Lance reached into his pocket to clutch the stone. The owl’s head swiveled, still following him. He had to circle the playground to get to the passageway that would take him home, and as the raptor’s head kept turning, his did, too, watching the bird, ready to bolt if it flew at him.
He knew that was silly. There were always owls in Cainsville. At night, he’d see them perched beside gargoyles, as if joining them in silent vigil. Spotting them always vanquished any fear he had of being out past dark. The owls and the gargoyles stood watch, so he was safe.
Tonight, he did not feel safe.
When a rustle sounded in the bushes behind the playground, Lance stopped so fast he stumbled. His hand flew from his pocket to stop his fall. The stone sailed free and thumped to the ground.
The rustling stopped.
Lance straightened and held himself still as he peered into the darkness. After a moment, he could see a figure half hidden behind the bushes. A black shape on all fours.
Hwch Ddu Gwta. The tailless black sow.
Lance shook his head sharply, ashamed by the very thought. Really? Whatever magic there was on Nos Galan Gaeaf, no one even really pretended there was such a thing.
The tailless black sow will snatch the last.
It’d been years since a child had died in Cainsville, and never on Nos Galan Gaeaf. He was imagining things.
He took a step toward Seanna’s dropped stone. As he bent to pick it up, a snort from the bushes startled him, and he rose, stone forgotten. A black, misshapen figure rose from behind the bushes, low and hunched, making him think of the headless woman who accompanied the black sow.
As the figure stepped around the bushes, Lance scrambled backward, his hands rising to ward off…
“You have got to be kidding me,” Seanna said. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He opened his mouth.
She beat him to it, saying, “Dumb question. You’re following me.Stalkingme. Again.”
“I—”
“You just don’t take a hint, do you?” she said as she strode toward him. “I’m not interested, Lance Miller. You think this will get my attention? It only pisses me off, and you really don’t want to piss?—”
Her foot kicked the stone. She stopped moving. They both did.
Silence.
Lance’s heart pounded, every fiber of his being screaming for him to lunge, to grab that stone. But he couldn’t move. Absolutely could not move.
Seanna reached down and picked up the polished stone. “This is…” Color bled from her pale face. “You stole my Coelcerth stone?”
“No, I?—”
“I tell you I’m not interested, and you steal my stone to punish me? Let me spend a year thinking I’m going todie?”
She closed the gap between them in an angry stalk.
“You cowardly littleprick. You don’t even have the balls to threaten me to my face. That’s it. I’m taking this to the elders. No more dealing with your bullshit. Let the town council handle it.”
She turned away, stone in hand, and that’s when his paralysis broke. He lunged. Knocked her flat on her ugly face. Grabbed her hair and yanked it back to slam that ugly face into the ground.
Bash it until it was bloody. Bash it until she never opened her foul mouth again. Bash it until he dashed her brains out. Until he was free.
As he slammed her face into the dirt, he waited for her scream. For her pain. For her fear.
Seanna didn’t make a sound.
He yanked her hair back again and?—
