“What’s it doing?” Vera asked Kale. She stood on her tippy toes, trying to see the messenger on a tree limb above Kale’s head. Its wings fluttered, then it settled.

“Just sitting there,” he told her.

“Why isn’t it going to Marianna?”

How am I supposed to know? “Not sure.”

“Is that normal?” She persisted.

“No,” he said shortly and then winced. He hadn’t meant to snap.

Vera pressed her lips together and got quiet.

Then again, maybe it was for the best.

The messenger took off, angling directly up toward the treetops.

Kale swore. “We can’t follow it now.”

“It’s like it knew we were following,”

He couldn’t argue.

“So what should we do?”

“Wait here, and when Marianna gets the message, she’ll find us.”

Vera looked around. “It’s getting dark.”

“I’m aware, Sherlock.”

“Stop being an ass.”

“Nothing will bother us,” he assured.

“Why, because you’re the most dangerous predator in these woods?”

“Other than Fred, maybe,” Kale replied.

“Ugh, I forgot about him.” She scanned the area for any sign of Marianna’s snake.

“We’ll be fine,” he said again. “If Marianna wanted either of us dead she’d have sent him for us already.”

“That’s a good point.” Vera’s shoulders dropped a little.

“You were wondering if Marianna is a part of Suzie’s network, weren’t you?”

“You weren’t?”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Kale echoed her own thoughts. “She helped us defeat Mother and the horde. She was there trying to get you back from Nibiru with me. And she’s been rather pushy about making sure I’m…” Kale cut himself off. Marianna had taken a particular interest in matchmaking. Suzie, on the other hand, seemed most interested in destroying any hope they had, first by arranging for Vera to be claimed by a kargadan, then by unbinding him from the meadow and returning his unnatural form. Not to mention, getting them captured and having Kale sentenced to death in Noble Valley.

“Are you going to finish that sentence?” Vera prompted.

“She was always making sure I’m living up to my Guardianship.” It was the truth, just not what he’d been about to say earlier.

“I hope nothing has happened to her.”

“Nothing can happen to her. She has Fred, remember?”

“And an army of cats.”

Kale remembered how terrified Vera had been of that army of furballs. “You should try to get some sleep.”

“I cannot believe that I saw a zombie and got trapped in a giant spider web just this morning. It feels like eons ago.”

“All the more reason to sleep.”

“I’m not sure if I can. I mean, on the one hand, I’m exhausted. But on the other, I feel like I’ll never be able to sleep again.”

“Try.”

“Are you trying to get me to shut up?” She raised one eyebrow with a challenge in her eyes.

“I’m always trying. It doesn’t work very often, though.”

Vera flipped him off.

He turned to hide the quirk of his lips. Part of him wanted to say something to soften his words, but it was better to have her mad at him. Easier to let him go when it was time.

You know, you didn’t ask me if I was okay with that plan, said Ferrox.

Vera didn’t show any sign of hearing them in her head.

She’s been playing with her demon more lately and getting better control, Ferrox informed him. She won’t accidentally ride my link to your mind anymore.

But she could do it on purpose?

There’s a distinct possibility she could figure that out at some point.

I thought you’d shut yourself away again, Kale said.

Was going to until I realized you’ve finally decided to stick around and play martyr in shining armor.

Kale leaned against a tree. I don’t know another way.

I don’t either.

So, you’re not mad that I gave Braxas a contract on us? asked Kale.

I’ve lived five demon lifetimes in this body. It’s time to shake things up. Next time, I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind something with more legs.

I thought I noticed something suspicious about you when we were around Rhena.

She has nothing to do with it, proclaimed Ferrox.

Kale ignored his protest. You’ll have to fight a giant for her.

If I were interested in a spider, and I’m not saying I am—I’m not. But if I were, that lug wouldn’t stand a chance.

You’ll miss me, teased Kale.

Don’t be an idiot. Your soft heart and emotions have driven me nearly mad.

Kale felt something like remorse deep in the thoughts of his companion, but Ferrox pulled away. It will take me half a lifetime to remember how to be a proper demon again, thanks to you. Now, before you screw my head up any more, I’m going back to sleep. I don’t care to stare at the siphon girl with you all night.

I’m not staring.

Ferrox snorted and drifted away, leaving Kale alone to his thoughts. He tipped his head to rest against the bark. Despite his denial, he took in her every curve. He wanted to ingrain her on his memories so that when he was in whatever hell after this life, he would have something to focus on besides the torment. At least until they ripped everything about his life away, good and bad, and replaced it with pure agony.

Vera leaned in shyly and kissed Kale. His eyes popped open, and then fell closed as he opted to keep kissing her. She smiled against his lips, and then he ruined it by saying, “This is a much better use of your lips than asking a billion and one questions.”

Vera glowered. Kale’s eyes flew open as if he’d realized something. He looked down to take her in. She blushed.

“What are you doing?” he asked angrily.

Not the reaction she’d been going for. “Trying to knock your cranky-pants loose.”

He ran a hand down his face. “It’s not working. Change back.”

Vera crossed her arms. “Excuse me?”

“Change back, Vera.”

“You do not get to tell me how to appear.”

“I don’t want you like this. It disgusts me.”

Vera stumbled back at the painful truth, still not used to walking on four hooved feet. Or being so high up.

“Your hide is black,” he accused. “You morphed?”

“I thought that was obvious when I was suddenly a centaur.”

“I thought it was glamour.” He seemed to get even angrier.

“I’m not good at holding glamour yet. I can look like something, but I still feel like me.”

“Blast it, Vera. Once your morph chooses a form, you cannot pick another one. You’ll always change into that.” He waved a hand.

“I thought it was a good choice.”

“You thought I’d want to see you in a form that I detest? A form that I was forced into against my will?”

Vera felt like a two-inch tall idiot. Of course he wouldn’t think she was attractive as the monster he hated more than any other. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s obvious.”

“But I still have a dragon, a kargadan, and a scorpion. Heck, I can even become a kirin. This is not my only choice.”

“Thank the stars for small mercies. Can you morph back?”

Vera hesitated. “There’s a slight problem with that.”

“Let’s get back to the meadow. Mimi can help. She knows what to do when someone gets stuck. It happens to her often enough.”

“It’s not that. Changing back is easy enough.”

“Then what’s the problem?” he asked.

Her face heated. “I sort of shredded my pants when I changed.”

“You didn’t think to take them off first?” The way he asked made her feel more stupid.

Her back tensed defensively. “No, I hadn’t ever done this before, Scotchie. I didn’t think about it.”

“Glamour some new ones,” he said.

She almost refused just out of obstinacy, but honestly at the moment, all she wanted to be back on two feet as much as he wanted it. “Turn around. It will take me a minute.”

Kale shook his head, disgust written on his face. He picked his thumbnail absently while she worked to send the morph away. The usually sparkly magic dulled. You did beautifully, sweetie. Don’t worry about Kale. She called to the kargadan. How good are you at pants? In the end, she settled for a pair of runner’s shorts. That was easier to maintain than full-length pants. But it felt strange. When she looked down, she saw shorts, but she felt naked at the same time. If she didn’t keep her kargadan there, she’d reveal just how naked she was too.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m decent.”

She cringed, but Kale didn’t even look at her. Smooth Vera. Second attempt at seducing that man, and it was worse than the first. And the first time hadn’t even been real.

Kale grabbed her and tucked her behind his arm as a woman dressed in a fur robe slipped into their space. “You do not belong here,” he said darkly.

“I could say the same about you,” the woman retorted. She eyed Vera. “Nice.”

With the shock of being grabbed and the appearance of the sinister lady, Vera forgot to keep the kargadan in place. She spun around and tugged her shirt down, but not before Kale got an eye-full of her rear. The woman laughed, and Kale growled—a sound that sent prickles up the back of Vera’s neck. It was an unnatural growl. The woman bared her teeth in response. Then she hunched over and where there had been a woman stood a wolf.

“Don’t let her bite you,” said Kale.

“Or I’ll turn into a werewolf?”

“She’s a witch, not a werewolf. Look at the ground around her feet.”

The moss had turned black. Even the ferns nearby drooped.

“She’s a dark witch. Her magic comes from death and decay. She’d drain your life.”

Vera stepped closer to Kale. She pictured the withered husk of the zombie and imagined she’d look worse if the witch sunk in her teeth. The witch-wolf circled them. Kale kept Vera behind him. Her shorts were firmly in place again, and she’d summoned her scorpion and horn for good measure. When the witch finally saw an opening, she launched herself at them. Kale’s arm shot out and knocked her aside. The witch whimpered with the impact but stood right back up.

“Return to your side of the mountain, and I will not follow you,” Kale said.

The wolf growled, head low and feet wide. She was not going to stop, and Vera couldn’t understand why. She couldn’t beat Kale. That was already obvious. If Kale weren’t protecting Vera, the witch would already be finished. Instead, the witch leaped in and jumped back, snapping teeth close to them but not connecting. She was just keeping them on their toes. Then she rushed in and nipped at Kale’s fetters. Vera moved to intercept her, but she was ready for it. She twisted mid-strike and went after Vera. Vera lashed out with her scorpion tail and knocked the wolf away. Where the witch-wolf climbed to her feet, the ground died. Vera stepped away from Kale. The witch-wolf watched her closely. Kale moved to stop Vera, but she shook her head and put more space between them. Vera edged around the witch-wolf in a wide arch. When she realized that Vera was trying to get her to turn her back on Kale, she backed away. Vera had hoped she wasn’t very smart.

She’s been living as a wolf to survive, Ferrox chided. She knows how to stay alive.

You have any good ideas then?

Control her, Ferrox replied.

What do you mean?

I mean you’re the one not being smart. Use your satyr whistle.

I can’t whistle.

Goddess. Didn’t you think it was a good time to learn?

I’ve tried, but I just blow spit everywhere.

What else do you have in that magic pouch? Ferrox asked.

My demas can sing up a monsoon. My nymph can weaponize plants, but this witch would suck the life out of them.

Spider?

Vera opened her mouth to argue and then closed it. That might be helpful, if completely horrifying.

Kale? Can you not look by chance?

Are you serious right now? Kale asked.

Fine. But distract the wolf.

Kale lunged. That wasn’t what she’d meant. He wrapped his arms around the wolf’s neck in a bear hug, holding her head still. Vera managed to tie the wolf’s legs with some webbing so she’d stop shredding Kale’s arms and torso.

Now the mouth might be nice, said Ferrox.

I can’t reach.

“It’s too late,” mocked the witch-wolf as she melted back into her witch form. “I’ve won.”

“It doesn’t look like it to me,” said Vera.

“That’s because you still think I’m here to kill you.”

Kale tensed, seeming to understanding something that Vera did not. “You were a distraction,” he said.

Vera’s heart fell as the woman laughed. “And I was promised that my death would save my coven.”

“We aren’t going to kill you,” said Vera.

“Oh, yes,” promised the witch. “You are.”

She whipped around, muzzle lengthening, and latched onto Kale’s throat. The skin beneath her teeth charred. It spread, and Kale cried out. Vera didn’t think twice before she speared the witch with her horn.

Kale let the wolf slip to the ground. In moments, it looked like she’d been dead for days, and then even longer as she continued to decompose. Vera tried to check Kale’s wounds, but he waved her off.

“We have to get back to the meadow,” he said.

“You don’t think…” Only she could see in his eyes that he did. Being in Summartir right then was what Suzie had wanted. Meanwhile, everyone they cared about was back at the meadow.