trayton was all business. “I can help with that. For instance, I can keep him calm after you take him. Because wolves and dogs can communicate.”
“At what level?” I asked, thinking so fast my tongue could barely keep up with my brain. “Could you, say, give him commands? Like, don’t bite the nice redheaded lady? Or could you—oh, this would be ideal! Could you direct him to a certain location?”
“Not in so many words. I could call him, though. And if he’s running without a pack, he’d be likely to come.”
“He’s alone. That is, he has a master, but that guy’s down for the day. So there’s only a human handler. No other dogs.” I began to get excited. “And he’s big. Like, a hundred and forty pounds. So he could pretty much insist on going anywhere he pleased, and I don’t think his handler would deny him. Samos would be too pissed if he found out the dog had been mistreated. Like, killer pissed. Yeah, this just might have a chance.”
I spoke to the rest of my team. “What do you think, guys? Should we try the plan now?”
Dave checked me out. I already wore the white sundress with red trim and matching jacket we’d decided would be best for this gig. Grief remained hidden in its shoulder holster and my .38 was strapped to my thigh, but I shouldn’t need them. Today my weapons would be the aerosol cans in the black bag at my feet and the lacy red parasol lying across my lap. He said, “I’m ready if you are.”
I nodded. “Vayl?”
“Go ahead.”
I pulled my phone out of the bag and called the hotel desk. “Hello, this is Angelina from the Patra chapter of PETA. Yes, that
“How can you be sure they haven’t already walked the dog?” asked Trayton.
“Dave came down and put cameras on the hotel last night. We have a way of monitoring them from anywhere we happen to be. Nobody’s left that suite since dawn.” I glanced at Trayton. “How much distance can you make your sound carry?”
“A couple of blocks.”
“Good. Dave, as soon as you see them—”
“I know the drill.”
“Fine. Then you can repeat it back to me.”
He blew an impatient breath through his teeth. But he said, “I pull out. Stay ahead of them. Lead them to the fortress. Kastro. Whatever the hell these people call that massive ruin on the hill. Where we move into the second stage of our dastardly plan. Do you need to know every little detail of that too, or have you committed it to memory?”
“I’m clear.”
While we waited, I decided to check my messages. As I’d suspected, another one had come from Cole.
Mark’s travel plans delayed him until tomorrow. But guess who showed instead? Cam! Small world, yes? After I catch some z’s we’re hitting the town. Wonder if we should warn the mayor.
I looked quickly at Dave, but he was watching the entrance. And I didn’t want to get into it with him again by asking what his strong right arm was doing globe-trotting when he should be working. So I sent back a message.
Don’t destroy anything you can’t afford to replace. Also tell Cam Dave needs to talk. A lot. Start draining the Wizard out of his system. So if he wants to lend an ear when they’re back together, great.
We only had to wait a few more minutes, then out the front door trotted an enormous dog. If I hadn’t already known, I never would’ve guessed this tail-wagging, ear-twitching monstrosity was Samos’s one vulnerability. Ziel had a white face, chest, underbelly, and legs. Otherwise his coat was gray. He wore a studded harness, which kinda made him look like he was into doggy S and M, and his tongue practically dragged the ground. Honest to God, it looked like he was grinning. His black, intelligent eyes regarded the just-waking city, with its charming antique lampposts, enormous palms, and urns of flowing red bougainvillea, as if he had a master plan and everything was going according to it.
He was towing a guy with hair so blond I had to strain to be sure he had eyebrows. Not a happy camper, but cooperating with the dog’s wishes so far.
Dave started the minibus and rolled down the window. He said, “Go ahead, Trayton.”
“I am.”
“I can’t hear you.”
“Quit talking to him,” I said. “He’s doing something.” Exactly what, I couldn’t be sure. The Were’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, his throat tightening as if he was emitting noises. But if anything escaped his lips and flew out the window, it certainly didn’t register in my ears. Ziel felt different. He leaped forward, yanking at the leash so hard he made his handler stumble.
