The mark of the wolf

chapter 16

Declan stared at the wooden door expecting Sevan to come through it any minute. He nursed his dark beer and rolled his shoulders. Than shut his eyes for a minute and massaged his temples. When he opened them Sevan was sitting infront of him drinking his own beer. Declan snapped do you always have to do that?! You know it nearly gives me a heart attack everytime you suprise me like that! Sevan smiled his fangs glinting in the soft glow of the candle light. Than ran a hand through his jet black hair and tucked a few pieces behind his pointed ears. Taking another sip from his tanker he set it down and waited for Declan to say something. Declan shifted in his seat and the blue flames of his tattoo on his throat bobbed up and down with his Adams apple. His yellow eyes narrowed and he said we need to contact Erinarr and Alana. Sevan nodded his brown eyes flashing and said they need help getting a Rechax. Declan grimaced and said that is dam near impossible. Sevan shrugged and gulped his beer , smaking the empty tankerd down and signaling the barmaid for another. Sevan cleared his throat and leaned forward Rechax are fast and you can't trust them as far as you can throw them. Sevan said we are going to meet up with Erinarr and Alana near the Emerald Sea. Declan said give me a day to wrap up business here and than we move out. Sevan nodded and leaned back his dark brown eyes searching the bar than he smiled that roguish grin at a pretty barmaid and she sauntered on over. Pulling her down into his lap he said to the beautiful blond what is your name? She giggled and batted her lashes at him. Declan just rolled his yellow eyes and gave a ticking sound than stood and shoved the seat back. Sevan never changed in the five hundred years he had known him.

Declan stood just outside the door of the tavern and lighted a match bringing it to his pipe he let it catch than quickly dropped the burning ember and snuffed it out with the heel of his boot. The rain was coming down now in a wall of water . He groaned and pulled his collar up to cover half of his face than hunched deeper into his cloak and walked out into the dark windy street. The mud pulling at his boots as he stomped down the street. Dodging a oncoming carriage he turned down a dark alley and followed it for a ways than turned down another alley. That's when he sensed them stopping he let his eyes adjust a little more. The figure moved towards him and all he saw was a flash of silver he ducked and spun using his momentum and grabbed the assalents outstretched arm and slammed him face first into the brick wall. Still gripping the thugs arm he jerked up and heard a popping sound smiling , Declan's fangs flashed in the darkness . The assaliant screamed in pain and dropped his dagger. A wicked looking blade. Leaning his full weight into his would be attacker Declan said now why where you stupid enough to try and attack me ? The man wined and said I was paid to. Paid by who? When he didn't answer Declan drove his right knee into the man's back and than yanked harder on the man's arm. He screamed in agony and than Declan felt the man's legs give out he let him drop to the ground. His would be assasian glared at him two hooded dark green eyes stared back at him thier elongated pupils constricting he bared his fangs at him and hissed. His black forked tongue darted out of his mouth tasting the rain and than recoiled back in. Declan glared back and bared his fangs while unsheathing his claws they where not as large as Conleth's claws but they could still do some major damage. Declan slammed his claws into the man's soft belly and twisted. The serpent hissed but couldn't move pinned against the brick wall. Now tell me who hired you! The serpant hissed again and made a sharp clicking sound in his throat, his eyelids slid sideways the thin pale membrane stretching over the elongated pupil than just as quickly disappearing again. Declan felt the black blood ooze down his claws but he held firm even though the blood was acid and slowly burning his skin. The lizard said the queen offered me a great reward for your death. Declan now knew there was more than one assassin after him. He and Sevan where running out of time. Declan slashed his claws across the lizards throat . The lizards green eyes widened in shock than he slid to the ground hands clutching the torn flesh black blood seeping through his fingers. Declan bent down and riffeled through the dead man's jacket he came up empty handed. Wiping his burning hands on the back of the lizards jacket than he turned and walked towards his temporary residence.

Erinarr stood and picked up the broken gauntlet turning it over in his calloused hands.The hidden blade slid out and almost skewered his right palm. It retracted just as fast back into the gauntlet.

It was going to take a long time to travel to where they where going. He decided to drop this piece off with the blacksmith maybe he could fix it if he couldn't than he could probably use it for spare parts.