“Bock, bock,” Alex said with a grin. “If the beak fits …” This time several others came between them as Stone lunged for Alex.
Tad growled at them. “Were-Hunters down. This is not the time for y’al to be acting up. We need you.” Nick scowled. There was that word again. And in spite of what Tad had said, he was convinced it wasn’t a gamer’s term.
Russel turned around and saw him and Caleb. “How long have the mundanes been here?”
Caleb scoffed. “Not mundanes, dweeb. We have more right to be here than any of you.”
Stone sneered at Caleb. “You’re out of your element here, Malphas.”
Caleb opened his hand. Just like Ambrose had done in the al ey, he manifested a firebal . He threw it at Stone so that it landed at his feet and il uminated Stone’s entire body. “Don’t cross me, Scooby-Doo. I’m not an old man in a mask waiting to be thwarted by you meddling kids.”
Tad nodded. “And Gautier is now working for Kyrian. It’s not like he’s not going to find out what we are sooner or later.”
“And what are you?” Nick asked.
Carl Samuel, one of Tad’s friends who had blond hair and blue eyes, stepped forward. “We’re multigenerational Squires.
”
“Which means what?” Nick asked. “You prance around with tinfoil armor and plastic swords pretending to be knights?” Carl laughed while Russ insulted both Nick’s intel igence and parentage.
Tad ignored them as he answered the question. “We are humans in the service of the goddess Artemis who help her and her soldiers protect mankind from the evil that preys on us. St. Richard’s is our New Orleans training ground for those of us who come from a long line of Squires.”
“Yeah,” Carl said. “It’s why some of us haven’t been real welcoming to you. We don’t like being with mundanes who don’t know about us. No offense.”
No offense? Most of them had been royal jerks to him.
Carl indicated the Peltiers and Stone. “They’re shapeshifters. Most of the footbal team is.” His gaze went to Caleb. “We didn’t know about you and your powers.” Caleb shrugged. “There was never any need for you to know about me, and none of you wil know about me when you get up in the morning, either.”
Stone snorted. “That don’t work on us.”
“Oh yeah, Scooby, it does. You and I have gone round many a day. I’m the reason you keep thinking you’ve had alien abductions.”
Nick laughed. “I knew there was a reason I always liked you.
”
Caleb leaned forward, between Nick and Ambrose, then said in a low tone, “By the way, boss … you’re not as covert as you think, and I’ve heard everything you told the kid in the car.” He looked straight at Ambrose. “Nice coat, but I prefer the black suit you had on the last time we met.” Ambrose made a Vader move that made it look like something had grabbed Caleb in an invisible choke hold.
“Don’t push your luck, Malphas.”
Caleb relaxed as Ambrose moved away. “You know, Nick, I like you so much better than that prick.” For some reason, Nick wasn’t sure that was a compliment.
“Al right,” Tad said, demanding everyone’s attention again.
“We need to break into four groups and see what we can find.
”
Alex Peltier indicated Nick with his thumb. “I’l head out with Bubba, Nick, and crew.”
“Al right. If anyone finds anything, remember to cal it in, and we move as a group. I don’t want anyone to be a hero. We don’t need to die tonight.”
Nick stil wasn’t sure what was happening as Alex came over to them. “Why did you pick us?”
“I like helping the newbs and most of the rest of them get on my nerves. If nothing else, Bubba and Mark are always good for a laugh.”
Nick’s stomach hit the ground. “Yeah, but I think the zombies ate Mark.”
“What?” Alex looked shocked.
“Yeah,” Caleb said sadly. “When we were at Madaug’s house, the undead zombies attacked and we haven’t seen or heard from him since. It’s not looking good.” Alex appeared il . “That’s a shame. I real y liked whenever Mark would drink too much and play cards with my uncles and Eros. It’s highly entertaining.”
Nick indicated the door with his thumb. “I’m going to check on my mom and Bubba. I’l be right back.” He took a step, then paused and returned his attention to Alex. “Are you real y a shapeshifter?”
Alex nodded. “You know the club Sanctuary on Ursulines?”
“Yeah.”
“My family owns it and almost al of us are shapeshifters.” Nick shook his head. “Get out.”
“Nah, for real.”
Nick knew he wasn’t kidding, but it was real y too much to believe. “So what do you turn into?”
“A bear.”
Nick laughed as he final y understood one of Sanctuary’s long-standing traditions. “You the bear people wrestle for free drinks?”
“Nah. That’s my uncle Quinn.”