Blood on the Moon - serialised EXCLUSIVE for Steemit! - 55

Blood On The Moon Cover

My third novel was finished and published in time for Halloween 2016 and I had a launch at Waterstone's at Sheffield.

The full book cover, done by the wonderful, talented, brilliant Paul Mudie

Other Images from Pixabay or Google (Free Usage)

“So you think that Darius is still alive?” Erzsébet said with eyebrows raised and the questions of how it had happened and how he had remained ‘dead’ were unasked but Red understood the scepticism.

Red recounted the true details of that night. She told Erzsébet of how Darius had confronted her on the top of a building and she told him that she had forgiven him long since. That particular confession infuriated him but he realised that without the added benefit of his farmed glands, he was only a match for Red and that was a risk that he didn’t want to take.

He liked to have greater odds stacked against his opponents and Red’s prowess as a fighter had come on in leaps and bounds over the centuries and, helped by the Prophecy, she was now as strong, if not stronger than Darius and he had a broken elbow to constantly prove it.

That injury would not heal properly because of the intricacies of the joint that she had broken for him.

Knowing he couldn’t best her in a one on one fight and that she knew about the silver blade he carried, he decided he would live to fight another day and he dropped from the roof to escape. Whether he knew Red would not leave it at that or he was hedging his bets either way, she couldn’t tell but he had another escape plan.

The plan involved a not-Wolf high up in the ranks of the police force and who could assist with the deception.

David Rosscourt had arranged a team of armed officers to 'execute' Darius when he took a woman hostage and killed her whilst he was in Wolf form. Red had made her appearance known just after the shooting had finished and she had picked up a shell casing from the ground.

Then she pantomimed picking up another, whilst Rosscourt could see what she was doing and he told her to leave it as it may have silver particles in the casing and he wouldn’t want her injured by it.

Red had left the casing on the ground but the one that she had pocketed had no trace of silver or any other noxious substance – she had had it tested at Victoria’s laboratory when she got back. Rosscourt was in up to his neck with Darius and he would realise that he had made an error of judgement once Red got her hands on him.

“So Darius was carted away shot and injured?” Erzsébet asked.

“Yes. He may have been badly injured or the officers may have used mainly blanks, I don’t know, but he wasn’t shot by silver bullets, I can tell you that for a fact.”

Then Erzsébet’s attention was drawn away from conversation because Falco had seen them and his expression spoke volumes. His brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth turned down. The man went from attractive to sullen in an instant. Erzsébet lifted her glass in a mock toast and he realised that he had been found out.

Vladimir raised his glass in response and Falco followed suit but it was not long after that that Falco made his excuses and left the club. He didn’t make any effort to speak to Erzsébet and the girl that Red had seen before, the not-Wolf seemed perplexed at his sudden departure, even if Vladimir was astute enough to realise what had happened, he didn’t seem to offer her any explanation.

Erzsébet and Red stayed a while after Falco’s departure and they speculated on who the not-Wolf girl was. It would be very useful to find out who she was and why she was a frequent companion of the Elder Wolves - it was an unusual mix indeed.

She didn’t seem to be anything like the usual groupies that sometimes fell in with Wolves – she was not stunningly beautiful and though her clothes were expensive, she didn’t have the air of being rich and so that wasn’t the reason they allowed her to be with them.

A puzzle for another time perhaps because Erzsébet wanted to be off.

Erzsébet and Red made their way out of the club and out to the car park where Erzsébet’s car was. It didn’t come as a complete surprise to see that Falco was leaning against Erzsébet’s car with a hang-dog look upon his face.

Erzsébet nudged Red with her elbow and grinned at her with a self-satisfied smile.

“Hello Falco, fancy meeting you here,” Erzsébet said with a touch less sarcasm than Red would have used.

“I don’t believe that you’re at all surprised, Mistress.” Falco said as he took Erzsébet’s hand and kissed it in a gallant gesture that belied his true age. He bowed politely towards Red but said nothing to her. Red responded with her own nod towards him and waited for Erzsébet to speak.

“I believe you’re in over your head here, Falco. I don’t know why or how you got into this position but I do think that you’ve realised it and now would like to get yourself out again.”

“I believe that we should not be seen talking to each other, Mistress,” Falco said and he looked around him with narrowed eyes.