A Wolf at the Door

Every eye in the place turned toward Dante, who sighed heavily. “I know, I know. I’m the best friend. But if she bashes my brains in, I’m haunting every one of you.” With a major show of reluctance, he went after her, disappearing into the inner sanctum.

When no one else seemed inclined to answer the delivery guy, I pointed over at the bar. “Just set them there, I guess.”

“Yessir.” He did as instructed, then looked at me expectantly.

“Look, you’re apparently not even supposed to bring those up here. You really think you’re going to get a tip?” He looked a bit crestfallen, but nodded and departed without further comment.

Tai shook his head. “Bobby’s gonna have someone’s head on a platter.”

“Yeah, sounds like everyone is just puppies and rainbows today.”

He snorted. “Just another day in the glamorous life of a movie star.”

“Noticed that. The woman was…Gretchen’s mother?” I took Dante’s vacated seat, sipping at my lukewarm coffee. Even halfway cold, it was better than what I usually had at home.

“Mhmm. Her name is Patricia, but everybody calls her Patty.” Tai found a cheese Danish somewhere, munching as he talked. “They’re what we’ll call ‘strained.’”

“No kidding. Gretchen’s not big on acknowledging her roots, I take it?”

“It’s not like that.” Tai mumbled around his breakfast. “After that last stalker go-round, Gretchen cut ties with her family to protect them from stuff like that. But her mom doesn’t see it that way.”

“Can’t blame her there. Her mom, I mean.” Tai looked at me curiously when I said that. “If someone was threatening my daughter? They’d never find all the pieces when I got done. That’s every parent’s first instinct, to protect their child.”

Tai nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess I could see that. But I kinda see where Gretchen comes from, too. It’s hard enough to live in the spotlight without dragging folks along with you. She’s doing them a favor, whether they realize it or not. If she showed up at that wedding, the paparazzi would make it all about Gretchen, and that’s not how she wants her sister’s wedding to be. Gretchen loves Chelsea to death. She’s just trying to do what’s best for her.”

Sadly, explained like that, Gretchen’s actions made sense. I still didn’t like her—that whole soul-stealing thing and all—but I thought maybe I understood her a little more.

Bobby returned from his rampage, face still red and the scar on his jaw standing out in stark white contrast. Tai smirked as his mentor stalked the floor, too wired up to sit down. “Any of them wet their pants?” The former marine just snarled, not ready for humor yet.

About that time, Gretchen’s door opened, and Dante emerged unscathed. “Hey, Tai? Could you call down for the car?”

“Yup.” Tai pulled his cell out of his pocket. “Where are we going?”

“Spa day, apparently.” Dante shrugged. “She called and got an ‘emergency’ appointment with Rolf, and then maybe some retail therapy after. She’s got a meeting at the studio later, too.”

There was a short phone conversation, then Tai plucked at my sleeve. “C’mon, come get the car with me. Bobby’ll bring her down.”

Heading out into the hallway, I paused at the door when the wards felt a bit…off. The invisible barrier was still there, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been yesterday. Dammit, Cam. Were his spells fading already?

A quick examination revealed that the blessed string was still in place, firmly taped and stapled right where I’d left it. Still, there was a distinct difference in how it felt when I passed my arm through it. “Tai? Who’s been in or out of this room today?”

“Um…Me, Bobby…Dante. You. Patty. Room service. The flower guy.”

“Was room service a new guy?” Spencer, maybe?

“No, one of the regulars. His name is Todd.” He came to lean over my shoulder, watching what I was doing. “Why?”

I ran my fingertips along the jamb, but I couldn’t find any specific weak point. Just a general drain of power. “Something’s not right.” Crouching down, I examined the carpet, looking for…well, I didn’t know what. Something that didn’t belong, I guess.

Tai knelt next to me, tilting his head curiously as he wiggled his finger through the barrier. “It’s not as strong as yesterday, right?”

“Right.”

“Is the circuit broken anywhere?” He was still thinking of it as an electrical device, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. If there was an opening in the circle anywhere, it would cease to function. I checked the entire length of string again, and found it all intact. “Maybe your power source is dying? Like, it needs fresh batteries?”

That made something cold settle in my stomach. If Cam’s power was flagging this soon, these things were going to be worthless before day’s end. And I had no way to renew them. “Maybe…I wonder if…”