Fade Into Black - Shadows of the Night 5

Chapter 33

Hi!

Ok, so I'm curious if anyone actually knew what was going to happen, or had any theories that turned out to be right (or at least close to what happens in this chapter)? All geared up and ready to go?

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

Lara

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Chapter 33

The cave-like room was a mess, a clusterfuck of auras, musk, and shape shifter power. The stink of sweat and dark magic penetrated, stinging my nose. Violence was potent in the air, tension crawling into my bones like cold mist.

The wolves were cornering one of the rogues, one wolf's jaws buried in his arm. The light, yellowish pelt told me it was Blaze in wolf form. The second rogue was on the floor in a puddle of blood and intestines. The blood on Radulf's feet looked like blood on white sheet. He was the only one still in human form.

I swore. We needed the rogues alive!

Andy walked into the cavern as if he owned it. The wolves' heads turned to him, snarling, baring their teeth. He was walking into a pack that was probably drunk on the fast paced pulse of the hunt. And he wasn't part of them. Not a good idea.

Magic pooled in the tips of my fingers. If this went downhill, it would go fast.

"We need him alive," Andy said. His words were controlled, soft spoken like the soothing hum of a lullaby.

Radulf stepped forward and closer to the rogue witch without looking at Andy.

"We know what we're doing, Varner," he said. "Stay the fuck out of this and let us do what we came for."

He lowered himself to the rogue in a fluid, inhuman motion, crouching. I leaned sideways, peering into semi-darkness, and for the first time I got a good look at the rogue. Short black hair, colored tattoos on thick forearms, and that lost look that spoke of condescending violence in his blue, grey eyes. For a painfully long moment our eyes met.

Walter.

The realization drove an icy spear into my spine.

Why did it have to be someone I knew? The time I spent with the Inri Brotherhood had left more invisible wounds and moral baggage than I seemed to be able to carry.

Walter laughed. The blood on his teeth was too red, as if the blood wasn't even real.

"Long time no see, Anna."

Radulf turned to me. "You know him?"

He saved my life once. Sort of.

I nodded.

"It's not gonna change anything," Radulf said, stomping on the rogue's chest, who grunted with pain. "What were you doing here?"

Walter spit blood. "Fuck you."

Radulf's eyes flashed yellow. Seconds lost in time. Static motion. His teeth, no longer white and human, dripped with spittle as he drew close.

"I said, what were you doing here?" Half growl, half spoken in a human voice.

Walter laughed.

My eyes drifted away from him and towards the back of the cavern. Could there be another magical artifact, hidden beneath layers of magic cloaking the item? I peered through the veils of second sight and let myself fall into lower sub-realities. The temperature sunk and fell as I let my eyes drift through smeared auratic grays.