Page 86 of Of Fate and Phantoms
He kissed me again but on my mouth this time. It lasted until my bones turned to jelly and my heartbeat skipped. "Goodnight, Charlie."
I did not bid him goodnight as I planned on being awake when he returned.
However, my body had other ideas. I must have dozed off in the parlor. I awoke to a dark, cold room, the fire having gone out. A noise had startled me and I rose to look for Lincoln.
"Where is she?" came a thin, youthful voice I didn't recognize.
My heart pounded once then halted. My mouth went dry. It was too dark to see the intruder, but the voice came from the doorway. The shadows there moved.
Oh God! What did he want? Had Gawler sent someone to attack us? Could he see me, sitting on the sofa?
"Where is she?" he said again, but harsher, more desperate. "We're running out of time. Look!" The figure burst out of the shadows, brandishing a pocket watch.
But it wasn't the watch that caught my attention. And it wasn't a man holding it. He was a…creature with a white hairy face, long ears and cat-like whiskers. No, not a cat; a rabbit. He was fully clothed, and rushed toward me on hind legs like a human.
I screamed louder than I've never screamed before.
Chapter 12
The rabbit stoppedand pulled down its long ears. "Cease that infernal racket!"
I leapt off the sofa and grabbed the fire iron in one hand and my imp's orb in the other. "Don't come any closer."
The rabbit checked the watch again and clicked its tongue. "We're wasting time. She must come with menow."
I brandished the fire iron but kept my distance. The rabbit didn't seem to want to attack me, but I wasn't going to let down my guard. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Charlie!" came Gus's shout, followed by pounding footsteps down the stairs.
"Charlie?" That was Seth.
"In here!" I called. "There's an intruder!"
The word was hardly out of my mouth when Gus and Seth barreled through the door. Gus hurled himself at the rabbit. They crashed through an occasional table. Wood splintered, and the lamp sitting on it broke apart when it hit the floor. Fortunately the lamp casing rolled away, the glass in tact.
Doyle entered, carrying a candelabra. He stopped short upon the sight of the rabbit on the floor. "Oh my!"
Gus gave an uncharacteristic yelp of surprise as the light fell across the rabbit's face, but he didn't get up. He sat on its chest, pinning its wrists to the floor. He did lean back and eyed its large teeth warily.
"Bloody hell," Seth said, studying the rabbit. "What the devil isthat?"
Cook peered over Seth's shoulder. "Want me to turn him into stew, Charlie?"
The rabbit squirmed, but it was no match for Gus. "Let me go! There isn't time for this! We're going to be late."
"For what?" I asked, rather stupidly.
"An important appointment with an important person."
"Explains the fine clothes he be wearing." Cook looked down at his own nightshirt, tugging it over his protruding stomach. Doyle and Gus also wore nightshirts, whereas Seth was bare chested, his trousers riding low on his hips.
"Are you one of them shifters?" Gus asked. "One of Gawler's mates?"
"I don't know who or what you're referring to," the rabbit said in a crisp upper class accent. "But I'm here to collect Alice for her appointment. If you don't—"
"Alice!" Seth snapped. "What do you want with her?"
"I told you—"
