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I glanced at theto discover dawn had just broken

"Duh," I muttered

Will continued to study my face "There’s someone you should meet Her name’s Cora Kopway She’s very old Very wise A member of the Midein"

At my blank expression, he elaborated "Grand Medicine Society Once, it was a secret religious fellowship devoted to healing through knowledge of the other world Cora has spent her life studying ancient texts and conversing with the spirits in her visions"

Forwith a woe

But once you turned furry every full

"If anyone can tell us about the totem," Will continued, "Cora can"

The sound of a car on the street belo Will to the door "Jessie’s back"

I glanced at

"Edward?" I asked

"Not with her Neither is Nic"

Even though I hadn’t expected him to be, disappointment sparked

"Let’s tell her what you told me"

I followed Will down the stairs and across the alley As soon as we entered the cabin, Jessie announced,

"Mission accomplished"

I hadn’t seen Nic for seven years, a few days in his co him

Shouldn’t, but did

"Where’s Mandenauer?" I asked

Jessie looked confused "I thought he ith you"

"He said he was going to help you"

"I never saw him"

An uneasy sensation tickled the base of ood"

"Doesn’t mean jack Except I’m in deep shit because I didn’t so?"

"Who knoith him? Either he’ll show up, or he’ll call He always does"

My unease lessened, though it wouldn’t go away co , after hi was a miracle, or supreme luck Sooner or later his luck would run out

"Show her the totem," Will ordered

Jessie stilled "Another one?"

I dug the plastic out of erly, her gaze shifting froain

"Yours?"

"Not really"

Will filled her in on everything we knew and all that had happened

Jessie closed her fingers around the plastic wolf "I don’t feel anything"

"Should you?"

"The last one was creepy Thing moved, slithered even"

Jessie referred to the black tote in Montana, which should be ashes but probably wasn’t The icon had borne the s of the matchi-auwishuk odlike, essence" There are h Ojibwe lore All are helpful but two - the weendigos, or Great Cannibals, and the matchi-auwishuk, also known as the Evil Ones

One of Mengele’s olves had used the od, and had planned to rule the world

What is it with ruling the world? Every nutcase wants to

"This one moves for me," I murmured, and retrieved the wolf from Jessie’s hand "Growls and mumbles, too"

"Maybe I should hold on to that," Will said

I shoved the tiny wolf back into my pocket "The totelances

"What?" I asked

"The icon is er, better," Jessie said

"That’s a bad thing?"

"I’er and better be bad?"

"You want a list?" Jessie muttered

"If I hadn’t been able to do a quick change when Billy attacked, both Nic and I would be dead"

Will and Jessie considered ed "Let her keep it If I have to shoot anyone, better her than you"

She winked I wasn’t sure what to make of that

Weariness washed over et so

"Which room’s mine?" I asked

Jessie blinked "You’re staying here?"

"Of course she’s staying here Where else?" Will patted ave me a little shove toward the rear of the house "Third one on the left"

"Thanks"

"Jess, give her solanced at Jessie in ti, she wrinkled her nose "Co at the first door on the right Inside was a king-sized bed, un on the floor Jessie started rooting through a tangle of clothes

"Did Nic - "

I broke off, mortified that I’d been about to ask her if he’d said anything abouther to pass him a note in study hall

"Did he what?" She withdrerinkled, double-X T-shirt and tossed it across the space between us

"Never mind" I headed for the door

"He said to tell you, he’d see you again"

I spun around, annoyed at the wayto relay that in this century?"