Sister's Keepers Read online

  Sister’s Keepers

  By Belinda White

  Copyright 2018 Belinda White

  Kindle Edition

  Cover Image by Livali Wyle

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people.

  Disclaimers:

  While the location of this story is set in the real-life town of Spencer, Indiana, all the characters and places of business mentioned within are works of fiction, existing only in the Author’s somewhat warped mind.

  Author's Note: Please note that the word "were" does double and triple duty in this novel. Beyond the normal meaning, to a Benandanti, Were can also mean a creature. And 'to were' can be interchangeable with to shift or change form.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 1

  He had to be kidding.

  The Coyote, also known as the Trickster, was asking for our help? After what he had put us through with all his tight roping between good and evil crap?

  "Hey, I'm serious here." He glanced over at me, of all people, for support. "You do remember I saved your life last fall, right? You owe me."

  I laughed. "First, my life wouldn't have been in danger if you had just helped us from the beginning instead of declaring yourself the moral equivalent of Switzerland. And second, you acted only because the skin-walker shot you. Not because my life was in jeopardy."

  He waved to the side. "Semantics. Pure and simple semantics. Your life was spared only because I took action. My motives are irrelevant."

  The serious expression on his face, one that up until now we had never seen, told me he firmly believed he was in the right. Coyote must live in his own reality.

  We were all sitting at Rose's kitchen table. Me (Tazlyn Hunt and Benandanti werewolf) and all of my very unorthodox pack mates. To my immediate right sat Jedadiah Crowe, ex-Luparii werewolf tracker and current lover.

  We had given Jed the awakening of a lifetime last fall by disproving all his former Luparii teachings that everything Were was evil. Then his mother had topped us all with her announcement that she was Benandanti, too. Which made Jed one as well, as the line passed through the mother. He was given a special path though. He wasn’t given the ability to shift to wolf form. Poor thing.

  Across from me sat Rose Waters, Benandanti were-rabbit. What a combination, right? Wolves and rabbits, who would've thought it possible? A very sneaky and conniving rabbit, that's who. Rose snared me as a friend before revealing her other self. I'm happy to have her as a pack mate, but sorry that my wolf-time favorite fast food is off the menu forever. It would just be too sick, now.

  To my left sat Lilith Maxwell, Rose's granddaughter. Another were-rabbit. Lilith's sixteenth birthday, and therefore her first change, had hit last fall during all the fun.

  Coyote, who we knew now as simply Roy, had brought his own chair and scrunched it between Rose and Lilith. Purple, of course, his trademark color of choice. As per his style, he was dressed to match the chair. A fashionable short-sleeved purple polo shirt, with a tiny coyote where the alligator usually resides, was tucked into black jeans and topped off with bright purple biker's boots. This was actually one of his more conservative outfits.

  Rebel, my half-wolf (and weirdly enough part Benandanti and my distant cousin), had given up his spot to allow Jed to join us at the table. I figured he did it for an ulterior motive rather than an altruistic one. He was currently sharing his fuzzy yellow rug by the fire with Jed's husky, Maggie, who was swollen to the point of bursting. Any day now we would be graced with a litter of super-intelligent quarter-wolf puppies. I was praying for a small litter, but from the size of Maggie's stomach, that wasn't likely.

  Roy could tell that he'd lost my attention, so he waved a hand in front of my face. Holding my inner wolf at bay, I let him keep it, though I couldn't quite suppress my growl. I'm an Alpha, and I don't take kindly to that kind of insubordination. Not even from a godling.

  His hand disappeared under the table. Good Coyote.

  "It's not like you guys wouldn't be doing this on your own, anyway. I'm just suggesting that we combine forces. In a way, I'm offering you my help with this one."

  "This one what?" Rose asked. "You still haven't told us what this is all about."

  Roy grimaced like he'd bitten into an ultra-sour lemon. "Leprechaun."

  I expected at least one of us to burst out in immediate laughter, but no one did. Glancing around to the others, I realized we were all wearing the same expression. Wide eyes, check. Mouth gaping open, check. Incredulous, unbelieving look, check. We were all too stunned to laugh. Of course, that soon passed.

  Roy took exception to our laughter. "This isn't funny. The bloody little faerie is invading my turf." He took the time to look at each one of us, each in various stages of recuperation. Unfortunately, his words set me off again.

  Rose was the first to fully recover. "A leprechaun? Forgive me, Roy, but this does sound a bit like a snipe hunt to me. Especially coming from you."

  "Actually, it sounds exactly like a snipe hunt. What's next, will there be a rainbow with his pot o' gold at the end?" Jed asked.

  Puffing out a short burst of air, Roy rose from his chair indignantly. "Well, and here I thought we were friends. I had thought you wouldn't want two tricksters around and about. Just keep in mind that a leprechaun's sense of humor isn't as developed and civilized as mine. Don’t blame me when you start finding doggy doo in awkward places and hair remover in your shampoo bottles. I tried to warn you." And with one last glare, he disappeared. His chair remained.

  The laughter was gone now. We stared at each other in horror. Even Reb came and laid his head on my lap for reassurance. Two tricksters?

  "Perhaps we should not have been so quick to laugh," Jed said slowly. He looked at Rose, our undisputed expert on all things supernatural. "A leprechaun is a faerie, right? Are faeries real? I thought they were just stories."

  Sighing, Rose nodded. "They're real all right. In the old days, the Benandanti were connected to the Fae world. We used to trade with them for valuable information that helped us keep our towns safe."

  "Since this is the first I've heard of it, I'm assuming that isn’t true anymore. What happened?" I asked.

  Her brows drew together, and she started fidgeting with the placeholder in front of her. I was starting to get worried. I'd never seen Rose fidget before. The thought of her being nervous absolutely terrified me.

  "The Fae are... manipulative, I guess is the best word to describe them, though it just doesn't seem to quite cover it. They give only what they want us to have, and yet they have a way of making us ask for it. Sometimes beg for it. After centuries of the incredibly one-sided dealings, the Benandanti finally severed their ties with Faerie."

  "We dealt with leprechauns?" Lily asked.

  Rose gave a small smile. "Not leprechauns, dear. Our informants were rather higher up on the faerie ladder." She looked at each of us. "But if a leprechaun has found his way to our neck of the woods, there's no telling what else may follow. Leprechauns are a nu
isance, yes, but some of the other creatures are far more dangerous."

  "Now you're starting to get the picture," Roy's voice interjected.

  Jed glanced at the empty purple chair. "It is rude to eavesdrop on conversations one isn't fully present for," he said.

  Roy popped back into view. There was really no other way to describe it.

  "So, are you all going to help me send the little faerie back to where he came from? And the sooner the better, by the way."

  "I think a little research is in order first," Rose said. "We need more information before we go off leprechaun hunting."

  "I have a question." Lily raised her hand as she spoke. "If we really are dealing with a leprechaun, will there be a pot of gold if we catch him?"

  Roy actually snorted. "More likely what looks like a pot of gold, and feels like a pot of gold, but is really gold colored disks of doggy doo."

  "I'm afraid Roy is right on this one. You just can't trust a leprechaun or anything he promises you. He is a faerie, after all," Rose said.

  Roy looked thoughtful for a moment, glancing at me before speaking. "While the pot of gold is usually rubbish, I have heard of leprechauns granting a wish to their captors for their freedom."

  "If we can't trust to ask for gold, what could a leprechaun possibly offer us?" I asked.

  "Well," he paused for dramatic effect, "you've never found your sister's body, have you?"

  I stared at him for a moment and then looked to Rose.

  She nodded slowly. "It's possible. But I'd seriously like to do some research before I commit to any plan of action. I think my grandmother's journals would be the best place to start. Lily..."

  Lily grinned. "I know, I'm the pack’s hacker. That's my turf," she explained to Roy.

  If I thought I was going to get out of the research end of things, I was mistaken. Rose looked to me and Jed next.

  "You two should visit the local library and stock up on books of faerie lore. Lore travels through the years for a reason. Many stories told from different times and places are basically identical for a reason as well. There's truth there. Learn what you can. We need all the information we can get for this. And don't just concentrate on leprechauns, either, although that's the place I'd start for obvious reasons. We don't know what may follow next."

  The thought of spending the next few days reading old faerie tales was enough to make me surly. Reading was not my forte. "And just what is Roy going to be doing while we gather information?"

  Roy grinned. "Defending my honor as Trickster, of course. There really can be only one master of tricks." He disappeared. Chair and all.

  Heaven help us. Spencer, Indiana had just become the target for a trickster turf war.

  Chapter 2

  "It's started."

  Jed threw the morning paper down on the table. I glanced at it, but my attention was currently captivated by the fried, crispy bacon sandwich on my plate. Bad news would go better on a full stomach, anyway.

  He sighed at my lack of interest, picked the paper back up, and began reading. "On the front page alone, there are two stories of interest. Bernese Mountain Dog Given Poodle Cut—Owners Outraged. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson of Spencer were enraged this morning at what is obviously an overboard example of a practical joke. Upon going out to feed the family's Bernese Mountain dog this morning, Mrs. Henderson was shocked at the sight which greeted her. Her dog, nearly three feet tall at the shoulders and weighing almost one hundred and twenty pounds, had been shaved in a look made famous by the name Poodle Cut, complete with a full tuft of fur left on the end of the dog's tail."

  Okay, so he had my attention now. He turned the paper to face me, and I saw what were obviously before and after pictures of the poor animal. My heart went out to him. One look at the after photo and you could tell he just wanted to get away from the camera. I would too. It wasn't a good look for the breed. At all.

  I dragged my eyes from the sad sight and raised them to meet Jed’s. He took that as a signal to continue. Turning the paper back to him, he started reading again. Story number two.

  “Family’s Pets Found Inside Inflatable Easter Egg Yard Decoration: Police Baffled,” Jed began.

  “There, you see?” Coyote said, his voice full of pride. “I baffled the police. Anyone can shave a dog.”

  I jumped at Roy’s sudden entrance, but Jed didn’t bat an eye. The man was a rock.

  “We’ve had this discussion before, Coyote,” Jed said. “Visitors knock on the front door and wait to be invited in. We don’t accept pop-ins. Now...”

  At this point he was talking to himself as Coyote had already popped out, followed by an instant knock on the front door.

  “Gee,” I said, “I wonder who on earth that could be.”

  Jed calmly walked over and opened the door. “Hello, Coyote. Would you like to come in and join us for some breakfast?”

  Roy blinked at the offer. So did I.

  “You really mean it?”

  Jed nodded. “It won’t take but a minute to nuke some more bacon, and there’s bread on the counter and lettuce and tomato in the fridge if you’d like to make it into a sandwich.”

  Roy swallowed. “I’d really like that. Thanks.”

  It didn’t look like Roy knew what to do. He must not get too many invitations. Maybe this could turn into a good thing.

  While he and Jed fixed the extra sandwich, I finished mine and turned the paper back to me to read the story that went with the shocker headline.

  “Would you please read it out loud, Taz?” Roy asked. “I haven’t actually had a chance to see the paper yet. I hope they got it right.”

  I stared at him. The Trickster had actually said please? I swallowed my disbelief and started reading.

  “Mrs. Claudia Brown had just seen her children onto the school bus when she heard the sound of muffled barking and recognized it as her two little Yorkies. A quick search of the side yard where they had been let out to do their business revealed the dogs were gone. A further search, following the sounds of barking, located the dogs inside the giant inflatable Easter egg yard decoration of the neighbor across the street.

  Police are baffled as to how the dogs were placed inside as there is no way in except the small hole to allow the air pump to inflate the egg. The decoration had to be destroyed to get the animals out. Luckily, the dogs suffered no ill effects from their brief imprisonment.”

  I stopped reading and glared at Roy. “Those poor dogs could have suffocated! What if she hadn’t found them in time?”

  Roy’s hand flew to cover his heart. “I’m appalled to know you think so little of me, Taz. And that cheapens the complexity of my trick, too. Even if they hadn’t been found for hours, they wouldn’t have run out of air. I’m not a monster. Besides, they are sort of relatives, even if they do yip a lot more than I care to hear.”

  He popped in his purple chair to join me and Jed at the table with his sandwich. My little table was only built for two chairs, but we divided the space three ways and it worked out okay. Sort of, anyway.

  Roy took a big bite and then opened his mouth to talk. Disgusting. No wonder he didn't get many invitations. Well, that and a multitude of other reasons.

  "You guys agree with me, though, right? I mean come on, my trick was way better than the little green dude's. Right?" He really seemed to need validation.

  I looked at Jed. "Well," I said, "I definitely give you points in that your trick didn't have any lasting harm done. The Yorkies are fine and that poor Bernese Mountain dog will take ages to grow his fur back. And in the meantime, he'll be the laughing stock of the entire neighborhood."

  Roy nodded in agreement and then looked to Jed.

  Jed chewed his bite carefully before giving his opinion. I thought Roy was going to start dancing from anticipation before Jed finally spoke.

  "I agree with Taz on that point. Plus, your trick did rid the world of one of those ugly yard inflatables. Man, I hate those things. Does anyone really like them? Sometimes I
think people just put them up to spite the neighbors." He stopped when he realized I was staring at him. "What?" he asked.

  "Nothing. I totally agree," I said. I just wasn't used to Jed saying something negative about anything, even super ugly yard decorations.

  "So I won, hands down, right?" Roy asked.

  "Well, I'd say yes, but I suppose trickery is kind of like beauty. All in the eyes of the beholder. Right, Jed?" I asked.

  "Afraid so, Coyote. I mean if Taz and I were the judges, you'd be the winner by a long shot, but others might vote for the funny looking dog. And to play devil's advocate, that joke will keep going. I mean, people are going to be laughing at that fella for a long, long time."

  Roy's face fell. "I hadn't thought of it like that. Drat."

  My eyebrow quirked. Drat? Jed's manners must be starting to wear off on him.

  Roy sighed. "I guess I'll just have to think harder about the next one. Thanks, guys." He looked at both of us. "It means a lot to have you two on my side."

  And he was gone, complete with chair.

  There was a knock at the front door. Puzzled, I went to open it. Roy stood there.

  "I forgot to thank you for the sandwich." He looked over my shoulder to Jed. "Thanks, guy. See ya around."

  And once again he was gone.

  I cleaned up the kitchen area and fed the dogs while Jed finished his sandwich and read the rest of the paper. When he was done, he came over to wash his plate.

  "So, what's the plan for today? A trip to the library?" he asked.

  I shrugged. I'm just not a reader. I mean it's not something I really enjoy doing. Being a wolf, I'm more the outdoorsy type. I'd rather be running through the woods than sitting in a chair looking at printed pages. That's just who I am.

  Jed, on the other hand, loved to read. He was outdoorsy, too. His favorite place to read was out on the front porch swing. But he liked to read in bed at night, too. Once the newness of our living together wore off a bit, that could get to be an issue. I don't go to bed until I'm ready to sleep...or do other more active things that require a partner.