Bedeviled by Nicole McKeon

Author:Nicole McKeon [Nicole McKeon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nicole McKeon
Published: 2023-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

14

Vampire House

Aris

Buildings and streets flashed by as Aris pumped his wings, flying toward Gwen with all possible speed. His chest and shoulder muscles burned, but the pain wasn’t enough to distract him from his thoughts. The house he had tracked Bowler Hat back to appeared inane enough, but the place was filled with the bodies of dead faeries.

The basement door, which should have held the housekeeper’s room, pantry, and other functional areas of the house, was locked tight and bolted from the outside and the inside. If the old refinery held several werewolves, this house must clearly be hiding vampires. And he doubted it was the only one. But that didn’t get them any closer to finding Rutledge.

Even in his raven form, the building had stunk of flesh rotting in the heat, and he was certain the stench was still in his feathers.

With a shudder of revulsion, he banked right, dodging a couple of swallows, and angled downward. Tromwell Lane opened beneath him, wider and straighter than the streets near that wretched house. It took him only a moment to spot Gwen’s ridiculous hat and there, next to her, Sally’s golden head. Two constables stood near them, too close for polite or comfortable conversation. In fact, they were crowding both women toward the street.

Aris flexed his clawed feet and dove, then pulled up short at the last minute, flaring his wings to a spectacular size, before landing on the edge of the carriage roof. He kept his wings spread and croaked menacingly, making both constables back up a pace, before folding his wings and glaring down at them.

“What’s this, then?” one of the men said, edging away before turning suspicious eyes on Gwen.

“It appears to be a raven, Constable. Surely you have seen one before,” Gwen replied.

She was angry. When Gwen was angry with him, her brown eyes lit up like banked coals that might burst into glorious flame at any moment. Now, her eyes were as hard and cold as frozen earth, and just as welcoming.

“It is rumored that you have a pet raven, lady. That wouldn’t be your familiar, would it?”

“As I have already told you, gentlemen, I am no witch. And my raven disappeared many months ago, as I am sure you also know. Unfortunately, I do not control every bird in the city.”

“So you said,” the second guard—a man with a stubborn jaw and cleft chin—stepped closer, leaving less than a foot of space between himself and the ladies. Sally raised her chin bravely, but she was so nervous her lips were white. Gwen didn’t move at all. She was as tall as the constable and stared him down with the cool pride of self-confidence. He was either too stupid or too arrogant to realize what danger he was in.

“But I have a feeling you’re lying, Lady St. James. Just like you’re lying about having nothing to do with the deaths in the city. Several eyewitnesses have seen a woman who matches your description running from the scene of the murders in the dead of night.

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