After a moment, Mina hurried to catch up to her prey. The way it moved made her realize this wasn’t human but definitely a bird. The animal made a squawk, confirming her suspicions, and Mina followed the noise down a corridor. Maybe it was a clue and would lead her to the Grimoire. She ducked into another aisle and saw that she’d been chasing a goose, which was now headed toward a back emergency exit. The door was already propped and she watched as the bird stepped through it.

Running after the goose, Mina plowed through the emergency exit door and came into a dark back alley. The sun had set and steam rose from the sewer grates behind the library. Almost instantly the hair rose on Mina’s arms in fear. Something was wrong. Turning, she tried to catch the door back into the library but it had shut and locked automatically.

Mina strained to get her eyes to focus, but there wasn’t any sign or a single stray feather from the stupid white goose. It had disappeared. Another tingling feeling began in Mina’s body and she recognized it as a warning sign. She was reacting to the power of the Story. Something or someone was here.

Chapter 8

A low growl made Mina turn with her back to the door. A large man stepped out of a darkened doorway across the alley and came to stand before Mina. He looked primeval, with long black greasy hair, pointed nose and golden eyes that seemed to reflect the light. His chest was bare, covered only by a worn black vest.

“Give it to me and I’ll let you live.” The man’s voice rumbled deep in his chest, more animal growl than human.

“Give you what?” Mina asked stepping back in fear.

“The Grimoire.” The man stepped closer but still kept his distance, keeping one foot out of the protective circle cast by the light.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she said, proud that her voice didn’t crack with fear.

“Stupid girl. We know the Story has chosen you. Where is it?” he growled again, his lips pulling back from sharp-looking teeth.

“I d-don’t have it,” Mina stuttered. “It hasn’t shown itself to me. I swear.” The man flexed his fingers and walked into the circle of light, illuminating a wolf tattoo that covered his whole chest. Mina yelped and backed further away until she felt the hard door behind her back.

“Then you must die.” The man with the wolf tattoo lunged at Mina and grabbed her upper arms. Mina tried to run under his arm, but he was too fast, inhumanly fast, and within half a second he had her around the waist. Screaming for help, she kicked and punched, vainly trying to make contact. The man turned her swiftly and hit her hard in the face, then lifted her as if she was a rag doll and tossed her off into the alley. Mina’s scream was cut short as she landed in a pile of cardboard boxes, better than concrete but still hard enough to knock the wind out of her. Her face throbbed in pain.

The wolf man sauntered toward Mina, nearly paralyzed with fear, and grabbed the front of her blue hoodie in one fist. With a grin that showed off his sharp teeth, he lifted Mina into the air, her Converse dangling helplessly below her. She felt tears come as his grasp on her collar began to choke her, and she began to see spots. She dug her nails into the man’s hands hoping to loosen his hold, but he only seemed more excited at the sight of the blood. Darkness began to fill her vision, along with grief for her mother and brother. She had failed them, before her quest has even gotten started. She had nearly resigned herself to her fate when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

A loud crack split the air followed by a howl of pain. Mina was dropped to the ground and went limp, struggling to regain her breath. Opening her eyes, she saw Brody standing over her attacker with a broken 2x4. She tried to tell him to run but couldn’t catch her breath, her throat was on fire. The man was stunned for a minute and then lunged at Brody, clumsily grabbing his midsection and knocking him to the ground. Brody held his own and fought back, landing a punch in her attacker’s lower jaw. The man must have been dazed, for after a few unsuccessful lunges and missed punches, he finally ran off, swearing at her.

“We will be back, and one way or another, we’ll get it,” the man howled.

Brody was immediately at Mina’s side. “Mina, are you hurt? Are you okay?” He ran his hands gently up and down Mina’s arms searching for broken bones, but his touch sent shivers up them instead.

“I’m fine,” Mina answered, trying to shake off Brody’s warm touch.

Brody grabbed Mina’s face between his hands and searched her face for bruising. She let the tears come freely now, grateful to have a kind-hearted person by her side, to have survived the attack, to be alive.

Brody helped Mina to her feet and then tucked her against his side protectively. She leaned into Brody’s chest for support and took comfort in his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Breathing in the warm scent of his shirt, cologne and sweat, Mina felt safe, secure, until she stumbled on her own feet.

He must have felt Mina falter, so without waiting for her approval he bent down and picked her up in his arms, intent to get her out of the alley and somewhere safe. She protested, but not for long. When he got to his car, he put her inside and buckled her in. Mina knocked his hands out of the way, trying to get him to quit messing with her seatbelt, to let him know she wasn’t helpless. He smiled and handed her the buckle.

He peeled onto the road and pushed on the gas making the high-performance car accelerate with barely a sound. It wasn’t until Mina saw that he was going forty over the speed limit that she thought to panic.

“Brody, slow down!” she yelled.

He pounded the steering wheel in frustration, his blue eyes stormy with anger.

“STOP! If you’re going to drive like a crazy person, you’ll have to let me out!” When Brody didn’t seem to hear her she began to panic, grabbing the door handle for safety.

Finally he got his temper under control and slowed the car down. “I’m so sorry, Mina. I should have been there to protect you.” He reached out to touch her bruised cheek but Mina flinched back in fear. He dropped his hand dejectedly. She had hurt him unintentionally.

“You see, now you’re scared of me. I’m not angry at you, I’m angry at myself that you got hurt.” Brody looked at Mina and she could see fear written in his eyes.

“Brody, it could have been worse. A lot worse. But you saved me.” Mina gently reached out to touch Brody’s arm, to comfort him, to show him that she wasn’t afraid.

“Who was he, Mina?” Brody’s jaw clenched and unclenched in anger.

“I don’t know,” Mina answered truthfully. “Some guy in an alley. An evil, evil man.”

She watched as Brody’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “He threatened you, and you don’t know who he was. He seemed to want something; he said he’d be back.”

“I told you, I don’t know who he is. And I don’t have what he wants.” Mina felt her own anger rise.

“But you know what it is?” Brody asked unbelievably. “If you know what he’s after, then give it to him.”

“I don’t have it, and even if I did, I couldn’t give it to him. You have to believe me.”

“Maybe I could, Mina, if you told me what’s going on?”

He looked at her accusingly, but Mina’s silence was the only answer that Brody got.