ceremony in June and the associated loss of her guardian powers, especially the enhanced strength and the rapid self-healing. Her step was a little slower, but the yellow-green eyes still sparkled, and her smile was just as inviting.
Ari set the bag of seedlings next to the door, grabbed one end of the bolt, and they wrestled it down the hallway and onto the dining room table.
“What is this?” Ari asked.
“New drapes. Something much more cheerful.” Yana began to unfasten the bolt so Ari could see the colors, primarily white and sunshine yellow with what looked like red ribbons here and there.
Ari looked around the room, thinking Yana’s curtains were fine. They fit in with all the knick-knacks and the vivid splashes of color. Cozy and whimsical. But what did she know? Her own sparse apartment didn’t reflect any decorating skills.
Hernando chose that moment to swagger into the room. The snowy white Siamese paused to inspect Ari with huge, cornflower eyes. Yana adopted him as a kitten when she first bought the house. Now he owned it. After many twitches of the tail and a pointed stare, he wound around Ari’s ankles, purring. When she didn’t respond immediately, he began yowling as only the Siamese can do, until she gave in and picked him up.
Yana stood back and pointed to the new drapery material. “See? Cheery. I think it will look lovely.”
“Perfect,” Ari agreed, absently stroking the cat’s fur. “If you want to work on the drapes, I’ll help.” Ari wasn’t sure what she could do. Maybe cut something. But she was willing to try.
“Oh, goodness, no. I’ll sew later, after you’re gone. Time for everything these days. Let’s have tea. I made fresh scones,” Yana coaxed.
As if Ari needed encouragement. She grabbed two small plates and took a seat at the kitchen table. Yana’s kitchen owned a view of the back yard. Flower beds overflowed with late blooms visited by multi-colored butterflies and the occasional flash of garden fairy wings. Birds swooped, chitting and chirping around the three feeders.
“Do you ever regret it?” Ari asked, studying the peaceful scene. “Giving up the guardianship?”
Yana placed steaming cups of buttercup tea and a plate of scones on the table. The aroma made Ari’s mouth water.
“Not often,” Yana said. “It was exciting, but it’s a job for the young. My body grew weary. And my spirit too, I think. It was time.” She appeared lost in thought for a moment. She looked up, suddenly smiling. “Tell me all the news. When you visit me, it usually means something’s going on.”
“Yana,” Ari protested, “I don’t always bring my problems. Sorry if it feels that way.”
“Nonsense.” The wood nymph laughed. “Wasn’t meant as a criticism, only a reflection of the responsibilities you’ve accepted. But before we talk about that, tell me, how is Claris? When I spoke with her yesterday, she sounded tired. That girl doesn’t have our strength, and she works too hard.”
“Oops, thanks for reminding me. Claris is fine. She’s one of the reasons I’m here.” Ari got up and retrieved the bag from the front door. “She sent you these seedlings.”
They chatted for a while about Claris and Brando, the gardens, even the weather. Eventually, the conversation turned to Guardian business, and Ari detailed the girl’s murder, the murder scene, and the human boyfriend’s angry confrontation at Claris’s shop.
“When I leave here, I’m going after the other boyfriend, the unknown vamp. A more likely suspect. Ever hear of a Vince or Victor?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell. But I never knew many of them by name.” Yana frowned. “Take care. These domestic things are dangerous. All that raw emotion.”
“So you think it’s domestic? Maybe that’s it, but I haven’t told you what happened last Sunday. And, whether connected or not, I’ve had this weird foreboding.”
Ari described the werewolf’s attack on the teens in Goshen Park, especially the creepy way he looked at her, and the sudden appearance of the vampire. When Ari finished, Yana puckered her mouth in thought. Or maybe it was worry.
“Don’t like any of this,” she finally said. “If you hadn’t been there to protect those children… We haven’t seen such behavior around Riverdale in a long time. The local packs usually do a better job of policing their own. And no one’s seen the creature since?”
“Nope. The packs have looked, but so far nothing. No one can think of a likely redhead or anyone who turns into a reddish wolf. A loner, maybe. A transient. Maybe he’s gone.”