Page 30 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

Jonathan glanced at Reggie and lifted his hand. “The coin.”

Reggie tossed it to Jonathan.

The moment Jonathan caught it, his palm began to burn. The pain increased rapidly for a second before actual flames burst free from the location. He threw the coin back to Reggie, who caught it but dropped it on the conference table fast, as if it might suddenly burn him as well.

Leo retrieved a water bottle from the snack table and brought it over to Jonathan. “Run that over your hand.”

Jonathan shook his head, holding up his hand. The flesh was melted away on his palm. There, before everyone’s eyes, the wound healed over quickly.

Hushed whispers filled the conference room.

“Told ya he was a badass,” said one of the men.

Reggie eyed the coin suspiciously. “I’ve never seen silver do that to a shifter that fast before.”

“Actually, I have more resistance to silver than most shifters,” said Jonathan.

They eyed him like he was wrong.

“The coin isn’t made of just silver,” said Jonathan. “It’s got a number of things in it, some of which were blessed by priests from the Vatican itself. The Van Helsing line had something similar long ago. Over the years, they were pulled back and kept tucked away safely because of the damage they can do to most supernaturals.

Reggie shook his head, still focused on the coin. “Why would anyone want a coin that could do what this did?”

Leo crossed his arms over his chest. “I heard stories of the Van Helsing ones once. It’s said they go back to a time when slayers killed indiscriminately. And when they killed a supernatural, they used one of these to brand their victim’s forehead in death, for all to know which line of slayers the kill went to.”

“That true?” asked another.

Jonathan nodded. “Yes, they were calling cards, so to speak. A way to brand your kill. You can see why they were pulled from use.”

“Yeah,” said Reggie, pushing the coin away from him more. “It would be pretty easy to frame a slayer line if you had one of these.”

One of the other slayers eyed Jonathan closely. “But it didn’t brand you. The mark healed over.”

“Correct,” stated Jonathan. “I’m special.”

“And then some,” said Leo, taking over for Jonathan. “As for shifters using the coin to frame slayers, how many supernaturals do you know who would want to carry that around, waiting for the right spot to plant it as evidence? Look what it did to Harker. He’s one of the most powerful wolf-shifters I’ve met in my life, yet it lit his hand up like the Fourth of July.”

Jonathan groaned. “Nice. An Independence Day reference. Funny.”

“I don’t get it,” said Reggie.

“I’m English,” returned Jonathan. “You know, who you lot rebelled against and then celebrated your independence from.”

“Oh, right,” said Reggie, nodding but looking lost. “Is that when we tea-bagged you?”

Jonathan groaned.

Reggie grinned.

Leo laughed. “Ignore him, boss. He pretty much slept through American history back in school.”

“Says the guy who spent more time partying in college than he did attending classes,” returned Reggie with a wider smile.

“Eat me,” said Leo, smiling as he did.

“You’d taste like cheeseburgers and pizza,” said Dwayne as he entered the conference room with a cup of tea in his hand, giving the side table with coffee, soda, and unhealthy snacks a look that said he didn’t think highly of it.

Relief moved through Jonathan that Dwayne was indeed all right.

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