"What are you saying?" Astor gasped. I was fairly sure that Tennyson was close to crushing his windpipe.
"I'm saying we don't have the girl."
"If I leave you alone, will you help me find her?"
"If we help you find her, will you hand over the footage at the swimming pool?" Tennyson squeezed Astor's neck so hard it looked like his whole head would just pop off.
"Yes, okay! Fine, just let go of me, you big freak."
"Swear to it."
"Yes, I swear. Come on, let go!"
Tennyson nodded and stepped back, dropping his grip on Astor. I made sure I was well hidden under the books. There was no way I was going to let him just hand me over to the enemy, no matter how good the deal was. And to be honest, the deal wasn't even that good. Especially not for me.
"I will contact you when I know where she is," Tennyson Wilde said. "I do not want to see or hear from you until then. Get out."
Astor ran out, clutching at his neck and gasping for breath. What a crybaby, Tennyson Wilde wasn't even that scary.
"That should keep him out of the way for a few days at least," Tennyson said, sitting back down at the table. "You can come out; I have no intention of trading in our one bargaining chip so early in the game."
I poked my head up from behind a book. "You're going to break your word?"
"I never gave him my word and I do not trust his. I did, however, take the opportunity to slip a small recording device into his pocket."
I was a little bit impressed with his smooth moves but no way was I telling him that. I curled up on the table and went to sleep.
Apparently werewolves got a day off school for the full moon. I was fairly sure that wasn't approved by the school board but then, I was also sure the Golden could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Going to class was more like a hobby for them than a requirement.
Since Althea had been away, the mood around the Golden house hadn't exactly been full of chuckles, but the day of the full moon came and it was 100% serious business.
"We've created a safe environment for you while we're out tonight," Sam told me.
He looked bad, pale and like he hadn't slept in around ten years. He was twitchy and wouldn't meet my eyes and I got the impression he was one false move away from losing control. That was why I felt as if I couldn't say anything when he showed me the "safe environment". It wasn't so much the creepy doll house that bothered me, but the fact that the creepy dolls still lived in it. I just knew that as soon as the lights went out, those dolls would start moving around and boy would they be mad that a tiny human had encroached on their territory. I had no idea what was supposed to be "safe" about it, though I had to admit that the bed looked comfy. I really, really wanted to ask if the creepy doll house belonged to Tennyson, but the mood was way too somber, and without Althea there, I doubted they'd tell me if it was his.
"Okay," I said, because seriously. What else could I say? I didn't want to make a fuss and cause any more bother, but Astor knew the house would be vulnerable during the full moon and he suspected they were harboring me. Astor was stupid but surely he could put "tiny person" and "tiny creepy house" together and come to the logical conclusion.
"You don't like it," said Tennyson Wilde.
"I like it fine," I told him. Just because I was spending time in the werewolf house didn't mean he could start using his werewolf juju on me and sensing my feelings or whatever. That was the last thing I needed.
"It's not just the house," Sam explained. "Look."
He pointed to a little trail around the house and then pressed a button. Water started trickling out from somewhere, forming a little moat around the house.
"Magic can't cross running water," Tennyson Wilde explained.
"That's really awesome," I said. And it was. But magic wasn't the only thing you had to worry about when you were teensy. "But you know what can cross running water? Astor."
"I told you," Nikolai said from his spot in the chair, not looking up as he scrolled through his phone. "She's ungrateful and she thinks we're stupid."
"I am grateful!" I said. "This is the best house with a magic-resistant moat that anyone ever gave me. But if Astor finds it, he'll know I was here all along and what do you think the first thing he'll do will be? He'll release the footage from the pool. This isn't just about me, so you can stop acting like I'm the bad guy here."
"I don't think you're the bad guy," said Nikolai. "I think you're the incredible shrinking girl."
"This is all irrelevant," Tennyson said, raising his voice to silence Nikolai. "We have, naturally, thought of every precaution. If you look on that table to your left, you will find a panic button. If you press that - don't press it now! An iron cage will drop around you and protect you from any intruder. Magic cannot pass through iron and a magic user cannot touch it. Keep in mind that it is very difficult, expensive and time-consuming to then remove the cage and as you are currently under a spell, you will not be able to touch the iron or pass through it until the cage is lifted, so do not drop it unless you feel it is absolutely essential that you do so."
"Right," I said. I hoped there was a miniature bathroom in the creepy dollhouse, if I was going to be stuck in there for hours. Going to the bathroom wasn't a fun experience when you were small even if you weren't locked up inside a cage.
"Maybe one of you should stay here with her," Sam said to Tennyson and Nikolai. "It might not be so bad this month."
Tennyson and Nikolai shared a heavy look. I remembered Tennyson telling me that most wolves have more control during the full moon, that the moon is their source of power, but Sam wasn't like that. Tennyson and Nikolai were fine with the full moon, it was a jolly lark for them, but whatever had happened to Sam made him different, and the full moon was the most difficult time for him. It wouldn't be fair for me to take away one of the two people who could bring him some comfort just because I was a bit freaked out.
"It's fine," I said. "I have a whole house to explore, I won't even notice you guys are gone." I gave Sam my most reassuring smile. "You go and have fun. Howl at the moon or whatever you do. Don't eat anyone's face off. Unless you run into Astor, then munch away!"
They left me alone to go do their wolfy stuff, but as soon as they were gone, I began to worry. What if Sam did eat somebody's face off? He'd never forgive himself. I knew that Tennyson and the others had been looking after Sam all this time, but being around me seemed to bring out the more vicious aspects of Sam's wolf side and he'd been around me a lot lately. I supposed there was nothing I could do about it, I had to trust in the others to keep Sam safe. I wandered through the house, amazed at the level of detail that had gone into making it. Everything looked so real. Somebody must've had nimble fingers to carve the bannisters on the staircase so finely and paint the flowers on those tiny little plates. The books on the bookshelves weren't real, which was disappointing but to be expected, I supposed. The armchairs in the study sure were comfortable though. I sat down in one for a rest. The house was massive, I'd hardly explored half of it and I was ready for a nap. Being small really burned through the energy, I definitely had motivation proportionate to my size.
I hadn't intended to nod off completely but I woke with a start at the sound of a door closing. Not a tiny door, a regular door. I wasn't sure of the time but I definitely hadn't been asleep very long, so I doubted it was the others back from their werewolf shenanigans. I supposed it could be one of Tennyson Wilde's staff, but they were usually super quiet and Tennyson was careful about his privacy, I doubted any of them would be in the house without him around. That left one person.
Astor.
I jumped up and rushed around, trying to find somewhere to hide. Everything was stuck down, fastened to the walls and immovable. The sound of footsteps got closer and closer. I had to press the panic button but it was back in the entrance way, near the front door. I ran from the study and down the long corridor, trying to remember the way back. Oh man, I was so stupid, I should've stayed close by in case this kind of thing happened. I should never have dropped my guard.
I couldn't hear anything over the pounding of my heart as I ran, had no idea how close Astor had gotten to finding me. Finally, I came to the main staircase and thundered down it, my eyes never leaving the panic button. I only had to make it that far. My feet skidded on the floor as I hit the entrance way running. I could hear the rattle of the doorknob outside the room. I was almost there, so close. The door swung open and I reached out, stretched my arm out and hit the button.