Page 55 of The Satyr's Guilt
Dax signaled for Tyr to wrap a cloakingspell around them while they waited outside a cabin in NorthShelters.
After a few hours, a coyote shifter rolledin on a Ducati, weaving all over the road. Engine off, he swung aleg over the machine and stumbled through the front door of hishouse.
“Nice crotch rocket. Wonder where he got thegreen for that baby.” Tyr, a biker himself, was drooling.
Dax, a chopper owner also, agreed. It was abeauty. “A mystery. A good-for-nothing male like this with a sweetride.” He stepped out of Tyr’s spell.
“Let’s solve the puzzle.” The warlockFirebrand advanced on the cabin door. The moonlight shone on hisface, exaggerating the sickle tat below his eye and reflecting offthe shit-ton of silver poking into his flesh.
Dax didn’t understand why a male would wantso much metal on himself, unless it was a weapon.
But live and let live. God only knows, Ihave enough problems of my own.
Tyr slammed a boot into the front door. Theystormed inside as the shifter lounged on the couch with adead-ahead stare. The male lurched to his feet.
“Cage, what’s up?” Dax knew the bum. Theyhung out in some of the same blud and flesh dens where an Aeternalcould partake of any perversity.
The obviously stoned shifter dropped to thefloor, freeing his coyote. As he sprang onto four legs, his jawmorphed into a muzzle. The rest of his face stayed the same. Hisfur had a serious mange problem. His torso was a little flabby,mostly white skin dusted with hair. Hard to tell if he was humanoidor critter.
Dax’s fangs cut into his lower lip. “Whatthe hell?”
“Goddamn. Butt ugly,” said Tyr.
When the partially transformed Cageattacked, Dax flashed behind him, grabbing his neck to fling himonto his back.
Holding the scruffy semi-coyote down, Daxarrowed a command into his mind. “Shift.”
Cage’s body trembled but remainedunchanged.
Dax leaned closer, sniffing. “I compelledhim. It should’ve worked, but no go. He smells wrong. Drugs, I’mguessing.”
“Why would a coyote take a drug to do this?”Tyr curled an upper lip.
“Could be he’s a fool. Could be he swallowedsome experimental shit.”
“Change.” Once again, Dax invaded theshifter’s mind as only a master vamp could.
Cage shifted to his human form while hisglassy eyes whirly-gigged.
“Where did you get this drug?” Tyr bent overthe coyote.
Instead of answering, he growled.
Dax growled louder. “If you’re telling me togo to hell, relax. I’m already there. If you don’t talk to us,you’ll wish you were, too.”
Cage gathered a deep breath. “Power … to …Scath.” He recited the phrase robotically, haltingly.
“Who sold you the drugs?” Tyr fingered thesilver bar through his brow.
“Power to Scath.”
“Nice sentiment, but you’re nucking futs.Here goes.” Dax dug deep into Cage’s mind.
Tyr tugged on the earring in his lobe. “Thiscan work out well or turn him to mush.”
Dax shot up, jumping away from the coyoteshifter. “What the fucking fuck? His brain’s fried. There’s nothingthere.”
“What? Something’s got to be in his braineven if he is a drugged-up, bat-shit-crazy loon.”
