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She’s so elegant. Years of conditioning in a royal setting have influenced her, whether she realizes it or not, and she’s far more graceful than any average human. The way she sits with her back straight. How she silently sips her water from the teacup. The way she dabs at the corners of her mouth with her napkin after every juicy bite of the apple.
Just as she’s whittled the fruit down to the core, some thuds reverberate through the building. Then there’s a louder bang.
The lycans just got through the entrance, and seconds later, I hear faint scratching sounds—claws on the marble floor in the foyer as they scamper to the stairs.
They’ll be up on the fourth floor within a couple minutes.
“They’re here,” I whisper, making a beeline for Ro while putting a hushing finger up to my lips.
With alertness, she stands from the table.
I decide to leave the scraps of her lunch behind. I don’t collect the dishes, and I toss the apple core toward the door. It slides across the floor, drawing a juicy trail in the dust. Hopefully, the morsel will distract the beasts and cause a fight amongst the pack.
The more chaos, the better. I want the lycans to be absolutely belligerent with rage, confusion, and hunger.
Grabbing Ro’s hand, I pull her away from the table, and we head for the back of the library.
The floorplan is like a T, and several rows of bookcases fill the offshoots to the right and to the left as we near the rear. Those stacks will work well for my battle plan. I can weave between them and use them as blockades.
We’re a few feet away from the balcony doors when I come to an abrupt stop. Ro halts, too, and she sees what I see.
There’s a dagger sticking out of the wood at eye level, stabbed through a rolled-up scroll. The hilt of the weapon is shiny and dust-free, with intricate designs in the gold plating it, so I know it was planted here recently.
“It’s a note for us,” Ro says, though I’ve gathered as much.
I’m only hesitating because it could be a trick. However, I don’t have the luxury of caution. Snarls and growls are echoing from the hallway. Any second, the pack could burst into the library.
After quickly pulling the dagger out, I let it clatter to the floor, then I read from the scroll.
“My dear subjects.” My annoyed eyes meet Ro’s worried ones before I continue, “Do me a favor and kill these pests.The city has been overrun by lycans for a long time, and I would very much appreciate it if they could be exterminated.” I scoff. “He talks as if these monsters are simply a bug infestation I can stomp out with my feet.”
Ro fidgets nervously. “So the lycans are the next challenge?”
I unroll the paper more. “This is not the next challenge, but if you defeat the pack, I’ll give you peace for the rest of today and all of tonight. A much-needed rest for both of you.”
I hold in a string of profanities.
Armand is such a sneaky fucker. He’s using me to get rid of one of his problems, and the reward he’s dangling in front of me is too tempting to reject.
I won’t say no to an opportunity to give Ro a break from the constant threats. If I accomplish this feat, for a little while, she’ll be able to relax.
“What a prick!” Ro exclaims angrily. “We’re not doing any favors for that asshole.”
When I don’t share her opinion right away, she notes my conflicted silence.
“You’re not actually going to do it, right?” Feisty, she plants a hand on her hip and ogles me like she can’t even believe I’m considering it.
“I could go with my original plan,” I reply. “We could jump around the city and evade the lycans as I kill a few here and there, all while hoping we stumble across our next challenge so we can get away from here for good. Or… I could earn us a day of freedom, and the lycans won’t be an obstacle for us any longer.”
A loud thump from the other side of the door makes Ro jump. Soft, eerie scratches follow, along with some playful taps.
The creatures are taunting us. They could come in if they wanted, but they enjoy this part of the pursuit—cornering their prey before they strike.
Visibly mustering her courage, Ro takes a deep breath and says, “Then let me fight with you.”
When she delves into her pocket to retrieve her dagger, I throw open the balcony door. “Absolutely not.”
“You can’t take all of them on by yourself.”
