Page 97 of Cry of the Firebird

"Settle down, Yvan. Blaming others won't help get her back," Katya said before turning to Izrayl. "What can you smell?"

Izrayl continued to track around the room before he shifted back. "It's strange. There isn't much of a scent. It just smells like death, and it's dark." He shook his head. "It's unlike anything I have encountered before. It is like…despair."

Katya passed him a towel from Anya's bathroom. "Cover up."

"I could say the same to you," he retorted, eyeing her singlet and black panties. The big golden dingo shifted into a strapping golden man.

"I should've bought another towel," Katya said, keeping her eyes focused firmly on his face.

"That's okay, love. I'm not shy," the stranger said with a big smile. "Nice to see you again, Izrayl."

"You too, Hamish." Izrayl shook his hand.

Trajan looked up from the smashed glass of the window. He ran his fingertips along the sill.

"So what the hell are you? Some kind of were-dingo?" Katya asked.

Hamish shrugged. "I'm just plain old cursed."

"Good to know." Katya rubbed at her scar on her brow, a headache already brewing. "I'm going to ring Isabelle and tell her to get her ass over here to help us. She might be able to pick up something from the room that we can't."

Isabelle arrivedat Trajan's within the hour. Katya was waiting for her in a pair of faded jeans and a shirt, looking wired and ready to shoot something.

"Morning, Belle. Welcome to my nightmare," she greeted before leading her to the lounge room where everyone had gathered.

Trajan stood with Izrayl and the Twins while Yvan was filling Cerise in on what had happened. Isabelle's eyes found a tall man standing in the shadows. He leaned forward into the light, and her world tilted on its axis.It can't be.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she demanded, her shock robbing her of her manners. The room fell silent.

Hamish's mouth opened and closed a few times before his face flushed in anger.

"I could say the same to you. You're the one who fucking disappeared off the face of the earth." Hamish was moving in on her quickly. "I thought you were dead. You're human!"

"Not anymore," she said, stepping backward so he wasn't looming over her.

"What's going on?" Trajan asked. "You are both being incredibly rude to each other."

"This is Belle Holland," Hamish all but spat at her.

She raised her chin and smiled. "Isabelle Blackwood, actually," she replied.

"Just what we need," Trajan muttered.

"You didn't even tell me your real name? Or that you're a supe?" Hamish demanded. "You are a piece of work, woman."

Isabelle looked at the confused faces around her and was suddenly aware that they were making a scene. It went against her British sensibilities so she said coolly, "Now's not the time for this fight, Hamish."

Hamish growled. "This conversation isn't over."

"This conversation hasn't even begun, but we will do it in private," Isabelle snapped. She turned away from him and looked pointedly at Izrayl. "You said something about death and despair?"

"It's close to that. I can't describe the scent any better. I'm sorry," Izrayl replied.

"It's just all good news tonight. If I can have a look in Anya's room, I might be able to get a clearer picture of what happened."

"Show her, please," Trajan said. He was calm on the outside, but Isabelle could feel the anger pouring off him.

Katya took Isabelle quickly to the trashed room, and she felt the presence of the thing that had been there as soon as she stepped inside. Her hand reflectively went to the rosary in her pocket.

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