“Who said I—”
Sidheag interrupted. “He couldn’t do it regardless. The vampires would know the moment a wolf entered their hive.”
Sophronia made herself look expectant and wide-eyed. “But he can get us there. Sir, you have to help.”
“I do?”
“You believe me.”
“I do.” The werewolf was defeated by such logic.
“And you know where it is, don’t you?”
“I do.” Captain Niall sighed. “I’m going to get in a great deal of trouble for this. Very well, hop on.” With that, he changed form.
Werewolf change is an unpleasant thing to watch, and poor Soap had never seen it before. He yelped as the handsome captain went from being a fine specimen of manhood to a large, rangy wolf with a top hat tied to his head, squatting in a pool of fallen greatcoat.
Sophronia tried not to hear the way Captain Niall’s bones broke and knit back together with crunching noises. She tried not to see the way the man’s silky hair grew down and became fur, spreading like mold over his body.
Soap was quietly and efficiently sick behind a pile of cast-iron pilings. He bravely returned once the change was complete, although he was distinctly uncomfortable with the alteration. “Oh, miss, do we have to ride that?”
Sophronia, who had ridden a wolf only once before, pretended confidence. “It’s actually a pleasant way to travel.”
“I doubt that, miss.”
“You can go in the middle.”
If Soap felt his manliness in question over such an offer, he didn’t say so.
Sophronia climbed up front, her legs tucked up high. She gripped Captain Niall’s furry neck with her knees and his ruff with her hands. Soap climbed on after, wrapping both arms around her waist in a death grip. It was very intimate, especially with only a few layers of masculine clothing between them. However, Soap seemed too frightened to take advantage of the situation. Sidheag, accustomed to werewolf transport, took the rear, over the beast’s haunches, the most difficult seat to maintain. She gripped Soap’s waist in turn. The wolf was only just big enough, but he was certainly strong enough, and he took off at a pace more rapid than any horse could manage.
MISBEHAVING WITH PURPOSE
Captain Niall carried them directly to the hive. Sophronia recognized the neighborhood instantly. He was wise enough to go nowhere near the front door but let them off at a back alley near the kitchen entrance, where merchants delivered goods and servants came and went.
Sophronia marshaled her troops. “Soap, would you go in the back? We will need a warning in case of unexpected visitors. If anyone sees you, how about pretending you’re there to clean the chimneys?”
“At this hour?”
“Best I can think up on short notice. Sidheag and I are going in the front.”
“Barefaced?” Sidheag protested.
“Can you think of a better plan?”
“Who do we represent?” Sidheag asked.
“We’re dandy drones of a local rove vampire. We’ve been sent to find out what’s going on. We heard they kidnapped children, and our master does not approve. It’s worth a try.”
Captain Niall, still in wolf form, looked very worried.
Sophronia, thinking herself quite daring at giving a teacher instructions, even if he did look a bit doglike, said, “If you could stay to assist the retreat, Captain? Or go get the authorities, if you think they would come. Your decision.”
The werewolf sat back on his haunches with an air of decisiveness. He’d wait.
“He can’t carry five of us,” protested Sidheag. “I mean, if we are, by some miracle, successful in retrieving Dimity and Pillover.”
The werewolf growled.
Sidheag understood wolf growls. “Fine, he can carry five of us, but five of us would not be able to fit on top of him.”
Sophronia waved a dismissive hand. “We’ll figure that out later. We really should be getting on.”