the dissenter had been. When she finally glanced at Lucien, his face conveyed nothing except disinterest.
Ari nearly sprinted from the room and had her cell dialing before she hit the front door. Martin answered before she heard it ring.
“Prince Daron didn’t suffer a scratch,” he said. “The attacker was one of his guards and was captured immediately. Don’t know what happened to the assailant, but I can guess. Either he can’t talk or won’t, because the court’s in an uproar. It’s assumed he wasn’t working alone, and the vamps are looking for conspirators under every rock. No one’s free of suspicion.”
“Attacked how?”
“Details are sketchy, and that’s one I haven’t heard. But I think we’re safe in believing Daron survived. If he was dead, the vamps would be tearing the city apart. The timing of this is suspicious, you know. Right on top of the vamp fights.” Tension crept into his voice. “The Otherworld community is primed to react. Rumors are flying about mind-controlling drugs and outside invaders. I’ve even heard the Magic Council itself might come under attack.”
“That’s ridiculous! There’s no hint of danger to the Council.”
“You and I know that, but once rumors start, they spread swiftly. They don’t have to be true.”
An hour later, Ari was still wondering how they could stop the escalating fear and suspicion. It called for something drastic. She couldn’t help the vampires, not unless they chose to involve her, but maybe she could get the drugs off the streets. That meant looking for the source. Which brought her to a confrontation with Molyneux and his Canadian wolves.
Ari considered her options. So far, this was primarily an Otherworld issue, and without sufficient evidence for the human legal system, Ryan and his cops were off the list. What she needed was Otherworld backup. Not Andreas. Whether he was still inclined to help or not, he had his own problems now. Steffan, on the other hand, would be the perfect choice.
Once again she drove to the suburbs. Steffan should be home from the Council meeting, and she wanted to talk with him in person. Outwitting Louie Molyneux and his northern wolves would require a lot of careful planning.
Chapter Fourteen
Steffan wasn’t only willing, he was eager to help. He wanted to set out immediately, but after weighing the risks involved, they put off the confrontation until the morning after the full moon, about forty hours away. They hoped to avoid a bloodbath by catching the Canadian pack members unaware, when they were exhausted and less alert after a night of revelry, running through the woods.
The intervening time was tense. Ari haunted the Olde Town streets and parks, determined to stop further violence before it happened. Yet every phone call, every message was potential news of some new disaster. The final night was the hardest. Steffan’s control over his inner beast was strong, but even he found it difficult to resist the call of the full moon. Ari worried that the Canadian pack might choose that night to commit further mischief. When dawn came with no new crimes reported, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It was nearly 6:30 a.m. when she met Steffan two houses from their destination. Steffan was edgy; staying in the night before had cost him. The five weretigers who accompanied him were in better shape. The moon’s lure affected their species less than the wolves.
Ari turned to take a look at the house, a three-story built around 1910. Shingles curled at the edges; dingy white paint clung to the frame, chipped and peeling. The upstairs shutters were closed, except for one on the third floor that hung by a single hinge. The yard hadn’t been mowed since mid-summer, and hostas in neglected beds had lost a battle to weeds long before the weather curled their leaves.
It looked deserted. An impression negated by the faint but steady pulse of Otherworld power seeping from the doors and windows. The wolves were home from their hunt.
Ari looked at Steffan and nodded.
They approached the front door unchallenged. Ari pushed the button and heard chimes inside. When no one answered, she tried again. More chimes. Finally the door opened a crack.
“What do ya want?” A bleary-eyed face looked them over, a scowl gradually forming.
“We’re here to talk with Louie Molyneux,” Ari said.
The wolf opened the door a few inches more, his body filling the space. His shoulders were so enlarged from weight lifting he virtually had no neck. His face held creases from heavy sleep. “Who are you?”
Steffan moved