My father’s face scrunched up. “Well…they don’t have any end goals. They just forage. That’s what they do. The flowers are tasty, and they come to eat them.”
I ignored my dad. “I’m going with you. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the deer is a lure in the eventuality someone—usually you—checks it out. He’s already figured out how to circumvent Ivy House’s defenses. It would make sense if he tried to take out my next strongest defense.”
“Or maybe he knows we’ll all check it out together, since it’s on Ivy House property, and is waiting to ambush us. If I go alone, I’ll be the only one who gets—”
“No.” I grabbed his arm, an uncomfortable feeling coiling tightly in my stomach. “We go together. I’ll…go high, so we’ll be separated, but we’ll check it out together.”
Austin stared at me for a long moment, clearly not wanting me in danger, but probably recognizing a hopeless cause when he saw one.
“Well. You crazy kids have fun. I think I’ll retire now.” My dad about-faced and headed for the house.
Mr. Tom watched him go. “That man is the prime example of a Dick ignoring anything that doesn’t fit into his world view. I’ve never seen anything like it. I mean, I’ve heard about it, but never actually witnessed it.”
“Oh yes, it’s quite extraordinary,” Edgar said. “I’ve seen it a lot.”
Austin shook his head. “Fine, but you will stay with me, not in the air. Call Ulric and Cedric down here. What about the few you have in the hotel?”
“Leave them there. I don’t want to bring any more people into my world who don’t expressly belong. Those guys aren’t great anyway.”
“If they aren’t great, why haven’t you turned them loose?” Austin asked, stripping out of his pants.
“I know, I know, don’t push me.” I glanced at Mr. Tom. “Anything from Niamh?”
“Yes. She saw him or her leave, someone clad in leather. They were not glowing. Near as I can figure, the person at the front must’ve left about when that deer did.”
“There was another one?” Austin asked.
I blew out a breath and nodded. “No Dick or Jane prowler would care about a deer, even a glowing one. They’d just think their eyes were playing tricks. Only a magical person would know it was a shifter, and likely one using a potion or elixir. Them taking off means they were not happy to see one another.” I put my hands on my hips and thought for a moment. “Keep Niamh watching the front. Tell her to call if the person at the front comes back. We’ll check out the trail of the deer. I’m more concerned with whatever circumvented Ivy House’s magic than a person in leather. Get Cedric but leave Ulric in the front, just in case. Let’s go while the trail is still fresh. We’ll circle back to the front after.”
“Maybe they are working together and just pulled back at the same time?” Mr. Tom said.
“I don’t know if that would be worse or better. Regardless, my parents will be caught in the crossfire. We have to find a way out of this, for their sakes.”TenMartha grabbed the shoes from Jessie’s floor. That girl had never learned to put her shoes away. If a body wasn’t careful, there’d be a shoe garden in the living room, housing all of the discarded shoes that were never picked up. She placed them in the enormous closet only a quarter filled with clothes. Martha clucked her tongue. All of that time with no job and no child to look after, and she couldn’t pick up a few things. Martha would never understand it. She loved shopping.
Speaking of which, she needed to take a tour of the downtown area. She’d seen the cutest little shops as she was passing through.
A pop caught her attention.
She straightened, bracing her hand against her lower back. These old bones were not what they used to be.
A crack had formed beside the dresser, from the floor nearly to the ceiling. More siding popping loose, no doubt. This house was falling apart!
A wave of worry washed over her. Poor Jessie. First Jimmy moved away, then Matt up and left her, and now she’d been taken for a ride by that Havercamp woman. This house might look okay on the outside, if a bit spooky, but it was clearly a fixer-upper. It would be an absolute money pit. Hopefully those nice young boys planned on sticking around for a while and paying rent. Jessie was going to need it.
Martha placed her palm on the wall and leaned into it, popping the siding back into place with a click. A few nails should do the trick. She’d let Pete know. He could hammer the problem spots back into place, easy.
Back in the room, she noticed a doll sitting on a pillow in the middle of Jessie’s bed.