Part 1 (2/2)
”The men say yeare not paying attention to business, that yeare distracted by yer woman.”
”By my woman.” Warlordas obsidian eyes gleamed in the dark.
”Did ye think no one would notice that ye disappear nights? They see you go, and they gossip.” Magnus tried to lighten the atmosphere. ”Bunch of old women, our mercenaries. ”
Warlord was not amused. ”Are they not happy with the results of this raid?”
”Aye, but thereas more to business than merely having a good fight and stealing a glorious amount of money.” Magnus got down to business. ”Our boys are worried about their safety. Thereas rumors that the military on both sides of the border are tired of us thumbing our noses at them, and theyare bringing in enforcers. ”
”What kind of enforcers?”
”Canna get that answered, exactly. Theyare being b.l.o.o.d.y secretive, they are. But theyare equal parts gleeful and, well . . .”
Warlord leaned forward. ”Gleeful and . . . ?”
”Iad say theyare scared, too. Like maybe they started something they canat stop. Iall be frank with ye, Warlord. I donat like any of this. We need ye to stop f.o.o.king the girl and find out whatas going on.” There. Magnus had pa.s.sed on the message, and Warlord hadnat ripped his head off. Yet.
Magnus settled his back against the rock. The granite was cold. Of course. Except for the brief summer, these mountains were always cold. And in this valley, bound as it was on three sides by cliffs and on the long side by a gorge that dropped straight into a raging river, the constant wind whipped through his thinning hair and cut deep into his bones. ”I hate this f.o.o.king place,” he muttered. ”Nothina good ever came out of Asia except spices and gunpowder.”
Warlord laughed, and it almost sounded as if he were amused. ”Youare right about that. My familyas from Asia.”
”Pull the other one, man. Yeare not a Chinaman.”
”A Cossack from the steppes, from what is now the Ukraine.”
Magnus knew his geography; head worked that area of the world as a con man and a soldier. ”The Ukrainea”thatas close to Europe.”
”Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Warlord looked up at the stars. He sipped the whisky. ”Have you ever heard of the Varinskis?”
Magnus went from mellow to murderous in a few seconds. ”Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.”
”You have heard of them.”
”Eight years ago I was working the North Sea, doing a little pirating, picking up a few things, and three Varinskis caught up with me. Informed me it was their territory, said they were taking everything.” Magnus stuck his finger against the indentation in his cheek where he was missing that molar. ”I told them not to be greedy, I had enough for everybody. And listen, Iam no stranger to beatingsa”my father took the belt to me every day of his lifea” but those guys . . . Theyare why my nose is crooked. Theyare why Iam missing three toes and both little fingers. They about killed me, then tossed me into the ocean to drown. Doctors said that was why I didnat bleed to death. Hypothermia. Varinskis.” He spit their name like venom. ”Do you know the reputation those monsters have?”
”Yes.”
”I hate those sons aa b.i.t.c.hes.”
”Theyare my family.”
Cold fear trickled down Magnusas spine. ”The rumors about them area””
”All true.”
”They canna be.” Magnus clutched at his rapidly evaporating liquor-induced bliss.
”You said the men claim Iam not human.”
Magnus dismissed that with as much bombast as he could summon. ”The men are a bunch of ignorant savages.”
”But I am human. A human with special gifts . . . the most marvelous, pleasurable, enticing gifts.” Warlordas voice wove a spell around them.
”No need to tell me. Iam all for a man keeping his secrets.” Magnus struggled to stand.
Warlordas hand clamped around his arm and jerked him down with a thump. ”Donat leave, Magnus. You wanted to know.”
”Dinna want to know that bad,” Magnus muttered.
”You wanted rea.s.surance. Iam giving it to you.” Warlord handed Magnus the bottle. Handed it to him as if he would need it. ”A thousand years ago my ancestor, Konstantine Varinski, made a deal with the devil.”
”f.o.o.k.” Magnus had always hated stories like this. Hated them because he believed them.
He wished that the moon could wipe out the shadows, but it was barely half, and the bleak white light poked at the shadows but could not vanish them. He wished for some more of the men to keep him company, but the fools were in the valley, gambling, drinking, playing their stupid video games, and puking. n.o.body knew he sat up here, unearthing secrets better left buried, and now in fear of his life.
”Konstantine had a reputation on the steppes. He delighted in killing, in torture, in extortion, and it was whispered that his cruelty rivaled the devilas.” Warlordas voice warmed with humor. ”Satan didnat like those storiesa” Iad guess heas a little vaina”and he sought out Konstantine with the intention of removing him from the compet.i.tion.”
”Dunna tell me Konstantine defeated the evil one,” Magnus said incredulously.
”No, he offered himself as Satanas best servant. In return for the ability to hunt down his enemies and kill them, Konstantine promised his soul, and the souls of all his descendants, to the devil.”
Magnus peered at Warlord, trying to see him, but as always the shadows around his leader were thick, dense, impenetrable. ”Youare his descendant?”
”One of many. A son of the current Konstantine. ” Warlordas strange eyes gleamed in the dark.
”I told ye. Long winter nights, and all the old tales told to frighten the children.”
”The children should be frightened.” Warlord lowered his voice to a whisper. ”They should s.h.i.+ver in their beds to know creatures such as me are abroad in this world.”
Magnus knew what evil was. His father had preached to him every day while he tried to beat the rebellion out of him. That was why, now . . . Magnus could almost feel the flames of h.e.l.l scorch his flesh. ”Thatas a fantastic tale.” He cleared his throat. ”In a thousand years, I imagine itas gathered some frills. Some story-teller spiced it up to make it more exciting in the telling . . . donat ye suppose?”
A low growl rumbled out of Warlordas hidden form. ”Why else do you think men seek me out when they want their enemies tracked down? Why do you think they hire me? I can find anyone, anywhere. Do you want to know how?”
Magnus shook his head. He did not want to know.
But it was too late.
”To Konstantine Varinski and to each Varinski since, the devil bequeathed the ability to change at will into a hunting animal.”
”Change . . .” The light of the moon had reached them now, and Magnus stared at Warlord. Stared because he was afraid to take his gaze away. ”So ye are a werewolf?”
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