Deacon - Nicholas Bella Page 0,29

this monster off, I suggest you take it,” Marcel said. “It is also very expensive, so please, be careful.”

“If so, why give it to me and not keep it for yourself?”

“Because you are untrained and need every advantage. Now, lead the way,” Marcel stated.

I finally understood why he had given it to me. I was grateful this wasn’t the knife he’d used to test whether or not I was human. I nodded at the men. Time to play my part. “To catch him off guard, take me as your prisoner. It will still his hand as he will want me alive,” I said.

Marcel studied me for a few seconds, then he nodded. “So, you will join us?”

I nodded. “To be free of this monster, to see his blood run cold, I will move heaven and earth.” The words that flowed from me were not a lie, and probably the most honest thing I’d ever said.

“Such passion, conviction.” He nodded. “Very well, let us go before the night is completely upon us. These beasts get stronger at night.”

Of course, I knew that to be false, as werewolves were strong no matter what time of day. The only time their strength increased was when they were transformed or on full moon nights. Their half-wolf forms were the strongest of their three forms. Human and wolf being the other two each with their own advantages and disadvantages. I led them back to the cottage where I was sure Winston was either sleeping off the pleasures he’d taken from my body or preparing supper. Either way, he would not be ready for what was coming.

Before I entered the cottage, Marcel grabbed me from behind, his blade going to my throat again. “Hide your knife until you see opportunity to use it,” he whispered in my ear.

I tucked it in my breeches, making sure it didn’t touch my flesh, and when one of the men opened the door, the rooms were illuminated with a few candles here and there and the large fireplace in the middle of the great room. “Please, please don’t hurt me,” I whined, because I knew Winston would hear me.

“Where is he?” Marcel asked. He nodded at one of his men to go searching.

Before he could carry out his task, there was a blur that shot through the room and I knew Winston was about to kill them all. Their human eyes were not fast enough to see his every movement. They may have killed wolves in the past, but I was willing to doubt those wolves had been over eight centuries old.

“Where is he?!” Marcel yelled. “Move again and I will slay the human! Be still, beast!”

I could hear his breathing increasing as the pounding in his chest grew stronger against my back. I had warned them Winston was powerful.

“You got yourself in a predicament, boy,” Winston said from the shadows.

“Show yourself, beast!” Marcel yelled.

I looked at the other two, their arrows aimed in the direction of Winston’s voice. One of them men fired off an arrow and quickly reloaded his bow, ready to attack again. I was impressed by his precision. Again, there was a flash of Winston running and the hunter closest to the fireplace cried out. I turned to see him fall to his knees, blood gushing from the gaping wound in his neck.

That was when Marcel pushed me to the floor and pulled out a bottle of what I figured was wolfsbane. He uncapped it and when Winston appeared again, he threw the contents of the bottle in his direction, but it missed him. Still, it was spread on the floor and something Winston would have to avoid. More arrows were shot off in all directions as Winston ran around the hunters faster then they could see.

“Gah!” gurgled the other hunter right before his head rolled off his shoulders. Blood squirted like a geyser from the gaping wound right before the body fell to the floor.

Now, all that was left was Marcel, and he had his arrow aimed as he made his way around the cottage, looking for Winston. “Come out, coward!” he challenged.

Winston stepped from the shadows, his face illuminated in the flame of the nearest candle. “You thought you could kill me?”

Marcel turned to face him and shot the arrow, to which Winston caught.

“Ow!” Winston dropped the arrow and shook his hand as his skin sizzled.

Marcel fired off several more arrows, but this time, Winston dodged them even as he moved closer to Marcel.