Page 19 of Klaus

“Did you notice anyone else?”

Another frown, along with troubled eyes this time. “What do you mean? One of us?”

“No, not one of you. Another. A human.”

She shook her head.

“Is it common for humans to wander this area?”

“Not at all. In fact, there is an enchantment on the woods to ensure humans cannot find their way through to the mountain.”

“What about the other side of the valley? Beyond the lake— loch?”

“It is far too treacherous beyond the loch,” she explained. “The land is boggy, the grass high. Any number of creatures live there.”

That meant nothing, and we both knew it. How could she not, after what had happened only months earlier? Their mountain and its caves were not impregnable, and thanks to the kidnapping, no longer secret.

Who had their kidnappers told of their location? Were there more of them somewhere? Lying in wait?

I continued into the cave, through the tunnel, with Bonnie on my heels. Her husband had died in the fight, I recalled, and while she’d maintained a calm demeanor since then and had done what she could to unite the clan under Alan’s leadership, there was bound to be quite a bit of anxiety wrapped up in the way her life had pivoted in a single day.

Alan was in the control center, speaking to Owen and Tamhas. The three of them seemed distracted when they looked up to find me in the doorway, but that distraction turned to concern when they noticed how troubled I was.

Which turned to grave concern once I finished telling them what I’d sensed.

“Is your sense of smell as strong when you’re in this form?” Alan asked, folding his arms with his feet planted at shoulder width.

Strangely, though they were physically so different, his posture reminded me of his twin. She often took that stance.

“Not nearly as much.”

“And it’s clearly stronger than ours if Bonnie couldn’t pick up the scent,” he murmured, brows drawing together in a frown.

“What do you suggest?” Owen asked, looking up at his leader from his seat in front of the bank of monitors.

They showed nothing aside from the occasional bird, squirrel, rabbit. At that time of day, the sun fully set, the infrared feature picked up on body heat rather than relying on seeing in the dark. Nothing much was going on out there at the moment.

I wished I could shake the feeling that the peace and calm wouldn’t last.

Alan looked to me. “What do you think about spending time patrolling as your lion? I realize it’s a bit of an inconvenience, even too much to ask, but I believe you could be of tremendous help.”

“It isn’t too much to ask,” I assured him, having already been on the verge of coming up with the same plan.

If he hadn’t asked me to do it, I would’ve done it on my own, whether or not he thought I should. There was no way I could keep myself from searching for the source of that distinctive scent.

An idea struck me. “Would it be possible for me to make a call to Mary from here? Perhaps she could help shed some light on the situation.”

“You truly believe this is a threat,” Tamhas observed, his voice nearly a whisper.

I took note of the fact that he wasn’t asking a question. He was stating a fact.

“I can do you one better,” Owen offered, pulling up a video chat app on the computer. “She suggested we set this up, the way the Appalachian branch of the clan has done. In case of emergency.”

It seemed ridiculous, really, to use such an arrangement for emergencies. An entire ocean stretched out between us. How could she provide assistance? Then again, I reminded myself, Mary’s network was wide and far-reaching. There was no telling how many friends she had all over the world, friends with the same interests and abilities.

I took a seat and waited for the call to go through. Before I could ask them to, Alan and the others left the room for privacy’s sake. Moments later, Mary’s face filled one of the wide monitors.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of surprise at how comforting the sight of her face was. I’d seen her every day for so many years.

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