Page 3 of Brimstone and Broomsticks
Clinton groaned, then cursed, then threw up on the ground and began to shake. The wolf with the broken arm began to cry, cradling the limb. One of the downed wolves staggered to his feet and ran, or rather limped, toward the wooded section at the end of the parking lot. The other stayed down, staring up at the Law with wide eyes and raised hands.
“Who are you?” The cop glared at me instead of the three remaining werewolves who’d attacked me.
Okay, maybe Ihadstarted the whole thing, but I sure as hell hadn’t banked on having this guy’s buddies join in, or somehow being blunted of my infernal powers in this weird town.
“Who. Are. You?” The Law slapped the bully stick against his palm and I eyed it, knowing instinctively that I didn’t want to get hit with that thing.
“Lucien.” I spat some blood onto the pavement, happy that some splattered the Law’s shoes.
“Stranger in town, Lucien?” He smacked the stick once more against his palm. Why wasn’t he providing medical attention to the moaning werewolves? Or arresting them? They’d…well, sort of ganged up on me.
“Humans gotta be careful here, Lucien,” the Law commented. “Maybe not provoke werewolves two nights before the full moon. Maybe apologize and walk away rather than try to take on four shifters in a parking lot. You got a death wish, buddy?”
He thought I was human. How cute. Jeff-the-satyr’s words came back to me and I grinned. “Just taking out the trash, officer. You gonna arrest these guys for disturbing the peace?”
“No.” The man pulled a pair of handcuffs from his utility belt. I felt them. I felt that there was more to these things than metal, and instinctively recoiled.
“I’m filing charges,” Clinton whined. “He attacked me. Look at me. Assault. Look at Stanley. Lock him up. He’s a threat to everyone in this town.”
“What are you, Lucien?” The Law looked at Clinton and Stanley, at the terrified werewolf with his hands raised, then he sent a narrowed glance my way. “What are you?”
“A human,” I lied. It felt cowardly to do so, but I really didn’t want him to put those weird handcuffs on me.
He bent down and reached for my arm. I dug in my pocket for the coin.Now would be a good time, Charon.
Nothing happened. The Law yanked my hand out of my pocket and clapped the handcuffs on me.
Suddenly I felt as if I was in a fishbowl, unable to escape. I had no idea what was happening, but I had none of my infernal powers, and the coin that was supposed to summon my ride wasn’t working.
Accident. Whatever town this was, me being here was no accident. And when I found Charon, that cursed traitor, he was going to die. Die permanently.
