The Savage Grace: A Dark Divine Novel(35)

“What?” I felt a rush of relief that it wasn’t news about my dad, and sudden panic at what this might mean. “Do they know what happened?”

“They’re saying it was a wild-animal attack.”

This was bad. Very. Very. Bad. I’d heard what Deputy Marsh had said about one more attack being all the justification he needed to get a hunting party together. Even if the attack had been all the way in the city, with two people dead now, I didn’t see that stopping those hunters from going after Daniel.

Suddenly, I remembered seeing the white wolf watching me from that same grove of trees last night when I left the hospital. But no, it couldn’t be.… He wouldn’t. … Whatever Daniel was now, I didn’t sense any malevolence in him.

“What time did they say it happened?”

“Just after midnight.”

“Thank goodness.” Daniel had been back in Rose Crest by then. We’d heard him howling just before ten p.m. Gabriel said he’d stay with him through the night. I could prove it wasn’t him if I had to.

And then another thought hit me. What if someone was trying to make it look like Daniel had done it … like the way my brother had staged those attacks last year to frame Daniel…

I shook my head. Dreaming of Jude’s misdeeds all night long must have made me paranoid this morning. Jude was locked up, after all. He would have been at the parish all last night, with Zach and Ryan guarding him and everything.

“I need … I need to tell you something, Grace.” “What is it?”

“I let Jude out last night.”

“You did what?”

“He was so upset about your dad. He begged me to let him go see him. I just couldn’t say no. I sent Zach and Ryan away, and then I let Jude out. He promised he’d come back. He said he wouldn’t be gone longer than two hours. He swore to me he’d just check in on your dad and come right back.”

“Did you stay there to make sure he did?”

“No. My mom called and got real mad because I was out past my ten thirty curfew. I left, and I have no idea if he…” She took in a gulp of air. “Gracie, do you think Jude could have done this?”

A nurse at my father’s hospital had been killed, and my brother had been loose at the same time. He was probably still loose now—doing heaven only knows what. Every fear I’d had about Jude since the moment he claimed he wanted to come home came crashing in on me.

“Yes.” I snapped my phone shut and sprinted from my house, headed toward the parish.

I had to see the evidence for myself.





Chapter Thirteen


DEBTS UNPAID


A FEW SHORT MINUTES LATER

My ankle had healed considerably with almost a full night’s sleep, but I still couldn’t run at my top speed because too much of Rose Crest was already out and about this morning. It felt like torture slowing my pace down enough just to look like someone out for a morning jog—which I realize now probably would have been more convincing if I’d bothered to put on shoes before bolting from the house. And I was still wearing the pair of pale green scrubs I’d changed into at the hospital.

I ran past Mr. Day, who was setting up a display outside his shop, and then rounded onto Crescent Street. When I was sure no one else was around, I kicked up my speed and flew across the parish’s parking lot and into the building. I pounded down the stairs into the darkened basement without stopping to turn on any lights.

What am I going to do if Jude isn’t here?

What am I going to do if he is?

I ran right up to the storage cage and grabbed the iron bars of the gate with both hands. The gate was closed and bolted by a thick padlock, but the two “watchmen” chairs outside the cage sat empty.

“Jude?” I called into the dark cell. “Jude!”

I heard a moan. Something shifted deep inside the storage cage.

“Grace?”

I blinked several times and focused my powers into my eyes until I felt that familiar popping sensation behind my pupils. My night vision sharpened in the dark, and I was able to see Jude as he sat up on the narrow cot in the far corner of the cage. His long hair was disheveled, and he rubbed his eyes like he’d been in a deep sleep before I came crashing in on his slumber. “I thought you might finally come today.” He blinked and scrubbed his hand down the side of his face. “What time is it?”

He was here! Asleep. Jude had come back. That had to mean something.

He’s just covering his tracks, hissed the wolf. Tricking you into thinking he’s innocent.

“Did you do it?” I asked. “Did you kill that nurse at the hospital?”

Jude squinted at me. “What are you talking about? What nurse? I’ve been here in this place,” he indicated the cage bars, “since you decided I needed to be locked up.”

“Don’t lie to me. April told me she let you out last night. I know you went to the hospital. And now there’s a dead nurse. She was killed by a wild animal just after midnight.”

Jude shot up from the cot and stormed over to the gate. He clutched the bars, his hands just above mine.

“And that’s your first thought? That I did it?”

He slammed his hand against the iron bars. The gate rattled in my face. I realized then that the padlock was just a formality. He could tear this gate off its hinges if he wanted.