cobra’s hood spread out, the diamond patterning of its scales seeming to pulse with malevolence; its scaly hide, the color of old Greek coins, rippling as it shifted; its fangs still dripping venom; its slitted yellow eyes gleaming with sick delight. Where before he’d resembled a pharaoh, now the creature looked like some ancient snake god.
And the god’s forked tongue darted out from its grinning mouth.
“Ssssuffer and despair,” the creature hissed. “Ssssshake and sssssuffer and die, traitoroussss Drang-Zorrrrrnnn...”
Then it began to transform back into the form of a normal man.
Doug didn’t see the transformation finish—darkness fell like a blizzard of jet black snow, drawing a funereal curtain over the scene. But he was still able to hear for a few moments more.
“Guard!” shouted the Wesen who called himself Colney. “I think this man’s had a heart attack! We need help in here! Hey! This man’s having a heart attack, for real! Hey!”
It didn’t matter what lies the cobra Wesen told. Not now. They both knew that Doug would be dead long before medical help came.
The pain receded into an endless night. It was a relief to let the darkness enfold him...
* * *
Nick pushed through the door of Rosalee’s shop in time to hear her say, “Monroe, calm down! You can see I’m okay.”
She and Monroe were standing by the front counter, Rosalee smiling and patting his cheek. She did a little pirouette, whimsically showing herself off.
“See? I’m fine. New dress even,” she said smiling.
“I...yeah,” Monroe said, looking at her shapely form in the clinging gray silk dress. “I like the dress. Very, very... nice. It’s like... really tight. Not that, uh, that is all I like about it. I mean, it’s a great dress. It’s got real... Sorry. I’m not a fashion guy.” He nodded at Nick, then looked back at her more seriously. “But... Rosalee...”
“But what?” she asked.
Nick leant on the counter, looking at a twisted, blackened homunculus in a half-gallon jar. What was that, dried dwarf fetus?
Monroe went on, all in a rush, “But all I can think about is—I don’t think you’re safe here alone right now.”
“Oh you are so full of it. You get so— Nick, tell him!”
Nick smiled at Rosalee.
“She’s not in any imminent danger that we know of, Monroe,” he said.
Monroe snorted. “‘Not in imminent danger.’ Oh, hey, dude that’s so reassuring.” Monroe turned to Rosalee and took her in his arms. “Rosie, you don’t understand. If you knew what was going on... Stuff that would make your head explode... Well, my head hasn’t literally exploded , no, but—”
“It’s all right, baby,” she said softly, returning his embrace. He nuzzled her neck.
Nick suddenly felt a bit awkward.
“I should go,” he said. “I just wanted to suggest— maybe you should go see a relative, or something, Rosalee. Just for a few days. Take a trip, till this Icy Touch thing is over. They’ve been forcibly recruiting Wesen. Monroe can call you when it’s all clear...”
“What?” She drew back from Monroe. “No! I just got back from a trip, I’m behind on the bills; I’ve got work to do! No one’s going to want me to join a gang! Do I look like a gangbanger?”
Nick pretended to look her over doubtfully.
“Um... I guess not.” To Nick she looked like sweet-faced, brown-haired Rosalee Calvert, in a new blue silk dress. Nick had seen her fox-faced Fuchsbau form—and it was almost as sweet as her human form. “But—they make a point of recruiting a certain number of people you wouldn’t expect in a crime cartel. And you’d be valuable.” He nodded toward the crowded shelves of her herbal apothecary shop. “Those skills—your herbal knowledge, your Wesen lore, all the supplies. This shop used to be... kind of shady. Before your time here, I mean. You know? Wesen working the dark side of the street are going to remember that.”
“Oh, look, no one’s going to make me
And the god’s forked tongue darted out from its grinning mouth.
“Ssssuffer and despair,” the creature hissed. “Ssssshake and sssssuffer and die, traitoroussss Drang-Zorrrrrnnn...”
Then it began to transform back into the form of a normal man.
Doug didn’t see the transformation finish—darkness fell like a blizzard of jet black snow, drawing a funereal curtain over the scene. But he was still able to hear for a few moments more.
“Guard!” shouted the Wesen who called himself Colney. “I think this man’s had a heart attack! We need help in here! Hey! This man’s having a heart attack, for real! Hey!”
It didn’t matter what lies the cobra Wesen told. Not now. They both knew that Doug would be dead long before medical help came.
The pain receded into an endless night. It was a relief to let the darkness enfold him...
* * *
Nick pushed through the door of Rosalee’s shop in time to hear her say, “Monroe, calm down! You can see I’m okay.”
She and Monroe were standing by the front counter, Rosalee smiling and patting his cheek. She did a little pirouette, whimsically showing herself off.
“See? I’m fine. New dress even,” she said smiling.
“I...yeah,” Monroe said, looking at her shapely form in the clinging gray silk dress. “I like the dress. Very, very... nice. It’s like... really tight. Not that, uh, that is all I like about it. I mean, it’s a great dress. It’s got real... Sorry. I’m not a fashion guy.” He nodded at Nick, then looked back at her more seriously. “But... Rosalee...”
“But what?” she asked.
Nick leant on the counter, looking at a twisted, blackened homunculus in a half-gallon jar. What was that, dried dwarf fetus?
Monroe went on, all in a rush, “But all I can think about is—I don’t think you’re safe here alone right now.”
“Oh you are so full of it. You get so— Nick, tell him!”
Nick smiled at Rosalee.
“She’s not in any imminent danger that we know of, Monroe,” he said.
Monroe snorted. “‘Not in imminent danger.’ Oh, hey, dude that’s so reassuring.” Monroe turned to Rosalee and took her in his arms. “Rosie, you don’t understand. If you knew what was going on... Stuff that would make your head explode... Well, my head hasn’t literally exploded , no, but—”
“It’s all right, baby,” she said softly, returning his embrace. He nuzzled her neck.
Nick suddenly felt a bit awkward.
“I should go,” he said. “I just wanted to suggest— maybe you should go see a relative, or something, Rosalee. Just for a few days. Take a trip, till this Icy Touch thing is over. They’ve been forcibly recruiting Wesen. Monroe can call you when it’s all clear...”
“What?” She drew back from Monroe. “No! I just got back from a trip, I’m behind on the bills; I’ve got work to do! No one’s going to want me to join a gang! Do I look like a gangbanger?”
Nick pretended to look her over doubtfully.
“Um... I guess not.” To Nick she looked like sweet-faced, brown-haired Rosalee Calvert, in a new blue silk dress. Nick had seen her fox-faced Fuchsbau form—and it was almost as sweet as her human form. “But—they make a point of recruiting a certain number of people you wouldn’t expect in a crime cartel. And you’d be valuable.” He nodded toward the crowded shelves of her herbal apothecary shop. “Those skills—your herbal knowledge, your Wesen lore, all the supplies. This shop used to be... kind of shady. Before your time here, I mean. You know? Wesen working the dark side of the street are going to remember that.”
“Oh, look, no one’s going to make me
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