Page 77 of Kin of the Wolf

It pulsed twice, and he hurried to set it on the floor. Even though it had saved his life, he wasn’t presuming it was friendly. I wouldn’t either.

“I…” I started to say that I didn’t know, but the timing of when the case had opened couldn’t have been a coincidence. “I thinkyoudid.”

Duncan touched his chest, eyebrows rising again.

“It was when you ran in here as the bipedfuris. The thing started glowing like a sun. I think that’s when the lid opened.”

“That’s surprising, especially given that inscription. It’santi-werewolf, right? It shouldn’t respond to me in any way, to any werewolf.”

I held up a finger. “Actually, this may make sense. It could be the presence of a werewolf that releases the artifact. Presumably, whoever owns it might need it if one of our kind showed up, right? Like if you were to bite some innocent druid, the druid would need to promptly be healed before the lycanthrope magic could take hold in his or her blood.”

“So, you think it’s the presence of a threat that releases the lid? That’s interesting. Wouldanythreat do?”

“Maybe any of the ones it’s supposed to protect against. Werewolf bites, venom, and poison.”

“Under that logic, waving a rattlesnake at the case might alsocause the lid to open.” Duncan sat up and looked around, as if one might be lurking in the room so we could use it for a test.

“Rattlesnakes are hard to come by in western Washington.”

“Oh? I suppose they aren’t into the damp climate.”

“Nope. Even in eastern Washington, where it’s drier, you’re not going to find them in winter.”

“Are there any scorpions here?”

“Sorry, no. You’ll have to go to Arizona for those.”

“Are therenovenomous beasties in the Seattle area?”

“No, it’s a venom-free paradise. That’s why we put up with the rain. I?—”

Baying came from outside the castle—or was thatinsidethe castle?—and I stopped short. When the rest of my cousins had fled, I hadn’t expected them to return, but I remembered the glowing-eyed mongrels. My cousins might have stuck around and rounded them up, then waited until they sensed that the bipedfuris magic had faded, that Duncan and I were human again.

A bang sounded, the front door slamming open. The loud bays of the mongrels echoed through the castle halls.

I groaned. I hadn’t been seriously injured, not the way Duncan had, but the thought of fighting again was exhausting.

Duncan pushed himself to his feet. “You two, go out the back.”

“Not without you,” I said.

“I’ll buy you time to get away. Take the artifact and the case and get them out of here. They’re even more powerful—more important—than we thought.”

“You almostdiedtwo minutes ago. You can’t?—”

“I’m fine. My boat is tied up at the property line. You can take it and get away until it’s safe to come back.” Duncan grabbed the artifact, put it in the case, closed the lid, and handed it to me. His eyelids drooped as feral power radiated from him. “I’m feeling vigorous after that healing. I’ll keep them from chasing after you.”

“Why don’t weallgo?” Jasmine suggested.

She’d no sooner said the words than the first glowing-eyed mongrel ran into view, claws clacking on the marble tiles. Barks and yips came from the hallway behind it, promising more on its heels. Its eyes locked on me.

“Go.” Duncan grabbed the fallen sword and stepped into the path of the guard dogs while waving me toward a door to the patio.

Hating the idea of leaving him, I wanted to stay, to grab a knife from the kitchen and help. But Jasmine was obeying Duncan, running out the door to the patio. She didn’t have a weapon. If there were more red-eyed guard dogs out there, she might need help.

“Just buy us a couple of seconds, and come right after,” I called to Duncan as I took the case and ran after Jasmine.

He grunted as an answer, swinging the sword to keep the dogs at bay. Red eyes flashed as they turned toward me. Whoever was left in charge must have told them to go after me specifically.

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