I coughed, wheezed and managed a weak smile. ‘Interesting that it took a near-death experience to get you to call me by my first name.’
She didn’t smile back. Her face was pale and worried. ‘Are you injured? Of course you’re injured. I can get a doctor down here. We have healers. I can call someone or…’
I shook my head. ‘I’m okay,’ I said, my cracked voice barely a whisper. ‘But I think I’d like to go home now.’
Chapter
Nine
Iwas sitting on one of my garden chairs, a frosted beer bottle in one hand. One of the many good things about this time of year was that dawn came early so I didn’t have to worry that any vampires would be nearby covertly listening in to my conversation, not with the sun already rising over the roofs of the houses opposite.
‘It didn’t smell,’ I told Thane quietly.
His brow creased. ‘What do you mean?’
‘What does She Who Commands Werewolves smell like?’
‘Kitty goodness.’
I suppressed a grin. ‘What does She Who Commands Werewolves’ breath smell like?’
‘It’s alright,’ he admitted. ‘Faintly fishy.’
‘What do I smell like?’
He answered instantly. ‘Danger.’
I rolled my eyes and Thane snickered. ‘Usually your top notes are jasmine and gardenia,’ he said. ‘Your middle notes are slightly musky but not unpleasant. Like cats.’
I nodded. ‘Good.’
‘And your base note is danger.’
I huffed faintly but he doubled down. ‘It’s true!’
‘And my breath?’
‘Mint.’ He tipped his head towards the bottle in my hand. ‘But slightly beery right now.’
‘Uh-huh.’ I cupped my hand over my mouth, exhaled then sniffed. Thane had been generous with his description: I needed to brush my teeth. ‘The big scary monster with scales and claws and a huge mouth didn’t smell of anything. Not a goddamned thing. Not when I was up close to its body and not when it roared in my face.’
Understanding dawned in Thane’s blue eyes. ‘That’s how you knew it wasn’t real.’
‘If you’d been with me, you’d have worked it out far more quickly than I did. That monster was some sort of conjured creation.’
‘That sounds highly illegal.’
‘Oh yes.’ My voice was cheerful. ‘Very illegal indeed. But when did the law stop the good citizens of Coldstream?’
His expression darkened. ‘Conjured or not, it could have seriously hurt you.’
‘True – although EEL dabbled with such beasts briefly when I started working with them. No matter how strong the spell, magicked creatures like that can’t exist for long. Their lifespan, such as it is, is measured in mere minutes.’
‘Somebody was controlling it, Kit.’
‘And that somebody controlled it to walk away when I was easily defeated,’ I pointed out. I pulled a face. ‘When I was about to smash poison into its mouth, I almost exposed myself and revealed what I’m capable of. I yielded as soon as I realised what was really happening, so I think anyone who was watching will still doubt the extent of my capabilities. I don’t want the vampires to think I’m strong enough to take down whatever comes at me. They know I have skills – after all, Ikilled their buddy Brassick – but I’d prefer them to think of that as cat-lady luck.’
‘So you think it was a test to see what you can do?’
