Chapter Thirty-One – The secrets

One glass had turned into two, and then five. Before she knew it her head felt like it was floating on some cloud, far away from her own body. The bottle was down to half its content, and she couldn’t remember seeing Anthony drink more than one glass. That was probably the cause of her lightheadedness. Everything just felt good and happy, then Kieran showed up.

“How much did you let her drink?” He asked Anthony, his voice more scolding than appropriate to use on the mayor. But he let it slide, he wasn’t that kind of person, thinking that he was somehow better than everyone else just because he was the mayor.

“I didn’t let her, she fought me for it” Anthony answered, pointing to a scratch on the back of his head. It had happened when he’d tried to take the bottle away after the third glass, but Ariel would have none of it. The alcohol hit her harden than he had imagined. And he’d called Kieran to bring her home.

“Yeah, she does that” Kieran sighed, hunching down to be on the same level as Ariel, who had gone from sitting to lying on the couch. “Ariel dear, it’s time to go home now” Kieran spoke softly, gently helping her up in a seated position. She swayed a little and let out a heartfelt laugh.

“Did you know that Adam is a wolf. He’s a werewolf. And Talia is alive, and she’s also a werewolf. And there are more werewolves. Werewolves everywhere” She flung her arms out like she was throwing something in the air, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

“She’s drunk” Anthony said, and Kieran nodded agreeing. “But is he?” He still had to ask, getting a confirmed nod from the mayor. “And her?” Kieran pressed on. Anthony’s face fell, like he was having an inner debate about what to include Kieran in and not.

“That I don’t know. Ariel has this theory, claiming she had coffee with Talia the other day, and that because she healed from the wounds the doctor said she died of she has to be a wolf” Anthony paused. “She thinks that Adam turned her into a werewolf – but that just seems…” He couldn’t find the right word.

“Most werewolves are born, not created. And it takes a whole lot of overlapping events for a wolf to be able to turn someone into a werewolf. It’s not unheard of, but it happens very rarely” Kieran informed. His knowledge about the supernatural world for once coming in handy.

“You know the lore?” Anthony asked surprised. He had never considered Kieran to be more than a set of muscles with a good aim and shot. “I know a bit about every creature. You need anything?” Kieran rose from the floor. Ariel had fallen asleep, and he thought it was best to leave her be.

“I have some questions that need answering, and my go to person is busy elsewhere. But you might be able to help” Anthony walked out of the office and into the living room, signaling for Kieran to follow and make himself comfortable in one of the chairs. He settled in the other.

“Adam have lived in town much longer than I have, and no one knew he was werewolf because that’s how the old mayor had kept it. And he’s never been an issue before, he and his pack of wolves keeping to themselves” Anthony informed Kieran, who nodded along slowly.

This was news to him, and he’d lived in town longer than Anthony. His family had moved there during the last attack, being brought in to hunt down the wolves that bothered them. He had stayed behind after his parents moved to a new job, Ariel being the reason he wanted to stay.

“And it’s not like it’s uncommon, wolves and humans living and thriving side by side. So, no one bothered to ask questions, because the rogue wolves were taken care of, and that was it. People tend to forget about the things they can’t see, and good is that. And most people just assumed it was rabid wolves anyway, never considering it could be some supernatural creatures. And good is that. For now. But when a large group arrive at the same time and at the same place, all traveling together to this exact location, of course you start asking questions. Especially those who know what kind of potential threat this can be. Others just sit by and thinks it’s a big family or refuges who have nowhere else to stay. And I would very much like to keep it that way. That’s why I asked Ariel if she could do some recon, figure out what was happening. And why I’m asking you if you can dig up some old laws and lore, see if there is any possibility that Talia was indeed turned into a werewolf. And just anything else you think will come in handy when dealing with a specie that can rip you in half if they want to”

Anthony took a deep breath. He didn’t like to include more people than necessary into the secrets left to him by the old mayor, but at the same time. He was elected by the people because they believed in him and his politic, and this was just one of those things, just some politics that needed to be handled.

“I’ll see if I can find anything of use. But what I do know, is that silver is a sure way to harm and delay the healing. Always use a silver weapon when dealing with werewolves. Wolvesbane will also come in handy, but it’s more of a chemical weapon than anything else. It’s inhuman to use it on a wolf. You don’t just hunt and kill them for sport. You do it because you have to, it’s your last resort, you or them. Don’t start a war with a pack just because someone fears what might happen. A general rule: don’t attack a pack. Only hunt rogue wolfs or individuals who aim to kill you”

Kieran looked at the mayor, he looked like a man with moral and standards. He doubted he would head into a pack of wolves or any other supernatural creature to wage war. No, he wasn’t hotheaded and blinded with rage like Mr. Noye. But there was something there, something Kieran couldn’t put his finger on.

“Thank you for the advice. Sounds like any moral code to me. Don’t strike before struck” Anthony rose from the chair, starting to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace in the corner. He had a lot to think about and had to figure out what to tell and not tell the members of the city council. And most important, could he trust Ariel and Kieran do not trigger a war? He believed the answer was yes, if they kept anyone else who held a grudge towards the supernatural community out of the loop.

“They are not savage creatures stuck in the past. We live in the same world, follow the same laws and the same moral code. Wolves, vampires, faes, witches, mermaids, humans – everyone have the bad apples. We’re just quicker to judge an entire species by the actions of one individual” Keiran shrugged as he got up. Midday had turned into afternoon, and he had to get Ariel home so she could sleep of the alcohol. She wasn’t going to be in a good mood come morning.

“One more question” Anthony turned towards Kieran, his eyes locking onto his. “Or two. How many creatures have you encountered? And do you know of anyone who can bring the dead back to life?”

Kieran shifted his weight from one foot to the other, considering every word before he uttered them out loud. “I’ve met wolves, had to kill a vampire once, he tried to feed of my sleeping sister, it wasn’t a pretty sight. I’ve heard tales about the faes and witches, but never encountered them myself. My mom claims she’s met a mermaid, but then again, she also says dragons are real – so I don’t really know how much to trust that. And none of them can bring the dead back to life. Even witches stay away from that – time and life are sacred and not to be tampered with”

Anthony nodded slowly, like he was milling over the answer and trying to make it fit within his train of thoughts. A peculiar man, but a good leader to have when facing possible threats from any and all corners of the world.

“Thank you, that was very helpful” Anthony suddenly said, his face now back to his usual friendly smile and warm eyes. “I’ll help you carry Ariel to the car” He turned towards the office, but Kieran stopped him.

“No need. I got this. You go do your work, I’m sure you have a lot waiting to be handled” He placed a hand on the mayor’s shoulder and gave him a short nod. “And thank you for calling me. She’s not fun to deal with when she drinks” He went over to where Ariel was sleeping, wiping away some drool on her chin before gently lifting her up.

“She shouldn’t go out tonight. The recon can wait until tomorrow” Anthony said as he led Kieran out, opening the door for him. “I’ll look into it tonight. I have someone I need to meet anyways” Kieran gave the mayor a short not before disappearing down the street.