I smelled the hot meadowy scent of Jenks before I saw him, and I straightened, sliding down to make room. Jenks set the cardboard tray with two large coffees and a weenie-sized cup of steaming water that was an odd shade of pink onto the table. Herbal tea? I thought, claiming a coffee. Since when did Jenks like herbal tea?

I looked up from trying to pry the lid off my cup when Jenks pulled it out from my fingers. “Hey!” I said, and he put the lame cup of pink water in front of me. “I don’t want tea,” I said indignantly. “I want coffee.”

“Diuretic.” Jenks sat beside Brett. “It will do more harm than good. Drink your decaf tea.”

Remembering our argument and thinking this was his way of getting back at me, my eyes narrowed. “I almost died back there,” I said irately. “If I want a damn coffee, I’m going to have a damn coffee.” Daring him to protest, I took my coffee with a huff.

Brett watched the exchange with interest. Eyebrows high, he reached for the second coffee, and Jenks intercepted his reach. The Were hesitated, then settled into his plastic seat with nothing. “What are you going to do with me, ma’am?” he said, the light twang in his voice obvious among the midwestern accents around us.

How in hell should I know? “Oh, I’ve got big plans for you,” I lied, surprised at the ma’am. “Jenks wants to string you up as an object lesson. I’m halfway to letting him have his wish.” I leaned back, tired. “It works great when he murders garden fairies.”

Brett glanced warily at Jenks—who was nodding zealously—and I felt a weary lassitude slip over me. Crap. Why did the Brimstone pick now to wear off? A chill ran through me, tight on the heels of the idle thought that taking it to get through this week might not be a bad idea.

The Were’s eyes traveled over me, hesitating at my torn turtleneck before rising to my face. From there, they never moved, but his focus kept shifting as he monitored the room by the sounds behind him. It gave me the creeps.

I sent my eyebrows up—wishing yet again that I could do the one eyebrow thing—casually tearing three packets of sugar open at once and dumping them in not because I liked it but because the coffee smelled that old. “I know where it is,” I said lightly.

Just the fact that Brett didn’t move said volumes. Jenks scowled, clearly not liking what I was doing, but I didn’t want a hostage. I wanted to send Brett back with a message that would buy me some time and space. Now that the island Weres knew we were still in Mackinaw, they would keep looking until they found us. That we had Brett for a hostage wouldn’t stop them—he had screwed up royally, and unlike the fairies that Jenks was used to dealing with, I think the Weres would just as soon see him dead—but maybe a show of goodwill and a big fat lie would buy us time enough to get my con in place.