Page 3 of Wonder
It was the third pin. Fifty-three miles away, so I’d be cutting it close. Cal said he’d send the location to the Hunters, in case any were in the area, and he’d text Simon that I was on the way. I thanked him and hung up as I got into my car.
As soon as I was on the road, I called Tucker.
“Well, if it isn’t Veronica Mars.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, are you off duty right now? I could use some backup.” Tucker had not only been my best friend since elementary school, but he’d been my former partner on the police force, both before and after we’d made detective. Even more pertinent to today’s fuckery, he was an enormous cougar shifter.
“Shit, sorry, but I’m on duty. What’re you headin’ into? Can it wait? I’m off in four hours.”
“Fuck. No, unfortunately it can’t wait. I had a vision. Remember those vampires everyone was talking about? Turns out they’re in our backyard.”
“Shiiiit.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
“Let me see if Ma’s available. I can send her to meet you.”
I grunted. “Yeah, I’d love it if she could come. But remind her that one of the vampires is on our side. He’s got reddish hair and a Klingon sword.” Tucker and his mother, Shirley, were the only cougar shifters in the area we were aware of. His mom might be pushing eighty years old, but she’d still make mincemeat of a vampire. “Let me know and I’ll text her the location. Even if she can’t be there right away, I’m sure there’ll be some cleanup to help with.”
“Got it. I’ll let you know.”
We hung up, and a few minutes later Tucker texted that his mother could join me. She’d arrive twenty or so minutes later than I would, though. I hoped we were both in time to help Simon. At the next stoplight I texted the address to Shirley and Tucker, with a caution for Shirley to enter from the rear of the property. A couple of months ago, Simon had said there were four vampires left who were involved in kidnapping and possibly killing Wonders. Until I ascertained otherwise, I had to assume the other three were in the house or close by where Simon was.
My phone buzzed with several texts while I drove, but I’d have to read them when I stopped. The traffic gods were kind, and I made it to the address a little over an hour after leaving home. Even so, I felt in my gut that I was too late. I drove by the house, and the front was exactly like my vision—white van, no signs of life.
I turned at the next crossroad and slowed down near the property backing up to my destination. It was another run-down farmhouse, but this one had a chair on the porch and chickens dotting the yard. Shit. The next one looked more accessible—no people, no animals, but the yard was completely exposed to the neighbors and the street.
I parked and jumped out, swinging my backpack over my shoulder and shutting the car door as softly as I could. Ignoring my desire to break into a run, I walked casually toward the house, veering at the last minute to walk around it instead of up to the porch. The trees were much closer to the house here, so I picked up speed and ran until I was safely hidden within them.
My phone buzzed again. Shit. I pulled it out of my pocket and put it on silent, taking a few seconds to scan the messages. The usual requests for help from Wonders—they’d have to wait. Shirley was on her way; Tucker would be here as soon as possible after his shift was over, and... Shane. Shane was one of the East Texas District Monitors, and he was driving from Houston with Ms. Jackson, who had demanded to come here.
Later I’d worry about why a sentient Elven artifact had chosen today to visit. Right now I had other priorities.
I continued as quietly as I could, making my way south and west, hoping to end up at the edge of the woods near where Simon had been in my vision. I kept my eyes peeled for that other vampire too. The last thing I wanted was to run into him. Despite my police training, I was a Seer, not a Hunter. My skills were geared toward closing my eyes and sitting still. I wasn’t built to take on a vampire with super speed and strength.
Grunts and cracking twigs came from up ahead. The fight had started. I hurried forward as fast as I dared, pulling my gun from the shoulder holster.
One of them started talking. “You won’t die. You’re like one of those Earth cockroaches, always showing up.”
I could see them now. It’d been the black-haired vampire who’d spoken.
Simon gave him a cheeky grin. “You ever watch that showThe Boys?”
What the fuck?
The other vampire hesitated. “What?”
Simon’s body... dissipated. He turned into fog, but not into a cloud like Cal and Greg had described seeing. Simon’s fog became a very small straight line, and he speared into the other vampire’s open mouth.
The vampire jerked back, his eyes going wide. He put his free hand over his mouth and raised his knife to cut into the fog.
Then the fog was gone, and Simon was back in his human form, right in the middle of the other vampire’s neck. I only caught a brief glimpse of the vampire’s head separating from his body before he and Simon both fell to the ground in a heap of blood and gore.
I turned away until I got my nausea under control. When I felt steady enough to look again, Simon had rolled over onto his back. He wiped his face and licked the blood off his hand.Eww. Fuck, I needed to get over his unconventional fighting style and find out where the remaining vampires were. I holstered my gun and walked forward, not hiding my footsteps.
Simon jerked his head toward me, his expression wary. I was startled at how young he appeared. Even though I was used to how slowly shifters aged, this guy had to be over a hundred years old at least. He looked maybe twenty-five.
When he met my gaze, his eyes widened, and he smiled like I was the best thing he’d seen all day. He flexed his right hand, whichwas positioned in a fist over his belly, almost like he was holding something.
