Lord Loss (The Demonata #1)(34)

"Bet he heads straight down the cellar," Bill-E says confidently.

"I hope so," I sigh.

Moments later Dervish emerges and walks to the sheet of corrugated iron close to the sheds. He carefully removes it, unlocks the chains and casts them aside. Bill-E's smiling knowingly - but the smile fades when Dervish drags the sheet of corrugated iron back over the doors, turns and heads off in the direction of the forest.

"What do we do now?" I ask quietly.

"He might just be going to..." Bill-E starts, but hasn't the heart to finish.

"Two choices," I growl. "We let him go - or we follow."

"You want to go into the forest after him?" Bill-E asks uncertainly. "If he transforms out there and the beast spots us..."

"At least we know what to expect, and we're prepared," I grunt, hefting my axe. "Nobody else knows what he is. If we let him go and he kills..."

Bill-E rolls his eyes, but says sullenly, "We'll follow."

Hurrying from the room. In the hall downstairs, Bill-E stops to grab a sword, longer and sharper than the one I gave him earlier. While he's at it, he plucks a couple of knives, sticks one in his belt, hands the other to me. "Double security," he says.

"I like your thinking," I grin shakily.

Then we're gone - frightened, courageous, crazy - tracking a werewolf.

Slipping away from the house. Creeping around the sheds. Entering the forest. Moving cautiously, Bill-E leading the way. A bright night. Very few clouds to block out the worryingly full moon. But dark under cover of the trees. Countless spots where a creature could lie in ambush.

"Which way did he go?" I whisper as Bill-E pauses and stoops.

"That way," Bill-E replies a few seconds later, pointing left.

"How do you know?"

"Footprints," he says, tapping the ground.

"Who made you Hia-bloody-watha?" I scrunch up my eyes but can't see any prints. "Are you sure?" I ask, wondering if he's deliberately leading me astray.

"Positive," Bill-E says, then stands and stares at me, troubled. "If he sticks to this course, he's heading for the Vale."

I stare back silently. Then we both turn without a word and resume the chase - faster, with more urgency.

Running. Ducking low-hanging branches. Leaping bushes. Bill-E comes to a sudden halt. I run into him. Stifle a cry.

"I see him," Bill-E says softly "He's stopped."

I peer ahead into the darkness - can't see anything. "Where?"

"Over there," Bill-E points, then crouches. I squat beside him. "We're on the edge of the forest. Carcery Vale's only a minute's jog from here."

"You think he's going to attack someone in the village?" I ask.

Bill-E tilts his head uncertainly. "I can't believe it. But I don't see any other reason why he would come here. Maybe - "

He spins away abruptly, covering his mouth with his hands. Lurches through the bushes. Twigs snap. Leaves rustle. He collapses to the floor and throws up over a pile of twigs.

My gaze snaps from Bill-E to the trees ahead. Clutching the handle of my axe so tightly it hurts. Waiting for Dervish to hear the commotion and investigate.

Half a minute passes. A minute. No movement ahead.

Bill-E shuffles up beside me. Rests in the shadow of a thick bush. Breathing heavily. Chin specked with vomit. "I can't go on," he groans. His voice cracks as he speaks. His whole body's trembling.

"How bad are you really?" I ask, searching for him in the shadows, only able to make out the dark outline of his face.

"Lousy." He chuckles drily. "I should have listened to you earlier - gone home to bed. I need a doctor."

"Your house isn't far from here," I note. "I could take you there."

"What about Dervish?"

"Is he still where you said he was?" I ask.

Bill-E parts the bush above him, half-kneels and stares dead ahead. Silence for a few seconds. Then - "Still there."

"I'll take you home," I decide, "then circle back."

"But you can't track him like I can," Bill-E demurs. "You need me."

"I'll get by," I override him. "The way you are now, you're a liability. It's only pure luck that he didn't hear you a few minutes ago. You're useless like this."

"Grubbs Grady," Bill-E giggles hoarsely. "Tells it like it is."

"Come on," I mutter, offering him a hand up. "The quicker we go, the sooner I can pick him up again."

Bill-E hesitates, then grabs my sleeve and staggers to his feet. "Sorry about this," he mumbles, bent over, hiding his face, ashamed.

"Don't be stupid," I smile, wrapping an arm around him. "I couldn't have tracked him this far without you. Now - let's go."

Bill-E's house lies almost straight ahead, but Dervish is blocking the direct route. So we skirt around him and stumble further through the forest, until we find a spot downhill where he hopefully won't be able to see us.

"Walk or run?" I ask.

Bill-E doesn't answer immediately - his breath is ragged and he's trembling. Then he sighs and says, "Walk. More noise... if we run."