Savage Wings: Book Three of The Whitechapel Chronicles

Chapter 16

"This has got to be the stupidest fucking idea you've ever had."

Sitting in the front passenger seat of Fenton's car, Harper glared at me in the rear view mirror, his dark brows knotted together. His eyes were heavy with a thunderous mood that threatened to break and rain heavily down upon everyone and everything, particularly me.

I sighed, exhausted. We'd been over this so many times. We'd discussed the plans, argued with each other, ranted till I thought we might actually come to blows and still he was fighting this right up until the last minute.

The problem was that despite being mildly irritated that he wasn't prepared to accept this was happening and was belligerently blocking the plans at every possible opportunity, I understood his reservations completely. I got it. A big part of me agreed that this really might be the stupidest fucking idea I'd ever had and to be fair, I'd had a few of those in my time. Even Fenton, who would usually relish the chance to disagree with Harper at every turn, had looked at me with a shade of doubt lingering in his cool, steady gaze. In the end, of course, he had agreed and had even helped put the plan together, much to Harper's disgust. To my surprise, Fenton Grainger turned out to be something of an expert strategist, methodically going over every step with a fine-tooth comb, researching the map of the area to search for any possible areas of ambush, planning everything to the minutest detail. Then when he was done, he went back over it again, and again, and again, until he was completely satisfied that it was concrete.

Not that all the planning in the world could ever combat against the unpredictable and that's just what bothered Harper. Hell, it bothered me. This had unpredictable and dangerous, and yeah, stupid, written all over it but I knew I had to do it. As much as I wished I could just turn my back and walk away, the phone call had touched a nerve, one that sent little stabs of pain into my heart that I just couldn't ignore. My only hope against the perils of the unknown was the knowledge that the meeting was to take place in public, or at least in a place where seven foot lycan-esque creatures were bound to cause a bit of a scene and despite being assured that I was not in danger, I was allowed to come armed should I feel under threat at any time.

Agreeing to meet my enemy and feeling under threat is kind of a given, I had said sardonically into the handset.

And yet regardless, here I was, about to face the unpredictable, about to walk straight into danger, about to put myself under threat for a past that clearly wasn't finished with me yet.

"It's time," I said, nodding towards the clock on the dash.

Ignoring Harper's volley of curses that were so colourful they would have made a street kid blush to hear them, I got out of the car, my eyes naturally scanning the street as I stood by the kerb. I still felt that instinctual apprehension from being out in the open, as if I was in a movie and at any moment a sniper concealed in one of the surrounding buildings would neatly and effectively take me out with a single shot to the head and tonight I was more apprehensive than usual, knowing what I was about to face. Yet strangely, I felt invigorated standing there, feeling the buzz of human hearts on all sides, drinking in the sounds and smells of this busy London street. Even the acrid stench of exhaust fumes did little to dampen my exhilaration at being a part of life, albeit a life usually lived in the shadows. During my time at Josiah's, the only thing I had wanted to do was get out, but it was just the desperate need to escape from the seer's binds that had driven that desire. I hadn't realised how much I missed the city. How much I needed the city. If it wasn't for the task at hand and the sight of the building in front of me, I might have grinned madly.

"What's wrong with you?" said Harper at my side. "You look almost excited to be doing this. Are you high or something? Please tell me it's drugs because at least it would explain why the hell you're intent on going in there."