Page 33 of Cry of the Damned
“She’s a witch who has lived in Lux city for who knows how long without being detected. It’s pretty safe to assume she knows a thing or two.”
“I hate to say it,” Ila intervened, “but I think Sheela’s right.”
Kall let go of my arm and gave a simple nod. “All right, but be careful.”
“I’d better go.” I stepped out of the shed and, as I closed the door behind me, heard everyone repeat Kall’s warning to be careful.
CHAPTER 11
Tenminuteslater,Iwas on top of the hotel’s roof. In my wolf form, I had stealthily jumped from building to building back the way we’d escaped. I had been careful to avoid being seen by anyone. It hadn’t been hard since it was early and the few people walking around were preoccupied with their destination and not with whatever may be lurking on the rooftops above them.
Still in wolf form, I stood still, listening to any sounds coming from below. I heard nothing unusual and decided it was safe to descend to the balcony. Shifting back, I scaled down the wall and landed in a crouch in the small outside enclosure. The curtains were drawn, leaving only the glass sliding door between me and Mrs. Clarice, who was standing inside the suite.
Staring past my own reflection, I saw her lift a hand and give me a little wave and a smile. “You can come in,” she said. “I’m the only one here.”
Very slowly, I straightened to my full height, reached for the door, and slid it open. With my senses on high alert, I could tell that Mrs. Clarice was telling the truth. No one else was there except her. Lightly, I stepped inside and gave her a curt nod.
“Are all your friends all right?” she asked.
I nodded.
“I know you’re the leader of your group, but who are you exactly?”
The leader of my group? Iwasthe tetrad’s alpha, so I supposed that made me the leader, though I never thought about myself that way. Still, it had to be why she askedmehere.
“I have the same question for you,” I said, “and I think you should answer first.”
She smiled, walked to the armchair, and sat down. “That’s a long story, but I’ll try to give you the abbreviated version. As you now know, I’m a witch. My coven was massacred by the Academy almost thirty years ago.” Pain flashed across her face, almost too fast to see. “I was left for dead. When I woke up, everyone was dead, including my parents and my older brother, and the coven’s children… they were all gone. Perhaps you’ve heard similar stories before.”
I nodded once and sat at the kitchen table, the breeze from the opened balcony door rustling my hair. “What made you come here?”
“After what they did, I went to the nearest coven and told them what had happened. I tried to get them to help save the children, what was left of my coven, but as you can imagine, it wasn’t a task anyone wished to undertake. I tried to stay there, but I couldn’t. My entire family was dead, and I had nothing left. Besides, I couldn’t forget, so I came here. I married a city man. He was good. He left me this hotel when he died. I thought that being close, I might find a way to destroy the Academy.” She blew air through her nose and shrugged. “I’m still working on it.” She put a hand out in invitation. “Your turn.”
I considered how much to tell her, whether to trust her fully. It was possible the Academy had put her up to this, so they could find out all they could about the threat we posed. Except something about the sadness in her eyes told me otherwise.
“My story is also long, even if I’m younger than you,” I said.
“I believe it.”
“I am a shifter.”
“I know. Five shifters and one witch, all staying under my roof for the price of two.” She chuckled. “They didn’t go unnoticed.”
“Sorry about that.”
She shook her head. “No need for apologies. From the first day, I knew. I could sense the other’s presence. Mind you, I didn’t spy on you. I respect my customers’ privacy, but I couldn’t help but wonder what you were doing here. And, last night, when not only guards but also a magistrate came looking for you, I imagined it must be something worthwhile.” She raised her eyebrows and inclined her head, inviting me to tell her about our business in Lux City.
I hesitated for a moment, then figured that if she’d trust me with her reasons for being here, I could do the same, especially when our reasons were so similar.
“You may not believe it,” I started, “but I used to be a student at the Academy.”
She looked surprised for an instant, then nodded as if it made sense. “You seem to know your way around, unlike the other two girls. Is one of them your sister? You look alike.”
“She is.”
“Go on, please.”
“I escaped the Academy,” I continued. “I was lucky, very lucky. I don’t know how much you know about what they do to the students that don’t become apprentices, but I was able to avoid that fate and found my family, my pack. Except,” I swallowed thickly and fought the urge to cry, “except now most of them are dead, like your coven.”
