Anne Bishop - Written in Red

But first he would have to figure out a good reason why he would want to.

It didn’t look like they were going anywhere.

Meg stared at the snowdrifts beyond the archway that led to the parking area and garages for the Green Complex. Paths had been cleared around the interior of the complex so that the residents could reach the laundry room, mail room, social room, and the apartments, but there was no way she was going to get her BOW out of the garage, let alone reach the road.

“Come on, Sam. We’ll take a quick walk and go back inside.” She shifted her grip on the carry sack that contained a complete set of boy’s clothing and turned back toward her apartment, pondering how she would get to work. Businesses did open after snowstorms. Deliveries would be made. The mailman would bring the mail sack and pick up the mail deposited in the blue post box that was tucked against the wall of the consulate. People went about their business in the winter, even if it took them a little longer than usual.

As she and Sam walked toward the other end of the complex, she heard bells.

Sam lifted his muzzle and howled.

“Come on,” Meg said, walking as quickly as she could.

They reached the road in time to see the sleigh pulled by two brown horses. One horse had a black mane and tail; the other’s mane and tail were pale gold.

Tornado and Twister in their other equine forms.

And there, in the front seat, were Winter and Air, still looking like young women instead of girls. They wore no coats, no hats, no gloves. Their gowns were layers of fluttery material that looked like it had been woven from clouds that ranged in color from white to a dark, stormy gray.

“Are you playing today?” Winter asked once the sleigh stopped beside Meg.

“Not playing so much as not working,” Meg replied. “I can’t get my BOW out of the garage, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to reach the office.”

“Is reaching the office important?” Air asked.

“It is if we want our mail today or any of the packages that are on the delivery trucks.”

Winter stared at the social room’s second-story windows. Then she smiled. “We can get you to your office. It won’t take long.”

Meg looked over her shoulder, then back at the Elemental. “Are you sure you won’t be late for the meeting? I think Mr. Wolfgard and some of the others are already there.”

Winter gave her a smile that was chilling but, Meg was certain, was not meant to be malevolent.

“I won’t be late for the part of the meeting that is of interest to me and my sisters,” Winter said.

“Then, thank you. I appreciate the ride. And I’ve never ridden in a sleigh before.” This one was longer than her BOW and had two bench seats.

She picked up Sam, grunting at the unexpected weight. Could he have gotten that much bigger in a week’s time? She put him on the floor of the backseat, then scrambled up to sit behind Air. As she got herself settled, she saw Jester standing in his apartment doorway, watching them.

Winter lifted the reins. “Give the snow a spin, my lovely boys. Our Meg wants to get to work.”

As Tornado and Twister trotted along at a speed that made Meg’s eyes water from the wind and stinging cold, the snow in front of them spun into funnels, leaving enough snowpack on the road to provide a good surface for the sleigh’s runners. She had to admit, they moved on the snow far better than her BOW, and Winter delivered her to the back door of the office sooner than she expected.

An area around the back of the Liaison’s Office had been cleared, and there was a path to Howling Good Reads, A Little Bite, and Henry’s yard. After thanking Winter and Air, Meg followed the path to the front of the building.

She didn’t recognize the man wielding the shovel, but since he wasn’t wearing anything over his flannel shirt, she figured he wasn’t human. She was sure of it when he glanced her way and stiffened the moment he saw Sam and the red harness and leash.

For his part, Sam arroooo ed a greeting and leaped into the untouched snow.

The Wolf watched the pup for a moment before walking over to Meg and tipping his head in what might have been a greeting.

“I’m Nathan Wolfgard,” he said, some growl under the words as he kept glancing at Sam. “Stayed above stairs last night.”

She looked at the second story of the building. “There are apartments upstairs?” She’d noticed the staircase behind the building and the second-story door, but what was above the office wasn’t any of her business. “You live there?”

He shook his head. “Stayed there. Blair wanted eyes on this part of the Courtyard.”

Why? Not a question she could ask him, but her skin was suddenly prickling so much she wanted to dig her fingernails into it through all the layers of clothing.

“Got a path dug from street to door,” Nathan said. “Not going to get vehicles in or out until our plow comes up from the Utility Complex, but the monkeys can reach the building if they’ve a mind to.” He didn’t look happy about that.

“Thank you for clearing paths to the doors,” Meg said. “Come on, Sam. Shake off the snow. It’s time for me to go to work.”

Sam, now snow crusted and happily panting, gave himself a vigorous shake before following Meg back around the building. She got them both wiped down before she unlocked the front door and flipped the sign to OPEN. The snow along the wall of Henry’s yard looked like a ramp, making her wonder if the snow was packed up the same way on the other side.

Five Crows settled on the wall. They didn’t caw at the Wolf . After watching Nathan through the window, she decided nobody taunted a Wolf who was holding a snow shovel—or one who could pack a mean snowball and fire it at black-feathered targets if the targets became annoying.

She put fresh water in one of Sam’s bowls, poured a little kibble in the other bowl, and made herself a cup of peppermint tea. Leaving Sam to gnaw on the last piece of stag stick, she took her tea and two editions of the Courtyard newsletter to the front counter. It was colder out there than in the sorting room, but she didn’t have anything to sort yet and she wanted to keep an eye on the street.

She saw Nathan head for the back of the building, the shovel over his shoulder. A minute later, she heard the floor creak above her head. Then the quiet, steady sound of voices. Not conversation. After a moment, she concluded that Nathan must be listening to the television or radio while he, too, kept watch out a window.

Was there another reason Blair—and Simon?—wanted eyes on this part of the Courtyard, or was it simply a matter of having someone around if the stores didn’t open today?

Since it wasn’t likely that she would get an answer from any of the Wolves, Meg opened the first newsletter to find out what had been going on in the Courtyard.

“Got the Utilities gate dug out and closed,” Blair said as he took a seat in the Green social room. “Got the plow out and starting on the business areas. Truck and bucket loader are following. We’ll have to shift the snow to the mounding sites to clear some parking spaces in the lot and clear the area for the consulate and Liaison’s Office. Nathan shoveled a path from street to office. He’ll stay above stairs for a while, unless you want him elsewhere.”

“Have him stay there,” Simon said. Sam shifting to a boy last night and the ruckus this morning had kept his mind occupied. Now he wondered if Blair was being so cautious because of some vague threat that might come from humans or because he wanted to show other residents in the Courtyard that the Wolves were looking after the Liaison properly. Or was Blair trying to avoid any incident that would start a fight between the Wolves and the Sanguinati?