The Taint of Wolves

Disjointed.

Chapter Nine: Disjointed. 

Ravi. Ravi.

Ravi.

Here.

It had to be them. Beyond the door, lows voices murmured. Their ear-pieces crackled. Leather stretched and somehow shifted their stance, their heel scraping over the worn floors of the apartment's corridors. To a human ear, they would have been silent. Scent-less.

Lavender.

I was standing eerily still in the middle of the room, listening to them; listening to Muffin hiss and yowl, her back arching.

Lavender burned my senses. When I blinked, the leafy apartment spliced into a white cell. Panic splintered, my breathing beginning to grew rough.

"Lux," I choked.

Lordie, Nova – move!

I slid forward on stockinged feet, my senses funnelling. My nails began to itch, my skin skittering as panic became aggression.

"Lux," I said again.

Under the door, a white smoke began to splutter into the apartment. The smell was unmistakable – lavender.

"Lux." No. No. How could this happen on the same night?

"Hm?" Lux glanced up at me, her hands filled with sopping, red soaked tissue paper. "If Muffin is trying to eat your..."

"Get up," my voice broke, twisting into a snarl. "Get up right now and be quiet."

"Wha?" She had forgotten about the wine and was stretching towards the bowl of popcorn.

"Get up right now!" I snarled, twisting around. I could feel the seconds counting down as if it was stamped on the door itself. Sweat beaded on my forehead and I yanked Lux up from the ground, the smell of wine and rum still strong on her breath.

Her brow darkened, a complaint on her tongue as she snatched her arm from my grip. I didn't give her time, snatching a hissing Muffin up into my arm. The cat hissed and struggled, sinking her claws into my arm. Lux finally spotted the white smoke spilling under the door.

"Is the building on fire?" Lux asked fearfully, the annoyance clearing from her brows.

"No – something much worse." My tone was rough and deep. Inhumane.

"Three."

A man began to count down. I shoved the furious cat into Lux's arms, telling her to hold onto Muffin tight.

Two.

I moved. Not for the door, but towards Lux. She yelped as I heaved her up as if she was nothing more than a bag of sugar, twisting her so that she was tucked under me.

One.

The door exploded inwards. Wood and stone and fire roared into Lux's tiny apartment, rushing over tables and counters. Fire and air hit my back, burning the wool of my jumper and we were sent flying. The window was blown outwards as I crashed to the ground and I was rolling as Lux let out a yelp of pain below me.

I detangled myself from her, rising as a snarl curled my lip. Men, dressed in white and wearing helmets and goggles marched into the house. Eight Ravi soldiers.

"Get onto my back, Lux!"

"I – Meg, what's happening..." Wide eyed, Lux came to stand beside me.