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arcane needles into her mind, her psyche, and her awareness. Since Clodagh was
lycan, Malthus needed to build the compulsions and coercions slowly as he had
with Beth.
Clodagh's whimpering turned to sobbing.
His cock pressed the edge of her mouth of pleasure.
His fangs came down.
"You have a sweetheart?"
Clodagh sucked in a long breath, struggling not to answer.
Malthus sent a wave of sharp, blinding pain through her head. "What is his
name?"
"Odhran." She wept.
"Break it off tomorrow, or I'll kill him."
Then he bit deeply into her breast, sucking her rich, ripe blood as he raped
her.
* * * *
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For three days Merissa and Nikko's sisters took turns sitting with Granta.
The old lycan refused to be comforted by anyone. On the evening of the third
day, Merissa had managed to convince Granta to sit in a comfortable chair in
the parlor with her. A long, low table occupied the space between the tables
and the sofa. Merissa had drawn her up as close to Granta's as she could, so
that she could periodically pat the old one.
The door opened, Claw came in looking grim. Granta's two older sons, as well
as Malthus, Shalto, and Oswyl followed the chieftain inside. Claw carried a
bundle of clothing in his hands that he laid on the table in front of Granta.
"We found these. I'm sorry, Granta. Your son is dead," Claw told her.
Granta let out a long keening cry, collapsing onto the floor and pulling at
her hair. "My Neeekkoooo."
Merissa knelt beside her, gathering the old mon into her arms and holding
her while she wept.
"Have you brought his body in?" Merissa asked.
"No body," Claw said. "Imps got him. They ate him."
"Then how can you be so certain?"
"We found his clothes, and then stumbled on the scent of a blood trail. It
ended at Big Willows. We found some dead imps. From the amount of blood soaked
into the ground, he was already badly wounded before he made his stand there.
Some of his flesh and fur was caught in the dead ones' teeth."
"But if you didn't find "
Claw shook his head regretfully. "The blood stank of Devil's Silver. Imps
eat those they bring down. They devour them alive. The trail ended there."
Claw rubbed his hand over his face. "Nikko did not walk away or we would have
found traces. He died there. I'm sorry."
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Granta shrieked again.
Malthus covered his surprise by lowering his head.So Nikko managed to kill
some of Gahni's people before he died? Impressive.
Claw grimaced in distaste, looking impatient to be out of there.
"I'll stay with her until her daughters get here," Merissa said.
"I don't want you walking home alone," Claw said.
"I'll see that she gets home," Malthus said.
Claw eyed Malthus. "You're that Malthus who's always hanging around the
gardens."
"I am. My nieces like playing with Darmyk."
"I've heard a lot about you," Claw growled. "No messing around. Just bring
her straight home. You understand?" He laid the bundle of Nikko's clothes on
Granta's table, turned, and strode out.
Once Granta's daughters arrived, Merissa walked home with Malthus' arm
around her shoulders, leaning her head against his chest. Fresh bouts of
weeping continued to come. "Why Nikko? He was so kind. Tempest, Beth, and now
Nikko. I feel like my heart is being ripped out of me."
"Nikko was a good mon. The village couldn't have wanted for a better
lawgiver," Malthus said.
"Nikko and I grew up together. If I hadn't already been in love with someone
else at the time, I think I could have loved him. He was so kind and gentle.
So patient."
* * * *
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In the middle of the afternoon, while everyone was working or at their
chores, Malthus went to visit Granta with an empty satchel hanging from his
shoulder. He had been watching her home for days, and he knew when he would
find her alone. The little dog was tied out back. Malthus let himself in
quietly, uncertain about how much age had reduced her hearing. After a quick
search, he found her in the kitchen with the diaries spread over the small
table in front of her. Her loosely tied robe gapped open at the top and parted
at the knees, revealing the upper edge of her shriveled breasts, and her bony
legs.
The semi-literate crone read them aloud to herself, struggling with each
word.
On the far side of the kitchen, Moss began to bark and scratch at the door,
demanding to come in. Granta's head came up with a frightened look and she
closed the diaries.
"Hello, Granta. Can I help you with that?" Malthus asked, sauntering toward
her.
"You didn't knock." Granta pushed her chair back from the table.
"You should not be alone, you know. Not with a murderer loose."
"Get out of my house." Granta stood and changed to her hybrid form, which
caused her belt to come untied. The robe fell open. Old and frail, completely
white with age, Granta's skin sagged on her withered body, and her breasts
drooped to her waist.
Malthus halted just beyond her reach. "Did Nikko write about me, Granta?"
She brandished a thin claw at him, snarling, "Get out."
"When I'm ready." Malthus lunged, and threw an arm around her, pinning her
wasted body to his, her arms to her sides.
"Bastard." She twisted in his grasp, straining against the tremendous
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