Page 22 of A Skirl of Sorcery (The Cat Lady Chronicles #3)

Chapter

Eighteen

Ididn’t say a word to Tiddles until we were on the tram heading past Hirsel Street towards the outskirts of Migden where the old Barrow pack stronghold was located, then I asked her, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

Tiddles lifted a front paw and started to lick it before delicately washing her face. A leprechaun seated not too far from us turned and stared, apparently bemused that I was talking to a cat. I ignored her.

‘Why didn’t Thane mention it?’ I demanded.

Tiddles changed position and raised a hind leg so she could groom her nether regions.

‘This isn’t a good time for family politics, not with everything that’s going on with Keres,’ I grumbled. The Barrow werewolves had stopped trying to kill Thane at every opportunity over the past few years and I’d thought they were softening their stance towards him. I’d obviously been wrong.

Tiddles paused in mid-lick with her shell-pink tongue sticking out, then continued her grooming.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. ‘We’re only doing this because I promised you we’d find him.

After that, you and he will have to deal with Cayden Barrow yourselves.

Unless it’s a matter of life and death, I don’t want to get involved. ’

The leprechaun raised an eyebrow before turning away. Thankfully she disembarked two stops before us.

With Tiddles on my shoulder, I stomped off the tram after muttering a quick thank you to the driver, then I stomped across the street, stomped past the crossroads and stomped down the road to the Barrow property. There was a great deal of stomping.

At least I was familiar with this area: I’d completed an EEL contract on a witch who had once lived near here, so I knew where the Barrows lived.

I was aware that their pack didn’t enjoy the same sort of wealth or privilege as the MacTires, but I was still shocked by their residence.

It was only three years since I’d last passed this way and the deterioration was obvious.

The Barrow werewolves were not prospering.

In terms of design it was similar to the MacTires’ main house, albeit considerably smaller.

There were gates in front that I knew led to a small courtyard and what looked to be three separate buildings inside.

The gates, which had been stained and varnished once upon a time, were weather-beaten, the hinges were rusty and they looked as if a strong breeze might blow them down.

The roofs of the inner buildings were visible from the street and they didn’t appear to be in much better nick: there were slates missing, copious amounts of slick green moss and a crumbling chimney stack. Oh dear.

Before I could thump on the gates and alert the residents to my presence, there was a loud cough from behind me. My body suddenly relaxed. That was Thane; I was sure of it.

‘See?’ I muttered to Tiddles. ‘I knew he’d be fine.’

She gave a warm purr, leapt off my shoulder and ran. I abandoned the Barrow gates in favour of following her as she disappeared down a narrow snicket. I arrived in time to see Thane shimmying down a drainpipe.

I crossed my arms and waited until his feet were planted safely on terra firma. Tiddles threw herself at him, leaping into his arms then rubbing her head across his chin in delight. Thane smiled and scratched her ears.

‘She missed you,’ I said pointedly. He didn’t look up. ‘We went to your silly bachelor pad this morning, as promised.’

Thane still wouldn’t meet my eyes. ‘It’s not a bachelor pad.’

I snorted. ‘If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…’

‘It’s a temporary place to crash, that’s all.’ There were two high points of colour on his cheeks. ‘The mirrored ceiling in the bedroom isn’t something I would have chosen.’

I raised an eyebrow; I hadn’t noticed that particular bit of his décor.

‘I broke in and looked around but I certainly didn’t do any more than pop my head in your bedroom to confirm you weren’t there.

I’d been hoping,’ I said with a melodramatic sniff, ‘that we would go in there together. I was expecting hot sex, with or without a mirrored ceiling.’

‘There still will be hot sex,’ Thane said.

My tone was very, very dry. ‘Oh, will there?’

He finally looked at me. When he saw my expression, he relaxed. ‘I’ll make it up to you. The sex won’t just be hot, Kit – it will be sizzling.’

‘That remains to be seen, Thane.’

His eyes glinted. ‘You will scream.’

‘That might not be the flex you think it is.’

He grinned cheekily. ‘Trust me.’ His expression softened. ‘I’m sorry. I would have been there waiting for you but…’

‘But you think something’s wrong with your brother and you were worried enough to come here to check on him as soon as you woke up.’

Thane blinked. ‘You know about Cayden?’

‘I just found out.’ I uncrossed my arms. ‘How do you think I ended up here?’

‘I was so pleased to see you that I didn’t give it much thought.’ He was trying to butter me up, but it was clear that lack of thought was the recurring theme of Thane’s post-full-moon day.

I stayed focused on what was important and ignored my fleeting burst of warmth towards him. ‘Is being here a good idea? He attacked you last night. He would have killed you if he could.’

‘Normally I try to stay away. You know that. Nobody in the Barrow pack wants me sniffing around, least of all Cayden.’

‘You were kicked out twenty-seven years ago, Thane. He must be … what? Seventeen? Eighteen years old?’

‘Eighteen.’

‘Has he ever met you?’

Thane shook his head. ‘We’ve come close a couple of times but no, we’ve never spoken to each other. Unless you count our meeting last night.’

‘I think it’s fair to say he doesn’t want to be your friend.’

He sighed. ‘I know. But something’s wrong.

He shouldn’t have been out with so few other werewolves, not at his age and with his pack history.

I’ve heard rumours that he’s been causing trouble for a few months.

Under normal circumstances my mother wouldn’t ignore that. Not after what happened with me.’

‘He’s your maternal half-brother,’ I said aloud. I should have realised; Thane’s father had died too many years ago for him to have sired Cayden.

‘A surprise late baby,’ Thane told me. His mouth turned down.

‘Or so I heard. Ashina, my mother, had me when she was very young and Cayden when she was forty-five.’ He sighed.

‘Cayden shouldn’t have been allowed to take the lead with those other wolves last night.

He was acting like an alpha, but he’s little more than a kid. Something is up.’

I was inclined to agree. ‘How are your wounds?’

He dismissed my concern. ‘Fine. He didn’t hurt me.’

‘You left your blood all over the stairs at that swanky flat.’

Thane winced: he knew that was a stupid thing to have done. ‘I was worried.’ He waved a hand in the direction of the Barrow stronghold. ‘I’m still worried. But I shouldn’t have let that worry to distract me so much. Thank you for cleaning it up.’

‘I never said I did that.’

He smiled slightly. ‘I know you, Kit.’ He paused. ‘I really am sorry I wasn’t there.’

I held up my hand. ‘I figured there was a good reason for your absence. To be honest, I’d have left you alone to sort this out yourself if it weren’t for Tiddles. She was genuinely concerned.’

The cat miaowed softly in agreement. Thane dipped his head and nuzzled her briefly while I tried not to drool. I licked my lips and composed myself. ‘What’s your plan?’ I asked.

‘I’m staking out the place to see if I can find out what’s going on.’

‘You could be here for days!’

‘They kicked me out, Kit, but I still care. I wish it were otherwise but I can’t change how I feel.’

I sighed. ‘Has there been any sign of any movement today?’ It was well past noon – someone should have been up and about even considering last night’s shenanigans.

‘Nothing,’ he answered darkly. ‘Not yet anyway.’

I sighed again. I’d meant it when I’d told Tiddles I wouldn’t get involved, but Thane looked so lost. And if any of the Barrow werewolves realised he was watching them, there would likely be more blood spilt. ‘Give me half an hour,’ I said. Sometimes a cat lady’s touch was required.

Thane’s green eyes widened in alarm. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘Help you.’ I wagged my finger at him. ‘Not that you deserve my help. And I can’t stick around for long because I’ve got other problems besides yours to solve.’ Before he could argue, I turned on my heel and returned to the Barrow gates.

This time I didn’t hesitate: I raised my fist and thumped on the wood loudly enough to wake the damned dead and I kept on thumping until somebody opened up and gazed blearily out at me.

It most definitely wasn’t Cayden Barrow. The woman’s skin was still patchy and she hadn’t yet regained possession of her human teeth; she was thin, gaunt and about ten years older than Thane’s half-brother.

‘Who are you?’ she growled. ‘And what the fuck do you want?’

I wanted to get inside the Barrow enclave and there was only one surefire way I could achieve that without transforming into a cat, which would have been unwise. The Barrows would be wary of felines after last night.

I allowed myself to appear slightly intimidated by her attitude. ‘I’m here because I’ve got some information about Thane Barrow that you will want to hear.’

She stared at me for a long moment. ‘In that case,’ she said eventually, ‘you’d better come in.’

The unkempt, disorderly air was echoed in the courtyard.

Perhaps it had once been pretty but the gravel was tinged green with moss and weeds were sprouting up everywhere.

Rubbish lay haphazardly on the ground and there was a faint scent of rot, possibly from a dead animal of some kind.

Given werewolves’ strong sense of smell, it was a wonder that they’d not disposed of it before now.

The female wolf caught my glance. ‘It was the full moon last night,’ she muttered. ‘We’ve not had a chance to clean up yet.’