by Hunter, Troy
The young Adelbrecht’s brow furrows slightly and he sits up. It’s around this point, I feel, that Kenneth senses my sincere lack of faith.
“Eustace, think for a moment. You’ve seen his secret laboratory, flipped through pages of his ancient texts.” Kenneth then cups my face and stares holes through my eyes. “Tell me, Eustace. Do you recall seeing any research proposals stowed away? What of lab notes? Ingredient sheets? Do you recall seeing any of these things?”
I think for a moment before slowly shaking my head. “No. Then again, he was deranged. He could’ve hidden information somewhere no sane person would ever think to look.”
Kenneth claps his hands, naively optimistic. “There you go, then. Let’s go back to Elias’ secret laboratory and continue searching.”
I swallow hard and shake my head. While I have to admire Kenneth’s courage, I cannot say I feel the same. He wasn’t there all those years ago. He didn’t see the things I saw.
“We can’t do that, Kenneth.”
“Why the hell not, Eustace?” he snaps impatiently. “If my great-uncle is truly trapped within that rusty chapel, there’s absolutely nothing stopping us from looking.”
I cross my arms. “Oh, I don’t know? How about his servants?”
Kenneth blows air out through his lips. “What are the Norrises going to do? Tell their master?”
“Do you not think they have a way of enforcing rules around the estate? Don’t underestimate them, Kenneth. They may be artificial humans, but they know how to protect Elias’ secrets.”
“Yes, well, I know how to fight. I’m not afraid of monotone puppet people.” He scoots out from underneath me and gets to his feet. “Just think, Eustace. You can be rid of your curse and live as a regular human being again. The shifter life is not for everyone and that’s completely fine. Your humanity isn’t going to make me feel any differently about you.”
I bite my lip in frustration. “My humanity isn’t what’s concerning me, Kenneth.” It’s my turn to get to my feet. “Do you not remember what I said just a couple of hours ago? I said that Elias had formed magical fail-safes in case either of us should try to thwart his efforts. Regardless of what we do, one or both of us will die.” I fight back the tears creeping up on me. “The best thing we can do is stay here and do what we’ve been doing. You can teach me the ways of the lycan. Maybe I can learn to shift at will like you can. As long as we stay at Stagwood Grove and away from your great-uncle’s crypt, we’ll be just fine.”
Kenneth stares at me for a while, probably trying to comprehend the argument I’m attempting to get across to him. He might be a brilliant man but he’s as stubborn as a mule. And unfortunately, I can’t afford stubbornness in this situation. Neither of us can, for that matter.
“Eustace, look. We can’t stay here at Stagwood Grove, not when my great-uncle is still in control of everything. It might be easy to assume we’d be better off simply staying here and waiting things out, but I know my family. I know our history with the dark arts. If we stay here, I can promise you Elias will return regardless. He might be locked in that crypt but who locked him in there, Eustace? He did. Elias Adelbrecht used his own magic to seal himself away. The bloodline activated runes are simply a formality, he can escape any time he wishes.”
Kenneth steps up to me and takes my hands. “The old codger won’t wait forever, Eustace. If we don’t do something soon, then we may not be prepared for the day he does return.” He brings my hands up to his lips and kisses them. “And if you think for one second I’m just going to leave you here to die, then you have another think coming. I told you I was going to protect you and that’s precisely what I intend to do, goddammit!”
The tears silently roll down my cheeks. “Kenneth…why? You could just leave and live a happy life away from this madness. Y-You…you wouldn’t have to worry about the risk of dying.”
He tightens his grip on my hands. “If I allowed you to die, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Kenneth lets go of my left hand to wipe away my tears with his thumb. “When I first came to Stagwood Grove, I came here with the plan of never communicating with the outside world again. I thought I was through dealing with the fickle public. It was all the same in London, friends were giving it to others’ spouses, family was actively trying to throw their weight around, and lovers were only lovers when you had something to offer them. I was sick of it.” He gently pulls me toward him. “But then I met you, Eustace Bertram. You are, without a doubt, the most authentic human being I’ve ever met.” He pecks my lips. “You’re the one diamond in this world of coal. I’m not about to let you go.”
My heart skips a beat as I listen to Kenneth open his heart. I can honestly say that during these five months of knowing Kenneth Adelbrecht, he’s surprised me more than any other human being. All my expectations have been graciously shattered and I’m so, so glad for that. It might’ve taken seventy-five years for me to finally find true love, but at least I found it.
I want to tell Kenneth I love him.
I want to tell him I never want him to leave me.
But when the words try to come out, I feel my body pulsing, ready to shift once again.
The sunrise has arrived.
“Eustace, hold on.” Kenneth digs his fingers into my arms, trying to keep me from immediately turning. “Before you shift, I want you to do me a favor.”
I growl in acknowledgement but cannot respond further than that as my tell-tale howl forces itself out of my throat.
“I want you to promise me you’ll not give up. Alright? I want you to swear you’ll fight this oppressive tyrant with me. Promise me!”
I force my head to nod as I fall to my knees, already seeing the brown fur replacing my flesh.
* * *
Kenneth decided we were going to wait until the late evening to search through Elias’ laboratory. He hypothesized that the Norrises would be asleep by midnight, at the very earliest. “Once they’re in bed, you will lead me to the laboratory,” he plotted confidently. “Once we’re inside, I’ll search through as many of Elias’ belongings as I can while you keep an eye and ear out for the Norrises. To minimize the likelihood of being caught even more, I’ll bring a bag, so we can take his research with us to read when we’re out of danger. Does that sound like a plan to you, love?”
I barked twice and wagged my tail, my way of saying yes.
For the entire day, we pretend like nothing out of the ordinary was afoot. Kenneth returned indoors before the Norris family woke up and retired to his private study, concocting an excuse for Missus Norris, should she ask if he ever went to sleep last night. “Ah, yes. My apologies, Missus. I got a little carried away with my work last night. Could I trouble you for a cup of tea to help me wake up?”
Whenever he comes outdoors, we act as we always do. I follow him around while he surveys the landscape for a variety of different minerals he can analyze. As far as the time we had to ourselves, my returning wolf form sort of hindered any hope we had to continue enjoying our newly blossomed relationship to its fullest extent. Despite this obstacle, I stayed by Kenneth’s side every chance I could get. And, perhaps, I might’ve accidentally nuzzled against his hip on one or two occasions. There’s nothing against a hound showing his master a little affection every now and then, is there?
As soon as midnight hits, Kenneth immediately goes to check on the Norris family. Luckily, the three of them share the same quarters, which makes searching for them that much easier. Unfortunately, I can’t do too much while he completes this task. My job in infiltrating Elias’ secret laboratory is to simply be the seeker, as I do not have opposable thumbs.
Despite Kenneth’s confidence, I still worry. What if we get caught? What if the Norrises take extreme measures to ensure Kenneth and I remain separated? What if, by a large measure of horrible luck, Elias gets released from his crypt?
I keep telling myself I need to be brave.
I keep telling myself I need to trust Kenneth’s plan.
<
br /> Curse my neurotic nature!
Once Kenneth returns to let me inside the estate, we immediately put our plan into motion. “Alright, Eustace,” Kenneth greets in a whisper. “You know what to do.”
To avoid waking up the servants, I wag my tail and lift my paw.
“I’ve never been to Elias Adelbrecht’s secret laboratory, so I must admit I’m rather excited to see it.”
I lift myself up slightly and turn around, directing Kenneth toward the kitchens. He nods and follows me dutifully. Once we reach the kitchens, I sneak over toward the large pantry. I step slowly and easily to avoid my claws scraping along the tiled floor. As I make it to the door, I paw gently at it.
“Eustace, we don’t have time to eat. We’re busy.”
I look up at him and growl.
“Oh, fine.”
He opens the pantry door, revealing a massive supply of various sugars, flours, vegetables, and fruits, all categorized in alphabetical order. Missus Norris has always been very particular about her ingredients and cooking supplies, so I hope my next move doesn’t somehow set off some kind of alarm. I mean, it never has before, but you never know.
I sneak over toward the cucumbers, still trying to stay aware of all of mine and Kenneth’s sounds. I push a few cucumbers aside with my snout, which reveals the hidden switch for the basement. I step back and look at Kenneth, squinting at him over his stupid assumption.
He catches on and sighs. “I get it. I apologize”
I wag my tail in approval and reach my paw onto the shelf. I press the button, which automatically triggers a trapdoor just behind Kenneth. He turns around quickly and covers his mouth, obviously startled. I stare at the poor man for a moment, waiting to see if I’m going to have to comfort him.
Once he turns to face me, he notices the upward slant in my eyes. “It’s not funny, dammit! What if I were standing right there?”
Not able to say much due to my lack of human voice, I jerk my head toward the entrance, letting the big baby know we need to continue moving forward.
“Right. Let’s go.”
I step toward the trapdoor, which reveals a long, spiral staircase. Kenneth gasps into his palm, no doubt admiring the innovation of such a construction. “A hidden staircase. So this is where Elias hid the entrance. Clever demon, he was.”
I whine ever so slightly. No matter how many times I enter this lair, I still feel like I’m walking to my death.
Fifty years means nothing when the very room that changed your life is just within your reach.
Kenneth scratches my ear, sensing my nervousness. “Don’t worry. We’ll be away from this wretched estate before you know it.” I look up at him lovingly, wishing I could kiss him. You’d think I had my fill of Kenneth’s kisses already. But Kenneth Adelbrecht’s love was like the finest of spirits in that you can’t just settle for one glass. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of his taste.
I only hope he’ll never tire of mine.
Not willing to waste any more time, I lead Kenneth down the staircase. With as slow as I walk, the young Adelbrecht luckily seems to pick up on the hint that these old steps tend to echo when stepped on too hard or too quickly. That seems to be the biggest downside to infiltrating an ancient castle such as this. Despite the size, you can hear just about everything that happens. Did you drop a pen up in the observatory? Somebody probably heard it from the second-floor library. Did you accidentally drop your fork in the dining room? Don’t be surprised if the people trying to sleep upstairs heard it.
The trip down the staircase proves to be quite a mental drain on me I’m afraid. With each step bringing us closer, I begin to recollect the variety of horrors I’d experienced in that room. Every failed experiment Elias conducted meant another time he’d berate me for something I did to somehow foil his plans. For every experiment he wanted me to take part in, I can still feel the pains, aches, and nausea that accompanied them. These sensations only worsen as we get further down into the basement. My canine hearing quickly picks up the sound of the beakers crackling and bubbling. My heightened sense of smell allows me to pick up on the toxic scent of chemicals that were never meant to be consumed by humans, or any being, for that matter.
I suppose I should let those fears go now. They happened a long time ago, stopping completely once Elias locked himself away. Though I admit to fearing the possibility of having to experience these sensations again. I just have to trust Kenneth. I have to trust that he has control. If I cannot trust him, then I cannot trust anyone.
Once we enter the laboratory, the alpha reacts accordingly. “This is it. Great-Uncle Elias’s secret laboratory, I’ve finally found it.” The twenty-seven-year-old then speeds off into the damned lair of despair, picking up little bits and bobs off various surfaces and stroking his stubble when he sees something that catches his eye. Each time he visits a new corner, he makes the same comments.
“Interesting.”
“Oh, what’s this?”
“What’s that?”
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Oh, this is a dungeon cell.”
I roll my eyes at the loveable idiot and whine for his attention.
He looks at me and clears his throat. “R-Right. Right. We’re here for something specific.” He rubs his hands together and makes his way to the potion station. “Right then, I’ll search for Elias’ notes, Eustace. You keep a look out for anyone or anything that might try to stop us.”
I wag my tail and maintain my position at the entrance.
As I turn around to face the staircase, dread overwhelms my senses. We are in the belly of the beast. Even the slightest noise can prove to be our undoing. Kenneth is a man of science, I understand. He finds great intrigue in anything involving the obscure. He especially loves learning more information about his family, which is understandable, too. But I’m going to need him to be quick about gathering the research materials. My heart is beating so hard inside my small body that it feels like a creature is trapped inside and trying to escape. I guess, to be fair, there is something inside me trying to leave.
His name is Eustace Bertram.
“Right,” I hear Kenneth mutter to himself. “Let’s take everything that looks like valuable information and get out of here.”
My lycan hearing picks up the sound of fingertips tugging on fabric, which turns out to be Kenneth pulling an empty sack from his back pocket and airing it out. With the crinkle of old parchment, Kenneth begins searching through cabinets and drawers for information.
I recall being in his shoes at one point in time. I, too, had the blind hope that I was going to get myself out of this mess. I thought I was being clever in sneaking down here and looking around. But as it stood, I was wrong. Instead of finding a cure to my curse, I found out things I wasn’t supposed to know and once Elias found me, I found more pain.
I must admit, what I’d found out made me question my experiences quite a bit. If Elias already found what he was looking for, what were the other failed experiments? He always made out like he was trying to find the correct recipe for a potion that would grant me the ability to shift at will, as I was his faithful guinea pig. As amazing a concoction as that would’ve been, I seriously doubted Elias was that altruistic.
So that begs the question, what exactly was he doing? What was he trying to accomplish? Was he trying to find a way to make me stronger? Was he wanting me to be faster? Was he trying to recreate his old formula from back in his younger days, the one that made the King Canis?
I don’t understand any of this, but I need something to focus on, something to keep my mind off the impending doom.
Once the potion station is just about cleared, Kenneth moves on to the cabinets just beside it. He did this much to my dismay, as that meant more time stuck in this perpetual pit of evil. I want to tell him, “No, you idiot! There’s nothing in those cabinets that will help us. Elias stored old projects in there that he long since abandoned. Chances are that half of the projects in there
date back to before either of us were born.” But alas, I cannot say those words. So I instead settle on the combination of a whine and growl. Kenneth turns around to look at me with his arms up.
“What, Eustace? We have to look everywhere, lest we risk leaving with no new information.”
I heighten the volume of my growl, letting him know I do not approve of his answer.
“Eustace, do you want to be a wolf forever? If not, then I suggest you let me work.”
I tap my front feet impatiently.
“I promise I’ll make this up to you, love. Just, please. Calm down, breathe, and count to ten. Nobody is going to find us. Nobody is com…”
There’s a loud crashing noise from upstairs that catches both of our ears.
Damn you, Kenneth.
Curse you and your fetish for old things.
“Eustace, take this and hide.” He holds out his bag of notes and I sprint over.
As I approach him, another crash echoes from upstairs, this time much closer to the stairs. Somebody knows we’re here and they’re coming for us.
Fast.
I grab Kenneth’s bag and quickly hurry underneath the potion station. As I do, Kenneth scatters a few pages from within the cabinet on top of the station to cover up the fact that he stole pages of research. As he readies his position, a horrific sight catches my eye from the slit underneath the potion station. Rushing down the staircase is a light though I can’t tell how bright due to my monochromatic eyesight. What I can tell, however, is that it’s not human. Oh no. It’s something with quite a bit of magical superiority living within the estate. Something with a spiritual aura so intimidating even Elias approved of it.
Something I’ve seen only once since living here.
Kenneth panics as soon as he notices the aura. “What the hell?”
As the light nearly floods the entire room, a figure emerges from the upstairs. I can’t even see Kenneth right now and I can already tell he’s tempted to shift and attack this being. But just as his primal growls begin to surface, he calms down upon seeing the figure’s light fading away. Appearing from out of the darkness is none other than Mister Norris.
