The delicious scent of fresh blood filled the air. Sweet blood. Hot. Rich. More potent than any other scent around him.
Nathan’s mouth watered and he craved a taste of that blood. Just one little taste.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. Had to listen. That was his job now, to listen.
“Happy mask,” Meg said. “Angry face. Ice chest. Heart. Rotting meat.”
She said the same words twice. Then she sighed . . . and relaxed.
Nathan leaned closer. He should lick the blood, clean the wound.
“Wolf.” A hot warning.
He looked up, startled. He’d been so drawn to the scent of Meg’s blood, he’d forgotten about Fire.
“Go outside,” a voice said.
Snarling, he sprang to his feet and spun to face the intruder, who held out a hand dotted with feathers.
Owl. Male. Bodywalker. Not a threat.
“Go outside,” the Owl said again.
Nathan bolted out of the Pony Barn.
The euphoria passed quickly, and with its passing, Meg became aware of her surroundings again. Her face was wet, someone was pressing on her side too hard for comfort, her jeans and T-shirt were soaked, and Nathan was howling—a sound so full of misery she wanted to cry in response.
Swiping a hand over her face, she opened her eyes and looked at the gray pony nose. A fine mist continued falling over her face.
“I’m awake now, Mist,” she said, blinking water out of her eyes.
“Which just proves you’ve got less sense than a chick still inside the egg.”
She turned her head and looked at a male she didn’t recognize.
“I’m Welby, the Owlgard bodywalker,” he said. “Jane Wolfgard is on her way, but I don’t know if she knows how to fix this either.”
“Fix . . . ?”
Meg lifted her head to look at the hand pressing a cloth against her side. As she brushed against Mist’s muzzle, he lipped her short hair before taking a step back.
Welby pushed her down, none too gently. “You and the little human caused enough trouble today without you hurting yourself even more.”
“I . . .” Lizzy. Where was Lizzy? “We caused trouble?”
“You hurt the Wolves and upset the Elementals and Sanguinati.” Welby’s hair changed to feathers, a sign that he, too, was distressed to the point where he couldn’t hold the human form.
She struggled to think of a safe question. “Why am I so wet?”
“Fire got upset and the hay started to smolder. Water came and soaked everything.”
Jane Wolfgard rushed into the barn. “Simon says the human bodywalker is at the Market Square office. Blair is outside with a BOW. He says he can stay human long enough to get Meg to the office.”
“Where is my razor?” Meg asked once they wrapped her waist to hold a folded cloth over the cut.
“Simon and Henry said all of this straw and the blanket need to be burned,” Jane said as she and Welby lifted Meg and took her to the BOW. “Anything with fresh blood on it needs to be burned.”
They wouldn’t speak to her directly as they settled her in the passenger seat. And Blair just snarled at her, making it clear he wouldn’t talk to her either.
Just as well, she thought as she pressed a hand over the cut. She was certain Simon would have plenty to say when she saw him.
Would he be able to tell her what happened?
Henry held out a hand. “Give it to me.”
Hateful thing, Simon thought, turning the silver razor over and over in hands that were furry and clawed.
“Simon,” the Grizzly rumbled.
He gave Henry the razor. “I thought Meg liked Nathan. Why would she do that to him? What am I supposed to say to her?”
He couldn’t bite the Lizzy, who had started the trouble, because it was Montgomery’s duty to discipline the pup. And he couldn’t bite Meg because she was Meg. But he was so scared and furious right now, he really wanted to bite someone.
“You will say nothing,” Henry said. “I am spirit guide for this Courtyard, so I will deal with Meg.”
Jester had pulled into the area behind HGR howling for Simon and Vlad and anyone and everyone. Since Burke and Montgomery were still there, they’d come running too.
Something about the Lizzy not being allowed to ride the ponies. Of course she couldn’t ride any of the Elementals’ steeds, no matter what form they were in! But the Lizzy’s whining had caused Meg to try to make a cut when she was out of control. If Nathan hadn’t been there . . .
If it was anyone but Meg, she’d get such a bite for upsetting a pack member like that!
“Yes,” he said, feeling his canines lengthen. “You deal with Meg. I’ll see what I can do for Nathan.”
Nathan had run to HGR as soon as Jane Wolfgard ran into the Pony Barn. The moment he handed the folding razor to Simon, he stripped off his clothes and shifted to Wolf. At Tess’s insistence, he’d eaten part of a chamomile cookie, but even with that much of a calming effect he was still so upset he couldn’t stop shaking or whining.
After Dr. Lorenzo gave the Lizzy a quick check and assured Montgomery that the girl was fine, the lieutenant took the Lizzy back to the efficiency apartment. Now the doctor waited for Meg.
<I’m taking Meg into the medical office now,> Blair said.
<All right,> Simon replied. He hesitated before adding, <Henry will deal with Meg.>
<Good. Right now, I really want to bite her. And that idiot police pup too.>
<Once Meg is with Dr. Lorenzo, come to HGR and help me with Nathan.>
Simon looked at Henry. “Maybe it was a mistake to let humans into the Courtyard. If the Lizzy hadn’t gone to the Pony Barn with Meg, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Maybe,” Henry said. “But we all agreed to try something that hasn’t been done before. We are all learning, and that means there will be mistakes. This time, it is Meg who made the mistake, and she must understand what she has done. Go tend Nathan, and let’s hope today has not completely soured his willingness to work with humans.”
CHAPTER 25
Watersday, Maius 12
“She’ll be fine,” Ruth said, giving Monty a strained smile. “We’ll watch a movie or read a book until you get back.”
Monty studied her. “Karl told you?”
“Yes.” She glanced at Lizzy, who was sitting in the stuffed chair with her arms wrapped around her legs. “Does Lizzy know?”
Monty shook his head. So much had already happened this morning, there hadn’t been the right time to tell his little girl that her mother was dead. And he needed time to consider the questions she might ask. Could they both have gotten away if she hadn’t lost track of time in the bathroom, playing her silly game with Boo Bear? Would Elayne have died if Lizzy hadn’t answered the phone in the hotel room, confirming their location?
He didn’t have answers. Would never have answers. But he needed some kind of answer so that Lizzy wouldn’t carry guilt as well as grief.
He walked over to the chair and crouched, resting a hand on Lizzy’s feet.
“I just wanted to ride a pony,” she whimpered, breaking his heart with those big eyes swimming with tears.
“I know, Lizzy girl, I know. But those aren’t ponies people can ride, and you should have respected Miss Meg when she told you that.”
“Did Miss Meg get hurt because I didn’t listen?”
How to explain a blood prophet’s addiction to cutting? How to tell his little girl that Meg’s new cut was, in some way, her doing? How to say that without Lizzy confusing Meg’s cutting with Elayne being stabbed—and dying?
At least the Others had taken the child away before Meg made the cut. But based on the reaction of the Wolves, this had not been a typical cut, and Meg’s life had been at risk.
“Miss Meg is a special kind of girl,” he said carefully. “And she can get hurt when something is more upsetting than she can handle.”