Silver Secrets

Chapter 29: Bree

It's been snowing properly for a while now, and my joints are all stiff with cold. All we've been doing is waiting. Angaret didn't tell us exactly what we're waiting for. I guess we have to guard the other entrance to the caves, but I don't see why. When the werewolves find out they're being attacked, it's not like they're going to come pouring out of that tiny crack in the cliff face. They'll just hide in their hole and wait until we give up or die of cold. Surely Angaret can see that.

Maybe the werewolves don't even use that thing as a door. Maybe they don't even know it's there. River had a look at it last night, when we first got here. There's a stream of water pouring from the rock and pooling down here in the forest, so River travelled up it and went right into the caves. She didn't go too far in because the werewolves keep their caves dry and she didn't want to be caught without any water around. River could get in fine because she just went up the waterfall, but even if they'd built a path or something up there, from down here the hole looks way too small for a person to go in and out of, never mind a werewolf. Lieutenant Bedauri was huge. I hope they're not all like that, especially as we don't even know how many there are.

I flinch when there's another splash. River's getting bored now, and has started throwing stones into the pool at the base of the little waterfall. The bubbling of the water covers the noise mostly, but I'm still scared the werewolves will hear us.

"Come on, Bree. We're going to go see Angaret," she says finally, disgustedly hurling one last stone into the pool. "This is a waste of time."

"Angaret told us to stay here!" I protest, though I really do want to leave, and I actually agree with River for once.

"No, she told us to make sure we kill a werewolf if one tries to come out this way, which it won't. And anwyay, it's not like you'd be much good against one of them, even if you do have silver arrows."

I decide it's not worth arguing with her, even though I'm a much better shot than I used to be. She's already stalking off through the trees. Instead I stumble through the snow after her, holding my bow ready just in case.

It's not too far to where Eddie and the others are waiting, but the snow makes it feel a lot further. By the time we get there my trousers are soaked to the knees, and there's a dark wet patch creeping up River's thick skirt.

Angaret hears us first. She spins on her heel to face us, her face turning red when she recognises us. "What are you doing here?" she hisses. "I told you to stay—Edmund, keep your eyes on the door! I told you to stay where you were!"

"Thought you could use a hand over here," River says, kicking at the snow with her boot. "They're not going to use that back exit, Angaret. It's too small and halfway up a fucking mountain."

Angaret grinds her teeth together, though luckily all her anger seems to be focussed on River and not me. I look over her shoulder at Eddie, but he's still got his bow trained on a gap that's opened up in the rock. There's blood splattered on the snow around it.

"River, your orders were to stay where—"

A twig snaps behind me, and Angaret's furious expression goes cloudy with confusion. I turn around, then stumble backwards with surprise.

It's them. Lieutenant Bedauri and Melanthe are standing on the hill above us, and Bedauri has a knife at Melanthe's throat. I swallow hard. We were always going to kill them, but that was when they were miles away and I didn't know what either of them looked like. Now, seeing them standing there, I want them to run. I don't want Angaret to boil their skulls and I don't want Clay or my brother to kill them. Except now, it looks like it won't be us killing Melanthe after all.

It's Angaret who speaks first. She lifts her square chin and takes a few strides towards them. "Lieutenant Bedauri. We've been looking for you."

He nods, his eyes skimming over all of us. In his grip, Melanthe is as still as a stone. She doesn't even struggle, even though Bedauri's knife is pressed right up against her throat. Her fingers are white as they grip his arm, though. Why isn't she using her psychic powers to get away?

He looks at Angaret again. His eyes are yellowish brown, and they narrow when he stares at her. "You've been following us. You were sent to kill us, weren't you?"

"We were."

"Who by?"

"None of your concern," Angaret says quick as a heartbeat, but I know we don't really know who we're working for, only that they work at the palace.

"And they want both of us dead?"

Angaret nods, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. If she tries to fight Bedauri and he shifts, she'll die for sure, especially if the other werewolves join in. I don't think they'll need much of a reason, now that either Eddie or Clay has killed one of their own.

Bedauri pulls Melanthe tighter against his chest, tilting her head up to the sky. She whimpers a bit but her face is completely calm, as if she's just watching the snow fall from the sky, and not about to die. "How about we make a deal?"

"You're not in a position to bargain with me," Angaret barks, her face flushing again.

"I think I am. You've just killed a pack member. I can smell it,  the blood. And I can smell them, waiting inside that door. You'll have to listen to me if you want to leave this forest alive." He grins. He doesn't have fangs or anything. His teeth are actually kind of normal-looking.

Angaret sighs deeply. "Fine, then speak, dog. Edmund, keep him in your sights. Clay will take care of the others if they attack."

Lieutenant Bedauri nods, shifting Melanthe so she is between him and Eddie. "You can have Melanthe. I'll give her to you right here. I'll even kill her myself—the longer she is allowed to exist, the more powerful she will become. Letting her live is dangerous. In return, you'll let me go. I'll stay well away from Moon Bay, I promise you that. And you'll kill no more werewolves, either."

"And how will we prove Melanthe's death to our employer?"

Bedauri reaches under Melanthe's shirt for something. He flicks out a small wooden pendant, letting it dangle from his finger, swaying in the wind.

"She's had this since she was a child. People who know her will recognise it as hers."

Angaret stares hard at the necklace. Then she says, "And what about you? Our orders were to kill both of you. Why should I let you live?"

"Because you could never win a fight against me, and you know it. Especially not if they join in." He twitches the knife at the door behind us. I turn around to see three massive wolves prowling down the steps, Clay backing away from them with his axe gripped in front of him.

"Dogs stay loyal, I see," Angaret snorts, as if the werewolves behind her were harmless puppies. "Even one like you."

Lieutenant Bedauri's face hardens for a moment, but then he tightens his grip on Melanthe. She closes her eyes. "Of course we do. Well? Do we have an agreement?"

Angaret pretends to think about it, but I can tell she's already decided because she's eyeing Melanthe's necklace like a hawk watching a mouse. "We do."

Bedauri nods. He swallows and clenches his jaw. Then, with a trembling hand, he rests the tip of the knife at Melanthe's stomach.

That's when I look away, but I still hear a squelch and a gurgle and a moan and a thud as Melanthe falls to the forest floor.