“No, we’re working on an unrelated matter,” I said.
She winced. “Please don’t mention I told you. They’ll label me a security risk and send me to an outpost. I don’t want to uproot my kids.”
There was safety in numbers but pack participation definitely had its downsides.
I pretended to zip my lip and followed her inside. The infirmary was larger than I anticipated with a row of windows and partitioned beds. The room reminded me of photographs I’d seen of recuperating soldiers during World War II.
Victoria inclined her head. “Third bed on the left. I’ll wait here.”
Kami and I walked past two empty beds until we reached the third one. A werewolf in human form was swaddled in white fabric. All I could see was his head. Even his arms were tucked inside the fabric and I realized it was some kind of restraint system. The cloth was probably spelled to keep him contained.
I sat in the chair adjacent to the bed. “Rafe, my name is London Hayes and this is my colleague, Kami Marwin. We’re knights and we have permission to talk to you about the incident in Notting Hill.”
He continued to stare at the ceiling without comment.
“I’d like you to tell us everything you remember.”
Nothing from Rafe.
“I was there,” Kami said. “I helped subdue you. I’m sorry, I know it must’ve been brutal for you.”
“We’re trying to get information so we can make sure this doesn’t happen to another wolf,” I added.
“It’s a blur,” he rasped.
“I’m sure it seems that way,” I said, “but if you really think about it, I bet you’ll remember something. I’ll take any detail no matter how trivial it seems. Where were you standing when you lost control? Next to a food stall? Furniture? Were you speaking to anyone? Were they holding anything?”
He squeezed his eyes closed. “That’s a lot of questions.”
“You don’t need to answer them all,” I said. “I was only offering suggestions.”
“I was there to buy a shirt. I like graphic tees.”
“The kind with funny expressions or featuring a musician?”
“Funny. This one said ‘Beware: Beast Inside.’ Had paw prints.”
“Sounds great. You weren’t meeting anyone?”
The shake of his head was almost imperceptible. “No.”
“Any chance you noticed a stone? Possibly one with markings on it?”
His eyebrows pinched together. “A stone? Like for sale?”
“Anywhere.”
“No.”
Romeo appeared outside the partition. “There’s my knight in latex armor.”
Kami’s lip curled in protest. “It isn’t latex.”
“How’s our boy?” Romeo asked. “Looking good, Rafe.” He offered two thumbs up.
I joined Romeo outside the partition. “I don’t have an official update yet. I only got back to the city today.”
Romeo shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “Can you give me anything?”
I lowered my voice. “We seem to be searching for an object, most likely a stone, that made its way from Albemarle to the city and continues to be on the move.” I angled my head toward Rafe. “Last known location was Portobello Road.”
He scratched the dark stubble that lined his chin. “A stone.”
I told him about the storm, the dilapidated wall, and the berserkers who reverted to human form for the first time. I kept the part about the other two stones to myself.
“It’s a good theory. Do you think whoever took the stone knows what it can do?” His brow furrowed. “And if so, what are their intentions? Why start a fight at a pub and a market?”
“Not sure. Maybe they’re testing it to see what it can do. Maybe they have no clue and it’s on the move because the thief is preparing to sell it. I cross-checked the list of everyone at The Crown that night with the list of everyone at Albemarle around the time of the storm. No matches.”
Romeo nodded absently. “Okay then. Keep digging.”
I glanced at the werewolf wrapped in cotton wool. “Rafe seems back to normal. Why is he here?”
“Mainly for his own protection. Before your friends subdued him, he roughed up a couple of vampires during his frenzy, including the son of one that owns the market. We thought it best to keep him hidden until the incident blows over.”
“He’s restrained,” I pointed out.
“Don’t want to take any unnecessary chances. Like you said, it’s only a theory. For all we know, Rafe can go nuts again any second.”
“In that case, you might want to restrain every werewolf in the city until the matter’s been resolved.”
His face hardened. “Then I guess you’d better get busy.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Rafe. The werewolf’s eyes remained closed and I watched as his chest rose and fell. That’s right, Rafe. Deep breaths. You’re doing fine, buddy.
“Come on, Kami.”
She perked up. “Where are we headed?”
“You said you knew someone.”
She smiled. “I always know someone. You should try Cave of Wonders. The owners are pretty knowledgeable about stones since that’s basically all they sell.”
“They sell rocks?”
“Yup.”
“Where is it?” I asked. “And why haven’t I heard of it?”
Kami sighed. “It’s not a secret. I’ve just never had a reason to mention it before now. I had a date take me there once because he wanted to buy me something pretty. There wasn’t a second date, but there was a second visit to the shop. And a third and a fourth.”
I had a hard time picturing Kami in a shop of pretty rocks. “Do they sell weapons too?”
“Nope. Just a variety of rocks.”
“To throw at people?”
Kami shook her head. “Nope.”
Cave of Wonders was located at the end of a cobblestone alley. Moisture clung to the air and the alley reeked of mildew. The other shops in the row were vacant except for a nameless one that appeared to specialize in broomsticks. A woman exited the shop as we passed. She had a broomstick tucked her arm and wore a satisfied smile.
“Haggled well?” I asked.
She smiled and displayed only a partial set of teeth. “Too soft for his own good, that one is.”
I offered a return smile and kept walking. I hoped she knew a good cloaking spell because the vampire authorities wouldn’t be as soft as Calvin. Unless you were a bird or a vampire in butterfly form, flight was prohibited. Even dragons were technically not allowed in Britannia City airspace but good luck keeping them out. All the magic in the world didn’t seem capable of that.
Kami and I reached the end of the alley. She nudged open the door, triggering the pleasant jingle of a bell. With a curved ceiling and walls made of gray slate, the shop name seemed appropriate. Two white-haired women greeted us as we entered. Other than the fact that one was a good six inches taller than the other, they looked almost identical.
“Kamikaze, how wonderful to see you. What brings you to the Cave of Wonders today?” the shorter woman asked.