Silver Secrets

Chapter 32: Mel

We leave Angaret's body in the forest, but not before stripping her of her armour, even though it's mostly rusted and torn chain mail. It feels wrong to rob a corpse, even if it belongs to someone who tried to kill us, but Rowan reasons that it would only be a waste of half-decent metal. I can't argue with that, but I still try to avoid touching her skin as much as I can when I help unfasten the buckles. Ed sulks around behind us. We all know I can stop him easily if he tries to run or attack us, so he doesn't try anything.

"Wait," I say as Rowan straightens with the chain mail slung over his arm. I gingerly take Angaret's left wrist between my thumb and forefinger and try not to think about the way her arm flops. "Look, she's only wearing one glove."

"Maybe she could only afford one."

"Or maybe she wanted to show off this ring." I tilt her hand to get a better look. A wide silver band fits snugly on her pointer finger, tarnished, scratched, and unadorned.

"Maybe she thought it was some sort of charm, like that nail in the shepherd's door on Tarstmoor." Rowan doesn't sound as if he believes that, though.

"It's got a hidden spike," Ed calls over. "There's a catch at the back."

"Careful," Rowan warns as I find a tiny bump on the edge of the ring. I press it and a spike springs forward from the palm side.

"Good thing we didn't let her surrender," I observe, setting the limb down gently.

"We should get back to Celyn now," says Rowan, shifting the weight of the chain mail to his hip. "You look cold."

"What's new?" I grumble as I slip my hand into Rowan's free one and indicate for Ed to walk in front of us. He goes willingly enough, probably anxious to get back to his sister. I stoop and pick up his bow as we pass. Maybe someone in the pack can shoot. "I wish I had your body heat."

"Maybe later."

I blink up at him. "Did you just...?"

He grins, pleased with himself. "Maybe I did."

When we get back to the clearing, I have to try not to gag at the smell of blood that clings to the air. The centaur went down eventually, but the snow around him is sprayed with red. I'm relieved to see that there don't appear to be any werewolf casualties.

Otto grabs Rowan as soon as we step into the clearing, pulling him into a tight embrace and clapping him on the back. Rowan tenses up, but tolerates the hug without complaining.

This is new, he thinks to me wryly.

I'd get used to it if I were you, I think back, before going to find Celyn so they can have their moment.

There's a cry of, "Ed!" before Ed's sister races over and throws herself into his arms. She glares at me over her shoulder. "Did she hurt you?"

"He's fine," Celyn says from behind me. I jump, having been so exhausted I didn't even hear her approach. "We do not harm hostages."

"His leader is dead," I tell her. "He killed her himself."

Celyn purses her lips. "Then it's not our concern, so long as she is dead. From what Bree has been telling me, it was only a matter of time before they left Angaret's employment anyway. She appears to have been a cruel woman." She runs her fingers through her grey-streaked auburn hair, scraping it back from her face, and sighs.

I glance anxiously around the clearing. One assassin's absence is glaringly obvious. "Alpha Celyn, did you capture the elemental girl, too?"

"No. I've heard it from three of my pack that she simply vanished."