Page 42 of Curse of the Wolf
“What a night.” I sighed. “It wasn’t as romantic as I’d hoped.”
“Maybe we should have gone on an actual hunt.” Duncan poked into the various bags attached to the abandoned motorcycles. “There’s something magical in here. Didn’t that guy say?—”
“It’s not the sword.” My time as a wolf was always a blur when I returned to human form, but I did recall the man I’d pinned spitting out that information. Hadn’t he said Radomir’s name? And that it was in… a laboratory near Maple Falls? That was it.
I scowled at the memory of Radomir capturing Austin up there and my battle in the vacation cabin on the lake. At least my son was now safely across the country, finishing his Air Force training.
“No, but I think…” Duncan drew out a hand device with ring attachments and a purple oval gem in the center.
The last time I’d seen it had been in the parking lot of Sylvan Serenity, and that gem had been glowing and attacking my brain. I bared my teeth at it.
“This and that magical ring the man inside was wearing…” Duncan tipped his thumb over his shoulder toward the theater. “They’re unlikely items for thugs off the street to have.”
“Bribes from Radomir. More valuable than mere money.”
“Indeed.”
We’d already suspected that Radomir had started working with these guys, so we hadn’t learned anything new other than receiving a lead to the sword’s location.
“Did you spend time at a laboratory in Maple Falls?” I asked. “When you were under Radomir’s control? Oh, you said he rented that cabin, right?”
The little A-frame on the lake wouldn’t have counted as alaboratorythough. Inside and out, it had looked like a normal vacation home.
“Yes, but, most recently, when he called me to give me orders, he drew me to a hotel up there, and he was in the middle of packing. He didn’t mention where he was going next. I don’t think he ever believed he had me fully under control. He probably suspected I would happily tell you everything I learned about him whenever I got the chance. Which was correct.” Duncan smiled faintly. “You’re my confidante, you know.”
“I thought I was only your chocolate supplier.”
“That’swhyyou’re my confidante.” He rested a hand over his heart, then handed the artifact to me. What I would do with it, I didn’t know.
I checked the rest of the bags on the motorcycles, hoping I would find Ivan’s bracelet in there, but it was a vain hope since my senses didn’t pick up on anything else magical. Too bad. If I could have found everything without needing Rue to make another Elixir of Locus to inflict on my tortured esophagus, that would have been ideal.
“I’m going to ask her about you,” I decided.
Duncan, not able to read my thoughts, asked, “What?”
“Maybe Rue has some ideas about how to fix you.”
“Fix? What few flaws I have add whimsy and character.”
“Youknowwhat I mean. You can’tdie.” Frustrated, I almost hurled the hand artifact into the parking lot, but I held back. It might provide a clue.
“I would prefer to avoid that fate, yes. I’ll cheerfully visit the alchemist with you, but I’m skeptical of her ability to heal me of this curse.” Duncan waved toward the scar on his forehead.
“We have to start somewhere. We might not have much time.”
“I am aware of that. Finding and questioning Abrams is on my mind. Since heplacedthe curse, he likely has more expertise on the matter than anyone else.”
“True. Do you have any idea about where to find him?”
“Not yet, but I will.” Duncan nodded firmly.
The determination in his eyes relieved me. I’d worried he believed his fate inevitable and wouldn’t fight it. But he gazed toward the north with speculation. I hoped he was scheming at that very moment about how to find Abrams—and wring the information out of him with his clawed bipedfuris fingers.
I walked the hand artifact over to a light and took a couple of photos of it, then texted them to Jasmine.
If your dad is pining for more research opportunities, I would be curious to know if he can dig up anything on this.
Since it was probably a random doodad that Abrams or Radomir had picked up years ago, I doubted it could lead us to them, but one never knew.
