A Novel Way to Die - Steffanie Holmes Page 0,2

definitely suited him more than our current arrangement. Morrie gave up his bedroom in the flat so I could have a space of my own. He’d been sleeping in the first-floor storage room, but that was only big enough for his bed. All his ‘toys’ – his various BDSM accouterments and computer equipment – were still in my room, taking up valuable space I needed for my record player and shoe collection. The truth was, we were all falling over one another in the cramped flat, but with Morrie having to refund several clients after winding down his death-faking business, we didn’t have the funds for more renovations—

A noise caught the edge of my conscious – a rustle in the trees outside. My heart thudded against my chest.

“Maybe we should leave…”

“Nonsense. We can’t leave until I’ve measured the bedroom for my stockade and that puppy has taken a shit in the toaster. A little gift from us to Grey for keeping us up all night with his hammering. Oh, and I might grab a bottle of wine. Grey always has exceptional taste.”

Morrie moved to the kitchen, his long fingers dancing over the bottles in the rack. This was the problem with breaking and entering with a man who wasn’t afraid of the law. Morrie always wanted to hang about and make mischief. I was keen to get home to my hot chocolate and my Quoth.

Another noise sent my heart hammering. “Are you positive that no one lives in this block of flats? I swear I heard—”

I jumped as a long, low howl echoed outside, followed by the sounds of snarling, snapping teeth. Oscar pawed at the rug and whimpered.

“They’ve unleashed the hounds,” Morrie whispered.

“You didn’t tell me there were hounds!”

“You never asked.” Morrie dared one of his sheepish grins.

“We have to go.” I pictured the three of us cowering in here with vicious dogs barking outside when Hayes and Wilson showed up. I wouldn’t be able to do much about Dracula from a jail cell.

“An excellent deduction.” Morrie tucked the pilfered bottle of Château Lafite under his arm. I tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, and he led me around the sculpture. We stepped outside. The snarling drew closer, the bushes rustling as vicious beasts closed the distance to the house. Morrie slammed the door and tugged me forward as I pulled Oscar into my arms. My brave doggo barked at the beasts over his shoulder as Morrie led us into the woods at a sprint.

I screwed my eyes shut with terror. Tree branches scraped my arms. I tripped and skidded over gnarled branches and loose stones. I focused on holding Oscar close to my chest and feeling the rhythm of his racing heart. Morrie would never steer me wrong. I trusted him with my life.

The snarling grew closer. Fear squeezed my heart as the dogs rounded us, closing in. Hot breath tickled the backs of my legs. I screamed and kicked forward, lunging after Morrie into the darkness.

Behind the dogs came another sound – a rhythmic clatter as if of horses’ hooves, carrying with it an oppressive terror that settled low in my chest. My limbs ached, my lungs screamed for air. It wouldn’t be long before I couldn’t run any longer. The sound drew closer and closer and—

THUD.

A dull tremble, horribly close, shuddered through my body. Then a whimper and a receding rustle. Paws crunched in the falling leaves, stampeding away from us. What in Isis’ name happened?

I opened my eyes.

The action was pointless. In the dark, away from the streetlights, I had no hope of seeing more than rough shapes. But I could hear the dogs whimpering, whining, slinking away. Oscar burrowed his head into my shoulder, his whole body trembling. What’s going on?

“Mina, look.” Morrie turned my head and pointed. “I think that’s who scared the dogs away.”

The moon shone through a gap in the trees, casting enough light that I could make out the silhouette of a man sitting on top of a monstrous black horse. Steam pooled from the animal’s nostrils as it snorted, stomping an enormous black hoof against the ground. I’d never seen a horse like that before, so huge and mean with its yellow glowing eyes. But that wasn’t what stilled my heart and dried the saliva on my tongue.

“Is it just me,” I managed to choke out, “or does that rider…have no head?”

Chapter Two

Morrie seemed completely nonplussed, but his fingers tightened around mine, and I knew he