Fade Into Black - Shadows of the Night 5

Chapter 32

Hi,

I'm gonna keep it short this time and just say this: Gear up for the next few chapters.

Read, vote, comment - let me know what you think :-)

Lara

_____________________________________________________

Chapter 32

I touched my pendant, fingers brushing over the stone – a motion I'd performed repeatedly over the last few hours. It was cold and dormant at the moment, and yet it gave off a sense of peace and reassurance that made me breathe a little easier.

Alexander gave it back to me without any preambles or overtures. A motion as suspicious as uncharacteristic. A detailed inspection of the pendant and a step into second sight showed that it hadn't been tampered with. If there was a catch in him letting me go just like that, I was totally missing it.

I still wasn't positive someone was in Le Mouret. Nothing seemed amiss when I searched through the room and the rest of my hiding place. Still, there was just this awkward feeling in the pits of my stomach. Or maybe I was just getting paranoid. Running from everyone and everything was doing a number on me.

I stared down at the junk of concrete and metal. The sun was slowly but surely descending, just a few more hours and nightfall would come, like an afterthought. Still enough time for us to roam through the city without undead baggage and things that went bump in the night.

The Raven was planning something and according to the note I saw on his desk, it was supposed to happen in less than one week. What could he be possibly planning? More attacks? More vampires to be murdered? A major magically induced cloud of smog? I had no idea.

I knew Alexander's demise or death was one of the Raven's main objectives, whether for personal reasons or reasons that further served his long term goal of the Circle's downfall. What would help him reach this aim most?

I had no clue.

The sewer system had always been his favorite hiding place. It was vast enough to hide a whole army of rogues. And yet, there were certain spots that were predestined as hiding places for someone who, if need be, wanted multiple exits open at all times as well as easy access to food and water. Then there were those spots that met the more mundane daily needs even rogue witches had from time to time.

I'd been living with the rogues for weeks. But, did I know enough to guess what the Raven's next move was going to be? If anybody could track them by scent it was the wolves, I was sure of that.

Noise from behind. I turned and there he was.

"You came," I said.

"Of course I did. I said I would," Andy said. His clothes were clean and his hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, but there was a slight stubble on his face. He was hiding it well, but I was pretty sure Andy hadn't slept much in the last few days.

"Where are we going?" He said, nodding towards Marrok's dormant city of wolves.

"We've got to find the Raven, Andy. And I don't think I or we can do it alone."

He shook his head. "You should let the Circle handle this, Anna."

Like anyone's going to believe me.

I took a deep breath. "You don't get it. Everybody thinks Medici's just crazy. But there's a difference between plain crazy and a criminal with a brilliant unhinged mind. I've seen it. The Raven was acting methodically, working his way towards something. He attacked a security company and broke into various locations in the city he used as secret vaults for magical artifacts."