Not something he needed to deal with today. Slipping the copies of the picture into a slim briefcase, Tolya left his office, then stopped at the book room to check on Barbara Ellen and Joshua Painter—who were doing fine. Too fine? No, they were fine, still getting acquainted. No reason for alarm or to send any messages that would cause undo excitement in Lakeside.
Even so, he’d remain vigilant until the new deputy arrived. Then she could keep watch over Barbara Ellen Debany.
Leaving the two humans to their book sorting, he walked to the jewelry store and was pleased to see the Open sign on the door.
“Mr. Sanguinati,” Kelley Burch said.
The human looked tired, strained. Whispers had reached Tolya that something wasn’t right between Kelley and his mate—something serious enough that Jesse Walker was concerned. Not that she had said anything, but every time he mentioned Kelley or Abigail, her right hand closed over her left wrist. Trouble between human mates wasn’t his business, but Kelley was the only person qualified to assess the jewelry and run this shop, and having someone in town to do that work was Tolya’s business.
“What can you tell me about black stones?” Tolya asked.
“Was there anything in particular you wanted to see?” Kelley asked in turn. “I have jewelry here that has onyx or hematite stones. I have a jet necklace. I even have a ring with a couple of black diamonds as part of the setting. There are probably more stones in the back, including some tumbled stones that I haven’t sorted yet.”
“Are any of them significant? Preferred by a certain kind of human?”
Kelley thought for a moment, then shook his head. “The diamonds are valuable stones. The others are considered semiprecious, so by themselves they aren’t worth a lot of money. I might be more help if I knew what you were looking for. Loose stones? Something in a silver or gold setting?”
“I don’t know yet,” Tolya replied. “But I want to know about anyone showing interest in black stones.”
Kelley looked uneasy.“All right. There’s nothing sinister about liking those stones. Black doesn’t mean bad.”
Tolya didn’t respond to that. Instead, he returned to his office and called Jesse Walker’s mobile phone, since he knew Rachel Wolfgard wouldn’t answer Jesse’s personal phone.
“I’m in town,” she said.
“Virgil Wolfgard and I will be meeting the train. I’d like you to be there.”
A hesitation. “Is there a problem?”
“Maybe. Before that, there is something I want to show you. Can you come to my office?”
“I’ll be there soon.”
While he waited, Tolya sent an e-mail to Vlad, asking if Tess knew anyone named Scythe. Vlad would understand that he was asking for information about another Harvester.
Jesse walked in a few minutes later and settled in one of the visitors’ chairs. “Tobias wanted to bring a couple of horses to the livery stable here. They’re younger animals and well trained, but he didn’t feel anyone at the Prairie Gold ranch was the right match for either of them.”
“He felt they might suit one of the newcomers?” Tolya asked.
She nodded. “You think there’s a problem heading our way?”
“It’s heading our way or it’s already here. Virgil and I received a warning. I’m showing this to you because you have seen such warnings before. I’m not sharing this information with anyone else. Not yet.”
He waited for her to nod again before he removed one of the copies of the picture from his briefcase and set it on the desk—and he watched Jesse Walker pale.
“I’d say Hope Wolfsong was a genius if her drawings weren’t so disturbing,” Jesse said quietly. “People made of black stones rendered so well you can see they’re made up of many stones and aren’t statues made from a block of stone.”
The drawing was the street outside the Bird Cage Saloon. Rendered as ordinary humans were Barbara Ellen and an unknown female with brown hair pulled back in a tail. Both were laughing as they headed toward the saloon, although there was something in the unknown female’s expression that made Tolya think she wasn’t as unaware of the people around her as she first appeared. Standing at the doorway of the saloon was a human shape made of black stones, with two more of the stone humans nearby. Stazia Sanguinati was also in the picture, looking angry as she started to shift to her smoke form. And Virgil, standing upright and still dressed in jeans and a checked shirt, looked like a snarling Wolf.
But it was the woman taking up the bottom right corner that was the main reason Tolya had wanted Jesse to see the picture.
“I’ve only seen her a couple of times since she and her mate arrived, but isn’t that Abigail Burch?” Tolya said.
“Yes.” Jesse said nothing else for a minute. “She’s dead. In the picture, she’s dead.”
“Yes.” The staring eyes told him that much.
“Why … ?” Jesse swallowed hard. “Why is blood trickling out of her mouth?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you wondering if Kelley is going to kill her? Something happened in Prairie Gold that put a crack in their marriage. Abigail has secrets. She acts sweet and a bit simple, and she acted the part so well that no one in Prairie Gold realized it was deliberate until the scene with Kelley a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, I’m surprised she went with him, and I’m surprised he’s still living with her. But I’m not feeling any indication that he would kill her for any reason.”
“We’ve been warned that unauthorized humans will be arriving in Bennett looking for work, looking for … opportunities,” Tolya said. “That’s why I want you to join me and Virgil when the train gets in. Your instincts are different from ours. I’m not opposed to additional workers, but we need to be careful.”
Jesse sat back and looked away from the picture. “Yes, we do.” She ran a hand over her hair. “I’ll let Tobias know we’ll be here for a while.”
“I was about to walk up to the train station, but I can arrange for a ride if you prefer,” Tolya said.
She let out a little snort that sounded equally amused and annoyed. “The train station is just up the street, and I’m not infirm. A walk will suit me just fine.” She looked troubled. “I’m not happy with Abigail at the moment, but I don’t want her to come to any harm.”
“Then let’s try to keep that from happening.” Tolya slipped the picture back into his briefcase, led Jesse out of the office, and locked up. “And let us both remember that a warning is intended to help prevent something from happening.”
* * *
* * *
Virgil didn’t like having a human behind him, even if it was an older female who didn’t meet his eyes or challenge him in any way. But she was there, standing in the space Tolya Sanguinati had left between the two males.
<Why is she here?> he growled at Tolya.
<She is an Intuit. She is sensitive to other people. You and I will know different things about each human getting off the train. Jesse Walker will know something else. We have a better chance of recognizing an enemy together than if we are separate.>
All right. He couldn’t argue with that, because all humans were the enemy but some were also a threat to the terra indigene and the humans who were, regretfully, considered not edible.
Humans who were threats to the terra indigene or broke human laws would be bitten. Savagely. Maybe lethally. But he was going to get Tolya to agree that nipping the nonedibles was permitted by the sheriff and his deputy—just in case he had another reason to haul Barbara Ellen to jail for some “me time.”
The baggage door opened at the same time Nicolai Sanguinati walked out of the delivery area of the train station, pulling a cart that had webbing on two sides that could be raised and lowered for loading.
“You expecting anything in particular?” Nicolai asked, looking from Tolya to Virgil.
Some meaty bones would be nice, but Virgil figured he and Kane would have to hunt those down for themselves.
“Passengers,” Tolya replied.
A man wearing a shirt with the railway’s logo on the pocket and across the back stepped down from the baggage car while another man tossed him the mailbags, which he and Nicolai loaded into the cart. Next came the luggage and packages that were designated for the Bennett station. The railway men moved quickly, efficiently. Nervous, but not afraid. Bennett might be controlled by the terra indigene, but the men understood they were safe at the station—or as safe as any human could be in Thaisia.
“That’s the last of the cargo,” the man on the platform said as he held out a clipboard for Nicolai to sign. “Anything to go out?”
“One bag of mail to the Northeast Region,” Nicolai replied. “I’ll bring it out.”
Virgil caught Kane’s scent before he heard Jesse Walker’s quick intake of breath. The Wolfgard were significantly bigger than regular wolves and could take down prey a wolf couldn’t. He looked back at Jesse Walker. “You’ve never seen one of the Wolfgard in that form?”
“Haven’t seen an adult in a while,” Jesse replied. “Rachel is a juvenile Wolf, so she’s not nearly as big as your friend. I guess she still has some growing to do.”
Virgil knew Morgan and Chase had taken over the Prairie Gold pack, but if Jesse Walker hadn’t seen them in Wolf form, it sounded like they weren’t inviting the humans to howl with them and weren’t expected to be that friendly.
He envied them.
Then the first humans stepped off the train.
A pack of five young males, all dressed in dark trousers, white shirts, and the straps that held up clothing instead of using a belt. And hats.
The wind conveniently changed direction, bringing their scent to him and Kane. They smelled of clean soap and animals—and nerves.
“Simple Life,” Tolya said quietly. “It is their custom for the males to dress that way.”
Virgil studied the clothing carefully. Other males might try to disguise themselves by wearing that kind of clothing, but he didn’t think any other male would be able to reproduce their particular scent.
The males looked at Nicolai as he came out of the station with a mailbag. Nicolai pointed to Virgil and Tolya.
Hesitation. A flash of fear when they noticed Kane and understood what he was. But they came forward, removing their hats.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” The male Virgil considered the dominant one among them nodded to Jesse Walker. “Ma’am.”
“What brings you to Bennett?” Tolya asked, giving the men a smile that showed a hint of fang.
Another hesitation. It was one thing to be told the terra indigene were in control of a town; it was another thing to look that truth in the eyes and hope it didn’t eat you.
The man looked at Jesse Walker, then must have realized she wasn’t the one he needed to convince, because he focused on Tolya. “My sister married a man who lives on Great Island. Have you heard of that place?”