The Drunk Wolf novel · Chapter 9 of 32
Chapter 9: One Word
"Back down," Ailsa hissed. "Into the cellar."
"There's no way out of the cellar," Struan said. "It's walled."
"Then forward."
"Into six crossbows?"
"I'm open to ideas!"
The lights stopped twenty yards off, at the bend.
A voice came down the tunnel, flat and bored.
"Your Highness. I know you're there. I can smell the whisky on your consort from here."
It was a sergeant of my uncle's household. He'd been on the gallery the night of the feast.
"The Regent's compliments," he called. "Anything brought out of the old cellar is Crown property. You'll hand it over, and any papers, and you'll walk out with us."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you'll walk out without them. The Peace covers your consort. It doesn't cover a cask."
Ailsa had her hand on her knife.
I looked at Struan.
He was looking at the lights, and his eyes had gone the colour of the loch in winter.
"I can stop them," he said, very low.
"Then stop them."
"Sorcha, I don't know how. In the hall it just came. I didn't choose it."
"Choose it now."
He shut his eyes.
His breath went out slow.
I watched his shoulders roll forward, and then his jumper split, and the grey poured down his back.
The wolf stood in the drain in front of me with the black water round its legs.
It was even bigger in the narrow tunnel than in the hall. Its back brushed the roof.
The torches jerked.
"It's turned!" somebody shouted. "Bolts!"
The wolf lifted its head and opened its jaws.
"Down."
It wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
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