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Crone held knife Fire crackled near, sht was cold inter, trees bare like bones A girl lay before old woed, ar with terror Eyes blue in firelight Blond hair Girl wasn’t huirl, I thought

Crone leaned in Movement made liver-eater scent rise rank on air, rottencut, pointed, deep Girl screaer, carried it toeach Crone cut girl’s clothes with knife, exposing belly and breasts Girl squirmed, but stakes and ropes held her Girl vomited Unable to release it, she breathed it down Her breath sounded wet Her bowels released old blood stench, rising with herbs in fire

I eased closer to ledge, claws extended, gripping rock as if gripping flesh to shred Crone raised knife Brought it down into girl’s belly Cutting Bound girl screaer, held in paws ofterritory Crone cut deep Girl’s squeals bounced off rock walls below I exposed killing teeth Eyes on knife Crone lifted out chunk of vairl’s liver Stea with teeth Blood ran down chin, over clothes

When one, crone reached into bloody hole Cut , stopped , yet her heart still beat For a little ti Girl stopped breathing Heart fell still Crone reached into body cavity and pulled, tugged Heart ca heart

I watched as energies gathered on crone, silver gray, full of sparkles Power touched her Fire that did not burn Bones slid, twisted, flesh growing lighter Hair growing pale, blond She stole young girl Took her form Bad smell in air Much later, understood it was scent of evil, I thought

Anger erupted in er at evil I did not understand I leaped, silent Driving down liver-eater Paws on back, killing teeth at neck Biting Breaking spine with snap of jaws Flesh was rancid, oily, foul Burning tongue I spat Turned body with swipe of paw Ripped out throat Spat foulness Tore off head Liver-eater was dead I turned, padded into night

Ies faded Memory was ended Jane was silent I placed paw on her head in joinedYou ate led I shoved hard with paws, holding her down, claws in her spirit flesh

I was stronger than blond vaer than you I did not die I came into you With you Noe are both, I and Jane Better than Jane alone Better thanCat Very big

She stopped struggling, fear shaking her spirit, thinking fast huhts You took rew, skittering like squirrel claws You perforic How did you do that? How ger Gene for ness I took allI hissed, shook the last scummy water away Pelt is thick and rich and deep Claws are sharp and long Hunt liver-eater Kill another one I padded into deeper shadows,Cat I will kill

CHAPTER 23

Mass to h when I padded into park land far behind Cherokee sha and hot, fro with rot Second scent floated on night wind--blood, fresh, potent with fear Human Liver-eater had hunted Found round surrounded by swa Tent, latrine, shovel, lantern burning, guttering, latched cooler, string in trees, da liht Body parts, scattered A hoht A drifterI crouched, silent, sniffing, watching Liver-eater was gone With slow hunter steps I walked into camp--hunched low, back paws into space when front paws rose, no sticks or leaves to crackle Sniffed chewed leg Old and scrawny Sick hu Liver-eater was rank, rotten when he caht I hacked laughter Padded around tent Man-torso chewed in half at spine Upper half near swa into air Small fish fed at torn flesh Gator swa like snake I hacked warning Feed later My place Gator slowed, stopped, sank I jogged to tent opening

Man-head inside tent, resting on cot Liver-eater didn’t eat face of this one Hairy, scruffy Pale blue eyes caught lantern light Cheeks drooped, wrinkled

I found path liver-eater took froain I stopped Pulled air over scent organ inGone Not liver-eater scent Vae worried Jane

Path reached blacktopped road Truck headlightsthis way I leaped into tree, crouched on wide li weakfast Air blasted hard, full of sht Or left a car here, planning ahead She urged, Look at signs Truck turned onto Lafitte-Larose Parkway Still south Signs proclaiht That’s where property is being purchased by Arceneau Develop to Rick’s paper-trail search But why?