Page 24 of Quest of the Wolf

“Maybespecialmushrooms grow out here.” Jasmine waved toward the trees.

I started to scoff, but I’d seen glowing fungi before when hunting as a wolf in the forest. As a human, I was oblivious to magical plants and mushrooms, but I knew theydidexist. Further, some places had inherent power, enticing such things to grow. The cave in the gully behind my mother’s cabin came to mind.

“Could be.” I drove into a gravel parking area with room for three or four vehicles.

The odor of decay wafted through the open window, and I wrinkled my nose. Had somethingdiedout here?

Another motion-sensing light came on, gleaming from above a modern steel door. Made from rounded stones held together with crumbling mortar, the building itself predated Radomir’s business ambitions, if not Radomir himself. What had once been a couple of high windows had been bricked in, the mortar much newer than that which held together the stone walls. The metal roof also appeared to be a recent upgrade, though whoever had done the renovation hadn’t altered the old stone chimney that thrust up through it.

When I turned off the engine, we could hear the gurgle of water, a stream winding through the trees beyond the building. I sensed a hint of magic from somewhere inside, and my hopes rose. Maybe this was the right place. Might a werewolf-occupied dungeon hunker behind those walls? At the least, it did indeed seem to be one of Radomir’s facilities. If Jasmine’sdadever needed a reference that vouched for his research abilities, I would happily give it.

“I think some of those special mushrooms are inside.” Jasmine pointed, apparently also sensing magic within.

“I’m hoping for a special werewolf.” I didn’t sense Duncan, but he could be behind walls that insulated his aura.

“I do get the vibe of a living being as well as inanimate magic… somethings.” Jasmine cocked her head, trying to puzzle it out.

I was too. I sensed something moving around inside. A mushroom wouldn’t do that.

“You’d think if he was being kept a prisoner, there would be guards and a bunch of high-tech stuff to keep him in though.” Jasmine eyed a few moss-blanketed flagstones making a path from the parking area to the door. “I don’t think this place even has a tripwire.”

“Yeah.” Though I hoped I would be wrong, I doubted Duncan waited inside. Still, we might find clues.

Also, if we were close to where my half-sibling had sensed him, he might yet be in the area. Maybe I couldimbibethe potion and locate him from here.

“Let’s check it out.” I pocketed my keys and slid out of the truck.

The scent of decay was stronger out here, and I half-expected to see a dead animal near the road. But maybe I was smelling mushrooms—or the compost they grew in breaking down.

I’d only taken a few steps toward the door when a scraping noise came from the roof—no, the chimney. I paused to eye the spot.

Daylight was waning, and the motion-sensing light didn’t do anything to brighten the top of the building. More scrapes floated down from above. Unfortunately, whatever was making them sounded small, not like a werewolf climbing out of the chimney.

I pulled out my phone and opened the flashlight app, though it lacked the power to brighten much on the roof. A chittering heralded the chimney climber, and a raccoon scampered out, its dark outline visible for a moment, something in its mouth. A mushroom? With white speckles that were unnaturally bright?

Before I could get a better look, the raccoon skittered down the back side of the roof and disappeared from view. Had I alsoglimpsed faintly glowing eyes, or was that my imagination? Maybe theraccoonwas the magical being we’d sensed inside. If so, that was disappointing.

“Your fearsome presence scared away the squatter.” Jasmine slid out of the truck to stand beside me.

“Apparently. This place might not get visited often.” I returned my phone to my pocket and drew out Rue’s bag of potions but hesitated to open the one attuned to Duncan. Other than a family memberthinkinghe’d sensed Duncan more than a day ago, did I have any reason to believe he was within ten miles?

“That door looks modern and secure.” Jasmine tugged on the knob and found it locked. “Someone cared enough to spruce this place up to keep out the riffraff.”

“But not the raccoons.”

“Maybe they’re not a threat to one’s carefully cultivated magical mushrooms.”

“It wasstealingone.”

“True. Do you think they eat mushrooms?” Jasmine poked the browser on her phone. “I’ll check.”

I walked around the building, finding more recently replaced doors and more bricked-in windows. Out back, another structure rose near the stream, which turned out to be a larger waterway than I’d envisioned. Almost a river. The wood structure looked like an old mill, but it was far more dilapidated than the stone building.

There was also another more modern building, a small barn or maybe a garage. Painted red, it had double wooden doors that would have been wide enough for a truck to pass through, and my flashlight app illuminated tire tracks. There didn’t appear to be a lock, but when I tugged on one of the metal handles, the door didn’t open. The building had a single window. I tried peering inside, but it was too dark to see more than a couple of tiny green indicator lights near a side wall.

Around back, there was another door, this one with a padlock on it. I returned to the front and considered the lack of a visible lock. Maybe there were boxes stacked in front of the doors. Or might a wood board or metal bar keep the entrance secured from within? An old-fashioned “lock”?

Whatever it was, it did an effective job. I eyed the glass window, debating if I wanted to engage in vandalism. Did I truly think a clue inside a detached garage would help me locate Duncan?

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