Page 99 of Untethering Dark

“Fuckers,”Oskar agreed, sniffing the air. Then the crow. Then the air again.

“What?”

“There’s more of this magic.”Before she could protest, he scampered past her and into the cottage where Cigarette Man was tied up.

The poacher’s head lolled back and forth, a delirious, glassy look to his eyes. Astrid was pretty sure she’d ruptured his testicles. “She showed us where to find the wolves and set the traps. She’s been right every time. How does she know, you think? Would’ve been nice if she mentioned you lot.” He began to slur. “Would’ve saved me a whole lot of trouble.”

Every time. And on a path Mutter took multiple times a day.

“She meant for us to find you. She set you up to be captured and brought here.”

“Suppose so.” He grimaced, coming to the same conclusion. “That cunning bitch.”

Oskar peered up at the man, squinting, then began to growl.

“What is it?”

“She’s watching us and listening. Through him.”

The rival witch had made Cigarette Man her unwilling familiar.

His head twitched, this way, and that, each motion jerky.

“What the fuck?” He sat ramrod straight for one long tense moment. Then relaxed, a lazy, devilish smile spreading his lips from ear to ear. A voice not his own spilled off his tongue, and in a language that was not his either. “Still alive, are we?”

A woman’s voice. Heldin, no doubt. She tsked. “We’ll have to remedy that.” Her attention snapped to Suri. “What pretty screams the friends you left behind make. If only you could hear the way they sing with every caress from my blade. Never have I heard such sweet music. But don’t worry, I’ll keep my blade plenty sharp for you, too.”

Suri gritted their teeth, fists clenched around the knives they held.

“One by one, I’ll take their skin and bathe in their blood, securing my people’s place amongst the living.” Heldin-possessed Cigarette Man blinked slowly, attention returning to Astrid. “And then I’ll take Wald Vater. What you’ve left for meanyway. His body, his soul, his immortality will be mine. And then I’ll take yours.” A fiendish giggle erupted from sneering lips.

“Oskar, I’ve heard enough.”

“Agreed.”The fox snarled, launching himself onto Cigarette Man’s lap, scratching at his eyes and gnawing on his ears. A mixture of the man’s voice and Heldin’s shrieks pierced Astrid’s eardrums, and violet smoke retreated from his nostrils. A useful spy no more.

The poacher’s face now a ruin, Oskar hopped off, licking his chops. Horrendous screeching became loud sobbing. Mutter Holle, she was so sick and tired of this man. Always something foul coming out of his mouth. First it was cigarette smoke and sleazy, predatory comments, now this...racket.

If Johanna survived the night, she’d not be able to turn him in to the authorities like this. No more reasons to keep him around.

Astrid swung her ax.

Blissful quiet settled over the cottage. Offset only by a dull, wet thump.Finally.Sighing with relief, she lowered the ax, blood dripping off the edge and onto the floor. She had so much scrubbing to do, but that was a problem for tomorrow.

The poacher was lucky she didn’t have an ounce of patience left, or the time to take him apart piece by piece. For what he’d done, and for what he threatened to do—to her, to her friends, to her lover—he deserved abject suffering.

Irritation crept back in.

Heldin got too close tonight. Far closer than she should have.

“Oskar, you didn’t notice he was being piloted by Heldin when we captured him? That would’ve been useful to know.”

The fox bowed his head, ears drooped. This time not offended.“No, I was distracted by the injured wolf, but I should’ve caught it sooner. I’m sorry, Astrid.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a slow, steady exhale. She couldn’t be mad at him. “It’s all right. Just report back to Perchta. Suri and I are heading to the site.”

The fox sprinted off into the night, leaving Astrid alone with Suri and two decapitated bodies.

“We take no prisoners tonight.” No excuses, no remorse. It was better Suri knew that now before the real carnage began.

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