Devious Claws

Chapter Twenty-six

The village was dead, like a set where each little cabin was in reality made out of cardboard and wax. There were no people around, at least I hoped so as Luke and I snuck through the narrow streets, jumping at every turned corner. I held a kitchen knife firmly in front of me; I'd taken it on a whim from the cabin before we left. The air felt lighter out here, not soaked by blood and the weight of what I'd done to Frill.

My heart was pounding as I kept switching my sweaty hold on the knife.

A part of me enjoyed it, a part I kept at an arm's length.

Finding our way to the castle wouldn't be too difficult. It towered over the village like a ruler over its subjects. Sharp, gleaming steel reached upward and scratched the darkening skies while clean, impenetrable stone glared ahead. I tried to remember if I'd ever seen a castle before but couldn't seem to remember.

"Hey," said Luke from beside me. He had just pointed his gun down an alleyway we passed, in search for werewolves. "Can I ask you something?"

"I guess. But do it quietly."

"What's going on between you and Eros?"

"Are you serious?"

"C'mon, I might die tonight, don't I at least deserve to know?"

I sighed and cursed myself for blushing despite the dire situation. My eyes flew to a small space in between two stone cabins and searched the darkness for any movement - empty. I lowered my knife a bit and fell into Luke's pace. "Well... I think he likes me."

"Well, duh," Luke deadpanned, delivering a soft hit to the back of my arm using the gun. He caught himself and quickly angled the barrel away with an apologetic look. "I meant, what do you feel about him?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit."

"Luke!"

"I'm sorry but that's not good enough. I've seen how you look at him, like a big chunk of meat."

"He's not just that," I surprised myself by shooting back. "He's kind and protective and really quite smart, like, emotionally."

"Oh my God."

"Do I have to remind you that I shot a man?"

"Join the club." Luke and I stared at the castle nearing. It was only a few houses away - a few slithering, cobbled streets. "So what, you'd want to stay here?"

"Yeah right. That's crazy."

"It is but..." Luke enveloped my upper arm, squeezing once. "I've seen some surprising things from you these last few days. You saved that kid, and you shot Frill - even now you don't look nearly as scared as I feel. In a way... you look like you belong here."

I laughed nervously, choosing to look at the cracks beneath my soles. "Luke, I don't know what to say but--"

A low growl echoed in the alley a few meters before us, to the right. There were two smaller houses and between them a space just big enough to fit a person or two.

Luke steadied his aim, pointing at the opening. He nodded for me to get behind him but I didn't dare move, afraid to trigger whatever was in the alley to jump out.

Three seconds passed.

A few heartbeats.

The growling grew louder, joined by heavy steps; I wondered if this was how I would die.

Luke put his finger on the trigger.

A human figure appeared from the darkness.

A shot rang through the air.

"Woah!" Blue looked next to him where a silver bullet had dented the cobble. He glared at us. "What are you doing!?"

"Blue!" Luke called out, relieved. I saw his hands shake as he brought the gun down. "Sorry, I thought you were a threat."

"I am a threat," he shot back, offended. "I'm not some runt, y'know. Just waiting for the cue to go in. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to wait at the cabin."

Luke and I shared a look and I could tell he felt just as divided as I did. Time was slipping away from us, Eros could already be dead. On the other hand, Blue could be a traitor just as Frill was, and telling him what had happened to Frill would be detrimental.

"Guys?"

"Are you loyal to the king, Blue?"

A steely resolution set into Blue's gaze. It was a sharp contrast against his otherwise disheveled and juvenile appearance. "Of course."

"Well, we need to deliver a message to Eros. It's life or death."

Blue looked between us. "What's the message?"

"We can't tell you." Luke put his gun into the hem of his pants as a sign of good will, but I could tell he hesitated. "His life is in danger, and if he dies then we're all pretty much dead anyway."

"I'll tell Carver to round up the men and--"

"No, Blue," I interjected, trying and failing to search his eyes for any sign of deceit. "You can't tell anyone. You have to trust us."

"Why would I do that?"

I gave Luke one last look, then lifted my shirt up. The bruises on my stomach had turned a sickly yellow, far from healed. "We're humans."

Blue's eyes widened considerably. He took a few steps back, putting a hand to his head. "No you're not."

"You know we are. Think about it. Luke has a gun and I haven't healed yet. You've never seen us turn into wolves - we're human."

"It's not possible... you've tricked the king."

"No," Luke joined in. "He knows. He's the one who brought us here, remember?"

"He'd never knowingly bring humans into our world."

"He would and he has - because Cindy saved his life."

Silence. Blue fixated me with his gaze. His nose twitched a little. "You do smell... different. You've been given a royal vow?"

I nodded. "The king trusts us, and you're going to have to do the same. We can't waste any more time. You know the way into the castle, right? Can you take us there?"

Blue eyed my knife, then seemed to search for the same deceit that I had been looking for in him. After what felt like hours of holding my breath, he finally took a step forward. He nodded, determination locking his jaw. "Alright, I know how to get in. Follow me."

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A/N

Nearing the end now, I hope you're all doing well<3