Tracking was much the same though, whenever you lived. Without technology, it was down to instinct, common sense, and a whole bunch of dumb luck. Unless you were blessed with heightened senses, whichc’mon, Alec, where are you?would be handy any time now.
Sorley ran until he figured he was in danger of going too far and making Gethin antsy, then, at a narrowish point, he took a run up and cleared the river with a leap that impressed even him. Finding no evidence of Alec was frustrating, but he wasn’t overly surprised. His friend was kind and sweet, and Sorley reckoned that even enchanted, terrified and half mad with pain and thirst, he would try to keep himself away from hurting anyone else.
He skidded to a stop in front of the tree where he’d left Gethin and whistled softly.
The wolf appeared from the shadows like smoke. He stood at Sorley’s feet and tilted his furry head to one side.
“Nothing.” The wolf slumped a bit. “But I think that could be Alec trying to hide on purpose.” Gethin remained still, prompting Sorley to expand on his theory. “Water might mask his scent. Even mud would dull it. There are a lot more trees further on, in bigger clumps. I vote we both head that way, then spread out to check the area thoroughly. If he’s stuck for cover, he’s likely to dig a hole to bury himself where the earth is soft. Even crazed like I was when I broke into yours, I’d obviously been aware enough to hide myself in daylight. He won’t be cavorting about the open fields, not unless he’s got no option.” He paused, but Gethin’s eyes remained fixed and steady on him. “So, we’ll go with my plan?”
The wolf nodded.
They zig-zagged back and forth along the bank, looking up into the trees and in Gethin’s case, snuffling through bushes and reeds. Nothing. Not even footprints, which was concerning. There had been recent rain in the area, so even a vampire’s light steps should have made imprints in the muddy river’s edges, but so far neither of them had spotted anything bigger than the webbed impressions from the local waterfowl.
They pressed on, covering every inch of ground with a cluster or more of trees. Sorley checked his watch for the time. He set an alarm for an hour before the latest time he could be outside, although he didn’t need it but he was taking nothing for granted right now, then shoved it aside. Where thehellwas Alec?
They both stopped short at the edge of the largest wooded area they’d searched so far and stared at the wall in front of them. Sorley tsked.
“Annoying. Give me a moment.” He dropped the backpack at Gethin’s feet and launched himself at the concrete monstrosity. Brute strength and a little bit of luck got him to the top, where he stood up and looked around. “Fuck’s sake,” he grumbled, then leapt down with a lot more grace than he’d jumped up.
He waved a hand at Gethin, back in human form and dressing at speed. “This is because?”
Gethin was lacing up his trainers. “That’s a wall to keep folk out. Which means it’s long. We’re going over it, so I need arms and legs. Right.” He stood. “Let’s do it. What’s on the other side?”
“More trees. And some weird kind of installation. We can cross by the river and mostly avoid it, I think. Let’s head that way.”
Sorley snatched up the backpack at the same time as the wolf. They tugged together, then Gethin let go and stepped away with a smirk.
“Be my guest.”
They crested the wall together where it met the river, Gethin’s muscled bulk no impediment to his ability to fling himself upwards in a gravity-defying manner. From the top, they stared at the land beyond the wall. On the southern bank of the river was…
“Buggered if I know,” Gethin said finally. “A water treatment plant?”
“Maybe,” agreed Sorley. “But we can skirt it and still follow the river.” He hesitated, then said, “Don’t laugh at me, but I’m almost certain Alec is nearby.”
“Not laughing. Gut instinct’s saved me on many an occasion. But before we move, let’s talk about what’s in the bag.”
Sorley swallowed, the memory of the silver-enforced chains burned into his psyche. “Go on.”
Gethin sat down and gestured for the backpack. He took gloves from a side pocket and put them on. Then he delved inside and brought out a range of items. “Handcuffs, leg cuffs, blindfold.”
“Kinky.” It was out before he could stop it.
Gethin raised his eyebrows. “This lot is rather more than kinky. You’d have to be a definite pain slut to want your skin in direct contact with any of these.” He waved his gloved hands at the sets of cuffs. “Silver and iron enforced.”
“Urgh.”
“Precisely. Anyway.” He lifted out two opaque bags and opened the fastening of the smaller one. “This is something you won’t have seen before.”
The faintest hint of a flowery scent, overlaid with an even fainter tang of metal, rose from the fine length of unremarkable-looking cloth. The fabric slithered in an oily way and yet it was almost translucent. Sorley bent down for a closer look.
“That’s not anything Earthly.”
“Correct, ish. It’s an Eqwan, named after its main creator. It was developed with the help of the Fae.”
“What does it do?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“Subdues supernaturals. Think of it as our version of a personal fire blanket.” He patted the second, slightly larger bag. “You’ll like this one better.”
