Fine, I agreed. But do it quickly. Tyler found the necromancer and something’s wrong. Ray hadn’t returned either. My guess was he had found Tyler. My brother’s voice had been full of anguish and I didn’t know what to make of it.
Ray landed beside me. “Brace yourself, Hannon,” he said. “I saw Tyler running into an old building on the grounds, busting right through the door. Marcy, James, and Nick were close behind, but by the time we all got there, he wouldn’t let anyone in. I have no idea what’s going on, but it smells like a pile of shit to me.”
I paced the length of the roof, not knowing what to do as I watched my mate finish killing the wendigos. Fully dismantling their brains with his claws wasn’t a pretty sight.
Before I could talk to Rourke and figure out what we should do, I spotted Tyler in the hazy dawn, just over the hill in front of us. He was half walking, half staggering, holding something tightly in his arms.
He was naked. He hadn’t had time to dress yet.
I sprung off the roof without a word and soared through the air toward him. I landed at a run and could feel both Ray and Rourke close behind me.
I slowed about twenty yards from Tyler, sensing his distress.
The form in his arms appeared tiny in his grasp. Her long dark hair hung almost to the ground. Her skin was pale yet bronze in color. Her delicate neck was tossed backward, and I could see she was breathing, but it was shallow at best.
She wore nothing more than a dirty nightgown with small flowers dotted on it, and her feet were bare. On further inspection, I noted that her wrists were damaged—ugly red welts ran in a circle around them both and a bit of loose rope hung between her and Tyler.
Tyler stopped in his tracks, his face a mask of pain.
I had to tread with caution. I’d never seen my brother in this state. What happened? I asked. Who is she?
Tyler seemed stunned at my question. He glanced down at her and said out loud, “I… I don’t know. I just saw her… and my wolf went wild… and then she collapsed… I think she’s dead…”
You have to set her down so we can help her, I told him calmly in my mind. Her shallow breaths were uneven and coming too far apart. I had no idea what the life span of a necromancer was or how easily they could die.
“We can’t help her.… She’s dangerous…,” Tyler stammered. “She’s… she’s going to have to… be stopped… We can’t risk it…” His voice trailed off as he glanced down at her again, his face unreadable.
Rourke snarled next to me, catching my eye, and then bobbed his head. I know, I said. I’m trying. Ray mumbled something and Marcy and James came into view behind Tyler.
Marcy had a questioning look on her face. I addressed my brother again. You need to set her down. Tyler didn’t move. We’re not going to hurt her. She did this against her will. Look at her wrists. As he did, his eyebrows drew together, but he held her close to his chest, unmoving. We can’t help her if you don’t let her go. Lay her down on the grass. Time is running out and we need to hurry.
Marcy held our clothes in her arms, so we were ready when we shifted back to human. Nick came up from the side, circling around so he stood behind Rourke and me, likely trying to put himself between us and the pile of ghouls and dead wendigos up the hill. So very Nick.
Come on, Tyler, lay her down, I coaxed.
Tyler hesitated before he set her gently down in front of him, making sure she was covered by her scrap of a soiled nightgown.
I moved toward them slowly and huffed at Rourke to stay behind me. Let me handle this. Tyler is an extremely protective wolf, and for some reason he feels he needs to protect this necromancer. He’s going to react strongly to anything until we can get him to calm down.
I’ll be right by your side, Rourke replied. I can understand his concern. That necromancer looks very young. She almost worked herself to death. Enid must have held something significant over her to get her to do it, and by the looks of it, she was snatched right out of her own bed.
She had to have been taken from her home. No one would come to work in a nightgown. Once I arrived at Tyler’s side, I gently placed my muzzle near the girl’s body and scented. Her signature was powerful and strange. I’d never met a necromancer before, other than the dead one in Hell, but this one kept her power coiled tightly inside her.
Marcy walked up, James right behind her. “I have your clothes here. How about you guys shift back so we can all help this girl? She’s obviously in some distress. Sound okay?” Her movements were measured and easy. James had her back, and all eyes were on Tyler.
Tyler, I said carefully. Take the clothes from Marcy and put them on. Rourke and I will go change and we’ll come back. I can’t help her in my wolf form.