Page 83 of Brimstone Bound
‘Stop, Cassidy,’ I said, raising my voice.
Her feet came to a halt.
‘Get down on your knees.’
She looked momentarily confused.
‘Cassidy,’ I repeated, ‘get onto your knees.’
She stared at me – and then she laughed. ‘You … you…’ she spluttered. ‘You’re trying to compel me. You think you can make me do your bidding.’ She laughed even harder. ‘You’re human. You couldn’t make me open a door for you, no matter how hard you tried. And Cassidy isn’t my real name.’
She shook her head in amusement. ‘You’re crazier than Tony Brown was. You deserve to be put down.’
I looked her in the eye. I’d tried to do this the easy way and it hadn’t worked. I lifted the crossbow and aimed. ‘You’re under arrest,’ I said. ‘I’m charging you with the murders of Detective Constable Anthony Brown and Becca Sullivan, and the poisoning of Anna Sullivan. Anything you say may be given in evidence against—’
Cassidy sighed. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake,’ she said. ‘Do shut up.’ Then she leapt towards me, her body transforming in mid-air into that of a wolf.
Time seemed to slow. I registered her outstretched claws reaching for me, and her vicious snarl as she bared her teeth. I pulled the crossbow trigger and the bolt flew out. Cassidy flung herself to the right – and the bolt thudded uselessly past her. She rolled and landed on all fours, the look on her lupine face one of unmistakable glee. Then she threw herself at me again.
I’d learned a lot from Anna’s brief attack on me in the hotel room. The crossbow might be useless now as a projectile weapon, but it wasn’t entirely defunct. I held it up, using it as a barrier between me and Cassidy. Her jaws snapped as she tried to tear it from me, but I clung onto it with all my might. I staggered backwards. I couldn’t allow her to bite me. The experience with Anna had been bad enough – and I really didn’t want to turn into a damned werewolf. I had enough problems as it was.
I struggled with the bow then, when she pulled back a fraction in order to lunge at me again, I thrust it towards her with all my strength. The frame of the bow collided with her muzzle, the wire cutting into her flesh and drawing blood. She whined sharply and fell back.
I scrambled up, breathing hard, gazing at her with challenge in my eyes. As a wolf, she had the upper hand physically. But I was smarter. IknewI was smarter.
I dropped the crossbow while Cassidy shook her head, sending drops of blood flying towards me. She lowered the front half of her body, snarling again as she readied herself for a second onslaught. I waited until the very last second and, as she sprang forward, I rolled to my right. She tried to grab me, but I was already up and running.
I didn’t aim for the open ground; instead, I sprinted full pelt at the nearest tree, reaching for its branches and hauling myself upwards. There was the sound of ripping fabric as her teeth snapped at my trousers. She was a fraction too late; I was already climbing away from her.
Cassidy jumped up, trying to follow. It was no good. As I’d suspected, wolves were not designed to climb trees.
I manoeuvred until I was standing on a sturdy branch, one arm hooked round the trunk of the tree, then I gazed down at her. Her yellow eyes glared up at me. Suddenly she shook out her fur and transformed, her naked human body quivering with as much fury as her wolf form had.
‘I can still come up there and get you,’ she spat.
The tiniest smile curved round the corners of my mouth. ‘Come on, then,’ I said.
Cassidy hissed, then she began climbing. Now that she was no longer in wolf form, however, she was considerably more vulnerable. I broke off a branch and angled it towards her to fend her off. She growled, trying to avoid being smacked in the face as I swung it in her direction.
‘Fuck you!’
I ignored her venomous curse and concentrated, ramming the branch downwards and knocking her to the ground. I let my body drop, landed on her shoulders and sent her sprawling. I twisted, keeping my weight on top of hers. She writhed and started to change back into a wolf again. Before she could complete the transformation, I bent my elbow and slammed it into the side of her head.
She paused for a split second, surprised, and then she collapsed underneath me.
From somewhere behind me, someone started to clap. Unwilling to take any chances, I stayed where I was, though I did glance round. Lady Sullivan walked towards me, with several other werewolves – and Lukas – behind her.
‘Well, well, well,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d have it in you to bring down a wolf, yet you managed it with relative ease.’ She looked down at Cassidy’s unconscious body. ‘I have to offer you my apologies, Ms Bellamy, for the attack that you suffered. It appears you were correct all along. I’ve heard from the morgue, and there are indeed traces of drugs within poor Becca’s system.’ She tutted. ‘The idea that a wolf of mine could turn rogue in order to get a leg up the rankings is quite disturbing.’ Despite her words, Lady Sullivan didn’t look disturbed in the slightest.
Lukas’s expression was grim. His black eyes were fixed on mine, but he didn’t speak.
‘She killed Tony,’ I said. ‘She murdered a police detective.’
‘Yes.’ Lady Sullivan sighed. ‘I rather imagine that is going to cause us quite a few problems. We shall adapt, however. We always do.’ She snapped her fingers. Robert and two other werewolves sprang forward. ‘We’ll deal with her now.’
No. ‘She’s mine.’
Lady Sullivan’s expression didn’t change. ‘The law is quite clear on this matter.’ She raised her head. ‘Isn’t that right, DSI Barnes?’
