Page 35 of Cursed
“That would be great,” Seth said, and Evan nodded enthusiastically even though the curse had his stomach in knots. He reminded himself that Tony was putting on a brave face after Pax’s disappearance, and giving him a way to be busy and useful was a kindness.
“Thank you,” Evan added.
“Mind if I raid your pantry?” Tony eyed the kitchen cabinets.
“Go for it,” Seth told him. “We just stocked up before we came to town, so there should be plenty to pick from.”
“What about the time to meet?” Evan asked.
“I hate to say it, but I think dawn is our best bet,” Seth replied. “Sunrise has its own supernatural energy, so that could help us. There’s less likelihood of mundane interference. And if tomorrow is the date Vernon intended, then he may haveleeway for when he begins. He may not expect us at such an inconvenient time.”
With the script and dividing up the phone numbers, the calls went quickly. All of their friends were aghast at Vernon’s escalation, but said they could be ready to go at dawn at the old turpentine factory.
Kinsley called back about half an hour later. “Tristan is in. I also talked to my vampire friend who went to that monster meat restaurant. He stayed at the bar so he didn’t have to eat the food, but he confirmed that the place’s customers were a mixed bunch of supernatural creatures who looked human. And that ship’s wheel you were looking for, there was a big one on the wall that looked old.”
“Thank you,” Evan told her. “And thank your friend for us, please.”
“Glad to help. Tristan and I will be there tomorrow.”
Evan put down his phone when he finished the last call, waiting for Seth to wrap up his conversation. In the kitchen, Tony whistled quietly as he took cookie sheets out of the oven.
“I don’t know what you made, but it smells fantastic,” Evan told Tony.
Tony beamed. “I’m not the chef Pax is, but I can make a mean batch of sheet pan nachos. They’ll be ready to eat as soon as they cool down.”
Seth’s phone rang. Evan recognized Nash’s number when it popped up on the screen.
“Sorry about the whole curse thing,” Nash said when Seth accepted the call, since they had already phoned him and Caden to confirm the next day’s plan.
“I’ve got confirmation that Vernon’s anchor is at the monster meat restaurant. Any thoughts on how we steal the wheel and destroy it?” Seth asked.
“I have an idea about that,” Nash replied. “It’s a little illegal.”
Seth barked a laugh. “Everything we’ll be doing tomorrow is at least a little illegal. What’s your idea?”
Nash cleared his throat. Evan wondered if the other man looked around to make sure his cop partner wasn’t in earshot. “The monster restaurant is in what appears to be an abandoned diner. It sits off by itself in a run-down part of town that went downhill when the roads changed twenty years ago. If you don’t actually need to do anything with the wheel itself, my vote is firebomb the place and walk away. Safest for everyone involved.”
“I like the way you think.” Seth grinned. “How upset do you think Caden will be?”
Nash sighed. “Monster hunting has required Caden to allow for some room to bend the rules. Vernon owns the location, so no one else is getting hurt. The clientele is already technically dead, or the kind of things we kill. It’s unlikely to burn down the neighborhood unless we nuke it from space. We’ve done similar things before.” He paused. “Caden might also have some ideas for how we keep random bystanders clear and activate the fire control resources once your team is clear, so the situation doesn’t get out of hand.”
“Destroying the anchor is one of the most important parts of stopping the disciple,” Seth told Nash. “Thank you. Just be careful.”
“Some of the ghosts were the monsters’ victims,” Nash replied. “They’re going to make sure this works and that I’m okay. I promise. Will your part at the turpentine plant go okay without a ghost wrangler?”
“Kinsley is bringing a necromancer, so we should be covered,” Seth told him.
“That should work. Be careful, and see you on the flip side.”
They thanked him again, and Seth ended the call.
Before either Seth or Evan had time to say anything, they heard the crunch of tires outside the RV.
Evan went to the window to get a look at their visitors. Tony grabbed a large kitchen knife. Seth reached for the gun in the desk drawer as his phone rang, and he answered it. He put the gun back in the drawer and motioned for Tony to put down the knife.
“It’s Teag and Rowan,” Seth said. He and Evan went to the door to greet their guests.
“Thanks for making a house call,” Seth said, although the humor didn’t meet his eyes. “And by the way, that’s Tony. He’s hiding with us for the duration.”
