Inhuman Heritage (30 page)

“No,” I said in a horse whisper. “We have to wait. If he sees us coming Brie becomes a hostage and we won’t be able to fight him.” I leaned around the corner to watch. Sphynx backhanded Brie so that she fell against the wall and slid to the floor. He started walking away down the corridor heading for the main chamber. The chamber that was already decorated ready for there to be a new king. I shook my head; Seth seemed to have a sense of drama to him. I broke cover and ran to Brie’s side as soon as I was able to. She looked at me from under trembling lids.

“They didn’t use the door. I tried…”

“Shhh, it’s okay. We’ll take care of it from here.” She gave me a weak little nod and lapsed into sleep. Farir was hard to hold back as I took a minute to lift the poor shifter off the floor and lay her out comfortably on the bed in the room but I managed it with a few short but sharp commands. I was very tempted several times to yell heel, like you would when training an over excitable dog to sit put. Farir glared at me for taking so long.

“He’ll be alright. That little boy is tougher than you think.”

“Let’s just go save him already, I don’t like all this sneaky sneaky careful silent stuff.” I let him walk ahead of me for once so I could mutter under my breath.

“And you wonder how you managed to get hit on the head.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The doors to the main chamber were wide open and I could hear voices from inside. Farir circled the large hall to come up to the doors on the opposite side of me and I looked in. Seth was sitting in the center throne, his legs crossed over and his fingers laced over his knee. Sphynx boy was standing in the middle aisle at the front, his arms were stiff and I knew it was because he was holding Sorin in place in front of Seth.

“So, you’re the young man we’ve been waiting for,” said Seth leaning forward and uncrossed his legs putting his hands flat on either knee. “I need you to do something for me.”

“She told me about you, you’re a bad man.” Sorin’s little voice was as tough as I’d ever heard it.

“Now that’s just not true. I just want to make the system fair. Do you know that bitten wolves are treated almost like second-class citizens here?” Sphynx boy stepped to the side and for the first time I could clearly see his little body. He was being brave, he wasn’t even trembling. He’d been let go but Sphynx sat close letting him know that if he tried to run he’d be caught.

“What’s that?”

“Well, it means they treat us like they are better than us. We can’t take certain jobs because we aren’t born wolves. Now I ask you, Sorin isn’t it? Does that sound fair to you?” He gave the boy his best pity my lot smile, self-deprecation with just a tiny hint of intent of honor. Sorin crossed his little arms over his chest defiantly.

“Did you know that until the end of the reign of Queen Victoria pack law stated that bitten Weres were to be executed on sight, and that some packs still enforce that rule. I think you got off okay.”

Seth growled at the boy and his fingers clenched on his knees. Sorin didn’t relax his defiant posture.

“I didn’t want to do this, boy,” he claimed as if it really hurt him to say such things, “but we have your protector. I will hurt him if you don’t agree to do as I ask.” I thought Sorin might waver at the first threat but he stood firm.

“I was told you’d threaten me. Farir knew the risks, he would yell at me if I helped you. I promised not to and I won’t.”

Seth’s fists clenched and unclenched on his legs. He stood and began to pace, back and forth, back and forth. I could almost see the thoughts forming above his head. He couldn’t take the brand, it was useless without the magic to go with it. What could he threaten the boy with to get him to comply? Threatening his own life would be pointless because the threat was empty. If the kid died so did his chance to become king. Then something must have clicked because he turned to the boy, a cold light in his eyes.

“What if I said I would hurt the woman?” Sorin’s little body flinched like he’d been hit. “Oh yes we have her too, all tied up and helpless. Frank, show him your chest.”

Sphynx stood up pulling his black tee over his head. The scar in the middle of his chest was large, ragged and almost sun shaped with tentacles striking out from the center. Seth gave the boy a cruel smile.

“She did that to him, in your defense and you can’t imagine the things he wants to do back.”

“You…you would hurt Cassandra?” There was no mistaking the sound of tears in his voice. In taking care of the boy I’d inadvertently become his weakness, the only person he couldn’t bear to see hurt. I turned to Farir.

“It’s time to put your furry suit on.” Farir took a step back beginning to undress. I turned my attention back to Sorin.

“I’ll let him hurt her boy. Give me what I need. Make me king.”

I made my dramatic entrance.

“Now why would he want to go and do a thing like that?” Sorin turned at the sound of my voice, tears marked his little cheeks and it cut up something inside of me. Maternal instincts perhaps. The boy began to run for me. Sphynx boy was quick to make a grab for him. I raised my hand and concentrated on hitting him, not with a weapon but with power. It smashed against him before he could reach him sending him flying back over the thrones into the wall. Sorin wrapped himself around my legs sobbing against the sweater making the edges damp. I patted his head.

“They said they’d hurt you.”

“Shh, ain’t no one gonna hurt me.”

To punctuate my statement, the white wolf stalked around us to stand in the way of the buff wolf that had ripped itself out of Sphynx’s skin. They stalked towards each other sizing each other up, circling each other, waiting for the other to make the attack. Seth started coming up the aisle towards me, I pushed Sorin back behind my body and stood ready to defend us both.

“You’re ruining everything again,” he snarled. I gave him a wicked little smile.

“Yeah, I have a tendency to really mess up the bad guy’s day.” He pulled back his fist to punch me but I ducked, thrust my hands into his gut and threw him, mostly using his own momentum, over mine and Sorin’s head. He skidded out into the hall and grabbed Sorin by the shoulders.

“Hide now and this time stay there.” I pushed him in the direction of the buffet tables and watched him disappear underneath. It was a shock to my system as the sepia took over my vision again. I could see Seth charging at my turned back and I stepped into the seated area leaving only my leg out. His foot caught on it and he went over on his face. He was going to sweep my legs so I jumped and he missed me. I was being telegraphed his moves before he could do them so when he rose to his feet attempting to slug me in the gut I dodged and brought my leg up in a sharp kick to his exposed side. He grunted, toppling sideways into the chairs and scattering them out of order. I’ve never been much of a fighter. I mean I took self-defense courses as a matter of principal but I’d never thought I really needed to learn how to fight. Perhaps I would have to revise that theory and look into taking a course on martial arts. Seth was dazed enough for me to turn my attention to the fight behind me, the two wolves snapping and snarling at each other.

“Farir, to the right, quickly,” I shouted. He looked at me but did as I asked dodging an attack that could have rendered him out of the fight but allowed him to grab Sphynx boy by the scruff with his teeth forcing him to submit. This thing that kept happening to me was really, really useful it turned out.

An alarm bell rang in my brain because I had been ignoring my own fight and Seth tackled me. We both went down, his weight pinning me to the floor uncomfortably. He wrapped his large hands around my neck; I gripped his wrists trying to force them back as he started to squeeze tight on my windpipe. He had a gleeful grin on his face like he was going to enjoy very much forcing the life out of me. I wasn’t about to let that happen. I mean I’d nearly died enough for one day. I could feel the fire within me explode.

I took my hand from his wrists and placed them on his chest. I brought my knees up placing them on his thighs and thrust power against him with everything I could muster. He flew off me, hitting the stone above the carved entrance and then fell to the floor in a broken heap. I called it a broken heap because I heard several bones snap when he hit. Four men appeared in the door way. DJ and the three candidates were staring at me as I started to sit up. They looked at me, over to where Farir was holding the buff wolf by the neck like he was a pup and then back to me. My sepia vision disappeared and I figured that meant the danger was over.

“Hi guys, better late than never. Welcome to the party!”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I was sat in the front row next to LeBron who was in his best suit wearing a very fetching tie that reminded me of ink blot tests; it was white with black splotches on it. I was wearing a calf length green dress that I had a matching scarf for that was wrapped around my neck to hide the bruises that had bloomed on my neck from Seth’s fingers.

When the candidates had arrived things were soon sorted out. Frank (Sphynx boy) and Seth had been taken away to be dealt with by pack law. Medics had to take Seth away. I’d broken both his legs without really meaning to, I just wanted him off me, hurting him had been an extra bonus. They were so impressed by my part as we explained what had been going on that they had invited me to witness the ceremony and LeBron too, as Simian had told them he might be joining their ranks due to an injury incurred whilst on their errand. Sorin came out from his hiding place while they were putting the room to rights and I’d taken him to a new room where he could sleep until it was time for the ceremony.

I’d gone in to see him before coming to take my seat. He was dressed very sweetly in what looked a little like a choir uniform in white and blue with a tribal design of a wolf on the front. He was groaning and complaining about having to wear the dress. I reached over and squeezed LeBron’s leg. He looked at me and gave a weak little smile.

“It will be alright, you won’t be alone in this. You can call me anytime if you need me,” I said quietly as attention was being called and a small band was playing what sounded like entrance music. He nodded at me and his smile got a little brighter. I knew he was worried about the fact that he might become a bitten Were.

Considering all the trouble a group of them had gone to thinking that the system wasn’t fair on them, LeBron didn’t relish the prospect. I rested my hands in my lap and crossed my legs at the ankle as a door to the left open. The candidates joined us in slow procession, each of them was wearing ceremonial clothing too and they all looked quite handsome to different degrees. Age tended to mature a man’s looks and not in a bad way.

“We welcome the candidates,” said Simian in a deeply proud voice. He had asked to be the MC for the event and I was assured it was a great honor. Simian looked happy as a clam to be performing the task. They moved to center stage in front of the three thrones and bent down on one knee so that they would be at much the same height as Sorin. The music changed to announce the kid’s arrival. He came in from the back much like a bride on her wedding and strolled down the aisle doing his best to keep in time with the music while tugging at the collar of his outfit. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at him. His necklace hung out in view as he stepped up to stand in front of the three candidates.

“We will have silence while the anointer assesses the candidates.” Simian backed away bowing a little to Sorin who raised his hand up to touch the forehead of Sam Kinsley, the youngest candidate. I wish I knew what the kid was seeing as he touched him; I wanted to know how he would choose between them. Next he touched Leroy Craven. He closed his little eyes screwing up his face in concentration and then moved to the last, Dustin Torgerson, the retired military man. He stepped back and let the weight of what he had seen pass through his mind; he held his hands out wide.

“Sam Kinsley, rise,” he said and then turned to look to the other side. “Dustin Torgerson rise.” Both the men rose to their feet looking at each other with confusion. Sorin moved to stand in front of Leroy Craven direct.

“You, Leroy Craven will lead these people to the best possible future. Please extend your wrist.” Leroy stuck out his arm, palm up but with his fingers curled in offering up the underside of his wrist. Sorin took the necklace off and heated the brand over a candle that Simian brought to him, the crown symbol began to burn hot. Sorin placed his hand on Leroy’s head saying some words I didn’t understand but I knew they held power to them; they held weight, something that made the next act absolute. Without warning he slammed the hot brand down into Leroy’s flesh, it seared his skin but he didn’t cry out. The magic of the words would stop the brand from healing over, it would be there marked in his flesh until the day he died.

Leroy stood nodding his head to Sorin who nodded back then he walked backwards taking the throne and held up his hands inviting the two others to take the seats to his left and right. They bowed deeply from the waist to the new king and sat. A cheer went up from the crowd and the ceremony was finished. I knew this when Sorin threw the dress over his head and bounced over to me leaping to sit in my lap. I patted his head and told him that he’d done really well.

The chairs got cleared away and people stood in groups chatting, drinking and picking from the most extensive buffet I had ever seen. Wolves had big appetites. I stood at the end of the room by myself watching Sorin as he rode around the room on Farir’s shoulders, LeBron was chatting happily with the blonde shifter Brie who was dressed to kill in a very strategically tight red dress. DJ was congratulating the new king but he kept throwing glances my way like he desperately wanted to get out of his conversation to come keep me company. I didn’t really do crowds or parties. A hand touched my arm and I looked to see Simian, he handed me a glass of champagne holding his own in his hand. I took it to be polite and had the smallest of sips. I was going to watch my alcohol consumption for a while.