Chapter 18 #2
"Why are you here?" she asks. "What do you want with a brownie?"
"To see you," I answer honestly. "The brownie doesn’t deserve to die, so we’re taking him."
She frowns, glances at her confused rookies, then back to me. "Go," she says, the word barely audible. "Before I change my mind."
I don't push my luck with words of gratitude or promises. I also know this small mercy costs her. The conflict in her eyes tells me she's still fighting our connection. But her actions tell me I’m winning.
With the brownie still clutched to my chest, I move toward the exit, Cormac close behind me. The kitchen staff part unconsciously around us, their attention elsewhere thanks to the glamour.
Only Astrid watches us leave, her gaze a heavy pressure on my back as we slip through the door into the night beyond.
The cool air hits my face, but the pull to turn around, to go back to her, is almost overwhelming. My wolf paces restlessly, fighting our retreat. We plunge deeper into the alley, past overflowing dumpsters and stacked crates that reek of spoiled produce.
The wail of approaching sirens gets closer—GUIDE backup, no doubt. The brownie's tiny heart hammers against my chest, his fear-scent sharp and acrid.
I follow Cormac's lead as he weaves through a labyrinth of service corridors and delivery bays. Each turn takes us farther from Astrid, and my wolf howls its protest in my mind. Walking away from her feels wrong. Like I'm leaving a piece of myself behind.
"She could see you through my glamour," Cormac says as we hurry down the alley, his voice tight. "GUIDE will have this whole block surrounded in minutes. We’ve got to get further away."
I nod, clutching the brownie against my chest as we break into a jog. The small creature trembles against me, but remains silent as we navigate the maze of back alleys until we reach a nondescript sedan parked three blocks away.
"Get in," Cormac orders, unlocking the doors with a quick gesture. "Glamour won't hold much longer."
The brownie and I pile into the passenger seat while Cormac slides behind the wheel. The car rumbles to life, and we're pulling away from the curb just as I see a black SUV pull in the alley at the other end. My arm throbs dully, the wound already knitting itself closed.
"We're mates," I explain once we've put some distance between us and the restaurant, glancing down at the brownie who's now perched on my knee. Blood from my already-healing arm has stained his mottled skin and leather clothes. I offer him a napkin from the glove compartment.
"She let us go," Cormac says, disbelief coloring his tone as he maneuvers through evening traffic, constantly checking the rearview mirror. "A GUIDE agent let all of us escape."
"Not just any GUIDE agent," I correct him, unable to keep the pride from my voice. "My mate."
The brownie finally looks up at me, enormous eyes blinking in the passing streetlights. "You're the Viking wolf, one of the knights," he says, his voice high and musical. "You're looking for your soul shard."
"Yes," I confirm, surprised. "How do you know all of that?"
The brownie huffs a laugh, wiping blood from his arm with the napkin. "I'm well-informed. Also, that GUIDE agent..." He glances back through the rear window as Cormac takes a sharp turn. "She hunts our kind, but she's different. Strange powers. Some say she's one of us but hiding."
My heart pounds at the confirmation of what I've suspected since that night. The way she spoke to me in the cave, confessing what she was. The fact that she could see me through Cormac's glamour just now.
"What kind?" I ask, though I already know the answer won't be simple.
The brownie shakes his head, bracing himself as Cormac accelerates through a yellow light. "No one knows. But she heals fast. Moves too quick sometimes. And her scent..." He taps his large nose meaningfully. "Not fully human."
Cormac's knuckles whiten on the steering wheel, his eyes flickering to meet mine in the rearview mirror. "If she's magickal and working for GUIDE..."
"She's living a dangerous lie," I finish for him, staring out at the passing city lights. The thought sends a surge of protective fury through my blood. If they discover what she is, they'll execute her.
The brownie tugs at my shirt. "There's more. The reason they sent her after me." His voice drops to a whisper, nearly lost beneath the hum of the engine. "I overheard things. About the chimera."
My attention snaps fully to the small creature. "What about them?"
"Something is helping it. Someone." His oversized ears twitch nervously as Cormac takes another turn, heading toward the outskirts of the city. "They've killed more GUIDE agents since Rome."
"Who?" Cormac asks sharply, taking his eyes off the road for a dangerous second.
The brownie shakes his head. "Something old. Something forgotten."
"That's not helpful," Cormac says with a harsh growl, slamming his palm against the steering wheel. "Might as well be talking about Baba Yaga. Something forgotten. Bah!"
The brownie's small hand pats my chest as the car settles into a steady pace on a quieter road. "Don't worry, wolf. Soul mates always find each other. It's the way of things. She'll come around."
I look down at him, raising my eyebrows to indicate I’d like more of an explanation.
The small creature nods solemnly, his features softly illuminated by the dashboard lights. "The threads that bind souls together shine like silver in the dark to our kind. Yours glows especially bright, Asguardian. It leads straight back to that GUIDE agent."
My wolf preens at that information. She is ours. We are hers. Now we must convince her of the truth she suspects but won't acknowledge.
"We'll just continue to interrupt her missions until I get a chance to speak with her alone," I say, watching the city recede behind us.
"This is a terrible idea. It's not even an idea," Cormac mutters, checking the mirrors again to confirm we aren't being followed.
“Other than kidnapping her, I’m not seeing another way at the moment,” I shoot back.
The brownie tugs at my shirt again. "I can help. I know where she lives."
I look down at the small creature, surprised. "You do? How?"
The brownie's chest puffs out slightly with pride.
"We've been watching her for years. Brownies keep tabs on all GUIDE agents in our territory.
It's how we stay alive. But her..." He taps his nose knowingly.
"She caught our interest. Moves like them but smells like magick.
My clan has been tracking her patterns, her home, watching for signs of what she truly is. "
"And?" I press, curiosity burning through me.
His large eyes blink solemnly in the dim car interior. "She lives alone. Comes home at odd hours. Heals from injuries overnight that would take humans weeks. It's not every day one gets to play matchmaker for a wolf and a GUIDE agent. It will make for an excellent story."
"I suppose it might," I say, a smile tugging at my lips as Cormac groans beside me.
As we drive deeper into the night, the invisible tether between Astrid and me pulls taut, a constant reminder of what I'm leaving behind.
My wolf is restless, refusing to settle while we move further from our mate.
But the choice she made in letting us go tonight was a beginning.
Another small crack in the wall standing between us.
Tonight, she chose me... again.