Page 44 of Warmongers and Wands
Stanley looked down at the floor. “If he’d reported the wreck, it would have looked suspicious. This part of the mountain isn’t where he and the splinter group of wolves have laid claim to. He’d have no reason to be over here. And the way your truck went down, you can’t see it from the road. So Clinton couldn’t report it without looking suspicious, and Dallas didn’t even know. Dallas just figured a rockslide took out some of the road and had us clear it. He never checked down the hill.”
I scowled, very unhappy that Stanley hadn’t found some way of alerting the pack that I was down here. Or sending an anonymous tip to one of my sisters or something.
“Then why did you come last time?” Hadur growled, taking a menacing step toward the werewolf. “You told us Dallas sent you to get Bronwyn.”
Stanley cringed. “He did send me. He got your message and sent me down to bring Bronwyn to the compound. That way he could deliver her to Cassandra, make like he’d rescued her and cared for her. And then Cassandra would be grateful and get off his back. Instead you refused to turn her over, then Cassandra came up to the compound and read Dallas the riot act, threatening to kill him if her sister has so much as a broken finger nail. I’m lucky he didn’t kill me over that.”
I suddenly realized where all this was going. “Dallas has a spy in his compound—a spy besides you, that is. And that spy went to Clinton and told him about Cassie’s threats.”
Stanley nodded. “And Clinton’s got a second chance to make his plan work. All he needs to do is attack you, make it look like Dallas did it, then he’ll be pack alpha over all of Heartbreak Mountain while Dallas is rotting in a grave somewhere.”
“This Clinton plans to kill Bronwyn?” Hadur’s voice was low and quiet. Stanley shivered and arched his back, hunching low.
“It doesn’t matter whether she lives or dies,” Stanley told him. “If she’s attacked and hurt, then she’ll tell her sister it was the werewolves and Cassandra will go straight to Dallas. If she’s killed, then Cassandra will find out and know who to blame.”
I sucked in a breath. “When is this attack supposed to occur, Stanley?”
The werewolf glanced up at me, clearly miserable. “Tonight. Probably around midnight because that’s always the best time for an attack.”
Werewolves. So predictable. “What’s going to happen?” I asked.
“About a dozen wolves are supposed to hit hard and fast and draw the big guy away. Then another three are supposed to come in the other side, into the cabin to rough you up. Everyone is supposed to be in and out in less than twenty minutes. Hit hard and fast, then get the hell out before anyone gets killed. And if a wolf goes down, they have orders to haul him out, even if it’s a body.”
“Leave no proof behind that it’s Clinton’s wolves and not Dallas’,” I commented.
“I need to get back.” Stanley edged backward toward the door. “They’ll already scent that I was here. Clinton’s gonna know I warned you. Dallas is gonna wonder what I’m doing down here. I’m screwed. I’m so screwed.”
“I think you need to spend the night in town,” I told him. “Grab some buddies, head to Pistol Pete’s or the Tavern, then get a room at Hollister’s Inn or sleep on someone’s couch.”
He shot Hadur a quick glance to make sure the demon was in agreement with that, then quickly made his exit. I finished my tea, then tried to think.
This sucked. I couldn’t leave. Even if I managed to get a message to Ophelia and she somehow arranged to have me airlifted out of here before nightfall, I couldn’t leave Hadur here to handle this by himself. What should I do? I glanced over at the demon, wondering if I could get a message to Cassie, get all my sisters to come here and make a stand with us. The seven of us witches, plus two demons? We’d be a force no werewolf would want to face.
Hadur shook his head, as if reading my mind. “They’d know, and they’d just delay. We can’t have your sisters here every night for four weeks until you heal and leave. Perhaps you should consider having your sister fly you back to the town, where you’ll be safe.”
I ached to hear him say that. “I’m safe with you,” I told him. “I’m a witch. And I’ve got the nipper-wand and a bunch of enchanted spoons in addition to the magic Cassie laid down before she left. If the attack happens as Stanley said, then you take care of the werewolves in the woods, and I’ll handle whoever makes it to the cabin. If I can’t fight off three werewolves, then I probably deserve to get my ass beat.”
“I don’t want you fighting off three werewolves, not injured like you are. If one of them gets close enough to grab you, your leg won’t be the only thing broken. No, if you’re insisting we make a stand, we’re going to make it together.”
“Then we’ll have fifteen werewolves attacking us,” I told him. “I’m worried they’ll try to burn down the cabin or something.”
“They won’t,” Hadur smiled down at me. “That would bring not only Dallas’ wolves running, but whoever manages your fire department in the town as well. Their goal is to frame Dallas. And the motive they’re putting on Dallas for this is revenge and trying to get you witches to back off and let him do his thing without oversight.”
“Well, Clinton’s an idiot, because Cassie would see right through that. She’d be pissed at first and blame Dallas, but then she’d come to her senses and realize that Dallas isn’t going to hurt me, not after the threat she delivered. It’s like poking the bear, and he might be an arrogant ass, but Dallas isn’t dumb enough to poke the bear.”
“And he’s most likely not dumb enough to set his own mountain on fire to hurt a witch he doesn’t really care about and piss off a witch that could probably kill him.” Hadur shook his head. “I agree. This Clinton isn’t very smart.”
“Poor werewolves. Two crappy choices in their alphas. Maybe if they didn’t pick their leaders through violent combat and instead voted, or had them play Old Maid, or do rock-paper-scissors, they might actually have a chance of a decent leader.”
“Sounds like they need a revolution,” Hadur commented.
I glared at him. “No wars. They’ve already got one. Do not go inciting any additional wars among the werewolf packs.”
He snorted. “Doesn’t sound like they need my help on that front. Besides, not all revolutions are violent, and war does not always end with the physically strongest as the winner.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “No war.”
“Not even a little tiny one?”
