Page 118 of Let Us Prey
Ten minutes later, I’m approaching Renard in the small clearing where we discovered the dead student. The gargoyle slowly turns to face me, his normally amused expression schooled into a mask of impassivity, and it’s all I can do not to shrink under the weight of his alpha stare.
Old habits die hard.
“Nico,” he softly speaks, although the power in his tone is unmistakable. “I’ve always felt you and I had a special connection—because of our shared appreciation for the arts—and while I rarely tutor anyone, experiencing Gothic literature for the first time again with you has been a joy. That’s why what’s about to happen here will not be easy for me.”
I swallow hard, but square my shoulders and nod. “Okay, Ren. I appreciate the sentiment and understand you need to do what you all feel is best. Can you please just… just make sure Delores knows I love her, and that I’m a fucking idiot for not telling her myself?”
Renard stares at me blankly for a full ten seconds before a grin stretches across his face, exposing his fangs. “Do you think I summoned you here tokillyou? Oh Nicodemus, if I was going to end you, you wouldn’t hear me coming.”
That’s not reassuring at all…
Chuckling, he strides over and lays a clawed hand on my shoulder, squeezing just hard enough to make me squirm. “Your pack cares about you—lovesyou, I dare say—even though you royally fucked up. My gargoyle is furious with you for claiming Dolly without discussing it with the rest of us, but themanin me understands. You are a predator who was never allowed to be one. Although the wolves have treated you well, by Romulus standards, they still perceive you as their property.”
His claws drag down the side of my neck, lingering on Lo’s bite. “I would hazard a guess you’ve never given Sebastian explicit consent to mark you as his, have you?”
My brow furrows. I don’t remember that part from my limited research. “I… was I supposed to agree to it?” My eyes widen, and I can feel the color drain from my face. “By Fenrir, was I supposed toaskDelores? She bit me first and I assumed… ohfuck,I’m such an asshole!”
Renard hums and I hear his claws retract, making me uneasily wonder if I passed some sort of test. “I say we can blame your alpha and beta forthatoversight. Just because they assumed you would never be in a position to claim someone doesn’t justify the withholding of basic information. That being said, don’t beat yourself up over it—our bunny may be as clueless as you, but I have no doubt she would let us know if shedidn’twant something, hmm?”
I nod, although I’m still shaken over the idea I may have taken advantage of Lo. “Well, I appreciate the lesson, Ren,” I awkwardly clear my throat. “Now, why did you want to meet here?”
He smiles again. “It’s not quite as exciting as someone taking out a hit on you, but fairly close. After returning to campus after my date with Dolly a couple of weeks ago, I felt… no, Ismelledsomeone who shouldn’t be here—who shouldn’t bealive,if I’m being honest.” The gargoyle pauses with a faraway look in his eyes and I hold my breath, realizing he’s telling me more about his past than he ever has before. “I went for a flight to investigate, and the scent brought mehere.It felt too coincidental to ignore, so thanks to my prey contacts, I’ve been exploring the tunnels since then, searching for any passageways I could have overlooked in the past.”
Renard gestures for me to follow before disappearing into what looked like a nondescript tree trunk only a moment before. My heart is beating wildly in my chest, the excitement over this adventure making me bite my lip in anticipation.
I do love a good puzzle.
The gargoyle’s unusual talisman glows as we make our way down the main tunnel. We pass a handful of archways before Renard stops in front of what appears to be a memorial plaque in a random alcove. Striking a match against his claw, he lights a nearby torch and removes it from the sconce to better illuminate the writing carved on the surface.
A single word:Cuniculum.
I scrunch my nose, desperately trying to recall what that means from my Latin studies with the gargoyle. After about a minute, he takes pity on me and dramatically whispers, “Burrow,” before pointing to the floor, and it’s all I can donotto have a visceral reaction to the word.
“Burrow deep.”
Renard drops to a crouch with me and the light from his torch reveals a gap between the wall and floor, just large enough for a small animal to get through.
Like a fox.
“Ah, now I see why you brought me here—my svelte figure,” I chuckle. “You know, you could have just asked Delores. Her bunny would fit better than my fox.”
Renard glares at me, unamused. “You think I would risk our girl by sending her into an unmarked tunnel?”
I roll my eyes good-naturedly. “Oh, but you think I’m expendable, huh?”
The gargoyle continues to stare; the torchlight casting ghoulish shadows as he partially shifts. “I think you’ll do what I say… or else I’ll kill you.” His words hang in the air a moment before his face breaks into a wide grin that is no less frightening. “Kidding! Now get in there—I’m dying to know what’s behind door number one.”
I huff, although I’m still unsure if he’s joking about the casual murder, so I carefully remove my clothes and shift. While my shifted fox is larger than a typical one, I still wiggle my way through the gap, gritting my teeth against the feel of ancient dust coating my fur.
Quickly shifting back to human form, I grab the matchbook Renard slides through the gap after me. My night vision is excellent, but I don’t want to miss any clues, so I strike a match and look around. It’s a small, rectangular antechamber, bare except for an empty pedestal at its center. I scour the pedestal for more writing, but find nothing except a deep groove on the top—as if a thin object was once placed here.
Curiouser and curiouser.
My match blows out the same instant I feel a breeze on my bare skin. It’s not coming from the way I entered, so I light another match to help locate the source.
“Are you alive in there?” Renard calls from the other side of the wall, not sounding concerned in the least.
I snort. “Yes! There’s not much here besides a pedestal, but I feel a draft coming from somewhere... " My match blows out again as I hold it overhead, making me realize I need to get higher. Testing the strength of the pedestal, I determine it can hold my weight before hoisting myself up and standing tall. Lighting a third match, I raise my hand, only to have it instantly blown out.
