Page 21 of The Wolf

“Don’t call her that,” Brine growled. “She isn’t the lady of anything. Call her what she is. A monster. Old Mother. A harpy deserving of death.”

Pyre nodded once.

“And now she’s teaming up with the duke of Merjeri to expand her enterprises farther into the country,” Briggs finished for Pyre.

Chesh frowned. “I thought we had a plan to dispatch the duke?”

“I fear that may be too little, too late,” Pyre said, frustrated. “Unless a miracle occurs and he’s taken care of in the next few days, Old Mother will have enough time to utilize his resources before we can stop her.”

Brine sucked on the curse that was dying to be let loose from his lips. He wanted to say that Pyre was wrong—that it wasn’t too late, that a miraclewouldoccur, that they’d be able to murder the duke of Merjeri and take his province as their own. But he knew such things were naïve to think. Certainly too naïve for Brine to believe, and the rest of his friends. And even if said miracledidoccur and they took out the duke, the Old Mother still had his home province under her control.

Brine’s grandmother had grown much too strong. It was therefore inevitable that a showdown with her had to happen.

“I hear tale of a woman in a red cloak in Merjeri,” Chesh said, surprising all of them. Brine wondered what this had to do with the topic at hand.

“Where did you hear that?” Briggs asked.

The cat flashed a grin. “I wouldn’t be a very good spy if I didn’t have my own network, would I?”

Pyre let out a chuckle. “Remind me to never have you on my bad side. And yes, I’ve heard the same. A woman in a red cloak seems to be dealing in Merjeri on behalf of Old Mother.”

“Has anyone managed to identify her?” Brine asked hollowly. Stars, he hoped it was no one he knew. It was intriguing that his grandmother was using a woman. She usually saw them as competition and got rid of them almost immediately. What was so special about this hooded spy?

Pyre’s shoulders fell. “No one has seen her face. Or, at least, no one who could live to tell the tale has seen it. Or will tell me what she looks like, if they’ve seen her. Or—”

“I get it,” Brine cut in, impatient. “What has she been doing in Merjeri?”

“She’s killed a few good men in the province.” He sobered, then added, “But, on the other hand, some of the Hood’s men have sworn that a woman in a red cloak has helped them disappear, right from under the clutches of Old Mother. And there are others who say she helped heal their grievous injuries, or healed the fevers set in from an infected wound. So Dotae only knows what’s the truth. It could all be one of Old Mother’s games.”

“It could be two women,” Brine suggested. “One of them taking advantage of the reputation of the other to get away with doing their work.”

Pyre gave him an appraising look. “I was thinking the same. In any case, we need to investigate it, and fast.”

“Then I—”

“No,” Pyre interrupted, resolute. “Absolutely not. Damien and his mate are in Merjeri already. We have to let things play out a little longer so they can investigate before anyone else meddles.”

“But—”

“After everyone we’ve lost so far in the province, do you seriously think I want to risk losingyou,Brine?” It wasn’t just Pyre giving Brine his undivided attention; both Chesh and Briggs were too. They were looking at him as if he had a death wish.

Brine ground his teeth together. Of the three of them, only Pyre knew Brine’s full history, though Briggs knew a little. But Chesh was clever enough to know that if Brine was willing to recklessly put himself at risk, then whatever he wanted to do was dangerous and likely foolish.

And itwasdangerous. Foolish. Interfering with an agent of his grandmother’s was perhaps one of the riskiest things Brine could do. But if he didn’t dosomethingsoon, more blood would be shed.

Could he handle more lives on his conscience?No. It would break him.

He didn’t like this at all. But with Pyre and Chesh and Briggs there to argue against him heading into Merjeri, Brine knew he would lose. He had never been one with words, not really, so he backed down. He’d patiently wait to strike.

“Good,” Pyre said, relief plain as day on his face when Brine settled onto his chair and guzzled back his cup of wine. “If things change in a few days, we can discuss what to do next then.”

Brine could do as he was told for a few days. He could remain in line without facing up to his past.

For now.

NINE

SCARLET

---