Page 120 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“Right? I don’t smell like embalming fluid, do I?”

“Ew,” Elwyn said into the phone.

“I have one more question, Teacup.”

“Why you?” she said matter-of-factly.

“Why me?” he confirmed.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because you’re in love with her.”

He hesitated and then repeated his question. “What makes yousay that?”

“Because you never take your eyes off her when she comes tothe compound, unless she’s looking at you, of course. That’s when you pretendyou don’t know she exists.”

“I do no such thing.”

“You’re such a guy,” she said, her attitude shining through.

He tried not to chuckle. Failed. “I guess I am.”

“Okay, gotta go learn stuff, eventhough I could teach my history teacher a thing or two.”

“Elwyn,” Swopes said, a warning tone in his voice. “Wetalked about this.”

“I know, I know. By the way, I’msending help in case you’re attacked again, Donovan.”

“Yeah?”

“Artemis has been dying to see you.”

Artemis, a Rottweiler with the heart of a gladiator, hadbeen his dog before an asshole who had the audacity tocall himself a human being poisoned her. The man was lucky he still had theability to breathe without medical intervention. After she passed, she’d becomeCharley’s guardian somehow—and now Elwyn’s. He was oddly proud of her. He’draised her from a pup and, from what he’d been told, she could rip a demon toshreds in seconds flat. He teared up every time he thought about it.

“Artemis speaks English now?” he asked her.

“No, but every time you come to the main house, she runscircles around you and whines. She wants your attention so bad.”

That realization was a little more than he could handle at the moment. He ignored the tightening in his chest. “Iwould rather she stay with you. You get into way more trouble than I do.”

“Do not.”

“She should stick by your side until we know what this thingis.”

“You’re forgetting I also have twelve hellhounds guarding menight and day.”

“True.”

“Speaking of which, I’m also sending you King Henry VIII. Heand Artemis make a great team.”

“Didn’t he die?”

“Not that King Henry VIII. Thehellhound, King Henry VIII.”

Donovan sat up. The pain that shot through his body was likea chainsaw ripping him to shreds. “You’re sending me a hellhound?”