Page 10 of Curse of the Wolf
“Bullshit.” I hadn’t finished reading the letter, but I’d glanced down at the signature. It was Radomir. “That guy’s trying to make money,moremoney, or something else. He doesn’t care about mankind. And his thugs shot up my mom’s home—and my mom. No way does he care about werewolves.”
Duncan grunted in agreement and tilted the page so that I could more easily read the rest.
I’ve asked Lord Abrams if, with all the knowledge he’s accumulated over the years, he’s aware of something that might prevent a deadly fate for you. You deserve better. I’m most perturbed with your lady acquaintance.
“Like I give a shit,” I muttered but kept reading.
Abrams is not certain there is a solution but believes that, given enough powerful artifacts to work with, a crafter might be found who could make something capable of healing the broken link and saving your life. I’ll use my connections to seek out such a person. In the meantime, I need you to bring to me the two wolf-head medallions and the wolf-lidded case with its special tool inside. These artifacts, we believe, may have the power we need, power that could be siphoned into a new artifact, one capable of saving your life. Do not take too long to bring them to me. I understand that once your life force is sufficiently withered, the effects are more difficult to reverse, that we will not be able to halt your demise
Sincerely,
~ Ivan Radomir
“What a liar. Both of them.” I shook my head and leaned back. “Like those three specific artifacts that they’ve been trying to find or steal would happen to be the ones that could help you.”
Duncan, jaw set as he continued to gaze down at the letter, didn’t answer. His eyes weren’t moving, so he’d stopped reading.
“There’s no way that’s anything but bullshit.” I watched his face. “Right?”
He folded the letter and returned it to the envelope. “I agree that it’s unlikely.”
“If I thought theywoulddo what he said…”
I swallowed. What? I would hand them over to Radomir? I could give up the wolf case—that wasn’t mine, nor did I know who the true owner was. Someone long dead, probably. But the medallions? Those belonged to the pack, not me. I supposed if Duncan’s life truly depended on it, I would ask for Mom’s medallion—or take it—but I didn’t trust Radomir.
“If you’re really dying, I’d do anything to help you,” I said, “but this has to be a set-up, don’t you think? We can’t trust these guys.”
“No.” Duncan managed a smile for me. “You’d do anything to save my life? I’m touched.”
“Of course. You’re…”
He raised his eyebrows. “Appealingly charismatic and desirable?”
“Youknowthat. You’re also… I like you.” Not exactly a confession of love, but my emotions were all tangled up. After being betrayed by my ex, my natural inclination was to be private, not to voice words that could be turned against me.
“I like you as well.” Once more, Duncan drew me into a hug, resting his cheek against my hair. “We should cruise around town and try to find the thugs who stole your sword. Now that you’re a master, you should be wielding it instead of dented wood.”
“I’m a master after six lessons?”
“You’re doing well.”
“I do want to find it, but thatcan’tbe the most important thing on your mind right now.”
I recalled my vow to quaff that awful-tasting potion, the Elixir of Locus that Rue had made. I had only asked her for one attuned to Duncan, but she’d taken a blood sample from one of the thugs who’d attacked us in the parking lot and made a second one. We’d thought he might be from the same gang as those who’d robbed my apartment to steal the sword. If I could stomach chugging the loathsome potion, and I was within ten miles of him, it ought to lead me to him. It was the ten-mile radius as well as the horrible taste that had made me hesitate to take it right away.
“I would like to see it back in your hand,” Duncan said, “before… before long.”
That hesitation made me lean back and look into his eyes. “Before youdie? You said you thought Abrams might be lying about all that and that yourlife forcefeels fine.”
“Oh, yes. It’s quite lovely. And I believe it is quite possible that they’re lying to manipulate us.” Duncan smiled easily, and I couldn’t tell if he was prevaricating or not.
What if he simply didn’t want me to worry? Might he believe that Abramshadbeentelling the truth?
“My life, however, has been somewhat dangerous of late,” Duncan said. “In truth, I’ve always been known to take a risk or two in my pursuit of adventure and treasure.”
“You did mention swimming with killer whales that wear salmon hats.”
“I did, though that wasn’t the riskiest thing I’ve done, not by far. The whale was quite amiable.”
