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"Ah, but then his flesh will taste twice as sweet," it said and rubbed its tiny, nearly hu Don’t do anythingout of bed, I crossed over to the

The creature looked up atits disappointment that I hadn’t refused "Very well Follow" It slid through the opening, its tail disappearing over the ledge last When I reached the , I saw the creature waiting foritself by licking its hands and running the that I felt s to fly from my hand and devour the abouide that keptit I had to save Adah open to cli my foot down on the stone floor to confirht over the sill and into open air I held on to the ’s ledge, ensuring that the ground beneath was solid and not o As I did, mydisappeared, only to be replaced by a stone-block wall I struck at one of the blocks with the side of my fist It was as hard as the floor beneath ," the rodent guide said "Her patience is not without bounds"

What I wouldn’t have given at the ed cat "And neither isup on the tip of er

I felt sickened when its face crumpled in fear, and it bowed to me I loathed the creature, but I hated iveitself at o," I said It rose, its sharp claws clicking across the stones as it moved It paused every so often todown the hall for several an to feel like I was on a tread a steady pace, we never seeht at the far end of the hall "How much farther?" I demanded "I mean, have we even moved?"

It turned and looked up over its hairy back at me "We have traveled many miles I do not kno much farther It is different each tier Stone floors, stone walls, and a stone roof above Light seemed to be held at a premium in this place--there was always a spare circle of it overhead, but it lent little clarity to what came ahead, and what lay behind us ed up in shadow I sensed soht I stopped for anoise, but not froht I looked away and hurried forward to catch up to the rodent chi back and forth as it moved before me At the sound of ain its face sickened e to destroy it out of revulsion Reassured that I was following, it turned and picked up its pace as well As we continued down the seely endless hall, a question needled at me Finally I had to know "Did she do this to you?"

It stopped in its tracks and turned to face me "Do what to me, miss?"

"Did my moth-- Did Emily create you?"

"Oh, no,head "The other witches, theythe pulse in rew She may not have been directly responsible, but how could Emily bind herself to the families ould create such a creature? Its very existence seemed an affront to nature

"Oh, no, miss The witches who hold the line, theywide open I was still trying to collect myself e finally arrived at the end of the hall An archway separated it frorown to associate with Jilo, but a dih the doorway

"You owe ratitude, detective," Emily said as I followed the rodent into the chaht-backed wooden chair, barely holding on to consciousness Taking so I would co Ada Oliver for rejecting her Adah his swollen eyes I ran toward hination and skittered behind E shelter from itsed out froistered that it was a wolf, snarling and snapping at round Lifting its head to howl, the wolf let loose with a huan shaking head to tail The gray fur slid off, the creature shedding its pelt as if it were a cloak "Not yet, princess," said Joe, still sitting in a crouched position I noticed that his backwoods twang had totally evaporated, replaced with a foreign, slightly Ger as if he were actually greeting royalty Then he scooped up the wolfskin cape and tossed it back into the shadows

"You are a skin-walker," I said

Joe tilted his head, stretching his li to reacclis" He turned from me and approached Ada it up so that Adahtened his grip, slowly turning Adam’s head from side to side

"Take your hands off him" My voice quivered, and Joe turned to me, his eyes wide in o," I said, turning toward Emily

"Oh, indeed, ill," Joe answered for her "He has served his purpose Your concern for this ape brought you here"

"He isn’t an ape He’s a man, and Oliver loves him"

"Oh, God, ether eyes "I had hoped Oliver would grow past that phase, but if my little brother is so enamored of the detective, he should have taken better care not to leave his toy out where anyone could snatch it"

"The sooner he’s gone, the better I cannot stand the smell of him," Joe said

"Okay, who the hell are you?" I spun back around to him "You show up like some hayseed with Ryder and Birdy, and now I find you here with myher?" I had al in tiardless of whether I shared her DNA, she was not ," Emily said "He has been the ht side of history To the right side of evolution"

"You ht?" I asked

Joe began laughing as if I’d just told the funniest joke ever E him to calm himself "Josef’s relationship with Ryder and his woe, can’t you sense that?" She squinted her eyes and gave her head a snorance shocked her