Lola Lyons, ace reporter for the Savannah Supernatural Times here, with Toby McGillis — werewolf, private eye, and general befriender of witches in distress.
Lola: Good evening, Toby. How’s life been treating you lately?
Toby: It’s been interesting, I gotta say, watching the hole that Rowan’s death left in the supernatural community slowly being filled back in.
Lola: Had some hair-raising moments, eh?
Toby (grimaces): Something like that.
Lola: So tell us how Mina is really doing. It looks like she got off to a bit of a rough start.
Toby: She’s handling the shock well. Her whole life was pretty much turned upside down by finding out she was a witch, and then inheriting the house on Evermore Lane. She’s still feeling very torn about the decision to either stay here, or try to return to her old life. Right now, her biggest focus is on dealing with her father, learning to handle her magic, and finding her place in the werewolf clan.
Lola: You don’t mean she’s becoming a werewolf, too? Is there… something going on between the two of you? Are you withholding information, naughty boy?
Toby: uuummm, no. Mina is more like a sister to me than anything. That could be because of all the yelling, though. She’s not shown any interest in anything more (or less) than platonic. I’m good with that.
Lola: So, what’s happening with the clan then?
Toby: When Rowan died, we lost our magnus — the pack member who is witch and helps deal with magical conflict, attack or protections — Noah’s idea was to bring Mina in as Rowan’s replacement. Things are a bit rocky with that right now, and I’m not sure how it will turn out. Mina is becoming somebody who doesn’t back down much, and that’s not setting well with some of the more aggressive members of the pack. Noah likes her just fine.
Lola: When you say more aggressive members, are you talking about anybody in specific? I mean, perhaps a certain female werewolf who is known to have control issues — and lots of pent up anger?
Toby: If you mean Violetta, yeah, she’s been a bit of a problem in the transition. I think things are starting to work out though.
Lola: I heard that Mina nicknamed your girl Vi as Violent just a few minutes after meeting her.
Toby (laughing): Don’t say that in front of Vi if you want to keep your head attached. She hates it. Noah has his second on a tight lease while waiting to see if things settle down.
Lola: Vi does have a lot of friends a lot like herself. Does this put Mina in any danger?
Toby: If they catch her off guard right this minute, maybe. Give her a little more time to get comfortable with her magic and no, they won’t be a problem for her.
Lola: That means the time for a coup is now.
Toby (shaking his head): They would have to take on Noah, and the entire alpha family. It would get them killed or at the very least a pack exile. It’s not impossible, but I wouldn’t want to be on their side in that battle. We’re not immortal… just really difficult to kill.
Lola: So what do you think are Mina’s chances here?
Toby: I think Mina will do just fine. There may be bodies before she gets there, though. As long as one of them isn’t mine or hers, I’m okay with that.
Lola: Is she going to be strong enough to go head to head with her father, the fairy king?
Toby: He’s only king of one of the courts, not all of them, so he’s not as powerful as the true Fairie King. Besides, who says she’s going to go head to head with him?
Lola: One hears things — Like that he’s got a bounty on her head… and doesn’t care if it’s attached to her body or not when he gets it.
Toby: They would have to survive catching her first.
Lola: So, is she going to let her father’s attitudes and behavior simply follow her around for the rest of her life?
Toby: Doesn’t what our parents think or want of us haunt us all our lives anyway?
Lola: You’re saying that she has no plans to confront him or put a stop to his mission to kill her?
Toby: I’m just saying that the future hasn’t been determined quite yet. Mina has a few surprises in her. You’ll just have to wait and see what happens, I guess.
Lola (frowning): Well, folks, there you go, straight from the werewolf’s muzzle…. we’ll just have to wait and see what Mina does. I imagine it’s guaranteed to be spectacular… but the jury is out over whether that’s spectacularly good or spectacularly bad. Lola Lyons, bringing the supernatural to savannah, one haunt at a time.