Fragile Fury - (Glass Angels book one)

Fragile Fury - Chapter Seventeen

INSIDE THE CAVE THE AIR WAS DAMP AND COLD AGAINST ANNA'S skin. Her wrists were sore, and bloody, shredded by the thick metal bands bent around them. A silver chain joined the pair, like fancy handcuffs. Vaughn told her they were real silver. The only way to keep a werewolf in check was silver; they wouldn't 'fight the burn.'

Anna giggled; she was being considered the animal, in a cave of men - half wolves? She shook her head, it was somewhat ironic.

Looking up from the floor, Anna found her face inches from such blue eyes, and so mach blond hair, that she jumped. Simultaneously, she banged her head against the cave's wall.

"Sorry, miss," the girl said, she blinked a few times, but made no effort to move. As if she was more than comfortable invading the personal space of strangers. "I thought I might come and tell you, miss," the girl continued, "that something very odd is happening to my brother. You might want to come and see for yourself."

Anna didn't quite see why she had to go, she didn't know the girl, or the brother with odd things happening to him. Never the less, she scrambled to her feet, finding it harder to walk in shackled feet than she originally though.

The girl offered no help; Anna glared at her for a second before realising it would do no good. The girl was one of those constantly happy people, a smile that never went away. Almost like a clowns, it was permanently plastered there. With eyes open a little too wide, without looking startled. And Anna could tell, just by the way the girl skipped away from her that they were not going to get along.

"A werewolf cheerleader," she muttered, "wonderful,"

***

As it turned out, something strange was happening to the girl's brother. "That's whose blood he drank," An old woman poked at Anna with her walking stick as she passed her. Anna frowned; she didn't recall anyone drinking from her, only Asher when they were in the Marble Hall, and there was something very odd about the way he had tasted to her. Maybe it was just that he was a dead, and that was just how they tasted. How was Anna supposed to know? It wasn't like she had been having a nibble on a vampire on Friday nights instead of cold pizza.

"She's done this to my son!" Another woman jumped from the crowd. She grabbed a fist full of hair and dragged Anna to the ground. Before really thinking about it, Anna held her arms up, covering her face from the sudden claws tearing at her face.

The lady screamed as her hands tangled in the silver chain, the sizzled smell of burning fur and flesh filled the room. A stench that had the pack - Anna supposed - howling.

"Enough!" the howling was silence, even the woman's screams ended, with his voice storming through the pack like rolling thunder. "Leave the girl alone." The lady pushed herself away from Anna who saw her hands were only part shifted, claws on finger far too long, covered in thick fur.

"Your son, Maggie," the man said, "Drank blood from the first time, and it wasn't a mortals blood or our blood. He drank something different, this - we know - happens to those who indulge,"

"My son did not indulge," she snapped, "He was forced to drink that things blood while he was unconscious. He didn't have a choice!" The man stepped forwards. To Anna he seemed to grow. In a single step he went from man . . . to king.

"Maggie, if that girl had not spared your son her blood, he would be dead!" Anna turned to the woman - who gasped and put her hand to her neck - "Be grateful for what she has given you,"

"But-" she began to protest, the man paid her no attention. His eyes - yellow eyes - slid to Anna's.

"Come here, child," he said softly, but there was something off, something not quite right about him, something that made Anna's wings ruffle beneath her skin. Anna supposed it could have been the fact that he was a werewolf, and she had never met one before. "That's it, child, come to me," He out stretched a hand, reaching for her as she walked towards him.

She didn't like the way his fingers gripped her arm, when she reached him. Careful to miss the silver cuffs, he held her elbow. "What boy is everyone talking about?" She asked, looking up at him. His eyes were more amber than yellow, flecked with brown. Anna shuddered, looking in his eyes was worse than looking at Damon's when his were red.

"Maggie's son," he said, as he steered her though another dark and damp tunnel. "He is the wolf that attacked your friend."

"Oh," Anna's mind wandered off. The last time she had seen Jordan, the wolves were carrying him away through yet another dirty tunnel. His eyes were closed, his chest open, the blood had slowed by the time they had reached the entrance. Anna had held his hand so tight, but not ever she could fight against the Lukos as they dragged her away from him. She was sure she must have scratched his hand as slipped from her grasp. It had fallen - limp . . . dead.

"Where is he?" Anna surprised herself with the level of panic in her voice. Why was she so worried about him? She barely knew him, so they shared a few brief kisses, heated as they may have been. What was he to her, but a Shade who worked for her father? Anna didn't know, but he was something.

She pulled her arm out of the man's grip. "Who are you? Where is Jordan?!" She snapped. "I want to know where he is," her voice dropped lower - deadly - as she stared at him. "I want to see him," she growled, "Now!"

The man laughed at her, "so feisty, child, so young and so naive. I am Harrison Ulfric of this pack," he leaned towards her. "I don't know who you are, or why you have so many Shade's with you, but you do not want to speak to me like that, trust me." He smirked.

"There is a reason you don't know who I am, Harrison," she said his name with disgust. What sort of name is Harrison? She thought, mentally raising an eyebrow at him. Somehow, she thought an Ulfric would have a more intimidating name. "So take me to Jordan, before you find out," she smiled sweetly, "the hard way."

"If I take you to him, you get an hour," he grunted. "we have things to do,"

"Oh," Anna grinned, "You'll take me,"