“Who’s there?”
“Werewolf. There wolf. And that’s why,” she pointed out into the woods, beyond the mud demon. With her witch sight, he saw brilliant green-yellow paranormal forms moving toward the campsite. Mixed with the green, were dark spots of curse-brown. Not on them, butinthem. “It’s been said that were-creatures were made when an ancient goddess cursed them, so they carry the dark of blood-curse in their skin. Like I do. I’m guessing that means they’ll want me.”
Eli tightened his arms and legs around her, staring back and forth between the cursed shapes moving toward them and the heated silver box. It was glowing so hot he could feel the fire from only inches away. No question now. Werewolves were tied magically to the amulet in the silver box. They had been sent here.
“When they get here, they’ll attack thehedgetoo. And it will go down. That is gonna suck mightily,” she said.
He said, “When the wolves get here, you’ll have to drop thehedgeand run away from the demon. Fast. So I can fire at the wolves.”
“I’ll never be able to run,” she said. “I’m so tired my heart hurts when it beats.”
That wasn’t good. “How long can you hold thehedgewhen they get here?”
“I’m draining myself. If I keep draining my own life energies at this rate, I’ll be dead in…” she gave a feeble shrug, “half an hour?”
A very faint, familiar throbbing sound echoed over the hills. Eli went from abject terror at her words to a spark of hope. “Okay. Hang on, Lizzie,” Eli said. “The helo’s almost here.” He shifted her and sent a text to Alex asking for a text number to whoever was on the helo.
“How’s you wifi battery on the hilltop doing?” Liz mumbled. “I just realized you’ve been texting for hours as I drained rocks and we bled.”
“Not so great,” he said. “Nearly empty.”
The helo grew closer. Dropped low. Eli received another text and the helo moved away. Eli said. “They have our GPS and location and have picked out an LZ. ETA for backup is fifteen minutes, though I got no idea how they’ll get here so fast. Can you hang on?”
“I ‘on’ know,” she mumbled. “’f I die then… no.”
Chapter Eight
Liz
Liz could feela shock roll through Eli like a wave against the shore. He pulled her closer and wrapped them tighter in the bedroll, his body heat against her spine like a furnace, his chin on her head, so that when he spoke it moved against her hair. Casually, he said, “Alex just texted me some info about the woman who claimed to be Golda. Her name is Connie Carroll and apparently you killed her daughter in high school.”
“Who? I ‘n’ kill an’body.”
“We know. The daughter was a cheerleader and she was out drinking with some friends. Drinking Connie Carroll’s liquor and driving Connie Carroll’s car. There was an accident.”
“I ‘member that.” Liz sat up straighter and managed to get her eyes open.
Eli fished around in a pocket and handed her a mint. “It’ll help to restore the moisture in your mouth.”
She looked up at thehedgeand it was pale yellow all over, with a small brown spot where the demon pressed against it. That was bad. Really bad. She looked around and was surprised it was still dark outside. She was so drained, that it felt as if she had been working all night. “How long have we been at this?” she asked.
“Three hours.”
“Oh. Well. I’m not tired at all then.”
Eli laughed silently, his belly moving behind her.
“Okay. Where was I?” Liz asked. “Oh yeah. High school. I spotted a car off the road. It had hit a tree. I called the police. Went to the car. Pulled two passengers out. The driver was already dead.”
“She accused ‘the witch’ of killing her daughter.”
“Yeah. That sucked. Cia had I had to drop out of school for home schooling.”
“She apparently thinks you should have saved her daughter.”
“Her kid’s brains were smashed all over the steering wheel and her body was hanging out the shattered windshield. Witches don’t do miracles.”
“Huh. Connie Carroll fell apart. She’s now alcohol and drug dependent. She lost her job and is about to lose her house And to her, you’re to blame for all life’s misfortunes.”
