She looked up at me. "We'll rest. And then we'll talk to Meghan."
"It won't do any good."
"Please."
I sighed. "If it'll make you feel better. But Nightliss might know a cure."
She nodded. Smiled. "Thanks."
After a long hot shower, I called Stacey. Nightliss had been hanging with my felycan friend during her days as a little black cat. I hoped she might know where the angel was.
"Justin, you sound absolutely awful, love," Stacey said in her British drawl. "Whatever is the matter?"
"Oh, a little bit of this, a little bit of that." I recited a five-minute summary of the past few days.
She took in a sharp breath. "Why the bloody hell didn't you ask me and Ryland to come help? You know I do so enjoy fisticuffs against those vile bloodsuckers."
I laughed. "I might still need your help. Maximus escaped. We think he's back in Atlanta."
"Well then, lamb, we shall have to be sure his return is short-lived." She sniffed. "Now, as for Nightliss, Ryland and I will scour the area for her. I'll have my friends—"
"Your cats?"
"Indeed. They form quite an informative network. Ryland can ask his doggie friends for help."
"Hey now, cupcake," came a gruff voice from the phone. "They're wolves, not dogs."
"Hey, Ryland," I said.
"Howdy," he replied, his voice growing louder in the speaker. "I see you managed to go almost a week before stirring up trouble again."
A smile caught my lips. "I get bored easily."
"Ain't that the truth." He paused. "I do have news of your little angel friend."
Breath caught in my throat. "You do?"
"Wait a bloody moment," Stacey said. "How do you have news?"
"Wolves are smarter than cats for one thing," he said.
Stacey made a cute growling noise. "Someone doesn't want cuddle time tonight."
It was time to steer the conversation back on track. "Uh, guys, back to Nightliss. What do you know?"
Ryland cleared his throat. "A group of dark Arcanes was killing off supernaturals in San Francisco with nasty black magic. Rumor has it a young Arcane woman formed a coalition of supers to fight back. They were losing the fight until a woman matching Nightliss's description swooped in and helped them win."
"When was this?" I asked.
"About a day ago. Heard it from a lycan buddy of mine who was involved. He said she came outta nowhere, like an avenging angel."
"Anything else?"
"Not that I know of, but I'll have him ask the Arcane. Maybe she knows."
"Please do. It's literally a matter of life or death."
"Ain't it always?"
I spoke with them a few more minutes and ended the call after promising to contact them when I returned to Atlanta. Because I hadn't heard a word from Shelton during all this mess, I gave him a call next. He answered after several rings.
"Where the hell have you been?" I asked.
"Too much to explain." He sounded weary. "The past caught up to me, and I've trying to outrun it ever since. Should have known not to go back there, damn it."
"Crap, Shelton, why didn't you come to the Templar compound?"
He snorted. "Once I found out about the ambush the vamps pulled on you, I tried. It would've been a suicide mission." He sighed. "Look, I hate to be a disappointment and all, but I took the arch back to Atlanta. I had to pull a lot of favors just to do that."
Disbelief went through me. "Back in Atlanta? What's going on with you? Are you okay?"
"Too much to explain. Let's just say I didn't have a choice."
"Wow. Okay, I guess." I shook my head, wondering just who didn't like Shelton around these parts. Then again, considering he'd been in league with some dark people, including Vadaemos Slade at one point, he probably had as many enemies as I did.
Shelton apparently took my silence for his cue to say something. "Since you're talking on the phone, I assume you survived the ambush."
"I think my story is as long as yours," I said, and gave him an abbreviated account of events.
He blew out a low whistle. "And I thought I had it bad. Geez kid, you don't go halfway."
"We have to find Nightliss, Shelton. I know you just went through some kind of escapade yourself, but—"
"Hey, I'm on it." He chuckled. "Not a boring moment with you around."
"Tell me about it."
"Well…" he trailed off. "I guess I'll go."
"Glad you're okay." I remembered something. "Oh, and Bella's been asking about you—Harry."
"Uh, how nice."
"Is there something going on I should know about?" It took some effort not to laugh at his obvious discomfort.