blazes. Water levels are the lowest ever. Have to keep an eye out constantly for wildfires. We’re trying to do controlled burns when it’s not windy. Too much dry and dead brush and all it needs is a lightning strike or a stupid Skin flicking out a lit cigarette to set the whole damn park ablaze.”
Minutes later, they reached the main parking lot. Jake pulled into a spot in front of the nature center. Doubts filled her as they hit the path she’d taken when seeing the viper shifter.
It was far too crowded, with yellow and blue kayaks peppering the water, along with green canoes and even small motorboats.
“Everyone’s on the water. If this thing is still infecting the river, we can’t do much about it in sight of Skins.” Jake held back a branch for her.
“Leave the Skins to me.” Gabriel wore that crafty grin again.
Jake ground to a halt. “Oh hell no, Gabe. Last thing I need is for them to spot a Florida panther on the shore. You know what kind of headache that’ll be? The havoc you’ll cause, all the tourists wanting photos, let alone the paperwork?”
Sienna suspected Gabriel had pulled that stunt before. “I’ll create a diversion. I can still pull off enough glamour to cloak us.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Let’s not worry about the Skins. For now, we have to find the toxic dark. If it’s as I suspect, it’s moved on.”
“What is this thing that we’re hunting?” Jake asked as they kept pushed through the narrow, sandy path flanking the river.
“Some kind of dark enchantment. I’ve been calling it the toxic dark, just to give it a label.”
Jake nodded. “Short and to the point, like you, Gabe.”
When they reached the exact spot where Rex had died, Sienna stopped and crouched down. “Here. This is where Rex lunged at me, and the mangroves starting beating him. There was a distinct, foul smell in the air, but not the rotting vegetation of low tide.”
Jake removed a small notebook from a shirt pocket and began writing. “Chemical or artificial composition like plastic?”
“Natural, but very nasty. Nothing chemical. This was more like an overflowing latrine on a summer’s day mixed with burnt…flesh.”
Deeply disturbed as she recalled the sickening odor, Sienna shook her head. “No, not flesh. Have you ever smelled an Other burning?”
Jake went pale, but his expression remained impassive. “Yes. Back when I lived in Montana, on the Mitchell Ranch. We had a small wildfire. It was quickly contained, but not before a female Lupine visiting the ranch got badly burned.”
Sienna’s heart twisted as she took in the dark shadows flickering in his gaze. “Did she live?”
“No. She died a few days later.” He did not meet her gaze and instinct warned her that the dead Lupine had been someone special to Jake.
She knew about pain, how it grabbed you with fishhooks and refused to let go. She knew about struggling to keep your dignity around others and hiding your feelings. So Sienna gave a gentle headshake to the obviously curious Gabriel and pointed to a patch of disturbed ground, ignoring Jake’s now distressed look.
“This is where I eradicated Rex’s body. There’s still freshly-disturbed earth, but I don’t smell anything other than what should be here, now.”
Jake squatted down and examined the earth, then gazed around. “The toxic dark must have either left, or worse, infiltrated the groundwater.”
Gabriel exchanged glances with her. “It could have traveled up river.”
Dread curdled her stomach. “How far does this river go?”
“Twenty miles from the Jupiter Inlet to Indiantown Road.” Jake stood, looking as worried as she felt.
“And how many shifter communities are there from here to Indiantown Road?” she asked.
“A few. The biggest is a pack of red wolf Lupines in Stuart who come down here to hunt. They constantly roam the riverbanks for prey.”
Jake’s jaw tensed. “If this poison muck travels that far upriver, Colin’s pack is
Minutes later, they reached the main parking lot. Jake pulled into a spot in front of the nature center. Doubts filled her as they hit the path she’d taken when seeing the viper shifter.
It was far too crowded, with yellow and blue kayaks peppering the water, along with green canoes and even small motorboats.
“Everyone’s on the water. If this thing is still infecting the river, we can’t do much about it in sight of Skins.” Jake held back a branch for her.
“Leave the Skins to me.” Gabriel wore that crafty grin again.
Jake ground to a halt. “Oh hell no, Gabe. Last thing I need is for them to spot a Florida panther on the shore. You know what kind of headache that’ll be? The havoc you’ll cause, all the tourists wanting photos, let alone the paperwork?”
Sienna suspected Gabriel had pulled that stunt before. “I’ll create a diversion. I can still pull off enough glamour to cloak us.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Let’s not worry about the Skins. For now, we have to find the toxic dark. If it’s as I suspect, it’s moved on.”
“What is this thing that we’re hunting?” Jake asked as they kept pushed through the narrow, sandy path flanking the river.
“Some kind of dark enchantment. I’ve been calling it the toxic dark, just to give it a label.”
Jake nodded. “Short and to the point, like you, Gabe.”
When they reached the exact spot where Rex had died, Sienna stopped and crouched down. “Here. This is where Rex lunged at me, and the mangroves starting beating him. There was a distinct, foul smell in the air, but not the rotting vegetation of low tide.”
Jake removed a small notebook from a shirt pocket and began writing. “Chemical or artificial composition like plastic?”
“Natural, but very nasty. Nothing chemical. This was more like an overflowing latrine on a summer’s day mixed with burnt…flesh.”
Deeply disturbed as she recalled the sickening odor, Sienna shook her head. “No, not flesh. Have you ever smelled an Other burning?”
Jake went pale, but his expression remained impassive. “Yes. Back when I lived in Montana, on the Mitchell Ranch. We had a small wildfire. It was quickly contained, but not before a female Lupine visiting the ranch got badly burned.”
Sienna’s heart twisted as she took in the dark shadows flickering in his gaze. “Did she live?”
“No. She died a few days later.” He did not meet her gaze and instinct warned her that the dead Lupine had been someone special to Jake.
She knew about pain, how it grabbed you with fishhooks and refused to let go. She knew about struggling to keep your dignity around others and hiding your feelings. So Sienna gave a gentle headshake to the obviously curious Gabriel and pointed to a patch of disturbed ground, ignoring Jake’s now distressed look.
“This is where I eradicated Rex’s body. There’s still freshly-disturbed earth, but I don’t smell anything other than what should be here, now.”
Jake squatted down and examined the earth, then gazed around. “The toxic dark must have either left, or worse, infiltrated the groundwater.”
Gabriel exchanged glances with her. “It could have traveled up river.”
Dread curdled her stomach. “How far does this river go?”
“Twenty miles from the Jupiter Inlet to Indiantown Road.” Jake stood, looking as worried as she felt.
“And how many shifter communities are there from here to Indiantown Road?” she asked.
“A few. The biggest is a pack of red wolf Lupines in Stuart who come down here to hunt. They constantly roam the riverbanks for prey.”
Jake’s jaw tensed. “If this poison muck travels that far upriver, Colin’s pack is
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