The Werewolf Dates The Deputy - Kristen Painter Page 0,53
we die, our swords separate from our bodies. Same with berserkers. It’s how our souls are carried to Valhalla. In our blades. It’s why the walls of Valhalla are covered in swords.”
“Okay, that’s pretty interesting. Who would know that?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Besides you now? A few people would know some of those things, but probably not all of them. And none of those people would qualify as viable suspects.” She ticked them off. “Your brother, Birdie, Tessa, Sebastian. I suppose all of the Ellinghams, really. Maybe someone at Harmswood that Tessa works with?”
“Yeah, none of those people are suspects.” He sighed. “This seems like an impossible—” His eyes widened, and he stood up straight. “Behind you, Jenna. The wraith is back.”
“Holy Loki.” Jenna whirled, whipping out her sword in one smooth motion. The wraith was indeed behind her, looking more solid than the last time they’d seen it in the forest. In fact, it looked more human. And slightly, terribly familiar. But that couldn’t be. Could it?
She brought her sword to bear in its direction. “There is nothing here for you, wraith.”
Those burning ember eyes stared into her, but the wraith came no closer, just hovered in the attic’s dark recesses.
Something was different about those eyes now. Something that felt like a memory.
She shook that thought off, refusing to believe the impossible. “Go! Back to the dark realm you emerged from.”
But the creature still didn’t move.
She wasn’t about to stand here all day, waiting for it to do something. She lunged, sending the sword into the creature’s amorphous belly. “Be gone!”
The creature dissolved, only to reappear a few feet away. This time, it opened its mouth, a dark gaping hole, and growled something at her.
“Did it just say ‘Blythe’?” Titus asked.
Before Jenna could answer, the wraith reached for her. For her sword.
Titus stepped slightly in front of her and let out a hair-curling snarl.
The wraith shrank back.
Titus kept his gaze trained on the wraith. “Looks a lot more solid this time.”
“It does. That’s not good. Means it’s getting stronger.” Although its soul could be collected when it was solid.
“So what do we do?”
The wraith moved to the side, swiped at her again, this time connecting with the tip of her sword. Helgrind sang out with a metallic hiss.
Jenna jumped around Titus and jabbed, driving the wraith back. “There’s only one thing I know to do. I’m going to have to trap it, collect its soul, and get it out of the mortal realm.”
“How do we do that?”
“We don’t. I do. But I need the help of a seer.” She glanced at him. “Fortunately, I happen to be having dinner with one tonight.”
“Great. What are we going to do about the wraith right now?”
“Didn’t you scare it off last time while you were a wolf?”
“I did. Guess it’s worth a shot.”
In seconds, Titus shifted from man to beast.
The wraith seemed transfixed. Until Titus snarled again, teeth bared, fur raised along his spine.
Then the wraith shuddered and vanished, this time curling out in shadowy wisps into the darkness until nothing remained. Jenna exhaled in relief.
They stayed in battle readiness for a few moments, then Titus shifted back to his human form. “You need to get ahold of your seer friend and meet with her sooner.”
“Agreed. But let’s get out of this attic first.” She didn’t want to risk the wraith coming back while they were still there.
“I’m with you on that one.”
They descended the narrow attic pulldown stairs, closed up the house, and got back in Titus’s truck. Jenna got her phone out and sent Ingvar a text.
Any chance you could meet sooner? My day just opened up.
She looked at Titus. “Text sent. We can go back to the station.”
“Great.” But he still didn’t move the truck. “You know, we never said anything to Alice about the wraith.”
“No, we didn’t.” She stared at her phone.
“Why do I get the sense you don’t want to? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Maybe.” Definitely. But there were things she wasn’t cleared to share.
He twisted in his seat to face her as best he could. “Did that thing say your name? Does it know who you are? Jenna, this isn’t the time to keep secrets.”
She sighed. “I realize that.”
“And?”
Could she really keep this information from him when they were in this together? No. Not in good conscience. “There is a chance the wraith knows me. And that I know him.”
“Him? Explain.”
Her phone chimed with an incoming text. Ingvar had answered. Sure! You want to