The Werewolf Dates The Deputy - Kristen Painter Page 0,56
her gaze. Another blink, and the cloud was gone. “You’re…a wolf,” she said softly. “It’s my pleasure to meet you.”
“You too.” He glanced at Jenna. “Did you tell her?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Seers just pick up on things.”
He’d have thought, after years of living in this town, that he’d be used to people with extra abilities, but it was still a little unsettling to have a stranger suss out what he was within seconds of meeting. He let it go and smiled back. “Again, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ingvar. Jenna speaks very highly of you.”
Jenna slid over and patted the seat. “Sit down. Ingvar thinks she can help. Not just with the wraith but with the spells that we’re under.”
He sat beside her, putting his ginger ale on the table. “That’s fantastic.”
“I’m glad you think that.” Up close, Ingvar’s strong features made her look worldly wise. Considering what she was about to help them with, that seemed like a plus. She also looked a little world-weary, which probably wasn’t as good. Or maybe she was tired from traveling.
But then what did he know? Maybe she always had dark circles under her eyes and a gauntness about her.
She shook her head. “But you may change your mind when I tell you what needs to be done.”
He leaned forward. “I might, but do we have any choice?”
She frowned sympathetically. “No, not if you want to protect Jenna, and for the sake of my dear friend, I pray the sacrifice is not in vain.”
“Sacrifice?” Jenna wasn’t as much worried for herself or Titus, but for Ingvar. The truth was her friend looked a little frayed at the seams. Jenna hated to even think such a thing, but there was no better way to describe Ingvar’s current appearance.
The seer nodded. “You have to offer yourself as bait. You know that. And we’re not on a battlefield where we can work in the open and set our trap wherever it suits us. There’s a lot more here to protect. We have to draw him to us, to a place that will keep all the unsuspecting safe. And there’s no better way to draw the wraith out than with the thing he most desires. You and your sword.”
Jenna sighed. “Yeah, I pretty much suspected that would be the case.”
Titus frowned. “I don’t like you being in harm’s way.”
“I’m in harm’s way now,” she said. “What’s to stop him from materializing right here in the middle of Howler’s?”
Titus looked around like that was a possibility he hadn’t considered. “You think he would?”
Ingvar’s dark brows bent. “A wraith has one singular focus. To regain the life they believe was stolen from them. Nothing else matters. A public place isn’t going to deter him. Neither is killing anyone who gets in his way.” She leaned in. “And as he grows stronger, as he’s already doing, according to Jenna, he will get even harder to stop.”
Titus shook his head. “But he’ll eventually become solid enough to kill, right? So he won’t be impossible to stop then.”
Ingvar lowered her head slightly. “I’ve seen a berserker kill fifteen men with a blade through his shoulder and an eye swollen shut from the blow of a mace. I saw another doused in burning oil, then shrug off his blistering skin and fight on as if nothing had happened. These are not ordinary men. They are supernatural warriors. Imagine a being like that wandering the streets of your town in search of Jenna.”
Titus grimaced, but Jenna spoke before he could respond. “No, we have to find him soon, while I can still subdue him. The time to do this is now. But…”
Ingvar looked at her. “But what?”
Jenna didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings, but this was a conversation that needed to be had. “You came here for rest and relaxation. You told me that much. Now you’re in the middle of this, and I’m asking you to use your skills to help me. How taxing is that going to be for you? Because, to be honest, you look like you could use the rest.”
Ingvar’s smile was gentle. “I could, it’s true. This last year of studies has been exceptionally hard. Far more trying than I would have imagined. But I would rather die than sit idly by while you fight this battle alone.” She reached out and took Jenna’s hand. “We’ve always fought side by side. Why should this time be any different?”