Page 39 of War Games

“Jacky, do you want help unpacking?” Dirk asked, helping me get my bag from the back of the truck.

“No, I’m fine,” I hissed.

“I know you’re disappointed that we didn’t turn up any new information. This was just the first time out. We have a lot more names to get through. Then we’ll start looking into other witches if we have to. We’ll find?—”

“Dirk, I just want to report to Zuri and be left alone. I love you, but we’ve spent every minute of the last five days together, and I don’t feel like having this conversation.” It wasn’t the first time he’d attempted it. I wasn’t sure if it was the werecat part of me craving time in my own space or if I was just that pissedoff by the fact that it felt like I wasted five days of my life for nothing.

Dirk left quickly.

“Well, at least he’ll have time this evening to make sure he’s happy with everything Landon and I did for the wedding,” Heath said, coming out the front door. He would have heard the entire exchange.

“That’s good,” I said, trying not to be snappy. There was a wedding on Sunday, but not even that made me feel better. I should have been stoked, but all I was thinking about was how I didn’t learn anything all week that could help anyone.

“I’m going to take Carey out to the movies, maybe even grab dinner,” Heath said, reaching for the front door again as I hauled my bag up the stairs. “Carey, meet me at my truck. We’re going to go eat out.”

“Okay, Dad! I’ll be there in five.”

“Thank you.”

I walked past him, knowing he was clearing the building for me to be in my piss poor mood without seeing anyone. I threw my bag by the laundry and went into my office, sitting down as I silently fumed.

I waited for Heath and Carey to leave before I attempted to call Zuri. I ended up getting Kushim.

“I’m looking for Zuri,” I said, rubbing my eyes as he yawned. It was late or early, depending on your perspective, in his part of the world.

“I’ll let her know you called, and she’ll get back to you. It could be a few hours, so if you want to get some sleep?—”

“I’ll be waiting,” I said. “Sorry, Kushim. Just let her know to call me when she gets the chance. I would prefer to get this conversation over before I go to sleep.”

With a quick okay, he hung up, and I was left to stew and wait.

And wait.

And keep waiting.

It was five hours before Zuri could call me back, nearly eleven at night for me. I was too tired to even consider what time it was in her time zone.

“Hello, little sister,” Zuri greeted, looking tired herself, but she was having late nights thanks to whatever magical experiments she and Subira were doing. “You have the report from the first week, I take it? You look a bit worse for wear.”

“I’m already tired, and that was just the first week. It was all for nothing. Is that what I’m forced to deal with? Following dead leads that someone else already figured out? It feels like a waste of time.”

“It was good to verify the investigation held by the witches wasn’t fraudulent. We can use that. We can look at different avenues, other witches who might not have seemed as important.” Zuri was writing something down. “I’m going to send this full report from you and Dirk to Davor. He’s been scouring emails, finances, and the rest. He’ll be able to take all these names off the list.”

“What about the Alaska leads? The witches were hired to kill that couple by other supernaturals.”

“We tried that already; the Tribunal werewolves took care of it. The other supernaturals in that area hired the witches to take care of the thieves but didn’t specify a way to kill them. They had no idea the moon cursed were going to be used like that. Beyond that, they had minimal contact, and the person they were in contact with was identified… and found dead in Alaska. You killed her, based on the report.”

I groaned.

“When did we figure all that out?” I asked, rubbing my face.

“Father had his meeting with Callahan and Corissa, and this is what they could give him. Davor quickly verified it fromwhat you three were able to copy before the Tribunal took all the materials from that cabin. It was easier for the Tribunal werewolves to deal with than our family. We’re not a large group. They can take care of more data at once. Luckily, we have two experienced witches and two more with enough power to be trained and help, so Mother and I did all of that research in exchange for their efforts.”

“And I’ve been left here, looking for a needle in a haystack,” I muttered. “I need to do more than what I did this week. I have to do more. This was miserable for Dirk and me. After what I did?—”

“Don’t, Jacky,” Zuri said softly. There was no power behind it, only sad sympathy, so I continued.

“I killed a boy?—”

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