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Chapter 25

"We need to make an appointment with Cora," Will said

"An appointment?" Jessie asked "She's that busy?"

"You'd be surprised"

"Call her then"

Will undipped his cell phone froain"

Jessie glanced at her phone and growled Sometimes cell service was lost this deep in the woods

"Why don't you two go on," I said "I'll finish up here"

Jessie frowned "This is my job - "

"Is it? I thought it was mine"

"You two could arested

I'd tangled with Jessie once In a fair fight, she could kill ht - as in- was just what Will had in mind

"I'll pass"

"Me, too" Jessie considered for a ed and furry; we'll go back to town and set up an appointment with the voodoo priestess"

"Grand hth level"

"Whatever"

"Jess, she's old and very well respected You have to behave"

Jessie looked at me "Don't I kno to behave?"

I glanced at Will "Am I supposed to answer that?"

"No Give us a call," he glanced at his cell, then hooked it back on his belt, "when you get to your place

Maybe we can see Cora today"

He took Jessie's arly, she ithout argument

Probably figured they'd have tilanced at the three wolves - ie, before I was finished

I dragged the, as far away froet, added accelerant, then pulled out aattention

Instead,the flicker of Jessie's and Will's clothing fade away

I struck the match, and a sudden flash between me and them made me freeze I stared in horror at what appeared to be stealthily ure out what it ht mean

Then the ertip and the pain caused round

I stolanced back in the same direction

The flash of white was still there

I lifted htly in the h the rays did not penetrate into the deep forest Nevertheless, I drew un and ran

I should have shouted right aarned the, but I wanted to kill him I wanted to end this before I had to see someone else I cared about die

Tione far, yet I see any closer

The brush cleared and I saw hi, he was still too far away for un

"Jessie!" I shouted "Wolf!"

A gunshot rang out I frowned at the weapon in my hand I hadn't fired it

Another shot broughtfroone

I ran toward Jessie and Will, heedless of the sniper The shots had stopped Because they were hit? Or because the shooter was gone?

I burst through the trees, saw theround, and un was drawn and ai in my direction

"Get down!" Jessie snarled

I hit the dirt

Will struggled to get up Jessie shoved his head into the ground "Don't," she warned

We lay there for fivefootsteps - or padding paws Nothing happened

Eventually I motioned toward the west Jessie nodded and I crawled into the brush as she covered me I scouted the area all around us Ten

"Nothing," I said "Not a track, not a calling card Zip"

Jessie scowled and allowed Will to sit up Her hands fluttered over hi for injuries

"Knock it off" He pushed her away "I'm fine"

"What happened?" she asked me

I hesitated It was broad daylight I couldn't have seen the white wolf

Besides, a gun had been fired No uy was, a wolf didn't have the opposable thumbs necessary to fire a weapon Usually didn't need to, since his teeth and claws, speed and agility, eapons enough

In other words, if there'd been a wolf, he would have attacked, not changed into a huain

"Leigh?" Jessie pressed "What, exactly, did you see?"

"Nothing"

"You shouted wolf," Will pointed out I glared at him and he held up his hands in surrender "You said it"

"Yes," Jessie murmured, "you did Was it Hector?"

"Look at the sky!" I shouted "Any ht I did"

I sat down in the trarass and dirt, then wiped ain," I whispered "I should go back to the padded roo"

Jessie grabbed h towith you"

"But it's daytime"

"Everything we believe about olves see apart For all we know, a power eater can shift any damn time that it wants to"

I blinked She could be right For soht cheered me

Jessie's hold gentled "You saved our lives, Leigh"

"I doubt that"

"You yelled; we hit the ground; a bullet whizzed through the air where my head had been"

"Mine, too," Will added

"I should have called out as soon as I saw the white flash behind you"

Jessie released me "No harm, no foul"

"Why didn't he come after you?" Will asked "We left you by yourself back there"

I shuddered at the thought of being alone in the woods with htmare "He doesn't want me dead," I said, "just furry"

"There has to be a reason he let you go this time" Will frowned as if an idea had just occurred to him