Ruins A.G.A. 2nd Novel in the Ruinsaga series

Chapter 24 .

Lily

"Are your kind behind the zombies?" Gunnor calmly asked the venefici.

She scowled at him and looked away. We had left the city and found a spot in the woods. We had waited for her to wake up. It didn't take long after we had stopped. Her hands were tied behind her back. Her ankles were tied together so she couldn't run away.

"What is the purpose of all these RU in? places?" Dr. Higgins asked.

The venefici turned to him and blinked lazily. She didn't answer. She hadn't said one word since she woke up.

Elsie snarled wolf-like, closed the distance to the prisoner in one short breath and grabbed her by the throat. Elsie lifted the venefici clear off the ground. She pulled the venefici's face close to her own and growled, "Answer the questions or I will bite your face off. I will dig my claws into the soft flesh of your stomach and string out your entrails. My fellow weres and I will feast on your flesh." Elsie's eyes changed to the color of her wolf's. Her teeth began to lengthen and sharpen. The venefici merely smiled. Elsie let out a howl and threw the venefici. The venefici landed hard on her back. She didn't move as her eyes blinked at the tree canopy. I didn't think Elsie hurt her and I didn't think it was Elsie's intention to hurt her. If she had really meant to hurt her with that throw, she would have thrown her into a tree or higher or further than she did. The venefici eventually sat up and stared at the rest of us as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"She obviously is not intimidated by your werewolf tactics," Gunnor said. "Let me try something." Something around him shifted. I wasn't sure if it was his aura or the air or what, but whatever it was, it brushed over me with no effect. The venefici however now watched Gunnor with rapt attention. And she wasn't the only one. Dr. Higgins and Darren were the quickest to push off the effects of his charm. Richard and Monica were slower and it didn't seem like Arthur had pushed off the effects at all. Molly brushed up against his leg and he absently patted her, but his eyes would not move from Gunnor. The weres and Hunter and Grace did not seem to be affected.

Gunnor slowly approached the venefici. He crouched low in front of her so he was eye level. He smiled and it was both kind and terrifying. "Are your kind behind the zombies?" he asked with a tone that oozed trust and charm. "Have you all banded together or only a few of you?"

"We are all under the same leadership now," she said in a daze.

Gunnor's smile grew wider. "And the zombies?"

Her eyes closed tightly. She shook her head and a shudder went through her body. Her eyes opened and they cleared where moments before they had been dazed. 'Your charm won't work on me," she said.

He frowned and whatever it was that had shifted around him shifted back. Arthur blinked and turned his focus away from Gunnor. Gunnor turned away from the venefici and walked back to his original position.

"You're all going about this the wrong way," Richard said. He approached the venefici, but didn't get too close. "What's your name?" he kindly asked.

She didn't answer him.

"Look," he said, "you're going to make it easier on yourself by answering their questions. We'll let you go afterwards."

Zoe scoffed.

"We will," Richard gave Zoe a stern look. Zoe shrugged.

"Even if you let me go," the venefici said, "one of your companions will find me in the woods and kill me. And even if by chance they don't. My kind won't let me live if I say anything."