“Oh, gods,” Merri Lee said, staring at the pad of paper.

Tess twisted around in Monty’s direction, but she kept her eyes focused on the floor as the coils of black and red hair moved around her head.

“Nadine’s Bakery and Café,” Monty said, sick with the certainty. Then he turned to Burke, horrified. “Her apartment is above her shop. She lives above her shop.”

Pushing his way clear of the bodies crowding around the back door, Monty pulled out his mobile phone. He didn’t know Nadine’s home number, but he knew the business phone number. He checked his watch, surprised at how late it was. If Nadine was asleep, would a ringing phone in the shop be enough to wake her?

Burke walked out of the office, already punching numbers into his own mobile phone, his big strides and furious expression scattering the girls and his own men, who were waiting for their orders.

Vlad hurried around the corner of the office with an open phone book. “Is this the number?” He pointed to a listing.

“That’s it.” Monty disconnected and dialed the home number.

Nadine answered on the second ring. “Chris? Where are you?”

“Nadine, it’s Lieutenant Montgomery. Your building is on fire. Get out now.” Was it already on fire, or was the warning just ahead of what was going to happen?

“I— Chris.”

“We’ll find him. Get out, Nadine.”

She hung up.

“Do what you can,” he heard Burke say before his captain ended the call and swore viciously. Burke looked at all of them—his police officers, the girls, Simon, Vlad, and Tess, who was still not meeting anyone’s eyes. “A handful of businesses have been torched on Market Street, and there are more fires around the city. Too many. Lieutenant, you’re with me.”

“Hold up a minute, Lieutenant,” Kowalski said. “I’ll fetch your service weapon.”

None of them, with the possible exception of Burke, were carrying a gun this evening. “Kitchen cupboard. Top shelf.” He pulled out his keys and handed them to Kowalski, pointing out two in particular. “Apartment key. Lockbox key.”

Kowalski took the keys and ran to the steps leading up to the efficiency apartments.

“I’ll wait for you here and do what I can to help,” Shady told Burke.

“Debany, you and Kowalski call the hospitals and other precincts,” Monty said. “We need to locate Chris Fallacaro.”

“You think he’s been harmed?” Vlad asked.

Monty glanced at Simon and wondered if the Wolf was capable of human speech. “I hope not, but we need to locate him.” Chris, who was a locksmith, also did work at the Courtyard and could be a target.

“Lieutenant!” Kowalski returned and handed Monty his weapon and holster. “It’s loaded. And here are extra rounds if you need them.”

Monty slipped the speed loader into his jacket pocket.

“Lieutenant!” Burke shouted.

Monty ran to catch up with Burke, who had already reached the employee parking lot where he’d left his car, had the blue light on the roof, and was ready to go. He’d barely closed his door before Burke backed out of the space. But the captain eased the car out of the lot and down the access way, aware of Wolves and humans milling about. He turned right, then right again, flipping on the sirens and light as he raced along Crowfield Avenue to Parkside, where he headed north at what would be a reckless speed if anyone else had been driving.

“We can’t fight a fire,” Monty said quietly. Prophecy could be changed. Burned bread? Yes, the shop would be lost. But . . .

“No, we can’t fight a fire, but we can make sure Ms. Fallacaro survives if she gets out of the building,” Burke replied.

“Survives?” He felt sick. “You think someone would be waiting for her?”

“Don’t you?”

• • •

Sirens. A harsh—and human—kind of howling.

Simon listened to all the voices around him, struggling to contain his rage. The Nadine hadn’t hurt anyone by selling bread and pastries to Tess for A Little Bite. In fact, by honoring the agreement the city had made with the Courtyard, her bakery was the reason the rest of the bakeries in the city had been allowed to continue.

Too many terra indigene from the wild country were close enough to the city to notice this fighting among humans. This wasn’t an understandable dispute—two bakers battling to show who was dominant and would control the bakery, forcing the loser to find a new place to work. No, this destruction was a deliberate attack against the Others as well as the humans whose dens and businesses were burning.

<Tess?> he called.

<Leave me alone, Wolf. I need some time alone.>

He wasn’t sure where she was, but he guessed she’d gone into A Little Bite to avoid being seen until she wanted to be seen.

“Simon, I’m going to let Kowalski and Debany use the phones in Howling Good Reads to make their calls,” Vlad said. “I’ll stay in the store with them.”

<Meg.> He wanted to stay with Meg, wanted to sniff the cut and assure himself that it smelled clean. But by now, Merri Lee would have put the stinky healing ointment on the cut and wrapped it in bandages to discourage licking.

“She’s fine.” Vlad nodded toward the back door.

Simon turned. She stood behind Ruthie and Merri Lee. The girls looked pale, smelled afraid.

“Meg should eat,” Vlad said. “The female pack should stay with her. They’re going to Meat-n-Greens. Grandfather Erebus will look after them. So will the Shady Burke.”