Free Darkness Clashes by Susan Illene Page B

glad for her help for once. “But he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t give up easily once he’s on a mission. It’s going to take more than squirrel pelts to scare him off for good.”
    “Ya know him?” She wrinkled her orange brows.
    “From my military days, yeah.”
    She waddled over to me. “Think he might figure out the truth?”
    I rubbed my face. “I sure hope not, but I’ll talk to Nik about it.”
    “Hmphf,” she grunted. “If he does anythin’ useful I’ll be amazed.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and checked the screen. Charlie, the local shaman, was calling. He usually just showed up rather than using a phone.
    “What’s going on?” I asked after answering.
    “You need to get to my place now.” His voice was gruff but urgent.
    “Why? What happened?”
    The line clicked. I checked the screen and saw he’d hung up.
    “Dammit.” I looked over at Bambi. “Could you close the shop up for me? I think there’s some kind of emergency at Charlie’s place.”
    Bambi might be crazy and not the most hygienic person, but she could be very loyal. She’d helped me out a few times while Felisha was out of town and I was alone running the shop. I knew she could handle it.
    She held out her hand. “Give me the keys. Ya go take care of it.”
    “Thanks.” I pulled them out of my pocket and handed them to her. “If you can hide them in the usual spot I’ll get them tomorrow when I come in.”
    “Just get goin’.” She gave me her most fearsome expression, which from a troll was actually rather scary.
    I grabbed my purse and took off.
     
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    “What is so important you must drive as if demons are chasing us?” Kerbasi asked.
    His hands gripped the sides of his seat as if that alone would hold him in place. I’d dragged him out of the coffee shop and shoved him into the vehicle with no explanation other than to hurry. Even with my breaking about a dozen traffic laws it still took over half an hour to get to our destination.
    “I don’t know, but it’s gotta be important for Charlie to call.”
    I turned down the dirt road that led to the shaman’s house and sped along it with no regard for all the potholes that littered its narrow path. There’d be a trip to the mechanic in my Jeep’s future to get my alignment fixed after this.
    “I am certain that whatever he wants, it cannot be so important you must risk life and limb to get there.”
    His eyes widened when the vehicle went airborne after going over a particularly large bump in the road.
    “You’re immortal,” I pointed out, gripping the wheel tightly. “You can’t lose your life or limbs—at least not permanently—but I just sensed Emily and Derrick here. She was supposed to be riding home with a friend after school. Not be here with him .”
    They were close together on my radar and not far from Zoe’s underground prison. Only Charlie stood between them and the cellar. If Derrick used Emily’s blood, he could break through the wards. I’d never considered he’d go that far.
    “I don’t like that werewolf,” Kerbasi muttered.
    I brought the Jeep to a grinding halt in front of Charlie’s garage.
    “You don’t like anyone.” I jerked my seatbelt off. “Now, you can sit here or come with me. Doesn’t matter which, but stay out of my way.”
    I grabbed my gun from the glove compartment and holstered it on my belt before hopping out of the vehicle and racing toward the clearing behind the garage. There was a vegetable garden surrounded by a fence that was in my way. I veered around it and kept going at a sprint. Kerbasi followed behind, though at a more sedate pace.
    Just before reaching the trees I found Derrick, Emily, and Charlie. Tension flew between the three of them. The shaman—looking older than usual—stood his ground. His gray-streaked hair fluttered across his forehead in the breeze and he had his feet wide