Page 2 of Wolf Trap
“If you’re looking to catch the killer, you can count on me to help. I didn’t know Lisa that well, but no one deserves that. I just hope you’re capable, that’s all.”
This all seemed insane. I knew it was Adara who killed Lisa. Lycaon knew it was Adara. I suspected Adara had sent these cops via Mattie.
“We are used to working with supernaturals, Miss Brandt. I’ll come up with you.”
I stopped myself from glaring at the female officer. What did she think I’d do, grab my broomstick and fly away? Instead, I just shrugged as she followed me upstairs. Lycaon slumped down on the sofa arm, his eyes narrowed as the two officers plied him with questions.
“So, Miss Brandt, how long did you know Lisa?”
“About six months, Mattie knew her longer.”
“And yet you risked your life going to Savernake Woods, alone, dragging your friends to rescue Lisa?”
That bit. I turned around, facing her. “I thought she could be in trouble. Mattie said she’d go, but I didn’t want to wait. If it was your friend who was missing, what, you’d wait to find them, help them?”
Her lips tightened together before her stony gaze glared at me. “Yes,Iwould wait. I certainly wouldn’t go without back up. Tell me what happened, everything, even the smallest detail.”
“I need to use the bathroom.”
She gave a sharp nod and glanced past me at my bedroom whilst I went to wash. I’d be damned if I was going anywhere without brushing my teeth.
Feeling more alive,I dug out some fresh clothes from the airing closet, wondering what Officer Hill was rummaging through in my bedroom. But whatever. Anything private was tucked away,locked up from prying eyes. A clatter from downstairs had me moving quicker.
As I opened the door, she sat patiently on my bed doing a good job of not looking like someone who’d almost been caught snooping around.
It was freezing in my room so I pulled on my jacket and grabbed up my boots, pushing them on. “What was that noise?” I glanced past her. “Lycaon?”
Her voice was deadpan. “They’re outside talking.” Pointing, she asked, “Your window, what happened?”
As she did that, a trickle of fear ran down my back, and before I realised it, she was up and had plunged a needle into my arm.
I swore, suddenly dizzy as hell, my eyes flickering, then my body sank, legs like jelly as I crashed into her.
Darkness swallowedup the surrounding room. I battled to regain consciousness. The place spun. My limbs were heavy, not responsive. Cold had seeped into my bones. As I moved, a sharp pain stabbed through my knees, my wrists. Pushing myself up, I grimaced at the wet stone floor beneath my hands, which stank.
The last thing I’d heard was Lycaon shouting my name…
Blue-black light dimly illuminated the cell, outlining the bars surrounding me. I could hear deep, gurgling breathing from somewhere, but no Lycaon. Frantically wiping my hands on myjeans, I searched my coat pockets but only found some tissues and my lip balm.
A growl that rumbled through the cells had the hairs on the back of my neck on end. It was followed by heavy footsteps, grunting and the sound of metal being dragged along stone. I edged back, glancing through the bars, trying to see in the adjoining cells, but the dim light made everything barely visible.
From the shadows, two large shapes appeared. “That’s her. Go in and grab her.”
“You go, she’s a witch. She might turn me into a frog.”
“You mean a newt. She might turn you into a newt. Na, she ain’tthatgood. Plus, they cast a spell on her so she can’t do any magic. See? Now, go grab it.”
“Why should I? I always have to get them. Been spat on, even pissed on. Vomited on, whilst you just stand there looking disgusted. You want her, you get her. I’ll take the sword… Can we lob off her head?”
Demons.
They lumbered closer and, in the dim, inky light, I could see that they were like Anthony’s Hell demons. Instead of teeth, they seemed to have tusks, huge over brows and beady scarlet eyes that darted over me. A mass of muscle. They looked cumbersome, but I knew from rumours that they could move extremely fast. As they peered through the grimy cell, I saw white and crimson paint adorned their beastial faces, their charred skin covered with leather armour. But really, I smelled them long before I saw them. Sweet smelling isn’t a category I’d put them in.
Stifling my fear, I felt for my athame, but I already knew it was gone. Damn, if I only had longer nails, or I hadn’t bitten mine. My eyes searched the filthy floor in the gloom. I justneeded something, anything, to shed a little blood. Blood magic was all I had now to even stand a chance.
As I looked up, the one who’d wanted to cut off my head stood outside the bars grinning madly as he held the sword aloft. His companion rattled the keys in the rusty lock. I lowered my eyes, trying to will my body to stop shaking violently as I scanned their armour. They had daggers. I’d need one of those if I lived long enough.
“You’re with us, move.”