Page 83 of The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine

Thomas looked at Liv; he was a wild card and I had no idea how he’d vote. He took his place at the podium. ‘I don’t think council members should be above the law.’ He held Liv’s gaze until she looked away. ‘But I’ve never seen anything as strong and perverse as those gems. It’s a miracle Liv remained free of their influence for as long as she did. It is noteworthy that she was resisting them and still trying to help us even when she was under their influence. I don’t think her actions under the gems’ influence are indicative of her natural responses. I vote that the charges be dropped.’ He sat down again.

It was three to two. Whatever Connor said at this point would either free Liv or tie the vote and automatically send her to trial.

Liv looked worried. Vampires disliked necromancers because they were the walking undead. She was an extremely powerful necromancer; she could play with vampires like they were puppets and she’d had no compunction in letting Connor and the other vampires know it. She enjoyed messing with him; it amused her to let us know she could control us with little effort. If anyone actively disliked her as well as Gunnar, it was Connor.

He was quiet for several beats. ‘God knows, Liv and I are tolerant of each other at best and I could easily condemn her for her actions. I’m of the opinion that the black market is a necessary evil and I believe it is better if it’s under the control of the council; however, it should have been brought to the entire council.’ He looked at Liv sternly, then let his gaze linger on Calliope. He knew that she was also involved somehow.

He continued, ‘But I was there when we broke the gems’ hold over Liv, and again when we broke the curses and freed the possessed souls inside the gems. Although I believe that we councillors are beholden to the law, in this instance I cannot condemn her for actions beyond her control. I vote to drop the charges.’

Four to two: the council was going to free her with no charges. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

Mafu stood up. ‘The council has spoken. Formal charges will be dropped. However, you will undertake community service at a date and period to be determined, and you will pay for the damage caused to the Nomo's office.’

Gunnar leapt to his feet, outrage on his face. When he spoke to Liv, his voice was low and dangerous. ‘You may be a free woman but if you ever come near my wife again, I’ll kill you myself.’

Everyone froze. The air was charged with static and he was glowing slightly as his magic amped up. The hairs not confined to my braid were standing up, as were Sidnee’s. Thomas reached out and touched Gunnar’s shoulder lightly. Gunnar shrugged him off but the static died down.

‘Don’t look at me,’ he snapped at Liv. ‘Don’t come on to me. Don’t call me if it isn’t council business. If it is council business, call someone else. You and I? We’re done.’

Liv was trying for a poker face but her eyes showed how miserable she felt. As Gunnar stalked off, she slumped into her chair as if she’d been punched in the gut. Maybe she’d learned one thing from all this: Gunnar may be nice, but he had a hard line and she’d crossed it.

Since she was now free, I carefully removed the cuffs from her wrists. She gathered what dignity she had left and stood with her head high. ‘Thank you for fixing the barrier,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry I had to arrest you, but that’s how I protect the town.’

She gave me a curt nod. ‘Given Gunnar’s comments, I’ll be dealing more with you in the future, Bunny. I’ll do my best to move past the arrest.’

I smiled tightly. ‘And I’ll do my best to move past you cursing my friends.’

She flinched but gave me another nod, then swept out. The dynamics had undoubtedly changed between us; the question was, for better or worse?

Chapter 52

Anissa called two days later; she was ready to try and free Fluffy. I was scared, nervous and happy all at once. I’d miss my dog, but hopefully the werewolf that he really was could also be my friend. And it would be nice because he could actually talk back to me. God, I hoped he wasn’t an opinionated asshole.

Anissa wanted us to meet at the building known as the Alutiiq Centre, a large place where the various native groups could meet and run their own interests. The largest native group in Portlock was Sugpiak or as most Alaskans referred to them, Alutiiq. There were several other tribes represented as well. As a foreigner, I’d never been invited.

When I arrived, I was directed to a large open room where Anissa and her elders were waiting. The seven elders sat in a circle on plastic chairs; they were all dressed in traditional garb, and each wore a mask and had a drum resting on their laps. The white plastic chairs seemed incongruous when everything else was steeped in tradition.

Anissa waved us in and took Fluffy to the centre of the circle. She gestured for Connor and me to sit out of the way at the side of the room. I was relieved that we could stay and witness the magic; I wanted to be sure that Fluffy was okay.

She appeared to be the focus for the curse-breaking spell, but she looked calm and confident and her manner reassured me. She had the spell, she’d done her research: she could do this.

At some unseen signal, the elders started to drum and chant rhythmically, the men chanting one thing, the women another. The multi-choral sound swept around us as Anissa danced around Fluffy, manipulating the mask in her hands, raising it, moving it about, looking at it, all the while chanting the spell between words in her own language.

I could feel the magic starting to build. It wasn’t witch magic, so there was no itching, but the pressure bowed my shoulders and pushed me back in my chair. The air became tense, full of something.

I kept my eyes focused on Fluffy; he didn’t seem distressed even though the magic must be buffeting him more than it was me. The spell built and the chanting and drumming grew almost painfully loud. A misty cloud surrounded my dog, swirling around him until I couldn’t see him.

As one, the drums stopped. The elders and Anissa broke their masks and the mist surrounding Fluffy parted instantly. Only it was no longer my Fluffy.

Standing in the centre of the circle was a man, broad shouldered and tall. He was young – no more than eighteen or nineteen – and dressed all in black: black leather boots, black jeans, and a black leather jacket covered with colourful patches. His clothes must have been retained in the change because he’d been cursed into dog form, rather than him willingly shifting. His shoulder-length dark hair was shaggy and he had a strong, square jaw, but his bare chin seemed to emphasise his youth.

He swayed and I ran over to him. ‘Fluffy?’ I said, not meaning for it to sound like a question.

He looked around and seemed to find his balance, then he grinned. ‘Hey, Bunny. My real name is Reginald Watson – Reggie – at your service.’ He sketched me an off-balance bow. I grabbed his arm when he wavered. ‘I ain’t stood on two legs for a bit,’ he joked in a Cockney accent.

Tears pricked behind my eyelids as I threw my arms around him. ‘I’m so pleased to see you Fluffy – I mean Reggie. I am so sorry my mum cursed you.’

He hugged me back tightly. ‘Wasn’t your fault, mate. It’s actually been pretty cool. I’d never been outta London before and now I’m in America!’ His smile faded. ‘You won’t send me back, right? I’ve kinda grown to love Portlock.’

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