I’ve spent months hunting and taking down every detail of what I can remember Wekun said about Sentinels and where they lived. I’ve gone from searching for a gate to searching for him. Maybe Cree killed him or tied up the loose end that Wekun was, in a way that keeps him from helping me or the guys, but I can’t give up. I won’t give up.
Someone somewhere knows, and maybe if I look in enough corners and make enough noise, they’ll come see why I’m stirring up so much shit. It’s clear the Sentinels want to be found about as much as the Ouphe did, but I don’t care. I need to get back.
I’ve called every supernatural investigator I could find to help me look for any leads about people with magical marks or unusual abilities, or for anyone who knows anything about Tierit and where it could be, but so far, nothing.
“You know what? Just forget about it,” I tell the secretary who’s just not getting it. “Thank you for your time, but I’m going to go in a different direction.”
She starts to tell me something, probably to argue that they’re the right people for the job, but I hang up on her, already at my limit for stupid today. I sigh and open my laptop. I need to order parts for the Seaman car and check to see if any useful emails have come in.
I never found any useful information about the Ouphe or the Gryphons in gran’s old house, but I did find a deed stating that gran bought the old Miller auto shop before she died, and she put it in my name. I wasn’t ready to see it for the gift that it was when I first found it. I was too wrapped up in longing and frantically searching for a way back. But about a month ago, when I realized I couldn’t solve things on my own, I went ahead and opened Griffin Automotive, partly to give me something to do other than worry and pace and feel pissed off. But really, I need to pay the bills. I’m trying to get a whole network of help going, and that shit is not cheap.
Gran’s house is up for sale, which will help, and I moved into the apartment above this shop to keep expenses low, but I have no idea how long it will take to find either Wekun, Tierit, a Gate, a Sentinel, or even another Gryphon.
I rub my hands over my face and roll my neck. It feels weird to try and live a normal life day-to-day when my soul hurts so badly, but I know I need this, and not just the money part of it. It’s good to keep busy and focus on something other than the fact that I’m stuck. I look down at my hands and the oil and engine grease that’s settled into the cracks and nail beds. Maybe I need to get a manicure. Ms. Waters would sure love that. She always got all kinds of surly when Gran and I used to go in for manis and pedis before she died.
I chuckle at the thought and make a quick list of everything I need to order. Pigeon stretches out inside of me, and I smile.
“I’ll be done soon, and then we can go flying,” I tell her, and she starts doing her daily stretches. I spend all day fixing the never-ending line of cars that seem to be waiting for me. When I opened Griffin’s, I didn’t know the only other local mechanic’s shop had just closed, and I’ve been busier than I ever thought I would be.
But my evenings are for Pigeon. We take off as soon as the sun starts to set and fly until the stars are kissing our back. It’s been our only reprieve, and so far, so good on the not being spotted part.
The bell I keep meaning to take down above the entryway chimes as the front door opens. Shit. I must have forgotten to lock it.
“Sorry, we’re closed,” I call out as I pull up the site I need parts from.
I look up to find tan skin, black hair, and molten brown eyes making their way to me. In another life, I would have marked this dude as a future conquest, but there’s only three males who do it for me now, and I can’t figure out how to get back to any of them.
“Sorry to show up after hours, but Cassie over at the motel said if I had a car that needed to be fixed, Griffin’s was the best place to do it,” he tells me, his voice dipped in silk and his smile captivating.
Yeah, he’s definitely the kind of guy who’s used to getting what he wants. I take a discrete deep breath to identify what he is. He moves like a predator, and I’d bet this shop the dude’s not human. Wolf is the dominant scent, but there’s hints of other things too that I don’t have time to catalogue unless I want him to know I’m sniffing the shit out of him.
“You’re fine, Cassie’s the best, and I’m happy to help. What kind of issue are you having…” I trail off in a fill in the blank with your name kind of way.
“Oh sorry, Mateo Torrez, but most people call me Teo or, well, yeah...Teo is fine,” he offers, getting a little tongue-tied, and it makes me wonder exactly what are the other things people call him?
“I’m Falon, it’s nice to meet you, Teo. So what can I help you with?”
“Right, so my pack and I are in town for work, and we’ve been having issues with our cars. One won’t start. I checked the battery, and that seemed fine, so I’m not sure what’s wrong, and the other one makes a clunking noise when you change
