No Humans Involved

Proof that the grieving widow wasn't so heartbroken after all.

'Ready to talk?' Molly said, crouching in front of me.

I nodded. As she ripped off the gag, my brain raced. I could point out that murdered ghosts rarely remember the circumstances of their deaths, but that would only confirm I knew he'd been murdered.

'It's a council investigation,' I said. 'I was walking past your house scoping it out, waiting for my partner, when you opened the door and I had to approach alone.'

From her expression, I knew this was what she'd feared. If it was blackmail, that was easy. Kill me and the situation was resolved. It wouldn't be so simple if others already knew.

She eased back on her haunches. 'So Mike told you what happened, and you contacted your delegate partner…'

In other words: please tell me there's only one other person involved.

'I took the problem to the whole council at the last meeting. That's proper procedure and, being new, I always follow protocol. They assigned an investigative partner-the werewolf Pack Alpha-' I added for good measure, '-to accompany me.'

Fear, maybe even panic, touched Molly's eyes. Good.

'I don't know what Mike told you,' Molly said, 'but that bastard earned it. After five years of living in my house, he decides he's tired of me. But he's not tired of my money. So he offered me a deal. Give him fifty grand and he'd leave quietly, without telling the council… a few things. I told him I didn't have that kind of money lying around and you know what he told me to do? Empty the girls' college funds.'

Flecks of saliva flew from her mouth as she snarled. 'He spends five years in our house, winning my girls over, getting them to call him 'Dad,' and then, as his parting shot, he's going to steal their college tuition? Over my dead body.' Her snarl twisted into an ugly smile. 'Or over his, which was much more to my liking.'

I was quiet for a moment, then said, 'That's not the story he told, but yours sounds a lot more believable. If you can support that with evidence, we can explain it to the council. You were furious- rightfully so-and you wanted to teach him a lesson about messing with a master of the dark arts. But things went wrong.'

Molly nodded. I blinked to hide my relief.

She stepped away, then took her cell phone from her jacket and called her daughter, telling her to pack overnight bags and take her sister to a family friend down the street. Molly would pick her up there.

'They aren't in any danger,' I said. 'My partner would never touch your girls, not even to find out where I am. It would be totally against council policy. Plus he has little ones of his own-'

'I'm not taking that chance.'

'Okay. I understand. Then let me call-' I remembered Jeremy didn't have a cell. 'Better yet, take me back and if he's there, we'll settle this right now-'

'I'm not taking you anywhere but there.'

She pointed at the swamp. Panic welled up. Before I could protest, she slapped the tape back on.

Molly straightened, then flew backward, knocked off her feet. I looked around wildly, but saw only forest. I rocked, trying to get up without the use of my hands. I had to stand, escape before she-

A binding spell caught Molly in midrise. Then I heard a woman's voice, chanting another spell, somewhere behind me, growing louder as if approaching. A sizzling sound, like the air electrifying.

Then Molly toppled forward, binding spell broken. She scrambled to her feet, took one hard look at me, then ran.

The sounds of pursuit followed, the other witch still out of view in the thick woods. I struggled to my feet. A corner of the overused duct tape gag got caught on a branch, and I managed to rip it off. I opened my mouth to shout for help… then reconsidered. Another witch didn't necessarily mean a helpful one.

Heavy footsteps sounded, each punctuated by a mumbled 'fuck.' That gave my rescuer away even before her dark head bobbed into view.

Savannah jogged toward me, still cursing as she untied me.

'Hold the binding spell, cast the energy bolt,' she muttered. 'Easy, right? But no. I try it, I lose the binding spell and the energy bolt flops.'

'We have to warn Jeremy,' I whispered as I pulled my hands from the loosened rope. 'She knows he's heading to her house and she'll-'

'I'm sure Jeremy could handle that bitch, but he won't need to. She isn't going anywhere.'

As if on cue, a distant motor ground. Stopped. Tried again, making the same grinding sound.

Savannah grinned and tossed aside the rope from my hands. 'Little trick I learned from Lucas. So, did you get what you wanted from her?'

'No, but I'm well beyond caring-'

'She owes you. Sit tight, then. One wicked witch coming up.'

Savannah started to leave, then turned. 'Maybe you should hide. In case she circles back.'

Hide? Like hell.

I didn't argue, though. Just let her run after Molly, then yanked off my pumps and gathered up the pieces of rope Savannah had tossed aside. She'd never think to take them-she was too confident for that. A confidence that had gotten her into trouble before, and while I had no doubt she could handle Molly Crane, I wasn't taking any chance that I'd need to tell Paige and Lucas I'd gotten their ward killed rescuing me. As for telling Eve and Kristof their daughter died because of me? I shivered and picked up my pace.

Heading in the direction of the car, I stuck to the line of tall bushes. Today's fashion choices might not have been ideal 'running through the forest' wear, but at least the colors were camouflage friendly.

A metallic bang reverberated through the forest. I envisioned Savannah thrown against a vehicle. Then I recognized the sound. The slam of a car hood.

Molly's voice drifted over. '… need a tow truck out at-'

A yelp. Now I did run, hiking up my skirt, twigs biting into my stockinged feet. Ahead, the woods opened into a sunlit clearing. I could make out the gray side of Molly's SUV, then Molly herself, scooping up her cell phone from the ground.

Another yelp, more anger than surprise now, as the cell phone flew from her grasp. She grabbed the door handle.

'That's not going to help.' Savannah 's voice rang out across the clearing.

I ducked behind a wide tree.

'Your car's not going anywhere,' Savannah said. 'And neither are you.'

Molly was less than ten feet from me, but facing the other way, head ducked as if squinting into the late-day sun.

'Sav- Savannah?' A shock-stutter of surprise. 'What are you-?'

'Did you forget Paige is on the interracial council?' Savannah stopped a few yards from Molly. 'That means I have friends on the council. Friends like Jaime. Not a good idea to fuck with my friends, Molly.'

Molly gave a short laugh. 'Seems you inherited your mom's attitude. Maybe it'll fit in ten years, but right now, you're a little girl with a big opinion of herself.'

Savannah 's face darkened, her blue eyes blazing, fury palpable enough to make most people hesitate, but Molly only shook her head, as if this was just another rebellious teen, something she was used to handling.

Savannah 's lips started to move in a spell. I tensed, ready to run and knock Molly over if she began a cast of her own, but she only sighed, the sound rippling through the clearing.

'For the sake of my friendship with Eve, Savannah, I'm willing to let this interference today pass, and I'll even discuss letting your 'friend' walk out of here alive, but if you cast that spell-'

'You'll what?'

'I don't think you want to test that,' Molly said, voice dropping.

Savannah smiled. 'Oh, I think I do.'

She flung her hands up and shouted a spell so loudly I jumped, almost tumbling from my hiding place. The words boomed through the forest. Molly froze, caught off guard. Savannah 's arms flew down. Molly slammed into the side of the SUV so hard she left a dent.

Savannah 's hands sailed up again like a conductor hitting the crescendo. Another booming cast, her lips curled back, snarling the words to the sky. Then she convulsed, her arms flying out, her head jerking back. I ran for her. There was a tremendous bang, like a car backfiring. As I stumbled, the sky lit up.