Page 165 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

‘Shut up and stay quiet.’

No, no, no.

It awakens his humanity like dead wood kissed by a spark.

‘Let me talk to Troy, bring him here!’

The man walks away.

He leaves Riley there, stewing and scared and panicking hard.

His senses name the scent.

Cub.

Somewhere here there’s a little cub, a child, a kid who needs help.

Riley has to get out to help her. He has to.

He tries desperately to awaken his instincts, to isolate the heartbeat, her scent. That animal part of him is sullen and moonless, locked away and hated by him, it glares sadly to be used only now. Riley cannot fathom how to make this right, he can’t even begin to apologise to himself, he just does whatever he can to ascertain what’s happening elsewhere in his tall home.

It’s morning when he wakes after one pitiful hour of stress-sleep at the bottom of the stairs. He realises with a violent jolt that the cub scent is stronger and there’s a new heartbeat right outside that is so familiar his throat thickens and he feels like he might cry.

Riley presses himself against the seam of the door.

‘H-hello?’ he croaks, but the scent is undeniable.

Cub.

Child.

Little girl.

‘Hi,’ she says from the other side. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Riley,’ he answers. ‘I’m Riley. What’s y-your name?’

‘I’m Mimi. I’m gonna be seven this year.’

‘That’s—that’s so great,’ he tells her. ‘Mimi, are you alone?’

‘My brother is downstairs. He’s talking with that man.’

‘What man? Troy?’

‘You smell like Jewel,’ she tells him. ‘Wanna play? Daddy’s gonna come get us soon. It’s hide and seek, but Jewel said we have to be real patient, like Mari in the box. I’m so good at being patient. Shadow Sneak Myna on the case!’

‘I wish I could, but the door’s locked.’

‘I’ll open it.’

‘I don’t think you—’

There’s a beep and a jolt.

The steel door slides open.

Riley staggers back, senses on high alert.