Von stiffened as an icy chill sank through him.
This was it.
The moment he refused to believe was coming.
All the hope he had for the future vanished in his next breath. The world came down and the floor crumbled beneath him, tossing him into a wretched sea of dread. It dragged him into its dark depths while everything he yearned for floated to the surface out of his reach.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. The divination wasn’t supposed to be real. This had to be a terrible jest by the fates. So, Von did the only thing he could do in that incredulous moment.
He laughed.
Chapter 22
Von
Von’s crazed laughter resonated in the pub street. What else could he do but laugh? His world was slipping through his fingers, replaced with a reality he feared coming true. A strained smile etched on Dyna’s face, hands fidgeting with the strap of her satchel. She took another step back, primed to run. If she did, Von debated if he would let her go. Another dark thought suggested he should kill her now.
How could such a small, sweet thing be the end to it all?
He snapped to attention at the sound of running footsteps drawing near, and the lass turned away at the call of her name. Von joined Elon and they moved to the adjoining alleyway set behind the line of pubs, leading out to the main roads on either end. It reeked of rubbish, pish, and shite. A small rill in the ground carried sewage down the road where it would settle in the canal outside of town.
Von buttoned up his coat and covered his nose. He pressed against the end of the wall, careful not to make a sound. Elon loitered in the shadowy depths of the alleyway. Beside him, the merchant slumped against a stack of barrels, his neck twisted, vacant eyes staring at nothing.
The two male voices arguing with Dyna echoed in the empty alley.
“We have been searching all over this town for you, stupid human,” a cool voice snapped.
“I—I’m sorry.”
“Don’t call her that, Cassiel,” another voice chided. This one was familiar. The wolf named Zev. “Dyna, are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“No, but I … made a mistake.”
Von took out a knife and used the flat side as a mirror to see out onto the road. The image was warped, but he recognized Zev’s tall form as he ushered Dyna away from the pub entrance, moving in his direction. Another huddled close. Von ducked further behind the stack of crates, and Elon retreated into the adjacent alley.
Dyna’s companions stopped short of the alleyway. Their long shadows were visible from Von’s vantage point. One large, one lean, and the third small.
Zev said, “What happened?”
“I … told someone about Mount Ida.”
“Why?” Cassiel asked incredulously.
“I—I don’t know! The words left my lips as if by magic.”
“What do you mean?” Zev asked, his tone pitching in frustration and worry. “Who did you tell?”
“A man that goes by Commander Von, but he left. Perhaps he didn’t believe me. He laughed.”
“I suppose it’s laughable, but he may still lurk nearby,” Cassiel said. “Can you locate his scent, Zev?”
Von’s muscles stiffened. A werewolf would easily find him. That was not a creature he’d fought before but he knew how dangerous they could be. He gripped the knife and braced to spring.
After a pause, Zev gagged and coughed. “I can’t smell anything past the rubbish.”
Holding in a sigh of relief, Von was grateful for the sewage trickling past him.
“He mentioned that you’ve met,” Dyna said. “He was the man from the town square.”
