Page 44 of A Skirl of Sorcery
In a blur of movement, a young man bounded towards me and wrapped his hands around my throat. He looked a bit like Thane and I was certain this was Cayden Barrow in human form. ‘What’s the address?’ he spat, his body vibrating with rage.
It took everything I had not to react by grabbing him and body slamming him to the ground for putting his hands on me. Instead, I squeaked and looked scared.
‘Enough, Cayden.’ Grizzly was trying – and failing – to calm the young werewolf. The effects of the full moon were still running through their veins; Cayden was too focussed on his anger and Grizzly was too ineffectual in giving an order. Wherethe hell was Thane’s mother? Any werewolf alpha worth their salt should have been out here dealing with the situation by now.
I widened my eyes and whimpered, ‘Don’t hurt me.’
Grizzly tried again. ‘Cayden!’ This time he spoke more forcefully.
The young wolf released me but he didn’t back away. ‘Where is Thane?’ he demanded.
I swallowed. ‘I’ll tell your alpha. I’ll talk to Ashina Barrow and nobody else.’ It was quite a demand for someone in a supposedly powerless position but it worked.
The werewolves exchanged looks. ‘She’s not available,’ Cayden said. ‘So you’ll have to tell us.’
I raised my hands to my throat and rubbed it pointedly. ‘I’m not talking to you! You assaulted me! It’s Ashina or nobody.’
Cayden snarled, ‘I won’t repeat myself. She’s not available.’
I refrained from pointing out that hehadjust repeated himself. ‘Is she dead? Are you alpha now?’
Something flared in his eyes and Grizzly stiffened, too. ‘I think we’re done here,’ he said.
‘No.’ Cayden shook his head. ‘She will tell us where the bastard lives.’
I knew I’d have to give them something. The swanky flat didn’t suit Thane anyway, and he had other places he could stay. I dropped my shoulders and whispered the address.
Cayden smiled coldly. And then he threw me out and shut the gates behind me.
Chapter
Nineteen
Thane and Tiddles weren’t where I’d left them so I returned to the alleyway where Thane had used the drainpipe to clamber down from the rooftops opposite the Barrow household. I gazed upwards and sighed at the injustice of having to climb the side of a building twice in one day, then heaved myself up. At least there were no acrobatic jumps involved this time.
I found Thane flat on his belly next to a narrow chimney stack, watching the buildings across the street with steel-eyed focus. Tiddles was lying next to him; she appeared to be the only one out of the three of us who was enjoying herself. I joined them and lay down so that I wouldn’t be spotted.
‘Your brother is quite the antagonistic little bastard,’ I said.
When he responded Thane’s voice was level but I could sense anger vibrating from him. ‘I saw what he did to you. Did he hurt you?’
‘Not really.’ That wasn’t the point.
He sighed. ‘I heard he used to be quite a sweet kid. I don’t know what’s happened to him or if what I heard was wrong.’ He continued to peer at the Barrow stronghold opposite, eventhough we could only see half of the courtyard and it was now empty.
I licked my lips. ‘I don’t think your mother is dead but I suspect she’s sick or seriously injured. She should have come out to speak to me, especially after Cayden kicked off. The fact she didn’t – and no other senior Barrow werewolves appeared either – makes me think she might be ill.’
‘I agree,’ he said. ‘Ashina wouldn’t have allowed Cayden to act that way under normal circumstances, especially on Barrow property.’ Thane clearly no longer wanted to call Ashina Mum and I didn’t blame him.
‘Cayden is fixated on you,’ I went on. ‘Whatever woes have befallen the Barrow werewolves, he seems to have decided they’re all your fault.’ I tried to soften the blow. ‘You’re an easy target – you’re not there and you can’t defend yourself.’
Thane only grunted. He shifted to the left and pressed against the chimney as he tried to see through the closed windows opposite. I frowned. One of the windows was boarded up and I wondered if it had only recently been broken. And if so, by whom.
‘Perhaps,’ I offered, ‘you’ll get a better view from the other side.’ I pulled myself into a crouch. ‘The angle will be clearer from the next roof.’
Thane didn’t move. ‘I tried that before,’ he said. ‘But there’s some dark gunk on that side that I didn’t like the look of.’
Tiddles raised her head and twitched her ears before giving me a long look.
