The Wolf with the Iron Jaw (Elysium #1)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 Neither Jewkes nor Vern followed them out of the station. Booker continued on at a brisk pace, Trinket trotting along beside him. "Their handiwork is becoming more careful," he said.

"Yes, it is."

"You noticed the jagged wounds?"

"I did."

"They seemed to match the Wolf's bite."

"They did, though they were still a bit too clean. And there were slight indentations on his wrists."

"Delmar wasn't a fighter. It wouldn't have taken much to restrain him."

"Perhaps that's why they chose him as their victim."

"And his former connection to the Mice would surely lead the city to the conclusion that they were the perpetrators."

She gritted her teeth. How many more people would have to die to make this lie believable? Would the Mice just keep killing until they got their way?

"We really need to catch the Wolf," she sighed.

Booker nodded. "Tonight. We'll track it down tonight, and that will bring us one step closer."

~

Tonight would not happen. When evening had fallen, Trinket peered out the parlour window to find the view obscured by a thick cloud of snowflakes.

"Booker," she said, calling him over.

He stood behind her and cursed.

"There's no way we can go out tonight," she said, letting the curtain fall back in place.

He clenched his jaw. "But perhaps—"

"Even if we were able to navigate through the storm, it would be impossible to track the Wolf. Any prints would be covered by snow, and we'd most certainly lose our way."

Though he didn't argue, the bitter twist of his lips made it clear he was not pleased with this turn of events.

"Maybe if the storm ends during the night, we can try our luck then," she suggested, hoping to keep him from flying into any sort of tantrum.

"Right," he said, still staring out the window as though he thought he could make the snow stop by sheer force of will.

"Would you like me to make you some tea?"

Finally pulling his gaze from the storm, he briefly met her eyes before looking away and shaking his head. "No, thank you. I think I'll catch up on some work in the laboratory."

Without another look her way, he slipped into the hallway and disappeared.

She heaved a sigh. "I'll let you know if there's any change in the weather," she called after him.

The only response was the click of the laboratory door closing shut.

Such a child.

Not wanting to waste a potential night in, Trinket gathered up her pile of articles in need of mending and settled onto the settee. However, between the warmth of the flames cheerfully blazing in the fireplace and the gentle sound of the snow pelting the roof and windows, she found it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. Her needle bobbed slightly as her vision blurred, and before she could put forth any effort to stay awake, her eyelids fell shut.

~

Wake up, wake up, wake up.

Hurry!