A thump sounded above me. I started, then strained to listen, but heard nothing. Even the killing room had gone quiet. Another thud, definitely overhead.
Jeremy would have cleared the upper levels, but did that mean they were still clear? Two group members had apparently skipped the emergency meeting. Or were they just late?
A board creaked. I glanced at the door, but my watch said I had eight minutes to go, and I wasn't opening it one second sooner. Nor was I going to cower here and wait to be discovered by an intruder.
I was in the small TV room, the door to the killing room normally hidden behind a wall hanging. I looked around for a potential weapon. A book? A lamp? A picture? I was about to laugh at the last, when I stopped. Picture. Picture frame. Glass.
I grabbed an old eight-by-ten sepia photograph from the shelf and smashed it against the television cabinet. As I reached for the biggest shard, I saw my bare hand. I yanked off my shoe, removed my sock, then put my shoe back on… and the sock on my hand. It looked ridiculous, but it was better than sliced fingertips. I picked up the shard with my 'gloved' hand, then started for the hall.
I was almost at the top of the steps when I heard another soft thump. I pinpointed the direction and followed, creeping through the kitchen toward what looked like a living room. As I edged along the kitchen cabinets, a blur flew across the doorway.
I backpedaled. Another thump. Then something moved by the base of the doorway. A fat calico tabby peered out. The cat looked at me, then at the glass in my hand.
Great. The one time I'm prepared-weapon and all-and my opponent is an overfed house cat.
As I turned to head back, the doorway darkened.
'Hello, Jaime.'
May stood at the top of the stairs.
How-? I pictured the half-open door. When I'd counted heads, I hadn't checked for May, presuming she was still unconscious on the floor.
Apparently I hadn't been the only one who'd taken advantage of the cacophony to escape.
She spoke again, but her next words made no sense. I struggled to understand, then realized they weren't in English. A spell. As I tensed, ready to dive out of the spell's path, I felt a sharp edge biting into my fingertips. The glass!
I ran at May, my hand raised. Her brows knitted, the spell dying in her throat as she stared in bewilderment at the sock sailing toward her. Then her eyes went wide, seeing the glass. Too late. I slashed and laid open her cheek. Blood sprayed. She stumbled back. I kicked, hoping to knock her down the stairs, but my aim was off.
May lunged at me. I swung the glass again, but this time only caught the side of her blouse. The glass snagged and flew from my fingers. As May veered toward me, the glass fell onto a throw rug.
I dove for it, but May cast a spell and something hit me, like in the garden, knocking me sideways. As I regained my balance, May caught me by the back of the shirt. I twisted sharply and pulled free.
I scrambled for the glass shard. She hit me with another spell, this one knocking the wind from my lungs. I blacked out for a split second, then came to as May grabbed my shirt again, yanking me off balance.
'I'm not going to hurt you, Jaime,' she said.
'Just kidnap me, right?' I wriggled in her grasp, not fighting, just getting my footing. 'Well, you know what? I'm a little tired of being kidnapped.'
I swung my fist and hit her square in the jaw. As she released me, I dove for the glass. My fingers wrapped around it and I was turning, flying back to my feet when a shape passed to my left. I wheeled to. see Eve holding what looked like… a sword. A very big sword.
I shook off my surprise and dove at May, shard raised, aiming for her throat. But Eve's sword was in flight, sailing toward May, whose gaze was fixed on me, lips drawn back, pushing to her feet. Before I could reach her, the sword cleaved through her torso. She reeled, mouth working as she clutched the left side of her chest.
She tottered. Then she collapsed.
There was no blood. No mark on her body. Yet she didn't move.
'Is she…?'
'She better be,' Eve said. 'Or this baby needs a recharge.'
I struggled from the cloud of shock and turned to Eve. 'I didn't need to be rescued.'
'Sorry, but my sword outranks your…' she glanced at my hand, 'sock puppet.'
'It's a glass shard,' I said, lifting it.
Her lips twitched. 'Ah.' A pause and she sobered. 'You're right, Jaime. You had her, and maybe I should have let you take her down, but this?' She lifted the sword. 'Less messy. In more ways than one.'
She lay down the weapon as May's spirit began to separate from her body.
I stared at the sword. It was at least four feet long and inscribed with symbols. As the metal glowed, I remembered stories my Nan had told me of necromancers at executions or deaths of criminals, seeing spirits bearing glowing swords, come to claim the souls. The Sword of Judgment. Not a weapon wielded by just any ghost.
'You're a-an-' I couldn't get the word out. 'The job you do for the Fates. You're an… angel?'
'Maybe.' She winked. 'Or maybe I just swiped the sword.'
She grabbed May's silent spirit by the shoulders, yanked her free and disappeared.
I stood there, staring at the spot where they'd vanished. Then I heard a thump. I glanced toward the living room, expecting to see the cat again. The noise came again, from downstairs, I was late for an appointment.
THE KILLING room was remarkably clean. I guess I should have known that. Jeremy and Karl didn't need to Change into wolves. Part of being such efficient killers was knowing how to kill efficiently.
Four bodies lay in the room, all with broken necks. The only blood came from Karl's nose. Elbowed in the melee. He gave Jeremy a few seconds to examine it, then hurried to Hope.
Once Jeremy discovered May was dead, and I was fine, it was time to consider body disposal. He knew more about crime-scene cleanup than anyone should. He'd said before that it was a necessary 'skill' for the Alpha-when he sent Clayton and Elena to stop a man-killing mutt, they often had to clean up. As Alpha, though, he would only need to teach the skills. Yet watching him that day, I remembered what he'd said about having to cover his father's kills.
Whatever my mother had done to me, it paled in comparison to that.
BEFORE THEY removed the bodies, Jeremy checked on Hope too. As I waited in the hall, Eve returned with Kristof.
'Got a couple of bodies for us to look after too, I see,' she said.
She waved through the doorway into the TV room, where Brendan and Murray waited, quiet, lost in their thoughts. I explained. When I finished, I headed over to Brendan.
'Ready to go?' I asked.
'I-' He blinked, dazed, as if the fact of his death was only hitting him now, after he'd escaped the room where he'd died. 'I guess so.'
'I'll take him,' Kristof said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He walked to the young man, his hand outstretched. 'Brendan, isn't it?'
He shook Kristof's hand. 'Y-yes, sir.'
'Kristof.' He put his arm around the boy's shoulders and led him from the room. 'Is there anyplace you'd like to visit before we go, Brendan?'
Their voices faded as they headed up the stairs. Eve walked to Murray, who sprang off the sofa.
'There are some places I'd like to visit,' he said. 'See my wife one last time and-'
'You should have thought of that before you butchered six kids,' Eve said. 'Judgment awaits, and it's getting impatient.'
'B-but I helped you guys. Ask-'
He tried to turn toward me, but Eve grabbed his arm.
'Take it up with the Fates.'
As they disappeared, Jeremy stepped into the room. 'Jaime? Time to go.'
