Werewolf Knight 2, page 7
“What about you, Sybil?” I asked and turned to my right. “Feeling full?”
“More than ever,” she said. “But that was a great feast. I can’t wait for the voyage to Lake Wahaya. I’ve heard it’s a beautiful place, but I’ve never had the chance to go there before.”
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” Blueclaw sighed. “Well now, my pup, your mother and I should be heading back to our quarters now. We’re not as energetic as we used to be, and we need to preserve some energy for the trek ahead.”
“Of course, Dad,” Tabitha smiled and gave her Dad a kiss on the cheek.
Mrs. Blueclaw leaned into Tabitha and whispered something in her ear. The two broke into a fit of giggles before the elder Blueclaws stood up and excused themselves from the table.
“It was a pleasure to meet both of you officially,” Mrs. Blueclaw addressed Sybil and I. “I’m sure we will be visiting the estate very soon. And of course, if there’s blackberry syrup in the cards, maybe even sooner than you think.”
“We’ll be sure to have some on hand,” I laughed.
The girls and I stayed behind, but it wasn’t because I felt the need to party. Honestly, by that point I felt like I’d swallowed a rock. The heat from the torches didn’t help, either, and the comforting sound of quiet chatter put me in a daze. It was only a matter of time before I fell asleep at the table.
“I feel like I’ve eaten a horse,” Tabitha sighed.
“Agreed,” Sybil said. “We should get going before we pass out.”
“If only I still had my knight’s quarters in the palace,” I laughed. “We’d only have to travel down a flight of stairs.”
“Don’t be silly,” Tabitha smiled as she pushed her chair in. “Where we’re headed is far better. Though I’m sure if you did pass out, the squires would be more than happy to put you up in one of the spare rooms. They always keep some ready for unexpected guests.”
“You’re right,” I sighed. “We should head back. We have a lot to do tomorrow, and I’d like to get an early start.”
“And I need to check on some of my night-blooming flowers,” Sybil added and then yawned.
“Greyback,” I addressed the old knight. “It’s been a pleasure to see you, as always,”
“You, too, my boy,” he smiled. “I think I’m going to leave Hector and his mother and go reminisce with some old friends. But I’ll see you at the lake.”
“Definitely,” I agreed. “I wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun.”
It took a couple of tries, but the three of us finally made it to our feet and started to wade through the nobles. The crowd had started to thin out, though I spotted a few who looked like they’d passed out already. The squires were moving quietly through the room to collect the last cups and dishes, though I also saw them do a quick check on anyone who looked like they’d need a room for the night.
“I’m so full,” Sybil mumbled as we started down the stairs.
“You’re always so full,” Tabitha replied. “And yet you never put on any weight. I don’t understand how that’s possible unless you have some potion you haven’t shared with me.”
“It’s just as much of a mystery to me as it is to you,” Sybil said.
Tabitha looked like she didn’t quite believe the witch, but we made it to the bottom of the stairs without further commentary. There was a chill in the air as we stepped into the courtyard, and I stopped to take a deep breath.
It was late, and clouds hid the moon and stars. It would be a dark ride home, and I just hoped Casanova was up to the task.
There was an informal line near the drawbridge for nobles who were returning to their properties. Squires rushed back and forth with the appropriate direwolves, and the girls and I loitered nearby until the same unfamiliar squire appeared with Casanova.
Actually, Casanova’s dark fur blended so well with the night sky that the only thing I really saw were his glowing eyes and the flicker of torchlight reflected against his bridle. It was impressive, and I made a mental note to add sneak attack training to Casanova’s skills.
“That’s our ride,” I said as I nudged the girls forward.
I accepted the reins from the squire, but unlike us, the puppy was full of energy. I could tell he wanted to run, but the middle of a courtyard packed with nobles didn’t seem like a good place to do that. So I tugged him toward the drawbridge and waited to mount until we were clear of most of the traffic.
“Alright, girls,” I said once everyone was in place. “Try not to puke.”
“We’ll be just fine,” Tabitha said. “Won’t we, Sybil?”
“Of course,” the witch said, though she sounded like she only half-believed herself. “I’m sure we will be just fine.”
I nudged the pup forward, and he immediately bolted across the bridge and down the road.
“Not gonna be sick,” Sybil panted.
At first, Casanova’s gait was shaky, like a car threading its way through a parking lot full of speed bumps. He’d run smoothly for a bit, and then he’d suddenly leap forward or to the side. A quick tug on the reins would usually remind him where he was supposed to be going, but then he’d find something else that would distract him.
The only thing that seemed to keep him on track was speed, so I finally let him have his head and just hung on. The black pup started to run so fast that the world became a black streak, and the only sign of life was the wind that blew against my face and the sound of Tabitha breathing in my ear.
“Woohoo!” Tabitha yelled. “Now we’re talking!”
The torches from the estate seemed to materialize out of nothing, and the vague outline of the manor house appeared a moment later. Casanova was still running at top speed as the scent of moon beans hit my nose, and I started to pull hard on the reins in some vague hope that we would stop before the crazy pup crashed head first into the gate.
To my surprise, Casanova actually responded, and he slammed to a stop just short of the wall. Best of all, we managed to stay on his back.
“That actually worked,” I said in surprise.
“He’s doing just fine,” Tabitha laughed.
I let the girls slide off first before I hopped down as well. I scratched Casanova behind the ears, and the pup lowered his head to make sure I hit all his favorite spots.
“Nice job,” I whispered in the pup’s ears.
He looked up at me with his big, green eyes and panted happily. He turned his head back and forth under my palm in order to demand a few more scratches.
“Silly puppy,” Sybil laughed. “I hope he was just as well-fed as we were.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Tabitha replied. “They give those direwolves the royal standard of treatment on feast days. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was eating even better than we were.”
I unlocked the gate and ushered everyone inside. As I relocked the gate, I took another deep breath and smiled at the smell of coffee beans. Inside the wall, the scent seemed concentrated, and it always reminded me of just how amazing my life was. Moon beans, money, however I described it, I loved it, and I wanted more.
“I wish that Casanova still slept inside,” Sybil said as we headed toward the house.
“I know,” Tabitha agreed, “But after the kitchen incident, it was obvious it was time for him to move to the barn.”
“Yeah,” Sybil sighed. “I know.”
If anyone ever used the phrase, “bull in a china shop” around me again, I knew that I would have to counter with “direwolf in an open-fire kitchen.” The servants were cleaning up for a week after Casanova had spent only five minutes chasing an ember that he’d knocked out of the fireplace.
As we approached the estate, I felt a slight chill go down my spine. The night wasn’t necessarily cold, but I felt the hairs on my body standing on edge nonetheless. Maybe it was just the darkness. I didn’t often walk around the grounds when it was pitch black, unless there was a harvest underway, and then there were always tons of other people around.
As we approached the door, Sybil took Casanova’s reins.
“Sit,” she instructed the pup, and he obediently sat down.
The witch removed his harness, and once she’d pulled it off his head, he ran away behind the house to sleep in the small barn that had been built just for him.
“Goodnight to you, too, Casanova,” Tabitha called after the nearly invisible shape.
I grasped the handle to the door but paused. That feeling that we weren’t alone was back, and while it was certainly possible that one of the servants was still up and about, this felt different.
“Hank?” Sybil asked. “Is everything okay? Do you want some more peppermint?”
“No,” I said as I furrowed my brow. “I just got this weird feeling that we’re not alone.”
“You’re never alone on an estate,” Tabitha remarked.
“Yeah, maybe that’s it,” I said.
I pushed down on the handle, and another chill swept up my arm. Something was definitely wrong, either with me or the estate. My instinct was telling me that it was the estate, and I knew that I had to move quickly if I wanted to stop… well, whatever the hell was happening.
So I threw the door open and lunged inside. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the candlelight in the hall, but I quickly picked out what was wrong with the scene.
There was a shadowy figure near the staircase, and it had the notebook in its hands.
Chapter 4
Suddenly, it felt like everything was going in slow motion. The robber stopped in his tracks and stared back at me, and I couldn’t make out any of his features beyond two glowing gray eyes.
And then he blinked and scrambled up the stairs.
I shook my head as I pictured my hybrid form, and in a single heartbeat, I was a nine-foot-tall werewolf. I bounded up the stairs after him, and in four short leaps, I was at the top of the stairs.
The intruder was nowhere to be seen, but with my ultra-sensitive hearing, I heard a faint scuffling sound from my bedroom. I leapt toward the door and shoved it open, just in time to see the mystery figure try to climb out the narrow window.
I ran over and placed my claws on his shoulders. I saw he was wearing a leather shirt and coarse fabric pants that were cheap but durable
“Where are you from?” I demanded in a low growl, but instead of answering me, the robber attempted to launch himself at me by jumping up and swinging from my shoulders.
If this guy wanted a fight, then that’s exactly what he was going to get, but I wondered why. When I had first turned into a hybrid wolf, one of the guys in town had literally pissed himself. Was this guy on something, or was he just completely desperate? Nothing he could do at his size and with his meager human strength could hurt me, a werewolf.
As he foolishly tried to gain leverage and push me to the floor, I grabbed one of his wrists and simply swung him into the floor. Unlike me, he wasn’t wearing armor, and his human body smashed into the wood with a satisfying crunch.
The notebook flew out of his hand and skittered over by the bed. I’d attend to that later. Damn. It was an inconvenience, but I wasn’t phased. I had more strength and skill in one flick of the hand than this rag-tag petty criminal had in his whole body, and there was no way he was getting his hands on that notebook again.
He ran back toward the window again and tried to clamber out. It wasn’t a completely bad idea since my werewolf form wouldn’t fit through the narrow opening, but the guy wasn’t fast enough to avoid my grasp. I grabbed a foot, which was clad in an old, patched-together boot, and pulled him back inside. His body slid over the floor on his stomach before I flipped him onto his back.
I took in his gray eyes, straggly black hair, and uneven stubble as we stared at each other again. His skin was slightly jaundiced, and with my wolf hearing, I could tell he was congested. This guy didn’t look good, and I wondered if he’d agreed to this suicide mission in the hopes of having enough silver to buy some medicine.
Whatever his motive, the man was clearly desperate. He actually reached for my throat like he thought he could actually strangle me. I batted aside his hand and then bent back the wrist of his other hand until there was a satisfying crack.
He screamed in pain as he fought against my grip. In a flash, I’d scooped up the pages and tossed the notebook on the bed while I pressed my knee harder into the guy’s chest.
“Where are you from?” I growled.
He didn’t respond, but his eyes bulged, and foam trickled out of his mouth.
“Tell me who sent you!” I growled.
The robber squirmed beneath me, and then he seemed to grab something with his functioning hand. I caught a flash of light, and when I looked down, I saw that he had a dagger.
“Oh, no you don’t,” I barked as I reached for his hand.
But the man was still fast, and the blade found its target. It slipped between his ribs and plunged into his own heart. His eyes bulged for a moment as he gasped for air, and then he went limp beneath me.
“Shit,” I muttered.
A pool of thick, viscous red blood was beginning to form on the floor. The body was already starting to go cool as the familiar scent of iron started to fill the room.
I spotted the notebook on top of the bed and quickly retrieved it. I was certainly not letting this thing out of my sight ever again, not if this was the consequence.
“What the hell happened?” Tabitha asked as she and Sybil appeared in the doorway. “And who is that?”
Both girls were looking at the body in the middle of the room. Tabitha looked angry and ready to fight, but Sybil looked a little green. The witch was used to bodies, so I assumed it was the combination of the dead body and too much food.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But he was after this…”
I held up Wenderoth’s notebook, and Tabitha’s eyes widened.
“Is that--” the noblewoman started to ask and then hesitated.
“Wenderoth’s notebook,” I sighed. “From the Obsidian Temple. The last thing that vampire said to me before he died was that this was just the beginning. I don’t think I can ignore that threat anymore. I think it’s time we figure out what’s so important about this notebook and what the hell Wenderoth was talking about.”
“But he was just a vampire,” Tabitha said in a puzzled voice.
“He was a vampire,” I agreed. “He was also smart. Certainly a lot smarter than you Lupercalians believed possible.”
“Well, that’s true,” Tabitha conceded.
“And he did keep that notebook,” Sybil added. “One we haven’t been able to read. He was definitely smart.”
“I’m surprised you used a knife,” Tabitha noted.
“I didn’t,” I said as I glanced at the body. “He killed himself.”
“Why?” Tabitha asked.
“I’m sure whoever hired him made it clear what would happen if he didn’t retrieve the notebook,” I said. “Either he could kill himself, or his employer would do it for him. And I’m sure if the employer did it, it would have been very slow and very painful.”
I walked back to the body and leaned over it for a better look. There was nothing peculiar about it, and nothing to indicate that he was anything more than a petty criminal looking for some extra cash who had been hired by the wrong sort. Maybe Sherlock Holmes could have found a clue in the dirt stuck to the bottom of the man’s shoe or the faint scent of garlic that clung to the shirt, but it didn’t do much for me.
“Oh, Sybil!” I heard Tabitha say.
I turned around and saw that Sybil had found the same burgundy sheets May had washed earlier in the day.
“Well,” Sybil sighed. “We have to get him out of here somehow, and it would make more sense to use these sheets than the white ones.”
“You’re right,” I laughed and then draped the sheet over the body since we didn’t have to worry about contaminating the crime scene.
“I’ll wake up the servants,” Tabitha said. “We should move the body before the smell sets in the room.”
“Good idea,” I said as the blonde slipped from the room.
“This isn’t good news,” Sybil whispered. “How desperate do you have to be to break into the house of a Lupercalian lord?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “But it’ll be dealt with soon enough. Come on, let’s go get help.”
Sybil and I left the room together, and by the time we reached the front door, Tabitha had already gathered a group of men who worked as farmers during the day. I watched for a moment as the men talked amongst themselves and rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.
“I’m sorry to wake you all up,” I said once all eyes were on me. “How much has Tabitha told you?”
“We hear that there’s been an intruder,” a man on the left said. He was dressed in plain, canvas clothing and had a dark beard and short dark hair.
“Unfortunately that’s true,” I said. “When we arrived back from the palace, I opened the door, and there was a man trying to steal some belongings of mine.”
“How do you think he got in?” a ginger-haired man asked. “The gates were locked.”
“He must’ve climbed over the fence or the wall,” I shrugged. “We’ll have to search the grounds once it’s light and see if we can figure out how he got in.”
“Can’t believe someone would try to steal from you, my Lord,” an older man huffed. “And after all you’ve done for us.”
“I didn’t recognize him,” I said with a smile. “So I don’t think he works or lives around here.”
“A stranger,” the older man sniffed. “That figures.”
“Where is this stranger now?” the first man asked. “Do you need us to deal with him?”
“Ah, well, sort of,” I replied. “He’s dead.”
The men laughed a low laugh and looked around at each other.
“Of course he is,” the ginger declared. “A great knight like yourself would know how to deal with a petty thief.”
“Amen to that,” another man replied. “Never been so happy to work for a noble before.”
