Chapter 28
By the time they arrived at the resort, the worst of the storm had blown over.
There were several downed trees along the way, or at least big parts of them, and Jenny didn’t mind watching Travis haul the ones they couldn’t drive over out of the way with Wrench and Tex, marveling at his strength.
The resort itself was scattered with broken tree limbs and shredded flowers.
“I am going to hide from Graham for a week,” Breck said, surveying the damage.
“We’re going to have to repair several of the roofs,” Travis said thoughtfully, looking down over the cottages. “I could use your help on that, Wrench.”
Jenny thought Wrench looked touched. “I got no fear of heights,” he rumbled. “But you’d have to teach me how.”
“He’s a very good teacher,” Jenny assured him.
The rain had reduced to a faint drizzle, and the wind was almost nothing now.
Scarlet met them at the empty bar, looking a little wild-eyed, and as disheveled as Jenny had ever seen her.
“I trust you have an interesting story to share regarding the reason all of my primary staff have been missing for several hours,” she said, looking at the trussed up eagle shifter with narrow eyes.
He responded with a string of expletives that made Tex tsk disapprovingly and slap a piece of duct tape over his mouth.
“We’ve got another charming character for the civil guard to pick up,” Breck told Scarlet. “And some more paperwork for our friend Tony.”
Wrench, recognizing her authority, handed her the briefcase, a little reluctantly.
“I’m willing to bear witness against the cartel what hired me,” he said gruffly. “And I’d take a job, if you had one.”
Scarlet looked at the briefcase distasteful, but took it. “I don’t run a charity,” she said crossly.
“I ain’t afraid of hard work,” Wrench assured her. “And I’m not too good to get dirty.”
“We’ll see,” Scarlet said, her chilly voice without promise. “Let’s put this guy in the usual place,” she gestured at the eagle shifter, who was seething and working his mouth behind the duct tape. “Breck, catch me up on the details, and I’ll call Tony.” Her low heels clicked away across the wet tile decisively. “Have you seen Bastian?”
Breck poked the eagle shifter and marched him after her. “Not since this morning.”
“Jenny!” Gizelle’s hair was more wild than ever, and she looked as if she’d spent the storm cavorting in a field.
It occurred to Jenny that she might have done just that.
Gizelle ignored Wrench to skip to Jenny. “You’re all wet!” She exclaimed, as if she wasn’t equally soaked.
“Say,” Laura said suddenly. “How’d you do that?”
Jenny realized Laura was talking to her. “Do what?”
“Shift your dress with you. You were dressed when you got free from that jerk with the wings.”
Jenny looked down at herself. The sundress and her sandals had indeed shifted with her, without any conscious thought. “I don’t know,” she said in surprise.
“I’m a very good teacher,” Gizelle said proudly.
“Can you clothing shift, too?” Laura asked her. “I thought it was only dragons and mythical creatures that could do that.”
Gizelle blinked, then shook her head. “Nope,” she said airily.
“Then how did you… never mind.” Laura shook her head firmly. “Tex, I’d like a hot drink with a gallon of alcohol now, please.”