Atticus returned Siya’s embrace, holding her close with a red arm and a gentle wrap of his long tail. Her natural accent was augmented with frustration, and even the petite vampire was only draped in his discarded dress shirt, Atticus thought she looked no less the formidable predator. 

“I am glad you’re alright, but Siya, you are not a bad friend.”

He reached down to encircle her hand that held the white fur in his own. The clump of pearl-white hair was nothing in itself fascinating, but its potential brought a slight curl to Atticus’ lips.

“Veti would’ve wanted you to go after the white-wolf, and unless we’re both mistaken, Thad can make hay with this.”

Atticus used the tip of his tail to lift Siya’s chin, and he kissed her gently. He swore he could taste the blood of Reginald Hoyle upon her lips, and he stifled a shudder. The lingering bite of iron and musk brought the gravity of all that had just taken place come starkly into focus. Zakhar had just escaped with the key to the release of a major god of destruction, and Atticus couldn’t begin to fathom all the terrible tidings that would bring upon both the realm of man and the Veiled World alike. If the late Aislinn Hoyle had been correct, it would start a bastardization of the end of times, Ragnarök. At this notion, Atticus [i]did[/i] shudder. 

His brief moment alone with Siya ended abruptly with Semyon entering the stone circle, followed closely by the angelic man he had seen help kill one of the assassin-wolfs moments ago. Gabe, if Atticus recalled correctly. As Atticus began to respond, the others followed in quick succession through the shade gate, until the rip in space-time collapsed with only a lilting puff of smoke to mark where it had stood. 

Atticus unfurled his tail from Siya so he could face the group, but he did not move away from her. 

“The white-wolf took the [i]Solas Na Gelaí[/i], an artifact made from the canine of the Norse god Fenris. It was an object that Reginald Hoyle’s clan, the Teachglach Mac Tire, had kept safe as a totem for thousands of years. Though I cannot say exactly how, Aislinn Hoyle envisioned that with the Solas Na Gelaí a white-wolf would break the bonds that held Fenris, and thusly allow the god-wolf to be freed to bring about Ragnarök.”

Atticus let out a long sigh before looking down to indicate the tuft of white fur that Siya held clutched in her hand. “It appears that everything Aislinn prophesized is coming true.”

He looked about the circle, his eyes drifting between the menagerie of creatures. “I am no magician of diviner, but we have the fucking assassin’s hair. Between the lot of us, I know we have the means to track him and follow him. The faster the better...”Atticus’ face soured, “I don’t really want to try and put a god-wolf back into his cage.”

“Ideas, anyone?” He cast his gaze first to Thad, and then to Jay-Jay. Atticus found Henry next, leaning against one of the stones. “Henry, you’re in tune with that realm. If the white-wolf succeeds, can Fenris be bound again? Killed?”