Blackspire

Hi, folks. It’s been a long time since I posted any fiction. Wolves Among Us is still progressing, albeit slower than I’d expected with everything else going on. I guess better late than never? Anyway, here’s Chapter 4.

Chapter 4

Mel, Kurt, and Tommy followed Sessions out of the room, up the stairs, and then down a corridor. He stopped before a door and unlocked it, handing the key to Kurt. “Your rooms. I hope you’ll enjoy them. Master Thomas’s is the adjoining room, and it can be accessed through your suite. May I arrange someone to help you unpack?”

“No, we’re fine, thanks.”

“Very well. If you need anything at all, call the front desk. Breakfast will be served promptly at 8 AM in the lounge. I believe you’re familiar with the way?”

“I think we’ll be fine.”

Sessions departed without a backward glance. Mel hustled Tommy into the room. The sooner they started unpacking, the less time Kurt had to dwell. Eventually, he’d turn his mind to other things.

The suite was surprisingly spacious, with undressed log walls. A fireplace dominated one wall, a fire already burning within, with a sofa and recliner in front of it. A bearskin lay on the floor before the fire. There was a six-person dining table with matching chairs, and a massive, four-poster bed layered with quilts and furs against the wall opposite. French doors opened onto a private balcony, where darkness had already settled, and Mel caught a glimpse of a clawfoot tub through the bathroom door. Their bags stood in front of the closet.

“This is fucking nice,” Kurt muttered.

“Where do I sleep?” Tommy asked quietly.

“You get your own room,” Kurt said, gesturing for the boy to follow him. Hesitantly, he did. Kurt led Tommy to a door in the wall to the left of the bed, inserted the key, and pushed it open — the room beyond gaped black as the grave. Tommy backpedaled, reaching for Mel in his panic.

“No, it’s okay,” Kurt said, reaching into the blackness and fumbling along the wall for the switch. There was a click, and a blue-white glow suffused the room.

“C’mere, check this out.”

“Okay,” Tommy said, his hand sliding reluctantly from Mel’s. Inside, they found a child-sized version of Wulfzhan. The upper floor was a play area, with a slide leading down to the floor. The bed was tucked underneath. A silver moon rose above it all, illuminating the room.

“What do you think?”

“Wow, is it all for me?”

“Yep. Why don’t you go explore it while we unpack?”

Tommy wasted no time in hurrying forward and hurling himself up the ladder to the top of the structure, all worries about the shattered glass and his father’s anger forgotten. Kurt and Mel returned to their room.

“That was sweet,” she said.

“I’m a nice guy when you give me a chance.” 

“You—”

“Let’s not, okay?” Kurt lifted a suitcase, tossed it on the bed, and opened it. “I just want to forget that today happened. We’ll get a good night’s sleep and restart tomorrow.”

Mel didn’t argue and, instead, began unpacking and putting away her belongings. The quiet was reward in itself. She could hear Tommy playing in the other room and the soft crackle of the fireplace flames. Almost, she could believe that they were going to make it work, despite what had happened in the lounge. 

When she finished unpacking, Mel peeked around the corner into Tommy’s room to check on him. He lay on the bed, clothes still on, head almost hanging off the mattress, sound asleep. She gently removed his shoes and pulled a blanket over him before returning to her room to find Kurt pouring a couple of drinks at the bar cart. He handed her a gin and tonic, and she sipped at it gratefully. It had been a long day. Travel was always a stressor. Maybe she’d been too hard on Kurt. She opened the door to the balcony, took his free hand, and pulled him outside. Their breath misted in the night air. Above, the vault of the sky burned with stars, but in the east, the full moon’s silver light outshone them as it began to crest above the jagged line of the mountains.

“Brrr…” she said. “It’s cold for October.”

“This is Colorado, babe. It gets pretty cold here. Nice change from home, don’t you think?”

“Mmm,” she agreed, leaning into his warmth. 

He put his free arm around her shoulders. “Listen, I want to—”

A blood-curdling scream drowned him out before it cut off abruptly.

Mel rushed to the railing. She could just make out someone’s body lying on the earth below. “Oh, my God!” she cried. “Kurt, call the front desk, someone’s hurt! I’m going to see if I can help.” Without waiting for his response, she hurried inside and out the door.

It took Mel precious minutes to make the descent to the ground floor. By the time she reached the scene, Sessions and another staff member were already there. 

“How can I help?” she asked, although it took only one look to tell her there was little that could be done. Alice, the staff member who’d cleaned up Tommy’s broken glass, lay sprawled across the yard, glassy eyes staring blankly at the sky and blood soaking into the earth around her. Her chest was a sodden mess of shredded cloth and flesh. One of her arms lay at an unnatural angle, and a smear of blood ran across her nose and cheek. Mel had the urge to wipe it away.

Sessions looked up at her from where he knelt by the body. “I don’t think anything’s going to help her now.”

“What could have done that to her?”

“I’m afraid your guess is as good as mine.” 

Mel knelt and inspected the wounds. “Looks like an animal attack to me.”

“It could be,” Sessions admitted. “We have bears and mountain lions in the area, even the occasional gray wolf.” He stood and dusted off his knees. “Now, if you’ll forgive me, I must inform Mr. Gangulf about this tragedy and then alert the authorities.”

In the middle distance, a ululating howl rose toward the silver moon.

“I think we have our answer,” Mel said.

“Surely, you’re not suggesting she was mauled by a wolf.”

“If you’ll let me get a better look at her wounds—”

A stick cracked in the nearby trees.

Mel whipped her head toward the sound. “Do you have any staff in the woods?”

“No, but I hardly think there’s anything to fear this close to the retreat.”

The sound of something running through the underbrush came to them. 

“It’s coming!” Mel cried.

Sessions’ eyes widened, but he maintained his composure. “This is foolishness!”

A savage growl from deep in the shadows was enough to break him, and he darted for the door. Heart hammering against her ribs, Mel followed. Whatever stalked them kept pace just out of sight in the treeline, harsh, raspy breathing counterpointed the sound of its steps.

Sessions reached the door and jerked it open, motioning for Mel to hurry with his other hand. He stared over her shoulder, and the look of fear on his face spurred Mel on. “Hurry, it’s coming!” he shouted.

Mel dashed through the doorway with Sessions on her heels. He slammed the door behind them with not a second to spare. Something huge crashed into the door, shaking the massive oak portal in its frame.

“What the fuck was that?” Mel demanded, between gasps to catch her breath.

Sessions shook his head, but whether in denial of the evidence of his own eyes or just disbelief, she did not know. “I couldn’t see it very well, I’m sorry,” he said.

Whatever Sessions had seen or not seen, Mel knew one thing for certain: before it had crashed into the door, the sound of footsteps behind them had changed from four-footed to two. What kind of wild animal ran on two feet? None she knew of.

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