Stolen Chaos: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Cardkeeper Chronicles Book 1) by A. C. Nicholls

Author:A. C. Nicholls [Nicholls, A. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

By the time I’d gotten outside and maneuvered through the crowd of clumsy drunks, I’d already begun to persuade myself not to continue this investigation. Danger lurked around every corner and my chances of dying were greater than my chances of success. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do my job – it was simply impossible. Victor Kronin was already a far stronger mage than I was, and he was gaining more power each time he killed. How the hell was I supposed to combat that?

With Link still cradled in my arms, I leaned over to protect his battered body and crossed the street. I figured I should get him to safety, let him rest up and see how he fared tomorrow morning. Poor guy had faced his worst nightmares tonight. Then again, I guess we both had.

As I approached the street corner, a familiar figure stepped out from an alley. He took my arm in a firm hand and led me into the cover of darkness. I was far too stunned to react. Dumbstruck, I simply let myself get taken by him.

When a wave of light from the road flashed across his face, I exhaled with relief. “Jason.” His name came out in a gasp. “You made it.”

“Barely.” He turned his face to the side, where a beam of light from the street shone through and illuminated a deep, scarlet scratch on his cheek. It consisted of three lines, each an identical width apart. Claw marks.

“Oh, crap.” I felt responsible. Sure, I had done my best in leading one of his attackers away, but I should have gone back to him. I should have done more. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay? I mean, does it hurt?”

“It’ll heal.”

“I’m so sorry I left you.”

“It was worth it. I want my brother’s killer off the street. No. I want him dead. Look, come with me…” He tilted his head, signaling me deeper into the alley.

I followed, unquestioning.

“What did you find out from the vampires?”

“Ah.” I lowered my head. “I’ll be no use against those toothy monsters. They’ve already been attacked, and it looks like they’ve come out the other side of it just fine. That’s all I can tell you without–”

A horde of drunks passed the mouth of the alley, yelling and shoving each other. We remained quiet, concealing ourselves in the shadows until they passed. Two young girls came running behind them to catch up, and finally, we were left in peace.

Jason leaned in close, whispering softly into my ear. The warmth of his breath made me shiver. “There was already an attack? What happened?”

“I only know that a mage wiped them out at Hale’s Hotel.”

“I think I know the place.”

I nodded, my heart rate increasing rapidly. “Good for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It just means that if you want to check it out, you’re welcome to.” I began to walk away, getting a head start before he could stop me. “But I think I’m out. Even if I had help from your pack, I don’t think we could pull this off.

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