Arthur’s eyes watered from wind and pain, but there was no mistaking the voice or the hulking figure from his nightmare, bigger than Arthur, chest too broad to be natural. His arms were folded, black gloves on his hands.
But his face...
“I thought you were a hallucination.” Arthur managed to say, staring in horror at the red eyes, the fangs behind his lips. “But you’re a real monster.”
An ugly look warped Hyde’s face further and he snarled, the animal sound echoing around the harbor. Arthur raised the gun, but Hyde’s monstrous form was faster and stronger. He knocked the pistol loose with a swipe, and before Arthur could stand, he grabbed the back of his jacket and viciously flung him down the promenade.
Arthur slammed into the rail, catching a quick glimpse of the black river ten yards down, and then Hyde came at him again. Arthur barely dodged a gloved fist as it came for his face, but as he drew a breath of poisoned air, he retched again, and the other fist caught his side, knocking him off balance again, toward the opening in the railing.
Arthur tumbled down the short flight of stairs that led down to C deck and second class, hitting the bottom hard enough to draw a grunt of pain. The stench was making him dizzy, but as he swallowed his rising gorge he saw Rory, only feet away. He was crumpled in a ball between two lifeboats, his body perfectly still, glasses crooked and his open eyes staring, unblinking, out toward the stern of the ship. The pomander was on a chain, fastened to Rory’s suspender. He wore no coat and no tie, the collar of his ragged shirt hanging open so Arthur could see his neck was encircled by a ring of black.
Shelley’s choker?
Just as Arthur started to push himself up, a thud vibrated the surface under him as Hyde’s boots hit the deck, then a giant foot came down hard in the center of Arthur’s back.
“Nice of you to join me again, Lieutenant.”
Arthur fought a wince as Hyde jerked his arms up behind his back, cuffs snapping around Arthur’s wrists. “What have you done to Rory?” he said evenly, his voice raspy but betraying none of the worry choking his throat. Christ, without their link, how was Rory going to find his way back?
“Made him easier to transport.”
“To London? Why?”
“A peace offering to my former mates.” Hyde yanked Arthur up to his knees, jerking him around so they faced each other. “Butyou. You don’t have magic. You don’t have information. This time, there’s no reason to keep you alive.”
Arthur refused to give him the satisfaction of a flinch. But as he stared at Hyde’s red eyes, his fangs, he realized the trembling he felt wasn’t his own body. “The ship is moving,” he whispered.
“I don’t care,” said Hyde.
“You should.” Arthur could feel the faint sway of the giant boat cutting through the small waves of the Delaware River. The lights of Philadelphia were passing slowly on the starboard side. “The crew is bespelled. How could we—”
“I. Don’t.Care.” Hyde’s growl echoed off the deck. “Why have you come so far for this particular paranormal? Why aren’t you under his spell? Is he special?” His eyes flashed. “Special to you?”
Arthur pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.
Hyde bit the tip of the finger of one of his gloves and pulled it off with a short jerk. “You remember these, don’t you?”
Arthur’s heart thundered in his chest as Hyde held up his hand, the razor-sharp tips of his claws flashing in the light. “When I last saw you, I could still switch as I wished between my forms. But now I can no longer retract these, thanks to Baron Zeppler and the Venom Dagger. Thanks to you.”
“You aligned yourself with a scorpion,” Arthur said harshly. “Don’t cry to me because you got stung.”
“You should have talked!” Hyde’s growl thundered across the ship. He dropped Arthur, his face smacking the wet deck as Hyde whirled around so he knelt next to Rory, then flung out his arm so his claws nearly touched Rory’s unmoving face.
Arthur’s heart leapt up into his throat.
Hyde moved his claws even closer, an inch from Rory’s cheek. “Think pain can bring him back from wherever he’s gone?”
“Don’t—”Arthur lurched forward, trying to stand.
But Hyde had moved paranormally quick, knocking Arthur back to the ground with a swipe that shredded his tuxedo and sliced a ribbon across his ribs. Arthur twisted just enough to land on his shoulder instead of his face, pushing up to his knees just as Hyde’s hand closed around his throat.
“I have dreamed of a chance for revenge on you.”
The tips of Hyde’s claws pricked at Arthur’s skin, points of pain on his neck to match the sting of the scratch on his side. Beyond Hyde Arthur could see Rory, sprawled still and helpless on the deck.
“Rory.” Arthur had reached Rory when he was lost like this once before, on the floor of the Magnolia. A relic packed a much stronger punch than a Brandy Alexander, but Arthur’s feelings were stronger now too. “Teddy. Come back.”
“Shut up.” Hyde pulled Arthur closer by the neck. “This ship takes seven days to cross the Atlantic. Seven days before you need to die, and I will make you suffer every minute.”
