Page 43 of Brimstone Bound
‘They’re werewolves.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘You know what I mean.’
‘I wasn’t being facetious. No matter how friendly – or human – they might appear when they’re in human form, werewolves still possess an inherent wildness that can make them wholly unpredictable and incredibly dangerous.’
‘Unlike vampires, who are warm and cuddly?’
‘Werewolves are governed by the moon,’ he responded without rancour. ‘They are less in control of themselves than we are. And full moon is only a few nights away.’ He waved a hand. ‘The closer it is, the longer the wolves stay out for. They sleep less. From tomorrow, they’ll start fasting in preparation. A tired, hungry animal should always be approached with caution.’
Point taken. ‘Is that why Tony and I were killed?’ I asked. ‘Because a werewolf gave in to their inner animal?’
‘No.’ Lukas was silent for a moment. ‘Those murders were planned. Nobody walks the streets at night with a sharp dagger like the one used to cut your throat unless they intend to use it. And everything we’ve seen so far suggests that Tony was stalked before he was killed.’
A shiver rippled through me and I rubbed my arms. ‘Where to first?’
Lukas nodded towards the line of people queuing up outside some sort of club. ‘Lord Fairfax will be holding court in there.’
It was as good a place to start as any. I nodded and began to get out of the car. Before I could, Lukas leaned across and placed a hand on my arm. The touch of his skin seared into me.
‘Tread carefully,’ he warned. ‘And leave the crossbow in the car. You won’t be in any immediate danger in this place, but these are still powerful people. If you start flinging around accusations, it won’t go down well. Especially when there is no chance that these were alpha-sanctioned kills. You don’t want to start a war, D’Artagnan.’
It was on the tip of my tongue to snap that I wasn’t stupid even though I was a trainee, but I knew that he was genuinely trying to help. ‘I will be careful,’ I promised. ‘But don’t you do anything stupid either, like telling them that I was killed too.’
‘I give you my word that they won’t hear it from me,’ he promised.
Good.
I stepped onto the street, very aware of the wide eyes staring in our direction. He’d been right about Tallulah.
The last thing I was prepared to do was join the back of the club’s queue. I strode to the front with my head held high, ignoring the well-dressed people waiting behind me. The heavyset bouncer didn’t hesitate; he simply unclipped the rope and allowed both Lukas and I access. I could get used to this.
As soon as we entered, I realised this wasn’t a head-pounding nightclub filled with sweaty bodies and thumping tunes. On the contrary, despite the long queue of people waiting hopefully outside, it was more like a sedate gentleman’s club. Round tables dotted the main room, each one lit with a small lamp, the green glass shades giving off an intimate, warm hue.
A group of classical musicians were performing on a small stage. I recognised the music as Wagner and glanced at Lukas. ‘I suppose these tunes are from your era?’
He snorted. ‘I’m not that old, D’Artagnan.’
I smiled and continued to look around. ‘Can you tell who’s wolf and who’s human?’
‘Here everyone is wolf,’ he told me.
A young woman walked towards us. She was wearing the uniform of service staff the world over: a plain black skirt and starched white shirt. Both were immaculate and, even from a distance, I could tell the material was expensive. I supposed it paid to be a supe.
‘Good evening.’ She inclined her head and flicked me a look of unashamed curiosity, even though most of her attention was on Lukas. ‘May I get you a drink?’
‘No,’ I said, at the exact same time as Lukas answered, ‘Whisky on the rocks.’
‘Very well. Please follow me.’
She led us towards an unmarked door at the rear on the opposite side to the musicians. I felt a tug of anxiety that we were leaving the safety of the crowded room and snuck a look at Lukas. His expression was bland, his smile disinterested. At least it was until a wiry man at one of the tables nearby got to his feet and swaggered over to us, his arms swinging by his sides like he was preparing for a fight. At that point, Lukas bared his teeth and displayed his fangs for all to see. The other man immediately thought better of his approach and faltered. Neither Lukas nor the woman missed a step.
We passed through the door and walked down a short hallway into another room that boasted even greater splendour. There were only three tables but the decor, from the lavish oil painting depicting a naval battle to the lit fireplace and the huge Chinese vases flanking it, suggested the owner had incredible wealth. Either that, I mused, or it was designed to advertise wealth and intimidate guests.
The waitress, if that’s what she was, gestured at the nearest table and left. I remained standing. ‘What’s this about, Lukas?’ I asked. ‘Nobody has asked us who we are or what we’re doing here. Why are we in this room?’
‘Just relax,’ he advised. ‘Everything will be fine. Although, if I can ask a favour, don’t call me that while we’re here.’
I blinked. ‘Don’t call you Lukas?’ Surely that was just his nickname? I stared at him. Had he given me his true name?
