Logan shook his head, but then saw me narrow my eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. Fine, yes, I feel it too. It feels nasty to me, though. Actively hostile."
Carlos and Jack both looked surprised at this, but said nothing. I looked at Susan, but she shook her head.
"Nothing at all here. You, Tess?"
I hesitated and then confessed. "It feels like it's intensifying my headache, if that makes any sense at all."
Carlos immediately took a step back and away from me. "Stay clear, then. You may have a sensitivity to Fae magic."
Jack suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait. This headache started with the runes in the well. Those are clearly Fae runes. That is pretty powerful evidence that whatever this particular Fae brand of magic is, it doesn't mix well with you and your magic."
"I don't have magic," I protested, but Jack cut me off.
"You know what I mean, and your gift is certainly magic. Let's just keep some distance between you and that box for a while, okay?"
Logan held up a hand. "I'd be glad to keep it safe for Tess."
Jack growled, and the sound coming from his human throat was almost as scary as it was when tiger Jack did it.
Logan took a prudent step away from him, and I caught a look of genuine fury cross the eagle shifter's expression before he offered up a bland smile.
"Just trying to help. Listen, I've got a few people to talk to about my sister. I'll catch you all later." With that, he turned on his heel and walked off down the sidewalk, shifting to eagle and flying away after taking ten steps.
"You should keep an eye on that one," Carlos said darkly. "I get very untrustworthy vibes from him."
"We are," Susan and Jack both said at the same time.
I watched the giant bird fly away and wondered exactly what Logan was up to, and why he seemed to be more concerned with the dagger and the jeweled box than he was about his missing sister.
"We need to get going," Susan said. "People will show up soon for the town meeting that starts at eight. Anybody for coffee and donuts? We can put the box in Tess's trunk?"
Jack carefully took the box from Carlos. "Yes, to coffee and donuts, no to the trunk. I'm keeping this near me until we can get this into Tess's vault. Unless you think the jail would be safer?"
Susan shook her head. "I'd just as soon not. We're a public entity. Tess's shop is private. I don't want questions of ownership to arise, in a probably vastly overblown sense of caution. Nothing about this feels safe."
"Okay," I said. "My vault is fine. But we need to contact Queen Viviette and see if she can be reasonable. Maybe with the box, she'd be able to find her dagger?"
I picked up the tent pieces, took the tape off, and handed Carlos back his phone and Susan back the ball. After that, I carried the tent and duct tape to my car and retrieved a duffel bag for Jack to use to carry the box. Then I joined the rest of the Scooby gang on the sidewalk.
"I'm heading home before the sunshine becomes uncomfortable," Carlos said with a self-deprecating smile. "I think the town hall will be exciting enough without my unfortunate demise."
"I meant to ask, if that's not rude or too personal," I said, my cheeks heating. "How can you be out in the sunshine at all?"
"That's a long and somewhat dull story," Carlos said with an enigmatic smile.
"I doubt that," Jack, who knew vampires very well, said.
Susan tightened her lips but said nothing, and I shrugged. Maybe I'd find out another time. Not really a priority right now.
Carlos drove off, Susan went to her office, and Jack and I headed over to Mellie's for coffee. The place was hopping, even though it was only a quarter to seven and the town hall wasn't scheduled until eight. From the way all conversations broke off when we walked in, I was pretty sure that nobody was talking about anything but Jed and the threat.
"Not a big shock," I muttered.
Jack shifted the duffel to his left shoulder, so it was farther from me. "What? That everyone in town is fed up with my grandfather and, by extension, me? I can't say that I blame them."
Mr. Volkov, who'd driven the elementary school bus for as long as I could remember, gave me a friendly nod when we walked up to stand behind him in line.
"Hello, Mr. Volkov."
