Vow of Deception (The Ministry of Curiosities #9)(79)

"You dog," Ballantine snarled.

The other pack members prowled toward Swinburn, their shoulders hunched forward, their attention on their prey. I'd seen packs of stray hungry dogs stalking rats in such a manner, their focus so intent that they didn't notice me.

Swinburn stumbled back into the iron railing behind him. "Come now," he said, his voice shaking. "Stop this. I am your leader."

"Gawler was one of us," Ballantine snapped.

"And a good man," Harriet agreed. "You've betrayed our kind, Ignatius. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"She's lying," Swinburn warned the advancing pack.

"I am not," she said crisply. "For goodness’ sake, Sir Ignatius. Stop pretending. You do not care for your kind, or for your pack. You only care about yourself."

"How dare you!" Swinburn stepped forward and stabbed his finger in her direction.

"Seize him." The general's command was laconic in comparison to Swinburn's tirade. Yet his men obeyed him without question.

Two of them grabbed Swinburn but he easily shook them off. Another two joined their comrades, but he pushed them away with two pounding swipes of his arm. Then he got down on all fours and howled.

The four soldiers scrambled backward out of the way, but they weren't fast enough. Swinburn pounced, grabbing one of the soldiers and wrapping his big hands around the man's throat. The soldier's eyes bulged and his face turned purple. The other three soldiers went to rescue him, but Swinburn once again batted them away.

The general drew his sword.

"Change!" Swinburn shouted at his pack. "Now!"

"No!" Harriet cried. "Everyone, be calm! Please!"

But it was too late for calmness. One of the other shape shifters began to remove his clothing. The others followed Swinburn's lead and readied to pounce. It would seem they would still take his side, despite everything. It was pack law.

Soldiers crowded closer, their blades drawn. Their general barked orders, setting out a formation to surround the enemy. The poor soldier in Swinburn's grip lost consciousness and went limp, enraging his comrades.

I looked to Alice, trembling on the cart. Gus tried to comfort her but he could do nothing if the general shifted his attention to her. And he would, as soon as Swinburn was dealt with.

"Seth, see to Alice," I said. "Don't let her surrender."

"What about you?" His voice cracked. He was not looking at me but at the advancing army, drawing closer to us with each step. Every soldier had his sword drawn. "I can't leave you."

"I can take care of myself. Alice can't."

"Jesus, Charlie…"

I shoved him in the shoulder but still he didn't move. He was torn.

The general raised his sword, ready to swipe it down and order the attack.

Seth swore. Then he grabbed the sword from the nearest soldier and surged forward so quickly that the soldiers didn't have time to react. The pack did not see him coming until too late.

"No!" I screamed. "We need him alive!"

Seth cut horizontally through the air and sliced Swinburn's head cleanly off. It rolled away.

The general lowered his weapon. The army stopped. The wolf pack stared at the body of their former leader, now lying on the pavement covered in blood.

And I watched the spirit of Sir Ignatius Swinburn rise. His ghost hovered above his body, a look of vile hatred cast in Seth's direction.

"Good lord," Harriet said. "Seth, I didn't know you had it in you."

He stood there, hands at his sides, blood dripping from the blade. He looked more terrible than I'd ever seen him. If I didn't know his past or situation, I would think him a powerful lord, confident in leadership, the world at his feet. Part of me felt pride, yet I was disheartened too. Seth's soul wasn't as gentle and affable as I'd always thought it.

"I should have done that months ago," he said.

Ballantine stormed toward him but halted at a barked order from Harriet. "Sir Ignatius's time is over. He committed terrible crimes. He will be mourned in our way and then he'll be forgotten. Is that understood?"

Ballantine nodded. The other pack members followed suit.

Jenkin emerged from the house and shook his head at me. He was empty handed. I closed my eyes. Damn it. Damn it to hell.

"Charlie?" Seth said. "Charlie, don't say that was your only plan."

A lump formed in my throat. Lincoln was still in jail with no hope of release now that Swinburn was gone, and my bargain with the general had come to an end. I wanted to fold in on myself and cry a flood of tears.

Sir Markell Ironside held out his hand to Alice as if he were asking her to dance. "Come, Miss Alice. It's time to go home."

"No!" Seth shouted. "She's not yours! She doesn't belong with you, she belongs here!"

"With you?" Sir Markell shook his head. "This is not her home. You are not her people." He stretched his hand out further. "You know this, Miss Alice. Come home and answer the charges against you with your head high."

"You're leading her to certain death," Seth choked out.

Sir Markell ignored him. He only had eyes for Alice.

Seth's lips drew back and he surged forward.