Page 45 of Waifs And Strays
‘Do you like being stroked?’
I gave him a hard look. ‘Do you?’
He didn’t miss a beat. ‘Absolutely.’
I should have expected that. Fortunately, he decided to abandon his weak attempt at lightening the mood in favour of something more sensible. ‘You can transform at will?’
‘It’s a little more complicated than that.’ I explained the process to him.
He rubbed his chin. ‘It sounds painful.’
‘It is.’
Thane nodded as if in understanding, although I knew that werewolves had a far easier time even if their shapeshifting was governed by the moon. He changed the subject. ‘Do you really think Nick’s still alive?’
‘I certainly hope so.’ I eyed him. ‘You really can’t think of any reason why someone would want a lone werewolf?’
Thane sighed. ‘None that makes any sense.’
I grimaced and we lapsed into silence for the rest of the journey.
My old darlingwas stretched out in the garden, ignoring the tickle from some late-season daisies that were brushing her pale-pink nose. There wasn’t much sunlight for her to enjoy but she was doing her best and seemed to have located the only remaining bright patch. I glanced up at the sky. The clouds were drifting in the wrong direction; in another five minutes even this spot would be shady.
I knelt down beside her while Thane waited several metres away, sensible enough to give us some distance. ‘Hey.’
She Who Loves Sunbeams opened an eye. The tip of her tail twitched, suggesting that she already had an idea about why I was disturbing her.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said quietly. ‘I wouldn’t do this if I had an alternative.’
Her tail twitched again and her ears started to flatten. I stroked her head and tickled her chin. ‘It’s to help find Nick.’
She Who Loves Sunbeams expelled a long sigh then rolled, heaved herself up to her feet and stretched before offering me a long-suffering miaow.
‘Thank you.’ I gathered her up in my arms and stood up. ‘Much like you werewolves,’ I explained to Thane, ‘different cats have different affinities.’ I scratched She Who Loves Sunbeams behind her ears. ‘Some are strong hunters, some are better at hiding and sneaking through shadows. And some, like this lovely one here, are good at sensing the spirit world.’
Thane watched me, unblinking.
‘I take on a lot of the same characteristics of whichever cat’s fur I swallow,’ I said. ‘And the closer I am to the cat once I’m transformed, the stronger those characteristics are.’ I adjusted She Who Loves Sunbeams in my arms, making sure she was as comfortable as possible. ‘She’ll have to come with us.’ I raised my eyebrows. ‘Do you know how Nick’s parents were killed?’
He shook his head. ‘Only that it was supposedly a tragic accident.’ His mouth flattened. ‘I’m inclined now to think there might have been more to it.’
Indeed. ‘Do you know where it happened?’
‘Somewhere close to Henderson Market. From what Nick told me, they weren’t the only ones who died. But Kit, even if they were murdered by the same people who took Nick, how does that help us?’
‘Quite often when someone dies unexpectedly, their soul lingers before departing this world for good.’
‘Ghosts?’
It was a bit more complicated than that. ‘Sort of. Regardless of the number of people making a living through exorcism and the like, these spirits are rarely malevolent and don’t do much beyond re-live their own deaths over and over again until they come to terms with their passing. They’re far less than a non-corporeal version of their living selves – they’re obsessed with themselves and pay little attention to the living. I’m not sure they think or feel anything. They’re less ghosts and more…’ My voice trailed off as I struggled to find the right words.
‘An echo of what was?’
I met his eyes. ‘Yes,’ I said. He got it. ‘An echo, exactly that. If there’s an echo of Nick’s mum and dad in the place where they died and we can find out exactly what killed them, we might get closer to finding who else was involved and why.’
‘And when we know that,’ Thane said, ‘we’ll find Nick.’
I licked my lips. ‘Here’s hoping.’
