Wolfdark

by Isobel Robertson

  ISOBEL ROBERTSON

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Wolfdark

  Independently published.

  Copyright © 2018 by Isobel Robertson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission

  Visit isobelrobertson.com for behind-the-scenes details, free short stories, and early releases.

  Contents

  Blood in the Ballroom

  Bad News

  The Scene of the Crime

  Delilah

  The Housemaid

  Music and Memories

  Hemlock

  The Mercy of Witches

  Power

  Words of Love

  Lightning and Storm

  In The Hunters’ Den

  Determination

  Telling the Truth

  Hyde Park

  Wolf in the Night

  A Weapon and a Plan

  Family

  Witch Killer

  No More Secrets

  Knowledge

  Street Thieves

  Wilderness

  Violation

  Uneasy Peace

  Liliana

  Truth

  Understanding the Impossible

  Confrontation

  Wolfsbane

  Visions of Fire

  The Return Home

  Justice and Punishment

  Grief

  Legal Business

  Death and Rebirth

  Blood in the Ballroom

  Even the most adventurous hostess in London would not dream of inviting a wolf to her ball. And so, lupine disasters were a long way from my mind as I fanned myself at the edge of Lady Hartford’s ballroom. The room was hot enough to crush the air from my lungs, even though winter frost already glittered outside on the terrace. No doubt Lady Hartford was beside herself with excitement at having such a crush of people in her gaudy townhouse.

  I, however, was less than delighted to be there. Such glittering society events had once been the highlight of my life, but I found myself bored with them. If one more insufferable man attempted to explain the symbolism of his cravat knot, I thought I might scream right here in the middle of the ballroom.

  I was close enough to screaming as it was. There were far better ways to spend an evening. I gazed across the ballroom at my fiance, Theo, who was dancing with an insipid blond.

  “Stop glaring. You know you can’t share every dance with him.”

  I turned that same glare on Daniel Montague, my guardian and, at that precise moment, my worst enemy.

  “I don’t know why I have to follow your ridiculous rules,” I said. “You’ve never bothered telling me what to do before.”

  “And you’ve never had a fiance before,” Daniel said. “I’m just making sure you don’t ruin this and leave me stuck with you.”

  I turned away, pouting, but it was hard to be angry with Daniel. He loved me like his little sister and, if I was honest, he gave me little reason to resent his authority. But, at that moment, I wanted to disobey him. I wanted to be alone with Theo, wrapped in his arms and ignoring the rest of the world as it flounced past in ridiculous ribbons and over-perfumed hair.

  It was too hot. I drifted along the edge of the ballroom and fanned harder, the slight ache in my wrist warning me of the fatigue that would arrive later. The air in the ballroom seemed sticky, clinging to the crystal chandeliers and slowing the flicker of the thousand candle flames that lit the room with their dancing lights. The glare hurt my eyes, and the noise of laughter was too loud, pressing heavily on my head as I tried to breathe through the clouds of perfume and the stink of candle wax. I felt strained, tense, as if my body vibrated in anticipation of some event I could not even imagine.

  And then I heard the first scream.

  A woman’s voice, high and clear, it cut through the noise of the ballroom like a shard of jagged glass.

  Chaos. People came running into the ballroom from the corridor beyond. I staggered backwards, tripping on my gown as I went. Where was Daniel? I couldn’t see him anywhere. I stared into the stream of ongoing people. And that was when I saw the wolf.

  It seemed more real than the candlelit chaos that swirled all around it. Yellow eyes, bright as flames. Glittering white teeth. It met my eyes, and my breath froze as I gazed back, not daring to move, too fascinated for fear, even as I watched a bead of saliva cling to its bared teeth.

  Then it jumped.

  People crashed to either side, screaming. I heard nothing but screams. A hand grabbed mine, and I jerked away. The panic was too much, and my own scream sounded as I tried to run.

  “Lily! Breathe!”

  Theo. I focused on his voice. Breathe.

  The world came back into focus and I turned to face the wolf.

  It was halfway across the room now. A few dresses hung in tatters and blood dripped from some arms, but the wolf seemed to have little interest in any of these party-goers. It still looked straight at me.

  I breathed deeply, my lungs relaxing and my heartbeat steadying. This situation made no sense, but I had faced far worse. I would survive. I would ensure that this wolf never hurt anyone else.

  Decision made, it was time to act.

  I pulled my small pistol from the hidden pocket in my gown. Aim, breathe, shoot. I caught the wolf a glancing blow on its massive shoulder, but I knew that a gun this size would do little damage. It had slowed now, its initial leap shifting to a slow stalk.

  I shot again, keeping my hands steady. The shots seemed to rattle the wolf; it slowed its progress and bared its teeth. But this was only a two-shot pistol.

  Another shot rang out beside me. I jumped, startled for a second, and the wolf lunged. Theo grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him as he took aim. I staggered a little but kept my feet as a second man pushed through the last of the fleeing crowd to stand beside Theo.

  The wolf never took its eyes from me.

  “Stay back,” the second man said, his voice low and calm. I recognised him now - Theo’s good friend, Marcus Carrington.

  Part of me wanted to break and run, to leave these men to face the wolf. But I had never yet turned my back on a vicious wild animal (I took that thought back immediately, remembering at least one occasion when I had done exactly that. But I still had standards to maintain.). So, I slipped my knife from the other dress pocket and stood poised, waiting.

  Who moved first? No way to tell. Theo and the wolf rushed towards each other. Theo’s gun hit the floor, loud in the nearly empty ballroom, and a knife flashed in his hand. I grabbed for the gun. The wolf crashed into Theo with a roar, then a scream as he stabbed. I got off a shot from Theo’s gun before the beast twisted to the side, making a second shot too risky. Blood already stained the floor. Theo's, or the wolf's? Another shot sounded - Marcus - and the wolf backed away a little. Theo’s knife protruded from its side.

  It gazed at me with those huge yellow eyes. My hand lowered until the gun pointed at the floor. People seemed to be shouting at me, but I couldn’t make out the words. I couldn’t look away. Its muscles bunched for another leap, but my body was locked in place. Someone screamed my name. Theo.

  I ripped myself free. The gun came up. A shot rang off. The wolf staggered sideways, hit mid-leap. It regained its balance and snarled at me, baring those hideous teeth. Then it turned and ran. It crashed through the terrace doors, sending shattered glass flying in all directions. Screams drifted from the garden beyond, but they soon faded away. The first bedraggled ball guests clambered back in through the ruins of the door, and I realised that it was over.


  But when I looked down at myself, dizziness hit me. I was bleeding. Had the wolf managed to bite me? I didn’t remember. But the gash down my forearm, leaking bright blood onto the polished wood of the floor - that was real enough. Suddenly unsteady, I staggered a little. Theo put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against him in relief. But I still couldn’t focus. Sparks danced at the edge of my vision.

  No.

  I tried hard to pull myself together. I must not lose control here, not in front of Theo. I’d felt the magic in my veins growing wilder and more unpredictable every day since I discovered it, but I would not let him see. He would never know my secret.

  A witch hunter would never marry the daughter of a witch.

  And so I gritted my teeth and focused on my breathing until the fog around my vision started to clear. There would be no accidental revelations tonight. We had already had quite enough dramatic entertainment for one ball.

  Theo wrapped his arms more tightly around me and pressed a kiss to the side of my forehead.

  “Are you all right?” he whispered.

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

  He reached out a finger to gently brush the skin beside my angry cut.

  “Let’s get that seen to. Shall we go home?”

  “We need to find Daniel,” I said, almost surprised that my voice still worked.

  And just then, the ballroom doors flew open - the doors that the wolf had originally entered through. Daniel staggered into the ballroom. He stood there, staring at us, then slowly, almost gracefully, collapsed. I was running towards him before he even hit the floor. Blood had already begun to pool on the floor, obscenely bright under the light of the chandeliers.

  “You’re all right,” I whispered, reaching out to stroke Daniel’s white forehead. His breathing was shallow, and his skin was too hot. His face turned a little towards the sound of my voice, and I smiled at him.

  “Let’s get you home,” I said. “Everything will be all right.”

  But the pool of blood kept growing, and the expressions around me darkened. I knew to prepare for the worst.

  Bad News

  I paced up and down in the study, swinging my skirts around with each turn.

  “Sit down, Lily,” my governess, Alexandra, said. “You’re making me nervous.”

  “As if you aren’t nervous already,” I said.

  I couldn’t sit down. Or relax even the tiniest bit. Not until the doctor confirmed that Daniel would survive his injuries. Alexandra seemed calm now, but I had seen her face when she first heard the news. I’d thought she might collapse. And no wonder; she and Daniel had been involved in an intense affair for almost as long as I’d known her.

  Someone tapped on the door, a gentle knock. I rushed to pull the door open, almost staggering into Theo on the other side. I had not expected to see him. He had not come home with me; he and Marcus had gone in search of the wolf’s trail.

  “Bad news, Lily,” he said softly.

  My stomach lurched. Did he have news about Daniel?

  “The wolf vanished into nowhere,” he said, then pulled me out into the hall, away from Alexandra. His hands were warm where they grasped my icy fingers. “This was no ordinary wild beast,” he said. There was a trace of wildness in his own eyes - fear, yes, but also the joy of the hunt.

  How to ask him? How to say the words?

  “You mean… not wild… you don’t mean it was a dog,” I said slowly. I already knew.

  “This was a creature of magic,” he said. His eyes were flat and dark behind that wildness. Theo the witch hunter had returned.

  I felt dizzy. Even as I focused on his eyes, the world around me seemed to soften and fade, swirling into a mess of disgusting colours.

  “Surely not,” I heard my own voice say. “Surely there is no magical beast here in London. You must be mistaken.”

  Theo said something in return, but I couldn’t hear his words. Or perhaps I did hear, but they meant nothing to me.

  A breeze touched my skin, setting goosebumps rising on my bare arms. A wind indoors?

  This was me. I knew the touch of that wind as well as I knew the sensation of my own breath moving in my throat.

  I could not fail like this.

  With one sharp breath, I pulled myself back together, and snapped back into my body. But every inch of my skin still tingled with wild power that fought to break free.

  “Just go,” I said.

  “What?”

  Theo looked at me in confusion. I ached at the hurt growing in his eyes, but he mustn't stay.

  “Alexandra and I need to care for Daniel,” I said. “Please, just go.”

  I backed away, reaching behind me to touch the wall for support. The wallpaper was icy cold under my fingertips.

  “Lily, you know that magic is part of my life,” Theo said, his voice careful, as if he was speaking to a spooked horse. “I can’t just hide it every time I find myself up against a magical beast. It’s my duty to stop creatures like this wolf.”

  “I can’t deal with it,” I snapped. “Not now. I don’t want you here.”

  “Lily-” Theo began, reaching out one hand to my cheek. I slapped his hand away and took that final step backwards to slam the door in his face.

  “Let me in!” he shouted.

  “Go away!” I replied and leaned heavily against the door. But he didn’t even try to open it. My front door slammed shut with a boom. My conscientious butler would never treat it like that. I eased away from the door and looked up to meet Alexandra’s concerned eyes.

  “Do you want to talk?” she asked softly.

  I shook my head.

  “Let’s not worry about anything except Daniel.”

  And then the door opened behind me. I whirled around, ready to berate Theo for not leaving, but Alexandra’s gasp gave me a second of warning.

  Daniel stood in the open door. With a crooked smile at the two of us, he strode into the room. We both stared at him, neither of us quite daring to move.

  “Should you be out of bed?” Alexandra asked at last, her huge eyes staring up at his face.

  He smiled, and the expression was as warm and easy as ever.

  “It seems my injuries weren’t as bad as they looked. The doctor’s already packing up to go home.”

  “But you were covered in blood!” I burst out.

  He shrugged casually.

  “Perhaps it was someone else’s. Regardless, I feel fine.”

  Alexandra burst into tears. He stepped closer to wrap her in his arms, casting me a rueful glance over her shoulder.

  I couldn’t stop staring. I’d seen him in that ballroom. There was no way he should be up and walking. He should certainly not be smiling like that.

  The trickle of dread was a full river by now. I’d been so afraid for him - so out of control.

  Had I healed him? Could my magic do that without my consent or knowledge?

  I left the room without another word. Daniel and Alexandra would appreciate the privacy, no doubt. They were sickeningly in love, and their different statuses meant they did not get to spend enough time together.

  And I needed to be alone with my thoughts.

  If I had healed Daniel, I needed to understand what had happened, to improve my control in the future. Even apart from that, I had come too close to losing my tenuous grip on my magic this evening - not once, but twice. I needed to take control of all that wildness in my blood. I could ignore it no longer.

  An even darker thought rose up from the depths of my mind. What if I had called up that wolf in the first place, out of my resentment and boredom? After all, I’d only seen a beast like that once before. The witches in Yorkshire had conjured one. What if I, who they had once called sister, had done the same?

  The Scene of the Crime

  Talking my way into Lord and Lady Hartford’s ballroom was easy enough. Actually learning something useful, though - that was the harder part.

  Lady Hartford, now recovered from the sh
ock of having an oversized canine appear in her ballroom, was only too delighted to see me when I called at her home in the afternoon. She was clearly revelling in the attention such a dreadful incident had brought her. I heard the story twice before our tea arrived, my hostess having seemingly forgotten that I had been present for the aforementioned event. I managed to display the necessary enthusiasm, which is perhaps why she began to tell her tale a third time, with extra detail.

  “Lady Hartford,” I said, dropping my eyes demurely to the floor. “I hate to interrupt you, but I find myself… facing the call of nature. Might I retire for a moment?”

  “Goodness, of course!” my garrulous hostess exclaimed. “We have a wonderful new water closet. Have I told you about it?”

  I successfully cut off the next flow of storytelling and let myself out into the corridor beyond, where a helpful maidservant pointed me in the right direction. I nodded, smiled, and headed through the door she indicated. After a moment, I slipped out again, and set off on my true mission.

  The ballroom, located at the rear of the house, seemed a lot smaller and shabbier in daylight. With the many candles gone, the magic had vanished, and the smooth floor looked sadly scratched. Still, I supposed that having a wolf rush across your parquet could damage it a little. I would not judge Lady Hartford too harshly. And I would try not to imagine Daniel’s blood pooling on that very floor.

  I poked around the alcoves that lined the ballroom itself, squinting behind potted plants, but there was nothing to be found. Perhaps a thorough cleaning had removed all clues - or perhaps they had never been there at all.

  No matter. There were other places to search.

  Next came the corridor that both the wolf and Daniel had used. I slipped through the door as quietly as possible. Thankfully, no staff lingered in the corridor beyond. This part of the house did not look well-used at all; no lights glowed in the wall sconces, and a distinct chill hung in the air.

  The first door led only to a small storage space. I shifted items around, looking for anything of interest, but it appeared to contain only cleaning supplies. Still, it was odd that such a place was not locked. The Hartfords’ housekeeper must trust her staff indeed.