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“Lot of fucking ferals around,” Denny growled beneath his breath.
He’d been sniffing the air ever since we emerged from the catacombs and found ourselves on the grounds behind Du Pont manor. The reporter’s guidance had led us true. The tunnel had been a little damp, but apart from getting our boots a bit wet, we’d had no trouble at all.
“You can smell the difference?” I whispered back.
“It’s nuanced—but yeah, a little. A true feral has a pretty strong stink to them. Heightened hormones, maybe, or something else to try and warn others away.” He breathed in through his nose again, deeper this time. “These here aren’t all the way gone, I don’t think, but there’s still something off about their scent chemistry. They’ve got a bit of a skunky odor, like something that’s not quite rotten yet, but it’s well on its way.”
We stuck to cover, keeping low and creeping behind hedges, stone walls—anything that would keep us out of view.
The grounds were full of tents and campfires, with large clusters of shifters hanging around. They were all dressed in ragged or mismatched clothing. Most were skinny and small. As we drew closer, we realized why.
“Teenagers,” Denny whispered. “God, some of these are just kids.”
“Is that where the feral stink is coming from?”
He swallowed, then nodded as two girls walked past us, passing a bottle wrapped in a paper bag between them. They couldn’t have been much older than Denny’s nephew back in Vegas. Both had a haunted look in their eyes, like they weren’t entirely there.
“Quincy figured it out, then.” Dread twisted in my gut. “He’s making ferals. Out ofkids.”
Just when I thought he couldn’t stoop any lower than he already had, that fucker had found a fucking basement.
Was this what he and Samuel wanted Ryder for? Were they planning on doing this to my son as well?
“Come on,” Denny said, straightening. “None of them are gonna stop us. Let’s head inside.”
“You sure about that?”
“Look at ’em, Miller,” Denny scoffed as one of the girls stumbled. Her friend didn’t even try to catch her, just stopped and waited until the first girl had righted herself, then they continued on. “They look like homeless teenagers—and from the smell of things, someone’s been plying them with wine. They’re in no state to be stopping anyone from doing anything. Just look like you’re meant to be here. We’ll be fine.”
Denny strode toward the house. No one seemed to even notice he was there.
I swallowed hard and followed him.
With our scents masked, and only a horde of the cursed and inebriated to guard the manor’s grounds, we managed to walk right in.
Inside the mansion, I expected we’d go right back to crouching and sneaking. We didn’t. The door we came through led us into the kitchens, where a dozen haggard-looking human servants were diligently scraping, washing, and drying a mess of dirty dishes. They glanced at us as we entered. Each bowed or curtsied, before quickly returning to their work.
“This is too easy,” I murmured to Denny, my heart pounding in my throat. “Why isn’t anyone stopping us?”
“If you think your defenses are impenetrable, there’s no reason anyone would be inside who isn’t meant to be,” Denny replied. “Plus, this isn’t just a mansion anymore. It’s a war camp. I bet they’ve got strange shifters coming in and out of here all the time.”
“So, we just…what? Stroll on in, grab Ryder, and run?”
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Denny said, still far too nonchalant for my liking. This man has nerves of fucking steel. “Come on. Let’s see if it works.”
Just off the kitchen, there was a narrow stairway. I never thought I’d say it, but I was glad Felicity had made me watch Downton Abbey with her so many times.
“Servants’ staircase,” I told Denny. “This should lead up to the rooms.”
He nodded, and we mounted the stairs. Each step was so short, half my foot hung off of each board as we ascended.
At the top of the stairs, we found a long, wide hallway that reminded me of the one at Morrow Manor. Doors lined either side of it, until the wall to the right gave way to a larger set of stairs.
If there was a nursery anywhere in this mansion, this would be the most likely location.
I looked to Denny. He was sniffing the air again. With a finger pressed to his lips, he gave me a single nod.
He had Ryder’s scent. Melony hadn’t misled us.
