“Downstairs,” he said, gesturing with his cocktail. “Maybe in recording studio.”
My feet were even colder on the paving stones that led down to the converted dungeons, but I knew once I found Austin, just being near him would make me feel warmer. The recording studio was empty except for Stan, the drummer, who was practicing an intricate Latin beat. Shivering now, I checked the other rooms, hoping to find Austin. Maybe he’d carry me and my cold feet up the stairs.
I was about to turn back when I heard voices coming from the direction of the lab.
“Yes, we could introduce that protein to the serum, but I’m not sure it would help,” Dr. Lyndon said. “The replication is happening too rapidly.”
“We have to stop it,” Austin said sharply. “I can’t let her go through this. She’s desperate not to change and that desperation could be more dangerous than the curse.”
“The real curse is this super hearing,” I muttered. I leaned against the wall, listening, not sure if I should say hello or run back upstairs.
“I’ll help you,” Austin said. “Take my blood, take whatever you need.”
Dr. Lyndon didn’t say anything. I could hear her moving around the lab, though.
“I’m begging you,” he said, his voice ragged. “Whatever I can do. Please let me do it. I love her and I can’t let anything happen to her.”
I steadied myself against the wall. He loved me? He’d never said the words to me, though I’d guessed he’d felt that way.
“Please, Austin,” the doctor said, her voice kind. “It’s no use to her if you’re not strong right now. I’ll keep working on the serum and until then, you’ve got to keep her spirits up. Distract her – distract yourself. Try to keep a positive attitude about this. I know it’s hard.”
“I’d do anything... I don’t want her to suffer as I have. Nor do I intend to watch her suffer.”
My heart sank lower in my chest and I backed away down the hall, leaving Austin to his work in the lab. I didn’t want to hear anymore. I couldn’t take the self-hatred in Austin’s tone, or the thought that I’d be something he hated soon, too. I needed to get to a cure, one way or another.
Chapter Six
THERE WAS a knock on my door early the next morning. Without waiting for a reply, Boris turned the knob and leaned his large frame into my room. His teeth glimmered in the pale light.
“Little pup!” he called. “Come downstairs at once. Put on training clothes.”
I sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up over my skimpy sleep outfit. “Sorry, why am I getting up?”
“Wolf lesson.”
“Oh, well... I don’t think that was a real thing because–”
He slammed the door, ending my protest.
Fine, if I was going to become something horrible or hated by my beautiful boyfriend, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to pick up a few tips. I had no idea what would they actually teach me: how to pounce on a deer? Track wildebeests through the savannah? Hopefully they’d cover camouflaging a transformation. I mean, where would I go to have wolf time if I ever got back to Beverly Hills? It wasn’t like I could just duck into a changing room at Barney’s and exit as a growling menace.
Sighing, I threw some clothes to work out in – a sweatshirt and some of Eva’s sparkle-butt yoga pants – and after splashing some water on my face, I headed downstairs. My stomach was growling violently as I reached the last step, but then the heavenly smell of pancakes and bacon hit me. Cook was sure talented at making the scents waft through this castle. I smiled, quickening my pace to the kitchen.
“No, no, no.” Fuzz stood in my path, his broad arms stretched across the arched doorway. “First we work out. Then we have a bite.”
“You’re my trainer?”
He moved out of the doorway and rolled up the sleeves of his Manchester United football jersey. “Indeed? Who better to show you the Lycan way?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Follow me.” In his tennis shoes and sweatpants, Fuzz didn’t look like a rock star. If he was about to pull a Mr Miyagi-style wax-on, wax-off thing, it was going to be hard not to burst out laughing.
Turning a few corners, Fuzz led me through a side door and into a large room with mirrored walls and a ballet barre at one end. A giant chandelier glittered overhead, and tumbling mats partially covered the parquet wood floor. “I remodeled this ballroom for Eva to use for her choreography practice,” he explained. “Though you see there are workout machines here as well, should you want to do something dreadful like run on a treadmill.” He moved toward a hanging punching bag and a wall of boxing equipment and took a seat on a small stool. “So, let’s hear what you know first.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“Bollocks.” Fuzz gave me a toothy smile. “Just tell me what you’ve experienced so far.”
“Um... I can smell things.”
“Right! There we go. What else?”
“And my ears are almost bionic. I can hear things from around corners, down halls. I’ve heard a rabbit twitching in the brush,” I said, shivering from that memory of the awful chase in the snow a week earlier. “Also, I’m rocking these gnarly things.” I wiggled out from my shoes and showed Fuzz my toenails.
He clapped his hands with delight. “Yes! A good sign, my girl. That happened to Violetta, Austin’s mother, a few days before the change.”
“I don’t think that’s anything to celebrate. They’re going to scare away any manicurist with good eyesight. Please explain to me how I’m going to get a pedicure with nails like that.”
Fuzz got up from the stool. “Attack me.”
I stared at him. “Why would I do that for a pedicure?”
“Dear girl, I’m not playing games. Attack me!” he growled. “I want to see what I’m working with. I need to see your skills.”
“I’m not going to attack anything.”
“When you’re a wolf you most certainly will, my dear. You’ll need to attack to feed. Come on then – attack me. Or should I say, attempt to attack me.”
“No way.”
Fuzz’s voice was a low growl. “Do it.”
“I’m not going to attack you,” I said. “This is dumb.”
“This is for your own good. You need some tactics.” Fuzz grinned in that now-annoying way of his. “Attack me. Give me your weak-as-a-kitten attempt at catching prey.”
“Weak?”
“I certainly don’t see any strength being displayed before me at the moment. I see fear. I see weakness.”
My toenails ground into the mat. I could hear little ripping sounds. “I’ve never been called weak.”
His smile widened. “Well, then.” He curled up his fingers, beckoning me. “Let’s see your strength.”
“Rawrrrrr!” I lunged toward him, but he moved back and I fell in a total face-plant on the squishy floor mat. In my defense, he was over six feet tall and obviously very agile for an old rocker dude.
“Rawrrrrr?” Fuzz giggled and scratched at his beard. “Very cute, kitten.”
I bounced up to my feet in a move I’d never tried before but once saw in a kung fu movie. “Don’t call me kitten! I am not a kitten!”
“So you say,” Fuzz said, cracking his hairy knuckles. “I’ve yet to see the tiger.”
I flew at him, springing from my feet toward his torso. Before I could grab him, though, Fuzz leapt back about three feet. It was face-plant city for me. This time, I didn’t get up quickly. I lay there, inhaling the plastic scent of the ripped mat under my nose.
“Pretty fast for an old bloke, wouldn’t you say?” Fuzz knelt beside me, his hand on my shoulder. “Need some help getting up?”
I exhaled deeply and then sat up all in one motion, flipping Fuzz to his back, somehow. I held him there, my palms pressing against his thick shoulders. “Never call me weak again.”
Fuzz smiled in delight. “Well done.”
I didn’t smile back. I released him and got up from the mat. If this was training
, I was so over it.
“Vertical leaps now,” Fuzz said. “Very helpful for catching prey in trees.”
“You mean birds?”
Fuzz stood up, dusting off his backside. “All types of prey hide in trees. Mountain lions, monkeys, opossums, squirrels.”
“Great. Next time I need to catch a monkey, I’ll be set.”
Fuzz ignored my sour face and took a place in the center of the floor. “Watch me. I’ll show you how to get the most lift.” He dropped to a squat and put his hands on the ground. “One, two, three!” Like a cat, Fuzz launched himself into the air, flying about six feet up and then returning to his squat for a precise landing.
I braced myself against the mirror behind me, shocked at the power I’d just seen displayed.
“Not too shabby, eh?” Fuzz gave a little cough. “I’m certain you’ll get even greater height.”
“Oh, dear, what is this?” Eva entered the ballroom gym with her hands on her hips. “What are you subjecting this poor girl to?”
Fuzz rose to his feet, rubbing his knees. “Training. We can’t let Shelby loose on the world with no knowledge of what her wolf could do.”
“It’s natural,” Eva said, shaking her head. “Her wolf will know what to do when the time is right.”
Fuzz frowned down at the petite popstar. “I suppose you’d like to take over the training? Is that why you’re here?”
“No, I’d like to take Shelby into town.”
“That,” Fuzz said, “is out of the question.”
“We’ll have Boris drive us,” Eva said. “We’ll be completely safe.”
“I hate to bring this up,” I said, “but what about the flyer from the bad guys? Obviously someone was trying to scare me and Austin yesterday. Are the Seven Horsemen hanging around town?”
Eva rolled her eyes. “Any idiot could have put that on the car. It’s not like the history of this castle being owned by werewolf royalty isn’t public knowledge. They were probably playing a joke.”
She was serious, like she actually wasn’t worried at all that a ring of werewolf killers could be onto us, or onto an about-to-be-howling me. Maybe that meant I shouldn’t be so worried either. I did have bigger personal problems at the moment.
Fuzz scratched at his goatee beard. “I don’t like the idea of you girls out in the open.”
“Of course you don’t,” Eva said, wrapping an arm around him. “You’re such a good protector, but in this case, you’ve nothing to worry about, I promise. We’ll have Boris with us.”
I watched Eva’s mouth turn into a pout as she blinked up at Fuzz, working her charms.
His expression softened. “Well...”
“Please? Tonight is Christmas Eve. I’m assuming Shelby hasn’t had time to buy any presents.”
“Ah, well. It seems you’re right about that,” Fuzz said, shrugging. “I’d almost forgotten. I must tell Cook to prepare a pudding and a roast.”
“Already done,” Eva said with a wide smile. “I spoke to her last night. She’s even preparing a special vamp cocktail with cranberries and type O.”
I didn’t know if that was supposed to be a joke or not, but I couldn’t help giggling a little. “If you think it’s safe, I would like to buy Austin something.”
“Oh, girls.” Fuzz gave a long sigh. “You melt my defenses all too easily. Only a quick trip, yes? You’re to stay with Boris at all times. And Shelby, it’s imperative you eat properly before you leave. Austin told me what happened in the restaurant. We can’t have the residents of Muldrazny gossiping and in a panic.”
Eva pranced over and planted a kiss on Fuzz’s scruffy face. “You are the best.”
After I gobbled down four waffles and a plate of bacon, Eva summoned a very grumpy Boris and our road trip was on.
***
“The blue one is better,” Eva said, shaking her head at the dress in my hands.
Boris looked at his watch and frowned. We’d been up and down the main street, poking around in shops, looking for presents, but now we were in Eva’s favorite boutique. She insisted we both needed new dresses for Christmas Eve and wouldn’t let Boris shut our mission down.
“I think turquoise would be very flattering on you.” Eva said, her voice insistent. “Please try it on. I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Fine.” I took the dress from the rack and stepped into the changing room. To my surprise, Eva followed me in.
“I can probably get the zipper myself,” I said.
“No,” she whispered. “You must get to the Muldrazny Inn next door and try to find the stolen book with the map,” Eva whispered.
The inn – the book! I’d almost given up hope of that fantasy.
“You pretend to try on the dress,” she continued. “I will distract Boris long enough for you to sneak out of the shop.”
“Um... ditching the bodyguard while there is a group of scary guys who want to kill us sounds like a really bad idea,” I whispered back.
“Permanently joining a wolf pack – becoming an alpha female someday – seems like a better one?” Eva regarded me with a pointed look. “You really wish to be a wild animal like one of us?”
“No, but–”
“You only have this one chance,” Eva said, her voice steely. “One chance I never had. You will be fine. The inn is only a few doors down.”
“You’re really not worried about the Horsemen?”
“Someone played a joke. That is not proof of anything.”
I took a deep breath, considering what to do. Austin had said to not to believe everything Eva said, but she did seem like she was trying to help me. Maybe my first impression of her had been off the mark. And if there was a cure shouldn’t I go for it?
“You will not even try? You do not want to save yourself?” Eva’s eyes darkened, like she was remembering a painful past. I felt a little uncomfortable, seeing the raw emotion in her expression.
“Of course I want to try,” I replied slowly. “Tell me again what the book looks like.”
“I knew you would be brave.” Eva nodded at me. “The book is a large one with red leather. It has gold writing on the how-do-you-say-it?” Eva made a motion with her hand.
“Oh, the spine. Gotcha. Does it have a title?”
“Do you read Muldanian?” Eva quirked an eyebrow at me. “There is a picture of a wolf on the cover of the book. That will be your clue.” She poked her head out of the curtain and then turned back to me. “Boris is looking at some ties in the men’s section. Wait a moment and then go.”
She slipped out of the changing room into the shop. I heard her saying something to Boris. When I peered out at them, Eva was leading him toward a display of winter hats and making him watch her try them on. First she put on a big furry number with ear flaps. Boris shook his head, almost in disgust. Next she grabbed a floppy sun hat.
Meanwhile, I left the dress on the hanger in the changing room and sneaked out into the store, grabbing my backpack from the chair. Carefully, I slid out the door, hoping there wasn’t a bell overhead. It was cold outside, but I didn’t have to go far. There was a big sign with the inn’s logo only yards away.
Entering, I found myself in a small lobby with an unattended reception desk. To the left there was a parlor with a fireplace, though no logs were ablaze. A green garland decorated the mantle, filling the place with the scent of pine. A long hallway stretched out to the right with a series of doors and a set of steep stairs at its end.
“Hello?” I called out quietly.
There wasn’t any answer, so I headed down the hallway looking for the library. Behind door number one, I found a breakfast room with small lace covered tables and a small buffet with empty pitchers and ceramic platters. I paused, sure I was hearing the sound of footsteps, though I wasn’t sure how far away they were.
Hurrying out of that room, I ducked into room number two. Inside, there were several large bookcases, two small couches, and walls filled with black and white pictures of mustachioed m
en who must have been the ancestors of someone. My heart pounded in my chest when I saw a tiny insignia near the bottom of one photo – the shield and sword crest of The Seven Horsemen! I shivered, studying the old guys as they posed in front of the Castle Muldrazny. They, the killers of people who took the form of wolves through no fault of their own, had lived in the very same stone palace we occupied. Super creepy.
There was a rustling not far off and the sound of a match struck against brick, then the crackle of tinder taking flame. Someone was at the fireplace in the parlor.
Forcing my heartbeat to slow a little, I scanned the shelves. Red book, where are you? One shelf seemed to have ten different red books, all of them with gold writing on the spine. I wiggled the first one out and opened it, releasing a cloud of dust. I stifled a sneeze and flipped through the pages. It was old, all right – but there were no pictures. I guessed it was some kind of history text, because I could make out dates amongst all the Muldanian type.
I put that one back and grabbed the next. This one had some illustrations, but they were all of trains and railways. I closed it carefully, trying to contain the mustiness, which was having its way with my twitching nose, and slid it back onto the shelf.
From the other room, I heard a little whoosh as a log caught flame and then a thunk as another log was added to the blaze. This fire builder person was going to be done soon.
Heart racing a little, I took the next red book from the shelf. This one had a gold wolf embossed on the cover. Yes! This could be the one.
I flipped through until I came to a section of maps. On one page I saw Castle Muldrazny with a dotted trail that led up to the hills. At trail’s end, a little illustration of a fountain stood next to a tiny X. I was so happy to see that map, I almost squealed, but instead I sneezed.
“Hello?” A guy’s voice sounded from the other room.
Quickly, I slid the book into my backpack and spread out the remaining volumes on the shelf so it looked like nothing was missing. I zipped the bag closed as quietly as I could and then moved to the doorway.
The voice called out again, this time saying some phrase I didn’t understand, probably “Who’s there?” in Muldanian.
Always in Shadow: A Novella (Never Cry Werewolf) Page 6
