Circle of Fire (Damask Circle 1) by Arthur Keri

Author:Arthur, Keri [Arthur, Keri]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance, Fantasy, General, Paranormal, Fiction
ISBN: 9780345539700
Publisher: Dell
Published: 2014-01-28T08:00:00+00:00

JON WAITED UNTIL HE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE SHOWER door closing, then rose from the table and walked across to the phone.

The old witch answered straightaway. “It’s a bit early, cowboy. Don’t you ever sleep?”

Not last night he hadn’t. And he knew by the tone of Seline’s voice that he hadn’t woken her up. He smiled. In all the years he’d known her, she’d rarely seemed to sleep for more than a couple of hours a night. “I think we have a lead on the kids, Seline. If luck’s with us, we’ll have them out in a couple of hours.”

“Don’t depend on luck, Jon. It’s a fickle friend.”

“So I’ve discovered. Have we any records of shapeshifters living in this area?”

“None recorded, but that don’t mean a damn. Most of you lot are a migratory bunch.”

Most, but not all. Wolves and hawks tended to be more settled than most—probably because, like the animals whose shape they took, wolf and hawk shifters tended to mate for life. He glanced at the bathroom, then scrubbed a hand across his eyes.

“What did you find out about Hank Stewart?”

“Nothing much more than what’s on file. He was born in St. Helen’s nearly forty years ago—”

“And he barely looks thirty.”

“—and he was an only child. Moved to Taurin Bay ten years ago. Lives by himself and rents a small house on Maxwell Street. Never married as far as I can find, and has no living relatives.”

“Did he have a brother?”

“Not alive, no. He died just over eight months ago in a car crash.”

Which tallied up with what Hank had already said. What was the betting that it was no accident, though? They certainly wouldn’t have wanted a relative around who could raise the alarm about an imposter. And the real Hank had obviously been something of a loner outside of his work at the inn, or someone would have picked up on the fact that the man was missing and someone else was using his name. “No unidentified bodies have been found in the area?”

“None yet. We’re still sifting through police reports from various states.”

Which could take days. They didn’t have that much time—and in the end, it wouldn’t make that much difference. “I’ve found our killer, Seline. I think she’s using blood magic to extend her life and the life of her bodyguard—the man now masquerading as Hank Stewart.”

“Anyone we know?”

“No. Her name is Eleanor Dumaresq, and I have a feeling she’s seen more than a couple of centuries go by.”

“Then wear the damn amulet I gave you. It will protect you from the worst of her spells.” She hesitated, and an edge of concern crept into her voice. “Do you need help?”

His gaze went to the bathroom door again. Maddie kept insisting he couldn’t cope with Eleanor and Hank alone, and maybe she was right. But he also knew there was no one in the Circle close enough to help him at the moment. “Mack’s turned up in Taurin Bay. I’ll use him if I have to.

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