Not wanting Simon to think about why that had happened, Meg held out her left hand. “A bush attacked me when I was running.”

Since she couldn’t say when the cut was made, she couldn’t point out the bush for him to bite—although she didn’t doubt that, if he really wanted to, Simon could find the exact bush by sniffing out the tiny chunk of skin she’d left behind.

The bush bite calmed him a little, probably because it sounded ridiculous. Simon cleaned the cuts, grumbled about the stinky medicine, and used an unreasonable amount of gauze to wrap her arm and hand while Kowalski wrapped an elastic bandage around her ankle.

“Meg?” Lieutenant Montgomery crouched beside her.

It wasn’t your fault, she thought.

He gave her bandaged arm an odd look as he held up a slim brown wallet. “While you were running through the woods, did you wonder about finding a doctor for your arm?”

“I wasn’t always running through the woods. I was, but . . . Visions become strange when the cuts are too close,” she said. “I couldn’t tell what I was thinking from what I was seeing. Why?”

Monty studied her. “Some of the doctors on the governor’s task force were reported as missing. I think you found one of them.”

CHAPTER 28

Thaisday, Messis 23

After Meg told them she had heard sirens, Nathan retraced their steps and led Kowalski back to the patrol car while Blair searched the area for a more direct trail to the road. Simon would have preferred shifting back to Wolf, especially after sensing the presence of more Elders, but if he did that, he couldn’t talk to Meg. On the other hand, he couldn’t express himself properly in this human form.

And he couldn’t sniff what he wanted to sniff to find out if that Cyrus had hurt his Meg in other ways.

“I’ll have to give a statement?” Meg asked Montgomery.

“Yes, but not today.” Montgomery smiled. “We’ll take you home. Emily Faire can give you a checkup, make sure there aren’t any cuts we missed.”

Simon thought Montgomery wanted to ask about something else, then thought better of it.

“Arroo!” <Found the road,> Blair said. <I told Nathan. He said he and Kowalski will be there once the Crowgard give the patrol car back.>

<What did the Crows do with the car?>

<Nothing. But Kowalski left the car unlocked. The Crowgard went inside to look around and decided they wanted a ride to the spot where Broomstick Girl not-Wolf had gone to ground. And Kowalski says he won’t drive with a Crow perched on the steering wheel because that isn’t safe.>

“Problem?” Montgomery asked.

“Only if the Crows around here learn how to turn on your police cars—and drive.”

Montgomery looked alarmed.

“He’s teasing you,” Meg said, patting Montgomery’s arm. “Aren’t you, Simon? Simon?”

He looked at her.

“Oh dear.”

Eventually Kowalski and Nathan arrived with a carful of Crows, who obligingly hopped out and then perched on any part of the car where they didn’t slide off. Burke and O’Sullivan arrived a few minutes later with Captain Miller and his officer following in their own car.

After a brief discussion, it was decided that Burke and Montgomery would take Simon and Meg home, while Kowalski and O’Sullivan, along with Blair and Nathan, would help Captain Miller and the humans from the medical office retrieve the body in the woods. With the Elders so close, it wasn’t safe for the humans to go in without the Wolfgard going with them.

While Simon carried Meg to Burke’s black sedan, she didn’t say anything about his not wearing clothes. But as soon as they were settled in the backseat, she glanced at him and blushed. “Simon, could you . . . ?”

Another human had hurt her, and right now she didn’t trust this form. He shifted to Wolf and did his best to find a comfortable position after she hauled him halfway into her lap and held on.

• • •

It took longer to return to Lakeside than it had to drive to the spot where the car and Cyrus Montgomery had been located.

Burke hadn’t said anything about a patrol car full of Crows, but every time the Crowgard flew toward the road, he slowed down to let them keep pace with the sedan for a minute or two—to let them see the sweet blood in the backseat, sleeping with her cheek on the head of a large, dozing Wolf.

Then the Crowgard flew off to spread the word: Broomstick Girl and her Wolf were going home.

CHAPTER 29

Messis

The Crow took the small mesh bag and flew west. He had not been the first courier; he wouldn’t be the last. When he was ready to return home, there would be another Crow waiting and ready to take the mesh bag on the next stage of its journey.

It took a few days, but eventually the mesh bag was delivered to Jenni Crowgard, as promised. She took it and flew off to a private spot in the Lakeside Courtyard, then invited Starr and Jake to join her.

With deft moves, she opened the bag with her beak and plucked out the prize. It wasn’t as fresh as when the Feather Lakes Crowgard had taken it for her—with the Elders’ permission—but that didn’t matter.

The three of them tore at the soft tissue and, with a vengeful glee, ate one of Cyrus Montgomery’s eyes.

CHAPTER 30

Firesday, Messis 24

Douglas Burke followed Greg O’Sullivan into the mayor’s office and took a seat at the round table. Mayor Chen and Police Commissioner Alvarez occupied the other two chairs.