Considering you can’t feel the extent of his power, you can’t say that with any certainty. Besides, it’s now three against one, thanks to my sending that other one back in.
While the former is true, he went into that transport maelstrom, as dangerous as they are, without hesitation. He does not strike me as someone with a death wish. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Even so, I’m thinking this is not a good way to test out his skills.
The only thinking you’re doing is with your raging hormones.
I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to my now seated prisoner. Ginny had shifted shape and was glaring at the man in the same sort of way a hawk on high might eye off its next meal. His expression was uneasy, and his face a mess, with blood pouring from his nose and his split cheek. I didn’t feel sorry for him, though, given his fists would have done far worse to my face had his blows landed.
“There’s another one near the sliding door. He’s currently zip-tied in a fetal position, alive but unconscious last time I saw him.” Ginny grimaced. “Bastard tried to crown me with an iron bar. Who does stupid things like that when faced with a flighted shifter?”
Someone who didn’t know how fast flighted shifters could react. I spun my leash around my prisoner, pinning his arms to his sides, then leashed his legs together so he couldn’t get up. “You want to keep an eye on him while I go check Monica’s condition?”
“Can I claw him up a bit more if he moves?”
We both knew he wasn’t moving. She might not see magic, but she knew me well enough to guess what the hand movement had meant. “Feel free.”
“Excellent.”
I restrained my smile, then turned and walked across to Atticus. He was sitting near Monica, who was broken, bloody, and unconscious. There were several thick gouges down her arms and one across her stomach, the latter having sliced past her clothing into skin, but somehow not gutted her. The fact that theéan olchad gotten so close at all suggested that, despite the surge of magic I’d felt in the corridor, she hadn’t had time to fully construct a shield. What shehadmanaged to construct had undoubtedly saved her life.
I saved her life, Atticus said haughtily.Stupid witch would have been demon food otherwise.
I stand corrected.Forgive me.And in truth, the gently fading wisps of gold that still floated in the air did indeed speak of the power of his protective circle.
I accept your apologyand shall now go investigate the shadows, if they still exist.
I frowned. “What do you mean, if they still exist? Where would they go?”
He was retracting them.
“To where?”
I know not.Atticus paused.He might claim to be a canvas of no color, but he is nevertheless powerful.
He rose and walked away, the tip of his mangy tail flicking ever so slightly. Curiosity more than concern, which was at least comforting.
I returned my attention to Monica and pressed a couple of fingers against her neck; her pulse was rapid and a little thready, but I didn’t think she was in immediate danger of dying.
“She alive?” Ginny asked.
“Yep.” I tapped the earwig, informed Betty we had prisoners needing to be transported for questioning, then asked for an ambulance and a forensic team to be sent here. I wasn’t sure if the latter would find anything, or even if any of the shadows would still be here by the time they arrived, but it was better to be safe than sorry. And this place did belong to Luke, so there might be something here we could use to track him down.
I cast a quick spell to stop Monica from moving, then rose and went into the bathroom, looking for any sort of first aid kit. I didn’t find one, but I did find bandages, medical tape, and a clean towel. After washing my hands, I grabbed all three and applied them to her wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding, holding the towel in place against her stomach with another press of magic. Then I rose and walked back to our prisoner.
“Hey, where’s my care?” he said bluntly. “I’m bleeding to death here, you know?”
“I doubt you’re bleeding to death, and in terms of ‘fucks to give,’ I have none where you are concerned.” I stopped beside Ginny and crossed my arms. “Who sent you here?”
“I can’t tell you that—she’ll kill me.”
She. Not Luke or Orion, then, but maybe Lanie. “Hate to tell you this, but you were sent here to be fodder for a demon. You actually owe us your life.”
He frowned. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
I raised my eyebrows. “You didn’t see a black bird the size of a man with fierce ebony claws attacking Monica?”
“No.” His disbelief was evident. “I saw the witch fighting some shadows for a few minutes before she fell down all bloody and whatnot, then you came in.”
