Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

We tramped up the steps and Fyson fluttered ahead of us.

Edouard kept his eyes on Ben as he nodded at Ben's hand. "That is a very unique fire you have there, Count Castle. I had no idea you were even gifted with such a flame ability."

Ben grinned at him. "I'm full of surprises."

I gladly breathed in the cool air of the drafty old house and relished the open air after the dark hollow tucked underneath the house. However, a sudden squawk from our vanished feathered friend made me jump.

"Fysan!" Dreda shouted as she raced ahead toward the front of the house.

We followed her and soon caught up to Dreda in one of the front rooms. She had stopped in her tracks because a thick carpet of fog covered the floor. Cal flung up his arms and his wind blasted away the mist. His magic revealed the prone body of Fysan who lay on the floor where the mist had dragged him.

A horrified gasp escaped Dreda before she rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside her bird companion. She grasped his shoulders and gave him a shake. "Fysan! Fysan, say something!"

The owl's eyes fluttered open and instinct ordered him to thrash his wings about. "The mist! The mist!" he shouted as Dreda pinned him to the floor. "Off, damn thing! Off, I say!"

"Fysan, it's me!" Dreda shouted before she slapped the side of his fluffy face.

That did the trick. Fysan blinked at her in a hooty fashion before his eyes grew large. "My Lady! My sincerest apologies!"

Debra shook her head as she helped him climb to his claws. "It' wasn't your fault. One of the windows must have been opened."

I furrowed my brow. "But we checked all of them on the first floor. They were shut."

"Then we must check the other floors," Dreda insisted as she lifted Fysan into her arms and marched toward the front of the house.

We hurried after her but none of us made it to the second floor. Instead, we were met with a low wall of fog in the entrance hall. The mist had entered the house through the front door that now stood wide open.

Cal pushed the mist back outside and strode over to the door. I followed him as he grasped the door and peered into the darkness that still covered the area. The thunder we had heard earlier now boomed overhead. The windows rattled and the sky was shattered by flashes of brilliant lightning. The light provided by the fury of Mother Nature and whatever curse was upon us illuminated the courtyard, now cleared of fog by Cal.

A figure stood in the center of the clearing and faced the house. My heart gave a leap when I recognized the pale, burnt face that belonged to Werd. He stood as still as a statue with his unblinking eyes staring at us.

"Werd?" Dreda called out as she pushed past us and hurried onto the stone path. "Werd!"

"Wait!" I shouted as I rushed after her.

I caught her near the end of the trail just as a dozen shadows leapt out of the woods. Their gnashing, lengthened snouts and glowing yellow eyes gave me a hint as to the identity of our attackers. The werewolves hit the ground running on all fours as they raced toward us with their fur blowing in the wind.

One of them barreled toward us with his hideous eyes focused on me. He didn't make it as the shadow of Ben slammed into his side, sending the werewolf tumbling head over tail across the driveway.

Ben stood between me and my foe and his hands flexed at his sides. I grabbed his sleeve and gave it a tug. "Ben! Not here! Edouard-"

Edouard was the least of our worries as the werewolves circled in closer to us. The emperor and his entourage hurried to our sides just as the werewolves lunged forward with talons splayed out. Cal blasted out a gust of air that knocked a few of the wolves about, but some of the beast men clung to the ground and reached our position. Edouard drew his sword and Ben revealed his talons.

The sight of the claws made Edouard's mouth hang open. The commander snapped his jaws shut and glared at Ben. "You! You're-"

"No time for accusations, Commander!" Cal scolded him as he dodged a blow by a heavy werewolf.

Edouard scowled but leapt into the fray. Even Fysan flew out of the house and latched his talons onto the head of one of the wolves, sending the creature quipping off into the woods.

In the fray, I didn't notice the pale shadow creep up on me as silent as a ghost. That is, until their cold hands gripped my wrists from behind and wrenched my arms behind my back. My back was pressed against the cold chest that belonged to Werd and his heavy breathing wafted over my ear.

"I. . .I'm so sorry," he whispered even as I felt the life energy be drained out of me.

"Werd!" The shout came from Dreda as she vaulted over a fallen werewolf and landed a few feet away. Her pained eyes searched Werd's face. "Whatever has a hold of you, you can fight it, Werd! Fight it!"

The magic that drained my life force paused and my captor froze. His hands shook and his breathing became more ragged.

"That's it, Werd!" Dreda encouraged as she opened her arms and took a step toward us. "Please, my love. Please come back to me."

Werd jerked back and released me. I stumbled forward into the waiting arms of Cal as Dreda flew past us. She caught Werd as he crumpled to the ground and lay him in her lap.

Cal had a bittersweet smile on his lips as he watched them. "She found her fairy tale ending, after all."

I envied their happiness as the battle raged on around them. Four werewolves lunged at us and Cal threw up his arms on either side of him. Waves of air blasted outward and struck our attackers in the stomach, knocking them backward several yards. One of the unharmed wolves swiped his claw at me. I raised my left arm and he sliced through the canister. Apparently, Hantverk's work could withstand practically anything as the claws failed to slice open the leather. The straps on the front, however, were less sturdy and were cut through.

The flute slid out but I managed to catch it in my other hand. The werewolf took another swipe at me but I grasped the flute in both hands and swung it like a bat. Much was my joy when the flute extended into its broom form and the hard handle hit the unprepared werewolf on the side of his face. The force spun the wolf in a circle before he crumpled to the ground in a heap of wet fur.

The torrential downpour didn't stop our foes from putting up a good fight, and we were hard-pressed to fend off so many. I couldn't help but notice that they were all very burly and especially hairy. My observations would have to wait, however, when another four rushed us.

I slipped the broom between my legs and caught Cal's eyes. "Hop on!"

He flung away two of our enemies before he hopped on behind me. I pulled the broom up and flew us far out of reach of the wolves, though they hopped their best to catch hold of the broomstick. Unfortunately, one of them managed to throw a rock at the bundle of sticks at the rear and the force of the blow knocked us in a tailspin. Our high altitude meant we were flung away into the trees.

I tried my best to pull up, but in my panic and inexperience I must have touched the gas pedal because we rocketed forward through the trees.

"Stop, you stupid broom!" I shouted as I throttled the handle. "Stop!"

The broom did as commanded but so abruptly that Cal and I were flung over the handle. We crashed into the brush and I struck a tree. Cal fell somewhere around me, but I was so dazed I couldn't see straight.

A shadow fell over me and a pair of golden eyes stared out from the shadows. That was the last I knew before I lost consciousness.