this fucking mess in the first place. I helped you get that damn psychopath Welkin, helped you get those people out. Then you vanished. What the fuck are you doing back here now?"
"I. Have. No. Idea," I said calmly. "I don't remember anything before ten years ago. Now can you start from the beginning, please?"
Daniel ignored my insistence. "Everyone thought you were dead. It would have been safer if you'd stayed that way. I guess they found you." Daniel turned to look out the window, when he turned back his face was ashen. "You know the real kicker? This whole fucking mess started over three thousand years ago. If it wasn't for that damn Priam, none of this would have happened."
Daniel raised his cigarette to his lips and his head exploded, covering me in gore. An eyeball flew past my head as he fell toward me. I caught him and blasted a gust of air under the desk, flipping it onto its side to use as cover. Wind sucked through the small bullet hole in the thick glass window. I looked down at Daniel. He'd known who I was and yet all I got were even more questions. I needed answers.
But more than that, I needed to leave. Another gust of air left my hands and the desk shot upward twisting behind me as I ran for the still open door. I made it out of Daniel's office and back to the ornate staircase when a female voice sounded from behind me. "Hi, Nate."
I stopped and turned, the voice was familiar. "Jenny?" I asked.
She nodded once, and then shot me.
Chapter 11
1414, France.
The English archer, Thomas, had remained deathly silent since we'd left Soissons a few hours earlier. I'd expected a barrage of questions, but since leaving the city and the death it contained behind, he'd become mute.
We'd walked at a steady pace, heading south and keeping away from major cities or towns. Two armed men covered in blood would cause us unneeded attention. It was a complication I didn’t need.
"We need to find somewhere to sleep," I said and walked toward the nearest stretch of woodland. It would offer as much shelter as possible outdoors, and much more safety than being out in the open.
It didn't take long to find a nice spot, an opening about twenty feet square. The thinning trees offered no help against any rain or wind, but the sky was cloudless, and once I'd placed ferns on the floor to keep the cold earth from seeping through my clothes, I was ready to go.
Thomas did the same as I removed my Jian and Guan Dao, placing them next to me. Then I waited patiently. I knew what was coming.
"I'm a monster, aren't I?" His words were sad, but with something resembling acceptance tucked deep inside.
"That depends on you. If you're asking me if you're a werewolf, then yes, you are. If you're asking me if that is a pre-requisite for being a monster, no it isn't. It's up to you to decide what you'll be."
"What's going to happen to me?"
"I don't know for certain. During their first change, most werewolves do it in front of others of their pack. They find strength in numbers, and help one another. I do know that it will hurt, inhumanly. It lasts only a few seconds, but that will feel as if you've gone to hell and back. And after that you'll feel the presence of the beast inside you. During your first change, the beast will be more prominent. It will try to make it easier for you to accept the bloodlust. To allow the beast to do as it wishes. You'll want to fight that."
"And if I don't?"
I tapped the sword. "A beast-driven wolf is exactly what you saw back in Soissons. You will kill and hurt for fun. If you allow that part of you to take control tonight, you'll come after me or someone else. Neither of those options will let you see the sunrise."
Thomas nodded that he understood. "How long before I change?"
"Sunset is in about an hour, anytime after then. Werewolves can change when they like, day or night. But the first time must be on the second night after they're infected. It'll be
"I. Have. No. Idea," I said calmly. "I don't remember anything before ten years ago. Now can you start from the beginning, please?"
Daniel ignored my insistence. "Everyone thought you were dead. It would have been safer if you'd stayed that way. I guess they found you." Daniel turned to look out the window, when he turned back his face was ashen. "You know the real kicker? This whole fucking mess started over three thousand years ago. If it wasn't for that damn Priam, none of this would have happened."
Daniel raised his cigarette to his lips and his head exploded, covering me in gore. An eyeball flew past my head as he fell toward me. I caught him and blasted a gust of air under the desk, flipping it onto its side to use as cover. Wind sucked through the small bullet hole in the thick glass window. I looked down at Daniel. He'd known who I was and yet all I got were even more questions. I needed answers.
But more than that, I needed to leave. Another gust of air left my hands and the desk shot upward twisting behind me as I ran for the still open door. I made it out of Daniel's office and back to the ornate staircase when a female voice sounded from behind me. "Hi, Nate."
I stopped and turned, the voice was familiar. "Jenny?" I asked.
She nodded once, and then shot me.
Chapter 11
1414, France.
The English archer, Thomas, had remained deathly silent since we'd left Soissons a few hours earlier. I'd expected a barrage of questions, but since leaving the city and the death it contained behind, he'd become mute.
We'd walked at a steady pace, heading south and keeping away from major cities or towns. Two armed men covered in blood would cause us unneeded attention. It was a complication I didn’t need.
"We need to find somewhere to sleep," I said and walked toward the nearest stretch of woodland. It would offer as much shelter as possible outdoors, and much more safety than being out in the open.
It didn't take long to find a nice spot, an opening about twenty feet square. The thinning trees offered no help against any rain or wind, but the sky was cloudless, and once I'd placed ferns on the floor to keep the cold earth from seeping through my clothes, I was ready to go.
Thomas did the same as I removed my Jian and Guan Dao, placing them next to me. Then I waited patiently. I knew what was coming.
"I'm a monster, aren't I?" His words were sad, but with something resembling acceptance tucked deep inside.
"That depends on you. If you're asking me if you're a werewolf, then yes, you are. If you're asking me if that is a pre-requisite for being a monster, no it isn't. It's up to you to decide what you'll be."
"What's going to happen to me?"
"I don't know for certain. During their first change, most werewolves do it in front of others of their pack. They find strength in numbers, and help one another. I do know that it will hurt, inhumanly. It lasts only a few seconds, but that will feel as if you've gone to hell and back. And after that you'll feel the presence of the beast inside you. During your first change, the beast will be more prominent. It will try to make it easier for you to accept the bloodlust. To allow the beast to do as it wishes. You'll want to fight that."
"And if I don't?"
I tapped the sword. "A beast-driven wolf is exactly what you saw back in Soissons. You will kill and hurt for fun. If you allow that part of you to take control tonight, you'll come after me or someone else. Neither of those options will let you see the sunrise."
Thomas nodded that he understood. "How long before I change?"
"Sunset is in about an hour, anytime after then. Werewolves can change when they like, day or night. But the first time must be on the second night after they're infected. It'll be
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