Page 12 of Woodland Web

Ari held out her hands and I took them, giving them a squeeze.

“Nothing will ever separate us again. If I think you’re on a case that’s too dangerous, I’ll just back out for a little bit till you’re done. I’ll keep the kids away if you’re in the middle of something big.” She exhaled a long, slow breath. “Do you forgive me?”

“Of course,” I said, more because it felt like she needed to hear it rather than because I was holding a grudge. “I don’t want to fight anymore. You’re my sister, you know? Sisters of the heart. To be honest, I still feel horrible for backing away while I was with Ellison. I’d do it all differently if I had it to do over again.”

She smirked. “He had control. Ellison hated anybody who was going to interfere with that abusive nature. So tell me, what are you working on now? Meagan said you quit to write a book? Let’s catch up.”

“I didn’t quit. I took a sabbatical, but I’m going back part time starting next week. And yes, I’m trying to write a book, but I’m not enough of an introvert to write full time.” I approached the coffee station. “What do you want?”

“Latte, three shots, vanilla caramel if you have it.” She hesitated. “I heard through the grapevine that you sold your house?”

I began pulling shots for our lattes. “Right. To Killian’s parents. It’s nice having them next door. I know they’ll take good care of my childhood home, and we can see Killian’s parents anytime we want. Serena takes care of Tally’s kids anytime there’s a need.”

Ari stared soberly at the cookies. “I wish I hadn’t been so abrupt. It was the perfect place for a salon. I guess I need to look elsewhere.”

“That might not be a bad thing,” I said. “Money and friendship don’t always mix. I don’t want to play landlord, to be honest. This way, the house is off my hands and whatever they do with it is their choice.” I brought our mugs over and handed her one. “Vanilla caramel, as you asked.” As I sat down, I was practically vibrating, I was so happy.

“You might be right. Anyway, I did find another building for my salon that used to be one, so it has some equipment that comes with it, and I don’t have to do any major renovations. I’m just going to paint, move a few things around, and add a seating area for clients.” She worried her lip. “How do you like living next door to your in-laws?”

“Actually, I love it. Serena and William are lovely people, and they accept me in a way that I almost forgot. Rowan loves me, of course, and Teran, but Serena and William treat me like…well…it’s almost like having my mother and father around. They’re both nurturing people, and it feels like we have somebody watching out for us, you know?”

Ari nodded. “My folks live in Terameth Lake, along with my half-brother. Mom and Dad finally met Colton, and they’re sorting out the relationship details. I think we’re evolving, as a family. My sister’s coming up from California in July and we’re all going out camping together. A reunion of sorts, to seal the new aspects that have come out of find out about Colton.”

“Are you looking forward to that?” I asked.

“Yes. No. Both. It’s a lot, you know, and to add Emily and LaKirk joining our family at the same time, well… I have no clue how things will play out, but it’s going to be interesting, that’s for sure.” She sipped her latte. “Meagan likes you. She also likes Killian. She told me I was being ridiculous back when I got angry. I didn’t want to listen to her. But over the past few months, I’ve come to realize just how much I need you in my life—along with all the work you do.”

“Well, buckle up, because I’ve got something new to face. Actually, something old, but it’s going to resolve one of the stressors that’s been hanging over my head for a while.” I told her what was going on with Briar.

“Oh my gosh, you’re going after a sluagh? I’ve done enough research to know how dangerous they are.” She paled for a moment, then shook her head. “Promise me you’ll be careful, January? I’m not afraid for myself, that’s not why I’m asking you to be cautious. But they’re dangerous creatures, the sub-Fae, and they have absolutely no conscience about killing anyone that gets in their path.”

I cupped my hands around my mug. “I’ll do whatever I can. I just know if I don’t destroy this creature, Briar will be on my back. And having one of the Overkings angry at me is a worse fate than facing one of the sub-Fae.” I hesitated, then said, “I called Val Slater last night to see if he could help. He said he’d call back tonight. I think he’s over me, Ari. He called us acquaintances, not friends.”

She studied my face for a moment. “That’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what I hoped would happen, actually. I want to keep a working relationship with him, but I needed him to respect my boundaries and Killian’s boundaries. And it seems like he’s doing just that.” After that, we slid into catching up on the past few months’ gossip, and by the time Ari had to leave to pick up the kids from their morning daycare—they’d let the nanny go down to afternoons only—we were back to where we’d been before.

Well, almost. There were still cracks in the fence, but we’d mended a lot of them, and we were ready to move back into our roles as best buds and cheerleaders, and that’s exactly what I had hoped would happen.

* * *

At one-thirty, I got a call from Millie. “We have another problem and it may be your sluagh,” she said. “Can you come down to the station? I can’t get away and I don’t want to talk about this over the line.”

I told her I’d be there in half an hour. After rinsing out our mugs, I made sure that the cats were set and I had a mixture of mugwort and peppermint tea, then headed down to the police station.

Downtown Moonshadow Bay was a lovely space, with a central building called City Central that covered an entire city block. Built of red brick, City Central encapsulated most of the town’s government offices, including the police station, fire department, the Garrison Library, the PUD, the courthouse, and many other smaller spaces, including several restaurants.

The walls were painted in a warm lilac gray, and the floors were laminate, with a soundproof system that quieted the sounds of footsteps. There was a coziness to the complex, even as large as it was, and even though the jail was located in the police department, the energy was still smooth and muted.

I entered the bulletproof glass doors to the police station. The dispatcher waved at me. She recognized me from enough visits. I waved back and she buzzed me through, handing me a visitor’s pass on a lanyard. I hung it around my neck, then made my way through the labyrinth of desks and cubicles. Some were manned with officers and clerks, while others were empty. By the time I reached the door leading to Millie’s area, I had said hello to half a dozen familiar faces.

The officer nearest the door checked with dispatch before buzzing me through into the gleaming, cool hallway that led to Millie’s office. I passed the restrooms, then stopped at an open door, peeking in to see Millie sitting there.

“Knock, knock,” I said, poking my head around the open door.

“Come in!” She waved me in. “Have a seat. So, how are you?”

“Well, Ari and I made up. We’re good again.” Our argument had gotten around. In a small town like Moonshadow Bay, there wasn’t much to do for some of the locals except gossip. Anything that was remotely interesting made the rounds like clockwork.

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