Page 38 of Mongrel
His finger shakes as he guides me through her holdings.
“The king’s investigation centers around Sarvaar, Pest, Ecsed, and Csejthe—where she’s known to reside now.”
My eyes pass over each destination in turn. Either due west or north and, most likely, northwest. My guess is our scent trail will lead us near or through Ecsed, to Pest and Buda, then out of the valley north into the Little Carpathians, where Csejthe sits nestled among a cluster of small villages. By the looks of it, perhaps four or five days of travel if we push my limits.
I don’t need to circle the entire city after all; the western crescent should be enough. I see no reason for the kidnappers to have gone east. Which is lucky because omitting that side will save valuable time.
For my plan to work, three things need to happen. The trail must lead steadily toward Csejthe enough that the final destination is obvious. Cecily’s scent needs to merge with those of the first three girls. And lastly, the rain must hold off until the first two requirements are met without a doubt.
If any item on this list doesn’t come to fruition, Bowie is likely to return to Varad with or without me. He may be angry with me for the delay. But I’m certain my plan is our best chance to get to Cecily before any further harm comes to her. If I’m wrong, I’ll never forgive myself for letting them down, and that will leave the both of us angry with ourselves forever.
My heart is racing. My throat is tight.
I look Bowie in the eyes. “I’m right about this. I need you to trust me.”
His anguish bleeds from him in waves. I feel it in my soul. His pain becomes our pain.
“You’re certain?” His eyes beg me for reassurance.
I force confidence into my voice. “As certain as I’ve ever been.”
Bowie presses his lips to a tight line. Nods. Folds up the map and holds our pack open in front of me. “Then you should shift.”
I tear off my shirt and stuff it into the satchel. Time to get to work.
“Andras?” he says as I’m about to transform.
“Yes?”
His gaze turns intense. “I do trust you.”
I could cry. I want to hug him, but we don’t have time for that.
By the moon, I hope I’m right.
Chapter 13
I’ve been running as fast as my four legs will carry me for hours. My lungs and paws are battered. My stomach grumbles in protest, hunger nagging with the persistence of a swarm of mosquitos. The wind has picked up. Branches wave overhead, leaves rustle, and night birds halt their songs.
If he hasn’t already, Bowie will soon realize a storm approaches.
I have yet to find Cecily’s scent. My time is running short.
We left Debrecen behind and traveled west toward Ecsed, but we’ve no hope of making the entire journey in one night. Especially not if we must stop early due to weather.
At least if we’re forced to call a halt, the girl snatchers must do the same, though that’s little comfort when I think about how scared Cecily must be.
My hopes of catching up with them tonight are dashed. They clearly haven’t come this way. I’m thinking Cecily was taken straight through to Pest from Varad, which means the scent trails won’t converge anytime soon. And the weather isn’t getting any better.
Admitting defeat, I pause and glance back to Bowie. He catches up from where he’s been following a few paces behind. We’re alone on this narrow road between human settlements, a bit like the middle of nowhere.
“What is it, anything useful?” he asks.
We’ve devised a system. Look up for yes and down for no.
I look down.
His hope vanishes. “Cecily hasn’t been through here?”
