Page 57 of Eat. Prey. Love.
I chuckle as Banjo adjusts the bandolier of bullets across his chest, shaking my head. “I fear those weapons may not be as useful as you’d think. The predators I believe live in these woods won’t be affected by them.”
“They are when they’ve been painted with garlic and holy water,” Holliday signs. “The Captain is quite thorough with his planning.”
Shit. I didn’t think he was paying attention when I was grumbling about the bloodsuckers.
“To be honest, I’m not sure what’s fact and fiction, I’m afraid. It has been a very, very long time since these supernaturals have been encountered. Their kind have stayed as hidden as the magic users, so all I have to go on is a sketchy childhood memory and what has been written in various texts.”
Banjo points to a tree, tilting his head. “That tree is marked by prey staff. It must be storage. Squirrels, I’d say.”
“Huh. They didn’t do that at Cappie or Apex. Is it because perhaps the preds here are less… threatening than at the American schools?” I’m genuinely curious, so I peek at the tree he pointed out, then continue on the path deeper into the woods.
Holliday answers again, his hands moving quickly as we walk, “The predators here seem very unconcerned with the staff. They are not kinder, but they are aloof and indifferent. Their permanentprey workers do not act terrified as they did at our previous jobs.”
Interesting. Perhaps it’s self-involved rich kid syndrome or maybe they have specific orders not to bother them.
We trudge deeper into the trees, and something pricks my senses. I stop, half shifting to enhance my predatory instincts. This scent is very familiar and it isnotvampires. The two pirates watch me silently as I explore the area around us, trying to find the source of the memory-inducing smell. It takes a moment, but I find a very small faerie ring with offerings under some brush. It’s been too long to rememberwhichkind of ring this is, so I snap a picture with my phone for later.
“The magicals have been here. This was left for them,” I murmur to them. “I don’t know if it’s the ones from the Cappie attack or others, but this doesn’t seem elaborate enough to draw the truly powerful.”
“It's very small, glorious one,” Banjo says. “Fae who appeared on Yule were very large and intimidating, according to the staff in the event.”
I nod, bending to look at the ring thoughtfully. “Indeed, but something this small creating a net of portals over the campus might explain how they got through all the security we placed at the entrances. I don’t know enough about whether entries to the Veil can be daisy-chained like that.”
Holliday frowns, then points across the forest floor with narrowed eyes. His kind has a keen sense of smell because they don’t see well—and in his case, he can’t hear—so I trust his nose. Rising, I walk to the area he indicated, rifling through the underbrush until I find yet another one of the rings. My brows furrow and I walk to the thickest tree nearby, digging my shifted claws into it as I climb upward to get a better vantage point. Looking down at the spots where I found the rings, I grin triumphantly.
If there are three more of them, it would form astar—bingo.
“I think they are getting in by connecting the small doorways to form a big one,” I call down to Banjo. He relays that information to Holliday, who immediately starts sniffing out the other points. “I can’t decide if we should damage one of them, all of them, or leave it as a trap.”
“Perhaps we radio the others to see what they suggest?” The quokka looks up at me then his gaze-mate. “I think your clutch would be most helpful in this decision.”
“You’re right, Banjo.” I grin ruefully as I leap down from the tree, shaking the ground as I land. Pushing the button on the earwig, I wait for it to activate before I speak. “Ahoy. Pirate Team with a report.”
There’s a scuffling sound and I hear our girl respond, “Team Crazypants is still searching. What do you have, Rennie?”
“Fairy rings and a theory about how they’re getting onto the campuses.”
“Team…Alphahole is surprisingly efficient this time,” Felix says wryly. “But we haven’t found any entrances in the mountain area yet. What’s your theory, gargoyle?”
“Holliday is hunting down the other three, but I believe they are using the small rings where the pixies and smaller Fae receive offerings in a daisy-chain format to create a large portal spot in the middle. It would go unnoticed if no one was looking closely.”
“The great one sensed a presence, so if no one had that ability, they would miss these tiny things!” Banjo adds and I hear my mate laughing quietly.
“Well, Team Grumpy finds the great one’s theory credible enough,” the dragon drawls. “Though his credentials are suspect.”
“Oooh, smart guy burn,” Fitz says. “Point to the Sizzling Serpent.”
A heavy sigh comes on the line and I grin to myself. Chess has to endure quite a bit of our playful sniping while we are cooking, so I don’t blame him. “Team Cinnamon Roll hasn’t seen anything like that but to be honest, we have not been looking for things so small. Kirby and the Captain are fanning out now to help me search.”
“Rennie, maybe you should tag the places you find these things… and anyone else, too. Then we can all figure out whether we want to use them as, like, traps or squash it for safety,” Dolly says.
Always thinking ahead… she amazes me at times, but I’m sure it comes from trying to outwit her abusive parents.
“That’s why I contacted everyone,ma petite. I wanted to make sure we are in agreement before we do anything to these miniature menaces.”
“Princess is right, Ren. You and the crew mark the spots somehow, and we’ll all do the same if we find anything suspicious. I’d prefer no one to run into a cave or whatever in such small groups, anyway. Feels like courting trouble.”
“Aye, aye, Raj,” I reply drily. “But your point is taken. Over and out.”