another in rapid succession. There was a horrible squeal so loud and so high-pitched that it cracked one of the glass panes, and just as Ian lowered his arm, he caught sight of the beast flying through the air above him and crashing through the window.
He was showered with glass, and he winced as a few pieces nicked his head and face before he had the chance to duck his chin. In the next moment someone was crouching by his side, whispering his name. “Ian? Are you all right, lad?” Ian looked up to see Thatcher hovering above him, a hunting rifle in his hand, and the smell of gunpowder filled the room even more heavily than the foul scent of the beast.
“Yes, sir,” he said gratefully. “And I’m awfully glad to see you.”
“How’s the boy?” asked the earl as he stepped to where Ian sat against the wall.
“Seems all right,” said Thatcher, standing up to have a look out the broken window. “What the …?” he said, leaning his head far out the broken pane to peer at the ground below.
The earl edged closer to the window. “What is it?” he asked.
“It’s gone,” said Thatcher, pulling his head back through to stare in disbelief at the faces in the room. “The beast is gone! By God, what devil’s work
is
this?”
“How could it be gone?” the earl said as he also leaned his head out the window. “Impossible!” he exclaimed.
“But we hit him square!” insisted Thatcher. “I know it! And that’s a three-story drop! No earthly creature could survive that!” But as Ian stared numbly up at their astonished faces, he knew better. That beast had been as unnatural a thing as ever he’d imagined, and he wasn’t surprised that it had survived to run away.
“And yet,” said Perry, crouching low in the center of the room, “our beast bleeds.” The earl and Thatcher turned to him. “See that?” he asked, pointing to a spot near his feet where a big splotch of dark liquid glistened in the moonlight. “That’s the beast’s blood.”
“If it bleeds, we can kill it,” said the earl gravely. “Come, gentlemen. Let’s check to make sure everyone is accounted for and safe, and then we’ll track that damnation down and finish it off.”
Ian was helped to his feet by Landis, but he yelped inpain the moment the groundskeeper touched his shoulder. “It’s out of its socket, I’m afraid,” said Landis. “Ian, we’re going to have to pop it back into place, and it’s going to hurt something terrible.”
Ian felt dizzy. His head was pounding; his shoulder screamed in pain; and his knees felt ready to give way at any moment. “It’s all right, Landis,” he said wearily. “If it will stop the pain once it’s back in place, it’s worth it.”
As Ian was helped down the stairs by Landis, he heard Carl behind him say, “I’m fine, my lord, truly. Just a few scrapes is all.”
Once they reached the second floor, Ian let out a gasp as he looked at the hallway littered with debris. It was as if a great cyclone had been let loose within the walls of the keep and had vented its rage in every corner. Nothing was left untouched.
He and Landis picked their way slowly through the rubble until the groundskeeper found him a chair that had been toppled but had survived the wreckage. Ian sat down carefully and the groundskeeper came around to squat down behind him. “Turn your head away,” he said gently over Ian’s shoulder. “It’s better if you don’t know it’s coming.”
Ian turned his head to the side, bracing himself as best he could while Landis gripped his arm and the top of his shoulder firmly. The next second Landis jerked his arm up and back with a terrific yank. Ian heard a loud snap an instant before a searing pain rippled along his arm, shoulder, and neck and he blacked out.
THE HUNT
I an awoke to a flurry of noise and activity. He was lying flat on his back, nearly level with the floor, and when he turned his head, the first thing he saw was Theo hovering by his side, her
He was showered with glass, and he winced as a few pieces nicked his head and face before he had the chance to duck his chin. In the next moment someone was crouching by his side, whispering his name. “Ian? Are you all right, lad?” Ian looked up to see Thatcher hovering above him, a hunting rifle in his hand, and the smell of gunpowder filled the room even more heavily than the foul scent of the beast.
“Yes, sir,” he said gratefully. “And I’m awfully glad to see you.”
“How’s the boy?” asked the earl as he stepped to where Ian sat against the wall.
“Seems all right,” said Thatcher, standing up to have a look out the broken window. “What the …?” he said, leaning his head far out the broken pane to peer at the ground below.
The earl edged closer to the window. “What is it?” he asked.
“It’s gone,” said Thatcher, pulling his head back through to stare in disbelief at the faces in the room. “The beast is gone! By God, what devil’s work
is
this?”
“How could it be gone?” the earl said as he also leaned his head out the window. “Impossible!” he exclaimed.
“But we hit him square!” insisted Thatcher. “I know it! And that’s a three-story drop! No earthly creature could survive that!” But as Ian stared numbly up at their astonished faces, he knew better. That beast had been as unnatural a thing as ever he’d imagined, and he wasn’t surprised that it had survived to run away.
“And yet,” said Perry, crouching low in the center of the room, “our beast bleeds.” The earl and Thatcher turned to him. “See that?” he asked, pointing to a spot near his feet where a big splotch of dark liquid glistened in the moonlight. “That’s the beast’s blood.”
“If it bleeds, we can kill it,” said the earl gravely. “Come, gentlemen. Let’s check to make sure everyone is accounted for and safe, and then we’ll track that damnation down and finish it off.”
Ian was helped to his feet by Landis, but he yelped inpain the moment the groundskeeper touched his shoulder. “It’s out of its socket, I’m afraid,” said Landis. “Ian, we’re going to have to pop it back into place, and it’s going to hurt something terrible.”
Ian felt dizzy. His head was pounding; his shoulder screamed in pain; and his knees felt ready to give way at any moment. “It’s all right, Landis,” he said wearily. “If it will stop the pain once it’s back in place, it’s worth it.”
As Ian was helped down the stairs by Landis, he heard Carl behind him say, “I’m fine, my lord, truly. Just a few scrapes is all.”
Once they reached the second floor, Ian let out a gasp as he looked at the hallway littered with debris. It was as if a great cyclone had been let loose within the walls of the keep and had vented its rage in every corner. Nothing was left untouched.
He and Landis picked their way slowly through the rubble until the groundskeeper found him a chair that had been toppled but had survived the wreckage. Ian sat down carefully and the groundskeeper came around to squat down behind him. “Turn your head away,” he said gently over Ian’s shoulder. “It’s better if you don’t know it’s coming.”
Ian turned his head to the side, bracing himself as best he could while Landis gripped his arm and the top of his shoulder firmly. The next second Landis jerked his arm up and back with a terrific yank. Ian heard a loud snap an instant before a searing pain rippled along his arm, shoulder, and neck and he blacked out.
THE HUNT
I an awoke to a flurry of noise and activity. He was lying flat on his back, nearly level with the floor, and when he turned his head, the first thing he saw was Theo hovering by his side, her
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