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I hadn’t yet told Grizzie and Tracy, as I figured I’d call them on the seven-and-a-half-hour-drive to Boston from Rockabill And because I was a coward At least I’d sorted everything out, schedulewise, so I didn’t feel quite so bad leaving Grizzie and Tracy in the lurch the second week running Plus, at the end of the day, I’d rather they fire me than have theave er andole suitcase outside and passed it on to Daoud I hadn’t yet unpacked it except to take out my dirty clothes and my toiletries, since I’d been rather distracted the last week, and most of it was Iris’s contributions, anyway So I’d just shoved so on top of all of Iris’s is as I climbed into the backseat Caleb smiled at me from the front

"Hello, Jane"

"Hi there, Caleb"

"Ryu’s at the scene We’ll deliver him to you and then we’ll all leave for Boston"

"Okay," I said, as Daoud got in the car, and we drove off toward Nell’s We’d all had a long night, so we didn’t bother chitchatting

When we got to the cabin, Ryu’s little car was parked rakishly in front of the wide front steps He was around back, with Trill, exa the destroyed pasture with an extremely irate expression on his face The kelpie looked almost normal, except that her mane was pretty much burned off When I walked toward the pair, a look of pure relief ca ods you’re unhurt, baby," heany attention to the vampire

For over Ryu’s shoulder, I could see the remains of the once lush pasture It had been dark when Con had attacked last night, and seeing all the daht the fuck out It was one thing to be attacked in Boston, but this was Rockabill This was my hoes of the field and partially burned The grass was gone, and huge gouts of earth were upturned like divots frorim as Ryu walked ently, turning my chin till I met his eyes

"Are you okay, baby?"

"He ca ly

"I’m sorry," I said finally "I just didn’t realize… Shit, I didn’t realize"

"Yeah, Con does pack a punch," Ryu said dryly, stroking his thuain toward the ravaged pasture

"I’m sorry, baby I’m so sorry this happened" Ryu’s voice had lost the sarcastic edge He sounded very sad

"It’s not your fault," I said "I’h to attack when he did If he’d cos would have been different" By "different," I meant I’d be very, very dead And so would a few other members of Rockabill’s human population, most probably

"Yeah He probably hasn’t cos Thank the gods she was here"

"And Anyan," I agreed "He’s the one who saved me"