"Out," I announced as I turned and left the room.

He caught me a few steps later, proof that he was feeling pretty strong again. He turned me by the shoulders, and I couldn't help but glance down. He had a towel tied around his hips. So he'd been sitting naked in a strange bed with a strange woman for company, as easy as you please.

"You don't need to go off half-c.o.c.ked," he said. "I talked to the sheriff. Told him I fell sick from this bite before we could get to the station. He says they've been patrolling the town, and there are no signs of any gangs, but we've got five cars from the surrounding counties coming. They'll get everything squared away, and we can talk about the details of what happened at your house so that your story's straight when they question you. I'm sure Miss Astrid can find something better to do than jaw with me. Why don't you come cuddle up in bed?"

I shrugged his warm hands off my shoulders. I'd only ever seen Zach sick a couple times, and both times when he'd recovered, he'd had one thing on his mind, proving just how strong and alive he was. As tempting as he was, there was no time for that now.

"I can't." A blur of spotted fur caught my eye, and I turned my head. Mercutio, who had been perched on top of a tall bureau, had jumped down and walked the hall to the front door. "Mercutio's ready to go. We're heading to Georgia Sue's to wait for her to come home," I lied. I couldn't take Zach with me to Macon Hill. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"You're leaving me here?"

"I figured you'd want to question Bryn some more."

"And you'll be at Kenny and Georgia Sue's? When I'm done here, I can meet up with you there?"

I nodded. He gave me a quick kiss, and I left him there.

I walked through the quiet house, listening. When I heard the rustle of papers from a hallway to the right, I followed it to a door that was partially ajar.

I tapped lightly.

"Come," Lennox said.

I pushed the door open slowly. He looked up at me from a pile of papers and charts.

"Yes?" he asked, his tone neutral enough.

"Just wanted to say thank you. And if you tell me where you get those bags of blood from, I'll get you some more to replace the ones you used."

The corners of his mouth quirked into a wry smile. "The blood is obtained by means that your ex-husband, the local law enforcement, wouldn't approve of. But it was good of you to offer."

"I'm going out to do some . . . well, to do some things. And afterward, when the main stuff is taken care of, I'd be pleased to help Bryn try to cast a spell to fix your blood disease."

"Thank you."

"Welcome," I said and turned to leave. "Mr. Lyons?" I said, remembering the other reason I'd come. "Do you happen to have any spare thirty-eight caliber silver bullets? In case I run into trouble out there?"

He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and dug through the contents. He held out a four-by-six-inch wood box with a lone star carved in the top. I took off the lid and looked down at the shiny ammunition.

"Thank you."

He nodded and turned back to the stack of papers on his desk.

Chapter 22.

When I was eight years old, I wrote a report for science cla.s.s on Macon Hill, aka the Duvall tor. All the information I used in the report came straight from Edie. I'd snuck the locket out on a chain that had it hanging to my belly b.u.t.ton and rode my My Little Pony bike to the hill where I spent the whole day. I sat on the gra.s.s with my loose-leaf notebook, scrawling down the stuff Edie said as she floated around, scaring wasps.

I caught h.e.l.l for being gone all day, for taking the locket without permission, and most of all, for writing a report all about magic. Momma finally gave me a kiss on the head just before she burned all my notes and the painstakingly written report.

Edie and I were both furious. From then on, I kept the things Edie told me a secret, locked away in my diary under a small bra.s.s lock.

Since the days of my pink bike, the town had built a nice paved road to the hilltop, and First Methodist of Duvall had built a very pretty stone chapel at the peak. From the west-facing bay window, you could see most of our gorgeous green town.

I drove up the hill, listening to the police radio. No signs of trouble to hear the sheriff and his merry men tell it. Mercutio's window was open, and he seemed to be tasting the wind, his rough pink tongue darting out between pointed front teeth. He sure took up a lot of the pa.s.senger seat, and I had to own the fact that he most likely wasn't a house cat.

"Merc, what's an ocelot anyway? Jungle cat?"

Mercutio's gravel-voiced purr was rhythmic and unperturbed.

"Well, there isn't any decent jungle around here. So frankly I think it's best if you just keep on living with me."

He didn't disagree, and I thought that even Zach would have to admit that Merc's downright friendly for a wild animal.

"Here we are," I said, stopping on the drive several feet from the landscaped lawn of the chapel. I walked around to the west side to where Beverly Stucky's fourth grade cla.s.s had created a rock garden.

"Like Bryn, Edie says this tor is a ley center, Merc. That's a place of magical power. Perfect place for us to cast spells." I walked to the largest stone that was hammered on top to form a seat where three adults could fit comfortably. I sat down with my tote. Mercutio hopped up and sat next to me.

"I miss Edie. Isn't that funny? She really doesn't visit much, but just when someone leaves town is when you really feel like talking to them, you know. Why is that? I guess people hate to lose anything, even the stuff they take for granted and never appreciate while they have it."

I lit the vanilla candle. Mercutio jumped down and tugged on my right shoe.

"What?"

He meowed unhelpfully, but then pulled again and bit my big toe. Not hard, but enough for me to catch the drift.

"It's been raining cats and dogs, Merc, and it's muddy as all get-out."

Mercutio looked at me with his big eyes. I sighed and stripped my feet bare. He got back on the rock with me while I burned herbs. I took a breath and closed my eyes to relax.

"Feel anything?" I whispered, then yawned. "Besides sleepy?" I twisted around so I could recline in a fetal position, curling around the lit candle. I sprinkled more herbs into the flame. It smelled nice, like spicy perfume.

I put my cheek on the cool stone and thought about the power of the earth and how I hoped it would bring Edie to me. Mercutio's soft fur rubbed my arm as he lay next to me.

"Edie, I miss you," I whispered. "Sure would be nice to walk the earth, to feel the gra.s.s between our toes, the peace and power, the energy, and to be together."

As I breathed in the warm, relaxing fragrances, I concentrated on getting my mind to separate from my body. If the spell worked and transported my consciousness to Edie and the locket, I would see where they were. Once I knew that, my mind could come home and tell my body, so I could go retrieve them. Real easy . . . in theory. I felt myself drifting.

I woke up when Merc's paw batted my nose. My back was arched over the rock like I was a human horseshoe, my fingers touching the dirt on one side of the rock and my toes poking into the mud on the other. I had the worst kink in my back.

"Arg, I'm in no shape for this," I grumbled, twisting onto my side. "I'll need to take yoga if I do any more spells like this. Ow!"

I straightened up and heard a car door shut. My heart thumped quicker.

"Who's that?" I whispered.

Mercutio hissed. Uh-oh. I picked up my gun. Mercutio hopped down and sprung forth, fearless as ever despite the st.i.tches that should have reminded him not to tangle with big dogs.

I slid from the rock, and my feet squished in the soft warm mud. I curled my toes, thinking how energized I felt after my nap. Somebody should build a spa up here. I stretched my arms over my head. I licked my tingling lips. Boy, I was buzzed. Adrenaline sure is fun. It was like I'd had three margaritas on an empty stomach.

The night's silence was punctuated with the sounds of a fight. Mercutio's high-pitched meows and men's shouts, then howling.

"I do love that cat. He's going to be a force to be reckoned with when he grows up, which could be any minute now." I needed higher ground, all the better to ambush a pack of wild dogs. I climbed onto the stone and stood up.

I leaned over and gripped the rose trellis, pulling myself onto it. Thorns scratched my legs, but I didn't give them the satisfaction of yelping in pain. I just climbed and pressed myself onto the chapel shingles. I strolled to the edge, wishing my feet were ankle deep in the wet soil. Hmm, maybe the nice buzzed feeling wasn't adrenaline after all.

I could feel Edie's pull, her cool aura rubbing my skin and her memories dancing at the edge of my mind. I tried to focus, reaching for her world, but I couldn't quite get into it.

The especially bright moonlight lit the roof. I admired the way Mercutio darted between the big wolves with their snapping teeth. He reminded me of a running back slipping between lumbering defensive linemen.

"You darn wolf-men, stand still," I muttered as I c.o.c.ked the hammer back on Earl's gun, pointed it, and pulled the trigger. The wolves howled and scattered.

"Mercutio, stop foolin' with them. I've got to hurry up and shoot them so we can round up my family."

I heard the sound of claws and turned. A wolf-man was almost on me when I shot him, but it all happened in slow motion, so I had plenty of time. He collapsed at my feet. The bulky pelt shimmered and then faded as he shrunk back to a man.

"I'm reloading," I announced. "If you don't want to be shot full of holes, y'all can leave. Otherwise, it's Swiss cheese time."

I heard Mercutio screech and then a loud pop clapped the night and bits of roof went flying.

"Oh, now you're shooting?" I dropped to my belly and peered over the edge of the roof, thinking that someone really needed to clean the chapel's gutters.

"Big nasty teeth aren't enough, huh? You've got to resort to guns to kill one girl? You'll be a laughingstock, but you know, do what you have to."

I followed the sound of Mercutio's p.i.s.sed-off meows and spotted dog fur moving. I squeezed off three more rounds, hearing yelping. Then I felt something cold and hard pressed to the back of my neck.

"Drop it," said a guttural voice dripping with malice.

I should have peed my pants, but I just plain didn't feel like it. My hand clenched my gun tighter than ever, my blood as cold as Edie's iced martinis.

"They got me, Merc. Run on home now," I called.

The metal banged on my head in a sharp rap. It stung like h.e.l.l. "I said drop your gun," he growled.

Kiss my a.s.s! I took a deep breath. Now, remember about minding your manners, Tammy Jo. "I don't believe I will. Go on and shoot me."

Suddenly, I was ripped up off the roof to a standing position, and he spun me to face him. The greasy black hair hung down around his pockmarked face. The eyes were flat and human, but he had a muzzle instead of a mouth, and it was dripping saliva and twisted like he was in need of some serious plastic surgery.

With better speed than The Flash, he knocked the gun from my hand, but I just stared into his hateful yellow eyes. All I could think was that if I were dead, I'd have a really good shot at finding Edie, and I could lead her to the other side with me. I'd miss Earth, but Heaven's rumored to be real nice.

"I'm going to rip your throat out."

"I know, but you probably can't help it. You were raised by wolves."

He growled menacingly and shook me by the arms until my teeth rattled. "Fear me!" he raged.

I blinked in surprise. "I do," I said, but he was right, I wasn't really feeling it like I should have.

Over his shoulder, there were a bunch of other creepy wolves gathered on the edge of the roof.

"Kill. Kill. Kill," they chanted.

"Who helped you kill Diego?" he growled.

"Who's Diego?"

He howled loud enough to be heard three counties over. He shoved me, knocking me down.

The slope of the roof took me, and I rolled right off, landing b.u.t.t-first in a hydrangea bush before thumping to the ground. The earth shook when I landed, and I heard wolves yelp in surprise. There were several loud thumps as some must have fallen off the roof on the other side.

I scrambled to my feet and, as my toes nestled in the mud, the power of the crossing ley lines bubbled through me like a mimosa.

Mercutio darted out from the shadows, and we ran. I heard the wolves growling behind us. I reached the prowler and yanked the door open. Mercutio jumped in. The lead wolf, muzzle snapping the air, raced toward me. I dropped into the driver's seat and slammed the door hard, hitting the power lock. He crashed into the side. I grimaced. "That's going to leave a dent. Don't know how Zach's going to explain it to the sheriff."

I gunned the engine and swung the car around. I drove over a couple of wolves as fast as I could. The rest scattered out of my way as I rammed into one who didn't make way. I backed the car up and spun the wheel to get me back on the driving path.

I spotted a bunch of wolves chasing the car as I gunned the engine. The car jerked over some rocks at the edge of the path as I struggled to keep the wheel straight. We barreled down the hill at a hundred miles per hour.

The wolves broke pursuit and ran back up the hill to where their trucks were parked. I kept my foot pressed all the way down on the accelerator, fighting against the urge to stop the car so I could walk around with my toes in the gra.s.s and dirt of that fantastic hill.

"You know what, Mercutio? I think that went pretty well, all things considered." I lay a hand on Mercutio's fur. Wet?

I pulled my hand up and saw blood.

"Is that your blood?" I sighed. "The vet's going to think I'm not a very good pet owner. Lie down, okay? And try not to bleed too much. Right after I get my locket, I'm going to get you some medical attention."

I turned on the radio. "Robert Earl!" I yelled, slapping my thigh happily. "Don't that just beat all? My favorite singer on the radio when I'm feeling so good." I crooned along, "They got a motel by the water, a quart of Bombay Gin. The road goes on forever and the party never ends."

Mercutio c.o.c.ked his head at me.

"Well, I know that he sings it better than me, but I love this song. And we escaped instead of getting eaten. Doesn't that make you feel like singing?"

It didn't seem to, but I went right on, hoping he'd join in.

Chapter 23.

I don't know why I don't wear more black eyeliner. Smoky eyes are s.e.xy. I smeared some red lip gloss on my lips as I swung the wheel and pulled into Johnny Nguyen's driveway.

"Come on, Mercutio," I said, opening the pa.s.senger door. The cat hesitated before getting out, but he finally did.

I knocked on Johnny's door, and Rollie answered.

"Nice lip gloss, but what in the world is happening with your feet?"

I came to the right place. "Exactly. I need a makeover, real quick like." I pushed past him into the house.

Mercutio hissed slightly before following me in.

"Your cat, I take it. Does he bite people?"