Page 45 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

He laughed. “You talk a big game, but you can’t hold a candle to us, and you know it.”

“One way to find out,” said Mina.

I stood there, still too stunned to fully wrap my mind around Helen’s betrayal. Lester’s duplicity didn’t shock me in the least.

He glared at me.

“What is your deal with me?” I demanded. “Why do you seem to hate me so much?”

Helen laughed. “Tell her, Lester.”

With a grunt, Lester spoke, “Because you ran to your father after having some bad dreams, telling him I couldn’t be trusted, and he had the nerve to believe you.”

I had?

Mina glanced at me, clearly hearing this information for the first time too.

I had no memory of doing it.

“Why the elaborate scheme to lure us here?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. “You didn’t put this much work into the attempt in Detroit.”

“What attempt?” questioned Helen.

Mina huffed. “Yeah, right. Like you didn’t have anything to do with us being attacked in the parking lot of the airport.”

Helen appeared legitimately taken aback by the news. “What attack in the parking lot at the airport?”

I pushed my broken glasses up my nose more.

Helen blinked several times. “That’s how your glasses broke, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

“What happened?” she demanded.

I pointed to Lester. “Ask your boyfriend.”

Lester didn’t say anything. He looked uncomfortable with the topic.

Good.

“You were behind it, weren’t you?” I asked, watching him closely, more annoyed than afraid of him despite knowing I was no real match for him. “I knew I recognized those men. They were your human pals who help do dirty jobs with you.”

“What is she talking about?” demanded Helen, fury lighting in her eyes.

“Nothing. She’s a lying little bitch,” Lester said, shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking like a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Men in a big white van attacked us near the parking lot at the airport. It’s why we nearly missed the flight,” I said calmly. “Men in a big black SUV showed up and helped us. The police were called. I’m sure there is a report about it on file if you don’t believe me.”

Helen’s nostrils flared, her attention fixed on Lester. “You know they’re key to everything here. That without them, we can’t free Dragos.”

I wasn’t sure who or what Dragos was, but I got the feeling he was the owner of the disembodied laugh. Somehow, being kidnapped by a crew of human losers rolling around in a textbook kidnapper van sounded like the better choice than whatever Helen had cooked up for us.

Lester lifted his hands as if to surrender. “We don’t needbothof them. One would work. I was only going to have my guys take and kill the bitchy one. Not the other.”

Mina made a move to go at him, but I caught her arm again.

Helen continued to glare at Lester. “I’ll deal with you later.” She diverted her attention to us. “I promise to make your deaths quick. It’s the least I can do for my brother’s daughters. Your sacrifice won’t be in vain. Your deaths will help unleash an evil that could set things right again. It will put an end to the supernaturals who claim to be on our side—who claim to fight for good. They’re all evil. This will make the other hunter lines see the truth. This will return our family name to its rightful place.”

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