“No.” Peter shook his head. “We’d never do that.”
Heidi looked unconvinced and smiled knowingly. “Maybe not officially, but maybe Malorie and Maria were friends and they worked out a deal.”
Will scoffed. “If they were friends, why would they kill each other?”
Heidi shrugged. “Falling out?”
I waggled my brows. “More like a falling in.” I looked around the room. “Get it? ’Cause her stepdaughter pushed Malorie, and she fell into the cage?”
Will shook his head. “Oh, girl.”
“Okay, going back a sec though.” I pointed at my bear shifter friend. “Will, you said before—why didn’t Maria Begin just shift back into human form?”
“Mm-hmm.” He spat out another olive pit.
I held up my hands, my jumble of thoughts taking a vague shape. “What if she couldn’t? What if she couldn’t shift because of the same reason I can’t shift?”
Heidi gasped. “Because her coworker cursed her?”
I grinned. “No—because Ludolf cursed her. Biddy and Jan heard a rumor that Maria Begin crossed him years ago and that’s why she disappeared.”
Will narrowed his eyes. “But you’re trapped in human form….”
I nodded. “Exactly—so what if Ludolf tested a different potion on Maria, and it had a different effect. She got trapped in animal form—as a phoenix.”
Peter nodded, that thinking crease between his brows. “Then how’d she end up in a cage at Malorie Rutherford’s sanctuary?”
An icy-cold chill flooded my stomach as I thought over my talk with Madeline and the conversation we’d had with Zane Perez from WWAAC. I spun to face Peter. “We need to go back to the sanctuary and look at that paperwork you asked Quincy for.”
28
UNDERGROUND ANIMAL RESCUE
Peter, Daisy, and I didn’t waste any time booking it back up the mountain to the Magical Animal Sanctuary. A servant showed us in, and we surprised Quincy and Mark in the zebra enclosure. One of the black-and-white-striped creatures lay, sedated, on its side, while Mark held its eyelid open and used his wand to shine a light into its eye.
I frowned at Mark, then at Quincy. “Didn’t you just fire him?”
Quincy rose from a crouch beside Mark and adjusted his buttoned shirt. He shot a disapproving look at the servant who’d shown us in, then licked his lips and cleared his throat. Mark, cigarette hanging from his full lips, rolled his eyes and went back to examining the zebra.
Finally, Quincy found his voice. “I, uh—changed my mind. We’re working on getting his license reinstated.”
Peter widened his stance. “Why did you change your mind?”
Daisy, at Peter’s side, fixed her intense gaze on Quincy.
The tall, thin man scratched at his neck. “You know, I, uh—” His thin chest heaved, and he stared at Daisy. “Mark was right, of course. It’s not easy finding someone who’s able to take care of these animals and their—” He choked and had to clear his throat. “—unique needs.”
Daisy whined. True.
Peter and I exchanged doubtful looks. My cop boyfriend narrowed his eyes at Mark. “In the meantime, I assume you’re not performing any procedures that you’re not licensed to?”
Mark held up his palms. “Of course, Officer.”
Daisy whined. True.
I glared at the veterinarian. It might be true… so far. But he’d been operating without a license for who knew how long already. “We’ll be reporting that you’ve been working for years without a license to the board.” I didn’t know what board exactly, but I hoped my threat sounded credible.
The vet’s face split into an infuriating smile. “Report away. But I should tell you, Quincy here has already helped me submit an appeal to the Board of Veterinary Magic and Medicine. Considering Malorie was a prominent member of it, I’m sure we won’t run into any issues in that department.”
Quincy frowned. “Is that why you came back?” He glanced at Mark. “To check on him?”
Peter shook himself. “No, actually. Earlier, we mentioned we’d be back to check over your permits for these animals.”
Quincy lifted his thin brows. “I assumed you meant in a few days’ time, not a few hours. I—I haven’t even looked for them. Like I told you, Malorie handled all that. I don’t even know where to begin.”
I flashed my eyes at Peter. We’d tried to think up a way for me to be able to question that sloth again, or any of the animals really. I had a theory that I needed to test. This seemed to be a good chance.
Peter gave me a slight nod, then turned to Quincy. “I’ll help you look.”
Quincy’s face flushed red, and he opened his mouth as if to protest, but snapped it shut again. He turned to Mark, who still crouched beside the zebra’s head. “You’ll be alright without me?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Have been for the last fourteen years. I think I’ll manage.”
Quincy huffed, set his jaw, then muttered, “Fine.” He took off along the suspended bridge walkways that threaded through the enclosures. Peter grinned at me, and I winked. “I think I’ll stay behind.”
Quincy didn’t even react, and Peter and Daisy took off after him toward the office. I waited a moment, then turned to Mark, who’d bent back over the zebra and was looking inside its ears. “I’m gonna—just—look around….”
He didn’t even look my way. “Whatever.”
I wandered around the maze of wood bridges, the humid air making the tendrils of hair at the back of my neck cling to my skin. I held my elbows out wide and grimaced. I’d need another shower when I got back to Peter’s place.
Finally, I found the sloth enclosure again, and as I had earlier, I climbed down from the walkway and pushed through the tingly magical barrier. I had no idea how to find the animal again, so I just cupped my hands to my mouth and, in sloth squeaks, called out for it. Hey, sloth! It’s me, Jolene. I wanted to finish our conversation from earlier.
I tromped a little deeper into the jungle foliage, climbing over giant roots and pushing through thick, waxy leaves I could’ve used as umbrellas, they were so large. I found
