Page 75 (1/2)

"What jaguar?" he asked innocently

"Oh, stop," she hissed "I know you saw it! She turned into a fucking jaguar"

"Of course I saw it But I’m also a delusional zealot, remember?"

Mae looked away "It couldn’t have been real"

"Mae," he said patiently "If you have another explanation, I’m all ears Believe me, it would make my life easier"

She had none, and she knew he knew that "There are no gods There can’t be It’s all make-believe" But her voice trembled as she spoke She’d seen what she’d seen It was real life, not a y could create, even she knew that transfors of otten the sense of the dark poirling within her--and its hesitation in the face of the jaguar wo us," he said "Gods who enetic work Gods who put ravens in my head"

"Oh, yeah I saw one"

He turned to her in surprise "A god?"

"No…one of your ravens, I think It flew at me upstairs and somehoed me how to find you"

His jaw nearly hit the floor "You saw Magnus?"

"I don’t knohich one it was"

"He left me briefly That’s why hted "No one’s ever seen him Or them Do you knohat that’s like? To finally not be the only one to see theh"

"Yeah Mostly But it’s still a relief"

"I don’t kno to handle what’s happening," she said bluntly "This WhatI’ve accepted about one I kind of wish I was crazy"

"Yeah, I’ve wished that a lot too"

"How do you handle it?"

"One moment at a time"

"You told me your dreaer picture?"

He shook his head "I’ve been trying to figure that out for almost five years Cope Lead a normal life Learn as much as possible Unfortunately, there’s no real authority to go to for this Callista’s helped a little, but there are still so htly calmer, Mae was able to focusbloody lines cut through the shirt "She…she scratched you with her, um, claws"

"Got my back too," he said with a wince "And she did that even before the transformation"

"You should see a doctor"

He scoffed "No way I’h, but there’s no way I’ to a professional It’s not that deep You can do a field-medic job on ht back the an

She didn’t want to hear whatever was co that seizes h they didn’t want to fight each other"