Free Terra's Victory (Destiny's Trinities Book 7) by Tracy Cooper-Posey Page B

before,” Mia said. “It’s a good one. Except we don’t explode if we stand too close to each other.”
    “You just bring the Grimoré a-running. So you guys are going to need some help.” He waved toward the hunters. There had to be two or three hundred people squeezed into the workshop bays. “They can’t sense us.”
    “What about your usual targets?” Wyatt asked, frowning.
    “Most everything that isn’t working with the Grimoré or hasn’t yet joined your side has shrunk back into the woodwork and disappeared,” Ronny said. “Like rabbits when the wolf goes by.” He tilted his head to look at Wyatt. “You want our help, don’t you? That’s what you said in your email. That things are rolling down the hill toward the end, right? Well, we want to help make sure it ends the right way.”
    Wyatt let out his breath and dropped his hand onto Ronny’s skinny shoulder. “This is good news. Great news. We haven’t had a lot of good news lately.”
    “I guess that’s why you didn’t recognize it straight away,” Ronny said. “So…what do you want us to do?”
    Wyatt glanced at Mia. “Seaveth should be here.”
    Mia grinned. “She’ll be beside herself.” She tapped her temple. “Calling out now.”
    * * * * *
    Even though the Otters lost the New Year’s Day game to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, it had been a tight match, fraught with a pleasant suspense that was a nice change of pace from the dark, overwhelming chores that filled most of Rhys’ days.
    Cora and Aithan had loved the hockey game, screaming themselves hoarse and jumping about whenever they disagreed with a decision, which Rhys had found hilarious, as Aithan had never seen a hockey game before. Even Cora, with her southern raising, was not super familiar with the rules. Rhys had given them a ten minute primer before the game started.
    As they walked out of the arena into the weak late afternoon sunshine he could feel muscles relax that he hadn’t been aware were tight. He had taken Cora and Aithan to the game for their entertainment, although it seemed the few hours of normal, human distraction had worked for him, too.
    “Rhys!” The call came from the little VIP parking lot right over by the end of the parking area, snugged up against the arena itself. There was nothing urgent in the call and Rhys glanced around, still immersed in the glow of good times.
    Michael Dobson, the Erie chief of police, was standing by the side of his cruiser. His kids, Mikey and David, were on the far side with the door open, tugging at each other’s parkas, trying to make themselves slide on the ice that coated the parking lot. Dobson raised his hand and beckoned.
    Rhys changed direction and Cora and Aithan followed him, easing their way out of the stream of people heading for their cars, most of them with their arms around themselves, blowing steamy breaths into the frigid air.
    Dobson was not in uniform, which made sense if he’d brought his kids to the game. Using the cruiser to do it was probably not within the city’s police code of operations, but Rhys wasn’t going to bust Dobson’s chops about it. The man was not much older than Rhys although in the last six months, he had aged fifteen years. There was more gray in his hair now than black and deep creases marked the corners of his eyes. There were bags beneath them that hadn’t been there a while ago.
    Rhys didn’t wonder at the change in Dobson. The man had been dealing with the same threats to Erie’s people as Rhys had been. It was worse for Dobson, because he still had no idea what was making people up and disappear, while Rhys did know exactly what was happening and could do something about it. Even if the little he, Cora and Aithan could do didn’t seem to make much difference, it helped to be able to take action.
    Dobson was still looking for answers, which didn’t sit well with a man who preferred direct action and results.
    Rhys recalled once more Seaveth’s restrictions