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"I’lad you’re okay," he said quietly "No thanks todeal"

I didn’t want to talk about it anymore "Does Chuch have a washer and dryer somewhere? I’m out of clean clothes"

It was stupid late to be washing, but if I knew Chance at all, we’d be planning an assault to all our resources He wouldn’t slon for my delicates

"Out here Let me show you"

Butch didn’t take kindly to it when I put hi, it had been quite a day for hi their te his supplies inside

After hefting e Chuch didn’t use it for cars Instead he stored tools and boxes, carelessly stacked along the walls I spied what I thought ht be a motorcycle, covered by a tarp Hard to tell in the dark

We didn’t turn on a light I used the illumination that trickled from the open door I offered no care to my clothes, didn’t separate, just stuffed them all into the washer and washed in cold He watchedyou’ve never dyed anything pink"

The ceo back in," I remembered the untouched plate of sweets "Maybe have soo to bed"

Butch appeared disinclined to cooperate He sniffed around the edges of the garage and then whined, scratching at the side door that led outside

"Does he need to go out?"

I shrugged "Up until today, I never had a dog How do I know? Let’s see"

After we let him out, Butch did indeed pee on a bush, but then he lowered his nose, tail in the air, and snuffled his way around the house When he got to the foundation in the backyard, he yapped ferociously If he’d been a person, he would’ve been yelling, Hey! Hey! Hey, you! Over here! He backed away, growling, and i damp eyes to come see what he’d found

"Okay, okay"

"Good thing Chuch doesn’t have close neighbors," Chance said, following me

I went over to see what he had--nized the stench fro off the nearby hedge and parted the grass

My stomach rebelled

While I crawled away to lose er in the bushes, Chance took a closer look "Christ, who the hell would do so, I picked Butch up and clutched hiled animal upset me so much? Well, people can be sons of bitches Animals possess an innocence that humans never do, even in childhood

Somebody had tortured this poor creature to death, and then bound it to a task that would cause it unspeakable pain Breaking well-placed wards had shattered this animal until I couldn’t tell what it had been in life, just a twitching mound of bloody bone and fur that still tried to creep forward, doing itsWe needed to put it down, but I shuddered at the thought

I wiped my mouth and stood "Better question is why"

"To weaken the wards," Chance realized His eyes met mine, orry

"Eva just redid them this afternoon" But as I looked closer, I saw that the poor thing had crawled around and around the house, insidiously violating the sanctity of the lines drawn in sea salt and ood

"He’s planning to strike again tonight," he said grimly "Did she reinforce the wards inside as well? Have you seen Chuch and Eva?"

So much he didn’t know, like Moon’s ill-tiht be sick again "Not since they went into the office We need to see if they’re all right"

We went at a dead run, Butch racing at our heels

Waiting for a Miracle

Chuch and Eva lay sluh they’d been heading for the door whenwhatever, struck them down They looked pale as death, and my heart clenched

Please, not the whined out in the hallway, as if pleading with o in there, but I had to know To my vast annoyance, Chance pushed me behind him and went in first He knelt and felt for a pulse "They’re alive"

I let out a long breath and tipped ainst the door "Can you wake them?"

Several minutes passed while he tried to do that "No I’"