Hoyt started to speak, then Glenna’s voice sounded in his head as clearly as if she’d been standing beside him.
Behind you!
He spun, pivoted. A second wolf leaped, its body slamming Hoyt aside, knocking him to the ground as it fell on Larkin. Man and wolf grappled, an instant only. Even as Blair drew her sword, and Hoyt his, the wolf was rolled beneath a bear.
The bear’s claws swiped, slicing deep across the throat. There was a gush of blood. The bear collapsed on the black ash, and became a man again.
Blair dropped to her knees, running her hands frantically over Larkin. “Are you bit? Are you bit?”
“No. Scratched up here and there. No bites. Ah, the stench of that one.” Out of breath, he pushed to his elbows, looked down in disgust at his bloody shirt. “Ruined a good hunting tunic.” He looked over at Hoyt. “All right then?”
“I might not have been. Glenna. They must be watching. I heard her in my head.” Hoyt held out a hand to help Larkin to his feet. “If you wear that, they’ll smell us a half league away. You’ll need to…wait, wait.” And his smile came slow and grim. “I’ve an idea.”
The black wolf crouched over the bloody figure, and from outside the rear of the stables, sent out a low howl. In moments, a vampire armed with a battle-ax opened the door.
“What do we have here?” He glanced over his shoulder. “One of the wolves brought us a present.”
Facedown, Hoyt let out a quiet moan.
“It’s still alive. Let’s get it inside. No need to share it with the others, right? I could use something fresh for a change.”
As they stepped out, the second spared the wolf a brief grin. “Yeah, good dog. Let’s just have a—”
He exploded into ash as Blair rammed the stake through his back and into his heart. The second didn’t have time to lift his ax before Hoyt sprang off the ground and sliced his sword through its neck.
“Yeah, good dog.” Blair mimicked the vampire, and added a quick ruffle of Larkin’s fur. “I say we stick with a winner, use the same gambit on the next outbuilding.”
They had nearly identical results with the second building, but on the third, only one came out. It was obvious by the way he glanced surreptitiously back at his post that he intended to keep the unexpected meal for himself. When he rolled Hoyt over, the unexpected meal put a stake through his heart.
Using hand signals now, Blair indicated she would go in first, with Hoyt covering her.
Quick and quiet, she thought as she slipped inside. She saw the other guard had made himself a cozy nest with blankets and was taking an afternoon nap in what she thought was a dovecote.
He was actually snoring.
She had to bite back the half a dozen smart remarks that trembled on her tongue, and simply staked him while he slept.
She blew out a long breath. “I don’t mean to complain, but this is almost embarrassing, and a little bit boring.”
“You’re disappointed we’re not fighting for our lives?” Hoyt asked.
“Well, yeah. Some.”
“Take heart.” Larkin stepped in, surveyed the area. “There are nine in the cottage, where we’ll be severely outnumbered.”
“Ah, thanks, honey. You always know just what to say to perk me up.” She hefted the battle-ax she’d taken from the first kill. “Let’s go kick some ass.”
Bellied down behind a water trough, Blair and Hoyt studied the cottage. The wounded man/wolf gambit wasn’t going to work here, and the alternate they’d agreed on was risky.
“He’s already gone through a lot of changes,” Blair murmured. “It starts taking a toll.”
“He ate four honey cakes.”
She nodded, hoping it was fuel enough as the dragon landed lightly on the thatched roof. Larkin shimmered free of it, then picked up the scabbard and the sheath for his stake. He signaled down to them before swinging down to peer in one of the second-story windows.
Apparently, Blair thought, he didn’t have to change into a monkey to climb like one. Larkin held up four fingers.
“Four up, five down.” She moved into a crouch. “Ready?”